Private Grappling Coaching · Boca Raton, FL
Learn grappling on your own terms. Train solo, or with people you trust. Never more than four in the room.
Private and small-group coaching in Boca Raton for adults who want to start or get back into grappling, on your terms. No class to keep up with. No one watching you figure things out.
UFC coaching credits. Limited to 8 students at a time, currently accepting applications.
Sound familiar?
You keep waiting for the right time.
When you get in better shape. When work settles down. When you find a gym that feels right.
That moment rarely shows up. And the longer you wait, the more uncomfortable the idea of walking into a room full of strangers becomes.
The issue is not your fitness level or your schedule. It is walking into a room full of strangers with no say in who is there or how much attention you get. Here, you decide both.
The method
Coaching built around principles, not just techniques.
Most instruction is about copying moves. These sessions are about understanding why they work. That changes how fast you learn and how much you actually retain.
No syllabus to follow. No belt to earn. Each session has a clear focus and we work at your pace.
Staying calm when things get uncomfortable
Grappling puts you in uncomfortable situations on purpose. Over time, your brain learns to stay calm and work through them. That carries over.
Confidence that is earned
Not a mindset exercise. You build it by doing hard things in a controlled environment until they stop feeling hard.
Finally moving like you know your own body
Most adults were never taught how to move well. We fix that. Slowly, deliberately, without making you feel stupid about it.
Getting stronger without trying to
You will get physically stronger. Not because we add workouts, but because grappling demands it and your body adapts.
Who this is for
Two different situations. The same solution.
You want to try grappling. You just do not want to do it in front of a class.
- You worry someone more experienced might hurt you without meaning to
- You do not want to be the one person in the room who has no idea what they are doing
- You are not even sure you are in good enough shape to start
Your first sessions focus entirely on you. No material to keep up with, no one watching you struggle through the basics.
You trained before. Life got in the way. Now returning feels more complicated than starting.
- It is hard to admit how much your skills have faded
- You do not love the idea of training next to people who never stopped
- You honestly do not know where to pick back up
We start from where you actually are, not where you used to be. No comparisons, no pressure to catch up.
How it works
Three steps to your first session.
Fill out the form below
A few basic questions about your background and what you are looking for. Takes about a minute.
I message you on WhatsApp
Usually within 24 hours. We talk about your background and whether you would rather train one-on-one or bring a couple of people along.
We schedule your first session
Pick a time that works. Show up. See how it feels. No long-term commitment required.
Your coach
Erik Silva
I coach UFC fighters for a living. Vicente Luque, Viviane Araujo. That work is demanding and I take it seriously.
I also train regular adults who have never competed and never will. The principles I use are the same. The pace is different. Beginners are not a side project for me. They are part of why I wrote the book.
- Based in Boca Raton, FL
- Black belt in grappling / Brazilian Luta-livre
- Author of "Beyond Technique"
- NPF Sports Grappling Coach of the Year
- Also coaches Vicente Luque (UFC)
- Also coaches Viviane Araújo (UFC)
Technique tells you what to do. Principles tell you why it works. Once you understand the why, you stop needing to memorize anything.Erik Silva, Beyond Technique
Erik Silva
Beyond
Technique
Principles over patterns.
Understanding over memorization.
The book
Beyond Technique
Most grappling books teach you moves. This one teaches you how to think on the mat. Erik wrote it because he kept seeing the same problem: students who could perform techniques in drilling but froze the moment anything unexpected happened.
The book is a framework, not a catalog. It is what he teaches in private sessions — the same principles that guide how he coaches Vicente Luque before a title fight and how he coaches a 40-year-old who just started grappling last month.
Students
Regular people. Real results.
I'm 42 and I was convinced I was too old and too out of shape to start. Erik had me rolling in the first session. He meets you exactly where you are.
Mark R.
Started at 42, no prior experience
I had tried a group class before and quit after two weeks because I felt lost and embarrassed. Private sessions with Erik are completely different. I can actually ask questions.
David L.
Returned after quitting group classes
The fact that he coaches UFC fighters made me nervous at first. Turns out that's what makes him a better teacher — he knows exactly what breaks down and why.
Carlos M.
Training for 8 months
Take the first step
Interested? Let's talk.
Fill out the form and I will get back to you on WhatsApp within 24 hours. No commitment on your end yet.
I work with a maximum of 8 students at a time.