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ABOUT OUR
ACADEMY
Our Story
Napa Valley Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was first established as a gym in 2007, but its roots go back much further than that. Saul Escalera had been training under the instruction of Ralph Gracie since the early 90’s. Since there was little to no places to train in Napa, he found others and started sharing his knowledge. Training was done wherever they could find the space, even if it was behind Saul’s own restaurant in the heart of the City of Napa (shoutout to Red Rock on Lincoln St.). Saul’s passion for Jiu-Jitsu was infectious and his following continued to grow. Saul legitimized the school and started teaching on a nightly basis. Jesse Garcia was one of the people who happened to wander in. Over the years one thing was apparent, the natural talent and incredible enthusiasm for Jiu-Jitsu was shared between the two. As time went on, Saul’s family and businesses continued to grow and needs of his restaurant took over. Saul passed the school on to Jesse who is now the head instructor.
Jesse took over the school with the same appetite for excellence as Saul. Despite a full time day job as an Estate Manager at a premier Napa Valley Winery, Jesse continued the growth of the school through multiple avenues including an affiliation with Jiu-Jitsu legend Demian Maia in 2016 through a mutual connection. Today NV BJJ boasts multiple Demain Maia Black Belts and a dedicated core of students eager to learn.
Mission Statement
NV BJJ’s mission is to create and foster a positive, light-hearted environment where we can gather, train, and share our knowledge about grappling. We believe we can enrich our student’s lives by giving them the opportunity to build mental and physical strength to overcome any obstacle in life. We have students from many walks of life (Entrepreneurs, bankers, musicians, artists, lawyers, etc.) that help create a diverse community of individuals that are aiming to better themselves and the atmosphere around them. Most importantly, we love to have fun!
Instructors
Our wide range of instructors give students the opportunity to learn Jiu-Jitsu from many different styles and body types. Our core of instructors came up together through their ranks and have been training collaboratively for almost a decade.
Jesse Garcia is the head instructor at NV BJJ. Always wanting to study martial arts, Jesse trained Muay Thai and Boxing before discovering Judo shorly after. After achieving a 3rd degree brown belt in Judo, he solely focused his time on studying Jiu-Jitsu and received his Black Belt in 2016. Jesse was an avid competitor who faced many top names in his career, and now enjoys spreading his wisdom of the "Soft Art".
Jesse Garcia
Black Belt
Brandyn Healer has been training BJJ since late 2009 and received his Black Belt from Demian Maia in July of 2018. Brandyn competed in some of the biggest tournaments in the U.S. throughout his Jiu-Jitsu career, but has now focused his efforts on passing on the knowledge he collected over the last decade.
Brandyn Healer
Black Belt
Chris Musante comes from a historied competitive martial arts background. Chris competed at a national level in Tae Kwon Do for many years. After finding Jiu-Jitsu Chris made the switch full time. After over a decade of training Chris received his Black Belt from Demian Maia in July of 2018.
Chris Musante
Black Belt
Alberto De Lima is another life long martial artist NVBJJ is blessed to have. After mastering striking and earning his Black Belt in the art of Kenpo, he switched his focus to the ground. Alberto is our newest Black Belt receiving his promotion in December of 2020 from Professor Jesse Garcia.
Alberto De Lima
Black Belt
Max Bryant is a current Bown Belt at NVBJJ. Max is a Napa native and life long athlete. After his final stint in lacrosse, Max was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by his cousin, our very own Chris Musante. Max fell in love with Jiu-Jitsu and has trained ever since, even taking his skills to the cage for MMA bouts.
Max Bryant
Brown Belt
Carter Mochizuki is a current Brown Belt at NVBJJ. A viticulturalist by day, and a ground technician by night. Carter has been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu consistently since 2013. Carter is committed to his passion of advancing his Jiu-Jitsu and sharing that expertise with those around him.
Carter Mochizuki
Brown Belt
Students Shout Out
Great environment! The instructor is very straight forward and makes you feel welcome. All of the students are respectful, regardless of another students level or knowledge. Highly recommend checking them out!!!
