Our Instructors

Our team is united by a passion for Jiu Jitsu, strong coaching, and a commitment to helping every student grow.

A man in a blue Brazilian jiu-jitsu gi holding a black belt with a red patch, standing on a black mat, smiling at the camera.

Albert Khait

Professor and Academy Director

  • Rank: Black Belt, 3rd Degree

  • Years Training: 20 years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: Meeting new people, building friendships, and helping others grow

  • Why I Love Teaching: ‘‘I love helping build confidence while promoting fitness and strong community bonds’’

  • Coaching Style: Interactive, explorative, and thorough

  • Fun Fact: Born in Ukraine, raised in Canada, and have spent more than half my life in the United States

  • Go-To Move / Specialty: Exploring various guards and the Kimura game

  • What Students Can Expect: A fun, engaging environment where questions are encouraged and answered

  • Outside the Gym: Pediatrician for 17 years with a private practice in Corona; proud husband and father of two daughters

A man wearing a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi with a patch on his left sleeve, standing in a martial arts training studio with a dark background and black mats.
A man wearing a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi with a patch on his left sleeve, standing in a martial arts training studio with a dark background and black mats.

Jeremy Macardican

Lead Instructor

  • Rank: Brown Belt

  • Years Training: 15 years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: The endless possibilities for growth — both within the sport and personal development

  • Why I Love Teaching: ‘‘Sharing the sport I love’’

  • Coaching Style: Adaptive and high-energy, keeping training engaging while bringing out the best in every student

  • Fun Fact: Was an 8-year white belt

  • Go-To Move / Specialty: Butterfly Guard and Worm Guard

  • What Students Can Expect: A great workout and learning a lot through his methodical teaching style

  • Outside the Gym: Enjoys all things nerdy and technical

A man standing in a martial arts uniform in front of a black wall, posing with his hands at his waist.

Robert Gutierrez

Adult Instructor

  • Rank: Brown Belt

  • Years Training: 9 years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: “Jiu-jitsu is more than a sport — it’s a mental escape that sharpens focus and builds resilience.”

  • Why I Love Teaching: ‘‘Helping others grow and build confidence on and off the mats’’

  • Coaching Style: Fundamentals-first with a structured, disciplined approach

  • Fun Fact: Has trained throughout Southern California

  • Go-To Move / Specialty: Fundamentals-based systems and pressure

  • What Students Can Expect: Strong fundamentals, consistency, and practical application

  • Outside the Gym: Focused on personal growth, training, and mentoring others

An older man with gray hair tied back, wearing a black martial arts uniform with patches and a brown belt, standing against a black background.

Christopher Dael

Adult Gi Instructor

  • Rank: Brown Belt

  • Years Training: 11 years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: Building trust, connection, and strong relationships through training

  • Why I Love Teaching: ‘‘Watching students grow and knowing I helped guide that process’’

  • Coaching Style: Concept-driven and adaptable to each student

  • Fun Fact: Writer and science enthusiast

  • Go-To Move / Specialty: Adaptive, principle-based jiu-jitsu

  • What Students Can Expect: Problem-solving, games-based learning, and deeper understanding

  • Outside the Gym: “I’m a lucky husband, proud father of two, and a pediatrician for over 30 years.”

A woman in a blue Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi standing on a gray martial arts mat, with her hands on her hips and a purple belt around her waist.

Lizbeth “Liz” Gaytán

Kids & Women’s Instructor

  • Rank: Purple Belt, 4 Stripes

  • Years Training: 6 years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: Seeing personal growth while building strong friendships

  • Why I Love Teaching: ‘‘Helping students build confidence and discover their potential’’

  • Coaching Style: Supportive, detail-focused, and positive while keeping training fun

  • Fun Fact: Always calm on the mats, but constantly setting things up.

  • Go-To Move / Specialty: Strategic setups and control

  • What Students Can Expect: A positive, encouraging, and structured learning environment

  • Outside the Gym: “I have a custom cake business — if my jiu-jitsu doesn’t impress you, my cakes probably will.”

A man in a black martial arts gi standing on a padded mat in a martial arts training area, smiling, holding his fingers together at his waist, with his bare feet on the mats, against a black background.
A man in a black martial arts gi standing on a padded mat in a martial arts training area, smiling, holding his fingers together at his waist, with his bare feet on the mats, against a black background.

Bobby Murillo

Kids Instructor, Adult Fundamental Instructor

  • Rank: Purple Belt, 2 Stripes

  • Years Training: 5 years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: De-stressing and helping each other improve as a team

  • Why I Love Teaching: ‘‘Teaching kids a skill they’ll carry for life’’

  • Coaching Style: Motivating and supportive, while pushing students to improve

  • Fun Fact: Wrestled for 5 years and played football for 9 years

  • Go-To Move / Specialty: Changes every day — come train and find out

  • What Students Can Expect: Hard work, skill development, and becoming better athletes

  • Outside the Gym: Runs a photography and videography business with his wife and trains with his family

A man wearing a Brazilian jiu-jitsu gi standing barefoot on a dark mat, holding his collar with both hands, on a black background.
A man wearing a Brazilian jiu-jitsu gi standing barefoot on a dark mat, holding his collar with both hands, on a black background.

Vicente Gaytán

Adult Fundamentals Instructor & Kids Assistant Instructor

  • Rank: Purple Belt, 3 Stripes

  • Years Training: 6½ years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: Drilling — because with enough repetition, techniques become instinctive during sparring.

  • Why I Love Teaching: “I love helping students build confidence and watching them grow into themselves through Jiu Jitsu.”

  • Coaching Style: Vicente has a focus on flow, control, and helping students move with purpose.

  • Fun Fact: “Even after years of training, I still get mesmerized by Jiu Jitsu techniques.”

A young man wearing a black Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi with patches and a purple belt, standing on a martial arts mat in a dark studio.
A young man wearing a black Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi with patches and a purple belt, standing on a martial arts mat in a dark studio.

Joseph Zamudio

Assistant Instructor & Primary Instructor for Kids and Adult Classes

  • Rank: Purple Belt, 2 Stripes

  • Years Training: Started training at age 5, with a few off-mat gap years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu:
    Joseph enjoys the problem-solving aspect of Jiu Jitsu. Every roll is different, and there is always something new to learn and improve on.

  • Why I Love Teaching:
    "I love helping others grow in confidence and skill, and seeing students develop both on and off the mats is incredibly rewarding."

  • Coaching Style:
    His coaching style is technical, supportive, and focused on building strong fundamentals while keeping training engaging.

  • Fun Fact:
    He enjoys playing basketball and staying competitive outside the gym.

Woman wearing a black Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi with red and blue embroidery, standing on a dark martial arts mat, holding a blue belt, with one foot forward and a serious expression.

Natalie Mkrchyan

Kids Assistant Instructor

  • Rank: Blue Belt

  • Years Training: 2 years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: The community (and collecting gis and no-gi gear!)

  • Why I Love Teaching: Giving others the same positive experience she’s had

  • Coaching Style: Often described as “sunshine and rainbows” — positively uplifting, with excellent feedback from both kids and parents

  • Fun Fact: Has 6 cats

  • Go-To Move / Specialty: Guard passing

  • What Students Can Expect: A fun, welcoming, and supportive class

  • Outside the Gym: Trains with her dad and younger brother

Woman in a black martial arts gi standing on a black mat in a martial arts gym, holding a blue belt, with a serious expression, dark background.

Amanda Murillo

Front Desk

  • Rank: Blue Belt, 4 Stripes

  • Years Training: 4.5+ years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: The shared journey of growth across all levels

  • Why I Love Teaching: Helping new students and families feel comfortable and welcomed

  • Coaching Style: Friendly, supportive, and community-focused

  • Fun Fact: Loves the bow-and-arrow choke

  • Go-To Move / Specialty: Bow-and-arrow choke!

  • What Students Can Expect: A warm welcome and positive first experience

  • Outside the Gym: Mom of three; enjoys gardening, crocheting, photography, and family adventures

A smiling woman in a black Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi with white belt stands with arms crossed against a black background.
A smiling woman in a black Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi with white belt stands with arms crossed against a black background.

Kennedy Pantani

Front Desk, Kids Assistant Instructor

  • Rank: White Belt, 4 Stripes

  • Years Training: 4 years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: Challenging herself physically and mentally with a bunch of friends.

  • Why I Love Teaching: Helping kids realize they can do hard things

  • Coaching Style: Positive, patient, and encouraging

  • Fun Fact: Runs a coffee pop-up called Disco Duck Coffee

  • Go-To Move / Specialty: Crucifix

  • What Students Can Expect: Support, encouragement, and a fun learning environment

  • Outside the Gym: Entrepreneur and coffee enthusiast

Young woman in a martial arts gi with a blue belt, standing on a black mat, in a bowing pose with hands pressed together.
Young woman in a martial arts gi with a blue belt, standing on a black mat, in a bowing pose with hands pressed together.

Tyeson Nguyen

Kids Assistant Instructor

  • Rank: Blue Belt

  • Years Training: 3 years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: Being part of a welcoming community that also pushes me to become the best version of myself through competition

  • Why I Love Teaching: ‘‘I love helping new members feel welcome and pushing them to improve, just like my mentors did for me.’’

  • Coaching Style: Detail-oriented with an emphasis on small adjustments and strong conceptual understanding

  • Fun Fact: I’m a student at Cal State Long Beach and help teach at the BJJ club there

  • Go-To Move: Crucifix

A young person with curly hair standing cross-armed in a black martial arts uniform with yellow belt in a dark training room.

Dylan Gaytán

Kids Assistant Instructor

  • Rank: Yellow Belt

  • Years Training: 6.5 years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: Competition and testing skills

  • Why I Love Teaching: Sharing knowledge and helping others improve

  • Coaching Style: Motivated, detail-focused, and competitive

  • Fun Fact: Loves competing, learning different styles, and is a Pan Am Champion

  • Go-To Move / Specialty: Competition-focused techniques

  • What Students Can Expect: High energy, technical learning, and competitive mindset

  • Outside the Gym: Dedicated competitor and student of the sport

A young man in a black martial arts gi standing on a black mat in a training room with black walls, barefoot, looking directly at the camera.
A young man in a black martial arts gi standing on a black mat in a training room with black walls, barefoot, looking directly at the camera.

Abraham Gonzales

Kids Assistant Instructor

  • Rank: Gray belt

  • Years Training: 4 years

  • Favorite Part of Jiu Jitsu: Being able to work out and have fun at the same time

  • Why I Love Teaching: ‘‘I enjoy watching my students improve and grow stronger every day’’

  • Coaching Style: Focused on refining technique, mastering key positions, and using strategic sparring to help students become both sharper and more efficient on the mats

  • Fun Fact: Rolling bow and arrow choke

  • Go-To Move / Specialty: I enjoy playing video games and wrestling my older brother