It started when I was a kid. My grandfather, Les Turner, was a wrestling coach who got me on the mat before I could even drive. I wasn't a natural, but he taught me something that stuck for life:
"It's not the critic who counts… it's the man in the arena."
I focused on technique, kept showing up, and built a solid high school and college wrestling career. That path eventually took me to Brazil, where I trained with Rolles Gracie and instantly fell in love with Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
From there, I pursued the best instruction in the world. I found it at Renzo Gracie NYC, training under legends like Renzo himself, Daniel Gracie, John Danaher, and especially my longtime coach, Shawn Williams. Later, I helped plant jiu-jitsu roots in Costa Rica, then taught and competed out of Los Angeles under Shawn.
In 2009, I moved back home to Western Pennsylvania. At the time, I was fighting amateur MMA and competing at the black-belt level, but there was almost no quality, systematic jiu-jitsu or MMA training in the area. So I set out to build exactly what I had always wanted—a school that was both 100% authentic and a legitimate, sustainable business.
In 2010, I opened our first tiny storefront in Pittsburgh. Sixteen years, four locations, and thousands of students later, we've proven the model works. Today, serious athletes, casual fitness seekers, kids, moms, executives, and law enforcement all train side-by-side under one roof.
This isn't either/or. It's both.
- Warren Stout
