Full Name:
Derry Samuel
Belt/Degree:
Brown Belt
Nickname:
Main Achievements/Successes:
Coming soon!
Favorite Position/Technique:
Most memorable fight:
"Jiu-Jitsu is like a language, every time you bow, shake hands and engage you should expect to learn, teach, exchange and experiment, and come away with a new understanding of how life is Jiu-Jitsu and Jiu-Jitsu is life".
- Derry Samuel
Biography:
Derry Samuel or Coach Derry as he is more affectionately known was born in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. His first experience with the combat arts was with the Purple Dragon Martial Arts Academy at the age of 8 in an effort to keep him out of trouble. He spent 6 years there and was belted in the Don Jitsu Ryu martial art style. At the age of 19 and upon completion of high school he emigrated as a first generation immigrant to the United States and finally settled in Houston, Texas.
His love of martial Arts was then fed by the Mungu Karate academy where he trained in Tang Soo Do under famed and now deceased Master Chatu P Mungu. Life and circumstances changed and his training took a back seat to work and education where he pursued dual state licensure in Emergency medical technology as a Licensed Paramedic and Registered nursing. He honed his medical care skills on the ambulances of Harris County ESD 1, in rotor wing aircraft with PHI Air Medical and finally had an opportunity to serve his new country as a Medic in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq. During his 3 year deployment he made contact with Professor Marcos Cerqueira of Brazil-021 Houston and his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu life and family was solidified.
Coach Derry returned from his deployment and trained consistently with his new family and progressed to assisting with instructing classes of both youth and adults. Coach Derry has been training with Professor Marcos for over 8 years and has attained the rank of Faixa Marrom (Brown belt). He can be found leading the rapidly expanding youth program on evenings from Monday to Thursday and leading the adult program at Brazil-021 Houston Downtown at the Met early mornings three times weekly. He brings significant medical knowledge, anatomical expertise and safety awareness to his practice and is known for emphasizing a calm, consistent adherence to the basics as a foundation for Jiu-Jitsu growth. Coach Derry continues to train, hone his professional Jiu-Jitsu practice, nursing and medical care provision and pursue his goals. He is married with two children who also trained and resides in Houston Texas.