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STEPHEN GOURLEY
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Stephen Gourley
Life Member - United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF) ®
Life Member - USA Traditional Kodokan Judo (USA-TKJ) ®
Member - USA Jiu-Jitsu (USAJJ) ®, USJJF's National BJJ - Grappling Program
Member - USA Jiu-Jitsu ® & BJJ - Grappling Committee (USJJF)
USA Team - National Elite Jiu-Jitsu Athlete
Stephen began his martial arts journey in 1994 in Japanese JuJutsu (Ju-Jitsu) and Judo.
Being from NW Arkansas, at the time not many other options were available besides TKD, with the ATA. After training for several years by 2000, he was introduced to the USJJF & USTKJ and joined as a Life Member (#105) in November of 2000 at the camp in Reno Nevada.
Competition was scarce in AR, so he would regularly travel to Ohio and other states for USJJF / JJIF style tournaments. Competing in the DUO system and winning the 2000 & 2002 USJJF Nationals and was selected for the US national team in 2000 to represent the USJJF in the Ju-Jitsu International Federation, World Championships held in Copenhagen, Denmark in November of 2000, and stepping aside in 2002.
In the next few years he would attend and compete at the Arnold/Battle of Columbus, (now the Arnold sports festival) winning in the self-defense category 2 different times over the years, and competed in the Adult fighting (JJIF rules) and grappling (mixed Judo/BJJ rules) in the subsequent years attending the festival.
In 2004 Gourley was involved in a motorcycle accident in which he broke his right femur and back in 3 places putting him out of commission for some time. He competed at some local grappling events, against his Dr’s advice. Recovering from this accident he continued to enjoy motorized activities and in 2006, he broke his left femur and right collar bone in an ATV accident, which required him to be airlifted to the hospital and had a 30 day stay due to a pulmonary embolism.
Recovering from these 2 accidents was difficult, but he went back to training jujitsu/judo in 2007. Finding out the throws and multiple impacts from this were not conducive to his unfortunate injuries he started training in Brazilian jiu-Jitsu in 2008 almost exclusively. Having his first exposure to BJJ back in 1997 at the Gracie academy in Torrance and going on the 1st (and only) Gracie Jiu-Jitsu cruise he has been hooked on the grappling aspect from then on.
First starting BJJ training under Thadeu Vieira of the World BJJ association (now Vieira Jiu-Jitsu) and after receiving his BJJ Purple belt from Thadeu on the podium at NAGA Dallas TX in 2010 and competing several times from blue-purple belt under Professor Vieira, Gourley made a decision to leave the team in 2013 due to the expense of travelling to Florida several times a year to train with Professor Vieira. Gourley was approached by and offered a place to train & assist teaching by Kaleb Plank and Mike Page of Inferno Martial Arts, under the direction of Master Danny Dring (Team LDMA).
Gourley integrated into the Inferno program immediately with several training sessions per week and spearheaded their 2nd location in 2013 for almost 3 years. He has been a leader and staple black belt within the inferno organization which has been an integral part of their growth to multiple schools and affiliations across the USA.
Gourley also traveled to Brazil several times to train with the extended team/family there in the state of Alagoas, city of Maceio’ between 2014 & 2018 under Deijone, a 6th degree Black Belt. Experiencing how they train,teach and live for BJJ in Brazil ignited a renewed passion for his love of the ART. In 2014, after his first trip to Brazil, his old injuries to his back flared up from a muscle imbalance in the lumbar due the fractures of 04 and has not been able to train/compete at 100%.
Gourley obtained his Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2017 under Master Dring and Kaleb Plank, and his 1st Degree in BJJ in 2020 and continues to be a leader and teach alongside his team at Inferno Martial Arts.
Current Ranks:
Yodan 4th Degree Black Belt Kaigan Ryu Ju-Jitsu (United States Ju-Jitsu Federation)
Yodan 4th Degree Black Belt US Ju-Jitsu (United States Ju-Jitsu Federation)
Nidan 2nd Degree Black Belt Judo (United States Traditional Kodokan Judo)
Shodan 1st Degree Black Belt Judo (United States Judo Association)
1st Degree Black Belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (LDMA)
Awards:
1st place 2000 USJJF Nationals
1st place 2000 North American Championships
1st place 2002 Arnold Battle of Columbus (Self Defense)
1st place 2002 USJJF Nationals
1st place 2002 Emerald coast Martial arts championships
1st place 2003 Arnold Battle of Columbus
3rd place 2004 Arnold Martial Arts games (grappling 200lbs+)
1st place 2004 United Jujutsu Alliance International Arkansas open (Stand up Jujutsu)
1st place 2011 Grapplers Quest Houston (purple belt)
3rd place 2012 IBJJF Dallas Open (purple belt)
3rd place 2013 Naga Worlds Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu championships (purple belt)
Sensei Stephen Gourley Contact Info -
E-Mail: [email protected]
Sensei Gourley's Facebook Page: (20+) Stephen Gourley | Facebook
Life Member - United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF) ®
Life Member - USA Traditional Kodokan Judo (USA-TKJ) ®
Member - USA Jiu-Jitsu (USAJJ) ®, USJJF's National BJJ - Grappling Program
Member - USA Jiu-Jitsu ® & BJJ - Grappling Committee (USJJF)
USA Team - National Elite Jiu-Jitsu Athlete
Stephen began his martial arts journey in 1994 in Japanese JuJutsu (Ju-Jitsu) and Judo.
Being from NW Arkansas, at the time not many other options were available besides TKD, with the ATA. After training for several years by 2000, he was introduced to the USJJF & USTKJ and joined as a Life Member (#105) in November of 2000 at the camp in Reno Nevada.
Competition was scarce in AR, so he would regularly travel to Ohio and other states for USJJF / JJIF style tournaments. Competing in the DUO system and winning the 2000 & 2002 USJJF Nationals and was selected for the US national team in 2000 to represent the USJJF in the Ju-Jitsu International Federation, World Championships held in Copenhagen, Denmark in November of 2000, and stepping aside in 2002.
In the next few years he would attend and compete at the Arnold/Battle of Columbus, (now the Arnold sports festival) winning in the self-defense category 2 different times over the years, and competed in the Adult fighting (JJIF rules) and grappling (mixed Judo/BJJ rules) in the subsequent years attending the festival.
In 2004 Gourley was involved in a motorcycle accident in which he broke his right femur and back in 3 places putting him out of commission for some time. He competed at some local grappling events, against his Dr’s advice. Recovering from this accident he continued to enjoy motorized activities and in 2006, he broke his left femur and right collar bone in an ATV accident, which required him to be airlifted to the hospital and had a 30 day stay due to a pulmonary embolism.
Recovering from these 2 accidents was difficult, but he went back to training jujitsu/judo in 2007. Finding out the throws and multiple impacts from this were not conducive to his unfortunate injuries he started training in Brazilian jiu-Jitsu in 2008 almost exclusively. Having his first exposure to BJJ back in 1997 at the Gracie academy in Torrance and going on the 1st (and only) Gracie Jiu-Jitsu cruise he has been hooked on the grappling aspect from then on.
First starting BJJ training under Thadeu Vieira of the World BJJ association (now Vieira Jiu-Jitsu) and after receiving his BJJ Purple belt from Thadeu on the podium at NAGA Dallas TX in 2010 and competing several times from blue-purple belt under Professor Vieira, Gourley made a decision to leave the team in 2013 due to the expense of travelling to Florida several times a year to train with Professor Vieira. Gourley was approached by and offered a place to train & assist teaching by Kaleb Plank and Mike Page of Inferno Martial Arts, under the direction of Master Danny Dring (Team LDMA).
Gourley integrated into the Inferno program immediately with several training sessions per week and spearheaded their 2nd location in 2013 for almost 3 years. He has been a leader and staple black belt within the inferno organization which has been an integral part of their growth to multiple schools and affiliations across the USA.
Gourley also traveled to Brazil several times to train with the extended team/family there in the state of Alagoas, city of Maceio’ between 2014 & 2018 under Deijone, a 6th degree Black Belt. Experiencing how they train,teach and live for BJJ in Brazil ignited a renewed passion for his love of the ART. In 2014, after his first trip to Brazil, his old injuries to his back flared up from a muscle imbalance in the lumbar due the fractures of 04 and has not been able to train/compete at 100%.
Gourley obtained his Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2017 under Master Dring and Kaleb Plank, and his 1st Degree in BJJ in 2020 and continues to be a leader and teach alongside his team at Inferno Martial Arts.
Current Ranks:
Yodan 4th Degree Black Belt Kaigan Ryu Ju-Jitsu (United States Ju-Jitsu Federation)
Yodan 4th Degree Black Belt US Ju-Jitsu (United States Ju-Jitsu Federation)
Nidan 2nd Degree Black Belt Judo (United States Traditional Kodokan Judo)
Shodan 1st Degree Black Belt Judo (United States Judo Association)
1st Degree Black Belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (LDMA)
Awards:
1st place 2000 USJJF Nationals
1st place 2000 North American Championships
1st place 2002 Arnold Battle of Columbus (Self Defense)
1st place 2002 USJJF Nationals
1st place 2002 Emerald coast Martial arts championships
1st place 2003 Arnold Battle of Columbus
3rd place 2004 Arnold Martial Arts games (grappling 200lbs+)
1st place 2004 United Jujutsu Alliance International Arkansas open (Stand up Jujutsu)
1st place 2011 Grapplers Quest Houston (purple belt)
3rd place 2012 IBJJF Dallas Open (purple belt)
3rd place 2013 Naga Worlds Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu championships (purple belt)
Sensei Stephen Gourley Contact Info -
E-Mail: [email protected]
Sensei Gourley's Facebook Page: (20+) Stephen Gourley | Facebook
