Lineage

• 8th Degree Black Belt in Judo
• Olympic Silver Medalist

In a career that began in 1967, Lynn Roethke reigns as one of the most accomplished American women judo athletes in the history of the sport. Lynn holds the rank of eighth degree black belt. This promotion made her the youngest female eighth degree black belt and one of only three of the highest ranked woman in the United States.

Lynn was the first American woman to medal in judo at the Olympic Games, winning a silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. She was also an Olympic team member in Barcelona in 1992. In 1987 Lynn was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame, making her the first woman in the world to earn that honor. In 2008, she was inducted in the inaugural class of the USA Judo Hall of Fame.

She was selected by the U.S. Olympic committee as “female athlete of the year” in the sport of judo in 1985 and 1987. Winner of a silver medal in the 1987 World Championships, Lynn is also a two- time gold medalist in the Pan American Games. Her honors also include some 450 judo awards in competitions throughout the world, winning international medals in the United States, Canada, Russia, England, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Austria, China, Cuba, Holland and Poland. She is the only US woman to be a three time medalist in the prestigious Japan’s Fukuoka Women’s International tournament. Lynn is a nine time U.S. Senior National Champion.

Lynn is an honors graduate from Marian University holding a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration and Sport and Recreation Management. She resides in Fond du Lac, and is owner/operator of Club Olympia, an adult co-ed fitness center, which recently celebrated its twenty fifth year anniversary. She is a certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor. Lynn teaches and coaches a judo program at her fitness club which has produced State, National and International Champions. She also conducts motivational seminars and clinics throughout the United States.

Lynn is currently employed by Advocate Aurora as a Corporate Certified
Personal Trainer developing and implementing both individual and group exercise plans for the Johnsonville Sausage Company. She is currently a member of USA Judo’s National Promotion board. Lynn is also an international coach for Team USA, recently coaching in Belgium, Dominican Republic, Argentina and at the Jr. World Championships in Croatia.

Sergeant Major, United States Marine Corps (Retired). Co-Founder, Head Sensei (Teacher), and Head Coach of Males of Mayfield’s Martial Arts Academy. He is Shichidan (7th Degree Black Belt) in Judo, a Hachidan (8th Degree Black Belt) in Neko Ryu Jiu Jitsu, and a Judan (10th Degree Black Belt) and Founder of “Combat Jiu Jitsu”.

He holds a Baccalaureate of Science Degree in Sociology from Chapman University and a Masters Degree of Social Work (MSW) from Eastern Carolina University (ECU), Class of 2002. He was wounded three times in combat in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967. He was also a Drill Instructor, a Hand-to-Hand Combat Instructor, and an All-Marine and Inter-Service Judo competitor and champion from 1964-1970. In 1979, he returned to active duty and to actively coaching and competing for the Marine Corps.

In 1984, he coached along with Lieutenant Colonel Paul Mauriyama, United States Air Force, Retired, the CISM (Council du International; Sports Militaire) and again in 1985, along with Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, Retired, Francisco “Chico” Ramirez (his student). In 1985, he successfully coached the most successful All-Marine Judo Team in its entire history which culminated with his personal coaching of Captain Douglas Berliner, USMCR, to the coveted Biddle Trophy for the All-Marine Grand Championship. He later, in 1996, was on the Sports Information Team at the Atlanta 100th Anniversary OLYMPIC GAMES. He also served USA Judo as a “Volunteer” member of the Ethics Committee, Coach Liaison, and as an organizer, teacher and leader of coaching and managing trainees. He has served as the “VOLUNTEER MILITARY REPRESENTATIVE and Advocate” for USA Judo, and all other Judo organizations assisting military judoka in America since the inception of United States Judo, Incorporated (USJI), Dba, USA Judo.

The Sergeant Major is noted for having the longest continuous competitive record of any military competitor. He competed for fifty-one (51) continuous years (1959-2010) before being sidelined due to numerous back and total hip replacement surgeries needed to address the three Purple Heart injuries he received in combat in the Republic of Vietnam. After back fusion in 2010 and his 4th total replacement on his right hip in May of 2011, he is already back on the mat and is moving well with his students as he prepares them for their future.

• Shichidan (7th Degree Black Belt) in Judo
• Hachidan (8th Degree Black Belt) in Neko Ryu Jiu-Jitsu
• Judan (10th Degree Black Belt) and Founder of “Combat Jiu-Jitsu”

Owner and head instructor of Gracie Humaita St. Louis, Professor JW Wright has been training with Helio’s son, Master Royler Gracie and Master David Adiv since 1999. He earned his black belt in 2008 and has been teaching the art of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the St. Louis area since 2002. His passion for teaching good people great jiu-jitsu is demonstrated across the nation in his seminars and lessons on self defense, training of law enforcement, and the many Pan American and World Champions who have trained with him through the years.

“At our academy you are welcomed as family and as part of a team mentality, that supports and furthers the development of skills in one another. No one person is greater than the other on the mat. With this ideology, we together, as a group, are unstoppable.”

• 4th Degree Black Belt in BJJ