About Us
BODEGA JIU JITSU was founded late 2022 by Kyvann Gonzalez and Chas Makk. Being close friends, training partners, dreaming of opening an academy one day, and having their most important values align, it dawned on them- why not open up an academy together? They decided to open a nogi only school that would teach in the most cutting edge way whilst catering to the avid and seasoned competitor, to the hobbyist looking to take up a martial art for the first time. Being lifelong martial artists themselves, they believe the martial arts to be a “vehicle for developing your human potential”.
Kyvann is a seasoned martial artist whose journey began at an early age. With a lifetime devoted to the discipline, Kyvann has honed his skills in various forms of combat. For over a decade, he has immersed himself in the art of grappling, mastering its intricacies and techniques. Kyvann is a black belt under Andy and Mike Main. (Main brothers > Jamie Cruz> Renzo Gracie) Additionally, as a teenager, Kyvann delved into the world of Muay Thai, dedicating seven years to refining his striking abilities. With a solid foundation in both grappling and striking, Kyvann Gonzalez is the epitome of a well-rounded martial artist, poised to conquer any challenge that comes his way on the jiu-jitsu mats. Today, Kyvann is solely focused on being the best coach he can be.
Chas began his martial arts journey at the age of 6 with Taekwondo. He’d took a break after a few years and took it back up for another 4 years in his adolescence then taking the biggest break from martial arts in his life, before picking things back up at age 19 with Jiu Jitsu, and never stopping since. Chas diversified his portfolio a little and learned a bit of boxing and Muay Thai in his mid 20’s, though Jiu Jitsu is what truly has his heart. Chas trained under Jay Hayes of NJ United for the first 7 years of his grappling journey, before spending 3 years at Essential with JT Torres, before finally training under and receiving his brown belt from Kyvann in 2023. Outside of martial arts, Chas is an avid indoor rock climber, specializing in bouldering, as well as finding the best hole in the wall restaurants.