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Sampson Jiu Jitsu Academy proudly serving Southlake since 2016
Sampson Jiu Jitsu Academy has Classes in Southlake, Perfect for Kids, Teens, and Adults Martial Arts Lessons.
Who we Are And why You Should Train Here
Since we’ve opened, we’ve been dedicated to changing the lives of people one person at a time, through martial arts, education and coaching. We strive to provide a safe, comfortable and welcoming atmosphere for all students and family members. We take pride in creating an environment for individuals to achieve, develop and succeed in their personal goals.
We strongly believe that martial arts can be for everyone, regardless of age, gender or experience levels. Throughout all of our programs, students will not only learn the necessary skill sets to protect themselves, we stand behind our realistic and practical approach, confident it will enable every member to achieve greatness and live their best life..
Get To Know Our World Class Instructors
Jason Sampson
“Jiu-jitsu saved my life” is something that you will hear Jason Sampson say if you hang around him long enough, and he means it. Two other sayings you’ll often hear is “hard work pays off” and “believe in yourself and you will succeed.”
These are the principles that Jason adheres to in his own life and the principles upon which SAMPSON JIU JITSU ACADEMY is based. Jason was a tough kid growing up in a bad part of town in a troubled home and was known as a trouble maker most of his life. This all changed when he began wrestling at the age of 12. He took to the sport easily which kept him out of trouble and led to him becoming an All-American on the wrestling team at the Apprentice School in Newport News, VA. A freak accident led to a wrestling opponent being paralyzed and resulted in Jason and his college wrestling team being dragged into a big lawsuit. During this time, Jason was in major turmoil as he had wrestling taken away from him and he once again found himself around the wrong people which led to major drug use and more than one overdose. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed as Jason had acted 100% within wrestling rules, but the damage had been done and Jason had lost all hope. It was after the lawsuit was dropped that Jason found his passion for jiu-jitsu and what led to his passion for MMA. Jason began his jiu-jitsu career in Oklahoma City under Rafael Lovato Jr. and where he won the prestigious Pan American Championship in 2006.
Jason returned to Texas in 2008 as a purple belt where he started his coaching career at Mohler MMA and Jiu-Jitsu and where he received his black belt in 2013 under Allen Mohler (by way of Romero Jacare Cavalcanti). Fighting and jiu-jitsu single-handedly saved his life as they became his new addiction and one that caught on very quickly, pulling him away from the negative influences and back onto the grappling mat. Jason became 100% drug free and began his MMA journey in 2009, going undefeated in his first eight professional bouts with all but one coming by way of a submission or TKO finish. Five years later the jiu-jitsu black belt and MMA fighter has amassed a professional record of 14-1 and is ready for the next big step into the big leagues. Jason brings with him a huge heart and passion with him to anything he is involved with However, his special passion in life is working with kids and helping them achieve their goals. Having grown up in a troubled home himself, he is able to connect and relate to the kids he trains in a special way, in a manner that is tough on them while still providing a positive and nurturing learning environment. The children he trains can often be seen at jiu-jitsu tournaments amassing various medals and swords, winning high school wrestling district championships, or standing up to bullies, all utilizing the special skills and confidence he has instilled in them.
Skyler Tabbert
Coach Skyler is our Adult Jiu Jitsu instructor. After beginning Jiu Jitsu in 2011, he received his black belt under Carlos Machado in 2019. He has also trained with and learned from other great Jiu Jitsu minds like John Danaher, Gordon Ryan, Garry Tonon, Eddie Cummings, Lucas Pinheiro, Marcelo Garcia, and all of the Machado Brothers.
He believes that the foundation of a healthy life is built by forging yourself into someone that can be confident and calm under stressful situations. This concept became vital when experiences with bullying began to shape his mental, physical and spiritual life. Coach Skyler believes that becoming a martial artist is about consistently managing challenges, learning what you and your specific body can and can not do and then sharing what you have learned so that others can discover their potential and live a healthy life. His goal as an instructor, is to help equip students with the tools necessary to be confident in their own skin, thus shaping their life outside of the school.
Coach Skyler is father to a wonderful daughter and husband to an amazing wife. Outside of the gym his hobbies include bike riding, reading and teaching Jiu Jitsu.
Neal Ewing
Coach Neal Ewing is our Kickboxing coach as well as our Little & Jr. Champs coach. He is a brown belt under Carlos Machado, and is a current Jiu Jitsu competitor.
Neal has been involved in martial arts for the last 12 years. He initially got started in martial arts to lose weight, but one year and 70 lbs later it was a permanent part of his life. Not long after, in 2011 he began fighting professionally in MMA and went on to amass a 6-0 record.
As a professional MMA fighter, he trained with Coach Sampson under Sayif Saud for 10 years. He has also trained under other elite coaches such as Paulie Ayala and Tony Mack for boxing, and Jamill Kelly and David Bertolino in wrestling.
When he’s not teaching or training, Coach Neal and his wife are avid travelers. In 2019, they quit their corporate jobs and traveled around Asia for 7 months seeing 12 different countries. When arriving back to the states they made the decision to not return to corporate life and devote their lives to martial arts, health, and fitness.
Susan Sampson
Susan Sampson is Coach Sampson’s wife and the glue that holds Sampson Jiu Jitsu Academy together. Originally from the mountains of North Carolina, she started snowboarding at the age of 15 in the mid-90s and was one of the first female certified American Association of Snowboarding Instructors in the Southeast.
Susan is a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu and has been privileged to train with many high level practitioners of the sport from all over the globe. She has trained in Jiu Jitsu, boxing and Muay Thai for over a decade. She is an avid lover of travel and loves spending time with her family.
Aaron Parasiliti
Coach Aaron grew up locally in Irving, TX and lived most of his life here in the metroplex. He has worked in the automotive industry for the past 22 years. Growing up he was heavily involved in sports where he played youth football with Coach Sampson’s older brother and throughout his adult life he has always stayed active through recreational sports.
In late 2019 he reached out to Coach Sampson to give Jiu Jitsu a shot, and February 2022 he earned his blue belt. He then began assisting the staff with the kids classes a several days a week.