Carlson Gracie Federation is an international Brazilian Jiujitsu Academy with over 100 locations world wide with our World Headquarters located in Chicago, IL. We are dedicated to carrying on the art and instruction of Brazilian Jiujitsu in the style of Legendary Grandmaster Carlson Gracie Senior.

Carlson Gracie JiuJitsu is the industry leader and sets the standard for technique and style of jiujitsu.

Professor Daniel “Coyote” Souza-

Professor Daniel “Coyote” Souza was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and raised in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. In 1981 Professor Souza began training Judo. In 1985 he started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Master Rui Diniz Ferreira, 7th Degree Coral Belt and Master Hilton Leao Silva, 9th Degree Red Belt. Professor “Souza” earned his Degree in Physical Education in 1998. In 1993, Professor Souza began teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at the school of his former master. In 1996 he began teaching under his own name, Coyote Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In 2000, Professor Souza founded Coyote Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Brazil, now affiliated with Carlson Gracie Team.

Professor Souza began teaching in the United States beginning in 2002, San Diego, CA. He finally moved permanently to Albuquerque, NM in 2016 holding the rank of a 6th Degree Balck Belt. There, he has built his Coyote Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy/Carlson Gracie Team from the ground up. He is married with Gabriela Souza who is also owner of the academy, and has four kids; Ryckson(27), Rollyson(23), Alex, and Sarah, they all practice BJJ.

Professor Souza has won multiple titles and medals as an individual athlete throughout his martial arts career, and his school has earned multiple first place titles and trophies.

Professor Souza’s martial arts career summarized:

42 years of Judo, Godan 5th Dan Black Belt

37 years of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, 6th Degree Black Belt

20 years of Muay Thai, Silver/Red Kruang-Prajied

1994-2008 MMA (21-2)

Professor Josh Santarpia is originally from Ottawa, KS. He has a PhD from Texas A&M University and is a professor of microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he studies the transmission of disease.

Prof. Josh began training in jiu jitsu in 2014, at the age of 38, with Kalo Lopez at Pitbull in Albuquerque, NM. He started jiu jitsu to improve his physical and mental health, and has never stopped training.

In 2016, he followed Prof. Daniel Souza as he opened Coyote BJJ in Albuquerque, NM. Under Prof. Souza he earned has black belt in 2021. Prof. Josh relocated to Omaha, NE, and in 2022 he opened Coyote BJJ Omaha. In July of 2023, he followed Prof. Souza and affiliated with the Carlson Gracie Team.

"Jiu jitsu has had a transformative affect on my life. It has improved my physical endurance, and taught me to use my body in ways I would have thought impossible when I started. Beyond the physical, jiu jitsu has developed my mental resilience and helped me learn minfulness. You have to be mindful and present in the moment when someone is trying to strangle you."

At Carlson Gracie / Coyote BJJ Omaha we teach jiu jitsu as a means of self improvement and self defense. Training and practicing jiu jitsu can improve not only physical health, but also mental health and self confidence. The principals of jiu jitsu, applied to everyday life, can be powerful tools for self mastery and help to improve many aspects of your life. While we encourage competition as a part of your journey, and many of our students are successful competitors, it isn't the sole focus of our school. In life and jiu jitsu, every conflict has two battles: the one in front of you, and the one within. Winning the battle within must always come first. We teach and practice a style of jiu jitsu that can be learned by anyone, and an approach that focuses on the principals of self improvement and self mastery.