Monroe Jiu Jitsu - Monroe, Michigan

Monroe Jiu Jitsu - Monroe, Michigan Monroejiujitsu.com ABOUT:
Monroe Jiu Jitsu founder 3rd degree Black Belt Todd Williams is a Monroe, Michigan native that made his name through distance running.

He was a state champion, All American at Monroe High School(1987) before moving onto even greater things where he made two United States Olympic teams in 1992 (Barcelona) and 1996 (Atlanta). After retiring from professional distance running in 2002 he immediately started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and self defense training. After 6000 hours and 8 years of hard work he received his black belt and certific

ations in self defense from Legendary Coral Belt Luiz Palhares January 22nd 2011. At this point Todd created RunSafer.com and began teaching runners, joggers and walkers how to be safer while out exercising. He has conducted over 400 safety workshops in 31 states as well as instructing students in Jacksonville, Florida at the Luiz Palhares Academy . He also had the opportunity to instruct law enforcement as well the National Guard. Todd has trained and learned from some of the best in the world including 16 world champions; Marcelo Garcia, Bernardo Faria, Wellington "Megaton" Dias, Andre Galvao, Saulo Ribeiro, Xande Ribeiro, Augusto Tanquinho, Helio "Soneca" Moreira, JT Torres, Lucas Lepri, Tainan Dalpra, Josh Hinger, Mikey Musumeci and the list continues to grow. Todd wants Monroe Jiu Jitsu to be a great place to learn a great martial art that can change lives

06/18/2026

Somebody saw my cauliflower ear and said, "You must be a badass." 🤣

I laughed and told them, "No, I'm not a badass at all. If anything, training has taught me the opposite."

Jiu-jitsu has taught me never to judge a book by its cover. It's taught me to stay humble, stay smart, avoid unnecessary situations, and treat people with respect. The longer I've trained, the more I've realized there's always someone out there who can catch you, humble you, and remind you that you're not invincible.

Real confidence isn't about proving you're tough. It's about knowing what you're capable of, understanding your limitations, and having enough wisdom to walk away when you need to.

That's one of the biggest lessons jiu-jitsu has ever taught me.

STAY HUMBLE
KEEP LEARNING
KEEP TRAINING

🔥 Sign Up Now for Monroe Jiu Jitsu's Rolling With The Ladies Jiu Jitsu Camp! 🔥Join us June 26-27 for an unforgettable wo...
06/14/2026

🔥 Sign Up Now for Monroe Jiu Jitsu's Rolling With The Ladies Jiu Jitsu Camp! 🔥

Join us June 26-27 for an unforgettable women-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experience featuring two of the sport's most accomplished athletes:

🥋 Nathalie "Tata" Ribeiro
Known for her technical guard game and strategic pressure, Nathalie Ribeiro is one of the top female competitors in the world. She is an IBJJF World Champion in both Gi and No-Gi, as well as a multiple-time Pan American Champion.

🥋 Hannette Staack
A true pioneer of women's Jiu-Jitsu, Hannette Staack is one of the most decorated female athletes in the history of the sport. She is a multiple-time IBJJF World Champion, three-time ADCC World Champion, and an IBJJF Hall of Fame inductee. Her impact on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has helped pave the way for generations of women in the sport.

💜 Rolling With The Ladies is more than just a camp—it's a weekend of learning, training, recovery, and connection. Enjoy multiple training sessions, recovery massages, skill-building extras, and time to bond with an amazing community of women who share your passion for Jiu-Jitsu.

Whether you're looking to sharpen your game, learn from world-class instructors, or simply spend a weekend surrounded by inspiring women, this is an event you won't want to miss!

đź“Ť Monroe Jiu Jitsu
đź“… June 26-27
🎟 Register today: monroejiujitsu.com/rollingwiththeladies

Spots are limited!

06/14/2026

Three times per week at Monroe Jiu-Jitsu, I have our kids spar in front of their teammates, coaches, and parents. They step out onto the island knowing that everyone is watching. They know they might win, and they know they might lose.

Some people see it as just sparring. I see it as an opportunity to teach life lessons.

When a child steps onto the mat in front of a crowd, they learn how to deal with pressure. They learn how to manage nerves and anxiety. They learn that courage isn't about being fearless—it's about moving forward and giving your best effort even when you're nervous.
They learn accountability. Once the match begins, there are no excuses. The effort, attitude, and preparation belong to them.
They learn resilience. Sometimes they win. Sometimes they lose. Sometimes they get caught in a submission or find themselves in a difficult position—like one of our young athletes who lost a tooth 🦷 in the middle of a match this week. (For anyone wondering, he was checked out and everything is fine—it was a baby tooth!) Even in unexpected moments like that, kids learn how to stay calm, handle adversity, and keep moving forward.

They learn confidence. Not because they always win, but because they realize they can face difficult situations and overcome them.

One of the biggest lessons I try to teach is humility. If you win, stay humble. Respect your opponent. Understand that there is always more to learn and more work to do. Winning is never an excuse to show off or disrespect someone else.

If you lose, be a good sport. Learn from it. Shake hands. Get back to work. Some of the greatest lessons in life come from setbacks and disappointment.

I also expect respect from everyone in the room. Whether you're the one sparring or the one watching, be respectful. Encourage your teammates. Cheer them on. Support one another. There is no place for poor sportsmanship, negativity, or disrespect toward a training partner.

At Monroe Jiu-Jitsu, we're not just trying to build champions on the mat. We're trying to build confident, respectful, hardworking young people who can handle pressure, adversity, success, and failure the right way.
Win or lose, I ask our kid

06/05/2026

People often ask me how I've been able to train, roll, teach, and stay involved in jiu-jitsu for the last 25 years.

The answer isn't complicated.

First, I learned how to battle through adversity.

Second, I learned to deal with aches, pains, and the reality that your body isn't going to feel perfect every day.

Third, I showed up on the days I didn't feel like showing up. Consistency matters more than motivation.

Fourth, as I got older, I adjusted. I slowed my rolling down, became more selective with my training partners, and trained smarter instead of harder.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is people thinking that jiu-jitsu is only about hard rolling, hard wrestling, and grinding every session. They skip fundamentals classes because they just want to spar.

The reality is that some of the most important days in your development happen when you're not rolling at all.

If you're injured, beat up, or trying to recover, you can still show up. You can watch. You can learn. You can drill. You can attend class and improve your understanding of the art.

Too many people get hurt, disappear for weeks or months, and eventually quit. Not because they had to, but because they believed training only counted if they were rolling hard.

Longevity in jiu-jitsu isn't about proving how tough you are today. It's about being smart enough to still be on the mats 10, 20, or 30 years from now.

Show up. Learn. Train smart. Protect your body. Keep coming back.

The people who last aren't always the toughest people in the room. They're the ones who never stop learning and never stop showing up...even when they are banged up a little.

06/03/2026

I had a discussion recently with someone who opened up a jiu-jitsu academy, and also in the past with someone who opened up a running store, and it reminded me of something that a lot of people don’t fully understand.

Over the years, with both my running background and my jiu-jitsu background, I’ve heard so many people say:

“Man, I love running. I should open a running store.” “I love jiu-jitsu. I should open an academy.”

But loving something for yourself and building a business around it are two completely different things.

It’s one thing to love running because you enjoy training, racing, and improving yourself. It’s one thing to love jiu-jitsu because you enjoy rolling, competing, and learning.

That’s the selfish side of passion — and there’s nothing wrong with that.

But when you open a business, everything changes.

Now you’re not just a runner or a jiu-jitsu practitioner anymore.

You become:
• A psychologist
• A counselor
• A coach
• A competitor
• A mentor
• A problem solver
And on top of that:
• A janitor
• A plumber
• An electrician
• A nurse
• A bookkeeper
• An accountant
• A customer service representative

You answer nonstop phone calls and messages. People come after you hard. Problems don’t stop. Responsibility never shuts off.

And that lifestyle is not cut out for everyone.

Owning an academy, a gym, or any business built around your passion is WAY different than simply enjoying the activity yourself.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t rewarding — because it absolutely can be. If you truly love working, serving people, solving problems, and building something bigger than yourself, it can be one of the most fulfilling things in the world.....I personally LOVE IT AND THANK GOD EVERYDAY 🙏

But if you think opening a business means you’ll just get to “do what you love all day,” understand this:

Most days, you’ll spend more time managing people and problems than actually doing the thing you originally loved.

And another thing — if you do decide to jump into a small business, understand that you’ll probably never feel 100% prepared.
But do everything possible to BE prepared financially.

Have a plan. Understand your overhead. Get ahead financially before you jump in.
Because financial stress while trying to build a small business is one of the hardest things a person can deal with.

Being under pressure financially while also carrying the responsibility of employees, customers, bills, rent, equipment, repairs, and everyday problems can wear people down quickly.

So if you’re going to take that leap, try to put yourself in the best financial position possible before you do.

Just something to remember when you decide you want to turn your passion into a business.

Ladies street clothes personal safety and safety tip classes are so important..... Every girl and woman should learn how...
06/03/2026

Ladies street clothes personal safety and safety tip classes are so important..... Every girl and woman should learn how to protect themselves better....

It kills me when I hear the peanut gallery say "that girl couldn't hold off an attacker" I'm like so what is a female suppose to do just not train at all and never try! Training hard in Jiu Jitsu, getting stronger and learning how to protect yourself is priceless for the ladies!

Register at a good academy and get started!

LADIES DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!ROLLING WITH THE LADIES FEATURING TWO OF THE BEST.... NATHALIE RIBEIRO AND Hannette S...
05/30/2026

LADIES DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!

ROLLING WITH THE LADIES FEATURING TWO OF THE BEST.... NATHALIE RIBEIRO AND Hannette Staack .....

Women 16 and up are welcome!

REGISTER NOW!

MONROEJIUJITSU.COM/ROLLINGWITHTHELADIES

The mats are packed with kids at Monroe Jiu Jitsu....Kimuras to the right and Triangles to the left..... constantly work...
05/25/2026

The mats are packed with kids at Monroe Jiu Jitsu....Kimuras to the right and Triangles to the left..... constantly working on the fundamentals!

Get your child registered for summer classes ASAP....

MONDAY 5:00 PM
WEDNESDAY 5:00 PM
FRIDAY 5:00 PM CONDITIONING

Listening to a OG Black Belt Chris Hauter podcast the other day and it got me thinking…There comes a time when the old B...
05/24/2026

Listening to a OG Black Belt Chris Hauter podcast the other day and it got me thinking…

There comes a time when the old Black Belt Jiu-Jitsu school owner must make a choice…

Train every day like he’s still a young buck trying to prove himself… or stay as healthy as possible so he can continue teaching effectively for years to come.

After 20–30 years on the mat, the body starts talking back. The neck, fingers, shoulders, knees, lower back… they all remember the thousands of rounds, tournaments, hard camps, injuries, and battles that happened 20 years before many of today’s white, blue, and purple belts even stepped onto a mat.

One thing younger students must understand is this:

When the older black belt purposely stays away from certain individuals who only want to smash, explode, and hunt taps, it’s usually not because he’s “dodging” anybody.... definitely not that!

It’s because those rolls become dangerous.

The older instructor understands the risk vs. reward. One reckless scramble, one wild takedown, one ego-driven exchange can create an injury that affects not only his training… but his ability to teach, run the academy and continue helping students.

And the reality is…

The old black belt has already been in those wars thousands of times before — often with much tougher, more experienced people than the young student trying to prove something during a Tuesday night roll.

At some point, longevity becomes the real black belt skill.

The goal changes from: “Can I beat everyone in the room?” to: “Can I still train, teach, inspire, and stay on the mat another 10–20 years?”

That’s not weakness.

That’s wisdom earned through decades of battle.

As Chris Hauter said:

“If you want to train in this art and be effective until you're 70, then when you're 30 roll like you're 40… when you're 40 act like you're 60"...

Make smarter decisions earlier in your Jiu-Jitsu journey so you can be effective later. The ones that don't listen to that advice probably won't be on the mat for long… especially not for 30 years.

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11 East 2nd Street
Monroe, MI
48161

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