2025 Winter Rank Promotion

On Saturday the 22nd of February, we held our 2025 Winter Rank Promotion. It was such an exciting day for everybody! The day started with a master class seminar with Professor Tinguinha. Attendees’ were treated to step by step instruction on being heavy from side control. Tinguinha is Professor Grants’ teacher of 22 years. Professor Grant knows how heavy he can be (haha). It was a great honor to have Professor Tinguinha on the mats sharing jiu-jitsu with the Optimus BJJ students.

The rank promotion followed the seminar. The school was packed and buzzing with excitement. The kids in our jiu-jitsu program were first to receive their new rank. You could see from their happy faces and sense of pride how much this means to them. Jiu-jitsu is a tough and complex martial art for kids. Achieving rank in Jiu-Jitsu is a real accomplishment. The adults were up next.  Our adult jiu-jitsu program is awesome right now. We have so many great practitioners on the mat. The supportive culture and willingness to work is really impressive. Of special mention were those adult students moving up in belt rank. Allen Steigerwald, Curtice Schabarum, Johnny Chen, Mike Purvis, and Morgan Latin all graduated to Blue Belt. Coach Sabrina moved to Purple, and Jeremy Verhines moved to Brown Belt.

The rank promotion is a special day. It marks an accomplishment along the path of jiu-jitsu. The students get to meet Professor Tinguinha, and it brings our great community together to celebrate and encourage one another. We look forward to another awesome year of mastering Jiu-Jitsu and achieving our goals!