Salvatore Pace

Born on October 25, 1974, in Sicily, Italy, Salvatore Pace built a deep martial arts foundation long before Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu entered his world. At ten years old, he took up Judo and Karate, training both disciplines until the age of sixteen before transitioning into Muay Thai — a striking art he pursued with enough dedication to earn qualification as an instructor. That credential would later inform his approach to combat sports coaching in meaningful ways.

Pace's interest in grappling surfaced in 1996 while still living in Italy, giving him early exposure to the ground game years before BJJ claimed his full attention. After relocating to England, he worked as a chef in an Italian restaurant while teaching and competing in Thai Boxing and MMA. A loss in an MMA bout to a ground-focused fighter proved to be the defining turning point of his career. Faced with the decisive advantage that Jiu-Jitsu offered on the ground, Pace resolved to immerse himself fully in the discipline.

In late 2004, Salvatore Pace began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Carlos Lemos Junior, a Gracie Barra black belt whose mentorship would shape every stage of his development. Driven by the urgency that often follows a humbling competitive loss, Pace committed to training as frequently and intensively as possible, supplementing mat time with regular tournament appearances to sharpen his game.

The relationship between Pace and Lemos Junior extended well beyond the academy walls. In 2005, the two co-founded the first Gracie Barra academy in the South of Italy — a significant milestone for the organization's regional presence. Around the same time, Pace began coaching BJJ in Bath, England, laying the groundwork for what would become a long-term instructional base. Every belt promotion Pace received, from white through to black, came directly from Carlos Lemos Junior — a lineage that reflects a consistent and deeply personal mentorship. In 2010, that journey reached its milestone when Pace received his black belt, completing a six-year ascent through the ranks.

Salvatore Pace's competitive record is defined by decisive results across multiple levels of international competition. At blue belt in 2005, he captured the British Championship twice in a single year — claiming both the weight category and the absolute division. That double title signaled his emergence as one of the more formidable grapplers on the UK scene. He carried that momentum onto the international stage in 2006, winning the World Cup title at blue belt and demonstrating elite-level performance well ahead of his eventual black belt promotion.

As Pace progressed through the ranks and into the 2010 competition season — the same year he received his black belt — he continued to perform at a high level across multiple formats. He won the NAGA Europe Masters Gi championship and claimed the Grapplers Quest championship in Las Vegas, an international title that stands among the highlights of his competitive career. A bronze medal in the NAGA Europe Masters No-Gi division further underscored his versatility across both gi and no-gi formats. Taken together, his record reflects consistent high-level performance across British, European, and international circuits throughout his time in the sport.

Within the BJJ community, Salvatore Pace's identity as an instructor carries equal weight to his achievements as a competitor. Operating under the Gracie Barra Bath banner, he establishes himself as a central figure in the development of BJJ across the southwest of England. His coaching draws on decades of martial arts teaching experience — including his earlier work as a qualified Muay Thai instructor — giving his pedagogy a broad, grounded foundation that distinguishes his approach on the mats.

Representing Great Britain in competition while maintaining his Sicilian roots, Pace embodies the international character that Gracie Barra as an organization has long championed. Among students and training partners, he is known by the nicknames Squalo — meaning Shark — and Salvo, names that capture both his competitive instinct and the warmth he brings to the academy environment.