Bailey Cohen-Vera began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 12 in New Jersey, under Professor Fernando Sarmento Jr. When he first began training, he was a child in the Adult program of his MMA gym, and disliked the sport immensely, as he felt frustrated by how it felt so easy for his training partners to overpower him with their size and strength. However, it was this difficulty that forced him to prioritize developing his technique and skillset instead of attempting to rely on the more traditional athletic attributes that he lacked. Soon, he became obsessed with taking a craft-based approach to understand the minutiae of the sport, watching videos of high-level fights, analyzing them, and drilling complex positions incessantly. His professor saw potential in him and, as a blue belt, he began competing and leading the children’s jiu-jitsu program at his gym. When he turned 18, he moved to New York and began training at Renzo Gracie Midtown, under the tutelage of Professor John Danaher. However, it wasn’t long before he joined the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club at NYU, where he was attending college at the time. During his sophomore year, he became President of the club and was recognized by the professors and coaches of Studio X | Checkmat NYC, where the club was meeting and holding practices and training sessions, for his dedication to the sport and its community. After developing a relationship with the Studio X team, he formally joined Checkmat NYC in 2019. After taking a break from training during the pandemic, he received his purple belt from Zata Toscano and Vedha Toscano in 2021. Around this time, he began taking an active role in the Northeast competition circuit, serving as a referee for tournament organizations such as Jiu-Jitsu World League, Grappling Industries, Fuji BJJ Championship, and Newbreed Jiu-Jitsu Federation. He also began competing in a variety of high-level competitions, earning six IBJJF medals, two superfight wins, and reaching the round of Top 64 at the ADCC East Coast Trials. He was awarded the rank of Brown Belt by Professor Pedro Fernandes in Fall 2023. Presently, he brings his extensive competition and referee experience, as well as his pedagogical experience as an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at NYU, to teaching Basics-level classes and a tape study class at Studio X | Checkmat NYC.