Hi I'm Mark, 

My Story

Hi, I’m Mark, head coach and founder of Lincoln BJJ. I’ve been passionate about martial arts since my teens, starting out with Karate in the early '80s. Over the last four decades, I’ve explored a wide range of disciplines including Kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Filipino Martial Arts, Jeet Kune Do, and of course, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

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My first real introduction to BJJ came during a trip to the USA in 1995, but it wasn’t until 2008 that I began training properly under black belt Italo Ferreira. I earned my blue belt from Italo in 2009, and after he moved abroad, I continued training under Felipe De Souza. In 2012, I was awarded my purple belt by Felipe and José Henrique Leão Teixeira.

After Felipe returned to Brazil, the club was without direction for a while, until we were fortunate enough to be welcomed under the wing of Simon McGovern, who’s been a guiding figure ever since. Under Simon’s mentorship, I received my brown belt in 2022.

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I'm happy say that Lincoln BJJ was the first legitimate BJJ club in the city. Back when we started, there was a lot of confusion, some were claiming to teach BJJ without the credentials to back it up. I wanted to change that by offering something authentic, with real lineage and a focus on quality training in a supportive, ego-free environment.

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Outside of BJJ, I continue to train and teach Jeet Kune Do and Kali. I also hold black belts in Karate and Kickboxing, and instructor-level certifications in Filipino Martial Arts and Jeet Kune Do under respected names like Richard Bustillo, Dan Inosanto, and Rick Faye.

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These days, I split my time between coaching classes  and private lesson in Lincoln and Sheffield, as well as developing new projects like the Combined Fighting Arts classes in Lincoln, as well as continuing my own learning as both a martial artist and coach. Whether you’re a total beginner or a seasoned practitioner, you’ll always be welcomed here.