How This 9x IBJJF World Champion Built Operations to Match His Pedigree
9× IBJJF WORLD CHAMPION
25 YEARS OF JIU-JITSU EXPERIENCE
9,000 SQ FT CHARLOTTE FLAGSHIP
800+ SEMINARS ACROSS 52 COUNTRIES
From Capoeira in Brazil to Charlotte’s Flagship Academy
Lucas Lepri started with capoeira at 10, found jiu-jitsu at 15, and never stopped. Nine IBJJF world titles, five consecutive lightweight crowns, 800+ seminars across 52 countries.
After stints in New York City and Atlanta training under Master Jacques Aré, he opened Alliance Jiu-Jitsu Charlotte in 2014. Eleven years later, the academy moved into its 9,000-square-foot flagship on Monroe Road.
His focus hasn’t shifted. “My 100% focus is the methodology and the mats.” His wife runs everything else — leads, front desk, systems. The division works because the systems work.
A World-Class Academy Needs World-Class Systems
Running a 9,000-square-foot flagship with multiple class programs, two mat spaces, a kids’ area, a retail store, and a second location isn’t a one-person job. Lucas is on the mats. His wife runs everything behind the front desk.
What they needed was a system that could keep up — one that tracked belt levels and stripe progression clearly, logged attendance automatically, and gave students visibility into their own path without creating more work for the staff.
“It’s amazing. Really nice and clear. Students can create their own accounts, make changes, communicate. We’re very happy to have this program.”
Clear Tracking. Students Who Own Their Progress.
Alliance Jiu-Jitsu Charlotte moved to Gymdesk in early 2025. Belt levels, stripe progression, class attendance, student accounts — all in one place. What used to require manual coordination now happens at check-in.
Students see their path to the next rank. Instructors see who needs attention. “Everybody’s checking in,” Lucas said the morning of the facility tour. “We really like it a lot.”
The Operational Shift
Without the Right Tools
- Belt and stripe levels tracked manually
- Attendance logged by staff at the door
- Students unclear on promotion requirements
- No student self-service accounts
- Communication routed through instructors
- Payments managed separately from membership
With Gymdesk
- Belt and stripe progression tracked automatically
- Students check in themselves at the front desk
- Promotion requirements visible to every student
- Students create and manage their own accounts
- Students communicate directly through the system
- Billing, membership, and tracking in one place
Veteran Students Welcome the New Ones. That’s the Culture.
Lucas is most proud of what he can’t put on a floorplan. Veteran students take new members under their wing. Kids who came in getting bullied find something they didn’t expect.
“It’s amazing. Really nice and clear. Students can create their own accounts, make changes, communicate. We’re very happy to have this program.”
A kid came in getting bullied all the time at school. He stepped up — and the kid that bullied him never hit him again. That’s the power of jiu-jitsu. That’s what we’re here for.”
Run Your Academy. Not Your Inbox.
Gymdesk handles the admin so you can stay on the mat.
