Shihan James Bruchac is the founder and head instructor of the Saratoga Academy of Elite Martial Arts and the co-founder of Alliance Jiu-Jitsu Saratoga. With a lifelong dedication to martial arts, he holds a 5th-degree black belt in Kyokushin karate and a 3rd-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Inspired by his father, Joseph Bruchac, a former Division 1 wrestler, Shihan began his martial arts training at the age of ten in Penjak Silat, eventually reaching a brown belt in his early teens.

After focusing on football through high school and college, Shihan returned to martial arts, discovering Kyokushin karate. He was captivated by its full-contact style, earned his black belt in 1995 under Shihan Frank Rossetti, and trained extensively with Kyokushin practitioners around the world. In his late 30s, he began cross-training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, ultimately earning his black belt under Master Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti, founder of the Alliance Jiu-Jitsu team, in 2015.

A respected competitor and teacher, Shihan has expanded his teaching to include Muay Thai, Judo, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at his academy, which sits on an 80-acre nature preserve in the Adirondack Mountains. From 2022 to 2024, his school doubled in size, offering classes for students of all ages and producing highly skilled strikers and grapplers in the Northeast.

In addition to martial arts, Shihan is an accomplished children’s author, storyteller, and outdoor educator. Alongside his family, members of the Nulhegan Abenaki tribe, he runs the Ndakinna Education Center in Greenfield Center, NY, which houses his martial arts academy. Driven by his passion for sharing and excellence, Shihan has made a significant impact in both martial arts and his community.

You can visit Shihan Bruchac’s dojo website at: http://nebjja.com/