RILION GRACIE IRELAND

Brian Coyle

I started training in Martial Arts in 2004. I joined a new club which was opened in Milford by Gabriel and John McAteer. I started with Traditional and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
I met Rilion Gracie through my instructor John in 2006, in Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro. I continued to train under Rilion, making multiple trips back and forth to him. In January 2010, I was asked to open a club in Letterkenny with Steven Coll.
I've won the Irish Open three times in a row (2005, 2006, 2007). The next time I competed there, in May 2015 I won gold again. I also won silver as a purple belt in the Miami Open in October 2012. As a brown belt, I won gold at the Munich Open in March 2014, silver in the British open in May 2015 and bronze at the world masters in Las Vegas.
My biggest achievements to date, however, have been my students and academy, and watching them grow and develop.