Meet Michael Stinson | Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Instructor and School Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Stinson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, how does your business help the community?
I think one of the biggest things we do at Centerline is help people learn how to handle pressure — both on and off the mats.

Jiu-jitsu puts you in difficult situations constantly. You get stuck underneath bigger people. You get tired. You get frustrated. You make mistakes. You have to learn how to stay calm, think clearly, breathe, and keep moving forward anyway. Over time, people start realizing those same skills apply everywhere else in life too.

We see kids become more confident at school because they’ve learned how to deal with uncomfortable situations without panicking. We see adults become calmer under stress at work and at home. People become more patient, more disciplined, and more emotionally balanced. Jiu-jitsu has a way of exposing your weaknesses, but it also gives you a healthy way to work on them.

Of course, there are physical benefits too — improved fitness, practical self-defense skills, better health, coordination, and confidence — but I think the deeper value is personal growth. Martial arts should improve the person as a whole, not just their ability to fight.

A big part of our culture is built around respect, responsibility, honesty, patience, and helping other people improve alongside you. We use what we call the “7-5-3 Code” as a framework for that growth.

At the end of the day, we’re really a community. Entire families train together here. Kids grow into leaders and instructors. Friendships are built on the mats every day. In a world where a lot of people feel isolated and overwhelmed, I think having a place where people can challenge themselves, grow, and genuinely support one another has real value.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Centerline Jiu-Jitsu is a family-run martial arts academy in Chandler, Arizona focused on practical Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, self-defense, and personal growth. We work with students as young as three years old all the way into their 60s and beyond. Some people come to us because they want to learn self-defense. Others want fitness, confidence, stress relief, competition, or simply a positive community. What’s interesting is that most people end up gaining much more than whatever originally brought them through the door.

I think what sets us apart is that we genuinely care about the people training here and the culture we create on the mats. We try very hard to keep ego out of the academy. We want people to feel challenged, but also safe and supported. Jiu-jitsu is already difficult enough without feeling like you need to prove yourself every day.

Our approach is heavily influenced by Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and the idea that technique, timing, patience, and efficiency matter more than athleticism or intimidation. We spend a lot of time helping students learn how to stay calm under pressure and think clearly during difficult situations. That applies to life just as much as it applies to jiu-jitsu.

Business-wise, the journey definitely was not easy. The academy has existed in different forms since 2002, and there were many years where survival itself felt like success. Like a lot of small businesses, we faced financial stress, long hours, setbacks, self-doubt, and periods where we had to adapt or completely rethink how we operated. There’s no shortcut around that. Running a martial arts academy is not just teaching classes. You wear every hat imaginable — instructor, janitor, counselor, marketer, customer service representative, mentor, and problem solver.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that consistency matters more than intensity. You don’t build a strong academy overnight. You build it class by class, relationship by relationship, year after year. Another lesson is that culture matters more than almost anything else. Skills are important, but the environment you create determines whether people actually stay long enough to grow.

I’m probably most proud of the community we’ve built. We’ve watched shy kids become confident teenagers. We’ve seen adults completely change their health and mindset. We’ve had families train together for years. Some students who started as kids are now helping teach classes themselves. That’s incredibly rewarding.

What I’d want people to know about our story is that we’re not trying to create tough people for the sake of toughness. We’re trying to help people become more capable, more resilient, healthier, calmer, and better equipped to deal with life. Jiu-jitsu just happens to be the vehicle we use to teach those lessons.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well first, they’d definitely have to come train with us at Centerline for a few jiu-jitsu classes. That’s a big part of my life, so if someone is visiting me, they’re getting on the mats at least once whether they planned on it or not.

After that, I’d probably skip most of the shopping and fancy dining stuff and show them the parts of Arizona that actually make this place special. Arizona has a kind of rugged beauty to it that you really have to experience outdoors.

If it’s cooler weather, I’d absolutely take them out toward the Superstition Mountains. There’s something very “Arizona” about that area — the desert, the rock formations, the history, the quiet. Sedona would also be high on the list. Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, the vortex areas, hiking trails… even people who aren’t normally outdoorsy tend to appreciate how unique it feels there.

If it’s hot outside, then the strategy changes a little. We’d probably do Slide Rock up in Sedona, Salt River tubing, maybe spend some time near the water, or honestly just relax by the pool and avoid fighting the Arizona summer too much. People underestimate how brutal the heat can be until they experience it firsthand.

Food-wise, I’m honestly pretty simple. I’m not really the luxury dining guy. I’d rather find a relaxed local place with good food after a long hike or a hard training session than spend three hours at some fancy restaurant pretending tiny portions are life changing.

I think what makes Arizona special is the combination of challenge and beauty. The desert can be harsh, but there’s something grounding about it too. You can drive a couple hours and suddenly be surrounded by mountains, forests, red rocks, rivers, or wide open desert landscapes that don’t even look real. For me, that’s the best part of living here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, my wife Lori deserves a tremendous amount of credit. Running a small family business is not easy, and there’s no way Centerline would exist without her support through all the ups and downs that come with building something over the years. She’s always believed in this crazy journey, even during the difficult times.

My kids deserve a huge shoutout too. When you own a martial arts school, it becomes part of family life whether you want it to or not. They’ve grown up around the academy, helped out whenever needed, sacrificed time with me over the years, and have always been supportive.

I’m also incredibly grateful for my teachers and mentors over the years. I ask a lot of questions, I joke around a lot, and I’ve probably tested the patience of more than a few instructors along the way. But every teacher I’ve had has contributed something valuable to my growth both in martial arts and as a person.

The Gracie family deserves recognition as well for helping spread jiu-jitsu throughout the world and making it accessible to ordinary people. That ripple effect is the reason schools like ours even exist today.

And honestly, all of my students and training partners deserve credit too. One of the beautiful things about jiu-jitsu is that nobody improves alone. Every person you train with contributes to your development in some way. Over the years, we’ve shared victories, struggles, injuries, laughter, hard conversations, and life experiences together both on and off the mats. That community has shaped me just as much as I’ve hopefully helped shape them.

Website: https://www.CenterlineJiuJitsuChandler.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerlinejiujitsu_chandler/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CenterLineJiujitsu

Image Credits
Zoe Stinson, Hung Nguyen, Michael Stinson