About Us

Owner & Professor Derek Barlow

I received my Black Belt in August 2017 after 9 years of training under Professor Robert Drysdale /Professor Marcelo Nunes. I am 1st  Degree Black Belt.

I grew up in a household with a single mother who worked two jobs to make ends meet. My father, unfortunately, was absent, abusive and an addict. I suffered from anxiety, depression and was going through life largely without knowing who I was. On top of that, I was never interested in team sports. In fact, I tried mountain biking, kickboxing, power and kettle-bell lifting. It wasn’t until 2008 that I found my true love, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
From my first day on the mats, my life was forever changed. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or BJJ as we call it for short, helped me develop the skills and self-confidence to understand and deal with my traumatic past. This allowed me to grow physically, mentally and spiritually.

In all truth, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu saved my life. It has made me a better father, husband, friend, critical thinker and decision maker. It helped me lose weight, improve my diet, become a more social person and approach every situation in life with a strategic and tactical mindset.

I’ve been blessed to meet many great people from all walks of life, most of which I would have never met. It has become my passion to help inspire others who are in similar situations or want that next challenge in life to become the best versions of themselves.

My favorite submission is the rear naked choke and I love sweeping giants with my half guard. I excel at being able to teach and mold each person’s Jiu Jitsu game to their body type and mobility levels.

Instructor Coach Roger received his BROWN belt in 2023 under the instruction of Professor Derek Barlow

I’ve been a fan of Brazilian jiu jitsu since UFC 1. The ability of Royce Gracie to defeat much bigger and more aggressive opponents with relative ease and minimal striking was extremely impressive to me. Fast forward to age 48, I was looking for a way to stay connected to my teenage son. So I decided to sign us both up to train Bjj at Bellum. We both love it and are now taking a martial arts journey together. My goal is to give back to Bellum and the jiu jitsu community by training hard and teaching others to do what I love so much. To say Bjj has changed my life would be an understatement.

Ian Griggs Received Black Belt in the Summer of 2023 from Professor Derek Barlow and Professor Robert Drysdale.

I began training at Bellum shortly after it first opened in 2017, and immediately became hopelessly addicted. I have spent the last 20 years working in the private security industry, and have been responsible for training hundreds of security professionals in use of force, defensive tactics and personal safety. From large scale festivals to protection details and armed security deployments, the real-world application of training and preparation has always been a foundation of my career. I found that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gave me a whole new appreciation of what combat and self defense truly means. Training under Professor Barlow, Professor Brian Mogdans and Professor Fabio Morescalchi, I dedicated 5 to 6 days a week immersing myself in this beautiful and challenging discipline.

The benefits I have gained from this experience, and now the ability to pass on knowledge to new and developing practitioners, have been priceless in both my personal and professional life.

My goal now is to continue this journey with the same mindset and dedication I had when I first stepped onto the mat: to always seek improvement and expand my knowledge, and help others find their path within the practice, whatever that means to them. Jiu Jitsu is truly a transformative experience, and one worth trying no matter where you are in life, or where you are trying to get to. I have been assisting with coaching and teaching at Bellum since 2022, and continue to feed my addiction on a daily basis.

Youth Coach Susie Zimmer

As anyone who trains at Bellum will tell you, the community that has been grown and nurtured here is second to none. I now train at least six classes a week, help coach kid’s classes, and help run our Women’s Open Mat sessions. If there is one takeaway from my experience, it’s that everyone is more capable than they think. If you want to do something, do it. Be horrible at it and keep doing it. There is nowhere to go but up and forward.