Who’s teaching at the 47.
Black belts who remember what it’s like to be brand new.
Our goal is pretty simple: keep the room technical, safe, and welcoming. No cult energy. No “sensei voice.” Just clear teaching and honest training. Focused on longevity of training and creating an environment where everyone is comfortable to ask questions.
Core instructors
The people you’ll see on the mat most days of the week.
Teaches BJJ and associated grappling classes.
Classes with Damoon focus on building a calm, problem solving, flow-based game: movement, angles, and not freaking out when someone’s trying to smash you into the floor. Expect clear progressions, lots of explanation, and an emphasis on staying healthy enough to keep training for a long time.
Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Certified World Combat Association Self-Defense Instructor.
Anna teaches traditional Okinawan karate with a focus on long-term, sustainable training: structure, balance, breath, and timing. In self-defense settings, she emphasizes awareness, decision-making, and techniques that work under stress — without turning class into a fear factory.
Black Belt Lineage
The senior instructors whose lineages and standards we train under.
4th degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, under Jamie Cruz, Renzo Gracie lineage.
Birdman is our lineal black belt on the BJJ side — responsible for the standard of technique we aim for and the kind of room we’re trying to build: technical, pressure-tested, and friendly.
When he visits, expect detailed adjustments, stories from earlier days of BJJ in New York, and very little patience for ego.
9th degree Ueshiro Shorin Ryu Karate black belt, under Robert Scaglione, Hanshi, Ueshiro Shorin Ryu Karate USA. Shihan, Midtown Ueshiro Karate Dojo.
Michael anchors the traditional side of our karate training: long-term practice, clean technique, and the kind of discipline that doesn’t require yelling about discipline.
His influence shows up in how we bow, how we move, and how we try to keep training something you can do for decades, not just a few hard years.
How we teach
If you’re nervous about being new, you’re our target audience.
We don’t test how tough you are on day one. You’ll learn how to move, how to tap, and how to communicate with training partners. We’d rather you leave class feeling like you could come back tomorrow than “conquered your limits” and can’t walk for a week.
If you already train, great. We’ll plug you into the room in a way that makes sense, give you honest feedback, and help you tighten the boring details that make everything else work better.