Instructor - Noel Marcelo
Coach Noel is a brown belt under Professor Tony Passos. From a young age, Coach Noel was fascinated by martial arts. He learned about jiu-jitsu and the concept of a “ground game” when he watched the original UFC 1 back in 1993. It wasn’t until July 2015 when Coach Noel took his first steps toward his martial arts journey by joining Team Passos.
Just a few months after beginning his training, he began helping coach in the Kids Zoo-Jitsu classes which continued for several years. He believes his experience assisting in the kids' classes helped him transition into teaching classes as a lead instructor. Currently, Coach Noel leads the morning All-Levels Program and finds it to be a truly fulfilling and satisfying experience.
“Coaching is truly an art; I admire Professor Tony and Professor Josh's ability to effectively convey concepts and techniques in a way that students can easily understand. I try my best to emulate them in my coaching. While challenging, I enjoy helping and motivating students to understand concepts and techniques. Jiu-jitsu has truly helped me to see that I'm more physically and mentally capable than I thought I was. This is what motivates me in my time coaching and what my goal is for the students: to help students realize that while Jiu-Jitsu is hard they can get through it and be a better person for it, on and off the mats.” - Coach Noel