About the Owner

About the Owner — Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt

Michael Quigley

Owner and head coach of Nova Geração Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for approximately 19 years and teaching for 18 years. He has academic background is in Exercise Biology from the University of California, Davis.

His professional career in personal training in 2000 at 24 Hour Fitness. Within a year and a half, he was running the personal trainer program as a fitness manager. In 2004, he opened his own private training studio, which is where the journey into martial arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu began.

Initially training Muay Thai under Ty Elliott alongside business partner, Phil Ayon.  They trained for approximately one year before transitioning into an MMA program. At that time, there was no Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu available in the area, and they were the first to bring any form of MMA training to Davis, California.

The MMA program combined Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, eventually evolving into a more structured Jiu-Jitsu program by bringing in brown and black belts from the BJJ Revolution team. Michael spent approximately two and a half years at white belt and had two students promoted to blue belt before receiving his own promotion. After winning an American Nationals title, he began traveling extensively to train in San Diego and Brazil, continuing his development with the BJJ Revolution team and later training in Brazil under Master, Toco Albuquerque.

Due to the limited access to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the time, Michael was fortunate to choose the team and lineage that best aligned with his goals. Nova Geração and Master Toco Albuquerque provided a strong balance of technical instruction, competition focus, and teaching methodology. The team included experienced black belts, competitors, athletes, and instructors, which supported development as both a practitioner and a coach.

Early in his career, there was significant pressure to demonstrate both competitive ability and coaching proficiency. As a result, strong emphasis was on building a competition team. Regular trips to train and compete in the Bay Area, particularly on the BJJ Tour circuit, and throughout California, Japan, and Brazil on the IBJJF competition circuit. The majority of athletes consistently returned with medals, many earning first-place finishes.

While a purple belt, he suffered a major injury that forced a return to foundational training. During this period, Master Toco Albuquerque reinforced the importance of patience, responsibility to students, and preserving the history and legacy of Carlson Gracie Sr. Michael eventually received his brown belt in Brazil in 2014 and then black belt in Davis, California in 2018.

Michael's teaching philosophy is consistent with the Nova Geração emphasis on building a strong understanding of Jiu-Jitsu fundamentals and the ability to solve problems independently. Memorizing isolated techniques can be overwhelming, so the primary objective is to help students understand underlying principles and objectives, refining details as they progress. The foundation is built on fundamentals, supported by ongoing education and refinement.

Michael started his coaching career and personal training in 1998, professionally in 2000. Muay Thai in 2006 and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu between 2007. Each year, his focus has been on refining and improving the program by tracking what works, what does not, and applying data-driven adjustments. At this stage, there is strong confidence in the program we offer because it is built on principles of communication, teamwork, perseverance, and long-term development.

We primarily train in the gi. Competition is encouraged but not required. Our academy is highly team-focused, with an emphasis on injury prevention, comprehensive student development, clear safety standards, mutual respect, humility, and maintaining an egoless training environment. All students are treated as equals on the mat, regardless of experience level. We are a team, and we are there to support one another at every stage.

For children, our program focuses on communication, teamwork, personal responsibility, respect, problem-solving, emotional regulation, physical conditioning, and exercise, using Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as the delivery system. Creating a safe and positive environment for children is a top priority.

As a life practice, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu represents a commitment to health, physical capability, teamwork, and personal development. It provides a long-term pursuit that extends beyond fitness or weight-loss goals, offering continual opportunities for growth and improvement.

Continuing education is maintained through the IBJJF, including required SafeSport certification and active background checks. SafeSport certifies coaches, instructors, gym owners, and organizations in creating healthy and safe training environments for athletes and children. All instructors at our academy are required to maintain these certifications and background checks to ensure a secure training environment.

From a Jiu-Jitsu standpoint, we maintain strong ties within the broader community. Our team includes students ranging from beginner to advanced levels, and we regularly bring in coaches and competitors from other teams to share knowledge and experience. This ongoing collaboration allows us to remain current while reinforcing strong fundamentals.

Ultimately, our goal is to create an enriching and welcoming environment built on integrity, trust, structure, and long-term individual development, while preserving the principles and legacy of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.