Meet Team NBJJA

NBJJA was established in March 2019 by Northern Beaches locals and husband/wife team, Jack and Gill Cox. We had always dreamed of owning our own small business and when the opportunity came up to combine Jack’s strong background and passion for Jiu-Jitsu with Gill’s marketing and business experience, we snapped it up. We started out sharing space at a gym in Manly, before quickly realising that to really make our dreams come true, we’d need to jump in the deep end and build an Academy of our own from scratch. So that’s what we did!

In June 2019, we spruced up an old warehouse in Cromer and NBJJA was officially opened….until we were locked down 9 months later due to Covid-19. It was a nerve-wracking time, as we were unsure if our brand new business would survive. But thanks to the support of our tight community, we came out the other end and continued to grow. By December 2020, we outgrew the space and moved up the road to the much bigger, newer space that we are in today. We survived another 2 lockdowns and learnt so much about how to deal with uncertainty and adapt to change.

We chose to affiliate with the Pedro Sauer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association, the premier global association for teaching authentic Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Through this affiliation, we offer a structured and proven curriculum and are part of a global family of Jiu-Jitsu Academy owners with similar core values.

With two active kids (Molly and Xander) and two lazy bulldogs (Winston and Jemima), we love the life we’ve built here on the Northern Beaches and the great local community around us.

We are proud to be named as a 2 x Finalist in the Local Business Awards - Outstanding Fitness Services category, in both 2022 and 2023.

Our Team

Jack Cox, Owner: Head Jiu-Jitsu Coach

Jack has been training and coaching martial arts for 20+ years and is a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Master Pedro Sauer and Professor Phillip Grapsas. He started out in Kenpo Karate, and was fortunate enough to have a Professor who encouraged his interest in the grappling and wrestling arts, which he quickly fell in love with. After achieving his black belt in Kenpo Karate, Jack sought out more specialised coaching in BJJ and freestyle wrestling. 

Jack first pursued his BJJ training at a Machado school before moving to the Sutherland Shire and joining disciples of the Gracie Family, who had been sent to Australia to spread the gentle art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. This direct contact to the source allowed Jack to learn and experience the efficiency and effectiveness of the art first hand. 

Jack’s motivation is to make Gracie Jiu-Jitsu accessible to anyone, and his passion lies in teaching his students both on and off the mat. The lessons he has learnt and will pass on, will transcend what you can do on the tatami.

Jack is the Head Coach for our Kids and Adults Program and the source of all Jiu-Jitsu knowledge at NBJJA. Email: info@northernbeachesjiujitsu.com.au

Gillian Cox, Admin: Marketing

Gill was first introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when she met Jack, however her fitness interests are in long distance running, triathlon, surf boat rowing and netball. In 2019, her focus shifted from these more traditional sports while she trained for 20 weeks to compete in her first amateur mixed martial arts cage fight. This was a big step outside her comfort zone, and a huge learning curve to not just understand more about martial arts, but how to confront and overcome your own fears.

Gill’s professional background is in digital marketing, community management and business strategy, and she uses this experience to grow and nurture the wonderful community we have at NBJJA. As a mum of two young kids, she’s passionate about developing a thriving jiu-jitsu kids program to help build stronger, more resilient and grounded kids and give them valuable skills to tackle the challenges that life throws at you.

For any marketing-related enquiries, please email gillian@northernbeachesjiujitsu.com.au.

Markus Dextegen, Coach: Kids and Adults Program (Jiu-Jitsu)

Markus is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Head Coach of our Tuesday program. He has years of experience running Kids Jiu-Jitsu programs, and his gentle but firm nature make him a hit with both kids and adults. Outside of Jiu-Jitsu, Markus is a music producer.

Neven Korac, Coach: Kids Jiu-Jitsu Program

We’re stoked to have Neven on our coaching team. Neven is not only a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he’s an incredible artist. If you look round NBJJA, you’ll see some of his amazing work! Nev has been training BJJ since he was 9 years old, and is a wealth of knowledge in all aspects of the art.

Master Pedro Sauer, 8th Degree Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Coral Belt

NBJJA is affiliated with The Pedro Sauer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association (PSBJJA), one of the oldest, largest, and most respected associations in the world today. Master Pedro Sauer founded the PSBJJA in order to maintain and pass on the art developed by Helio and Carlos Gracie.

Pedro Sauer was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At age five, he began boxing and later took up judo and taekwondo. At 15, however, his friend Rickson Gracie, invited him to train jiu-jitsu with his younger brother, Royler, who at the time was only nine years old. The outcome of this experience convinced him that jiu-jitsu was the most effective of all the martial arts, and he began training the very next day.

His training under Helio and Rickson took place when jiu jitsu was making its crucial transition as an obscure Brazilian art to a worldwide martial arts phenomenon. Pedro worked towards a double major (Economics and Business Administration) in college, and took post graduation courses at Fundacao Getulio Vargas. He worked in Brazil as a stockbroker for eleven years before moving to the United States and pursuing a career teaching jiu-jitsu.

With Rorion Gracie leading the exodus in 1990, Pedro was part of the first generation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors and fighters that moved to the United States to reveal the art of BJJ to the world. He lived in California with Rickson Gracie and trained with the Gracie brothers (Rickson, Rorion, and Royce), their father, Helio Gracie, their cousin, Renzo Gracie, the Machado Brothers and many others. In December that year, he moved to Utah where he began pioneering Gracie jiu-jitsu and started the Pedro Sauer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association, which is now one of the largest and most respected Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Associations in the world today with 130+ academies under his guidance.

In 2006 Master Sauer relocated to Northern Virginia to set up the world headquarters for the PSBJJA in Herndon, Virginia.