Robert Tahtinen
Head BJJ & Muay Thai Instructor - Black Belt - 1st degree
Robert began training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2011 under Cleber Luciano following 15 years of wrestling. He primarily focused on MMA until 2016 when he retired from MMA with four title belts and a King of the Cage victory. He then moved to Rhinelander to another Cleber Affiliate, and eventually became the lead instructor there. He focused on building a no gi program and began competing nationally, primarily in no gi. After receiving his brown belt in 2019, he relocated to Deforest, trained in Arizona for a brief stint, before coming back to the Deforest area as the lead no gi instructor. He was awarded his black belt from TAC team in October 2021 and has gone on to win an IBJJF open and the Arizona State No Gi tournament. He still competes regularly throughout the year while coaching his students as well. He is our lead instructor and is available for private lessons upon demand as well. Robert also received his first degree from Professor Leo Vieira, head coach on Checkmat HQ.
Robert also hosts the Lattes and Leglocks Podcast which is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Jason Mayerl
Head Kids BJJ Instructor - Brown belt
Jason started his Jiu-Jitsu journey in 2018 at the spry young age of 42. He enjoys BJJ for self-defense, physical fitness, and the camaraderie of the BJJ family. He looks forward to passing on his learnings to others.
Off the mat he enjoys hunting, fishing, in addition to brewing (and occasionally consuming) his own beer. He's also one of those uber-nerds that is into computers, electronics, and HAM radio.
Bryce Ferguson
Assistant Kids BJJ Instructor - Blue Belt
Bryce began training Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai in 2023. He enjoys regularly training for combat and competition. As there’s always something new to learn with these sports, he is enjoying the journey and looking forward to continue to grow and improve.
Outside of the gym, Bryce spend most of his time developing embedded avionics for satellites (several of which are currently orbiting the globe). In his remaining free time, he enjoys several other hobbies such as reading, 3D printing/modeling, personal electronics projects, and dabbling in music composition.
Joshua Reiner
Head Kids Muay Thai Instructor
Husband, Veteran and father of 4, Joshua began training Muay Thai and Boxing in 2008. He has coached youth and adult boxing classes at JJ's Boxing and Wrestling for about 6 years. He’s also a certified Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Though he considers himself terrible at Jiu-Jitsu, he hopes to someday graduate from white belt. He loves to teach boxing and Muay Thai fundamentals.