About Us

John Simas

Head Instructor / Owner

John Simas holds a second-degree black belt under Ralph Gracie, having begun his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey in 2009 in New Jersey. Career opportunities later brought him to Ralph Gracie’s headquarters in San Francisco in 2018, where he quickly impressed Professor Ralph with his aptitude for teaching. This led to an invitation to lead a fundamentals class.

Under Professor Ralph’s mentorship, John discovered a deep passion for instruction and honed his skills as a teacher, earning his black belt in December 2019. Since relocating to Texas in 2021, John has continued to maintain a close relationship with Professor Ralph, who remains an important figure in his Jiu-Jitsu lineage and growth.

Dan Manasoiu

Instructor

Dan “Big Dan” Manasoiu is an elite grappler and one of the most formidable competitors in the sport, known for his imposing 6’7” stature. A 2024 ADCC bronze medalist and veteran of the 2022 ADCC tournament, Big Dan has solidified his place among the sport’s elite. His accolades include double gold in ADCC Trials and an unmatched dominance in the ADCC Open, where he has claimed 12 gold medals. A four-time UFC Fight Pass Invitational competitor, he trains under the legendary Professor John Danaher as part of Team New Wave, refining his craft alongside the best in the world.

Patrick Gaudio

Instructor

Patrick Gaudio is a Brazilian black belt jiu-jitsu athlete who has built his career within the sport from a very young age. The son of master Fabiano Gaudio, he began training at just four years old through social projects in Rio de Janeiro. Growing up on the mats played a decisive role in shaping his discipline, competitive mindset, and identity as a professional athlete.

From the youth divisions onward, Patrick stood out both nationally and internationally, winning major titles in the colored belts, including the IBJJF Juvenile World Championship.

At the elite level of world jiu-jitsu, Gaudio established himself among the top athletes of his generation. Throughout his black belt career, he has captured major titles including the IBJJF European Open, Pan American Championship, Brazilian Championship, and South American Championship, as well as earning runner-up finishes at the IBJJF World Championship on two occasions, demonstrating remarkable consistency at the highest level.

Known for a technical and strategic style, Patrick competes primarily in the heavyweight and super-heavyweight divisions, combining pressure, mobility, and submission attacks in both gi and no-gi competition.

Abraham “The Mountain” La Montagne

Instructor

Abraham comes from the Chicago-Land area. He grew up doing several sports and being fairly active in many hobbies and interests. While pursuing his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Oklahoma, he searched for hobbies to meet friends and socialize outside the lab. He found Latin dancing and Jiu-Jitsu. He quickly fell in love with the sport from the start. His passion for science and learning was redirected. They equipped him with the skills to radically learn and compete at the professional level of submission grappling in a short amount of time, starting Jiujitsu in 2019. 2 years into training, he joined the highly esteemed team of New Wave. He has been competing and training professionally under them since 2021. Abraham is known for being a popularizer of the “Reversed Closed Guard” position and innovator of the “Abe Lock” submission, often paired with this position. His life goal at this point is to become as notable and talented a professor as his professor, John Danaher.

Dominic Mejia

Instructor

Dominic Mejia is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who has been training in the sport for over 18 years, earning his black belt at the young age of 19. He began his Jiu-Jitsu journey at just three years old and started competing soon after, quickly developing into a dedicated and accomplished athlete. Now a seasoned competitor on the international stage, Dominic is a WNO (Who’s Number One) veteran, an ADCC Trials Silver Medalist, and a PGF (Professional Grappling Federation) veteran. He currently trains under the world-renowned coach John Danaher, pursuing continued success against the highest level of competition. While passionate about competing, Dominic is equally devoted to teaching and sharing his knowledge, helping others progress along their own Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey.

Andrew DeGraff

Instructor

Andrew DeGraff is a world-ranked Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete originally from Lewisburg, West Virginia. He began training at just 12 years old, quickly developing a deep passion for both competition and coaching.

In 2022, Andrew began traveling to Austin to train under renowned coach John Danaher, eventually relocating full-time to continue his development at the highest level of the sport.

Known primarily for his success on the submission-only circuit, Andrew has earned titles at several major events and holds victories over multiple world-ranked opponents, including Pan and World Champions at the black belt level.