Gracie Jiu-Jitsu blue belt, Houston Cottrell, 17 years old, is the youngest certified instructor with the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy, and now head instructor and owner of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Madison.
His academy is Mississippi’s only Gracie Academy-certified training center.
Having completed an extensive instructor certification program in July 2014 he became the youngest certified Gracie Jiu-jitsu Instructor.
Houston faced ‘The BJJ Hour‘ a panel of BJJ journalists and black belt instructors and answered all their questions regarding why he decided to open an academy when there are already other black belts with academies in his area.
Houston stated:
I started training 6 and a half years ago with ‘Competition’ Jiu-Jitsu. I went to train at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, California and fell in love with the program and wanted to the same thing back home.
We are an official Gracie Jiu-Jitsu training centre.
There is always an adult at all times during the classes to handle student conflict.
My students are evaluated by the Gracie academy by video and promoted in person.
When asked: Why did you want to open your own school when there are black belts teaching in your area?
Houston: There are two different sides in Jiu-Jitsu: ‘Brazilian’ Jiu-Jitsu and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. They are two completely different animals. I teach something different than the other academies in the area.
You have the sport side and the street self defense style.
I don’t want to train under the BJJ black belts in my area because we don’t do the same style of Jiu-Jitsu.
BJJ instructor Josh Mancuso, a BJJ black belt, answered:
I don’t buy into that. Jiu-Jitsu is the same. ‘Gracie’ Jiu-Jitsu is just marketing.
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