Coach Dan started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2016 in Austin, Texas, at 30 years old, under an old school Gracie Barra fifth degree black belt. He was a gymnast as a kid and played plenty of sports, but nothing brought the same challenge Jiu Jitsu did.
He has coached since 2018 and says coaching kids gave him a solid grasp of the fundamentals. He mostly teaches kids, and in class he gets down on their level and breaks things down into manageable pieces that they can understand and accomplish. Nothing makes him happier than watching kids grow in skill and confidence.
Jiu Jitsu is a family activity for Dan: each of his three kids started training at five, and it has helped them learn discipline and commitment.
I teach to help kids gain skills and confidence through Jiu Jitsu.
| Class | Days | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2 and 3 Kids BJJ | Mon, Wed, Fri | 5:30pm |
I got tired of lifting weights and wanted to do something more practical for fitness. I started training 10 years ago under an old school Brazilian Gracie Barra 5th Degree black belt in Austin, TX. I was 30 years old the first time I stepped on the mats. I was a gymnast as a kid and played many sports in my life but nothing presented the same enjoyable challenges BJJ brought into my life.
BJJ gave me purpose outside of the corporate world and helped me when I was younger through challenging times with addiction and depression.
Before I started training I decided I was under no circumstances going to quit BJJ until I earned a purple belt. I was quick to get a blue belt but stayed a blue belt for four years training up to five times a week. It took a while for me to realize that in this game you are only competing with yourself and who you used to be.
There’s always more to learn and always a reason to keep moving forward. Through the purple and brown belts I’ve learned to enjoy the sport as an art form to express creativity in addition to exercise and self defense.
Coaching, especially coaching kids, helped me get a solid grasp of the fundamentals and further develop my own game. When each of my three children turned five we started introducing them to the sport. It’s become a family activity that we are all committed to and it has helped my kids (now 6, 8 and 12) learn discipline and commitment.
Nothing makes me happier than helping kids improve their confidence and skills. I see it as a duty to train the next generation.
