People of Jiu Jitsu

This is Justin Judge
Born and raised on Long Island, New York.
Justin's martial arts journey began at 12 years old in the basement of a gym, where he started private wrestling lessons with Professor Derek Mangi. What began as an effort to improve his wrestling quickly became a foundation for life. Through Derek's mentorship, he learned discipline, accountability, humility, and the understanding that hard work always compounds over time.
When opened in 2015, Justin was one of the youngest athletes on the mats. Surrounded by law enforcement officers, wrestlers, military personnel, and hardworking adults, he was forced to mature quickly. Those years shaped not only the competitor he would become, but the man he would become.
As time went on, Jiu Jitsu became much more than a sport, it became a framework for life.
While attending , Justin founded the university's Jiu Jitsu club, , introducing over 70 students to the art that had already impacted him so deeply. Through leadership, training, and community, he continued to develop both on and off the mats.
After graduating, Justin left the traditional career path behind and bet on himself as an entrepreneur. The lessons learned through Jiu Jitsu, consistency, accountability, resilience, and relentless pursuit became the foundation for building a successful business and life on his own terms.
One of the greatest lessons Jiu Jitsu taught him was simple: keep showing up.
The mats taught him that setbacks are temporary, adversity is part of the process, and that faith, focus, and persistence will carry you further than talent alone ever could.
After more than 13 years of training under Professor Derek Mangi, Justin was promoted to black belt at 25 years old, becoming Monster's youngest black belt.
But the promotion carried a deeper meaning than most.
On the very same night, his father, , received his black belt as well.
A father and son earning their black belts together is an incredibly rare moment in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Years of shared sacrifices, victories, setbacks, and countless hours on the mats came full circle in a single night.
Today, Justin continues to train, teach, and give back to the community that helped shape his life. He believes the true value of a black belt is not what you accomplish for yourself, but how many people you can impact along the way.
Presently he is a black belt.

This is Manoel Miguel R. P. Júnior
known as Tofeu.
He is 31 years old and was born in Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Manoel have been training Jiu-Jitsu since he was 5 years old, when he started in the sport through his brother-in-law, Sidney Santos, at his academy.
Throughout the journey, he went through different phases in Jiu-Jitsu until he joined the team, the academy he currently represent under professor
Manoel also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education, balancing his professional career with his life as an athlete.
As a black belt adult competitor, he has won several Open championships in the middle-heavy and heavy weight divisions. In 2024, at the Brazilian Championship, he became the runner-up in the adult middle-heavy category.
Currently, he is competing in his second World Championship as an adult black belt in the middle-heavy division. Last year, he reached the quarterfinals, and this year Manoel returns even more prepared and motivated in search of a great result.
Even with financial difficulties and lack of structure, he never stopped believing in his dream. Jiu-Jitsu taught him to persist and keep moving forward. The greatest lesson he can share is: don’t give up, because your time will come.
Presently he is a black belt
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This is Alexandre Papa Manara
He started training at 5 years old with his dad, . In his first years on the mats, Lele liked soccer more than Jiu-Jitsu, but around the age of 9 or 10, he truly fell in love with the sport. Since the day he was born, he has always been part of his father’s school environment and surrounded by the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle.
Lele is very grateful to everyone who helped him grow and pushed his limits, even during the times when he didn’t want to become an athlete. Speaking of that, he made the decision to pursue the athlete lifestyle when he was 13 years old. There are many people he would like to thank, and to avoid forgetting anyone, he prefers to express gratitude to all the black belts who have helped him since the beginning, his childhood friends, his friends and training partners here in the U.S., his mom, brother, grandmother, his father and master, and also his family here in New York, Cadu, Kelly, and Kalu, who opened their doors for him.
Nowadays, Lele lives in Astoria, NY, training under .bjj at .studio
When talking about the “Ups”, he likes to define them as everything that brings happiness and gratitude into his life personal achievements, as well as the accomplishments of his friends and family. As for the “Downs”, injuries have definitely been the biggest challenge, something he has dealt with since childhood. Still, he doesn’t see them as problems, but as obstacles that can always be overcome.
Lele is deeply connected to his family and friends. He loves being around them, supporting their goals, and being part of their dreams and journeys. Outside of Jiu Jitsu, he is passionate about sports like soccer and basketball, video games, and music. He also enjoys listening to people, understanding their backgrounds, and learning about their lifestyles and experiences.
Accomplishments :
* Currently Top - 5 on IBJJF Overall Ranking
* Multiple IBJJF gold medalist
* IBJJF World and Brasileiros champion in the blue belt
Sponsors:



Presently he is a black belt
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This is Nicholas Arguelles
He first stepped onto the mats when he was about 10yo, spending 4 solid years training under . By the time high school rolled around, Nicholas traded the Gi for a wrestling singlet. That turned out to be a pretty big turning point—not just because he ended up captaining the boys' team, but because that’s how he met his future wife. She was the captain of the girls' team, so grappling has been a part of their story from the very start.
After high school, things stalled out a bit between the pandemic and the general grind of life. When he finally got back into training under and a few years later, Nicholas was in a tough spot. He was working two jobs and dealing with a lot of personal stress without much family support. The academy became his escape; it was the one place where the outside world went quiet. Earning his blue belt after so many years of on-and-off training was a huge moment for him.
Life looks a bit different now that he is close to 25 and in the US Coast Guard. Serving as an Electronics Technician has been an incredible ride so far. Nicholas was moved up the ranks and had the chance to see a few different countries. Even with the deployments, he is still just as hooked on the sport as when he first started. Whenever he is not out at sea, he is right back at the gym, working on his game and picking up where he left off.
Presently he is a blue belt.
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This is Chris Bautista . Chris saw his life change when he met —a coach who quickly became a close friend and brother. Through Peter, Chris was introduced to Jiu Jitsu, and what started as curiosity quickly turned into a passion. The sport became a major part of his life, creating a snowball effect that shaped his path moving forward.�
From the moment he stepped onto the mats, everything changed. The discipline, the challenge, the constant evolution—it pulled him in completely. What followed was a snowball effect. Jiu Jitsu didn’t just become a hobby; it became a lifestyle. And unexpectedly, it also reignited another passion he had once set aside—photography.
Through the sport, Chris met , a friend and mentor who helped guide him back behind the camera. With a renewed creative drive, Chris began capturing the intensity, emotion, and raw beauty of the sport he had fallen in love with. His work started to gain attention, opening doors he never imagined. Through Jiu Jitsu, he built a tight-knit community and formed friendships that would become some of the closest bonds in his life.
Behind the scenes, Chris faced challenges that tested him mentally and emotionally. Navigating both life and the business side of his passion proved overwhelming at times.
There came a point where everything felt like it was working against him. He questioned his path, even as he continued chasing what genuinely made him happy.
But setbacks, as he would come to understand, were part of the story—not the end of it.
For Chris, the journey is still unfolding. Through every challenge and every victory, one thing remains certain: with the people who stand beside him and the passion that drives him, there is nothing he can’t overcome.
Chris he aims not only to shoot from the sidelines but to compete as well—fully embracing the journey he once stumbled into, and now proudly calls his own.
Presently he is a blue belt.
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This is Logan Hicks
He began training in 2012 at the age of 5 under , his uncle pushed his father to put him into grappling because he trained martial arts his whole life but said grappling was the hardest to learn after training with Pedro Sauer in the 90’s. After 5 years of guidance under Professor Ben, Logan began training under the mentorship of . Professor Diego and the kids team lead Logan to many successful championships in the youth ranks, including some at juvenile. Though the transitional years during puberty were a tough learning curve having to fight stronger and more technical grapplers he continued training despite the adversity. One thing Logan mentions is after winning a large title as a kid there is a subconscious calling to quit the sport because of the expectation to do it all again the next year, but that is something a lot of athletes struggle with and he has learned to accept that those emotions will come after championships. After 6 years of training almost strictly in the kimono with Professor Diego, Logan began to transition into only competing with the gi off after pushed him to compete at the first ADCC open at ADCC worlds in 2022. For a while, Logan felt the gi was losing substance for him and nogi re-ignited the fire he had for competing and training. 2024 was a big year for Logan, at the beginning of the year starting sponsoring him with his brand .
During the summer he began training under at and has since been training strictly in nogi, working on parts of his game he was able to neglect as a child. Logan also started a photo/video business in 2024 to support himself as a grappler. Logan started a company with his business partner called and that has allowed him to focus on being an athlete first without having to worry about finding a job and other ways to support himself.
Presently he is a purple belt
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