JOE THOMPSON
HEAD INSTRUCTOR - BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU BLACK BELT1ST DEGREE
Joe has been training one form of combative art or another since he was 14 years old, studying and competing in systems such as Tae-Kwon-Doe, Muay Thai, American Combat, wrestling and boxing. He was than introduced to Renzo Gracie back in the mid 90's and that is when his jiu-jitsu journey began. After training for some time under Renzo Gracie, he has stopped training for some time. It was in 2001 when he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease he felt the need to make changes to his diet and training habits. It was from that point on that he dedicated himself solely to training mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. That dedication drove him to compete professionally as a mixed martial artist in shows such as Ring of Combat.
It wasn't until 2005 that Joe met Alexandre Soca, a Carlos Gracie, Jr. black belt since 1994 and member of the famed Gracie-Barra camp. Joe was promoted to Black Belt by Soca in 2013 after winning 2 gold medals at the IBJJF World Championships that year.
Today, Joe believes in and lives the complete jiu-jitsu lifestyle, dedicating himself to conditioning, eating healthy, and training. It is those learning principals and lifestyle beliefs he brings to his students, along with showing them that hard work and dedication at any age leads to results and a happier healthier lifestyle. Here are some of Joe's accomplishments:
2019 IBJJF European Champion
2X World Champion
5X Pan American Champion
Abu Dhabi Qualifier Silver medalist
2017 and 2018 Worlds Silver medalist
Multiple time IBJJF Champion and Medalist
Multiple time NAGA Champion and Medalist
Multiple time Grappling Industry Champion and Medalist