April 24, 2017

Meet Mark Carroll of Allen JiuJitsu Club in Allen

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Carroll.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Mark. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
September 1st, 2016 was a turning point in my life. It was a fall Saturday morning, and I was one week away from one of the biggest Brazilian JiuJitsu tournaments of my career. As I pulled up to the door, a couple teammates were standing outside already, door locked. Our professor normally rolled in 5 minutes before class starts, but today the door remained locked. As we all were waking up, one of us realized that the sign on the door was not the normal informational sign. Today, the gym would be closed permanently. An eviction notice was posted. Just like that, our spot to learn and grow was cut off, and two years of blood, sweat and tears were gone.

We waited to hear on Monday if someone had made a mistake, or a check had been missed by the landlord, but all for naught. Tuesday, same story. Wednesday, a group of guys from the gym sat down for coffee and discussed a plan. Each of us had multiple children that we have seen grow in their leadership, their physical agility, and their mental toughness. These were traits we didn’t want to let go of, so the plan was formed. We were going to work hard to get the doors back open. Not only for us, for our children, but for the countless number of other families who want a clean, safe, fun environment for their children to learn the art of Brazilian JiuJitsu.

Almost 6 weeks later, and countless numbers of hoops jumped through, the doors will be reopened and the Allen JiuJitsu Club will be the place for children and their parents to learn and grow with fellow students, family members and the Allen community.

Fast forward to today, we are currently moving forward with a great core group of kids and adults. We have built a solid foundation in the community, where we host multiple volunteer events at elementary schools, participate in PTA events, and try to provide a positive spot for families to learn self-defense, discipline, and respect in a fun yet structured learning environment.

Has it been a smooth road?
Honestly, no. At every turn with a small business there are major challenges. The three partners did not expect to become business owners 6 months ago, so each and every piece of this journey has been similar to a game of chess. We work together, weigh our options on each decision, but there have been lots of small failures. Each one has been a learning experience. With each move, we are happy with where we are, but there are a lot of struggles we would do differently if given a do-over. One thing that has helped significantly is the number of other small business owners around us that collaborate and work together. The Allen and greater Dallas community is a wonderful place to own a business and work with people.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Allen JiuJitsu Club – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Allen JiuJitsu Club is a family oriented gym that caters primarily to children 4-18 teaching them Brazilian JiuJitsu. Brazilian JiuJitsu is becoming one of the most important forms of self-defense for children because it does not use striking (kicking or punching). The goal is to keep an attacker away from you, and give you an advantage regardless of size to escape a bad situation. The Allen JiuJitsu Club specifically focuses on teaching children of all shapes and sizes to use the tools they have (both mentally and physically) to protect themselves from bullying. What sets us apart from other martial arts and even other BJJ gyms is our focus on community involvement and really setting a family first atmosphere to foster learning.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The Greater Dallas area is just a wonderful diverse community. The Allen JiuJitsu Club currently has members from 14 different countries, and several diverse ethnic backgrounds. Everyone who has come to our gym all have the same goals in mind, building a community that respects one another, learns from each other, and works together to better themselves. It is a wonderful testament to the way Allen and Dallas have embraced their citizens.

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