DRAFT: Bios still pending for Danny, Rasmus, Sebastian and Vincent. New profile photos needed for everyone except Shanti and Juliane (temporary). History section to be expanded.
About Hive
Built on one idea: serious martial arts and a warm community
Hive was founded in 2018 by Shanti Abelha — 4th-degree black belt and five-time world champion — as a gym where everyone is designed in from the start.
Instructors
Who you learn from
Shanti Abelha
Founder & head coach. 4th-degree black belt, five-time world champion, and nearly 20 years of teaching. Off the mats she's a civil engineer specialising in leadership and organizational development — experience she brings to developing Hive's coaches. She built the club on one idea: that serious martial arts and a warm community are not opposites.
Andrija
Black belt (promoted 2025) and old school for life. Andrija has trained since 2010 across Milan, New York and the US West Coast, blending a classic fundamentals-first mindset with modern movement and plenty of curiosity — training should be playful, exploratory and a little unorthodox.
Danny
Instructor.
Filip
Blue belt. Filip started BJJ at Hive in 2021 and stuck around for the community, the light-hearted atmosphere and the mutual respect on the mats. Off the mats you'll find him running and throwing himself into spontaneous physical challenges.
Irina
Blue belt. Irina joined Hive in 2023 after a family member recommended the sport — and she's been hooked ever since. Driven by a deep appreciation for the sense of community the mats provide, she's especially inspired by the sportsmanship found in women's jiu-jitsu: women belong in combat sports just as much as men. She loves the technicality and chess-like complexity of the game — an endless puzzle where there's always something new to learn. Off the mats she keeps active with calisthenics and easy skateboarding through Copenhagen's many pumptracks.
Juliane
Purple belt. Juliane started BJJ in 2020 after practising other martial arts periodically throughout her life. What first drew her in was a way to train intensely without taking punches to the head — what kept her was a fascination with the interplay of angles, leverage and mobility. Teaching has only made her love of the sport stronger, and she believes a solid foundation is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. Another is humor, so she combines the two wherever possible.
Rasmus
Instructor.
Sebastian
Instructor.
Tim
Purple belt. Tim blends traditional technique instruction with constraints-led games — always leaving room for it to be fun. He favours a pressure-based, controlled game where the pace is slow and the details matter.
Vincent
Kids & junior program lead.
Values
How we train
Respect for your partner, calm in the teaching, and room for every body and every level. Read our code of conduct.