007 - Building an Empire and Making a BJJ Community with Coach Mike
Episode notes
On this episode of The GRYND, we sit down with Coach Mike — owner of AForce BJJ in Webb City, Missouri, an affiliate gym under Andre "Tim" Monteiro.
Coach Mike shares:
• The full origin story of AForce BJJ and his personal journey progressing through Jiu-Jitsu
• What it really takes to build and protect a strong gym culture
• The honest highs of gym ownership — the wins that make it all worth it
• The brutal lows that most people never see
• The daily GRYND of keeping classes running consistently, getting coaches to show up, and driving real engagement from students
From the early days to the ongoing challenge of making it all work in a southwest Missouri town, this is a raw, behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to run a successful BJJ academy.
If you train Jiu-Jitsu, dream of opening your own gym someday, or just want to understand the work that goes into keeping the mats open for the rest of us — this episode delivers real perspective and hard-earned lessons.
Drop a comment: What’s the best (or worst) part about your gym culture?
AForce MO - https://www.afmobjj.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/afmobjj/