Being Pueblo’s first BJJ black belt, Josh has been a part of the local martial arts community since 2006. At the age of 25, he began training MMA. Josh was actively training and coaching for several years until deciding to hang up the gloves, focusing solely on BJJ. The story of his journey is absolutely inspirational. One riddled with trials and perseverance. Josh instills in all of his students the importance of hard work, discipline, and the appreciation of the lessons learned along the way. Through his leadership, Josh has helped build a strong, supportive community within the academy. Josh's unique approach to teaching emphasizes personal growth and resilience. He continues to inspire and motivate students of all ages and backgrounds.

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Juan is not only our head coach, but is also an avid competitor. He started MMA at 10 years old. A year later, Juan made the switch to exclusively training jiu-jitsu. Since then, he has been competing regularly. With over a decade of coaching experience, Juan’s knowledge is extensive. Furthermore, Juan continues his studies to provide our students with meta techniques and ways of learning. His dedication to the sport and our students is nothing less than admirable. Being active in the competition scene, Juan often travels out of state to compete.Coach Juan V’s recent accomplishments include; 

•CSC black belt 155lb Grand Prix winner 

•PGF season 4 vet 

•ADCC open 70KG gold medalist

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At our academy, we pride ourselves on our superior wrestling program. Augie is a seasoned competitor and coach. With 15+ years of wrestling experience, in addition to 6 years of coaching. Reaching one of the highest levels of wrestling, Augie is a collegiate wrestler and a CSU-P alumni. He provides our students with the knowledge and confidence needed for strong wrestling. His teachings have been proven to dominate in competition against decorated wrestlers. Coach Augie’s accomplishments include:

•15+ years of wrestling experience

•Collegiate wrestler 

•CSU-Pueblo wrestling alumni 2013-2017

•2016-2017 season:

•3rd in the RMAC at heavyweight 

•6th in the NCAA Super Regionals at heavyweight

Otherwise known as “Big Juan”. Also, the father of coach Juan v and of 8 other children, 6 of whom have trained or currently train. Coach Big Juan has been practicing jiu-jitsu alongside his family since 2014. Shortly after earning his blue belt in 2016, Juan started coaching kids' classes. His coaching style is described as both motivating and direct. Juan is a big advocate for mental health. Crediting his sanity to all the time spent on the mat.  Overall, Big Juan's dedication to jiu-jitsu and his family, along with his advocacy for mental health, further attests to his positive impact on the mat and within our gym family. 

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 In 2012, during his deployment in Afghanistan, Kerrick lost a grappling match. This defeat motivated him to pursue martial arts when he returned to the United States. With 13 years of experience in the US Army and 10+ years in law enforcement, he views jiu-jitsu as an essential part of maintaining both his mental and physical health. Kerrick expresses the multitude of real world applications of jiu-jitsu. Speaking of the great benefits from his personal experiences. But much more than being a veteran, seasoned officer, and committed coach, Kerrick is a loving husband to coach Angie and a devoted father to two bright kiddos who are also students at our academy.

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The year was 1996. Will was looking for a good outlet to help him decompress after stressful days. One night, Will stayed late after an aikido class he had just taken. 10 men walked onto the mat and had begun to warm up. He was captivated. With his new-found love for jiu-jitsu, Will was dedicating all of his free time. A few years later, he found himself training with Renzo Gracie. In a facility before the “blue basement”. Training alongside legends. A little while later, he was promoted to blue belt. Unfortunately, a career relocation left him in a 15-year break from training. Will came back to his first class in over a decade and decided to take off his blue belt and start over. Coach Will leads by example. Teaching the importance of humility to all of our students. 

Otherwise known as our “600-hour white belt”, Ray has been a VERY committed student from the day he signed up, in 2017. While at a christmas party, he was invited by a prior student of ours to try class the next day. The art of jiu-jitsu appealed to Ray because of the consistent physical and mental challenges. Additionally, Ray has always had a passion for imparting knowledge on others. Prior to being a jiu-jitsu coach, Ray was a local expert off road motorcycle racer. In which he coached adults and children in technique, race strategy, and cross training.  His blanketed dedication has undoubtedly transitioned into his coaching. Ray's coaching style teaches the importance of consistency to those feeling discouraged. In addition, his no excuses policy is one that motivates those feeling lazy that week. 

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Aaron is a coach and leader, both on the mat and in various other areas. With a lifetime of football experience, including playing and coaching for 11 seasons, Aaron initially saw jiu-jitsu as a matter of brute strength and willpower when he first discovered Eddie Bravo. But soon fell in love with the intricacies of the “chess match”, that is, jiu-jitsu. Having always loved contact sports, he appreciates both the physicality and the mental prowess required for jiu-jitsu. In addition, Aaron finds that jiu-jitsu is an excellent stress reliever. He began training about eight years ago and started coaching jiu-jitsu in January 2024, when his 5-year-old son joined the mat. Aaron strongly believes in leading by example. He notes that this approach places him in uncomfortable situations, requiring him to push his limits.

Tim saw a commercial for a local BJJ gym during a UFC event back in 2008. That summer, he enrolled for three months and realized he had found something he was passionate about. Since then, he has been training on and off. The main reason he returned and is now consistently coaching and training, is for his own kids and the kids he works with at our academy. When Tim isn't on the mat or spending time with his family, he is at work running a program that helps shape, model, and mold acceptable behaviors for children and families of children on the autism spectrum. Tim’s background working with individuals on the spectrum gives our gym a unique environment. Enabling us to assist those that other gyms don’t have the resources or patience to.

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In early 2022, Angie started her Jiu-Jitsu journey, inspired by her husband and son. A year later, her 5-year-old daughter joined, making it a family passion. As a stay-at-home mom, Angie found a new love in Jiu-Jitsu, training up to six days a week which resulted in her earning her blue belt. Now a coach, she takes great joy in helping with kids' classes, inspiring young athletes with her dedication and enthusiasm. Angie's commitment to the sport has fostered a strong sense of community in the gym. Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance and family support.

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Kate began her Jiu-Jitsu journey in January 2020, inspired by her high school sweetheart, Coach Juan V, who convinced her to try a class. She quickly fell in love with the sport's technical and physical demands. By 2021, Kate transitioned from student to a coach, but a new job required her to pause coaching. In January 2024, Kate returned to coaching, reigniting her passion for the sport. This year, Kate left her job to fully commit to coaching and becoming a competitor. Kate is dedicated to constantly improving as an athlete and coach, helping her students reach their goals in a supportive and challenging environment.

Every day you’ll see one, if not all, of these kiddos standing beside us during class. Our junior coaches are the students who go above and beyond each day. These select few have shown dedication and leadership skills. Above all, these students have an unwavering love for the sport. With years of experience under each of their belts, they deliver a helping hand to newer students. In addition, our junior coaches provide an approachable source of knowledge. Oftentimes, we utilize our junior coaches for their size. Which allows our younger students the ability to demonstrate a technique on a similar sized, and more experienced individual.