Aaron Dyer
From online videos to OpenMat Bermuda, Aaron Dyer built a place to learn while following his own path to black belt.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Open Mat Bermuda, coaching team(opens in a new tab)
Aaron Dyer is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Chris Regan and Elliot Bayev, the Toronto Open Mat instructor.
Where in the source: Aaron Dyer section, opening sentence: “Professor Chris Regan”.
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Dyer coaches at Open Mat Bermuda.
Where in the source: Coaching-team introduction and the Aaron Dyer section.
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The academy describes Dyer’s coaching as relaxed and says that, as a father of four, he takes particular pride in its children’s classes.
Where in the source: End of the Aaron Dyer section: “father of 4”.
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Bernews, Dyer’s black-belt promotion, 11 July 2022(opens in a new tab)
Bernews announced Dyer’s promotion to black belt in July 2022. It identified him as OpenMat Bermuda’s founder and a Bermuda Police Service officer.
Where in the source: Dated announcement and the first spokesperson paragraph.
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While visiting family in Toronto, Dyer trained with Elliott Bayev. He invited Bayev to Bermuda to teach a seminar, where they announced the launch of OpenMat Bermuda.
Where in the source: Spokesperson account of Toronto and the seminar, third article paragraph.
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The Royal Gazette, Dyer interview, 8 August 2022(opens in a new tab)
Dyer recalled wrestling at a US high school and discovering jiu-jitsu through a martial-artist friend.
Where in the source: Early recollections and high-school paragraph.
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His group learned from online videos and trained without an instructor at Skipper Ingham’s former karate studio.
Where in the source: Early-training account.
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Dyer wanted to train rather than run an academy. OpenMat moved from Queen Street to Front Street, then above Bermuda CrossFit. Regan’s presence enabled regular instruction.
Where in the source: Academy moves and Regan’s arrival.
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Dyer emphasized sparring, balance and calm in difficult positions.
Where in the source: Technical discussion following Regan.
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IBJJF, 2019 World No-Gi Championship results(opens in a new tab)
Aaron S. Dyer, representing Open Mat Mixed Martial Arts, placed second in the male Master 3 purple-belt medium-heavy division at the 2019 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship.
Where in the source: 2019 results; purple Master 3 medium-heavy table (188.60 lb), row “Aaron S. Dyer”, placing 2.
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The Royal Gazette, Open Mat Bermuda’s 2019 World No-Gi trip, 18 December 2019(opens in a new tab)
The Royal Gazette reported Dyer’s silver medal as an Open Mat Bermuda coach at the December 2019 World No-Gi Championship.
Where in the source: Paragraph about Dyer, immediately after the seven-person squad.
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Bernews, OpenMat’s Las Vegas team, 6 December 2023(opens in a new tab)
Before the 2023 World No-Gi Championship, Dyer described OpenMat as a small, close group and said overseas tournaments gave its athletes goals and a way to assess their progress.
Where in the source: Dyer’s comments between the travelling-team introduction and roster.
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Bernews, report from the 2023 World No-Gi Championship, 16 December 2023(opens in a new tab)
Bernews reported that Dyer competed at black belt in the men’s heavyweight division at the 2023 World No-Gi Championship in Las Vegas. He treated the trip as a measure of the team’s progress.
Where in the source: First Dyer paragraph and his assessment after McAlpine’s result.
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Bernews, OpenMat’s junior trip to Brooklyn, 12 June 2023(opens in a new tab)
After twelve OpenMat youngsters travelled to a Brooklyn tournament in June 2023, Dyer said they were learning how tournament competition differed from gym training and gaining confidence.
Where in the source: Opening team-size paragraph and Dyer’s comments below the medal list.
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The Royal Gazette, Open Mat Bermuda’s Dallas trip, 6 November 2024(opens in a new tab)
After competing in Dallas in 2024, Lonnie Bascome credited OpenMat founder Dyer and his training partners for the programme behind his progress. He separately praised coach Chris Regan’s work with the team.
Where in the source: Bascome’s first quoted assessment and later paragraph praising Regan.
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Bernews, Bascome and McAlpine’s black belts, 31 December 2025(opens in a new tab)
When Lonnie Bascome and Jason McAlpine became black belts in 2025, Dyer highlighted their years of training and their roles supporting other students. He described McAlpine’s ability to explain techniques and Bascome’s competitive drive.
Where in the source: Opening promotion report and Dyer’s descriptions of the two athletes.
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The Royal Gazette, OpenMat’s New Jersey trip, 9 October 2026(opens in a new tab)
In October 2026, The Royal Gazette identified Dyer as OpenMat Bermuda’s owner and reported his response to the academy’s participation at the Pan No-Gi Championships in New Jersey.
Where in the source: First paragraph identifying Dyer and his later comments on the squad.
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Lineage
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Open lineage