ABOUT | Bear Trap American Jiu Jitsu

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CULTURE

"It's working harder than everybody else, wanting it more than everybody else, no excuses, no BS, it's just making something happen and surrounding yourself with amazing people that truly want you to succeed. When you finally find that, when you find people that really truly want you to be successful, it's amazing what a human being can accomplish."

- Heath Pedigo

Bear Trap American Jiu Jitsu is run by Drew & Niki, a husband-and-wife team who want to take jiu jitsu to the next level for West Michigan. We are a Pedigo Submission Fighting affiliate under Derek Featherstun, a black belt under Rodrigo Vaghi. He was born and raised in Mt. Vernon, Illinois alongside Heath Pedigo, founder of Pedigo Submission Fighting. He would later become the first PSF black belt world champion at the IBJJF 2021 No Gi World Championships. Derek now runs Pedigo Submission Fighting Los Angeles.

At Bear Trap AJJ, our goal is to build champions and elevate the sport in the Muskegon area. Team culture is everything: we strive to build a gym where everyone is supported, and where teammates show up for each other through thick and thin -- in training, in competition, and off the mats.

We know everyone is capable of learning with the right level of instruction. We focus on strong, high-level foundations with a forward-looking approach that mixes elements of wrestling and judo into jiu jitsu, or "wrestle-judo-jitsu", for an exciting style of grappling that gives you the edge over the competition.

We practice techniques with safety in mind and with a dedication to improving skills, as well as becoming better athletes, teammates, and community members day by day.