Ryan Clark – Owner
Ryan has been training since 1992 at the age of 15. His training has taken him to Japan, Brazil, Australia, Canada and numerous states, both to teach and learn. Ryan received his Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2006 and is a representative for 4x World Championship medalist Wellington “Megaton” Dias. He received his Senior Instructorship level in Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts under Sifu Paul Vunak and Sifu Thomas Cruse in 2002 and an Associate Instructorship under Guro Dan Inosanto in 2006. Ryan has worked with professional athletes and has taught everything from law enforcement programs for the DEA to local and national seminars on realistic martial arts. Ryan has taught at two major Universities in Oregon, the University of Oregon (1995-1998) and Portland State University (2000-2002). He’s appeared in 6 different video series for Progressive Fighting Systems as well as appeared in Black Belt Magazine with Paul Vunak. Co-owning Northwest Martial Arts Academy, Ryan currently lives in Eugene, Oregon with his wife Stormy and two daughters Sydney & Taylor. He can be reached at (541)232-6300
Harold Utterback – Owner
Harold Utterback started training in Filipino Kali and Jeet Kune Do concepts in 1992 under Terry Grant and Thomas Cruse. He met Rickson Gracie in 1993 and the met Wellington “Megaton” Dias in 1996. An avid competitor he has numerous competitions in boxing, Judo, Sambo and his beloved Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Megaton Dias invited him to Brazil in 2002 to compete in the Mudial “Worlds of Jiu Jitsu” and the Masters of Jiu Jitsu. Since then he has returned every year with his friends and students to compete and further his Jiu Jitsu knowledge and teaching methods.
Ryan Kelly – Owner
Ryan began training and or competing in Judo when he was 8 years old. After a couple years he switched to training Tae-Kwon-Do and then to Kenpo Karate. At age 14 Ryan was introduced to Jeet Kune Do concepts be Senior Full Instructor Thomas Cruse who had just moved to Eugene. “I had finally found what I was searching for” says Ryan. He began serious apprenticeship under Tom, who then introduced him to martial arts legend Paul Vunak, Dan Inosanto, Rickson Gracie, and Wellington Dias. Within days of graduating high school he packed his bags and started traveling all around to train with the best fighters in the world. Eventually he stayed in Phoenix, Arizona for a couple of years to do serious competition training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo under Wellington “Megaton” Dias. During this time Ryan competed and fought as often as he could to test himself and his training.
Ryan moved back to Eugene sometime around 1996 and together with his training partners Harold Utterback and Ryan Clark they started Northwest Martial Arts. “At first we mainly just taught people so that we would have more people to train with”. Since that time Northwest Martial Arts has continued to improve every year and so has it’s instructors as we continue our own training with many top instructors from around the world.
Among Ryan’s ranks and accomplishments are;
- Full Instructor Jeet Kune Do concepts and Filipino
Martial Arts
- Gracie Jiu Jitsu Black Belt
- Russian Sambo Instructor
- Judo Black Belt
Josh McNamera - Owner – NWMA Corvallis
Josh co-operates Northwest Martial Arts in Corvallis, Or. He is a 4th degree brown belt under Northwest Martial Arts. Josh’s training career started in 1999 with Harold Utterback and Ryan Kelly. He has won gold at Pan Ams and at the National Championships. Josh intends on studying Martial Arts for the rest of his life. He has made training on a regular basis a way of life.
Max Smyth - Owner – NWMA Corvallis
Max co-oporates Northwest Martial Arts in Corvallis, Or. Born and raised Eugene, Max fell in love with sports at an early age, mainly Wrestling and Baseball. When Max found Jiu Jitsu he fell in love with it. Jiu Jitsu really changed his life for the better and found it to be the most challenging sport he had have ever tried, mentally and physically. Max is currently a 2nd degree Purple Belt. Some of Max’s accomplishments include:
2008 Pan Am- 2nd place
2008 World Championships- 2nd place
2009 World Series Grapplers Quest Gi- 3rd place
2009 worlds Series Grapplers Quest No Gi- 2nd place
2010 Houston International- 2nd place
2010 Las Vegas Open- 1st place
2010 Las Vegas Absolute Class- 3rd place
2010 Las Vegas No Gi- 1st place
2010 Nationals- 3rd place
2010 US Open- 1st place
2010 US Open Absolute Class- 3rd place
2011 Los Angeles Open- 2nd place
2011 Los Angeles Open- 2nd place
Brent Primus- Head MMA Instructor
Brent has lived in Eugene his whole life and has always been successful in sports, spending the majority of his adolescence playing soccer. Brent lacked direction during his last few years of high school when he came across NWMA 6 ½ years ago. After his first day training as a white belt, Brent soon discovered he had a lot to learn when it came to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA. Never one to turn down a challenge, Brent started going to the gym every day pushing himself and his teammates. Brent is proud to now be a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a professional fighter, retiring as an amateur with the 155 lb. belt and a record of 6-1. Mixed Martial Arts has given Brent confidence, respect, and overall a healthier life! Some of Brent accomplishments include:
4 X 1st place Sub League
2006 Pan Americans won gold
2007 Pan Americans won silver
2007 World Jiu Jitsu tournament won bronze
2009 Oregon Open won gold
2010/2011 Las Vegas Open (Gi/ NoGi/ open weight) won gold
2010 International Open (Gi/ NoGi/ open weight) won gold
2010 Oregon Open (Gi/NoGi) won gold
2010 US Open (Gi/ NoGi/ open weight) won gold
2011 Revolution won gold
*Brent to date has never had a point scored on him as a brown belt competitor!
Mark Manning- MMA Instructor
Heath Howitt- BJJ Instructor
Heath started wrestling at the age of 12 and competed until he was 16 winning numerous matches and tournaments. Moved to Oregon in 1999 from Ohio and started training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and volunteer coaching wrestling at Churchill highschool. Currently Heath holds the rank of brown belt in BJJ and all of his martial arts training has been at Northwest Martial Arts under Ryan Kelly, Ryan Clark, Harold Utterback, and Ben Baxter. Heath also owned Rise Fighting Championships promoting mixed martial arts fights from 2006-2008.
Seth Dawson- MMA, Muay Thai Instructor
Seth is an Oregon native, wo started training at Northwest Martial Arts seven years ago at age 19. He began training mostly Muay Thai under previous coach, Damian Hommel. Seth is currently a Blue Belt and has had 7 amateur MMA fights. He’s also well versed in Fitness and Conditioning regimens and is certified under team USA weightlifting to teach oly-lifts. Seth loves living in Oregon and enjoys the outdoors.
Dustin Twedt- BJJ, JKD Instructor
Dustin has been practicing martial arts since 1985. With a background in high school wrestling, Dustin quickly became accustomed to Jiu Jitsu in the mid 90′s. His primary areas of focus include Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Filipino Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do and Russian Sambo. Dustin has competed in several Jiu Jitsu and MMA events as well as coaching his teammates from the sides. With the exception of a year spent in Eastern Texas at the Gracie Barra school in Beaumont under Draculino Black Belt, Patrick Head, Dustin has been training and more recently, teaching at Northwest Martial Arts since 1996.
Sam Jay- Boxing, Conditioning
Sam Jay is a dedicated strength and conditioning coach with a background in Amateur Boxing and Crossfit. He has trained extensively under Ryan Clark and under professional boxer Paul Mpendo. Currently a student at the University of Oregon Sam is constantly seeking and furthering his education in strength and conditioning and boxing. He runs the Saturday morning conditioning classes and the boxing fundamentals class.
Stormy Clark- Assistant Kids Program
Stormy is also from Oregon, she enjoys training Jiu Jitsu, hanging out with family and working out. Stormy is currently the assitant instructor for the NWMA kids programs. Stormy currently is a 1st degree blue belt. She is married to Ryan Clark and their two daughters, Sydney and Taylor both participate in Jiu Jitsu classes.
Scott Meyer- Richmond, Virginia
Scott’s training started in 1980, under Allan Miller at the Virginia Karate Club in American Open Style Karate. He was also introduced to Kickboxing at this time where he earned his Black Belt under Rodney Batiste former PKA Middle Weight Champion. Durning this time he also trained with Joe Lewis and Bill Wallace. He obtained his 4th degree Black Belt in 1992. However, in 1983 he went to his first Jeet Kune Do seminar with Larry Hartsell, where he was introduced to the training methods and philosophys of Bruce Lee. In 1986 he went to his first seminar with Guru Dan Inosanto this is the time Scott began to shift phisosophy’s in training methods. In 1989 he opened his own school, American Karate and Fitness Center where he began to integrate concepts form Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Judo, Brazilian Ju-Jitsu and Filipino Martial into the material that was being taught at that time. In 1999 he attended his first seminar with Paul Vunak where he moved completly away from his roots and began the transformation process into training and studying the philosophys, teachings and training methods of Jeet Kune Do. Durning the time between 1999 and 2005 he attended seminars with Paul Vunak in Austin Texas, Brooklyn New York, New Jersey, Conneticut and Lake Isabella California. Durning this time he met Mr. Ryan Clark a Senior Full Instructor under Sifu Paul Vunak. Since 1999 he has continued training with the Instructors at Northwest Martial Arts where he obtained his Full Instructor in Jeet Kune Do Concepts in 2005. Since 2005 he has earned his Blue Belt in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu under Megaton Diaz and is currently working on his instructorship in Balintawak under Grandmaster Bobby Taboada.
NWMA Apprentice Instructors
Sierran Fletcher
Chris Birke
Eric Calderone