Chris received his Black Belt in 2010 from his long-time mentor and friend, Tim Burrill, at the Tim Burrill BJJ Academy in Providence, RI, where his foundation of jiu jitsu was built. He feels this is where he learned the importance of jiu jitsu in developing the mind and body, for the ever changing tides of life.

After spending roughly a decade with Burrill, a relocation brought Chris back to his roots of Northern Central Massachusetts, where he trained at the Bernardo Faria Academy and received his first and second degree black belt. Training under Faria, Chris learned to embrace his rolling style of pressure and connection and sharpen those traits of his jiu jitsu game.

While in Massachusetts, Chris ran his own BJJ program and later relocated to SW Missouri. Chris’s teaching methodology is that “jiujitsu is for everyone and will benefit everyone, there is no better martial art to prepare you for life.” The physical, mental, and spiritual return on investment that Brazilian jiu jitsu offers is second to none. Chris’s goal is to share that inner development with students and we are thrilled to have him as a valuable part of the Leake BJJ family!