The idea of Thales legacy now in Louisville, KY is to carry on what he created over twenty years ago in Wisconsin. With his busy corporate life, the 4th degree black belt now is extremely focused on private and detailed training only. His passion for teaching Jiu-Jitsu got much bigger with time and Thales believes that following Hélio Gracie’s steps teaching ONLY private classes develops students much faster.
“With a martial arts journey spanning over three decades, I’ve had the privilege of training and teaching some of the most elite groups. Starting with Judo at the age of 7 in 1987, I transitioned to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at 10 and trained for four years before resuming again at 18. I earned my black belt in 2010, and since then, I’ve had the honor of sharing my expertise with various law enforcement agencies, including the Dane County SWAT team and the UW Madison Police department.
As a member of the Helio and Rickson Gracie lineage, I’ve had the privilege of training under Luiz Claudio Augusto and Thiago Veiga, both direct students of Rickson Gracie in Los Angeles, CA. This legacy has instilled in me a deep understanding of the art’s core principles and techniques. As a seasoned instructor, I’ve formed over 10 black belts, 22 brown belts, and 40+ purple belts, among many others. My international experience includes teaching BJJ to the UAE Army in Al Ain and Dubai for over two years. With 15 years of experience as a black belt, I’ve developed a passion for personalized instruction, and in recent years, I’ve focused on private sessions, where I’ve witnessed the most significant growth and improvement in my students. This tailored approach allows me to address specific needs, goals, and learning styles, helping my students achieve their full potential in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”
– 1987 (seven years old): Judo
– 1990 (ten years old – fourteenth years old): BJJ
– 1998 (eighteen years old): resumed BJJ
– 1999 (nineteen years old): blue belt
– 2004 (twenty four years old): purple belt
– 2007 (twenty seven years old): brown belt
– 2010 (thirty years old) : black belt
– 2014 (thirty four years old): first degree black belt
– 2017 (thirty seven years old): second degree black belt
– 2020 (forty years old): third degree black belt
– 2024 (forty four years old): fourth degree black belt