Endurance BJJ Instructors

Like many, James Clingerman started his Martial Arts Journey at the local Karate Dojo.
While it was a fun activity, he realized early on that he was looking for something more practical for self-defense. James took up Japanese JuJutsu and Judo at the age of 15 and then in 1997, he met a local Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Blue Belt instructor and began training under the Gracie Association (Rorion Gracie).

James was awarded his Blue Belt from Royce Gracie after competing at the Inaugural Gracie Nationals tournament in California. Coach Clingerman went on to represent the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Association for several years. He eventually changed his Team Affiliation and earned his Purple, Brown, and Black Belt under Mario Roberto (a pupil of Master Anibal Braga). James now, a 3rd Degree Black Belt, has his own Team and National Affiliation. He is directly promoted by Master Anibal Braga, an 8th Degree Red and White Belt.

James spends all of his time immersed in Jiu-Jitsu; teaching daily at both Endurance BJJ, in Zionsville and Indiana Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy (IBJJA), in Greenwood. He also runs TheFightHub.com where you can find many of his Instructional videos.

BJJ Fanatics recently noted that James was “One of the most respected Jiu-Jitsu Instructors in America”.

Coach Clingerman’s level of Jiu-Jitsu knowledge is as deep as it gets! He is always in high demand for seminars and private lessons. He travels all over the North America training, teaching, and Competing.

After 9 years of Wrestling and serving in the Army National Guard, Coach Darrell “Bulldog” Smith had an MMA career that spanned nearly 70 Fights. He had success in events such as,King Of The Cage, Cage Rage, AFC, Hook’N’Shoot, & Bodog (Costa Rica).

In 2003, Darrell began training Jiu-Jitsu and MMA with Coach James Clingerman. Eventually, Darrell moved his focus from MMA to Jiu-Jitsu and earned his Black Belt in 2018.

When the Clingerman’s took the reigns of Endurance BJJ from Coach Mat Stratta, Coach Smith was the one who took over teaching as the Head evening Coach. Currently, due to his full time job, he isn’t teaching every night, but he is still on the mats often, teaching and training.

Elliot is currently Endurance BJJ’s Wrestling coach, teaching takedown basics Monday and Wednesday evenings. A former collegiate wrestler at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, and currently the Head Wrestling Coach at Riverside Junior High School in Fishers, Indiana, Elliot brings 20 years of Wrestling experience to our mats.

Elliot is a former Army Infantry Officer with 8 years of service and combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. He is a graduate of the Army Airborne School and the Army Ranger School. While in the Army Elliot earned the Army’s Combatives Level 3 certification and taught hand to hand combat to soldiers as a staff officer in multiple battalion level postings.

Elliot’s teaching style is a blend of the direct, clear, and concise method the Army taught at BIT (basic instructor training), and the more playful and free-flowing method youth wresting and jiu jitsu has taught him over the years. His greatest joy is to teach new wrestlers in a patient manner, and to dispel the myth that wrestling is too difficult to learn.

Elliot was first introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu through the Army’s Combatives program in 2007, and began training full time in a civilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in 2010 while stationed in Fort Benning, Georgia. Since that time, Elliot has trained Jiu-Jitsu at various academies all over the states and internationally.

Elliot is currently a Jiu-Jitsu Brown Belt and has been with Team James Clingerman since moving to Indiana in 2015. He is the author and inventor of the “Simple System”, a structured and efficient Wrestling takedown system tailored to middle school and beginner wrestlers.