Midwest Jiu Jitsu Academy

"I met Professor Altgilbers about 5 years ago and although I was not a student of his whenever he saw me at tournaments he would come ask me how I was doing and offer coaching advice. I own/operate my own gym in Kirksville, MO and I recently decided to be under the banner of Midwest Jiu Jitsu. Professor Scott has been an excellent coach and mentor to me before I was affiliated and I have no doubt that will be amplified now that we are officially under his instruction. He offers a wealth of knowledge in all aspects of grappling and is an excellent mentor for life in general. He competes on the national level and I feel that is important as it shows his willingness to be vulnerable in front of his students and to explore areas outside of his comfort zone. I am very excited to be affiliated with MWJJA as well as Gracie Humaita!"

"Wish I'd done more research before we spent a year and thousands of dollars at a different school. But, I couldn't be more pleased with the instruction, facilities, and support my daughter gets at Midwest. Professor Scott is the primary instructor as well as the owner, so there isn't a lot of bureaucracy or miscommunication. Professor Scott has merchandise, but selling it at 100% markup isn't a cornerstone of his business model like some schools. If you have your own gi, great. If you don't, you can buy one and (right now at least) he waives the first month's tuition; most schools charge for both, making your first month of training the most expensive. Those schools actively choose to increase the quantity of students over quality of instruction. More beginning students means more revenue and other places stack their classes with as many pupils as possible, diluting the quality of the instruction. Professor Scott is playing the long game, he understands both that money is tight for everyone and that getting a black belt takes years. He would rather make money as a professor over years than as a retailer on day one. At Midwest, they also don't push "organization only" tournaments. The kids go to the exact same tournaments as the adults and compete against schools outside the Humaita network. In my daughter's case with a match she had lost, he deconstructed the match, found similar deficiencies between her game and other students and then taught classes over the next week to ensure the entire group understood the proper techniques. Other organization have a set curriculum that each franchise does on the exact same schedule, there is little room for adapting the subject matter to help solve specific issues. Here issues are confronted head on. I know the review is long. Please understand I am sincere in saying I believe Midwest is the perfect fit for my daughter. I encourage you to compare Midwest to others as well. This is the checklist I wish I'd been clever enough to make a year ago when looking at schools: Who is conducting the training and what level belt are they? How much is "first day" cost to become a member? How long is the contract? How much notice is required to cancel your membership? What tournaments are the students attending, what about instructors? How is the curriculum determined? Is the primary focus "sport" or "self defense"? I do not doubt that you will reach the same conclusion we did. We'll see you at Midwest."

"Coach Scott and the rest of the team at Midwest are one of a kind. They treat you like family and your children like their own. There is definitely a sense of comradery not seen today. Coach Scott cares not only about his students on the mat, but off the mat. He celebrated their personal victories, as well as their professional. Hands down, easily the best decision to enroll my son at Midwest!!"

"My husband and I have twins, boy and girl, and our son was so shy and little. I wanted something for him that would help him come out of his shell. I looked around for awhile and came across Coach Scott's academy and sent him a message. We took our son in and he just wasn't having any part of it really. Coach was so patient with him and eventually got him on the mat! That was a little over 2 years ago! Jace loves it and it has helped him so much! Our daughter decided after a year of watching her brother and the other kids learn and have fun that she wanted to join this year too on top of her other activities! This is definitely the place to go if you are looking for an academy for your child to learn and grow or if you just want to join yourself! Coach Scott and his wife are so extremely welcoming and the other coach's are excellent too! You meet other parents and kids that become family and not just people you run into because of class! It's a Jiu Jitsu family! Highly recommend this academy over any other around!"

"Midwest jiujitsu has been a wonderful place for our kids. (13 and 5) The instructors are knowledgeable and do extremely well teaching techniques to the kids and adults alike. They are patient and passionate about the sport and sharing it with others. They teach the importance of working hard and promotions are always earned, not given. The atmosphere of the academy is always positive. They go beyond the mat with the lessons that are taught; we’ve seen positive changes at home, school, and with overall respect and confidence."