About Us
At Ooltewah Jiu-Jitsu Academy, Martial Arts aren’t just a hobby – it’s a way of life. Our school constantly strives to be the best, with hands-on instruction from highly-experienced instructors, a modern training space, and a commitment to the individual improvement of each and every student. We uphold an encouraging and uplifting environment, and above all else, want to see you succeed. If you join Ooltewah Jiu-Jitsu Academy, you’ll not only grow as an athlete, but you’ll grow tremendously as a person.
Contact UsMartial Arts Instructors
Lead Instructor- Michael Lander
Michael Lander is a three-stripe Pedro Sauer Brown Belt and a Level II Certified Instructor. He has over 12 years of experience in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu with several of those years being a lead and assistant instructor. You can find out more about the Pedro Sauer Association here: https://pedrosauer.com/
Michael is also the Affiliate Instructor for both the Combat Submission Wrestling and STX Kickboxing programs. These programs are under Erik Paulson’s CSW programs. You can find out more about them here: https://erikpaulson.com/
Michael has also studied Hapkido and Keysi Fighting Method.
Assistant Instructor – Eric Town
Eric is a Brown Belt in the Pedro Sauer Affiliation and a Level I Certified Instructor. He also is a three-stripe black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has studied other martial arts, including Keysi Fighting Method.
Assistant Instructor – Andrew Howard
Andrew is a Purple Belt in Pedro Sauer Jiu-Jitsu and has trained in Keysi Fighting Method, Wing Chung and Chinese Boxing.
Assistant Instructor – John West
John is a Patrol Sergeant with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is a Blue Belt with the Pedro Sauer Affiliation, a Firearms Instructor with further experience in Army Combatives, Police Defensive Tactics and has also trained in Keysi Fighting Method.
Guest Instructor- Brian Hendrix
Brian Hendrix is a Pedro Sauer Black Belt and a Level II Certified Instructor in the Pedro Sauer Association. He is a black belt in Snow Tiger Kung-Fu and a brown belt in judo.
Our Mission
Ooltewah Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Be Dedicated
Make everyone feel welcome
Treat each student with respect
Empower our members
Help members reach their goals
Testimonials
I love training at Ooltewah Jiu-Jitsu. I like that it is not sport-oriented like a lot of jiu-jitsu places and the self-defense aspect of jiu-jitsu is more applicable to real-life situations. We are not focused on points. I love the camaraderie and everyone is friendly and not trying to hurt anyone. Everyone should try jiu jitsu.
Student
I think it is very important that you know self-defense. The world is a crazy place and bad things happen to good people no matter how much you try to avoid bad situations. Also, we have a very clear-cut curriculum that helps you proceed in the rankings but also makes you better at defending yourself. As a father and a husband, this matters to me greatly. It is a great brother and sisterhood.
Parent
Classes at Ooltewah Jiu-jitsu Academy provide excellent training, fitness, friendship and are geared for people of all ages and fitness levels. Coach Michael Lander and his team of instructors are knowledgeable, fun and create a safe environment to learn martial arts. Group classes and 1:1 instruction enable everyone to learn and advance their defense skills. Highly recommend it!
Student
Ooltewah Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Get Started Today
Ooltewah Jiu-Jitsu Academy has everything…except you! Join our community today and begin your martial arts journey!