Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Aspida Team

Aspida Team Renzo Gracie Cyprus was founded in 2004 by Professor Pantelis Panayides, a former student of legendary Renzo Gracie, in New York. In 2008, Pantelis joined forces with his student Andreas Achniotis Perales in his quest to evolve his vision into a bigger and more competitive academy.
Pantelis Panayides became acquainted with BJJ sometime in the mid nineties, while studying in New York. During his summer vacations away from his studies, he would often return to Cyprus, and casually train with friends and members of the Cypriot National Judo Team with whom he shared this little known, at the time, martial art.

After earning his degree from NYU Pantelis relocated back to Cyprus, and begun instructing jujitsu to a handful of practitioners that would later become the core of his future academy. But as fate would have it, Pantelis' first spell as a BJJ instructor in Cyprus, was short lived. Due to work, he had to move to Athens, Greece, where, restless as he was, he soon begun transfusing his knowledge to the local branch of Gracie Barra academy. After leaving Gracie Barra he started his own academy and some of his students followed him. Notable members of that academy were George Katsinopoulos,, Costas Gouvousis and Vaggelis Vavvas.

After solidifying Aspida's presence in Greece, Pantelis returned to Cyprus, poised to spread his love for BJJ in his own homeland. Mustering his first students once more, he established Aspida Team Renzo Gracie Cyprus around the initial core of Alexis Kallis, Nicolas Kaglantzis and Marcos Peukaros, also joined by judoka Panicos Melodias.

From a modest dojo (New Body Gym), measuring no more than 25 square meters, the team grew and soon moved to a bigger dojo( Monomachos Gym) to accommodate newcomers. Around this time, Pantelis was joined by his old blue belt Andreas Achniotis Perales, now a purple belt, after a two-year spell under Andrea Baggio of Milanimal, Italy. Outgrowing its area and owing to the sweltering numbers of new practitioners, the team moved once again to a new dojo( Divine Gym) for another two years, with Andreas now becoming a full-fledged partner. In 2011, the team finally acquired its own location at 10 Salaminos Street in Nicosia, bringing to rest ten years of roaming.