Lawler Jiu Jitsu

Our History

Follow Lawler Jiu Jitsu from garage mats to a modern, battle-tested warrior academy.

Our Warrior Roots

Lawler Jiu Jitsu was built to blend battlefield grit with traditional discipline, growing from a small garage team into a respected academy, rooted in proven competition experience and guided by a lineage of technical, pressure-tested jiu jitsu.

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Timeline of a Martial Artist

2002 — Kickboxing Foundations. First steps into striking, learning timing, distance, and toughness under live contact.

2005–2007 — Boxing & Jiu Jitsu Expansion. Boxing sharpens hands while early jiu jitsu training introduces positional dominance and submissions.

2010–2014 — All-Marine Corps Fight Team Coach. Leads and develops combat athletes inside the United States Marine Corps, pressure-testing systems under elite expectations.

2011 — Wrestling Integration. Folkstyle and freestyle wrestling are woven into the system, tightening takedowns, scrambles, and top control.

December 2014 — Somerset Martial Arts Opens. The first academy doors open, creating a home for competitors, hobbyists, and families committed to hard training.

March 2020 — Black Belt Promotion. Years of cross-discipline training, coaching, and competition culminate in black belt rank and a deeper responsibility to serve students.

September 7, 2024 — Danville Martial Arts Launch. Lawler Jiu Jitsu expands into a modern, battle-tested warrior academy in Danville, carrying forward the same standards, lineage, and mission.

Coaching Record

Somerset Martial Arts Achievements

  • 18 national champions across major grappling and sport jiu jitsu events.
  • Dozens of state champions in wrestling, jiu jitsu, and submission-only formats.
  • 12+ IBJJF gold medalists at regional and international tournaments.
  • Pan-Am champion and multiple Pan-Am medalists coached from white to advanced ranks.
  • 6 amateur and 4 professional MMA champions developed through structured fight camps.
  • 3 amateur kickboxing champions built on disciplined striking fundamentals.
  • Hundreds of students coached toward personal victories, from first stripe to black belt.

Coaching Philosophy

Every round on the mat is an investment in future performance. Coaching at Lawler Jiu Jitsu is built on clear systems, honest feedback, and live pressure. Athletes are taught to understand why techniques work, not just how to copy them, so they can adapt under fatigue, stress, and resistance.

The standard is the same for new white belts and experienced competitors: show up consistently, train with intensity and respect, and test yourself in environments where results are measured. Titles are a byproduct of this process, not the goal. The real mission is to build disciplined, capable warriors who carry these lessons into every area of life.

Personal Accolades

Black Belt & Rank

  • Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt with years of experience across gi and no-gi competition.
  • Extensive background in wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, and MMA.
  • Certified and recognized under a proven, pressure-tested lineage.

State & National Titles

  • Multiple state-level titles in grappling and jiu jitsu divisions.
  • National podium finishes alongside the athletes coached.
  • Consistent success across different rulesets, promotions, and age brackets.

Major Highlights

  • Competed and coached in high-level grappling and MMA environments.
  • Helped build athletes from their first day on the mat to championship stages.
  • Hosted seminars, cross-training camps, and team collaborations across the region.

Why It Matters

Rank, titles, and medals only matter if they are used to serve others. The point of this coaching history and competitive background is simple: students can trust that what they are learning at Lawler Jiu Jitsu has been tested in real matches, refined over years, and delivered with their long-term growth in mind.

Stories

Explore in-depth articles on defining fights, mentors, and academy milestones.

A cinematic competition-inspired scene featuring a realistic grappling dummy standing at the edge of a raised jiu jitsu mat platform, its torso wrapped in a dark slate gi and a rich purple belt signifying advanced rank. The platform is illuminated by intense white overhead arena lights, which create bright reflections on the mat surface and cast long, dramatic shadows that stretch into the surrounding darkness. In the blurred background, the faint silhouettes of barrier rails and indistinct banner shapes suggest a tournament setting without readable text or crowds. Captured from a low, slightly off-center angle with shallow depth of field, the image conveys anticipation, honor, and high-stakes focus, emblematic of serious competition.

Timeline

From our first mats in a borrowed space to hosting packed seminar weekends, each year has marked tougher training, new belts earned, tournament podiums claimed, and an expanding tribe of students committed to honorable warfare.

See milestones