Fighter’s Passport has just been released and the service provides a hub for locating any local BJJ academies and classes in the local area. The project is one that’s sorely needed in the grappling world, as many academies either have limited online presence or potentially inaccurate information out in the world. It’s something that has plagued the martial arts community at large for a number of years, as many head coaches and owners are focused more on teaching than anything else. While that obviously would deliver great results in competition and help grow the business by word-of-mouth, it often means that key opportunities like an online presence are left behind.
We even spoke to the founder of Fighter’s Passport, Tyler Ross, for him to explain his background and how he actually came up with the idea in the first place:
“I grew up wrestling (nothing to write home about, just really good at getting beat up) and always enjoyed being on the mats. The mental fortitude and toughness that came from wrestling came to my aid in a big way in 2020. In December 2019, I went to GB Asheville with my best friend who had been training a few months. He kept on about how I would love BJJ and he was right. I did my intro that December, then went on a trip out west for a little while. When I returned, the shutdowns had began for Covid. I broke my arm at the end of May and we discovered that I had stage 3 High Grade Osteosarcoma. The tumor is what caused the break in my arm and then we began 11 months of Chemo.”
”My sons began training and every time I would be home from the hospital, I would sit in the back of the gym with a mask looking like Uncle Fester. All I could think about was getting back out there. After I finished Chemo and my port was taken out, I hit the mat wide open. Anytime I went anywhere for work or travel, I was looking for somewhere to train. After a few trips in different areas I discovered that Google was not the best way to find the gym’s info and availability. Trying to communicate with the gyms varied based on their preferred contact method. So, I began talking with gyms and working with a software company to see the feasibility about an app to help facilitate finding gyms and covering their basics to get folks in the door. That is where Fighter’s Passport came from.”
The idea is one that should work very well as it provides a great avenue for academies to reach customers, either regular members or those looking to drop-in when visiting the area. It’s hugely beneficial from the other side of things as well, because anyone looking for somewhere to train should now have a much easier time finding an academy that suits them. Rather than having to click through different social media accounts, send emails, and make phone calls; grapplers will now be able to find the class timetables and amenities included in every gym to compare them and find their ideal option.
Click here to visit Fighter’s Passport and find out more about the service. (Currently only available in the US, but will be available in other countries shortly.)
