Instructors

Our instructors have decades of combined world-class experience. From beginner to advanced, they have the knowledge to help you up your game. We have 2 recognized & certified Carlson Gracie black belts!

Aaron Thomas

Aaron Thomas is a Carlson Gracie Team professor. He has over a decade of coaching experience between Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, and has taught several other black belt coaches in the Greater Cincinnati area. His intense focus on strong fundamentals and reliable techniques has led his team to countless victories. He is a compassionate and inclusive leader with the ability to connect with and guide any student, regardless of their previous experience or natural athleticism. Aaron is truly a special instructor with the ability to make any student proficient in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Andy Bosiljevac

Andy has backgrounds in Judo (4th degree black belt), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (brown belt), and wrestling. He has over 20 years of experience coaching students of various backgrounds and skill levels, and likes to focus on strong fundamentals and honing technical accuracy, with each movement being deliberate. He has a true passion for helping students customize their game to fit their personal strengths and style. He is a certified Emergency Medical Responder in Kentucky and Ohio, and has received multiple awards from his primary employer (a Cincinnati-based Fortune 500 consumer products company) for empowering women.

Steven “Squirrel” Hilton

Steven Hilton began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Aaron Thomas at the age of 16. Often training with people much older and larger than himself, Steven developed a brilliant technical approach to controlling and submitting the bigger, stronger opponent. By focusing on a unique blend of fundamental movements and conditioning, Steven’s instruction is guaranteed to teach you a deeper level of understanding and approach to martial arts.

Matt Rudolph

With an extensive history of coaching high school athletics, Matt Rudolph brings a compassionate and technical approach to his teaching style. Matt has trained BJJ and other martial arts for greater than a decade and currently holds the rank of brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu. Matt is also a published author of Public Land: Warrior in the Woods available for purchase at the academy.

Logan Dean

Logan is an Ohio state champion wrestler who moved on to wrestle at Ohio University. He moved back to the Cincinnati area to continue his martial arts journey with Carlson Gracie NKY while concurrently training with Mt. St. Joseph.

Josh “Vanilla Guerrilla” Grevas

Josh has been training MMA for 18 years, starting with Aaron at the age of 15, and has almost as much experience in Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai/Boxing. His coaching focuses on strong fundamentals in all arts and “position before submission” when grappling. He spent 5 years in Las Vegas training MMA at top gyms like Xtreme Couture and Syndicate MMA learning from some of the biggest names in the game. He received his purple belt under world-renowned Neil Melanson in 2012, and trained daily with several top title contenders.

Tommy Graves

Everybody loves Tommy, especially the Little Bullldogs (which he teaches)! He casually travels to collect Absolute (open weight) trophies, is undefeated at KumiteBJJ, and earned his blue belt in under a year due to his dedication and talent. Tommy gets down to business and never turns down a challenge.

Casey Hall

Casey has been training MMA for 16 years. He trained under striking coach Neal Rowe for 12 years, earning his black belt in Muay Thai. Casey’s understanding of Muay Thai, boxing, and other martial arts enable him to develop skills of practitioners of all levels. He has competed in MMA, Muay Thai, and both gi and no-gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Julia Durstock

Julia lights up the room when she walks in, which the Little Bulldogs appreciate! But don’t be fooled by her sweetness - she’s a demon on the mat. This makes her perfect for leading our Women’s Only program. With a wrestling background at Sycamore High School and moving on to Mount St. Joseph College, she brings positive energy, technical skill, and toughness.