May 15, 2017

Meet Sean Patrick Flannery & Rodrigo Antunes of Hollywood Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Patrick Flannery & Rodrigo Antunes.

Sean & Rodrigo, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Sean – I started training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu when Rickson threw me a GI… and I never looked back. I quickly found that only BJJ held the magic that we, as kids, were led to believe existed in all the martial arts… and I had looked, rather futilely, in most all of them.

Rodrigo – As a kid, I went to boy’s only school for elementary and middle school. To “survive”, you need to have these 3 skills – play soccer, good grades and know who to defend yourself. Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the capital of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and being a close friend to some of the Gracies, it was naturally that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was the martial art to learn. Actually, I was first introduced to Judo at 4 yrs. old and took my first BJJ class at a Gracie school at 8 yrs. old. I started helping out at kids classes when I was around 15-16 years old and ended up having my first school when I was 25-26 years old.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Sean – Obstacles, I find, are usually taken from the path of things you’re passionate about and placed elsewhere. I just sort of clear the road for the good stuff. But challenges… hell, everything even remotely good in my life was the result of something that tested me. And, usually the challenge scaled in direct proportion to the reward. BJJ is a perfect example. There are very few things in my life that are as valuable to me as the things contained in each and every one of my BJJ belts. And, HBJJ is no different. I am immensely proud of what we’ve created… and what we’ll leave behind.

Rodrigo – No way! It was (and it is) hard! As a student/competitor, training sessions were insane. Back in the day, it was way more brutal and painful than today. It was designed to quit! Most of my friends, who were much more talented than me, simply stopped after a few years. BJJ is sport that requires a lot of dedication and commitment. But the results are priceless! I would do it all over again if needed. As a Professor and business owner, we are dealing with people expectations and different personalities. We try to provide the most welcoming, friendlier, healthier and fun environment possible.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Sean – I think BJJ instruction is still in it’s infancy, and as such, there are many academies that operate with competitors in place of teachers. And, I’ve found that, as in almost every sport, the 2 skill sets are VERY different. There is a very specific and designed recipe that goes into accelerated, quality BJJ instruction… just like that of competition. And, I find that these recipes are rare. Rodrigo is one of the few instructors out there whose instruction skills sit comfortably next to his stellar competition record. I’m not only proud of our content, but of our designed & detailed delivery system as well.

Rodrigo – Sean Flannery founded HBJJ over 13 years ago. He is such a lover, enthusiastic and passionate about BJJ – a true black belt. He has a successful career in the movie industry but always find time to teach and be at the school. I was invited to become a partner and coach a few years ago. Our program was redesigned. We do have a strong competition team – Worlds, Europeans, PanAms, National Champions, but we have also specific classes for those who are new in the art and give guidance to our students since their very first day. We have coaches that really embrace our philosophy to teach and give our best to our students We do with love. We are building something really special for our students, families and community.

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