Minot, North Dakota is home to the youngest Certified Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Instructor in the world: Jesse Ward who is just 16 years old. He studied through Gracie University and received his blue belt then became an official Gracie certified instructor at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy through Ryron and Rener Gracie. Jamie is also a Taekwondo black belt under Dan Merck, Owner of ATA Martial Arts. Merck stated:

” He started (martial arts) when he was just six, seven years old. He was so uncoordinated, sometimes you didn’t know what to do with him, but he had the best attitude of anyone you ever met in your life.”

Jesse took over as the lead instructor of ATA Fitness last fall. He’s a black belt in Taekwondo and now a certified Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Instructor. However, he’s only a blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu, so it’s back to work to achieve his purple, brown, and maybe even black belt some day. (Jesse Ward, 16 years old — Certified Grace Jiu-Jitsu Instructor):

“Helio Gracie is the grandfather of the people who I went and certified under. He’s their grandfather, so you’re really learning directly from the source. It feel good knowing how young I am, taking on high school, teaching Taekwondo, teaching Jiu-Jitsu — I still have the ability to go out there and do what some of the adults even couldn’t.

And sometimes, the student surpasses the master. One adult that didn’t make the cut was one of Jesse’s trainers. Dan was a few points off his blue belt and didn’t qualify for the instructor program. (Dan Merck, Owner of ATA Martial Arts) “When they achieve something that is beyond me, I couldn’t be more proud and couldn’t be more happy that he surpassed me.”

KXNet.com – Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson-KXNEWS,ND

Jesse at 16 is tied Gracie Jiu-Jitsu blue belt, Houston Cottrell, who last year at age 16 years, became the youngest certified instructor with the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy, and now head instructor and owner of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Madison. Houston Cotrell is now 17. His academy is Mississippi’s only Gracie Academy-certified training center.

Cottrell teaches both adults and children, with the Gracie bullyproof program.