World Champion Jiu-Jitsu

, our one-on-one lessons customize and personalize sessions to meet their individual needs. David Hughes brought home medals from multiple divisions at the World Championships. He took the Silver Medal in the BJJ Black Belt Heavyweight Gi (50+) division and became the Gold Medal World Champion for the No-Gi Heavyweight (50+) division. In total, he has won six medals (1 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze; most of which were won against fighters SEVERAL years younger) at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships and the NAGA World Grappling Championships between 2010 and 2014. Hughes is also an 8th degree Black Belt under Grand Master Ernie Reyes in his Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Training System. Jiu-Jitsu has gained great respect in full-contact combative sports due to the domination it had in the early UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships) and other MMA events. Jiu-Jitsu fighters like Royce, Rickson, and Renzo Gracie dominated events like the UFC and Japan's PRIDE Fighting Championships back in the days when most fighters were mostly training in a single style or fighting system. Even in the modern era of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competition, Jiu-Jitsu is the one system that most fighters agree must be an integral part of their skill set and essential for real self-defense since such a high percentage of real fights go to the ground. Jiu-Jitsu is a full-contact sport that focuses on grappling in stand up and especially ground fighting. It uses clinches, throws, choke holds and joint-locks to defeat the opponent. When caught in a submission hold, the fighter can either "tap out" to surrender or face being choked unconscious or face serious damage to their joints. Other than the submissions, it is similar to Olympic free-style wrestling. Gi competition follows standard IFBJJ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) rules and the uniform (Gi) is used to assist in many grips and submission holds. No-Gi ccompetition has a far less restrictive rule set with far fewer holds barred. No-Gi is much closer to what you would see in MMA events like the current rule set used in the UFC. Fighters wear the shorts used in MMA and the option of a rash guard rather than a BJJ or Judo Gi and the clothing is not used to assist in submissions. No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu also uses more techniques from Judo, Japanese Jujutsu, and Wrestling and is sometimes called Grappling or Submission Wrestling. In the grappling arts and MMA, David Hughes has had the opportunity to train extensively with many World Class fighters and coaches including Mike Swain, the first American to win the World Judo Championships, 4x Olympian and the 1996 USA Olympic Judo coach; Grand Masters Wally and Leon Jay of Small Circle Jujutsu (Professor Wally Jay was one of Bruce Lee’s instructors); and Ralf and Cesar Gracie of the famed Gracie family of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For well over a decade, 5x UFC Champion Frank Shamrock and Bob Cook (head MMA coach for 2-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez, former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold and current Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier among many others) personally taught the Black Belt MMA and Grappling class at Grand Master Reyes' school on a regular weekly basis. Hughes travels out to California for a at least 1-3 weeks a year to train and sharpen his skills. This way he can bring back to his students the most cutting edge and state-of the-art training possible. David Hughes is available for private lessons in both Jiu-Jitsu for self-defense and for sport, as well as MMA and traditional martial arts. He works with students of any and all experience levels from new beginning students to professional fighters and can personally develop your training program to your goals and needs. Contact us at (615)483-1583 (cell) or call Iron Lotus Gym at (877)44RESULTS for more details and available scheduling. PROGRAM PRICES:

1Year Unlimited $6,500.00 - 52 Privates/Year + Unlimited Group Classes;
10 Pack Privates $1,300 - 10 Privates + One Weekly Group Class;
Monthly Privates $600.00 - 4 Private Lessons per Month;
A LA Carte $160.00 - Pay as you go. No bonus class;
Titanium Family Plan $10,816.00 - 2 Family Members 1x per week (104 Classes);
Level 2 Privates $699.00 -10 Private Lessons Instructor Level B (w/ a Staff Instructor);.