I started training jiu-jitsu in 2007 for a simple reason — the world didn't feel as safe as it once did, and I wanted to be someone who could handle themselves if it ever came to that.
What I found on the mat was more than self-defense. I found a practice that sharpens your mind, builds real confidence, and connects you with people who push you to grow. I've been hooked ever since.
Work brought me to Burlington, and this community impacted me significantly. Volunteering with the wrestling club showed me something I didn't expect — a genuine culture of grapplers right here in a small Kansas town. The interest was real. The problem was access. The closest quality jiu-jitsu gyms are in Ottawa and Emporia, and for most people in Burlington, that drive just isn't realistic long-term.
So I opened The Foundry.
Not to build an empire — just to give this community what it deserves. A real gym, close to home, run by someone who genuinely cares whether you show up, whether you're improving, and whether this place is making your life better.
That's what this is about. The mat is open. Come train.
I don't fit neatly into one coaching style, and I think that's the point.
Some days that means breaking down technique with precision. Some days it means pushing you past a mental wall you didn't know you had. Some days it means just being the person in the room who notices you're struggling and meets you where you are. Good coaching reads the moment and responds to the person, not just the curriculum.
But if there's one thing that drives everything I do here, it's this: I want every person who trains at The Foundry to leave with the ability to handle themselves in the world. Not just on the mat. In life. That quiet confidence that comes from knowing , really knowing, that you are capable under pressure. That's what jiu-jitsu gave me, and it's what I'm here to pass on.
The culture here is built deliberately. You will not find ego-driven training, you will not find bullying, and you will not find disrespect; not from me, and will never be tolerated from anyone else on the mat. We push each other because we want each other to grow, not because we want to dominate. There's a difference, and it matters.
Everyone here is on the same journey. We just started on different days.
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