Who is on the mat
BJJ Black Belt Chiang Mai
Head coach Nattakorn Mahittharithikrai, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt in the Carson Gracie lineage, teaching at Gato Studio BJJ on Chang Phueak Road.
Carson Gracie lineage / Black belt instruction / 4.9 stars from 84 Google reviews
Who teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Gato Studio BJJ in Chiang Mai? The head coach is Nattakorn Mahittharithikrai, known on the mat and on social media as Bank. He holds a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt awarded by Mick of Mildura Martial Arts in Australia, in the lineage Carson Gracie to Olavo to Mick to Bank, and he teaches the Gi, No-Gi, Fundamentals and kids sessions at 181/40 Chang Phueak Rd in Si Phum.
Nattakorn Mahittharithikrai
Head coach, black belt, known as Bank
Most students and most of the academy's social channels know the head coach as Bank, which is the name behind @bankydogato. A black belt takes most people the better part of a decade, and it is the clearest signal a prospective student has about the quality of instruction on offer. Nattakorn leads the academy's programme and sets how it is taught, working from the mat rather than the side of it and correcting grips and angles as the class drills.
The reviews that mention detailed and patient instruction are describing this: technique taught in layers, then repeated with the specific correction each person needs.
His black belt was awarded by Mick, owner of Mildura Martial Arts in Australia, placing the academy in the Carson Gracie lineage.
Why rank matters when choosing a gym
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu rank is slow and awarded in person, and lineage records who awarded it. That traceable chain back to the Gracie family is the most reliable credential the sport has.
| Position | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carson Gracie | Gracie family, one of the founding names of the sport |
| 2 | Olavo | Carson Gracie black belt |
| 3 | Mick | Owner of Mildura Martial Arts, Australia, who awarded the belt |
| 4 | Nattakorn Mahittharithikrai, known as Bank | Head coach at Gato Studio BJJ |
A black belt on the mat changes what a beginner class can be. The coach has seen the mistake you are making several thousand times, which is why the correction is specific rather than general, and why intensity in the room stays where it should be for the people in it. The academy trains under the Mildura Martial Arts affiliation.
What your first class looks like / When they teach / The academy story
Train under a black belt
Message the academy and you will be put in the right session for your experience.
Black belt instruction / Beginners welcome / Chang Phueak Road, Chiang Mai