Master Self-Defense with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Self-defense skills are like insurance policies: you hope you never need them, but you’ll be grateful to have them. At the St. Paul Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy, our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) classes are ideal for anyone looking to develop self-defense or grappling skills for MMA.

Build Essential Skills

Our program emphasizes grappling techniques that empower individuals to defend themselves against larger, stronger attackers. We focus on the principles of position, leverage, and momentum—key elements that can turn the tide in a self-defense situation.

In a confrontation, there are no time limits, no points, and one ultimate rule: survive. While we do teach techniques applicable to sport jiu jitsu competitions, our primary mission is to equip every student with the skills to handle worst-case scenarios.

What You’ll Learn

In our classes, you’ll acquire vital self-defense skills, including:

• Blocking, countering, and redirecting an attacker’s assaults
• Safely escaping bad positions and creating advantageous angles for counterattacks
• Taking an attacker to the ground and maintaining dominant control
• Exhausting your opponent through strategic positioning to neutralize the threat
• Executing submissions, such as choke holds and joint locks, to incapacitate an attacker temporarily

These techniques will not only allow you to defend yourself but also enable you and your loved ones to escape safely.

Learn from an Experienced Coach

Under the guidance of Coach Brandon, you’ll master how to control an attacker, evade strikes, and utilize space effectively for counterattacks. Safety is our top priority, and we provide a controlled training environment where you can learn self-defense and MMA skills safely & with confidence.

Coach Brandon brings extensive experience as a professional MMA fighter, boasting a record of 14 wins and only 3 losses. He achieved most of his victories through decisive submission finishes, making him one of the most qualified instructors in the state for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu focused on self-defense and MMA.

At the height of his career, Coach Brandon was ranked as the #2 fighter in Minnesota’s featherweight division and #43 in the nation. In 2010, he earned the title of Minnesota’s Professional MMA Fighter of the Year with an undefeated record that year. After retiring from MMA, he dedicated himself to mastering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and transitioned to a career in security and law enforcement.

Real-World Experience

Coach Brandon has worked in various security roles, including uniformed security at North Memorial Hospital just outside of North Minneapolis where he had to control violent gang members for the safety of himself, his partners, hospital employees, & patients. He has also worked as plain-clothes security, where he effectively apprehended shoplifters, many of whom became violent & combative in their escape efforts. As a police officer in Minnesota, he utilized his grappling and self-defense skills to safely apprehend dangerous criminals while keeping himself, his partners, the suspects, and the public safe.

He also has extensive training experience alongside notable UFC fighters like John Caseneda, Rose Namajunas, Sean Sherk, Jacob Volkmann, Nick Thompson, Dave Menne, Paul Bradley, and many others further solidifying his expertise. With his impressive background in MMA, security, and law enforcement, Coach Brandon is exceptionally qualified to teach you Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for MMA, competition, and self-defense!