Owner Matt Smith is the head instructor here at Halcyon Jiu-Jitsu. Matt is a decorated Army veteran (Purple Heart) who began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu while on active duty. Matt eventually became a Modern Army Combatives instructor, and continued to teach combatives to active duty soldiers as a civilian contractor after leaving the service. Matt has extensive qualifications as a jiu-jitsu and combatives instructor. In addition, he is an experienced and accomplished competitor with a long list of wins in jiu-jitsu, grappling, and mixed martial arts competitions. But despite his experiences teaching soldiers and competing in MMA, Matt’s current interests are in teaching families and children the life-changing benefits of Brazilian jiu-jitsu training. “I named the school ‘Halcyon’ because it means calm and tranquil, and that’s what jiu-jitsu practice has given me – an inner peace,” Matt says. “And that’s what I want to share with other people; how to have peace through studying jiu-jitsu.”