Carlson Gracie Team Gilbert AZ

O Carlson Gracie Team Gilbert AZ
PROFESSOR ALEJO "PAPI" SANDOVAL “PAPI”, (AS HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY AFFECTIONATELY CALL HIM) COMES FROM A MILITARY AND PUBLIC SERVICE BACKGROUND. HE HAS BEEN COACHING AND TEACHING BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU ("BJJ") FOR OVER A DECADE. PROFESSOR ALEJO HAS GUIDED BJJ PRACTITIONERS BY HELPING THEM ACHIEVE FITNESS AND COMPETITIVE GOALS. HE HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR HIS MENTORING AS WELL AS GIVING PERSONAL ATTENTION, ENCOURAGEMENT AND ACCESSIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO HIS BJJ PRACTITIONER’S PERSONAL LIVE’S AND COMPETITIVE ENDEAVORS. PROFESSOR ALEJO HAS BEEN FORMALLY CERTIFIED HOW TO BE A DEFENSIVE TACTICS INSTRUCTOR AND HAS TAUGHT DEFENSIVE TACTICS AT VARIOUS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. DURING HIS TIME IN THE MILITARY HE SERVED AS A MASTER FITNESS TRAINER’S ASSISTANT IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. PROFESSOR ALEJO HAS VOLUNTEERED AND WORKED WITH AT RISK YOUTH AND ADOLESCENTS WITH BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES. HIS GREATEST ATTRIBUTE IS HIS GENUINE DESIRE TO SEE PEOPLE SUCCEED BEYOND THEIR EXPECTATIONS; NOT JUST ON THE MAT BUT OFF THE MAT AS WELL. HE HAS A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY AND AN ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE IN JUSTICE STUDIES. THE PROFESSOR ALSO HOLDS A CURRENT FINGER PRINT CLEARANCE CARD AND BACKGROUND CHECK THROUGH THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY (DPS). PROFESORA ALICIA PAVIA SANDOVAL ALICIA IS A BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU (“BJJ”) PRACTITIONER, COMPETITOR, AND INSTRUCTOR ON THE LEGENDARY CARLSON GRACIE TEAM WHO HAS BEEN TEACHING FOR OVER TWO DECADES. ON APRIL 21ST, 2018 SHE BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE AWARED A BLACK BELT DIRECTLY FROM MASTER CARLSON GRACIE JR. SHE ORIGINALLY STARTED BJJ TO GET IN SHAPE AFTER STRUGGLING WITH HER WEIGHT SINCE THE BIRTH OF HER TWO CHILDREN. FOUR MONTHS INTO TRAINING, ALICIA WAS MOTIVATED BY HER TEAM MEMBERS TO TRY COMPETING IN A LOCAL TOURNAMENT. AFTER TAKING HOME THE GOLD IN HER FIRST TOURNAMENT, SHE WAS DRIVEN TO CONTINUE COMPETING. WHILE BALANCING MOTHERHOOD AND A FULL TIME CAREER, SHE WAS ABLE TO CHANGE HER BJJ FOCUS FROM FITNESS TO COMPETITION TRAINING GOING ON TO PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL, REGIONAL NATIONAL AND WORLD EVENTS. THANKS TO THE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE FROM HER HUSBAND SHE HAS EARNED MULTIPLE TITLES, A FEW OF WHICH INCLUDE: -2012 MASTERS WORLD CHAMPION -2012 MASTERS WORLD OPEN DIVISION BRONZE MEDALIST -2009 WORLD CHAMPION BRONZE MEDALIST -3X PAN AMERICAN BRONZE MEDALIST -2X US NATIONAL SILVER MEDALIST -US NATIONAL BRONZE MEDALIST -2012 LONG BEACH CHAMPION & OPEN DIVISION CHAMPION -2012 COPA BELLA CHAMPION & OPEN DIVISION CHAMPION -2012 PHOENIX OPEN DIVISION CHAMPION -3X ARIZONA STATE CHAMPION TODAY PROFESSOR ALICIA’S SPENDS A MAJORITY OF HER MAT TIME INSTRUCTING/COAHCING HER STUDENTS IN ARIZONA, AS WELL AS SHARE HER KNOWLEDGE WITH CARLSON GRACIE TEAM MEMBERS ACROSS THE USA AND EUROPE.