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427 Marilyn Lane, Alcoa, TN, 37701

OUR INSTRUCTORS

MICHAEL WARD

Business Owner / Head Instructor

Michael Ward is the founder and owner of the FITBJJ martial arts academy gym in Alcoa which surrounds Maryville, Knoxville, Lenoir City and Farragut. With over 20 years of experience in the martial arts industry and an extensive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts background, Michael decided to move from Sydney, Australia to Maryville/Alcoa, Tennessee to pursue his passion for martial arts and help improve the mental health and physical health of people across East Tennessee. You will find Michael at the academy 50 hours per week and six days a week to ensure martial art classes are run at the highest level possible.

With such a profound understanding of the applicability of Martial Arts which spans across Jiu-jitsu, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts and Muay Thai as a practice, Michael created the FITBJJ academy gym in Alcoa within the Knoxville / Blount County area in 2022. As of 2025 we have over 350 martial art students and each student has different goals from weight loss, improving their fitness and overall health and also martial art competitions. Within three years we have had at least 35 students compete in:

  • USA Boxing Competitions
    • We have competed in many Amateur USA Boxing competitions across Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and Georgia
  • Muay Thai Competitions
      Top Tenn Promotions - Full contact Muay Thai event in Tennessee
  • Mixed Martial Arts Competitions (MMA)
    • Aries Fight Series - Tennessee MMA based promotion
    • HRMMA - Kentucky MMA based promotion
    • Future Of Fighting - Kentucky MMA based promotion
  • Grappling Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Competitions

FITBJJ Maryville And Alcoa - Forearm Grippers, Grow Your Forearms, Arm Wrestling
FITBJJ Maryville And Alcoa - Increase Endurance For Football, Speed For Football

MICAH GRAHAM

MMA / Boxing / Muay Thai Instructor
Current MMA Fighter

Micah Graham has been coaching at FITBJJ for nearly two years. He specialises in Muay Thai, Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Micah is currently an Amateur Mixed Martial Arts fighter at the martial arts academy with the goal to make it to the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) in the future.

Micah is a very talented martial arts striker and grappler and has a great in depth knowledge of the mechanics of Boxing, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Micah specialises in providing new students with an introduction class which helps beginners with the fundamentals and basics to get started in martial arts. Micah a former Maryville High School football player was able to make the transition smoothly into martial arts and has not looked back since. With his strong mental mindset he is an asset to FITBJJ and can help everybody improve both their mental and physical health and achieve all of their goals whether it is weight loss or to compete and fight.

FITBJJ Maryville And Alcoa - Forearm Grippers, Grow Your Forearms, Arm Wrestling
FITBJJ Maryville And Alcoa - Increase Endurance For Football, Speed For Football

BLAKE MILLER

Boxing Instructor

Blake Miller has been training and coaching boxing at FITBJJ since the very beginning. He specialises in all boxing fundamentals and techniques and if you are looking to improve your boxing skills, Blake is fantastic at breaking down the fine art of boxing. You will find Blake at FITBJJ every day coaching and training and we guarantee you will be impressed by his extensive boxing knowledge.

FITBJJ Maryville And Alcoa - Forearm Grippers, Grow Your Forearms, Arm Wrestling
FITBJJ Maryville And Alcoa - Increase Endurance For Football, Speed For Football

WE ARE NEAR YOU AT 427 MARILYN LANE, ALCOA TN 37701
(Our martial arts and fitness gym is nextdoor to the Tennessee Vein Center)

LEARN WITH OUR FREE BLOGS

Football, BJJ, & Biomechanics
BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-jitsu) grappling can make a football player an even better player due to (although not limited to) the mechanical drivers that are involved within the two sports
Improve Your Physical & Mental Fitness With BJJ
BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) was developed with the purpose of promoting the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using proper leverage and technique to control an assailant or submit them
Why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
There are many different types of martial arts that cover different aspects of self-defense or just certain elements of combat sports as a whole. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), is often referred to as “the gentle art.”