# Simple Man Martial Arts > Austin, United States ## Overview **Name:** Simple Man Martial Arts **Description:** ###**A NEW NAME. THE SAME STANDARD. A WIDER REACH.** Simple Man Martial Arts is the evolution of B-Team Jiu Jitsu, one of the most respected grappling academies in the world. Built by a group of world-class competitors and coaches, the academy has become known for producing elite athletes, refining modern grappling systems, and setting a global standard for innovation and performance. The name may have changed, but the foundation remains the same. The same coaches. The same methods. The same relentless pursuit of excellence. What has evolved is the mission. Simple Man Martial Arts exists to make world-class martial arts training accessible to everyone, from absolute beginners to experienced professionals, through a clear, structured, and supportive approach. ###**OUR PURPOSE** Martial arts should be powerful, not complicated. At Simple Man Martial Arts, we believe the path to mastery starts with simplicity: clear instruction, consistent training, and honest effort. Our goal is to help every student, regardless of background or experience, reach their highest potential through the art of Jiu Jitsu. We take the same principles that have led our coaches and athletes to success on the world stage and make them teachable, understandable, and repeatable for everyday people who want to challenge themselves and grow. ###**THE SIMPLE MAN PHILOSOPHY** The philosophy behind the name is straightforward: Focus on what matters most. Remove what doesn’t. Every class, every drill, and every technique follows that idea. We emphasize efficiency, clarity, and intention in everything we teach. The goal is not to memorize endless techniques, but to understand how and why the art works, and to develop confidence through application. Simplicity is the path to depth. By mastering the fundamentals, students build a foundation strong enough to explore every level of the art, from self-defense to competition. ###**WHO TRAINS HERE** Simple Man Martial Arts is for anyone who wants to improve through Jiu Jitsu. You will find professional athletes and complete beginners training side by side, each pushing to improve through the same structured system. Some students come to compete. Some come to build strength, discipline, and focus. All come to learn. No matter your starting point, our coaches will meet you where you are and help you progress at your own pace. The only requirement is consistency and effort. **Status:** Active ## Contact Information **Address:** 1701 W Ben White Blvd Austin, TX 78704, United States **Phone:** 737-310-3838 **Email:** Info@simplemanmartialarts.com **Website:** https://www.simplemanmartialarts.com ## Pricing ### Drop-in - Adult: $50/class **Free trial:** Yes (Free trial class) ## Instructors ### Nick Rodriguez - Black **Role:** Head Instructor **Bio:** Nick Rodriguez was born in August 1996, in Clayton, New Jersey, United States. Raised in NJ, a strong wrestling state led Rodriguez to the mats at the age of 12. Competing for Clayton High School’s team Nicky qualified for the NJSIAA championships as a senior. After HS Rod caught the attention of Ferrum College, who brought Rodriguez to their wrestling program in the state of Virginia. Rodrigues spent 1-year training at Ferrum and competing for the Division III college wrestling team where he went 34-7 and placed fourth at the East Regionals, albeit, failing to qualify for the NCAA tournament. After his experience with collegiate wrestling, Nick opted to pursue a modeling career while adding jiu-jitsu classes to his daily activities, a discipline he initiated in June 2018 with instructor Jay Regalbuto, at South Jersey BJJ. Regalbuto immediately realized Rodriguez’s potential for submission-grappling, launching Nicky into the competitive side of the sport after a mere 3 weeks of training. Jay’s intuition proved right as the former wrestler conquered two pro-level tournaments in two months while holding on to an undefeated record. After such a promising start, making a run for the upcoming ADCC USA East Coast Trials became a chance worth taking. To improve and test the talented jiu-jitsu rookie, Rodriguez, and coach Regalbuto started attending different workgroups, which ultimately led them to Gordon Ryan , arguably the best no-gi competitor in the world. Rodriguez’s first private lesson with Ryan took place in October 2018. Coach Regalbuto’s initial plan relied on Gordon also recognizing Nicky Rod’s potential and inviting him to Danaher Death Squad’s training room. The idea proved successful as Nick started visiting DDS in New York twice per week in the build-up to the ADCC Trials, taking bronze in the tournament 1 month later, with about 6 months of training. Coach Jay promoted the Jersey native to blue belt while he stood on the podium. Rodriguez made another run at the trials a few months later in California, this time earning his ticket to the main event. In September 2019, Nick Rodriguez competed at the ADCC World Championships, one of the toughest competitions in the no-gi jiu-jitsu world, where he beat several world-class black belts on his way to a silver medal and subsequent purple belt promotion, (also while standing on the podium,) from coach Jay Regalbuto. After his ADCC experience, Rodriguez started training full-time with coach John Danaher , both in New York and later in Puerto Rico, when the team relocated to the US-owned Caribbean island. Once the team split, in 2021, Rodriguez helped form B-Team (check more on that below). In December 2023, Nick Rodriguez was promoted to black belt by his teammate and co-founder of B-Team, Craig Jones. SPLIT FROM DANAHER DEATH SQUAD In July 2021, coach John Danaher announced the end of the Danaher Death Squad as a unified training and competition team, alluding to “ the physical location of a future school, personality conflicts, conflicting values and an inevitable tension between the team brand and the growing individual brands of members ” as the main factors for the split ( original statement here ). Later that year, in August 2021, Nicky announced his new team, one formed alongside a few of his DDS training partners, namely Nicky Ryan, Craig Jones, and Ethan Crelinsten. This new group was labeled the “B-Team” with its training base being set in Austin, Texas. **Lineage:** John Simon → Lachlan Giles → Craig Jones ### Nicky Ryan - Black **Role:** Head Instructor **Bio:** Nicky Ryan was born on June 27, 2001, in New Jersey, United States of America. Influenced by his older brother, Gordon Ryan , Nicky started training jiu-jitsu at a local club when he was 8 years old. His first impressions of this combat sport were not optimal, training on-and-off for a while at a maximum of 2x per week until his interest faded away. Seeing his brother’s career grow, and having Gordon pushing for him to return on a regular basis finally convinced Nicky to make a comeback, which happened in early 2015. This second turn was very different from his first attempt at grappling, as Nicky started enjoying it and adding more effort to his training. This workload brought his talent to the surface. The training methodology, which included heel hooks from his very first month of training, proved fruitful and had Nicky Ryan winning adult tournaments at the age of 13(!), often making clean sweeps out of these events. These incredible achievements at such a young age were echoed in many grappling-based internet forums at the time, raising Ryan’s profile. Although devoted to jiu-jitsu, being in high school conflicted with his training schedule, therefore, in 2016 Nicky Ryan decided to leave the traditional school system. In an interview with the BJJ Brick podcast, on September 19, 2016, Ryan explained he was being homeschooled, with his tuition handled by his jiu-jitsu coach, John Danaher – himself a Columbia University Philosophy major. In 2016, at the ADCC East Coast Trials, Nicky Ryan leaped forward in name recognition after placing 3rd in the event – one of the toughest tournaments in the nation. He was 15 years old at the time. Ryan would repeat the podium the following year, at the East Coast trials. These two performances earned the teenager an invitation to the World Championships in Finland, in September 2017. Nicky was 16 years old when he entered the main show and there became the youngest athlete to ever compete in this championship, arguably the most important tournament in the sport. Following coach John Danaher’s program, Nicky earned his purple belt on June 21st, 2017, at the age of 16. A rank that is seldom given to athletes in their teens. Nicky was later promoted to brown belt, on October 9, 2019, with his black belt promotion taking place on November 3, 2020, on the same day as his training partner Ethan Crelinsten. **Achievements:** - Polaris Invitational 145 lbs Champion (2018, 2019) - Youngest Athlete To Ever Compete in the ADCC (2017) - 1st Place ADCC US West Coast Trials (2019) - 2nd Place ADCC US East Coast Trials (2023) - 3rd Place ADCC US West Coast Trials (2017) - 3rd Place ADCC US East Coast Trials (2016) **Lineage:** Carlos Gracie → Hélio Gracie → Carlos Gracie Junior → Renzo Gracie → John Danaher ### Chris Wojcik - Black **Role:** Instructor **Bio:** Team: B-Team ### Damian Anderson - Black **Role:** Instructor ### Declan Moody - Black **Role:** Instructor **Bio:** Declan Moody is an English-born black belt, raised in Australia and promoted by Kane Gehling in 2019, who trains at Simple Man Martial Arts in Austin. He went 3-2 for the WNO All-Stars at Polaris 35. ### Ethan Crelinsten - Black **Role:** Instructor **Bio:** Ethan Crelinsten was born on May 14, 1994, in Montreal, Canada, where he spent his formative years. A late bloomer to sports, Crelinsten was not a sporty child growing up, with his first contact with a competitive activity coming at the age of 19, through mixed martial arts (MMA), a decision taken by the influence of the growing popularity cage fighting experienced in Canada at the time. During his first experience at a small, local gym, Ethan’s training was solely focused on striking and wrestling, and it was only when he made the move to the larger TriStar gym, that Crelinsten added jiu-jitsu to his weekly activities, under the gym’s leader – Firas Zahabi. With time, Ethan started enjoying jiu-jitsu more than he did MMA, a sentiment that led him to switch gears and focus all his efforts solely on submission grappling. The link with the Renzo Gracie Academy and John Danaher’s workgroup came from Tom Breese, a TriStar fighter who brought in one of Danaher’s star pupils, Gordon Ryan, to TriStar for a fight camp. The superior technical ability of Ryan led Ethan to the source, in New York. With Crelinsten’s continuous success on the mats, the Canadian quickly became part of the Danaher Death Squad elite group of grapplers, although all belts – from white to brown, were awarded by Zahabi, who continued to tutor Ethan in partnership with Danaher. In November 2020, Ethan was awarded his black belt by coach John Danaher, the same day as teammate Nicky Ryan. THE END OF DDS AND START OF B-TEAM In July 2021, coach John Danaher announced the end of the Danaher Death Squad as a unified training and competition team, alluding to “ the physical location of a future school, personality conflicts, conflicting values and an inevitable tension between the team brand and the growing individual brands of members ” as the main factors for the split ( original statement here ). Later that year, during the Summer months, Ethan, Craig Jones, and Nicky Rodriguez announced their new team. This new group was labeled the “B-Team” with its training base being set in Austin, Texas. Ethan Crelinsten vs Keith Krikorian **Achievements:** - 1st Place ADCC East Coast Trials (2018) - 1st Place ADCC West Coast Trials (2017) - 1st Place Jitz King Invitational (2020) - 2nd Place BJJ Fanatics 170lbs GP (2020) - 2nd Place P-Belum Invitational (2020) - 2nd Place Onnit Invitational 4 (2017) - 3rd Place ADCC East Coast Trials (2023) **Lineage:** Carlos Gracie → Hélio Gracie → Carlos Gracie Junior → Renzo Gracie → John Danaher ### Liam Crelinsten **Role:** Instructor **Bio:** Liam Crelinsten is a competitive grappler and coach recognized for his disciplined approach to training, strong fundamentals, and commitment to consistent improvement. As a two-time Canadian ADCC Open Champion, Liam brings proven competitive experience and a practical understanding of what it takes to perform under pressure. Originally developing through the Canadian grappling scene, Liam established himself as a focused and driven athlete with a game built on efficiency, control, and repeatable decision-making. His success at the ADCC Open level reflects not only physical preparation but a clear grasp of positional awareness and competition strategy. As a coach, Liam emphasizes structure, fundamentals, and intelligent progression. His instruction focuses on helping students understand why techniques work, how to apply them against resistance, and how to build confidence in live situations. Whether working with newer students or competitive athletes, Liam prioritizes clarity, consistency, and long-term development. Liam represents a modern approach to grappling—disciplined training, thoughtful preparation, and steady growth. His coaching is designed to give students the tools to improve efficiently, compete with confidence, and develop a strong technical foundation that holds up at every level. --- **Last Updated:** September 30, 2026 **Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/gyms/united-states/texas/austin/simple-man-martial-arts)