Gye Nitta was born in Wailuku Maui, but raised on the beautiful island of Kauai. Gye grew up in a Christian home and found the love for the ocean early on, fishing and boogie boarding at every opportunity. His Dad used to box with him as a child, but attributes his first true introduction into the martial arts in high school, where he started wrestling for Kamehameha schools.

Gye made the Kamehameha wrestling starting squad every year and placed in most of the wrestling tournaments he entered. Gye supplemented his wrestling by training in Judo for 3 years, earning a green belt. During this time in high school, Gye found the value of grappling. There were often impromptu boxing matches in the high school dorm rooms. When Gye got hit too much he would take his opponents down and "ground and pound" them.

While Gye was wrestling, he found another passion, flying airplanes. Gye started flying at the tender age of 15. Gye graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona with a bachelors degree in Aeronautical Science and got his first job flying skydivers. He then flew cargo both here and to the mainland and then moved on to commuter flights for both Skywest Airlines and Aloha Island Air before being hired at Hawaiian Airlines in 1999. Gye s currently an Airline Pilot at Hawaiian Airlines, recently getting promoted to Captain and flies the Boeing 717 inter island. His love for Jiu-Jitsu even affected his career. He used to fly the Boeing 767 worldwide but couldn't stand being away from the mats, so he transferred to inter island flights as soon as he was able.

After college, Gye met a crazy looking guy with a bunch of tattoos that was practicing double leg take downs and submissions on his girlfriend at the beach. This turned out to be Kaleo Auwae, currently a brown belt and head instructor of Team Papakolea Jiu-Jitsu. However, at the time, he was an assistant instructor at the O2 Martial Arts Academy and introduced Gye to Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. The classes were taught by two very unassuming twin brothers, Chris and Mike Onzuka. Gye's first day at the O2 Martial Arts Academy saw him get humbled by a little guy who he outweighed by 80lbs. Ever since that incident, he was hooked on Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and wanted to learn everything he could about this powerful martial art.

Gye has been an active competitor and one of the lions of the O2 Martial Arts Academy winning grappling tournaments as a white, blue and purple belt in the Maui Jiu-Jitsu Open, NAGA and the Pan American BJJ Championships. Gye is currently a brown belt and has moved into becoming one of O2MAA's top instructors. Gye is currently the head instructor of the New Hope Jiu-Jitsu (NHJJ) Ministry class at the O2 Martial Arts Academy.