Mixed martial arts instructor training students of all ages in Greenacres
By CLAUDIA MOSCOSO
La Palma
Friday, October 23rd, 2009

GREENACRE -- Christian Carvalho, owner of K2 MMA & BJJ, a mixed martial arts gym in Greenacres.
Carvalho discovered his passion for the fight when his mother enrolled him in martial arts classes at age 8 in his hometown of Manaus, Brazil. He won the region of northern Brazil state championship grappling title six times. Since the end of 1990, Carvalho has won second place twice in the national grappling tournament.
Carvalho , came to the U.S. to work temporarily in Colorado after finishing work one of his dreams while in this country was to visit an amusement park in New Jersey,  he went and his life changed.
He met and married the love of his life Aline and a few years later the couple had two daughters, Julia 5 and Sophia 2.
Before moving to Florida in 2006, Carvalho worked in Colorado as an instructor of martial arts and competed in grappling. In 2002 he became a professional fighter and participated in UFC events of martial arts style.
Carvalho came to this area in 2006, and worked as a FedEx driver in the morning and martial arts instructor in the evenings at various gyms in the area. In June 2008 he opened his gym K2 MMA and lasted only a year working in the gym. With the recession, many students lost their jobs and stopped taking classes.
Threw out Carvalho endeavors he has remand positive and continues to push forward.
Sitting with his hands clasped between his legs, a Brazilian martial arts instructor explains to his students how an opponent broke his nose. "He hit me so hard he broke my nose immediately,"
Carvalho 32, told his students the following day he had to go to hospital after their coach tried to straighten the nose without success. There injected him seven times in the face and inserted two metal rods in each nostril to fix his nose.
Three months after he disobeyed doctor's orders not to fight his nose was broken again in the first round of a professional MMA fight.
"It was a good lesson," said Carvalho.
And just as fast as the story was told it was back to training! The level of intensity is higher than normal; the students are preparing to participate in the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) Championship on 21 and 22 November 2009 at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.
His students include lawyers, former Marines, and officers from different police departments and the Sheriff of Palm Beach County. According to Carvalho, 40 and 50 percent of its students are Hispanic. Randy Nash, a police officer in West Palm Beach and member of the SWAT Team, said that although there are tactics taught at the police academy, in the gym he has learned even more.
"Here they teach more real world application and what can happen, the training is very realistic," said Nash, who participated for the first time in a NAGA competition in November 2008.
John Sanabria, 19, said he attends the gym because he enjoys martial arts and because the exercises you do involves using "all parts of your body fully."
Jasmine Garay, 29, said she is trying to get fit again after having been in the Marine Corps for seven years and took a break from exercise for about a year.
Christian Carvalho is a dedicated instructor; his passion for  mixed martial arts is instilled in every one of his students.
"I just want to live out my dream, I've been doing this since childhood, this is not a job for me."
For more information, call (561) 828-1599 or visit k2life.com.