Jeff started training rudimentary Brazilian Jiu Jitsu while going through the Army Combatives program in 2006. When I got off of active duty, I began training Jiu Jitsu while enrolled in an undergraduate program at Carnegie Mellon University and then in 2012 at Stout PGH. After some layoffs due to injury Jeff earned his blue belt in April 2017, and purple belt in March of 2019. For a long time I did not put a lot of stock in the belt system; however, as I progress through my Jiu Jitsu journey, I respect the belt as a sign of the recognition of hard work and perseverance it took to achieve them. Being an instructor is a great honor, and one that I take very seriously.

Jeff says: “Trust is the bed-rock of training jiu jitsu. You build partnerships and trusting friendships with your partners in ways that is truly unique. It is the closest bond I’ve formed with people outside the stresses and hardships of combat operations.” He is also a veteran of the war in Iraq. Jeff is a part time instructor and works for Uber full-time.