The Heart of Our Academy: Behind the Scenes with Our Instructors and Staff
While the spotlight often shines on the students mastering techniques and achieving their goals on the mats, it's the dedicated team behind the scenes that truly serves as the heartbeat of our Academy. Each one of our passionate instructors plays a vital role in creating an environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and inspired to grow. Join us as we take a closer look behind the curtain and shine a light on the individuals who make our Academy truly special.
Meet Our Instructors and Staff
Professor Rafaello is a Jiu Jitsu instructor who deeply values the personal connections he forms with his students. He believes that the camaraderie in his classes begins with him as the instructor—showing genuine interest in his students' lives beyond the mats and making their training sessions enjoyable and engaging. This approach fosters a supportive environment that significantly enhances students' experiences and their progression in Jiu Jitsu.
In his teachings, Professor Rafaello emphasizes life lessons such as resilience, consistency, humility, and hard work. He uses stories from his own life and those of his students to inspire and teach, reflecting on these narratives at the end of each class to reinforce these values. His strategy for helping students overcome technical and mental challenges is rooted in positivity and trust, encouraging them that with dedication, reaching their potential is entirely within their grasp.
Professor Rafaello's memorable teaching moments often involve encouraging students in difficult positions, a technique that has been part of his instructional style since he began teaching. His journey through Jiu Jitsu, which started as a means to gain self-confidence, has significantly shaped his teaching philosophy. He adopts a combination of techniques learned from his own mentors and applies these to help his students navigate similar challenges.
For effective progress, he highlights the importance of hip movement and mobility, particularly for guard retention, incorporating extensive guard drills into his classes. He fosters a fun and relaxing training environment, understanding and addressing the individual needs of each student to facilitate their growth.
To guide students towards greatness, Professor Rafaello stresses consistency and determination. He encourages his students to focus on technical skills and their application in live training, boosting their confidence and enabling significant progress. His advice for those aspiring to higher levels in Jiu Jitsu is to treat it as a marathon, not a sprint, emphasizing the importance of dedication, self-care, and continuous learning from every experience, whether a win or a loss.
Through his commitment to building both skill and community, Professor Rafaello distinguishes himself as not just a coach but a mentor whose influence extends beyond the mats into the lives of his students.
Introducing Coach Justin, a Jiu Jitsu mentor whose strategic approach to coaching is profoundly shaping the way his students tackle challenges and excel. Coach Justin recognizes that each student has a unique learning style, and he adeptly identifies their strengths and areas for improvement. He is committed to enhancing each student’s reliable strengths while also diligently working to improve their weaknesses. His belief in the power of desire to learn, ability to be coached, and consistent practice forms the cornerstone of his coaching philosophy, fostering successful Jiu Jitsu practitioners.
In his classes, Coach Justin creates a supportive environment that caters to students at all levels. He begins each session by assessing the individual needs of his students, adapting the instruction so everyone, from beginners to advanced practitioners, gains mastery over the techniques with tailored guidance. His interactive style ensures that each student receives immediate feedback—praise to reinforce correct practices and corrections where needed—enhancing their learning experience and application of techniques in real scenarios.
For those aspiring to higher levels of proficiency, Coach Justin advises a disciplined approach: avoid shortcuts, remain consistent, and focus on personal capabilities rather than comparisons. This advice is not just a set of instructions but a proven pathway to becoming a great Jiu Jitsu practitioner under his mentorship. Coach Justin’s dedication to developing each student’s potential makes him an invaluable guide in the world of martial arts.
Meet Coach Breece, a dedicated Jiu Jitsu instructor whose innovative teaching style is rooted in fostering strong bonds and individual growth. Believing that a sense of camaraderie and community is pivotal, Coach Breece champions the idea of finding common ground among students. He understands that friendship enhances training experiences, encouraging more practice and consequently better progress. This approach not only makes learning enjoyable but also builds a supportive network that motivates students to excel.
In his teaching, Coach Breece emphasizes the importance of focusing on essential skills and setting specific training goals. Each week, he tailors these goals to align with individual needs while centering around a common technique, ensuring that every student feels both challenged and supported. By integrating these principles into his instruction, he ensures that his students not only master the fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu but also develop a deep understanding of strategic execution. Coach Breece's commitment to these values makes him a standout in the world of martial arts instruction, where he continually inspires his students to strive for excellence.
Coach Ann is a Jiu Jitsu instructor whose approach to coaching is deeply rooted in instilling values of resilience, respect, and discipline among her students. She believes in maintaining a consistent structure in her classes, reinforcing these values through a clear code of conduct, regular drilling, positional sparring, and goal-setting. Coach Ann also emphasizes the importance of individual coaching, taking note of each student's strengths and areas for improvement, and tailoring feedback and assignments accordingly.
Her strategy for helping students overcome challenges in their Jiu Jitsu journey involves a deep understanding of the interplay between the technical and mental aspects of learning. Recognizing that emotions can hinder performance, she adapts her teaching methods to match each student's learning style—whether visual, conceptual, or kinesthetic. By breaking down movements into digestible concepts and offering personalized tasks, like focusing on making grips, she helps students overcome specific obstacles and achieve breakthroughs.
One of Coach Ann's key teaching moments involved a student who struggled with grip-making, which is essential for guard retention and effective passing. By assigning this student a focused task on grips, she facilitated a significant improvement in his skills, fostering a newfound diligence and coachability in him. This moment not only highlighted her personalized approach but also her ability to inspire pride and confidence in her students.
For those aspiring to reach higher levels of proficiency, Coach Ann advises a disciplined mindset. She encourages her students to maximize their training time by minimizing distractions, practicing techniques at home, visualizing movements, and linking techniques together. She also stresses the importance of persistence, responsibility, and treating training as a paramount activity. By making training enjoyable and interactive, she ensures that her students are motivated to return, eager to learn, and ready to ask questions.
Through her commitment to developing disciplined, resilient, and respectful practitioners, Coach Ann has become a cornerstone of her Jiu Jitsu community, guiding her students not just in martial arts but in life lessons that extend beyond the mat.
Passion for Jiu Jitsu
At the core of our team is a shared passion for Jiu Jitsu that fuels everything we do. Our instructors bring years of experience and expertise to the mats, constantly striving to deepen their own knowledge and skills while passing on their love for the art to our students. Their dedication to the craft is evident in every class they teach, inspiring students to push their boundaries and unlock their full potential.
Commitment to Teaching
Teaching isn't just a job for our instructors—it's a calling. They approach each class with enthusiasm, patience, and a genuine desire to help every student succeed. Whether it's breaking down complex techniques, offering personalized feedback, or providing words of encouragement, our instructors go above and beyond to ensure that each student receives the guidance and support they need to progress on their Jiu Jitsu journey.
Creating a Welcoming Environment
Beyond their roles as instructors, our team members are also ambassadors of our academy's principles of cooperation, discipline, and respect. They work tirelessly to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to learn and grow, regardless of age, gender, or skill level. Through their leadership and example, they foster a sense of camaraderie and belonging that extends far beyond the training mats.
Behind Every Success Story
Behind every student's success story at our academy is a team of dedicated instructors and staff members who have played a crucial role in their journey. Whether it's helping a beginner conquer their first submission or guiding an advanced student to victory in competition, our team is there every step of the way, cheering them on and celebrating their achievements.
Join Our Community
Ready to experience the passion, dedication, and support of our incredible team? Discover the difference that expert instruction and a welcoming community can make in your Jiu Jitsu journey. Our doors are always open, and our team is ready to welcome you with open arms.
