Michael Trasso

Michael Trasso is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Regis Lebre, and a member of the Gracie Humaitá San Diego camp, who also worked extensively with coaches Mike MrKulic (RIP) and Jerry Jones. A former child prodigy of grappling with a feature in the Kids Sports Illustrated Magazine (2003), and a teen award at the Grappling’s Hall of Fame gala (NAGA 2005), Trasso is also known for his scholastic wrestling career for Rhode Island College (Providence, RI), where Michael earned 4 NEWA Conference Medals (New England).

Michael Trasso Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Michael Ray Trasso

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Royler Gracie > Regis Lebre > Michael Trasso

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF San Jose Open NOGI (2019)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Pans Championship NOGI (2018)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Las Vegas Open NOGI (2018)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pans Championship NOGI (2021)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place ADCC North American Trails  (2006 teen division)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pans Championship NOGI (2017 brown)
• 1st Place Grapplers Quest US Nationals (2008 / 2011 purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2017 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World No-Gi Championship (2017 brown)

Main Achievements (Wrestling):

• Former Collegiate Wrestler at Rhode Island College
• 12th Wrestler in Rhode Island College Wrestling history to earn 100+ career victories milestone (2008-2012)
• 4x NEWA (New England) Conference Medalist (2008-2012)

Favorite Position/Technique: Scrambling + Back Control

Weight Division: Peso Médio (82,30 kg / 181.5 lbs)

Team/Association:  Gracie Humaitá

Michael Trasso Biography

Michael Ray Trasso was born on August 29, 1990, in Lyndhurst, NJ, United States of America where he grew up.

Michael’s love for Bruce Lee and his movies helped develop a fascination for martial arts at an early age. The interest led Trasso to grappling, a discipline he started practicing as a 5-year-old at Rising Sun Martial Arts in Lyndhurst New Jersey.

Jerry Jones was the head coach at Rising Sun Martial Arts, and the man who guided Trasso through much of his early development in submission wrestling (1995-2003). Jones taught a hybrid style of no-gi grappling with a strong foundation in catch-wrestling and sambo, and it was he who awarded Michael’s first black belt. A rank in Jones’ own method of “Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu”, achieved after 8 years of practice.

Already totally embedded in grappling culture during his early teens, by 2001 Michael started dipping his toes in wrestling, adding Brazilian jiu-jitsu to his weekly activities two years later with BJJ brown belt Mike MrKulic. Mike who was a student of Louis Vintaloro, and a representative of the RGDA (Royler Gracie/David Adiv partnership), who was also a big influence in Trasso’s development in the sport.

Trasso’s incredible pace as a teenager, competing in the NAGA and Grapplers Quest circuits earned him a feature in the ‘Kids Sports Illustrated Magazine’ (Summer 2003 edition), being ranked top kids/teens competitor (World/US) for the aforementioned BJJ promotions. His 55+ tournament gold medals also paved the way for Michael’s “top teen grappler” award by NAGA/Grappling Hall of Fame gala (2005), an honor received in ex aequo with Gianni Grippo.

In 2005 Trasso also added kick/Thai boxing to his workload, a combat style Michael practiced under the guidance of Dave Tirelli, a well-known coach who produced big names in the mixed martial arts world such as Bellator champ Lyman Good, Nick Pace, Jimmie Rivera, and Uriah Hall.

His high-school wrestling run paid off in 2008 as Trasso was recruited by Head Coach Jay Jones to wrestle for Rhode Island College, a sport to which Trasso dedicated most of his attention for the following 5 years. During the off-season, however, Michael would still find the time to train with Mike MrKulic in New Jersey, usually for the full duration of his Summer holidays, before heading back up to Rhode Island for school/wrestling.

Shortly after his graduation (2013) Michael shifted away from competition to find a regular job in the IT staffing industry. While focusing on his profession, Trasso kept active in the gym, training with Tim Burrill (TBBJJ) and Jimmy Connor, before being offered a job opportunity in San Diego, California (2016). The offer allowed Trasso to move to one of the biggest grappling hubs in the world, and take full advantage of the competition scene there.

In San Diego, Trasso trained under Regis Lebre, returning to competition and earning his black belt from the Gracie Humaitá team leader on June 2018.

Michael Trasso vs Marcelo Mafra