Instructors • Riverton, Utah
Certified, background checked, and genuinely good at teaching beginners.
Great instructors do more than run a class. Ours are here to make you or your child feel capable and at home on the mat, whether it's your first day or you're chasing the next belt. No pressure and no attitude. Just real training in a room that's easy to walk into.
Founder and head professor
Seidler Rodrigo Ziser
Prof. Seidler founded Gracie Barra Riverton and leads it today. He developed his roots at Gracie Barra School #1 in Brazil before coming to the United States, and he now oversees this academy along with three other Gracie Barra schools in Utah.
He's known for a calm presence and sharp technique. He cares as much about how students grow as people as about how they grow on the mat, and he watches every student's path from white belt to black belt.
His teaching is structured but welcoming. Kids, teens, and adults all get the same thing: a clear path forward and a room where it's safe to be the new person. First day or first competition, he meets you where you are.
Click a year to view the results.
To see other competition years from Prof. Seidler Rodrigo, read his interview.
The team
Four more instructors on the mat, each certified through Gracie Barra and each teaching the same curriculum.
ProfessorBlack Belt
Prof. Gabriel Weinem is a black belt under Prof. Seidler Rodrigo. He committed to Jiu-Jitsu at age 28 and earned his black belt while working and raising two daughters. In every class, he teaches students to stay calm under pressure and builds that calm through discipline, resilience, and mutual respect.
Read the interview
CoachBrown Belt
Coach Dylan Quezada, known as Coach Mack, is a dedicated martial artist and BJJ instructor with experience in boxing, Taekwondo, and Jiu-Jitsu. He brings patience, discipline, and positive energy to every class, helping students build confidence, resilience, and important life skills on and off the mats.
Read the interview
Assistant CoachPurple Belt
Coach Pedro Santos stepped onto a mat at five and won a Rio de Janeiro state title at six. Today he leads our youngest classes and assists with older kids and teens, bringing patience and steady energy. He builds confidence, discipline, and respect in his young students without ever making it feel heavy.
Read the interview
Assistant CoachBlue Belt
Coach Kaitlyn Ceballos is a Marine Corps veteran who found Jiu-Jitsu while transitioning out of the military. She competes up in weight and has taken gold in both the gi and no-gi. On the mat, she makes sure every student feels welcome and challenged, helping people find confidence and sharpen technique.
Read the interviewThe standard
Being skilled and being able to teach are two different things. Every instructor here goes through the Gracie Barra Instructor Certification Program, so what happens in your class doesn't come down to luck.
That matters most when you're the newest person in the room, and it matters even more when the student is your child.
Come meet them
Book a free class and see how they teach. You'll know in one hour whether this is the room for you.