Paragon of Jiu Jitsu
Brett Kostern is a co-founder and lead instructor at Paragon of Jiu-Jitsu in Wilmington, North Carolina. Brett discovered his passion for grappling at an early age when he joined his high school wrestling team. He excelled in the sport and went on to wrestle Division I for Gardner-Webb University. In 2013, Brett graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science.
With the conclusion of his college wrestling career, Brett began searching for a competitive outlet. He found Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and immediately immersed himself in the martial art. To date, Brett has won several local and international IBJJF titles all while coaching and mentoring adult and youth BJJ practitioners. In 2022, he won IBJJF Master Worlds as a brown belt and was subsequently promoted to black belt under Giulherme Mendes of AOJ (Art of Jiu Jitsu). The following is a synopsis of Brett's jiu-jitsu accomplishments which he hopes to expand upon at the black belt level.
Main Achievements (Brown Belt):
- IBJJF Master 1 World Champion (2022)
- IBJJF Charleston Open Champion (Adult - 2022)
- IBJJF Atlanta/Charlotte Open 3rd (Adult - 2021,2022)
Main Achievements (Colored Belt):
- IBJJF World Champion Adult
- Multiple IBJJF Open Champion
Brett currently resides in Wilmington with his wife, Abbie, and their two daughters, Layla and Daisy. He is employed as a senior statistical programmer for Catalyst Clinical Research. When he is not training or instructing jiu-jitsu, Brett enjoys spending time with his family, playing card games, and watching scary movies.
