Biography

       Mike Tomacelli was born October 1, 1982 to Michael and Lois Tomacelli.  He spent most of his young years growing up in the small town of Boothbay Harbor, Maine.  There were no Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or MMA schools around for him to be groomed at while growing up.  In fact, there were none at all when Michael, who likes to be called Mike, was growing up.  The staples of his athletic career were basketball and weightlifting.

     When the first Ultimate Fighting Championship's were available at the local video store is about the time when he was exposed to 'no holds barred' fighting and the effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  "I can remember watching Royce (Gracie) doing an arm bar and finishing a fight immediately.  I had to know how to do it.  So I coaxed my little brother into letting me try, but when we wrestled it wasn't nearly as effective as I'd seen Royce do it."  For a long while this is all Mike had... his UFC tapes.  Years went by; he played for the school soccer, basketball, track, and football teams during his high school years, and eventually found himself in college at The University of Maine in Orono, starting on his engineering degree.

     Two years later he found a small Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in, of all places, his hometown of Boothbay Harbor.  Mike was initially reluctant to attend classes.  "One of my friends who I often saw at the weight room told me about it several times.  I said I would go and try it on many occasions, but didn't make it until he gave me a real hard time on the seventh or eighth time he asked me.  I packed my gym bags and went to my first BJJ class.  I WAS HOOKED!"

     Mike began training in February of 2004 under Aaron Blake at Maine Jiu-Jitsu.  He just so happened to start class when a few of his classmates were preparing for a local tournament in the neighboring state of Massachusetts.  Everyone was training five days a week, and so did he.  Mike competed in that same tournament in the beginning of March 2004 with just a month's experience and brought home three novice and beginner trophies.  Encouraged by his success, he went on to win the NAGA World Tournament in New Jersey, and the Arnold's in Ohio that same year.  In 2005, he took 3rd in the Super Heavy/Unlimited class at the renown Pan-American tournament.  Mike found himself smaller than many of his competitors for the first time, but still managed to submit his first two opponents.  "... and yes I have lost a few matches here and there as well, but no one likes to talk about their losses.  You learn from your losses what not to do next time.  A loss is just as valuable as a win in terms of expanding and improving your game."

     Aaron Blake instructed as a Brown belt under the illustrious Joe Moreira at the time Mike started training.  A Brazilian native, Joe Moreira has over 40 years experience with Martial Arts and is a 7th Degree Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  Originally training under the Gracie family, Joe has gone on to compete at the highest levels, including several UFC tournaments.  Mike was fortunate enough to meet Joe through Aaron as he was brought in to conduct several seminars at the local school.  Joe recognized Mike's drive and passion almost instantaneously.  The two formed a friendship, and Joe presented Mike with an invitation to travel to his home in California to help him train Kimo Leopoldo, an elite fighter known to those familiar with the UFC circuit.  Being about 240lbs at the time, Mike had the right build, and all of the basketball and lifting made him agile and strong enough to be the perfect sparring partner.  Joe was so impressed with Mike's ability, that following Kimo's tournament, Mike was asked to stay in California and train, and he did.  In what would become his first of many trips to California, Mike got a taste of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at it's second home in the world.  "I just couldn't get enough of the two-a-day training sessions with private lessons in the middle that I would be Joe's dummy for.  It was perfect.  That is about the time that I decided I wanted to teach."

     Teach he did.  Mike periodically found himself teaching back at his home school now as s Purple belt.  He loved it.  He enjoyed bringing new things back from California to share with the guys that had helped him make it so far so quick.  In December of 2006 Joe asked Mike to move to Newport Beach, CA to help him re-establish his school.  Without hesitation, Mike hopped into his 95 Jeep Cherokee with nothing but clothes and a computer, and off he went.  3,147 miles later Mike was on the beaches of Newport.

     Shortly after he arrived he was awarded his Brown belt by Joe.  For the first month he was there, Mike was truly dropped into the thick of things teaching at Joe's school in Costa Mesa, and also at Global Jiu-Jitsu (owned by Joe's brother).  "It was a nice way to make an entrance into my BJJ instructing days.  Teaching about twice a day for 6 days of the week, but I loved it.  The look on someone's face when you teach them something new or show them a tweak that helps their game is priceless."  Now, after nearly a years worth of tutelage and adjustment to the California lifestyle, Mike has the means to fulfill his dream by opening his own school.  It's here at Mike Tomacelli Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu / MMA Academy that he hopes to meet many news faces, and help them reach new heights of achievement.