One of the first rules Marcos Vinicius teaches his students at the MVBJJ Academy in Hamlin is to never step on the mats with shoes on.
However, that rule was broken Dec. 22, when firefighters had to rush in and extinguish flames that forced the jiu-jitsu to close temporarily.
The owners say the fire was caused by a short circuit in a mini-Pepsi cooler near the front door. It started at about 8 a.m. — hours before the first scheduled class that morning — and soon spread to a small plastic Christmas tree that sat on top of it…