Steve Maxwell
Steve Maxwell, by his own account a jiu-jitsu beginner at 38, made his Philadelphia gym an early Gracie school and earned his black belt from Relson Gracie.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Wikipedia, 'Steve Maxwell' (revision 1303003777, last edited 28 July 2025).(opens in a new tab)
Stephen Maxwell, known as Steve Maxwell, was born on 3 December 1952; Wikipedia describes him as a fitness coach, physical educator and Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor.
Where in the source: Lead sentence, date in brackets after the name — 'December 3, 1952'
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BJJInterviews.com, 'Steve Maxwell' (interview, 2009), Internet Archive snapshot of 30 August 2009.(opens in a new tab)
Maxwell says he began wrestling in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, around 1963 or 1964 and wrestled through junior high and high school.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, first paragraph — 'Carlisle, PA'
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Maxwell says he wrestled at West Chester State Teachers College, where he majored in physical education, and that after college he taught in public schools while continuing to wrestle for years.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, first paragraph, after the Carlisle sentence (college and teaching)
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Maxwell says he felt he had never reached his potential as a grappler and tried many martial arts, from kung fu to Muay Thai, in the Bruce Lee era, but found that striking arts did not suit him.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, second and third paragraphs (martial arts before jiu-jitsu)
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Maxwell says an acquaintance told him about Brazilian jiu-jitsu and he went, reluctantly, to one of the first Gracie seminars in the United States, expecting his wrestling to carry him; it did not, and he fell for the system. The teachers then were Rorion, Royce and Royler Gracie.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, third paragraph (how he found the Gracies), seminar sentences
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Maxwell says he told Rorion Gracie he wanted not only to learn the art but to teach it, and, since the Torrance academy was then the only place to learn it, he flew there for a couple of weeks at a time and went home to Philadelphia to drill what he had learned.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, third paragraph, sentences after the seminar (Torrance trips)
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Maxwell says that in the meantime he opened his own physical training gym in Philadelphia, Maxercise, laid mats in its spare space, and at first had to coax wrestling friends and a couple of judoka into training with him until a small, committed and largely self-directed group formed.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, third paragraph, closing sentences — 'Maxercise'
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Maxwell says Royce and Rorion Gracie later came to teach in Philadelphia, and that Royce lived with him for a while.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, fourth paragraph, first two sentences
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Maxwell says that when Rorion Gracie started a Gracie teacher-training programme, he was the first person to be certified by a Gracie to teach Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, fourth paragraph — 'certified by a Gracie'
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Maxwell says that as the Gracie family's teachers went separate ways he first stayed with Rorion and Royce, then trained with Relson Gracie, and sided with Relson when Relson and Rorion parted.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, fourth paragraph, sentences on the family taking different directions
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Relson Gracie awarded Maxwell his black belt.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, fourth paragraph — 'my black belt'
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Maxwell describes himself as one of the first Americans to receive a black belt from the Gracie family, adding that a few black belts had already been given in the United States by the Machados.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, fourth paragraph, last three sentences
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Maxwell says that after receiving his black belt he trained more and more with Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, brought Regis Lebre, one of Saulo's first black belts, to Maxercise, and that visits from Lebre, Lovato Jr., Daniel Moraes and others updated his game; he calls Relson's jiu-jitsu 'old style' and says the half-guard era had passed him by.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, fifth paragraph (training with the Ribeiros)
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Maxwell says he was 38 years old when he took his first jiu-jitsu lesson.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, sixth paragraph, first sentence — '38 years old'
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- Conflicting accounts
Maxwell says he won the Pan American Championship eight times and won the International Master Senior Open held in Rio, which he describes as a world championship for older competitors rather than the Mundials, and that he was the third American black belt to win a world title.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, sixth paragraph — '8 times'
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Maxwell says Maxercise was teaching jiu-jitsu in Philadelphia before Renzo Gracie or Craig Kukuk were on the East Coast, and that people who had heard of the Gracie Challenge came to the gym to test them; the group told challengers they were students, not Gracies, but accepted matches against boxers, kung fu stylists and wrestlers.
Where in the source: Answer on how the community has changed, second paragraph — 'Craig Kukuk'
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Maxwell says that after selling his Philadelphia gym he moved west to work in the commercial fitness industry, and for a long period did not train jiu-jitsu at all.
Where in the source: Opening bio answer, last paragraph (after selling the gym)
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In the 2009 interview Maxwell said that in the San Francisco Bay Area he trained at Eduardo Rocha's school and at Mike Valentine's Practical Martial Arts, returned to Maxercise when in Philadelphia, and spent much of his time on the road teaching fitness seminars and certifications.
Where in the source: Answer on where he was training at the time
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Maxwell says he never saw jiu-jitsu mainly as a sport but as a martial art, and does not accept that sport training makes it less useful for self-defence, since rolling against resisting partners every day is close to real fighting.
Where in the source: Answer to the question on sport versus self-defence, first paragraph
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Maxwell says his interest in physical training began when his father bought him a York barbell set in grade school and took him to the York Barbell gym, where he watched Olympic lifters; at first the aim was simply to become a better wrestler.
Where in the source: Answer on his training philosophy, first paragraph (York barbell set)
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Maxwell says he worked through the fitness trends of his time, from Nautilus and brief high-intensity routines to Hammer Strength and Super Slow, in which he was one of the first to be certified while running his Philadelphia gym, before turning to how warriors of the past trained and testing methods on himself.
Where in the source: Answer on his training philosophy, first and second paragraphs (Nautilus to Super Slow, then past warriors)
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Maxwell names Gregory Ellis as his original mentor, who gave him his first job in the fitness industry in the 1970s.
Where in the source: Answer that opens by naming his original mentor, first two sentences
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Maxwell says he has worked with professional baseball and football players, NHL players and many grapplers, building each programme on the demands of the sport; for one hockey player he timed game footage with a stopwatch to plan the work.
Where in the source: Answer on benchmarks for individual programmes, first paragraph (hockey example)
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Maxwell says Saulo Ribeiro came to him to prepare for the Abu Dhabi championship held in São Paulo, and that he grouped Ribeiro's hard training into blocks of two or three days to match the days of competition; by Maxwell's account Ribeiro's pull-ups rose from about 12 to 21 or 22 within weeks.
Where in the source: Answer on benchmarks for individual programmes, second paragraph (grappling example)
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In 2009 Maxwell said he had been at the ground floor of the kettlebell movement, was writing his first book, on kettlebells, and ran his own Maxbell teacher-training and bodyweight-training certifications.
Where in the source: Answers on future DVD releases and on what to expect next
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In 2009 Maxwell said that since selling his Philadelphia business he had been travelling the country in an RV.
Where in the source: Answer on what to expect next, middle sentences (life on the road)
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Steve Maxwell Strength & Conditioning, 'About Steve Maxwell' (maxwellsc.com).(opens in a new tab)
Maxwell's official website lists, among his most notable achievements, being the first American-born black belt promoted by Relson Gracie.
Where in the source: About page, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu section — 'first American-born black belt'
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Maxwell's official website says he earned a degree in exercise science from West Chester State University in Pennsylvania and later completed a master's degree in the field.
Where in the source: About page, section on wrestling, exercise science and service — 'master’s degree'
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Maxwell's official website says his path included military service, where his wrestling and conditioning skills were put to use.
Where in the source: About page, section on wrestling, exercise science and service — 'military service'
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Maxwell's official website says he became a Pan American and Masters World Champion in multiple belt divisions.
Where in the source: About page, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu section — 'multiple belt divisions'
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Maxwell's official website says he was one of the first to teach kettlebell classes in the United States and is known for combining joint mobility, kettlebells and sustainable functional strength.
Where in the source: About page, section on strength, mobility and training philosophy — 'first to teach kettlebell classes'
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Maxwell's official website says he leads seminars worldwide in strength and conditioning, joint mobility, bodyweight training and jiu-jitsu, and has worked with the DEA, the Secret Service, the FBI and elite athletic teams.
Where in the source: About page, section on global educator — '(DEA, Secret Service, FBI)'
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Steve Maxwell, 'Jiu-Jitsu for a Lifetime: Steve Maxwell's Blueprint for Grappling Longevity', maxwellsc.com blog, 28 January 2026.(opens in a new tab)
Writing in January 2026, at 73, Maxwell said he still trains jiu-jitsu; that his path began in 1964 as a 12-year-old wrestler; and that he was 38 and already owned a gym when he started jiu-jitsu.
Where in the source: Opening paragraphs — 'At 73'; start of the fourth paragraph — '38 years old'
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Maxwell's advice for training into old age is that most rolling should be non-competitive and playful, that skills be trained three to four times a week at a minimum effective dose, and that corrective mobility and balancing work be added; he says his own current focus is isometrics, with daily mobility and qigong.
Where in the source: Principles One to Three — 'non-competitive'; Principle Three — 'isometrics'
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Maxwell runs a Jiu-Jitsu for a Lifetime camp in Port Townsend, Washington, with a 2026 edition announced on his website.
Where in the source: Closing notice on Camp 2026 — 'Port Townsend, WA'
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Steve Maxwell, 'A Personal Note from Steve on His Jiu Jitsu for a Lifetime Camps', maxwellsc.com blog, 7 October 2025.(opens in a new tab)
In an October 2025 note on his Jiu-Jitsu for a Lifetime camps, Maxwell wrote that he created the camp because he had seen many practitioners over-train through competition and drop out, and that beyond techniques it teaches joint preparation, recovery, breathing, the playful 'soft roll' and Helio Gracie's original stand-up self-defence.
Where in the source: Paragraph beginning with why he created the camp, and the topic list that follows — 'soft roll'
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Steve Maxwell Strength & Conditioning, 'Jiu-Jitsu Seminar with Scott Burr' (maxwellsc.com, event of 27 June 2026).(opens in a new tab)
Maxwell's website says Scott Burr was the first person to earn a black belt under Steve Maxwell, received his professor rank and first two black-belt degrees from Maxwell and his third degree from Rickson Gracie, and has long been Maxwell's training partner and assistant at seminars in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, mobility and kettlebells.
Where in the source: Section 'About Scott Burr' — 'first person to earn the rank of black belt'
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Christopher McDougall, 'Coming To Grips', Philadelphia Weekly, 14 January 1998, as reprinted on maxercise.com (Internet Archive snapshot of 17 July 2001).(opens in a new tab)
A January 1998 Philadelphia Weekly article described Maxwell as a former West Chester State College and Army wrestler who had first met Rorion Gracie at an exhibition about six years earlier, became the first certified teacher of Gracie jujitsu outside the Gracie family, and taught it at Maxercise, the family gym at Seventh and Chestnut streets in Philadelphia.
Where in the source: Paragraph opening with Maxwell's remark on Gracies training behind closed doors — 'Army wrestler'
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In the same article Maxwell said the other martial arts he had tried seemed phony to him, and that he had challenged his kenpo karate instructor and was able to wrestle him down and pin him.
Where in the source: Paragraph after the Maxercise sentence, Maxwell's quote — 'kenpo karate class'
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The article identified 'Magic Phil' Migliarese, a 21-year-old Gracie jujitsu national champion (1997), as one of Maxwell's instructors at Maxercise.
Where in the source: Photo caption under the headline, and the paragraph quoting Migliarese on submission — 'MagicPhil'
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Art Carey, 'Jiu-jitsu helps him grapple with business', The Philadelphia Inquirer (late 1990s), as reprinted on maxercise.com (Internet Archive snapshot of 17 July 2001).(opens in a new tab)
A Philadelphia Inquirer column by Art Carey described Maxercise as a Center City fitness club that also housed the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy, with Steve Maxwell, then 45, as the academy's director, and noted that he had wrestled for West Chester State.
Where in the source: Paragraph on the subject starting strength training at Maxercise — 'the academy’s director'
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In the column Maxwell contrasted wrestling, which he called half strength, power and speed, with jiu-jitsu, which he put at 10 percent conditioning and 90 percent technique, and said the art does not take much brute strength.
Where in the source: Paragraph after the description of the Gracie family's record — '90 percent technique'
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The column reported that when aggressive newcomers turned up at the academy wanting to prove themselves, Maxwell had a 140-pound student known as 'Little Tony' give them what he called a 'skills assessment'.
Where in the source: Paragraph on newcomers arriving at the academy — 'skills assessment'
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Steve Maxwell, 'Team Maxercise Conquers the World (Almost)', G.A.I.N. Magazine, August 1999, as reprinted on maxercise.com (Internet Archive snapshot of 7 March 2001).(opens in a new tab)
Writing in G.A.I.N. Magazine in August 1999, Maxwell described taking Team Maxercise, mostly blue belts, to the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships at the Tijuca Tennis Club in Rio de Janeiro, the team's first trip abroad as a unit; every match the team won was by submission, and blue belt Rick Migliarese reached the 190-pound final and took silver.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph — 'Tijuca Tennis Club'; list of American medallists — 'Rick Migliarese'
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In the same article Maxwell wrote that Team Maxercise was affiliated with the Relson Gracie Academy in Hawaii.
Where in the source: Paragraph on the other teams present — 'Relson Gracie Academy, in Hawaii'
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He ended the article by saying he would go back to Brazil at the end of August 1999 to compete, not coach, at the World Master and Senior Championships.
Where in the source: Closing paragraph
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Kid Peligro, 'Maxercise News', ADCombat.com ADCC News, 28 March 2002, as reprinted on maxercise.com (Internet Archive snapshot of 30 May 2002).(opens in a new tab)
Kid Peligro reported on ADCombat on 28 March 2002 that Maxwell, owner of Team Maxercise, had just received his black-belt diploma from Carlos Gracie Jr., president of the Confederation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; Peligro called him the first American to receive a black belt from Relson Gracie and the first American to receive the Confederation's diploma, the second non-Brazilian after Yuki Nakai of Japan.
Where in the source: News item headed 'Maxercise News' — 'received his Black Belt Diploma'
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Mike Mahler, 'Hardcore Fitness For Grapplers: An Interview With Stephen Maxwell!', Bodybuilding.com (page dated 23 January 2019), Internet Archive snapshot of 28 February 2024.(opens in a new tab)
Mike Mahler's introduction to his interview describes Maxwell as the first American to earn a black belt from Relson Gracie, running his Philadelphia gym Maxercise, working with professional athletes including the Philadelphia Eagles, and having recently produced a kettlebell training video for grapplers.
Where in the source: Introduction above the heading 'The Interview', second paragraph
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Maxwell told Mahler that his first jiu-jitsu teacher was Royce Gracie, who worked with him a great deal on breathing, and that the Gracies taught him how to tire opponents out.
Where in the source: Answer following the question about Frank Shamrock — 'My first teacher in jiu-jitsu'
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Maxwell said Helio Gracie told him the hardest people to teach were the very strong and the very clever, and that he dealt with strong students by tiring them out until technique was the only thing left to them.
Where in the source: Two answers after the heavy-bag exchange — 'really strong guys'
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Maxwell said Pavel Tsatsouline kept pressing him to film his drills until he made a low-budget kettlebell video.
Where in the source: Answer on the kettlebell video — 'Pavel approached me'
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Maxwell named Bradley Steiner, Ken Leistner, Bob Hoffman, Arthur Jones, Ken Hutchins and Matt Furey among his strength-training influences, and credited Rickson Gracie with doing bodyweight exercises before anyone else.
Where in the source: Last answer, on influences
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Men's Journal, 'America's 100 best Trainers' (December 2005), Internet Archive snapshot of 2 July 2008.(opens in a new tab)
Men's Journal's December 2005 list 'America's 100 best Trainers' included Steve Maxwell of Steve Maxwell Strength & Conditioning under Philadelphia, calling him the city's kettlebell 'czar'.
Where in the source: Philadelphia section — 'kettle bell czar'
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BJJ Heroes, 'Steve Maxwell' (fighter profile, undated).(opens in a new tab)
BJJ Heroes gives Maxwell's birth date as 3 December 1952 and says he began wrestling at 12 for his junior high school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Where in the source: Biography section, first two paragraphs
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BJJ Heroes says Maxwell wrestled in NCAA Division I for West Chester, taught health and physical education in public schools after his degree, then left teaching for the military, where a strong showing at an Armed Forces event in Germany earned him a place competing for the military.
Where in the source: Biography section, third and fourth paragraphs
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- Conflicting accounts
BJJ Heroes says that after leaving the forces Maxwell worked with adults in the fitness industry in Philadelphia, tried Thai boxing, karate and kung fu for self-defence without satisfaction, and in 1989 attended a Gracie seminar on the East Coast led by Rorion, Royce and Royler Gracie.
Where in the source: Biography section, fifth paragraph
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BJJ Heroes says Maxwell travelled regularly to the family's West Coast academy, earned his blue belt in six months, and soon afterwards opened Maxercise, the first Gracie-approved jiu-jitsu training centre on the US East Coast, where many later instructors in the surrounding states began; it grew to as many as 250 grappling students, and he organised the first jiu-jitsu competitions in the area.
Where in the source: Biography section, sixth to eighth paragraphs — '250 grappling students'
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BJJ Heroes says Maxwell earned his purple belt within about a year and a half, that Rorion Gracie tied both his blue and purple belts, and that he also learned from Royce, Royler and Rickson Gracie and from Helio Gracie, who taught him the instructors' programme.
Where in the source: Biography section, ninth paragraph
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BJJ Heroes says Maxwell took part in numerous Gracie Challenge matches as a student of the Gracie Academy, the best known against a wrestler about 50 pounds heavier whom he submitted with a triangle choke after some 45 minutes.
Where in the source: Biography section, paragraph on the Gracie Challenge
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BJJ Heroes says Maxwell was one of the very first investors in the early UFC events and Royce Gracie's strength and conditioning coach from UFC 1 to UFC 3.
Where in the source: Biography section, paragraph after the challenge story — 'UFC I to III'
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BJJ Heroes says Rorion and Royce Gracie promoted Maxwell to brown belt in 1999, shortly after he won the Pan American Championship as a purple belt.
Where in the source: Biography section, paragraph beginning 'In 1999'
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BJJ Heroes says that after several instructors, Relson Gracie among them, left the Gracie Academy over disagreements with Rorion Gracie, Maxwell was told to cut ties with Relson, did not agree, and continued training under him.
Where in the source: Biography section, paragraph on instructors leaving the academy
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BJJ Heroes says Relson Gracie awarded Maxwell his black belt in November 2000, after another Pan American run, following years on the mat and a two-hour exam in which he performed 165 self-defence techniques, making him the first American to earn the rank under Relson.
Where in the source: Biography section, paragraph dated November 2000 — '165 self defence techniques'
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BJJ Heroes lists among Maxwell's main achievements a GJJTA US national purple-belt title in 1997 and a runner-up place in 1998.
Where in the source: Main achievements list near the top of the profile, last two lines
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BJJ Heroes, 'BJJ Dirty Dozen' (undated article).(opens in a new tab)
BJJ Heroes says Maxwell attended the ceremony at which Craig Kukuk received his black belt from Royler Gracie at Gracie Humaitá in Rio de Janeiro, and that on Maxwell's account it took place between 1991 and 1992.
Where in the source: Entry for Craig Kukuk, closing paragraph — 'who attended the ceremony'
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IBJJF, 'Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 1999' results.(opens in a new tab)
At the 1999 Pan American Championship, Maxwell (listed as 'Stefan Maxwell', Maxercise) placed first in Master 2 / Purple / Male / Middle.
Where in the source: Results by category, heading 'Master 2 / Purple / Male / Middle', place 1
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IBJJF, 'Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2000' results.(opens in a new tab)
At the 2000 Pan American Championship, Stephen Maxwell (team Relson Gracie) placed first in Master 4 / Brown / Male / Middle and first in Master 4 / Brown / Male / Open Class.
Where in the source: Results by category, headings 'Master 4 / Brown / Male / Middle' and '… / Open Class', place 1 in each
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IBJJF, 'Master International Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2000' results.(opens in a new tab)
At the 2000 IBJJF Master International Championship, Stephen Maxwell (team Relson Gracie) placed first in Master 4 / Brown / Male / Middle and first in Master 4 / Brown / Male / Open Class.
Where in the source: Results by category, headings 'Master 4 / Brown / Male / Middle' and '… / Open Class', place 1 in each
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IBJJF, 'Master International Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2002' results.(opens in a new tab)
At the 2002 IBJJF Master International Championship, Stephen Maxwell (team Saulo Ribeiro) placed first in Master 3 / Black / Male / Middle.
Where in the source: Results by category, heading 'Master 3 / Black / Male / Middle', place 1
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IBJJF, 'Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2002' results.(opens in a new tab)
At the 2002 Pan American Championship, Steve Maxwell (Maxercise) placed first in Master 4 / Black / Male / Middle.
Where in the source: Results by category, heading 'Master 4 / Black / Male / Middle', place 1
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IBJJF, 'Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2004' results.(opens in a new tab)
At the 2004 Pan American Championship, Stephen Maxwell (Maxercise) placed first in Master 4 / Black / Male / Middle.
Where in the source: Results by category, heading 'Master 4 / Black / Male / Middle', place 1
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IBJJF, 'Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2005' results.(opens in a new tab)
At the 2005 Pan American Championship, Stephen Maxwell (Maxercise) placed first in Master 4 / Black / Male / Middle.
Where in the source: Results by category, heading 'Master 4 / Black / Male / Middle', place 1
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IBJJF, 'Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2006' results.(opens in a new tab)
At the 2006 Pan American Championship, Stephen Maxwell (Maxercise) placed first in Master 4 / Black / Male / Middle.
Where in the source: Results by category, heading 'Master 4 / Black / Male / Middle', place 1
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