About Us

Our “Why”: Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is the most proven and practical martial art in the world. Learning Jiu-Jitsu can be life changing. Students often find that the principles of the art saturate their entire life. We want to create a place where everyone can experience this. We accomplish this through the very intentional culture and instruction found in our programs. It is our mission to offer world class training to every demographic in a safe, clean, and structured environment.

About Our

History

In 1925, Carlos Gracie established the first Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Brazil. His brother, Grandmaster Helio Gracie innovated the art, focusing on techniques that allowed the smaller and weaker fighter to win against a larger opponent through patience, efficiency, and leverage. In 1978, Rorion Gracie brought Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to the United States, and in 1989 he established the first Gracie Academy on North American soil in Torrance, California.

The Gracie family orchestrated the first UFC tournament in 1993. In this first ever no-holds barred competition, Royce Gracie shocked the world by defeating all of his opponents despite being out weighed in nearly every match. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu took the world by storm. To accommodate the worldwide expansion of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, in 2017, Ryron and Rener moved the family business to an even larger facility and established “Gracie University” to reflect the shift from a single academy to a global organization.

Being certified and affiliated by Gracie University builds accreditation and validates the foundation of top-quality instruction. Our affiliate status with Gracie University guarantees our methods to be quality, structured, complete, and traditional. It even allows Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Jonesboro students to be thoroughly evaluated for belt promotions. This status is unique across the world and it’s a great honor to be a part of!

Meet The Jonesboro Team

Austin Morgan

Owner & Head Instructor

Austin is the head instructor and owner at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Jonesboro. Austin is a police officer and has served in Law Enforcement since 2012. He has been assigned to patrol, K9, SWAT, and the criminal investigation division of his department over the span of his career. Austin also serves as his department’s defensive tactics instructor, where he teaches the same principles presented in our programs to fellow police officers to keep them safe in the street. Austin had been training Jiu-Jitsu for approximately 5 years before entering Gracie University’s Instructor Certification Program in 2021 where he spent the next year training to launch his own Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Certified Training Center. When Austin isn’t working or training Jiu-Jitsu, he loves spending time with his wife April and son Evan.

April Morgan

Co-Owner

Everyone meet April.

April is the co-owner of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Jonesboro. April trains and assists in the Women Empowered program. She is a devoted mother to her son Evan, and wife to co-owner Austin. April’s presence is invaluable to our school.

She works the desk during classes and is always happy to help parents and students. April is a Speech and Language Pathologist at a local school and has experience treating patients of all ages. She enjoys reading, church, jiu-jitsu, and spending time with her family.

Chase Almond

Instructor

Instructor Chase Almond began training Jiu-Jitsu when Gracie Jonesboro opened in 2022. Chase is a former state champion wrestler and fell in love the efficiency and self-defense applicability of the Gracie Combatives program immediately. Once Chase graduated the Combatives program, he immediately began training for instructor certification. Chase became our school’s first Gracie University certified assistant instructor after completing the live evaluation at GU headquarters in Torrance CA in 2024. Chase is also a preacher at Grace Point Church of Christ in Jonesboro. He is a devoted husband and father to his wife and two daughters. Chase enjoys empowering students in our program’s unique vibe and culture.

Laneshia Bogart

Student Services Assistant

Laneshia Bogart is our school’s primary Student Services Assistant. She is always happy to greet students and parents when they come through our doors. Laneshia enrolled her daughter in the Gracie Bullyproof program in 2022. Laneshia loves our family based environment and saw immediate growth in her daughter’s character, and confidence. She and her daughter have become like extended family to owners Austin and April. Laneshia knows our programs inside and out and will help get you signed up and ready for your first class. Laneshia enjoys being active in her church, as well as meeting new people and learning new things.

10 Day Risk Free Trial!

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to try Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Jonesboro for 10 days, completely risk free!

Our

C4 Instructors

During each Gracie Bullyproof class, a certified head instructor may be assisted by C4 assistant instructors. C4 = connect, collect, correct, and communicate. C4 instructors are volunteers who train Jiu-Jitsu and receive specific training to help facilitate Gracie Bullyproof classes.