ISD 625-Saint Paul Public Schools

Justin Thao was born in Providence, Rhode Island, but moved to the Twin Cities when he was four. Growing up watching martial arts movies with his grandpa, Justin developed a love and appreciation for martial arts. At 14, he learned of combat sports such as boxing and MMA. Being a fan, he would eventually go on to wrestle in high school and then eventually picking up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in his 20's, at Next Level Combat in Woodbury, Minnesota. After years of training he would eventually go on to become an instructor of the Youth Jiu Jitsu class at Next Level Combat. Due to the pandemic however, he was forced to step away until April of 2022. Having returned to the gym, after years off, Justin has continued training and began teaching Jiu Jitsu to children through after school programs. After almost a decade of training, Justin believes that while Jiu Jitsu is a martial art for self defense, that it carries lessons and benefits for everyone, such as self control, self awareness, and confidence building. He currently holds a purple rank in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu through the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system at Next Level Combat.