Meet the Team

About

I am returning to Council Grove with my wife, Ashley, my high school sweetheart, and our two sons, Porter and Fisher. Over the past 3.5 years, I've developed a deep respect for Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the positive impact it can have on people's lives. When I realized continuing to train in Council Grove would require creating a local place to do it, I began working to make that possible — connecting with a strong group of area practitioners who share the same goal of building a welcoming, high-quality training environment.

Jiu-jitsu has given me close friendships, greater discipline, and a stronger desire for personal growth. I am still early in my own journey, but I want to give back by helping create a space where people can train, challenge themselves, and develop meaningful connections on and off the mats.

About

I started training in combat sports at age 9 with freestyle and Greco wrestling. In high school I began jiu-jitsu while my brother was preparing for MMA fights. While wrestling in college at Grays Harbor I also trained jiu-jitsu and MMA at Dennis Hallman's gym. In 2019 I had my first MMA fight and started training under Jesse Briggs (4th degree BJJ black belt) and Dave Frizzell (2nd degree BJJ and judo black belt). I belted all the way to brown belt, which I received in May of 2024, and remain a student of Professor Dave at 5 Minds Martial Arts.

Everyone should know how to fight and protect themselves. I was blessed to have great coaches who passed the grappling arts down to me, and I'll continue, as long as I can, to pass them down as well.

About

Originally from Herington, Tanner began in folkstyle wrestling and continued grappling while attending Hutchinson Community College, then expanded his training at Emporia State through Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing, MMA, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He later traveled to Topeka and several regional academies to keep developing his BJJ. Tanner coached youth federation wrestling and served as a head high school JV boys wrestling coach. He now teaches physical education at Prairie Heights Elementary and assists the CG/Northern Heights high school wrestling team.

I coach to help others achieve the goals they have for themselves and to help them grow as individuals. Coaching is the most rewarding path I've been involved with — helping someone overcome a goal they felt was unachievable is incredibly fulfilling.

About

My martial arts journey began with Tai Chi during a college internship overseas. Later, while working in law enforcement, I realized I needed more practical skills. I first tried Aikido, then gave jiu-jitsu a chance and stuck with it because I could always find a class around my shift schedule. I started training in 2019 under John McDowell at Waveman Combat Academy and also trained under Marcio Laselva at Laselva MMA. In 2022 I moved to Emporia and began training under Garrett Nichols at Emporia BJJ while still returning to Laselva MMA or Waveman Combat Academy as needed.

Everyone should be able to defend themselves and the people they love. I enjoy helping students realize how capable they are. Great coaches shared wisdom and guidance that improved my life and my game, and I want to pass that same knowledge on to others.