Helio Gracie, Royler Gracie, NIck Stefan, now David Ruiz

I am a Black Belt under Nicholas Stefan at Gracie Humaita Carlsbad CA. Our gym is now Freedom Jiu Jitsu Academy and I’m currently under David Ruiz. I came to jiu jitsu back in 2012 after years of wanting to train in it. I have a black belt in Karate and trained Muay Thai for years prior to taking up grappling. My neighbor was a blue belt at Gracie Carlsbad and had pestered me for a few years to come and try grappling. One fateful December I had time off from my job as a high school art teacher to come try out a class. I learned the move of the day (standing guard pass) and that was the extent of my grappling knowledge. I proceeded to be destroyed by everyone in the room and was instantly hooked. I signed up on the spot and have been under Nick Stefan since then through all of my belts. Our gym recently rebranded as Freedom Jiu Jitsu Carlsbad and I am now one of the professors at the gym.