Last week, we had to say goodbye to a long-time and beloved student who is moving out of state.

14-year-old Jeremyah Villanueva started his Jiu-Jitsu journey at Crosley Gracie Jiu-Jitsu over seven years ago. From the start, he was a dynamic athlete with a shy demeanor and a kind/loving spirit.

We knew he was a special athlete when he dropped down and did 50 push-ups straight in front of the entire class as a 6-year-old! Impressive!

Since enrolling for classes in May 2017, Jeremyah has progressed from the 6-8-year-olds to the 8-11-year-olds program, to the Kids Black Club, and most recently, training in the 12-14 -14-year-olds program. Over the years, he has shown remarkable dedication to the discipline, consistently showing up, putting in work, and being coachable.

His confidence, skill set, and emotional control have all improved year after year. He has been a great teammate to all, creating deep friendships and treating the TEAM like family. His achievements, both in Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling, including winning a gold medal at the 2018 US Open, are a testament to his hard work and never-quit attitude, and we are all incredibly proud of him.

Last year, Jeremyah went out for wrestling armed with six years of Jiu-Jitsu knowledge and had an undefeated season. He’s seeing the value of all his hard work, discipline, and never-quit attitude. We are confident that Jeremyah has the tools and a solid foundation to guide him on his next chapter of life as he and his family move to Arizona.

We expect great things from this young man in the future, and he will always be in his corner. His journey in Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling has shown us his potential, and we are excited to see what he will achieve. We wish him continued success and happiness in his future endeavors.

We are going to miss the Villanueva family! Thank you for your support and trust in our work over the years. We are excited about this new chapter in your lives!