Carter's Academy is Lexington's exclusive Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Certified Training Center, the first academy in South Carolina to be authorized by the Gracie Academy Headquarters in Torrance, California and is one of the largest Nihon Goshin Aikido Training Centers in the nation. Established in Columbia, SC in January of 1997, we specialize in teaching Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, Judo and Karate at our main location in Lexington, SC and have partner locations in Irmo, Chapin and West Columbia. Since its inception, our academy has been a center where students receive a first-class education in the martial arts. Our mission is to teach the highest percentage responses to the most common attacker behaviors. Men, women and children from all walks of life come to our Lexington, Irmo and partnership locations for the best self-defense instruction in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Nihon Goshin Aikido (a blend of Aikido, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo & Karate), Women's Self-Defense and Youth Bullyproof Programs. 

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Our school offers a professional, safe and fun method of learning martial arts.   All our instructors have had many years of martial arts and self-defense training and are required to meet high standards when achieving and maintaining their national instructor certifications. The academy is open daily and evenings, Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings. We offer month-to-month memberships, have an easy sign-up process, and keep classes small for personalized attention. If you are considering joining our academy, come by and watch a class, try any class on our schedule for free, meet our Head Instructor and see our training facility. We look forward to meeting you soon.