Jiu-Jitsu Instructor / Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt

James Smith

James' Background

My name is James Elvis Smith Jr, and I am a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Ricardo “Franjinha” Miller. For more than 25 years I have trained in a variety of martial arts including wrestling, Jiu Jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, kickboxing, boxing, and MMA. My primary specialty is the grappling arts with a focus on Jiu Jitsu and wrestling. I have coached freestyle, folkstyle, and Greco Roman wrestling up to the high school level and actively instruct, coach, and compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Paragon. My style is more technically inclined as a grappler which has led me to focus more on attention to detail in my instruction. My teaching style varies depending on the student being taught, but I prefer to keep my classes upbeat and enthusiastic. Potential new Paragon members should know that as an instructor I value effort and a desire to learn above all else. I believe that increasing skills incrementally over time through consistency and effort has the highest potential for long term success for any martial artist.

As a competitor I still love the preparation, mindset, and focus that is required to perform at your absolute best. I enjoy the entire process and still have a “lead from the front” mentality from my time in the Marine Corps.

In my humble opinion Paragon’s culture is unparalleled. I have been on numerous teams in a variety of sports and have never found a group of people that are so supportive of one another. This begins with the leader of Paragon Ventura and the founder of Paragon Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Franjinha. His philosophies for teaching and his approach to training has really shaped the culture at Paragon and continues to have a rippling effect throughout the grappling community. Our community is strong, and anyone who joins this team will find the benefits immeasurable.

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