Featured affiliated academy: Total Extreme Budo Academy Sri Lanka BJJ
Where is the gym located?
The gym is located in the Colombo district (Western province) of Sri Lanka. The exact address is: No. 457, 3rd Floor, Galle Road, Rawathawaththa, Sri Lanka.
How many people train there?
Roughly 20 people for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, 70 for Karate, and 20 for KAPAP Krav Maga.
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes, our monthly average is 2 to 3 new members.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
Highest is blue and the lowest is white.
When did the gym open?
2017.
Some facts about you:
Name: Thushara Wasantha Kumara Ratnayake
Age: 42
Academy: Total Extreme Budo Academy Sri Lanka BJJ
Belt: Blue belt
Profession: Consultant – SAP Technical, IBM World Trade Corporation
Years in BJJ: 4 years
Other martial arts: 6th degree black belt in Shotokan Karate, 3rd degree black belt Krav Maga, International Level 1 KAPAP instructor under Avi Nardia Academy, KAPAP Federation Israel
Currently living in: Colombo
Originally from: Sri Lanka
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
Martial arts training is the great passion of my life, and in 2017 I was able to achieve my biggest dream and open TEBA Sri Lanka BJJ.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
The gym has people of all different age levels and backgrounds, from professionals and entrepreneurs to pro fighters and recreational practitioners.
Why do they train?
Recreation | Fitness | Self Defense | Pro Fighting
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
BJJ is very new in Sri Lanka, and currently we don’t have any BJJ black belts here. There are Sri Lankans with higher ranks, but they all live out of the country. Since we lack access to regular input from higher ranks, I either have to invite my masters to Sri Lanka or need to travel to other countries myself in order to gain new knowledge.
TEBA Sri Lanka BJJ
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
In Sri Lanka there is a huge potential for BJJ. It’s a current trend, and everyone is curious to learn more about it.
What’s the best thing about your gym?
The main strength of the gym is my students and their parents – we’re like a small family.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Sri Lanka is very beautiful island with lots of historical places to visit, including UNESCO World Heritage site the Lion’s Rock at Sigiriya, Lord Buddha’s tooth relic at Kandy (“Daladamaligawa”), and the ancient city ruins of Polonnaruwa at Anuradhapura.
And with some of the highest biodiversity per kilometer on Earth, Sri Lanka is indeed a beautiful place to visit, stay, and train. We were recently recommended as the best place to visit in 2019 by National Geographic. Moreover, Sri Lanka is a country with rich culture and diversity, with many wonderful foods and drinks to try out. Surrounded by the ocean, Sri Lanka has the most amazing beaches with sunny weather throughout the entire year.
