I started my martial arts journey in 2004, when I was a 19 year old soldier in the Army. I was trained through the Army Combatives program, where I became a level three combatives instructor. Three years into my martial arts journey, I took silver at the 2007 All Army Combatives Tournament. During my military career, I helped train active duty and national guard soldiers in hand to hand combat. After leaving the military, I continued to train BJJ, wrestling, judo, and boxing/kickboxing while going to college to receive my Pedagogy/Kinesiology degree from the University of Illinois. I received my black belt from Coach James of Lycan's Den MMA, and I have trained with a variety of notable MMA/BJJ competitors and teachers from Illinois: Jack McVicker, Kyle Watson, Dan Hornbuckle, Jeff Serafin, and Jordan Anderson. I have more than ten years of experience teaching physical education, special education, and martial arts. Kira and Kal are my high-speed assistants in kids' classes. Even my wife, Rachel, does BJJ! Gage Harris is our high speed assistant coach in kids' class. My goal as a Jiu Jitsu instructor is to help people build confidence, focus, toughness, and the ability to learn new skills. Come train with us and I guarantee you'll be happy with our learning environment!