Meet the Team
David Marinakis
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Coach (Black Belt 3rd Degree)
“I got introduced to BJJ back in 2003 after watching the early UFC’s and Gracie in Action tapes (you can still find some of these on YouTube). Basically these tapes showed these smaller statued Jiu Jitsu guys defeating all these larger opponents from other martial arts backgrounds. I felt like I had stumbled upon the holy grail of martial arts! I was looking for something to train in and wasn’t interested in doing Kata’s or ‘Forms’. I wanted something more real, practical, challenging, and Jiu Jitsu met that need for me. In 2005 when I found the right training environment, I fell in love with Jiu Jitsu and never looked back.”
BJJ Accomplishments:
“My proudest accomplishments to date have been representing Australia twice at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships in both Barcelona, Spain and Nottingham, UK where I got to compete with 2 of my idols, Rubens ‘Cobrinha’ Charles and Leo Vieira.
I have also qualified twice to represent Australia at the World Pro Jiu Jitsu Championships held in Abu Dhabi, bringing home a bronze medal in 2011, Brown & Black belt division.
In 2015, I completed a 10 year goal of winning a State and Pan Pacific gold medal at every belt level when I won the Victorian and Pan Pacific Championships at Black Belt. I won this again in 2018 along with a Silver medal at the 2019 Asian Open in Tokyo, Japan and a Gold medal at the 2022 Masters International in California, USA.
I’d love to have you join us so we can share our Jiu Jitsu with you.”
Lineage:
Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie Sr. > Carlos Gracie Junior > Rigan & Jean Jacques Machado > John Will > David Hart & Cam Rowe > David Marinakis
James Fitzgerald
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Coach (Black Belt)
Like many, I was introduced to BJJ in the early 2000’s thanks to the UFC. It was an eye-opening and much welcomed change after having spent 15+ years of stand up training, competing and teaching Taekwondo. It wasn’t long after I had been training both disciplines , that, in 2004, I was completely hooked and decided to focus solely on BJJ. After training at a few different academies, I made the move to Immersion MMA in 2013 and, I found my home. It was then, in 2019, I was awarded my blackbelt by David Marinakis and Lee Ting. Since then, being able to balance a young family and train BJJ, has allowed me to explore my passion for teaching and helping people improve their skills. Which, in turn, has proven to be a significant step forward in my own betterment.
Sam Chew
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Coach (Black Belt)
Martial arts entered my life during early childhood as a tool for improvement in the self-confidence and self-defense departments. Two fundamental attributes for both mental and physical wellbeing after a few bullying episodes. Following multiple years of competing in judo and MMA, I developed a new interest in
BJJ. The art came naturally and fit very well with my near obsessive drive to perfect technique over athleticism. Every day, I strive to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be, and cultivate that same attitude among our BJJ students, through conveying high-quality training.
Notable Competition Accomplishments:
2019 – Asian Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship – 2nd Place
2019 – Australian National Championship – 1st Place
2018 – IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship – 3rd Place
2018 – Pan Pacific Championship – 1st Place
Lee Ting
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Coach (Black Belt 3rd Degree)
Lee started his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training in 2005, after extensively training in many other forms of martial arts such as Karate, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Kick Boxing and Muay Thai.
Lee was awarded his Black Belt after 8 years of training and has competed and won nearly all major events with in Australia.
Lee has also travelled overseas to train with the worlds best competitors and is always looking at ways to improve his techniques and find new innovative ways to defeat opponents. Which can then be passed on to our students.
‘Competition to me is pure, you can’t fake your skill or talk it up. It is what it is. It also teaches you how to handle pressure and how to deal with defeat and success, it will make you stronger’. Lee Ting
Lee has a dynamic teaching style bringing serious training with a bit of play and laughter. Lee is always trying to bring out the best in his students, both mentally and physically. This also transcends through other facets of their lives also.
‘Jiu Jitsu can only change people for the better, Jiu Jitsu changes peoples lives’. ~ Lee Ting
BJJ Accomplishments:
Black Belt:
2015 PAN Pacific Championships – 1st Place
2015 BOA Super 8 Invitational – 3rd Place
2015 BOA Super Fight Winner – 1st Place
2014 PAN Pacific Championships – 2nd Place
2014 BOA Super 8 Competitor
Lineage:
Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie Sr. > Carlos Gracie Junior > Rigan & Jean Jacques Machado > John Will > David Hart & Cam Rowe > Lee Ting
Nikki Lloyd-Griffiths
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Coach (Black Belt)
Nikki has made waves in the sport with successful runs in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC), and Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP) leagues where she earned important trophies such as the ADCC Trials and World Masters.
Notable competition achievements:
1st Place ADCC Asia & Oceania Trials (2022)
1st Place IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Con (2023)
1st Place IBJJF Pan Pacific Championship (2022)
1st Place Boa Super 8 Grand Prix (2022)
Mee Jaemmanee
Muay Thai Coach
Hello! My name is Mee. I started training Muay Thai when I was 7 years old. My dad owned a gym, and I followed my stepbrother into the sport. From that point on, Muay Thai became a huge part of my life.
Over my career I had 102 fights. After retiring from competition, I became the owner of a gym in Krabi, where I coached and developed fighters.
I love coaching Muay Thai because it gives me the opportunity to share my experience and pass on the knowledge I’ve gained over many years. In Thailand, Muay Thai is deeply connected to our culture, traditions and way of life. I really enjoy being able to share not just the techniques, but that part of Muay Thai with my students as well.
Kahow Lee
Muay Thai Coach
I was always into martial art movies when I was younger. As I was finishing high school, I wanted to get into a sport, but didn’t enjoy having to work with teammates (who I would always let down). Combat Sports stood out as it felt like the purest form of competition. The sport always brings something new to
the table. There’s always ways to innovate your style, and test it against others. It stays interesting. I want to help give students the tools they need to experience the sport. Training, regardless of contact and level, is fun, and I want people to experience that.
Sarmad Jahanara
Muaythai Coach
Sotir Kichukov
Muay Thai & MMA Coach
I started training martial arts when I was 16 years old in Bulgaria after being inspired by the movie Kickboxer and my first coach, Teodor Karastoyanov. From the moment I stepped into the gym, martial arts became my life.
Throughout my career I’ve competed professionally across Europe, Asia, and Australia in promotions including ONE Championship, Eternal MMA, Max Fight, FCC, and WFCA, finishing with a professional record of 15 wins and 9 losses.
Competing around the world taught me that success isn’t built on talent alone. It comes from discipline, consistency, attention to detail, and a willingness to keep learning, no matter your level or where you come from.
I love coaching because I enjoy helping people become more confident, disciplined, and capable through martial arts. Whether you’re training for fitness, self-defence, or competition, my goal is to make high-level techniques easy to understand and help every student become the best version of themselves.
Top Thasakhon
Muay Thai Coach
Hey, I’m Top from Thailand/Australia
I started Muay Thai around 2019 at Immersion MMA because I wanted to lose weight. I quickly fell in love with the sport, the discipline, and the culture behind it. I later travelled back to Thailand to continue my training and coaching at SeeOpal Gym.
I’ve been training Muay Thai for almost a decade, with experience in fighting, training, teaching, and helping build fighters. I have an official fight record of 2 wins and 1 loss, with several amateur and interclub fights. My favourite weapons are my right middle kick and right low kick.
I enjoy teaching Muay Thai because it’s not just about fighting. It’s a great way to build discipline, improve fitness, and make it part of your lifestyle. You don’t have to fight to enjoy Muay Thai, it’s for everyone.
Benjamin Tran
Kids BJJ Coach
Ben started training at Immersion in 2012 with the goal of losing some weight, quitting smoking and making healthier lifestyle choices. He has done all 3! Since then he has actively represented Immersion in competition at home and abroad (IBJJF Worlds 2014). Benjamin believes that there are many skills in Jiu Jitsu that can be translated to everyday life and are beneficial for self-development; focus, patience, discipline, and respect. Benjamin loves being pushed by his coaches and teammates, and also loves teaching kids Jiu Jitsu. As a Myotherapist who specialises in treating athletes, when Ben’s not on the mat he’s treating our fighters, helping them recover from hard training and preparing them for competition.
Competition Accomplishments:
3rd Place Blue Belt 76 Kg Pan Pacific Championships 2018
3rd place – Blue Belt 76kg African Open 2017
Shah Gill
Kids BJJ Coach
I started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai on 22 November 2021 when I was 15 years old, originally for self-defence. Since then, martial arts has become a huge part of my life. I’ve been training for about five years and continue to train and compete in BJJ.
I’ve also been teaching kids’ BJJ classes, and one of the things I enjoy most is sharing my knowledge and helping kids and other students improve both on and off the mats. Seeing their confidence and skills grow is one of the most rewarding parts of coaching.
Martial arts has taught me discipline, resilience, and respect, and I’m grateful to be able to pass those values on to the next generation.
Kai-Ser Poh
Kids BJJ Coach
I had started training jiu jitsu in 2016 when I was 14 years old in Singapore. I wanted to learn a martial art that was both fun and practical, leading to me discovering my passion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Since then, I have competed both locally and internationally. Nothing is more rewarding to me as an instructor than watching students grow and develop in their own unique ways. I have confidence that through the proper guidance, kids can be prepared to face anything on and off the mats.
Notable Competition Accomplishments:
ADCC Open Singapore 2021 Double Silver
ADCC Open Singapore 2018 Bronze
Grapple Asia Championships Gold
Mateja Milosevic
Kids BJJ Coach
I started brazilian jiu jitsu because I wanted to participate in something more active than other sports I’ve done such as soccer. What’s kept me going through these years is the amazing culture in the gym and also the desire to do something I could constantly improve on. I decided to start teaching the kids classes at Immersion because I actually started training at Immersion MMA’s kids classes myself when I was 12, so I wanted to teach with the advantage of being in the kids’ shoes and it has worked extremely well.
Notable Competition Accomplishments:
1st place – Blue Belt 82kg Victorian State Championships 2021
Ben Hailey
Kids BJJ Coach & Front of House
Chris Triantopolous
BJJ Coach (Brown Belt) & Front of House
Donny Harris
Front of House
I started boxing mainly to get fit and lose weight, but what I didn’t expect was falling in love with the discipline and the process of improving. After three years of boxing, I transitioned into kickboxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and MMA.
I believe martial arts builds confidence and self-belief that carries into everyday life, and I’ve seen it help people become stronger versions of themselves both inside and outside the gym.