Jiu Jitsu for All.
Guardian provides completely free Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training, equipment, and mentorship to underserved youth around the world.
Guardian is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
100% of every donation made through the end of 2026 goes directly to Guardian programs and the children they serve.
1,000+
Youth training completely free
36
Guardian Academies
13
Countries Worldwide
10+ Years
Expanding Access
HOW GUARDIAN WORKS
Two Paths. One Mission.
Guardian adapts each program to the needs and resources of the community we serve.
Programs Within Established Academies
In the United States and select international locations, Guardian programs operate within established academies. These partnerships allow sponsored youth to participate in existing programs alongside experienced coaches, adult mentors, and teammates while making efficient use of infrastructure already in place.
International Social Projects
Internationally, much of Guardian’s focus is on building and sustaining social projects in communities where access to Jiu Jitsu would otherwise not exist. Guardian invests where each academy needs support most, including local coaches, facilities, mats, gear, equipment, and essential program costs, helping more underserved youth train completely free.
Help More Youth Into Jiu Jitsu
Your donation helps support local coaches, provide gis, rash guards, mats, and equipment, and build safe, consistent places where young people can learn, grow, and belong through Jiu Jitsu.
Give where the need is greatest or choose a specific Guardian academy to support.
100% of every donation made through the end of 2026 goes directly to Guardian programs and the children they serve.
Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit · EIN 47-1846753
What we do:
We partner with existing academies to bring our scholarships to youth that need it most. This approach allows donations to maximize efficiency as those academies already have rent, utilities, mats, cleaning, and other expenses covered.
We sponsor international projects to provide training and apparel for youth. This includes building academies from the ground up, or making improvements to existing spaces such as new mats, showers, training gear, and more.
Add a Guardian Scholarship to your academy.
Our Story
Guardian was founded by Ben Kovacs and Joel Lunenfeld while working at Twitter, noticing that much of bay area philanthropy was not solving the real-world challenges facing youth. Initially, Guardian started in 2015 as a single academy in Oakland, California. The original program was a resounding success for the first 6 years of the organization, with over 1,000 kids coming through the doors to train.
In 2020, we evolved our approach and introduced the Guardian Scholarship. This initiative was designed to broaden our reach, offering support to children worldwide to engage in training. Leveraging our extensive network of friends and academy partners accumulated over the years, we started integrating scholarships within their schools, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent children from accessing our programs. Every child deserves the chance to participate.
As we forge ahead, we are committed to expanding the availability of our scholarship, touching more cities and countries, and thus providing countless more children with the transformative benefits that jiu-jitsu has to offer.
In 2021, Calder Powers, one of Guardian’s earliest volunteers, was promoted to serve as executive director. He continues to lead the organizations content efforts, school outreach, and much more every day.
Become an Ambassador
