Brandon getting interviewed at the Rickson Gracie Seminar


Interested in being a sponsor please contact Brandon Hetzler at info@brandonhetzlerjj.com or please feel free to make a donation. All donations are appreciated and will help Brandon and his students compete in more tournaments. All donations of $100.00 or more will have their company logo and information displayed on the sponsor page. 

* Brandon Hetzler began his martial arts training at the age of 12. He quickly established himself as a natural, winning many local, regional, national and international tournaments. Brandon continued training six days a week until the age of 17, at which time he joined the United States Marine Corps. While serving as an infantry man in the Marines, he continued his martial arts training along with the Marine Corps hand-to-hand combat training. Between martial arts and the Marine Corps fitness program he got into top physical condition, using many unique bodyweight exercises.

* In 1990, Brandon was sent on a routine deployment to Okinawa, Japan and the Phillippines. This was an awesome chance for him to train with many Okinawan Karate Masters, an experience most people only dream about. While on the island of Okinawa, being only 18 years old, he became one of the youngest Non-Comissioned Officers in the Marines, beating out several thousand other Marines for this promotion. With this new rank, Brandon was in charge of as few as 5 Marines and up to as many as 50 Marines. A big responsibility as you could imagine. Being an infantry unit, it was highly important that we have an extensive physical fitness program above anybody else in the Corps. That's when Brandon designed this very unique program, combining exercises from the Marines and martial arts.

* Come to find out his unique and extensive exercise program was about to be put the test. Brandon's infantry unit received orders to the Gulf War. His unit became part of Task Force Grizzly, a foot mobile infantry unit. Task Force Grizzly would walk over 150 miles with a full combat load on their back weighing around 80-100 lbs. Although this was an extremely difficult task, his unit seemed to have far less problems than Marines from other units. This was seen by senior officers and after the war, he was given a combat award for the extensive knowledge of his weapons systems and for the outstanding physical condition of his platoon.

* In 1992, Brandon was sent to Parris Island to become a Marine Corps Drill Instructor. This was yet another great accomplishment at only 20 years old, he was one of the youngest Marines to become a Drill Instructor since Vietnam. While at Parris Island he trained thousands of recruits, focusing on drill movements, physical exercise and hand-to-hand combat, an experience that he felt put him on top of the physical fitness game. To think, somebody so young was in charge of training the worlds most elite fighting force. A responsibility most of us could not even imagine.

* In 1997, after 8 years of honorable service Brandon decided to leave the Corps. He moved back to Florida and continued his martial arts training. Now focusing on Goju-Ryu Karate as taught by the International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do federation, or simply IOGKF. In 1998, after receiving his 3rd degree black belt, Brandon along with his best friend and training partner Mike Smith, were selected by Karate Master Morio Higaonna to be on the United States fighting team. This team would represent the IOGKF USA and would compete against teams from around the world in a full contact tournament. Although this was a great honor, both Mike and Brandon would have to decline. Due to work and other commitments it was just bad timing.
(In case you’re wondering who Master Morio Higaonna is, he is the leading authority on Goju-Ryu Karate and some say karate itself. He is a living legend and is considered the lion of Okinawa, renown for his fierce fighting techniques.)

* In 1999, Brandon made the big move to California to train with the IOGKF chief instructor Sensei Shingu. It was through Sensei Shingu that he was first introduced to the famous Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. This was the same Jiu-Jitsu that has been undefeated for more than 70 years. Brandon found a Rickson Gracie school in his area and started training. Rickson Gracie is a living legend and he brought Jiu-Jitsu back to Japan, with this beating the Japanese at their own game. He has been given the title of Samurai by the Japanese people. The Japanese take this title very seriously. No other foreigner has been given this title.

* After meeting the Legendary Rickson Gracie at a seminar, Brandon dropped all other things and studied Jiu-Jitsu as taught by Rickson Gracie exclusively. He soon realized that Rickson only trains with bodyweight exercises. Rickson is undefeated in more than 400 fights it would be safe to say, bodyweight exercises are AWESOME!! Although he had an extensive knowledge of bodyweight exercises before he met Rickson Gracie, he has learned more unique exercises from Rickson. Along with a lot of breathing exercises.

* Brandon is a 3rd degree black belt in Okinawa Goju-Ryu, a black belt instructor under Rickson and Kron Gracie. He has also trained in Muay Thai and Aikido. With over 25 years of martial arts and a very unique bodyweight exercise system, he feels he has an unbelievable wealth of knowledge both in the martial arts and physical conditioning.