Conversations with Josh Guerra

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Guerra.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I am a professional Jiu-Jitsu athlete and head coach and manage Refuge Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Phoenix, Arizona. I started Jiu-Jitsu at 9 years old and knew immediately that I wanted to open my own academy. In 2017, I left my job and took a leap of faith to open my own Jiu-Jitsu academy. I worked hard for so many years training and competing and building a resume and record that would help me in the future. I had become one of the top 20 ranked athletes in the world at my weight class and now was focusing on both my own competition goals and helping my students accomplish their goals. It was a tough decision to leave the financial stability of my job, but Jiu-Jitsu was always my passion, and having my academy was my biggest dream. I felt God gave me the peace and answer to follow my dreams. Hard work pays off. Never lose faith.

It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road to where we are has always been challenging. One of our biggest struggles was the Covid pandemic, where we thought we were shut down for good. We made it through the lockdowns and difficult seasons and returned stronger. We have incredible students that helped and stayed loyal to us throughout the process. It took a lot of faith. I remained confident that God would get us through and have peace if it was time to throw in the towel. God got us through, and when we reopened after the lockdowns, we had a rush of new members, which led us to begin looking to expand to a new and much larger location. In 2022 we officially moved to a new location with double the space. We never gave up and believed we would get through the difficult times.

Thanks for sharing that. Can you tell us more about your work next?
I am a first-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I am a professional Jiu-Jitsu athlete and head instructor at Refuge BJJ in Phoenix, Arizona. I am one of the top 15 ranked black belts in the world, and our youth team is the #1 team in the state of Arizona, with our adult team in 10th. My goal is to motivate, inspire and positively change lives through Jiu-Jitsu. We focus on building solid relationships with our students and families and bringing the highest level of Jiu-Jitsu possible to our students. I teach all of my classes and train with all my students. I work daily to provide my students with a safe and secure environment where they feel comfortable and at home. Our academy is named Refuge BJJ, inspired by scripture in the Bible. The Lord is our Refuge, which I wanted for my academy. That it would be a place anyone could call home.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
It’s my faith and dedication that sets me apart from the rest. I am not ashamed of my faith and will always speak about it. My success is not because of me but because of the blessings God has given me.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.refugebjj.com
• Instagram: Refuge_bjj
• Facebook: Refuge BJJ