Ascent Jiu Jitsu
Coralville Jiu Jitsu – Rise Above, Conquer Within
Rafael “Gordinho” Correa De Lima
Welcome To
Ascent Jiu Jitsu
Welcome to Ascent Jiu Jitsu, a BJJ studio in Coralville, IA just minutes northwest of downtown Iowa City! Our martial arts school is a low-stress environment where students can train knowing they are safe and supported. Everything we do is about welcoming the entire community to join us. The studio is located in a residential area near bus routes, restaurants, and biking paths. We are also working to make our training center as safe as possible, including our Academy being accredited, springboard mats, instructor background checks, and on-site cameras. All of this—on top of our small class sizes—allows for you to start Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes and work on your health and fitness, self-defense, competition, and mental strength without any worries. Join us today and see what you are capable of achieving!
Who we Are
Our School
You can walk into Ascent Jiu Jitsu every day and know you will have a good time. Our instructors—drawing on personal experience in Law Enforcement and many years practicing and teaching Jiu Jitsu—make sure to teach students through non-intimidation. We want students to have an hour to be themselves and take a break from life’s stressors. Our Jiu Jitsu training provides you with the opportunity to build personal relationships, have a good laugh, and learn lots of valuable skills. We promote an engaged group, encouraging questions and active learning in our smaller-sized groups. This allows for individualized growth and an emphasis on safety. The focus on safety continues with our work being Academy Safe certified and our springboard mats which helps with knee health and safer throws. All of this makes our Coralville Jiu Jitsu studio a special home for anyone and everyone!
History
Starting Jiu Jitsu was an eye-opening experience for owner Mike Warner. Mike began his journey at START Jiu Jitsu in Minnesota under Brock Larson and Rafael Correa De Lima, otherwise known as “Gordinho,” before moving to Iowa, where he trained at ICBJJ and taught for Jason Clark. The martial art provided him with the opportunity to build on the skills he learned in his law enforcement career and work hard among like-minded people. In 2020, Mike began teaching Jiu Jitsu classes and private lessons. His passion for Jiu Jitsu and love of teaching came together to open Ascent Jiu Jitsu in February 2026. In his time teaching Jiu Jitsu, Mike has loved to see people push past physical limitations and watch them grow.
Sign up for our Free Trial!
We want everyone to be able to give Jiu Jitsu a try. You can sign up for a free Jiu Jitsu class with our trial today!
Ascent Jiu Jitsu
Instructors
Each of our instructors—Mike Warner (Black Belt) and Josh Guhl (Brown Belt)—brings experience from their careers to the mat. Mike and Josh use their SWAT/law enforcement background to focus on personal safety and ensuring students remain safe during class. Together, they have brought a home for Coralville Jiu Jitsu where students can feel comfortable and welcome while developing self-defense and BJJ skills while working on fitness. The duo loves to see students’ “A’ha!” moments, and hope you will experience that too with us at Ascent Jiu Jitsu!
Mike Warner
Owner and Instructor
Josh Guhl
Instructor
Our Studio Schedule!
Make sure to check out our training schedule—we have BJJ classes for kids and adults throughout the week in which students can excel!
Our Jiu Jitsu
Programs
Our programs are split between adults and kids Jiu Jitsu. In each program, we develop a community environment for students to grow alongside their peers. We teach Gi Jiu Jitsu for all students to develop their fitness, self-defense skills, and competitive abilities. Check out what we have to offer in each BJJ class!
Kids Jiu Jitsu
Our kids program is built on the traditional teachings of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. We provide a structured environment for kids to develop new skills, learn valuable life lessons, and more. This will include classes for 4-15 year olds, multiple coaches on hand to assist with older and younger kids, and separate them to teach. We promote a community where all kids thrive and get more one on one coaching. Sign up your children for a great experience at Ascent Jiu Jitsu!
Adult Jiu Jitsu
Our adult Jiu Jitsu program is a class for anyone to get started in training. It is structured and allows for students to progress from any level. We are here to answer all our students’ questions to ensure they feel comfortable in class.
Words from our Community
Ascent Jiu Jitsu is a new spot in Coralville for people to train at and feel at home. Alongside our calm atmosphere and personal touch to every class, we highly emphasize safety, making sure all our students are comfortable and kept out of harm’s way. And don’t just take our word for it. Check out what those in the community have said about why they chose us as their home for Jiu Jitsu training!
At the age of 52, when my son and I began training with Mike, I never imagined the profound and lasting impact it would have on both of us. He immediately adapted to our father/son dynamic, tailoring his approach so that we could grow together while each receiving the personalized guidance we needed. His caring and thoughtful teaching style goes far beyond technique – he completely understands how his students think, react, and process, while instilling emotional control and discipline. He is welcoming to everyone regardless of experience, goals or background and makes safety priority number one in his class and facility.
Mike P.
Earning practical skills and building a sense of community through laughter, support, and dedication is exactly the experience you will get from training with Coach Mike. He makes it easy to feel comfortable on the mats, even for women like me who have never done martial arts or Brazilian jiujitsu before. I know walking in that Coach Mike values avoiding injuries, meeting individuals at their training level, and striving to be better in both mind and body.
Shannon F.
Coach Mike is the nicest and most skilled Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor I have ever trained with. He creates an atmosphere that is fun, safe, and provides a fantastic workout. As a sworn law enforcement officer, I feel there is no better way to combine practical self-defense techniques with an awesome workout. Moreover, the classes are conducted in a way that significantly reduces the risk of injury, especially compared to other martial arts schools. I highly recommend that anyone looking for a welcoming, family-friendly place to relieve stress and get a great workout come down and take a class!
Christian F.
Contact Us!
We are proud to offer Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Coralville to families, competitors, hobbyists, and more. As well as those in Coralville, we welcome everyone in Iowa City, North Liberty, Solon, Tipton, at the University of Iowa, and from nearby communities. Our studio is located in a residential area close to bus routes and walking trails. You can find us near Pat and Fran’s Irish Pub on 5th Street, just west of the Iowa River Power Company!
See our Privacy Policy for details on how we handle your information
Ascent Jiu Jitsu, Respects your privacy. By opting into our SMS messaging service, you agree to the following terms regarding how we handle your data.
Data Collection: We will collect your name, email address, mailing address, and mobile phone number when you sign up for SMS updates. The information will be collected via the website contact form, email, rental agreement, or third-party reservation systems.
Data Usage: We use your data solely for sending Informational messages.
Data Security: We protect your data with secure storage measures to prevent unauthorized access.
Data Retention: We retain your information as long as you are subscribed to our SMS service. You may request deletion at any time.
MESSAGE AND DATA RATES MAY APPLY. Your mobile carrier may charge fees for sending or receiving text messages, especially if you do not have an unlimited texting or data plan.
Messages are recurring, and message frequency varies.
If you would like to receive customer care text message communications from Ascent Jiu Jitsu (doing business as Ascent Jiu jitsu), from (319) 220-0520, you can sign up by texting ‘START,ASCENT’ to (319) 220-0520. Message frequency varies and may include responses to messages you send us, as well as information relevant to your relationship with us. Message and data rates may apply. You can opt-out of messaging at any time by replying STOP. For assistance, reply HELP.
Our combined Privacy Policy and messaging terms and conditions are available at https://ascent-jiujitsu.com/privacy-policy/.
Opt-Out: You can opt out of the SMS list at anytime by texting, emailing, or replying STOP or CANCEL to ascentjiujitsu@gmail.com or
(319) 220-0520. After unsubscribing, you will receive a final SMS to confirm you have unsubscribed and we will remove your number from our list within 24 hours.
You can send HELP for additional assistance, and you will receive a text including our Phone number, email and website. We are here to help you.
Non-Sharing Clause: Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties, excluding aggregators and providers of the Text Messaging services.
Data Sharing
- Customer data is not shared with 3rd parties for promotional or marketing purposes.
- Mobile opt-in and consent are never shared with anyone for any purpose. Any information sharing that may be mentioned elsewhere in this policy excludes mobile opt-in data.
Ascent Jiu jitsu Messaging Terms and Conditions
- The messaging program consists of general conversational messaging to answer questions and provide support to customers.
- You can cancel the SMS service at any time. Just text ‘STOP’ to the phone number from which you received messages. After you send the SMS message ‘STOP’ to us, we will send you an SMS message to confirm that you have been unsubscribed. After this, you will no longer receive SMS messages from us. If you want to join again, just sign up as you did the first time and we will start sending SMS messages to you again.
- If you are experiencing issues with the messaging program you can reply with the keyword HELP for more assistance, or you can get help directly at ascentjiujitsu@gmail.com.
- Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
- As always, message and data rates may apply for any messages sent to you from us and to us from you. Message frequency will vary based on communication needs. If you have any questions about your text plan or data plan, it is best to contact your wireless provider.
- If you have any questions regarding privacy, please read our privacy policy contained in the rest of this document/page.