Joao Crus – Head Instructor & Academy Owner

With over 25 years of teaching experience, Joao Crus is a BJJ black belt, Carlson Gracie student, founded Joao Crus Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Dripping Springs in 2003 with a clear mission: to help children and adults build emotional strength and healthy boundaries through martial arts training.
Joao’s approach is distinctive in the BJJ world. “We’re relational and psychological first, physical second,” he explains. “The mat becomes a safe space where students learn to recognize their emotions, set boundaries, and build genuine confidence, not just in technique, but in themselves.”
This philosophy led him to write Grapple with Emotions and host the Blackbelt Parenting Life podcast, where he shares insights on using martial arts principles for emotional development and parenting. His methodology helps students develop skills that extend far beyond the academy;into their relationships, school, work, and daily life.
Parents often tell Joao they’ve seen transformations in their children: better emotional regulation, improved confidence in setting boundaries, and increased resilience when facing challenges. Adult students discover tools for managing stress and navigating difficult interpersonal situations with greater clarity and composure.

Joao welcomes families and individuals who are looking for more than just physical training. Those seeking a path to emotional growth, stronger relationships, and the confidence that comes from truly knowing yourself.

Justin Nielsen

Justin Nielsen is a black belt in BJJ and a dedicated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner with over 10 years of experience training under Professor Joao Crus at Joao Crus Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the Austin, Texas area. What began as a family decision, enrolling his 6-year-old daughter in classes, quickly grew into a lifelong passion that now involves his entire family, with of both of his sons also actively training on the mats.

As a business owner, Justin balances entrepreneurship with his deep commitment to the art of Jiu-Jitsu. He has a genuine love for teaching, finding great fulfillment in guiding both kids and adults through the technical, physical, and personal growth that BJJ offers. Whether helping young students build confidence and discipline or supporting adults in mastering techniques and resilience, Justin tries to bring enthusiasm, patience, and a family-oriented perspective to every class and roll.
His journey reflects the values emphasized at Joao Crus BJJ: personal development, emotional intelligence, and making the entire family stronger, both on and off the mat.

Kevin La Barre

Kevin La Barre is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with a lifelong dedication to martial arts, self-preservation, and disciplined problem-solving. His training began early and spans decades across multiple martial arts and combat systems, shaping a deep, practical understanding of violence dynamics, situational awareness, and human performance under stress. This background forms the foundation of his work as a Self Preservation Experts (SPE) consultant, where the emphasis is on avoidance, preparation, and survivability in real-world environments—not theory or sport alone.

Professionally, Kevin is the Founder and CEO of Infidati, a national IT Managed Services Provider serving organizations across the United States. He leads the design and operation of secure, scalable, and compliance-driven technology environments, with deep expertise in cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, automation, and managed operations. Known for his hands-on leadership and systems-level thinking, Kevin bridges executive strategy with technical execution, building infrastructures designed to remain resilient under real pressure

Kevin’s work is defined by the intersection of combat discipline, risk management, and systems engineering. The same principles that define high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, leverage, efficiency, preparation, and composure under pressure,also guide how he approaches self-preservation consulting, business leadership, and technical architecture. Whether advising individuals on personal safety, organizations on security posture, or teams on execution, his focus remains consistent: reduce unnecessary risk, increase adaptability, and maintain control in uncertain conditions.

Christian Ramirez

Christian is a purple belt with 4 years of experience coaching jiujitsu and competing. A true believer in practicing what you preach, he actively competes in local Austin tournaments and most recently took 1st place at the Tap Cancer Out BJJ tournament in 2024 and 2025. 

In an era where competitive jiujitsu is becoming widely popular, Christian finds creative ways to encourage ALL to find their own way of practicing jiujitsu. A believer in using jiujitsu as a tool to create a deeper connection with yourself and your body, he focuses on teaching fundamentals and helping his students learn the art of jiujitsu. Leveraging his skills as a community educator and his military service, he designs his classes to be fun, engaging, and challenging.

Having practiced basic jiu jitsu concepts in the Army, Christian decided to enroll his 4 year old daughter (at the time) as a way to continue to build her confidence and ability to navigate challenges. It was only 6 months into her training that he decided to sign up and begin his jiu jitsu journey. Enjoying the stronger bond that was forming with his daughter and following his passion for teaching, he began to help coach the little kids class (ages 4 – 8 years old), eventually progressing to the big kids class (ages 9-14 years old) and then adults class. Since becoming a coach his love for jiujitsu has grown and his skills have improved. Benefiting from the therapeutic aspects of jiujitsu, he believes that problem solving under pressure creates better decision making and improves confidence, both in children and adults.

Harrison Owens

Harrison is a brown belt with 13 years on the mats; 8 years in wrestling and 5 years in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A lifelong competitor, he has wrestled in countless tournaments and placed 3rd at the 2024 Tap Cancer Out BJJ tournament.

After high school he stepped away from wrestling, but soon felt the pull to return to the mats. Jiu-Jitsu rekindled his discipline, confidence, and resilience, qualities he calls a “superpower” that transformed him both physically and mentally. He often jokes that if it came in a pill, everyone would be on it.

For the past two years Harrison has coached adult classes at Joao Crus Studio, blending a wrestling-first approach into the studio’s comprehensive Jiu-Jitsu curriculum. His teaching emphasizes positional control, takedowns, and gritty, competition-proven strategy to help students become confident and well-rounded grapplers.