The KU Club Sports program offers a wide variety of student-run and operated clubs for students to enroll in. Among these, the KU Jiu-Jitsu Club, located in the Ambler Student Recreation Center, stands out as a unique learning experience.

Caleb Beasley | [email protected]

According to Matthew Mork, the current president of the KU Jiu-Jitsu Club, the Club began 12 years ago. Prior to joining the club, Mork participated in wrestling in highschool. Mork originally joined the KU Jiu-Jitsu during the fall semester of 2024 when he discovered KU does not have a wrestling club on campus.

“A while back, when the club was in its infancy, it wasn’t very large,” Mork said. “Only a handful of members would come in here and train. But now, of course, we get anywhere from 10 to 25 different people per practice.”

Over the recent years, combat sports have grown in popularity, particularly with the rise of mixed martial arts. Mork also shed light on what drives students to join the club and explores whether the surge in combat sports has any impact on the club’s attendance.

“Through figures like Joe Rogan and just the general explosion of MMA as a sport, many more people now are interested in training martial arts,” Mork said. “Many of our members are familiar with Jiu-Jitsu from martial arts, others want to learn self-defense and others just purely enjoy it. For many members of the club, it kinda becomes one of their primary hobbies.”

With the influence of mixed martial arts being one of the many reasons for KU students joining the club, other members spoke about their reasons for getting involved.

Blake Nelson, a two-year member of the KU Jiu-Jitsu Club, shared his thoughts on how mixed martial arts influenced him joining the club.

“I have always been super interested in martial arts growing up,” Nelson said. “I was always a big fan of things like MMA, like UFC, for years. Growing up, my parents were never like a big fans of martial arts but when I came to college, I finally found an opportunity to do it.”

Dutch Keo, a new member of the KU Jiu-Jitsu Club who joined about a week ago, shared his reasons for joining, and his current experience with the environment.

“I wanted to start in a club close to my peers and close to everybody around my age,” Keo said. And plus, if I went to any other gym, they would get started pretty quick. And here they just ease you into it and everybody’s very understanding of that too.”

In addition to the influence of mixed martial arts, another appealing aspect of the club is the cost compared to other locations. Mork shared his insights on how the KU Jiu-Jitsu Club stands out in comparison to other Jiu-Jitsu gyms and the possible reasons why students are interested in their club.

“The cost barrier is pretty steep for other gyms. Most gyms will range from anywhere from $80 to $150 to $200,” Mork said. “We are essentially cost-free aside from the t-shirt to generate some revenue.”

Mork also said that the KU Jiu-Jitsu Club is a great environment for beginners, since other gyms can be intimidating for individuals without prior experience with martial arts. Mork said the club is able to keep the costs low since they have little external expenses.

Nelson also shared his experience with the club and his opinion on the club in comparison to other jiu jitsu training locations.

“I just think the KU Jiu-Jitsu Club offers the best training for what you have to do to be a member of the club,” Nelson said. “It’s like you’re not paying like 100 to 200 bucks a month. So it’s just like such a nice advantage being a student here that we get to use this club. It’s super, super convenient, so that’s the main reason I joined this club.”

Beyond the cost factor, the club’s environment has also made it an attractive option for students like Keo, who shared his experience regarding the club’s environment.

“I love the environment, Tuesday was my first day over here and everybody’s just welcoming,” Keo said. “I’m a pretty big guy, but I’m also one of the worst guys in jiu-jitsu. I’ve been getting beat up here Tuesday and today, so it’s pretty humbling, but everybody’s nice and it’s cool.”