Aroostook BJJ

Aroostook BJJ, also operating as Aroostook Grappling Club, holds classes in 1,200 square feet of mat space downstairs at Serendipitous Dragonfly at 79 Main in Houlton, Maine. Instruction is guided by Houlton native Sam Holmes, who began Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2010 under Relson Gracie black belt Toney Waldecker, trained regularly under Greg Connor starting in 2016, and earned his purple belt in August 2019 from 8th degree coral belt Master Joe Moreira. He is joined by Ray Koppel, who holds a black belt in Kuk Sool Won under Eric Lee and a Judo brown belt under David Quinonez while training Judo under Brahim Bethi, along with brown belt Lindsay Bates, who started training in late 2012. The academy teaches both gi and nogi sport and self-defense Jiu-Jitsu across a Kids class for ages 9 and under where parents may join on the mat, a Youth class for ages 10 to 15, an Adult class for ages 14 and over, and first responder classes on request. New students receive their first class free.