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The Instructors

No hero worship, no rigid hierarchies — just experienced black belts who are invested in your progress.

Black Belt · Head Coach & Owner

Mike Peters

A black belt under the well-known Tim Thielen, Mike has a unique, systematic approach to the gentle art — with ranks in the 10th Planet system and a strong background in Pedro Sauer Jiu-Jitsu. He's well known in Chicagoland for his "nothing is sacred" approach, with a laser-like focus on eliminating inefficient paths to victory. Often praised for his deep understanding of modern leg lock attacks, Mike combines the cutting edge of no-gi grappling with the grit and positional domination that made the sport legendary. As head coach and owner, Mike's goal is to create vicious competitors while also facilitating a safe, fun environment for everyone to train. When Mike's not on the mats, he can be convinced to play video games without too much trouble, and enjoys tinkering with 3D printers, punk music, and spending time with his son.

Black Belt

Tim Thielen

A highly credentialed black belt, Tim was awarded his blue and purple belts from Jeff Curran, his brown belt from Brian Wells, and his black belt from BJJ strategist Jason Sullins. His high-level training and exposure to different stylistic approaches has culminated in a successful competitive career: Pan-American brown belt silver, IBJJF blue belt gold, and IBJJF Atlanta brown belt silver twice — plus accolades at many other tournaments along the way. Tim is also USA Wrestling Safe Sport certified. When not focusing on the fine art of strangulation, Tim enjoys raising his son Aiden, coaching wrestling, fishing, craft beer, mountain biking, power sports, and wearing the shortest of shorts. He's well regarded for applying the finest details under pressure, where even the most minuscule detail leads to the inevitable unraveling of opponents.

Black Belt · Co-Founder

Maria Gonzalez

Formerly a brown belt, Maria achieved the prestigious rank of black belt under the guidance of Tim Thielen, and also holds a purple belt in the 10th Planet system and a blue belt from Alliance black belts Isaac Riggs and Jason Sullins. Her competition experience has equipped her with valuable insight into teaching and building a competitive school. As co-founder of Five Points Jiu Jitsu, Maria oversees the administrative side of the business, serves as the class demonstration dummy, teaches the kids and teens program, and is the nurturing "gym mom" everyone strives to impress.

Instagram — @mah_rye_uh →

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