leadership Team & Mentors
alexandra peterson, founder
Alexandra has nearly 30 years of experience in the martial arts and is a 2nd degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. She has been training and competing in BJJ for over 20 years and is the first female black belt under Luiz Claudio and Thiago Veiga of the LCCT Association. She is a 2019 and 2022 Pan Ams black belt bronze medalist and a multiple time IBJJF Chicago International Champion.
She and her husband operated their own BJJ and MMA school in Wisconsin for 12 years. During her time there, Alexandra also founded and operated Rebel Girls BJJ, an all-women Brazilian jiu-jitsu organization created to support and strengthen the female BJJ community in the upper Midwest.
Alexandra and James now reside in Terryville, CT with their two adorable pit bulls, Sergeant Pupper and Tazzy.
Laina Giselle Mason, 2026
Laina is a 42-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, currently under Mike Palladino of Evolution Grappling Academy in Beacon, New York. She began her BJJ journey under Lachlan and Livia Giles at Absolute MMA in Melbourne, Australia, earning her blue belt before relocating to New York in 2022. Laina has been a dedicated competitor from the start in both Gi and No-Gi, with recent years bringing a particular focus to No-Gi competition. In 2023, she took Silver at the IBJJF Masters No-Gi World Championship at purple belt, and in 2025 claimed Gold in the Masters brown belt division at the IBJJF Pan No-Gi Championship.
Beyond competing, Laina coaches co-ed and women's classes at Evolution Grappling Academy, where she brings both technical depth and a genuine passion for developing alongside her students. She is deeply committed to growing women's jiu-jitsu and creating thoughtful, trauma-informed training spaces, a mission that flows naturally from her work as a licensed therapist in private practice, where she specializes in trauma and has an extensive background supporting survivors of sexual assault. For Laina, the mat and the therapy space share the same throughline: empowering people to feel safe, strong, and capable in their own bodies.
ANDI SUNSERI Instructor, 2026
Andi began her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey training under Team Nova Uniao's Danilo and Jessica Cherman. Starting later in life, Andi believes Jiu-Jitsu is for everyone, regardless of when they begin. She enjoys helping students build confidence, develop new skills, and discover what they’re capable of on and off the mats. What started as a new challenge in 2014, quickly became a lifelong passion for learning, personal growth, and helping others discover the benefits of Jiu-Jitsu.
Over the years, she has competed in numerous IBJJF tournaments and has been fortunate to earn memorable accomplishments, most notably winning the IBJJF World Master Championship as a Purple Belt in 2019 and earning gold as a Black Belt at the IBJJF Pan Championship in 2024.
Rachel Gretencord Instructor, 2026
Rachel Gretencord is a first degree black belt, training under Brad Wolfson at Soulcraft Martial Arts/Gracie Sports USA.
*Has been teaching women's BJJ and self defense classes for 12 years.
*Medaled at New England Sub only, Tap Cancer Out, and the Good Fight Women's Invitational.
*Won't shut up about: her kids, her dog, and fun armbar setups.
Renee Cimino
Instructor, 2026
Renee is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt with over 15 years of martial arts experience. She received her black belt in 2025 from Coach Aaron Harris at Gambit Submission Fighting in New Paltz, New York where she has trained for the past nine years. In addition to her BJJ black belt Renee also holds the rank of green belt in Judo under Coach Ezra Firestone (East Bay Judo Institute) at Gambit.
An active competitor in both Gi and No Gi BJJ, Renee believes that competition is one of the most valuable and important tools for growth.
Renee assists with coaching both children's and adult classes at Gambit and has also helped organize and lead BJJ classes for LGBTQ+ practitioners. She is passionate about making Jiu Jitsu accessible to everyone with a welcoming, fun, safe, and supportive training environment.
Keri Saxton
Instructor, 2026
Mom, traveler, yoga and Bjj coach, RN, always looking to top my last training playlist.
I’ve been training for 15 years, and received my blackbelt in 2020 from Luis Figueroa. Sometimes I compete, most of the time I don’t, professional hobbyist. Love to travel and train at camps, sometimes I teach, most often just meeting new friends all over the world that share a love for Bjj. I stay for community and I love to see so many more women training. I’m known for fun curious rolls and wild playlists. If you’ve come to my class there’s a good chance we were battling it out to some Donna Summer. I can’t see you without my glasses on , so come over and ask me anything! I want to meet you!
Tania Mayen
Instructor, 2026
Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with over a decade of training and competition experience. Tania has competed in IBJJF and Fight to Win events, bringing high-level knowledge and real-world application to her teaching.
In addition to her work on the mats, she works for the Department of Children and Families, where she develops skills in communication, patience, and advocacy—qualities she carries into her coaching.
She currently leads women’s classes at FitClub in Fairfield, welcoming students of all levels in a supportive and empowering environment. Her approach focuses on building confidence, strong fundamentals, and practical self-defense both on and off the mat
Erin Garza, Instructor, 2025
Erin was first introduced to the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2014 while living in Louisiana. After moving to Connecticut in 2015, she began training under Danilo and Jessica Cherman. Her desire to train came not from the urge to compete and win titles, but to be pushed out of her comfort zone and be challenged in new ways, while also enjoying the sense of camaraderie that comes along with the sport.
She now trains under her husband Oswaldo Jurema at Jitsu Academy CT where she assists in running the day-to-day operations of the academy and coaching the kids and adult classes. When not at Jitsu Academy, Erin can be found at her job as a director of rehab and physical therapist assistant in Cromwell, CT.