Instructors

Ahmad (Alex) Zahabi

Black Belt, second degree

Alex is a certified IBJJF second degree black belt. He started his BJJ journey in the late 90’s when his brother, Firas Zahabi, introduced him to the martial art. At that time, he was beginning a science PhD program at McGill but was also intrigued by the effectiveness of BJJ techniques. Alex trained regularly and started coaching the martial art in Montreal in 2002 as a purple belt. On his way to achieving his black belt in 2013, he taught at some of Canada’s leading martial arts academies, including Tristar gym in Montreal, before founding Burlington BJJ in 2009. Alex has since helped his students achieve success at various reputable local and international tournaments.

Emily McGivern

Black Belt

Emily started BJJ in 2013 and has developed a passion for the martial art that has brought her competitive success at notable international tournaments:

  • 2025 No-Gi Pans M2 Absolute Gold (Black)

  • 2024 Pans M2 Gold (Black)

  • 2023 Worlds M2 Gold (Brown)

  • 2022 Worlds M2 Absolute Silver (Brown)

  • 2020 Euros M1 Double Gold (Brown)

  • 2019 Pans M1 Absolute Gold (Brown)

  • 2019 Euros M1 Gold (Brown)

  • 2018 Worlds M1 Gold (Purple)

Victor McLean

Black Belt

Victor McLean has been practicing BJJ since 2009 when he joined Burlington BJJ. Vic is constantly striving to expand his understanding and application of BJJ. He is passionate about teaching the finer details of high-level techniques, enjoys the camaraderie of the team and focuses on safe application while maintaining a meaningful intensity in training.

Chris Hood

Black Belt

Chris has an extensive high-level martial arts background across different disciplines. He has competed both locally and internationally in BJJ and has trained with some of the biggest names in the sport. Chris actively promotes a competency based approach to BJJ. He’s eager to help everyone from kids to beginner adults to high level competitors. His main focus is always on performance, attitude and teamwork.

Geoff Liang

Brown Belt

Geoff started at Burlington BJJ in 2014 and is always eager to learn new techniques and pedagogy for continuous improvement. He wants students with no experience to develop a solid base and understanding of core principles so they can flourish in their own unique style that suits their individual body type and personality. Geoff also enjoys competing in various non-traditional rulesets to test the limits of his skills.

Watch Geoff compete below…

Alex Gillespie

Purple Belt

Alex has been practicing Jiu jitsu since 2018. As a passionate student of the game, Alex focuses on studying the latest trends in competitive Jiu jitsu. He continuously strives to improve his understanding by competing in various different rulesets himself. His goal as an instructor is to separate the fads from the legitimate new techniques and convey it to students in a way that suits their athletic ability.