Photos courtesy of Gentle Art Studio Working with Borges is the school’s coowner
MARCH 2 0 2 0 I BOROMAG.COM 35
and head instructor, Eduardo Santos.
Santos is a lifelong martial artist who is a
fourth degree black belt and is internationally
recognized as an instructor. He initially
moved to Astoria from Brazil in 2006.
In Brazil, he was a member of the Lotus
Club, which is a competition team based in
Sao Paolo that was founded in 1989 and has
since spread to several countries around
the world. Santos opened up his first Brazilian
jiu jitsu school in a smaller space on
Broadway in 2015. When the time came to
expand, Santos and Borges decided it was
best to stay in Astoria, a community that is
beloved by both of them. The new space on
Astoria Boulevard is much more expansive
and has two floors with wide windows and
is filled with vividly green plants and a large
training floor to spread the art to even more
Astorians.
The school offers classes for small children
up to adults and has offerings for all levels
of experience including fundamentals, advanced
classes, as well as yoga. The art is
based on the principles of Brazilian jiu jitsu,
which translates to “gentle art.” It involves
grappling and techniques that can be paramount
in a self-defense scenario.
But aside from the physicality of the art,
there is a major emphasis placed on spirituality
and becoming a better person through
the art and its teachings as well as the school
being a second home, which is exactly what
Santos and Borges hoped to bring to the
neighborhood with their new location.
“We wanted to make a space where we
could really help everybody to feel better
when they walk in here,” said Borges.
“A place where the kids and the adults are
comfortable and everyone is welcome.”
Gentle Art Studio
28-02 ASTORIA BLVD., ASTORIA
718-406-9095
GENTLEARTSTUDIO.COM
@GENTLEART.STUDIO
link
/BOROMAG.COM
/GENTLEARTSTUDIO.COM
