Ronkonkoma / New York / United States
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 90s 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 Crohns 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 wasnt 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 Joes 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
