Trond Saksenvik holds a unique place in Norwegian martial arts history: he was the country's first Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, a milestone he reached in 2005, and one of the four founders of Frontline Academy two years earlier in 2003.
In 2003 Saksenvik, Thomas Hytten, John-Olav Einemo and Joachim Hansen merged two existing Oslo clubs — SBJJA (Scandinavian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy) and Mixed Style Academy — into Frontline Academy, opening at Bogstadveien 27B with a joint BJJ and MMA programme. Renato Tavares de Moraes joined as a senior instructor in 2004, plugging Frontline into the Brazilian Top Team network. Saksenvik's 2005 black belt — the first awarded to a Norwegian — followed the next year.
In 2007 the ownership group expanded to include Eduardo "Teta" Rios, Morten Josephson and Nic Ruben Nikolaisen as the academy professionalised. Saksenvik won the ADCC European Trials that same year and went on to represent Europe at ADCC 2009 in Barcelona, where he lost a competitive opening match to David Avellan by heel hook.
Today Saksenvik co-owns Frontline Academy together with Morten Josephson and Nic Ruben Nikolaisen, overseeing a multi-location operation that spans Majorstuen and Hasle in Oslo, Drammen, Bergen, Voss and the international affiliates in Sweden and Poland — Norway's largest and most successful BJJ organisation.
Sources: Frontline Academy timeline; FFAcoach (ADCC 2009 Avellan vs Saksenvik); BJJ EE (Frontline training report).