Our Instructors
Douglas Barros
Born in Pernambuco, Brazil, Professor Douglas Barros moved to the United States in 1995. In 1998, he was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and immediately fell in love with the sport. Before discovering BJJ, Doug trained in Judo, karate, and Taekwondo.
In 2012, Coach Douglas received his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from sixth-degree black belt Roberto Marques Da Silva "Maguilla”--a black belt under Grand Master Carlson Gracie Sr. and Master Andre Perdeneiras. In the same year, Coach Douglas also won a bronze medal at the IBJJF Pan American tournament. He is currently a third-degree black belt under Maguilla.
Coach Douglas says to master BJJ a person requires more than just memorizing positions; a practitioner must understand the full spectrum of body mechanics and concepts. To achieve this, Douglas seized every opportunity to train with top schools worldwide, including Nova União, in Brazil where he travels for training every summer and winter.
Douglas has competed in numerous tournaments, including WKA and Grapplers Quest, winning many first-place titles. In 2006, he placed third in the Pan American Jiu-Jitsu tournament, with only one advantage scored against him.
In 2008, Coach Douglas joined the Montgomery County Police Department. After graduating from the police academy, he recognized the effectiveness of BJJ in deescalating street encounters. Since then, Coach Douglas has assisted with many SWAT schools in hand-to-hand combat and has served as an adjunct instructor at the Montgomery County Police Academy.
Coach Douglas graduated from the University of Maryland in 2006 with a degree in Economics.
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Kurt Marteney
INSTRUCTOR
Kurt Marteney began his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Journey in 2000 at Gracie Barra Clearwater. A career change and subsequent job transfers would see him aligning with Quintella MMA and Delaware Jiu Jitsu (Gracie Humaita) before moving to the DMV and training with Roberto “Maguilla” Da Silva and Douglas Barros. Kurt received his black belt from Maguilla in 2018.
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Roosevelt Barros
Instructor
Roosevelt began his martial arts journey with Tae Kwon Do at the age of 11. After earning his black belt, he started teaching Tae Kwon Do to both children and adults. During this period, he also trained in Hapkido and Judo. In 2007, Roosevelt embarked on his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey. While he started training in the DMV area, he also trained in various locations around the world, including Brazil, Spain, California, and Philadelphia. As a CPA, Roosevelt has successfully balanced his professional career with his passion for martial arts.
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Juan Morales
Instructor
Juan’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu journey began in 2007. He started training at 10th Planet Los Angeles under Eddie Bravo where he got his blue belt. While living in Germany, he began coaching MMA fighters with their BJJ skills. Juan is a combat veteran and a current federal employee with the Department of Commerce.
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