Rebel Jiujitsu owner, Daniel Fornasa (bottom right), with boys and girls from his martial arts academy.
Daniel Fornasa recognized a need in Boulder City and met it when he opened Rebel Jiujitsu at 806 Buchanan Boulevard, Suite 106!! It is the only martial arts school in town and Daniel hopes to bring his teaching skills to as many students as possible at the new academy. The place is already bustling with students of all ages and they’ve already held their first in-house competitive event at the location.
Daniel, his wife Ashley, and their two children, Brooklyn and Tony, found their way to Nevada from Orange County, California a couple years ago. Daniel, a student of Brazilian Jiujitsu, was also a long-time instructor. He was a full-time instructor in the Orange County and Los Angeles area for over ten years. Upon moving to our state, he began teaching students in his garage, before finding what he described as the “perfect location” in Boulder City. He was excited about the hometown feel of our city, which was reminiscent of his New Jersey birthplace.
The school opened in June and at the time of our interview, already boasted over fifty students, ranging from children to adults. Classes for children five and older are held at 3:00PM, 4:00PM and 5:00PM, Monday thru Thursday. Adult (15 years old and older) classes are held Monday thru Friday at 6:00PM and morning class is at 7:00AM on Monday Wednesday and Friday. Beginning in December, a 6:00AM class for adults will be offered. For an additional fee, private lessons are held on Sunday. Classes are available for beginners to competition-level athletes.
One thing Daniel stressed during our interview was the effectiveness of Brazilian jiujitsu in teaching grappling and control, without hurting the opponent, which makes it safer than many other sports. He teaches skills in leverage, technique and balance. Students can earn different color belts, after demonstrating mastery of the different levels of the sport.
In addition to the physical skills taught, there is also a social component to the sport of Brazilian jiujitsu. Students learn the ideals of sportsmanship and positive competition. They also make friends and develop social skills. Daniel plans to conduct community service events for the city as well, once the school becomes more established.
On Sunday, November 14, the club will host Brazilian jiujitsu world champion, Tainan Dalpra, a native of Brazil. At just 20 years old, he’s skyrocketed thru the world of martial arts to become a black belt holder and winner of the 2021 Pan Championship of the International Brazilian Jiujitsu Federation (IBJJF), a governing body of the sport. He will also provide three hours of instruction to the students.
Daniel plans to offer more special events each month, to appeal to his students and help them on the path to success in the sport and in life. We wish Daniel and his students all the best and encourage our readers to check out the academy.
The academy maintains a Facebook page HERE, Instagram page HERE and a website HERE. They can be reached by phone at (725) 231-5912. The academy is located at 806 Buchanan Boulevard, Suite 106.
