Gracie Humaita Columbia
Meet Your Instructors
World-class instruction from people who still compete, still train, and genuinely care about your progress, whether it's your first class or your thousandth.
Shawn Woods
3rd-degree black beltShawn earned his black belt under J.W. Wright. He's one of the most decorated Jiu-Jitsu competitors in the area and has competed nationally and internationally.
Students know him for his attention to detail. Every technique is broken down until it makes sense, whether you're a brand-new white belt or preparing for a world-level tournament.
Andy Bell
Shawn's first black belt. Andy has trained Jiu-Jitsu and MMA with Shawn since 2003 and has trained at gyms across the country. Off the mats he's a law enforcement officer, a personal trainer, and a former 500-hour certified yoga instructor.
Mark Thompson
Black belt under Shawn Woods with more than 20 years of training in Canada, France, and the United States. Mark is also a historian who teaches at local schools and colleges.
Jarret Harrison
Black belt under Shawn Woods and a former University of Missouri wrestler. Jarret went 6–0 as a professional MMA fighter, winning the Cage of Honor lightweight title, and is a two-time IBJJF Pan-American silver medalist.
Nick Arnel
Black belt under Jordan Lutsky and Shawn Woods. Nick is a decorated competitor and a member of the Team USA grappling team.
Shannon Bahadori
Shannon started training under Shawn in 2017 and became an IBJJF Master 3 World Champion in 2023, with multiple Fuji and IBJJF titles. She teaches our kids and women's classes, and is also a nurse case manager, Parisi coach, and fitness instructor.
Dylan
Dylan has trained under Shawn since 2019 and has a long list of tournament and super fight wins. He teaches our kids, youth, and teen classes and is studying nutrition at the University of Missouri.
Mark Short
Full bio coming soon.
Lineage
Our family tree
Our lineage runs straight back to Royler Gracie and the Gracie Humaita academy. Most of our black belts were promoted right here, by Shawn.
The journey
How long to a black belt?
On average, starting from white belt, here's how long each rank takes. Everyone moves at their own pace, and every belt is earned on the mat.
Every one of our instructors started as a white belt who didn't know what they were doing. You're in good company.
Train with us
Your first week is free
Meet the instructors, try a few classes, and see if it's a fit. No experience needed.