Instructors

Romulo Barral is a retired professional grappler as well as one of the top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coaches in the world. Tipped as “The Number 1 BJJ fighter in the world” by Gracie Mag in 2007, Romulo Barral maintained his top tier black belt status in the years that followed with consistent medals at the top jiu-jitsu tournaments, reaching BJJ Heroes’ Top 10 Competitors of All Time ranking. Originally from Belo Horizonte in Brazil, Romulo Barral established his own successful jiu-jitsu academy in California — United States, named Gracie Barra Northridge.

Also known as Leozinho or simply Leo Vieira, is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Romero Cavalcanti, being famous for combining one of the most crowd-pleasing games in BJJ with an amazing track record. Leo Vieira was also the co-founder of important teams such as Brasa Clube de Jiu-Jitsu and Checkmat BJJ, becoming in the process one of grappling’s most important coaches by developing athletes such as Marcus Almeida ‘Buchecha’, Lucas Leite, João Assis, and many others. Leozinho is also one of the Top BJJ Competitors of All Time by BJJ Heroes.

Felipe Pena, also known as Felipe “Preguiça” is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor and representative of the Gracie Barra – Belo Horizonte academy, as well as a black belt under Marcelo Azevedo. Pena is widely regarded as one of the top jiu-jitsu competitors of his generation, a status cemented through his many wins in events such as the ADCC, Copa Pódio’s HW GP, Brazilian Nationals (Brasileiro), and Abu Dhabi Pro championship. Preguiça is also the younger brother of another well-known grappler: Augusto “Tio Chico” Carsalade.

Marco Canha is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, graduated under the legendary Ricardo Vieira at the Fightzone academy (Checkmat headquarters in Rio de Janeiro). Born in the “Mecca” of jiu-jitsu, Marco Canha made a name for himself as one of the hottest new prospects to come out of the Checkmat Academy, he has since moved to Europe, where he opened up his own affiliate of Fightzone in London (check Fightzone London website).

Ffion Davies is a Welsh grappler and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt under Darragh O’Conaill, who is widely regarded as one of the top featherweight competitors of her generation. A judo player for the Wales National Team during her junior years, Davies made a name for herself in the world of BJJ through her many important wins in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) circuit, while representing the East Coast Jiu-Jitsu Academy (ECJJA).C).