Serving Merritt Island
Brazilian Jiu Jitsunear Merritt Island, Florida
Pure Life Martial Arts teaches Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Indialantic, Florida under Professor Felipe “Balboa” Portela, a third degree black belt and veteran of the UFC's The Ultimate Fighter and Strikeforce.
Gi and no-gi classes cover the full curriculum: guard, passing, escapes, submissions and positional sparring, taught in a structured progression rather than a different technique every night.
Beginners train alongside experienced students from their first week. You do not need to be fit, flexible or experienced to start — those are results of training, not prerequisites for it.
Getting here from Merritt Island
Pure Life is in Indialantic, about 28 minutes south of central Merritt Island by car. The straightforward route is east on SR 520 to Cocoa Beach, then south on A1A the rest of the way, past Patrick Space Force Base.
The academy is on North Miramar Avenue (A1A) in the Indialantic Shopping Center, so once you're on A1A you don't leave it.
Nearly half an hour each way is a real commitment, so choose the classes that fit your week. The schedule further down shows when to leave Merritt Island for each one.
- Distance
- About 19 miles in a straight line
- Drive
- Roughly 28 minutes, east on SR 520 to Cocoa Beach, then south on A1A
- after work
- 6:30 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday — leave Merritt Island by about 5:50 PM
- early morning
- 6 AM on Wednesday — leave Merritt Island by about 5:20 AM
- Next door
- Rockledge and Cocoa Beach
Leave-by times allow for the drive and about ten minutes to park and change. Traffic varies, so give yourself longer for a first visit.
When Brazilian Jiu Jitsu trains
- Monday
- 6:30 AM–7:30 AM · Brazilian Jiu Jitsu6:30 PM–7:30 PM · Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
- Tuesday
- 10:30 AM–11:30 AM · Brazilian Jiu Jitsu6:30 PM–7:30 PM · Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
- Wednesday
- 6 AM–7 AM · BJJ No-Gi6:30 PM–7:30 PM · BJJ No-Gi
- Thursday
- 10:30 AM–11:30 AM · BJJ No-Gi6:30 PM–7:30 PM · Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Questions from Merritt Island
- Is Pure Life on Merritt Island?
- No. The academy is at 800 N Miramar Ave in Indialantic, roughly 28 minutes from central Merritt Island by car.
- What's the route from Merritt Island?
- East on SR 520 to Cocoa Beach, then south on A1A through Satellite Beach and Indian Harbour Beach into Indialantic.
- Is it worth the drive from Merritt Island?
- Try it once. The first class is free, so you can see the academy and the class before deciding whether the drive works for you.