Our Story

Bushido Jiu-Jitsu Academy was founded on a simple idea: to make authentic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu available to anyone willing to put in the work.

Founder Rob Magao began his martial arts journey in the 1980s, first studying Judo before moving into Okinawan Karate and Japanese Jujutsu. Like many martial artists of that era, everything changed after watching the very first UFC in 1993. Seeing the effectiveness of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu sparked a passion that would ultimately shape the future of Bushido.

The challenge was that there were virtually no Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools in Connecticut at the time. Learning meant studying instructional videos, reading every book available, traveling to seminars whenever possible, and meeting with other martial artists to exchange ideas and train together. It was a time when dedication and curiosity were the only path to learning the art.

In the late 1990s, Rob met fellow police officer Jimmy Kodzis, who was on the same journey. Jimmy had a deeper background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and became Rob's first true instructor. Together they founded Bushido Jiu-Jitsu Academy in 1999.

What began as a small training club operated out of another martial arts school and the West Hartford Police Department Training Division. Police officers, martial artists, friends, and family came together simply to train, learn, and help one another improve. As word spread, more people joined the mats, and the club steadily grew into a thriving community.

By the mid-2000s, Bushido had grown enough to open its own full-time academy. While Jimmy remained an important part of Bushido's history, Rob took the leap of building the academy into a professional martial arts school dedicated to serving students of all ages and experience levels.

During this time, Rob earned his blue and purple belts under UFC veteran Kenny Florian. In 2008, he joined the Pedro Sauer Association through the late Keith Owen, continuing his journey under Master Pedro Sauer. Rob has since earned every rank from purple belt through Third Degree Black Belt under Master Pedro Sauer and remains a proud member of the Pedro Sauer Association.

Throughout this same period, Rob served a full career as a police officer while developing the Officer Survival Series (OSS), a nationally recognized law enforcement training program that teaches practical, reality-based defensive tactics to officers across the country. That experience has helped shape Bushido's philosophy: Jiu-Jitsu should be technically sound, pressure-tested, effective, and adaptable to the individual.

Over the past two decades, Bushido has grown from a small training club into one of Connecticut's longest-standing and most respected Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academies, serving approximately 500 students across its Manchester and Hebron locations. During that time, thousands of students have stepped onto the mats, with many earning black belts and going on to become instructors, academy owners, law enforcement trainers, competitors, and leaders within their communities.

Competition has always been an important part of Bushido's culture. Our students regularly compete at local, regional, national, and international events, and our academy has earned a reputation as one of the most successful competition teams in the Northeast, consistently finishing among the top academies at tournaments throughout New England. We are equally proud of our students who have competed in mixed martial arts and those who have applied their training in careers such as law enforcement, military service, and first response.

At the same time, we believe Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is much more than a sport. Bushido embraces every aspect of the art—self-defense, competition, physical fitness, personal growth, and real-world application. Whether your goal is to stand on the podium, protect yourself and your family, improve your health, build confidence, or simply enjoy the lifelong journey of learning, you will find a place here.

Bushido has also remained a true family academy. Rob's three sons grew up on the mats, training from an early age, and today each plays an important leadership role within the academy. That family atmosphere extends beyond the Magao family and into the culture of Bushido itself, where students encourage one another, lifelong friendships are formed, and people of all ages train together with mutual respect and humility.

Today, Bushido continues to honor the traditions of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu while embracing its evolution. We are committed to providing professional instruction in a welcoming, family-oriented environment where beginners feel comfortable, experienced practitioners continue to grow, competitors are challenged, and everyone is treated with respect.

Our goal has never been simply to create great grapplers. It is to develop capable, confident, humble people through the lifelong practice of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.