History
Tony Rinaldi has been teaching martial arts in the Youngstown area for many years, at several different locations. Tony was teaching out of the Astra fitness center in Boardman in 2002 – 2003. In September of 2003 Tony began teaching BJJ and Karate out of Ohio Valley Martial Arts on Rt 224 in Canfield, Ohio. Tony taught out of Ohio Valley for 2 years, building up a strong base of students interested in learning BJJ. In 2005, Tony decided to open up his own school, teaming up with Brian Mlinarsik and Paul Hido. The entrepreneurs formed The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Self Defense Academy, Inc. and a site was selected on Rt. 224 in Boardman, OH. We received the keys to the new location in July of 2005. After several months of intense work which involved knocking down walls, spackling, painting, cleaning, etc. we had the building ready. Many of our students were involved and in there doing the work with us. We opened for business in September of 2005, and we have been going strong ever since.
In 2008 Paul Hido found himself stretched too thin with other family, coaching, and professional demands. Paul sold his interest in the business to Tony and Brian, and now Tony and Brian are the sole owner\operators of the dojo.
We have over 3,000 sq feet of training room. This is our
main training room The other half of the 2nd training room is a fully equipped weight room. We have weightlifting equipment, kettlebells, and a high quality elliptical machine.
Master Pedro Sauer
Certified 8th Degree Red/Black Belt Instructor under Rickson Gracie.
Pedro Earned his Black Belt from Helio and Rickson in 1985. Long recognized for the superior technical efficiency of his jiu-jitsu, he then began his career as an instructor in 1986 when asked to teach with an organization known in Brazil as Corpo/Quatro (Body of Four) where he taught and continued his training under renowned jiu-jitsu instructors Alvaro Barreto (who is a red belt master under Helio Gracie).
After moving to Utah in December of 1990, he taught as one of only two non-Gracie black belts under the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy (run by Rorion and Royce Gracie). In October of 1996, he became an official representative Black Belt Instructor under the Rickson Gracie American Jiu-Jitsu Association.
Currently, Pedro resides in Virginia where he instructs at One Spirit Martial Arts and at Jeff Gordon’s Self Defense Academy. He also has several affiliated schools across the country, and he visits them on a regular basis to give intensive instruction to the students and instructors. He is one of the most highly sought after instructors in the U.S. (of any martial discipline) and has presented hundreds of public seminars around the nation.
We spent 5 years at our original location on Rt 224 in Boardman, OH. In Fall of 2010 we decided to move to a new location. We now operate out of American Karate Studios in Boardman, OH. This is an existing TMA (traditional martial arts) school operated by Dave Buker. This is a very large dojo and there is plenty of room for us as well.
The new location is VERY CLOSE to our original school.
8302 Southern Blvd.
Boardman, OH 44512
