Our Instructors
The well-rounded martial arts programs offered by North Texas Mixed Martial Arts teach the four ranges of self-defense, setting us apart from all others in Flower Mound and Denton County.
Classes are for beginners and advanced!
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Tery Corkran Owner
5th Degree Black Belt, BJJ Master, Head Coach, & Owner Tery Corkran
In 1990, Tery started training in American kickboxing, Muay Thai kickboxing, and Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do. He started competing and won in full contact kickboxing in 1993 in the late Walt Mason’s TACKA (Texas Amateur Contact Karate Association) tournament.
After watching Royce Gracie from Brazil’s Gracie Jiu-Jitsu totally dominate any black belt or pro fighter at the first UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), a no-holds-barred competition, Tery started training in the only Ju-Jitsu school in his area. Mr. Corkran received his black belt in 1996 in Japanese Jukido Jitsu.
In November 1995, Tery found out that instructor Carlos Machado, the multi-world Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion, fifth degree black belt, and cousin to the legendary Gracie’s, had moved to Dallas and was teaching at Chuck Norris’s Walker Texas Ranger studio. Tery began training with Mr. Machado right away. He is now a fifth-degree black belt and continues to train under Carlos Machado. He is also continuing to train in American kickboxing and Muay Thai kickboxing.
Tery has competed in several Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, and has only lost one match. He received his black belt from Carlos Machado on October 19, 2002. Tery was one of 8 black belts living in the state of Texas, and one of under 100 living in the U.S. at that time. Tery won 3 gold medals in the 2001 and 2002 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Pan American championships in Florida at the ages of 38 and 39. Tery tries to associate himself with teachers that are well-known for their talent and proving themselves in competition as world champions, such as Carlos Machado and his brothers.
Tery is an IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation)-certified instructor. Mr. Corkran has had great success teaching children, women, and men at his school, North Texas Mixed Martial Arts, in Flower Mound, Texas. Tery opened the Academy of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1998 and was one of the first schools in Texas to teach MMA to children and adults.
In 2007, the Academy expanded into North Texas Mixed Martial Arts. Along with the best team MMA record in the Metroplex, Tery strives to provide one of the best standup and ground training schools in the Metroplex. He sets high standards for his children’s classes and in September of 2001, was awarded the “Children’s Empowerment Award” by the Mayor of Lewisville, Texas. Tery has trained a lot of children and adults that have competed and won many Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. Tery has also acted in the martial arts movies: The Prodigy and Sinners and Saints.
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Steve Lichti Coach
Steve is a 2nd degree black belt in Jiu-Jitsu and one of our top adult instructors and also teaches the Sunday morning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class. A gym rat all his life, Steve found BJJ in 2011, and was hooked. Aside from being a coach, he is among NTMMA’s most frequent and consistent students, earning his black belt in 2019. While successful in competition, having won several local tournaments, he has gravitated more toward coaching than competing. The focus for Sunday class is pairing high percentage techniques together, giving the student simple options they can immediately add to their game. Whether you are seeing a technique for the first time as a white belt, or a high rank who has trained for years, the emphasis is on the details that allow the technique to work.
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TJ Sewell Coach
TJ Sewell wrestled at the University of Oklahoma, where he was an NCAA Division I 3-time All-American, NCAA Division I Finalist, and second on the all-time win list for the University of Oklahoma. TJ has continued to be involved in wrestling instruction for collegiate, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling, helping the local wrestling programs on the high school and grade school levels. TJ received his blue belt by Tery Corkran. He’s also produced many state wrestling champions as well as assisted with their continuation onto the college level through scholarship opportunities. TJ has been training and teaching at North Texas Mixed Martial Arts for several years and is a blue belt under Tery Corkran. TJ has worked with many NTMMA fighters and we are fortunate to have him at NTMMA.
Competitions:
- Three-Time NCAA Division I All-American
- NCAA Division I Finalist
- 2-Time Big 8 Champion
- #1 Nationally Ranked Division I
- Second All-Time Win List
- All-American High School (Freestyle)
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Daniel Andrews Coach
Daniel Andrews is a two stripe black belt who started Jiu Jitsu in 2003 and received his black belt in 2013. He received his 2nd stripe from Tery Corkran in 2017. Daniel has fought in 3 MMA matches, going 2 and 1 in the cage. He is also a second degree black belt in Japanese Jujutsu. Daniel coached middle school and high school sports for ten years, carrying out summer fitness programs and coaching power lifting.