GRAPPLE LAB - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Head Instructor BJJ BLACK BELT
Matt has been training in combat sports since 1999 and started his martial arts training with Boxing and Muay Thai, then progressed to mma and submission wrestling. In 2004 he took his first Brazilian jiu jitsu class and over the next few years decided to dedicate himself to the sport. Matt has started many bjj programs around the city but is best known for being co-founder and one of the head coaches of Grapple Lab bjj. In January 2018, he achieved the rank of bjj black belt by his original Prof. Cesar Rezek to whom he owes much of his knowledge.
Matt has over 25 years grappling experience. He holds a rank of brown belt in Judo, and later in his teens transitioned into no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu training with former UFC champion Carlos Newton and UFC veteran Mark Bocek. Eventually he started to focus more on traditional Brazilian jiu-jitsu with his teacher, Cesar Rezek, and was awarded his black belt from Cesar at the Nova Uniao headquarters. Matt is also co-founded Jits Magazine, one of the premiere jiu-jitsu media networks in the world with several million views on their Youtube channel. Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie > André Pederneiras > Cesar Rezek Alves