Silver Fox Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Lodi New Jersey

Instructors

Head Instructor

Karel (“Karl”) Pravec Jr., Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt

17 years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experience. During his training at the Renzo Gracie Academy, Karl has trained with and studied under some of the highest authorities in the art including Renzo Gracie, John Danaher, Rodrigo Gracie, Daniel Gracie, Matt and Nick Serra, Ricardo Almeida & Shawn Williams. Karl is one of Georges St. Pierre's training partners when Georges periodically visits the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York.

Karl has studied martial arts, including Tae Kwon Do (3rd degree black belt) for over 24 years.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu BJJ New Jersey Karl started studying martial arts in 1986 under Master Byung Sung Cha, reaching the rank of 3rd degree black belt in the World Tae Kwon Do Federation in 1995. In the early 1990’s, while studying and teaching Tae Kwon Do, Karl expanded his martial arts knowledge by attending numerous seminars, including Muy Thai, Jeet Kun Do and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, incorporating the techniques into his martial arts arsenal. Incorporating various martial arts in one’s training became known as mixed martial arts (MMA).

After attending the 1st seminar on the East Coast given by the Gracie family (Helio, Rorion, Royler, Rickson and others), Karl was convinced of the effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which was further confirmed by the style’s success in the early mixed martial arts competitions. Karl started taking regular classes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the New York/New Jersey area when they first became available in 1993, when Craig Kukuk, the 1st American black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu moved to East Coast. Shortly after, Renzo Gracie, one of the most successful and dynamic practitioners and teachers of the art moved from Brazil to open an academy with classes in New York and New Jersey, and Karl became one of Renzo’s original students.

Studying under Renzo and John Danaher (one of the world’s most technical instructors), Karl achieved the rank of a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt.

Although Karl has only started competing recently, he has demonstrated the success of his style (focus on submissions) by winning:

1st Place - 2006 Tenth Grapplers Quest West (Master Lightweight Division) – all matches won by submission

1st Place - 2007 NAGA World Championship (Advanced Director – Open Weight) – all matches won by submission, lightest competitor in the division

2nd Place - 2008 Grapplers Quest U.S. Nationals (Masters - Absolute) - lightest competitor in the division

3rd Place - 2008 Pan Am Championship No-Gi (Black Belt - ADULTS - Lightweight)

1st Place - 2010 European Championship (Black Belt - Absolute Division - Senior 3) and 2nd place in Lightweight division

Karl has a Bachelor’s degree from State University of New York (Albany) and Master’s degree from Columbia University. The education and analytical skills have helped Karl continue growing both as a practitioner and teacher of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Assistant Instructors

David Cheung, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt

Black Belt in Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu training under Renzo Gracie, John Danaher and Karl Pravec. One of Renzo's original students in the U.S.

Dave is 5th Degree Black Belt Shito-Ryu Karate, and has been practicing martial arts for over 20 years.

USKF and AAU

2 Time all American
2 Time National champion
2 Time Silver Medalist at Nationals
2 Time Regional Champion
Multiple medals at Regional Champions

Derek Picinich, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brown Belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Bergen County BJJ

Derek has a background in wrestling and jiu-jitsu. Derek has ten years of wrestling experience and eight years of jiu-jitsu experience in which he holds the rank of a brown belt. Derek was a Montclair State University wrestler for two years where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science. To this day he continues his wrestling background as a high school assistant coach. He is a frequent Grappler’s Quest competitor who is always trying to expand his knowledge. Derek has also trained with and under Renzo Gracie, Jaime Cruz, Matt Serra, and American Top Team.

Derek is an excellent competitor:

1st Place - 2009 No-Gi Pan Ams (Brown Belt - HW)
1st Place - 2009 Grapplers Quest Southeast Grappling Championship (Advanced No-Gi)
2nd Place - 2008 Grapplers Quest All-Star Pro Challenge (U.S. Nationals)
1st Place - Grapplers Quest Beast of the East II (Advanced Men’s No-Gi Heavyweight 200-209.9 lbs.)
1st Place – Grapplers Quest - The Official North American Grappling Championships (Advanced Men’s No-Gi Heavyweight 200-209.9 lbs.)
1st Place – North American Submission Grappling Championship (Advanced Men’s No-Gi Light-Heavyweight 190-199.9 lbs.)
2nd Place – 2006 Grapplers Quest & Copa Atlantica Weekend (Advanced Men’s No-Gi Light-Heavyweight 190-199.9 lbs.)
3rd Place – Grapplers Quest Beast of the East (Advanced Men’s No-Gi Light-Heavyweight 190-199.9 lbs.)

Brian Long, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brown Belt

Silver Fox BJJ Northern New Jersey

Brian is the Chief Instructor of Bob Long’s School of Self Defense.

Brian Long is one of the best strikers and all around martial artist in the United States. Brian is an accomplished Kick-Boxer, Wrestler, Judo player, Grappler (Brazilian/Gracie Jiu-Jitsu) and a 6th dan Black Belt Master Instructor in the practical art form of self-defense Goshin Do Kempo Nagai Ryu Karate and Samurai Jiu-Jitsu Nagai Ryu.

Brian is also a detective with the NJ State Police and has been involved in training numerous state and local law enforcement officers. His career and martial background demands that he is in peak physical condition.

Brian is an 8x Grapplers’ Quest medalist, 2009 No-Gi World Champion (Brown Belt Seniors) and in kickboxing – Garden State Middleweight Amateur Champion and K.I.C.K. Regional Amateur Middleweight Champion. For more information on Brian, go to www.shihanboblong.com

Joe Hlavenka, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Purple Belt

Silver Fox BJJ Martial Arts

Joe has been studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for over 7 years, under Renzo Gracie, Jamie Cruz and Karl Pravec. Joe is an excellent teacher - he frequently teaches the Saturday basic class, where the focus is on fundamental techniques and movement, essential to building a strong foundation in jiu-jitsu.

Joe has a Bachelor's degree from New York University.

Scott Kellen, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Blue Belt, Youth Coach

Scott has been studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Karl Pravec since summer of 2007. He is:

2009 No-Gi World Champion (Blue Belt Masters)
Certified Elementary School Teacher (teaches Fifth Grade in Bergen County)
Middle School Head Wrestling Coach
National Qualifier in Greco Roman Wrestling
Over 20 years of wrestling experience

Scott has a Bachelor Degree in History from William Paterson University.

Karl's Teachers

Renzo Gracie

Renzo Gracie, Carlos Gracie's grandson (and Helio Gracie's grand-nephew), is a lifelong practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and a member of the legendary Gracie family from Brazil, which invented the martial art form. Many well known BJJ and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters have been trained by Renzo, including BJJ black belts Rodrigo Gracie, Roger Gracie, Matt Serra and Ricardo Almeida.

Renzo is the head instructor at The Renzo Gracie Academy, located in Midtown Manhattan.

Considered one of the pioneers of mixed martial arts (MMA), Renzo holds a 13-6-1 professional mixed martial arts record, and has competed in Pride FC, Martial Arts Reality Superfighting, RINGS, World Combat Championship and IFL. Renzo earned multiple titles in BJJ, submission grappling and mixed martial arts, and distinguished himself as one of the greatest grapplers (including winning ADCC World Championship 2x) and martial arts teachers in the world.

Renzo Gracie

John Danaher

John Danaher is a black belt under Renzo Gracie, and one of the main instructors at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City. John has co-authored 2 books on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and is considered one of the most technical teachers of BJJ and submission grappling in the world. John has trained many well known professional mixed martial artists, and is viewed by many as taking the BJJ into it's next phase of evolution.

Renzo Gracie (Feb. 2008): "John is an extremely technical fighter who is constantly helping evolve the art of BJJ. If I think that I am a great thinker of BJJ, John is right next to me on that."

Georges St. Pierre (interview with Gracie Mag, November 2008 after receiving his BJJ Black Belt): "After that I trained in New York, at Renzo Gracie's academy. There, I met one of my Jiu-Jitsu idols, Professor John Danaher. I consider John Danaher to be my jiu-jitsu mentor."

The Academy

Run by Renzo Gracie Black Belt, Karl Pravec (aka Silver Fox) as Head Instructor, the academy is located in Lodi, NJ. It was recently remodeled with 1,200 square feet of mat space and serves students from Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris and Passaic counties. It is one of the few schools in Northern New Jersey run by a Black Belt with direct lineage to one of the leading Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academies (Renzo Gracie Academy in New York).