Meet James Quan of Maven Jiu-jitsu Academy

Today we’d like to introduce you to James Quan.

James, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was first introduced to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu during my college years, attending school in Oregon in the 90’s. I was in the student gymnasium working out and as I was leaving, I walked past two guys in an empty room. I found it unusual that one guy was between the other guy’s legs. I peeked my head in to check on them and they explained to me that they were practicing Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. They invited me over to take a class.

The following week, I walked into the gym and they put me up against a scrawny 13-year- old kid. At the time, I was a beast of a man, weighing over 250 pounds and I was pretty confident in my martial arts abilities of Judo. The next thing I knew, I was completely drained and dumbfounded. This scrawny kid, whom I had completely underestimated, had choked me seven times in a few minutes. Right then and there, I knew that I had found the right martial art for me.

After college, I moved to San Diego, California where I was very fortunate to learn under Carlson Gracie Blackbelt, Rodrigo Medeiros. At the time, I was getting my Master’s in Education at the University of San Diego and continued my jiu-jitsu training at night. The seemingly calm, laid-back, beachy atmosphere of Rodrigo’s academy was really a trial-by-fire type of environment. Rodrigo did a great job teaching the techniques, but after that it was like fight club. The attitude was, “get in there, swim with the sharks and if you walk out alive, you got better in the process.” In the end, I was blessed to be able to be raised in that environment, as it brought toughness, humbleness and discipline.

I went from white belt to black belt under the same instructor and I learned many valuable lessons before moving to Spring, Texas in 2014. Fortunately, I was able to get in contact with an old teammate, Jeff Messina, who was already running a successful academy in Houston. He did a lot to help me get started and open Maven Jiu-jitsu Academy.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have always loved two things in life: teaching and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. One of my biggest struggles early on was meeting my high personal expectations of learning how to not only teach, but be proficient in my understanding of Jiu-jitsu. Many of my teammates have told me that I should have opened an academy 10 years ago. However, I wanted to make sure that I truly had something to offer my students in terms of depth of understanding and how to pass that knowledge on to them.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Maven Jiu-jitsu Academy story. Tell us more about the business.
Maven Jiu-jitsu is a school that focuses on the practice and understanding of the art of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. We have a family environment that offers classes in both self-defense and sport jiu-jitsu for kids as well as adults.

My specialty is in projecting the fine details and understanding of the complex art of BJJ. I am known for my technical understanding and my unique ability to transfer that knowledge to others. I try to leave my students with the impression that athletic abilities are important, but the science and physics of the art is what is needed to deeply understand and be successful in the long term. Also, I have a Master’s Degree in Education and I have spent many years studying BJJ. This gives me the unique position of knowing both pedagogy and content knowledge, which is the perfect recipe for producing great students.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck has played a huge role in the start of my business. I was very fortunate to have met my first student Joe Leon Guerrero during my time back on Guam. He really convinced me that I should open a jiu-jitsu school. He encouraged me to be an instructor and have this wonderful opportunity to positively affect people’s lives.

I was also very lucky to have been helped by my friend, Jeff Messina, the owner of Revolution Dojo. He helped guide me through the process of opening an academy and continues to offer me great advice.

Lastly, I was very lucky to have a very supportive wife who sees my passion and abilities to serve others. We are a great team and without her none of this would have been possible.

Contact Info:

• Address: 3332 Spring Stuebner Rd Ste B
  Spring TX 77389
• Website: www.mavenbjj.com
• Phone: 281-786-9910
• Email: jamesfquan@gmail.com
• Instagram: mavenbjj
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mavenbjjtx/

Image Credit:
Ed Lauron
Angelica Arrambide

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