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Meet the Instructors

Pica Pau Coach Aaron Brooks poses after winning the FIVE Grappling belt.

Aaron Brooks

Owner & Head Instructor

Adult & Youth Jiu Jitsu

Aaron has been training jiu jitsu & striking since 2010 and regularly competes around the country. He holds numerous gold medals and other victories in organizations such as IBJJF, Fight2Win, Grappling Industries, NAGA, Newbreed, and more. You will always find him on the mats, teaching & training with his students, or coaching tournaments on the weekends. Aaron has an amateur MMA record of 1-1. He received his black belt in 2019 from Daniel & Pedro Vianna.

 

As of March 2022, Aaron ranks #7 in the IBJJF world rankings in the Black Belt, Master 1 Light-Feather division. Click here to email Aaron directly.

Tam Dang, Owner of Aurora's Pica Pau Jiu Jitsu, smiles big after winning gold at the Chicago Spring Open.

Tam Dang

Co-Owner

 

Tam is always on hand to help with anything you need when it comes to Pica Pau. She's usually vacuuming on the sidelines, re-stocking the drink fridge, or, of course, training hard & laughing on the mats. Tam received her brown belt at Pica Pau in 2023. She competes regularly in tournaments across the country, winning bronze at 2023 IBJJF No-Gi Worlds and silver in 2022, as well as no-gi gold in the 2022 IBJJF Chicago Spring Open. She is the 2020 IBJJF Blue Light-Feather Master 1 World Champion. Click here to email Tam directly.

Larry Lindenman, instructor at Pica Pau Jiu Jitsu, gets his hand raised after winning an amateur MMA fight.

Larry Lindenman

Instructor

Adult Jiu Jitsu

Larry has been training in martial arts across the board for over 30 years, winning multiple golds in organizations such as IBJJF, S7, and the Arnolds. He is 1-0 in MMA and received his black belt in 2016 from Carlson Gracie Jr.

Shaun Richmond, kids' jiu jitsu coach at Pica Pau, wins brown belt gold at the Chicago Open in 2022.

Shaun Richmond

Instructor

Wrestling, Youth Jiu Jitsu

Shaun has been training jiu jitsu since 2015 and is a lifelong wrestler. He holds IBJJF Master World titles at both Blue (2019) and Purple (2021) belt, receiving his brown belt from Pica Pau in 2021. Shaun competes in tournaments across the country alongside his son Gabriel.

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