Instructors
Ryan Clark -
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 is a Black Belt representative in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under 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 in 2002 and an Associate Instructorship under Guro Dan Inosanto. 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 and Portland State University. 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 -
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 -
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
Ben Baxter -
Ben Baxter has been actively practicing martial arts since 1999. He currently has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the instruction of Wellington (Megaton) Dias. Within in the last five years, he has had the opportunity to travel around the world instructing other determined young men and women in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, boxing, Muay Thai, and MMA. His credentials range from coaching well rounded UFC fighters to implementing great technique in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu group classes. His most recent accomplishments consist of being a three time world BJJ medalist, four time Pan- American BJJ medalist, and second place European BJJ champion.
Matt Spilde -
Matt Spilde has been training in various martial arts for twelve years. He has been training Brazilian jiu-jitsu for 7 years. He completed his BA in history from the University of Oregon in 2004. Over two trips he has spent eight months training Jiu Jitsu at Gracie Humaita Academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He continues to compete in sport Jiu-Jitsu and has over forty competition matches.