BJJ Seminars & Self-Defense Workshops — Bring Strong Heart Academy to You

Strong Heart Academy brings world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction directly to your location across the Phoenix Valley and beyond. Led by Professor Mike Martin — a 4th Degree Black Belt under 12-time World Champion Caio Terra and founder of North Phoenix's longest-running BJJ academy — our seminars are tailored to your audience, your space, and your goals. Whether you're a school administrator, HR director, community organization, or event coordinator, we'll design a program that delivers real value on the day and leaves your group with practical skills they'll remember.

★ Professor Mike Martin · 4th Degree Black Belt · Caio Terra Association

Strong Heart Academy brings world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction directly to your school, office, or organization across the Phoenix Valley and beyond. Whether you're an administrator, HR director, women's group coordinator, or community organizer — we'll design a program that delivers real, lasting value for your audience.

Led by Professor Mike Martin — founder of North Phoenix's longest-running BJJ academy since 2009 — every seminar is tailored to your group, your space, and your goals. No martial arts experience required. Just a room, your people, and an open mind.

Programs We Offer — Click Any to Jump to Details
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Schools & Youth Programs
Assemblies · Anti-bullying · After-school series
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Corporate Wellness
Team-building · Lunch-and-learn · Ongoing wellness
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Women's Self-Defense
Practical skills · Real confidence · Any venue
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Custom Programs
First responders · Community orgs · Special events
15+
Years Teaching
9
Black Belt Coaches
200+
5-Star Reviews
10+
Min. Group Size
Valley-Wide + Travel
🏫 For Schools · K–12 · Districts · After-School Programs

Our school assembly program uses Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu principles to teach kids how to stay safe, set boundaries, and respond to bullying with confidence rather than fear. Professor Mike has worked with children of all ages since 2009 and knows how to hold a room — from kindergarteners to high schoolers.

Programs cover personal space awareness, verbal boundary-setting, basic escape techniques, and the mindset of a strong heart. Available as a single assembly, a multi-day residency, or an after-school series. Serving North Phoenix, Scottsdale, Deer Valley, and surrounding school districts.

What's Covered
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Personal Space Awareness
Recognizing unsafe situations before they escalate
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Verbal Boundary-Setting
Confident de-escalation language for kids of all ages
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Basic Escape Techniques
Age-appropriate physical skills to create distance and stay safe
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Strong Heart Mindset
Confidence, resilience, and the courage to ask for help
Program Format Options
Single Assembly
45–60 minute program for the full student body or a specific grade. Ideal for Anti-Bullying Awareness Month or one-time events.
Multi-Day Residency
2–5 days of progressive instruction across grades or classes. Builds on each session for deeper skill retention and student engagement.
After-School Series
Weekly or bi-weekly program run at your campus. Students build real skills over time in a structured, progressive curriculum.
★ Note for Administrators
All school programs are designed to meet your campus's safety and conduct guidelines. We work with PE departments, counselors, and administrators to ensure content is age-appropriate and aligned with your student wellness goals. No prior experience or equipment needed — we bring everything.
💼 For Businesses · HR Departments · Corporate Wellness Programs

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most effective team-building experiences available — it requires trust, communication, problem-solving under pressure, and mutual respect. Our corporate seminars are designed for groups with zero martial arts experience and take place in your facility or at Strong Heart Academy.

We serve businesses across the North Phoenix corridor including Norterra, Desert Ridge, and the Scottsdale technology and healthcare communities. Programs can be formatted as a one-time event, a lunch-and-learn, or an ongoing employee wellness series.

Why BJJ Works for Corporate Teams
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Trust
Partnered training builds real, immediate trust between colleagues in a way most team events can't replicate.
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Problem-Solving
BJJ teaches decision-making under pressure — a skill that transfers directly to high-stakes work environments.
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Respect & Inclusion
On the mat, size and title don't matter. BJJ creates a level playing field that fosters genuine mutual respect.
Available Formats
One-Time Wellness Event
A 60–90 minute team experience at your office or at Strong Heart Academy. Great for company retreats, wellness days, or holiday events.
Lunch-and-Learn Self-Defense
A focused 45-minute session covering practical self-defense fundamentals. Fits in a lunch break. No changing, no mats required.
Ongoing Wellness Series
Weekly or monthly sessions that build skill progressively. Employees develop real fitness, stress relief, and community over time.
Team-Building Package
Half-day program combining a trust and communication workshop with hands-on BJJ instruction. Designed for leadership groups and new teams.
★ Black Belt Detail
Every instructor on our team has been through the same experience — learning to stay calm, think clearly, and move efficiently when someone else is applying pressure. Those aren't just BJJ skills. They're leadership skills. The people who take the most away from our corporate programs are usually the ones who came in most skeptical.
🛡️ For Women's Organizations · Sororities · Church Groups · Fitness Studios · Corporate Women's Programs

Strong Heart Academy's women's self-defense workshops teach practical, effective techniques drawn directly from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — the martial art specifically designed for smaller individuals to control and escape larger opponents. No prior experience required. No special equipment needed. Just show up.

Led by experienced black belt instructors in a supportive, no-pressure environment. We come to you — all you need is a clean floor and your group. Minimum 10 participants.

Skills Every Workshop Covers
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Situational Awareness
Recognizing and avoiding threats before physical contact — the most important self-defense skill
Wrist & Grab Releases
Simple, effective techniques to break common grabs without relying on strength
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Ground Escape Fundamentals
How to get up safely from the ground — the most critical real-world survival skill in BJJ
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Confidence Under Stress
Training the nervous system to stay calm and act clearly — not just know what to do but be able to do it
Who Hosts These Workshops
Women's Organizations University & College Groups Sororities Church & Faith Communities Fitness Studios Corporate Women's Programs HOA & Community Groups Healthcare & First Responder Teams
★ Why BJJ Works for Women's Self-Defense
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was developed specifically around the principle that technique defeats size and strength. Every escape, every wrist release, every ground recovery in these workshops is based on leverage — not power. A 120-pound person who knows the mechanics can consistently break the grip of someone twice their weight. That's not motivational language. That's physics. And it's trainable in a single session.
🎯 First Responders · Community Events · Health Fairs · Parent & Child Programs

No two groups are the same. If you have a specific audience, a specific goal, or a unique format in mind — we'll build around it. Tell us who you're serving and what you want them to walk away with. We'll design the rest.

Past custom programs have included first responder defensive tactics refreshers, parent-and-child self-defense workshops, summer camp programs, health fair demonstrations, and community outreach events. Minimum group size is 10 participants. Available throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area and for destination events statewide.

Examples of Past Custom Programs
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First Responders
Defensive tactics refreshers for law enforcement, fire, and EMS teams
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Parent & Child
Shared workshops where parents and kids learn basic safety skills together
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Summer Camps
Multi-day youth programs focused on confidence, respect, and physical fitness
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Health Fairs
Live demonstrations and introductory sessions at community health events
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Community Outreach
Faith communities, youth centers, and nonprofit organizations
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Your Idea Here
If you have a group and a goal, reach out — we'll figure out the right format together
Logistics at a Glance
Minimum Group Size 10 participants
Space Required A clean, open floor — gym, conference room, classroom, or outdoor space
Equipment We bring all training materials — participants wear comfortable athletic clothing
Service Area Phoenix metro area and surrounding Valley — destination events statewide available
Response Time We follow up within 24 hours of every inquiry — no commitment required to start a conversation

Ready to bring Professor Mike and the Strong Heart team to your school, office, or organization? Fill out the form below and we'll follow up within 24 hours to discuss your event, your group, your location, and how we can make it happen.

No commitment required to start a conversation — just tell us a little about what you have in mind and we'll take it from there.

★ Squarespace Form — Recommended Fields
Below this block, add a Squarespace Form Block and include these fields:

Name (short text, required)
Organization Name (short text, required)
Organization Type (dropdown: School / Corporation / Women's Group / Community Org / First Responder / Other)
City / Location (short text, required)
Estimated Group Size (short text)
Preferred Date Range (short text or date picker)
Type of Program (checkboxes: School Assembly / Women's Self-Defense / Corporate Wellness / Team Building / Custom)
Tell us about your event (long text / paragraph, required)
Phone Number (short text, required)
Email Address (email field, required)
Best way to contact you (radio: Phone / Email / Either)

Set form submission to send to mike4martialarts@hotmail.com and display a thank-you message: "Thank you — Professor Mike will follow up within 24 hours to discuss your event."
About Your Instructor
🥋
Prof. Mike Martin
4th Degree Black Belt
Caio Terra Association
Strong Heart Academy · Est. 2009

Professor Mike Martin is a 4th Degree Black Belt under 12-time World Champion Caio Terra and the founder of Strong Heart Academy — North Phoenix's longest-running Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy since 2009.

Originally trained under BJJ legend Joe Moreira, Mike has over two decades of experience teaching martial arts to students of all ages, backgrounds, and ability levels. He leads a coaching staff of 9 active black belts and has developed one of the most respected youth BJJ programs in the Phoenix Valley.

4th Degree Black Belt Caio Terra Association Joe Moreira Lineage North Phoenix Since 2009 200+ Five-Star Reviews 9 Active Black Belt Coaches
Ready to Bring Strong Heart Academy to Your Group?
Fill out the form above or call us directly — we respond within 24 hours.
Strong Heart Academy · 3150 E Union Hills Dr #115 · North Phoenix, AZ 85050