Understand, Don’t Memorize
Students should understand the concepts and mechanics behind a technique, not simply memorize a move sequence.
Brennen Collier
Owner & Head Coach
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brown Belt Professional Grappler Fight to Win 3–0 PGF Competitor
Train With Brennen- BJJ Brown Belt
- Professional Grappler
- Fight to Win 3–0
- PGF Competitor
Meet Coach Brennen Collier
Brennen Collier is the owner and head coach of Sōzō Jiu-Jitsu, a no-gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy serving Chattanooga along with the surrounding Tennessee and North Georgia communities.
An active competitor, coach, and lifelong student of the sport, Brennen brings experience from both traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and modern submission grappling to the training mats at Sōzō Jiu-Jitsu.
From Student to Coach
Brennen’s Jiu-Jitsu journey has taken him through different schools, systems, and styles of submission grappling.
A significant part of his development took place at Gracie Bradenton in Bradenton, Florida, where he trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and ultimately earned his brown belt.
That foundation gave Brennen extensive experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fundamentals and positional principles while he continued developing the submission-focused style that would become an increasingly important part of his grappling game.
Today, Brennen continues his development by training with 10th Planet Decatur in Alabama as he progresses toward a black belt.
Training within the 10th Planet environment has allowed him to continue expanding his knowledge of modern no-gi grappling, including wrestling, transitions, leg attacks, positional control, and competition built around submissions.
The combination of these experiences influences the approach Brennen brings to Sōzō: respect for proven fundamentals combined with an openness to how modern submission grappling continues to evolve over time.
Lineage & Development
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Gracie Bradenton
Traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu development
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Brown Belt
Earned while training at Gracie Bradenton
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10th Planet Decatur
Current advanced training and continued development toward black belt
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Sōzō Jiu-Jitsu
Owner, Head Coach, and active competitor
Professional Competition Experience
Brennen is an active submission-grappling competitor with experience on professional and high-level competitive stages, including Fight to Win and the Professional Grappling Federation, or PGF.
Verified Fight to Win Results
Fight to Win Record: 3–0
| Event | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Fight to Win 252 | Kyle Kirk | Win by Decision |
| Fight to Win 263 | Jacob Lamb | Win by Decision |
| Fight to Win 268 | Brian Minardi | Win by Decision |
PGF Competitor
Professional Grappling Federation
Brennen has also competed within the Professional Grappling Federation, a submission-oriented grappling format that rewards aggressive attacks and finishes. His PGF competition experience includes multiple victories and submission finishes, including finishes recorded in under one minute.
Tested Under Pressure
Competition is an important part of Brennen’s development, not simply for records, medals, or recognition, but because competition exposes techniques and decision-making to genuine resistance and pressure.
Those lessons come back to the training room at Sōzō.
Techniques that succeed under pressure can be studied, refined, taught, and adapted for students ranging from first-day beginners to experienced competitors.
This philosophy helps keep Sōzō’s instruction both technically grounded and connected to the evolution of modern grappling training.
Building Sōzō
Brennen founded Sōzō Jiu-Jitsu with a straightforward goal: create the kind of training environment where people can become genuinely skilled grapplers while still enjoying the people they train beside.
Sōzō is built around No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling, with instruction designed to help students understand why techniques work rather than simply memorize collections of isolated moves.
Students develop strong fundamentals while also being exposed to modern grappling concepts including wrestling, positional control, escapes, transitions, leg attacks, and submissions.
The training environment itself matters just as much.
Whether someone is stepping onto the mats for the first time, training recreationally, visiting from another academy, or preparing to compete, Sōzō should feel challenging, technical, welcoming, and built around the team.
Coaching Philosophy
Fundamentals First
Strong positional awareness, escapes, control, and movement create the foundation for advanced grappling.
Modern No-Gi
Students should understand wrestling, transitions, leg entanglements, submission systems, and modern no-gi strategies.
Train With Resistance
Techniques need to work against opponents who are actively trying to stop those techniques.
Leave the Ego Outside
Training partners exist to help one another improve.
Keep Learning
No belt eliminates the need to remain a student of the sport.
Always a Student
Who Can Train With Brennen?
- Complete beginners
- Recreational Jiu-Jitsu practitioners
- Experienced grapplers
- Students transitioning from Gi to No-Gi
- Wrestlers entering submission grappling
- Active competitors
- Visiting grapplers from other academies
Previous martial arts experience is not required to begin.
Train With Brennen
You don’t need previous martial arts experience, or aspirations of becoming a professional competitor, to start training at Sōzō.
Come meet Brennen and the team, experience the room, and see whether Sōzō is the right place for your Jiu-Jitsu journey.