Meet Our Instructors
Our staff is what makes us great. To reach a new level, you need the right people to help you get there.
Our instructors are all highly experienced in teaching and competing in BJJ tournaments.
Patrick Cronin
Stones Corner Kids CoachBJJ Black Belt Patrick began training BJJ in 2011 after a long career in Soccer. Patrick first trained with his older brother in their garage at home and soon after found an academy in the Gold Coast to train at. In 2013 Patrick began training with Infinity and assisting classes at our North Lakes Academy. He has since become a lead instructor at our East Brisbane club and been promoted to Brown Belt. Patrick has won numerous competitions at all belt levels, most recently the 2016 East Coast Championship, where he won Gold in the Brown Belt NoGi division. Patrick is a Franchise Owner and Instructor at Infinity East Brisbane and Infinity North Lakes. 2016 East Coast Championship Gold in...
Neil Owen
Head Coach3rd degree BJJ black belt Neil began training BJJ in the mid to late 90’s under Chen Moraes and the Anaconda team. Due to the fact he lived in the North of England and most of the BJJ clubs at that time where located in London he would travel to London whenever possible usually at weekends with the goal of cramming in as many sessions as possible. Although most of the biggest BJJ Academies where in London the sport was still very much in its infancy with people training all over the country out of old factories and in the back room of spit and saw dust weightlifting gyms, in fact the first place he ever trained at was a back...
Carlos Hunter Jnr
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Meet Carlos, your BJJ black belt and Head Instructor! With a passion for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that ignited at the age of 13 in his native Brazil, Carlos devoted a significant part of his youth to the art, amassing an impressive record with titles like 1x Brazilian Champion, 4x state champion, and a remarkable 3rd place finish in the world championship. Life led him down a different path as he ventured into a legal career, but deep down, Carlos has always been an athlete at heart. Five years ago, he decided to follow his true calling and relocated to Australia to pursue his love for sports as a profession. But Carlos is not just a BJJ expert; he's also a Nutritionist,...
Kieran Cronin
BJJ Black Belt Personal training specialties: Group classes - BJJ - Boxing fitness - Strength & conditioning Plyometrics History: I started training BJJ at Mill Hill combat and conditioning in London England. I travel to Thailand to further my combat experience and after a crash course in Maui Thai fought at Phukets Bangala stadium. I moved to Australia shortly after and trained under Daniel Lima in the Gold Coast. I moved to Sydney and continued training under Bruno Panno. I started teaching BJJ in Sydney and soon made the move to Brisbane and joined the Infinity team. To instruct under the guidance of Prof. Neil Owen was an easy decision as he was highly regarded by my original instructor Nick...
Phil Cassidy
MorayfieldBJJ Black Belt I am a 12-year veteran of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) where I worked in Security and Policing roles as a Military Working Dog Handler and Instructor. My martial arts background extends back over 20 years obtaining a Black Belt in Goju Kai Karate in 2001, after a bit of a layoff I started up again with Go Kan Ryu Karate in 2008 until a friend introduced me to BJJ shortly before moving to Ipswich. In May 2017 I was awarded my Black Belt. After having some success competing locally and at state level I discovered a passion for coaching and have been assisting at the Ipswich academy and from the sidelines at competitions. I have...
Tahleigh Cassidy
MorayfieldTahleigh has been active in sports from a young age usually following what dad was doing at the time, one day it was hockey, the next soccer and then it was obviously going to be martial arts. At the age of 6 Tahleigh began Go Kan Ryu karate where she competed at a state level for 5 years. All though she loved the sport as her dad made the change to BJJ so did Tahleigh. Tahleigh has grown up with Infinity, she has gone from a student/competitor in the kid’s classes to junior assistant, with a successful transfer to competition as an adult and being awarded her Blue Belt just days after turning 16. In July 2017 Tahleigh was promoted...
Ky Jeffers
Kajang, MalaysiaKy was an active sportsman participating in touch football, competition waterskiing, mountain biking both downhill and cross country, before taking up BJJ at the late age of 38. -2009 started training BJJ -2010 promoted to Blue belt -2010 Gold at IBJJF Pan-Pacific Championships -2011 Silver and Bronze at IBJJF at Pan-Pacific Championships -2012 Promoted to Purple belt -2012 Silver Gi & Bronze No-Gi atIBJJF Pan-Pacific Championships -2012 Bronze Gi & No-Gi at Queensland Championships -2012 Bronze Gi & No-Gi at Australian Championships -2013 Silver Gi at IBJJF Pan-Pacific Championships -2013 Silver Gi at Queensland Championships -2013 Silver Gi at Australian Championships -2014 Silver Gi & Bronze No-Gi at Queensland Championships -2016 promoted to Brown belt -2017 moved to Malaysia to start Infinity Brazilian...
Paul Chapman
BJJ Black Belt - 1st Degree - Head Instructor Paul began his martial arts journey in England in 1995 training in Kung Fu, traditional Ju Jitsu and personal self-protection. Not long after this Paul began trying many other martial arts and finally decided that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was right for him. Training Highlights It was here that Paul trained under Neil Owen (Infinity Head Instructor) and Neil White at the Doncaster Judo Club (as it was known then). In 2001 Paul visited the Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to train and further his knowledge and experience. Moving back to England Paul opened his own club – teaching BJJ and MMA and having many successful fights himself and training many...
Tyrone Coppedge
SpringfieldBJJ Black Belt Hi, I’m Tyrone, aka “T”. I played Rugby League for 19 years and planned to continue for many more years until October 2010 when I tried a class of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Infinity and realised all my strength and athletic ability didn’t mean much when coming up against a skilled martial artist. It was a very humbling experience, discovering that somebody 20kgs smaller could easily beat me with just pure technique. I signed up that night and started training 6 days a week. I could not walk around now knowing that I have no idea how to defend myself. I have been an instructor since 2013 at Infinity. I earned my BJJ black belt in 2016....
Shelly de Visser
Springfield Women's only BJJ InstructorHi, I’m Shelly. After losing 65 kilos, I needed something to help me tone up, get fit and set a good example for my kids. I signed up for my first MMA and BJJ lesson in 2017 and did not look back, and I then started competing in BJJ. I received my Blue Belt in 2019 which was a huge achievement for me. Later that year I became the Women Only BJJ class instructor. I’m a proud mum of two.
Jeffrey Hawkins
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Jeff started training BJJ in 2017 after a lifelong dedication to martial arts that began when he was just 6 years old. He competes and regularly travels the world seeking out knowledge in the impossible pursuit of perfection. He relishes the opportunity to pass this knowledge on and watch people grow and become the best they can be despite their age or physical limitations.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Daniel Castles
Daniel has been training in different sports since he was young, but always excelled in martial arts. Once he graduated, he moved to the sunshine coast and began training in MMA and Muay Thai. After a number of fights in both he took time to pursue other sports, mainly wakeboarding. However, it wasn’t long before he was drawn back to combat sports. Thanks to his competitive personality, he started competing in BJJ only 2 months after starting and hasn’t stopped since. His commitment to training has led him to: 3 straight QLD State Titles NSW State Title Pan Pacific Title in 2014 Gold at the 2017 Sydney international Gold in other submission only competitions Gold at the Australian National Pro...
Stuart Drever
Woodford Morayfield InstructorStuart started training BJJ over 6 years ago after initially enrolling his two boys into BJJ classes. He is currently a Brown Belt under Academy Head Instructor, and BJJ Black Belt, Phil Cassidy. Although having tried a handful of different martial arts over the years, BJJ is the art that has challenged him the most, and he does not see himself doing anything else. He loves learning the art and sharing what he learns with others. Stuart has been a nurse for 25 years and spent most of his working career in the area of mental health nursing. During this time, he has undertaken numerous courses and certifications in Aggressive Behaviour Management, Occupational Violence Prevention, Critical Incident De-escalation and Debriefing,...
Robbie Paraha
BJJ Black Belt I started kick boxing in New Zealand 7 years ago and when I came back to Australia I joined Infinity Martial Arts in Springfield. I begun MMA but quickly found a passion for Jiu Jitsu after competing in a few local competitions. My life drastically changed losing a massive amount of weight as I walked through the door at 115kg losing a total of 35kg! I not only changed my nutrition but I left my monotonous job to pursue a job in the health and fitness industry. I wanted to give back what I had learnt which eventually led me to coaching here at Infinity where I hope to give the same opportunities I was given. I...
Jay Jay Te Huia
Springfield[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Hi, I’m JayJay. In 2011 I experienced my first class of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu where I was challenged by someone half my size and much more skilled than me. I was very curious as to why I got beaten and that is what gave me an instant interest in learning BJJ and MMA. Week to week I was getting great results with weight loss, gaining knowledge and better discipline in all areas in my life. I am currently an MMA amateur fighter, and a competitive brown belt in BJJ. I’m a proud father of two. I have been a full time instructor since 2015.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Shane Moore
Shane grew up on farms travelling around Australia and never really had the opportunity to practice any sports – unless you count chasing sheep or driving tractors! Shane always had a fascination with Jackie Chan and when he settled in Geelong, he was able to try various styles of martial arts, including Krav Maga and Muay Thai. Shane continued to practice these forms of martial arts when he moved to Brisbane. Eventually Shane moved to the Sunshine Coast where he began his BJJ journey in 2008 - while training Freestyle Martial Arts in the early days at Infinity. There were a couple of guys in the club who had been learning some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; and every time he would train...
Chloe (Coco) Bird
BJJ Green White Belt BJJ to me was a way of being able to defend myself, I began training in 2014 and instantly fell in love. Jiu Jitsu for me quickly changed from a hobby into a part of my everyday life. I love spending my mornings and afternoons not only teaching the kids but getting to know them and seeing their smiles.
Matt Fordham
BJJ Purple Belt - Assistant Instructor Matt started his Jiu Jitsu journey in 2013, training at the old Maroochydore academy under Alex Breckell which was later taken over by Black Belt Paul Chapman, Matt then moved with Paul and the Maroochydoore club to the new and larger location in Kawana Waters where it merged with Infinity Currimundi to create the current Infinity HQ. Soon after changing gyms he tried Mixed Martial Arts for the first time and found his true passion, to better himself in martial arts. From this newfound focus he began training ferociously in Boxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu, starting the never ending journey to become a formidable fighter. He began helping out in the junior...
Joshua Cooksley
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt I started training BJJ roughly 6 years ago. Having just finished school, I finally fulfilled a boyhood dream to learn a martial arts, and it was complete chance that brought me through the doors of Infinity. Having nothing but time, I trained usually twice a day, every day and quickly developed in my style and passion for Jiu-Jitsu. After about a year of training, I was offered a part-time job helping to teach down in the then new North Lakes academy. It was at that point that I knew that this is what I wanted for life and have since then been working towards owning and operating an academy of my very own. In the pursuit of increasing my skills...
Tuava Uri-Ke
Pine RiversBJJ brown belt - Head coach of Infinity Pine Rivers Tuava Uri-Ke has over 12 years martial arts experience. With five years Muay Thai experience under Grant Sellin of First Strike Muay Thai and 7 years Brazilian Jiu-jitsu experience under Neil Owen and Kieran Cronin of Infinity Martial Arts. Tuava began teaching at Infinity North Lakes as a white belt and dedicated her jiu jitsu journey to expanding her knowledge to not only further her own game but to pass on her expertise to her students and teammates. Tuava has competed in BJJ, Muay Thai and MMA with success in all fields. Tuavas’ passion in BJJ heavily lies in creating strong, selfless and independent children, all whilst fostering a fun...
Linzi Jack
BJJ Purple Belt My journey started at Infinity Martial Arts Springfield after many months of Robbie insisting I join him on the mats for ‘quality time’ together. When the deal was made that if he came home with a Gi I would give it a go, in true Robbie style he returned home that evening with a Gi. As a female it was initially a very strange and almost scary experience to throw myself into an environment where I was essentially rolling around on the floor in a robe like outfit with strangers in my personal bubble. Since joining Infinity Martial Arts, I have competed in tournaments throughout Australia gaining an impressive stash of medals. Throughout my journey I have...
Lachie Bird
BJJ Blue Belt I have been a member of Infinity Martial Arts studying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu since 2013. I started learning Jiu Jitsu after it was suggested it would help me with rugby league tackling. I continued to train in both sports and soon became more focused on my Jiu Jitsu training. In 2014 I entered my first competition, it was scary, I was nervous, and I did not know what to expect. I was very lucky to have my coaches on the sideline encouraging me to do my best. I walked away with a Bronze medal. Since then I have entered many competitions and have not only come away with bronze, silver and gold medals, but also with greater...
Jason Lapham
BJJ Brown Belt I started training martial arts with Tae Kwon Do until a friend convinced me to come and trial some BJJ classes with him and I was hooked. I Joined Infinity at the opening of the Caboolture Academy in 2013. My coaching journey began when I started assisting with my daughter Emily’s class and soon progressed to teaching adults classes as well. I completed a couple of coaching courses under Infinity’s head coach Neil Owen and spent some time at North Lakes academy, training and coaching before relocating to the Sandgate area to be closer to UNI. Training BJJ has steered me towards a healthier lifestyle and shown me that with hard work and dedication I can achieve...
Gustavo Guimaraes
Stafford Heights BJJ Black BeltWe are proud to introduce Gustavo Guimaraes our newest addition to the Infinity Martial Arts Team and Head Instructor at our newest gym Stafford Heights. Gustavo Guimaraes is a 5th degree Black Belt, formed by master Wendell Alexander, founder of Nova Uniao. He has the true old school Brazilian Jiu Jitsu rooted in his teaching philosophy, always giving his students the true essence and lifestyle of Arte Suave (the gentle art of BJJ). Gustavo is well equipped and determined to expand and build upon our unique and united Infinity Martial Arts Team with the same objectives: build confidence, loyalty, and respect.