Instructor

Yuji Okamura began his journey in BJJ in 2005 while living in Japan as an English teacher in Toyama. It was there, at Wajutsu Keishukai Toyama S.P.O., that Yuji decided that BJJ is actually pretty cool. Upon returning to the United States, he continued his journey at Ralph Gracie Mountain View and later at Ralph Gracie Berkeley, earning his black belt under Eduardo Fraga in 2021. Relocating to Philadelphia, Yuji is proud to continue his training under Daniel Gracie and Rodrigo Fujita.

As an errant beginner in BJJ, Yuji often relied solely on strength, speed, and aggressiveness, never utilizing guard, regularly ignoring advice from his elders, and frequently mispronouncing the Portuguese names of techniques. Now, as a relaxed older grappler, he has repented from his sordid past by focusing instead on efficiency, leverage, and trickery to build his technical mastery. As an instructor, Yuji is a strong believer in the importance of using and understanding the fundamentals of BJJ in live rolls to develop one’s game.

When he is not on the mats, Yuji spends his time as a high school English and history teacher in the School District of Philadelphia and checking the surf reports to see if any swells will hit the eastern seaboard anytime soon.