Head Instructor
Head Professor
Jean Kleber de Freitas
Master Jean is the founder and head instructor of Kimura BJJ U.S.A., a 6th-degree Black Belt certified by the IBJJF, USJJF, COBJJ, and CBJJ, with over 30 years of experience.
​He began training at 14 years old in 1991 and started teaching at a young age. In 2000, before earning his Black Belt, he traveled to Europe to teach seminars. After receiving his Black Belt in 2001, he was invited to return and establish Kimura BJJ in Europe, where he continued teaching and expanding the sport.
​
In 2003, Master Jean brought his expertise to the U.S., founding his team and further solidifying its presence. From 2004 to 2014, his team dominated the Northeast, winning nearly every major competition in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and surrounding areas.
​
In 2016, he moved with his family to Boca Raton, Florida, where he opened his own academy, which has since grown into a highly successful school, excelling both technically and as a business.
A fierce competitor and expert in submission wrestling, judo, Muay Thai, Vale Tudo, MMA, and self-defense, Master Jean has won numerous championships. However, his passion for teaching and building something greater led him to shift his focus from competition to developing a world-class training center.
​
Unlike many, he remains actively involved in daily training, personally teaching and mentoring his students every day.
Professor
Diego Faroni
3rd - Degree Black Belt |
23 Years of Jiu-Jitsu
Professor Diego started training at Kimura in 2003 after experiencing bullying, and Jiu-Jitsu completely changed his life. In 2014, Professor Jean gave him the opportunity to teach at Kimura, and he embraced it as a way to give back everything Kimura had given him.
Now a full-time instructor at Kimura Boca Raton, he teaches Monday to Saturday, living the Kimura BJJ lifestyle. A former top competitor at Kimura Boston, he has won multiple IBJJF and major tournaments across the U.S. Today, he channels that experience into coaching while still keeping his competitive spirit alive.
Coaches
Victor Passos Jr. (Vitinho) – Coach
Vitinho is a purple belt and one of Kimura’s Kids Competition Team coaches. He started Jiu-Jitsu in 2017 to build confidence and has been training for nearly eight years.
He began as a volunteer in 2018, and after six months, he officially joined the Kimura staff. Today, he is one of coaches and teaches his own classes and works alongside Professor Jean and Professor Diego, dedicating over 25 hours a week to coaching while also pursuing a degree in Physical Therapy at FAU.
While he enjoys competing, his true passion is teaching and giving back to the kids what Jiu-Jitsu gave him. For Vitinho, Jiu-Jitsu is about consistency, growth, and proving that technique beats strength.
Samantha Jones - Coach
Samantha started her Jiu-Jitsu journey at Kimura in 2019, seeking self-defense and personal growth. After earning her blue belt, she began volunteering with kids’ classes, and six months later, she officially joined the Kimura staff. She now leads her own classes and works part-time at the school.
A purple belt with nearly six years of training, Samantha has competed a few times and performed well, but her true passion is teaching. Her goal is to finish college and continue sharing Jiu-Jitsu with others. She loves Kimura’s supportive community and believes Jiu-Jitsu is more than just a sport—it’s about confidence, control, and lifelong learning.
Dante Aliberti - Coach
Dante is a blue belt and one of Kimura’s top competitors, with multiple IBJJF titles, including a Pan Am championship. Despite weighing just 145 pounds, he has defeated black belts and dominated absolute divisions against opponents over 250 pounds.
He teaches No-Gi classes for adults and homeschoolers while also assisting in kids’ classes alongside Professor Jean and Professor Diego. He started Jiu-Jitsu at 17 after transitioning from baseball and quickly embraced its challenges. To him, Jiu-Jitsu is a mirror—revealing weaknesses and pushing constant evolution.
Dante began volunteering at Kimura in early 2022 and, six months later, joined the staff full-time. While he excels in competition, his true passion is teaching and building a future in Jiu-Jitsu. His ultimate goal is to open his own Kimura branch in the next five years.
Lorenzo Tarouco - Coach
Lorenzo is a blue belt and one of Kimura’s top competitors, winning IBJJF tournaments across the country. He started Jiu-Jitsu in July 2022 and quickly committed to training and competing at the highest level.
He joined Kimura as a volunteer in December 2022, and six months later, he became part of the staff, training to become a coach. With the amount of hours he has on the mats, he is now one of our coaches.
Lorenzo assists Professor Jean and Professor Diego on the mats and serves as a role model for young competitors. He believes Jiu-Jitsu is tough but rewarding, and consistency is the key to success.
Priscilla Figueiredo - Coach
Priscilla is a blue belt, a top Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling competitor, and one of Kimura’s Kids Competition Team coaches. She started training in 2018 and quickly embraced the discipline and challenges of the sport.
She began volunteering at Kimura in 2018 and later joined the staff. Now, she teaches wrestling to the competition team and assists Professor Jean and Professor Diego in kids’ classes.
While studying in college, Priscilla works part-time at Kimura. She believes Jiu-Jitsu teaches patience, accountability, and resilience, helping students grow both on and off the mats.