Sometimes, it takes a village to reach your goals. 

Who is in your village?

If you don't have an optimal village for yourself, create one that works for you.

Emily Kwok

Emily Kwok is a 4th degree IBJJF certified blackbelt under Marcelo Garcia.  A two-time IBJJF world champion, ADCC competitor, former MMA fighter, and owner of Princeton Jiu-Jitsu in Princeton, New Jersey.

DJ Wegesin

DJ Wegesin is a 3rd degree blackbelt under Diego Saraiva/Nova Uniao.  DJ owns multiple martial arts academies in the North Atlanta suburbs, is a former competitor, and is a current instructor at the area Nova Uniao schools.

Tyler Driskell

Tyler "T" Driskell is a second-degree blackbelt under Paul Creighton (Creighton MMA/Renzo Gracie) in Northeast Atlanta. T is one of the academy's lead jiu-jitsu instructors and was a two-time IBJJF Master Worlds No-Gi Gold Medalist at brown belt.

Diego Saraiva

Diego Saraiva is a 5th degree certified IBJJF blackbelt and owner of Nova Uniao Atlanta.  Diego is a UFC Veteran, former MMA fighter, and IBJJF referee.  A prolific competitor, Diego has made the podium or won almost all there is to win on the IBJJF circuit over his career.

Brian Brown

Brian Brown is a 2nd degree blackbelt and owner of Alpharetta Martial Arts, where he continues to teach various forms of martial arts, including jiu-jitsu, weapons, and combatives.  A former Army paramedic, Brian is an active business owner and lifelong student of martial arts.

Steve Kwan

Steve Kwan is perhaps best known to the Jiu-Jitsu community as a black belt under Emily Kwok (a brother from the same black belt mother) and the founder and core personality behind BJJ Mental Models, the world's leading Jiu-Jitsu education podcast and audio platform.

Eliot Marshall

Eliot Marshall is a retired mixed martial artist best known for his years in the UFC and on the Ultimate Fighter TV reality show.  Eliot is a 4th degree blackbelt and co-owner of Easton's Training Center where they serve thousands (Yes, I said thousands) of students in the greater Denver, Colorado area.  Eliot was a prolific grappler at both IBJJF events coming up as a colored belt and ultimately an ADCC World Championships veteran.  Eliot is now best know for his consulting in the martial arts business industry.

Stephan Kesting

Stephan is one of the original gangsters of jiu-jitsu instructional materials first selling the instructions on DVD's and later to the broader on-line versions under his GrappleArts enterprise.  A 4th degree blackbelt in jiu-jitsu, Stephan is well trained at various martial arts and is an avid outdoorsman often completing epic solo adventures in the Canadian wilderness.  He is the host of the "Strenuous Life Podcast" and regularly contributes material to his "Essential Wilderness" YouTube channel.

Tom Wortman

Tom Wortman began his jiu-jitsu journey in the City of Atlanta where Paul became friends with him on the competition circuit (competing for different teams).  Tom would eventually move across the country to pursue his blackbelt under the Mendes Brothers at the Art of Jiu-Jitsu.  After running the table winning every match in all of the major IBJJF events of his final year at brown belt (European Championships, Pans, American Nationals, and Master Worlds) Tom was awarded his blackbelt from Gui Mendes and Tainan Dalpra.

Junior Assuncao

Junior Assuncao is a mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the UFC, Xtreme Fighting Championships, and King of the Cage.  Junior is the owner of Ascension MMA in Cumming, GA, and is a 4th degree blackbelt that still competes in the IBJJF.  Junior incorporates many Capoeira techniques that employ agility, balance, and practical strength movements.