Professor Andrew Potocko is a black belt under Professor Tony Passos. He began training Jiu-Jitsu in 2011 while working and attending college part-time. Professor Andrew played multiple sports growing up, including soccer, ice hockey, lacrosse, and golf. The transition to Jiu-Jitsu came after high school as “a way to exercise and stay healthy in a structured and disciplined environment.”

 

In 2013 he competed in the IBJJF World Championship, placing third in his division. Also, during this time, he began teaching Jiu-Jitsu as an Assistant Coach in the Kids "Zoo-Jitsu" and Adults Fundamentals programs. It was Professor Andrew’s experience as a coach that inspired him to study education and earn a degree in kinesiology at the University of Maryland.

 

Professor Andrew is extremely consistent in his own training and approaches all he does with a high level of excellence. He wears multiple hats at the Team Passos.

 

As Academy Manager he makes sure everything runs smoothly and is always a friendly face to greet everyone when they walk in. As an Instructor, he can explain the details of each position very well and can tailor his teaching style to the student. He enjoys helping the students understand the basic concepts and skills to provide them with a foundational knowledge of the sport.