History
It all started in 1994 when I was attending college on Oahu at University of Hawaii. That's when I first began training with the Gracie family. I entered my first tournament in 1995. In 1997 I won my first World Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. In 2001 I won my second World championship in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu held once again in Rio de Janeiro. Back then, all major championships were held in Brazil, and by invite only. Only the BEST from outside Brazil were invited to enter. I competed against and alongside the best from the U.S., including Egan Inouye, BJ Penn, Barret Yoshida and Raji Fergusson.
In 1998 I moved back to Kauai, Hawaii and opened my first school. In 2007 I moved to Phoenix, AZ and opened up the MMA Lab under the direction of Royce Gracie. That was followed by AZ Muay Thai and Fitness, and in 2010, the first official Pure Jiu-Jitsu Finishing School. These experiences were the foundation of the philosophy that we follow today.
​After years of private training, seminars, and brief stints at several martial arts academies across the valley, I finally reopened the doors of Arizona's first official Royce Gracie Black Belt School.
