Las Vegas: Purple and Brown Belt Development
Kaplan's development took a significant step forward when he relocated to Las Vegas to train alongside Matt Riddle. There, he became a student of Cameron Diffley, who guided him through pivotal stages of his growth, awarding him both his purple and brown belts. During this period, Kaplan also took on a coaching role, leading the grappling program at the Throwdown Training Center — an experience that sharpened his ability to develop MMA fighters' submission grappling games and built a well-rounded coaching foundation.
New York City: Training at the Marcelo Garcia Academy
Seeking further development, Kaplan moved to New York City and immersed himself in the high-level environment of the Marcelo Garcia Academy. Training under Marcelo Garcia and alongside elite practitioners including Vinny Magalhaes and Fredson Paixao, he refined his technical game across both Gi and No-Gi formats. On May 10, 2017, Marcelo Garcia awarded Kaplan his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt — a recognition of years of dedicated training, coaching, and competitive growth.
10th Planet Black Belt
In 2018, Kaplan earned a second black belt, this one in the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system, conferred by Vinny Magalhaes. The achievement reflects the breadth of his technical expertise and his commitment to mastering distinct grappling methodologies beyond traditional Gi-based systems.