Coaches
Conor Heun
10th Planet Denver Head Coach, Conor Heun has over 36 years of grappling experience under his 1st degree black belt. He started in combat sports as a wrestler earning state titles in Freestyle and Greco Roman before competing internationaly. After wrestling at Ithaca College, he moved to L.A. in 2005 and started training No Gi Jiu Jitsu under Eddie Bravo. After a successful MMA career fighting in the IFL, Elite XC, and Strikeforce, Coach Heun returned to Colorado to open 10th Planet Denver, realizing his life long goal of becoming a head coach.
Heather Jo Clark
Head MMA Coach and Manager, Heather Jo Clark spent her life seeking out and training under the best coaches in the world including Greg Jackson, Mike Winklejohn, Robert Follis, and Eddie Bravo. Her technique has proven successful at the highest levels of MMA with fights in Invicta, Bellator, and the UFC. Heather has over 10 years of MMA experience under her 10th Planet Brown Belt and is passionate about sharing her Nogi knowledge with the 10th Planet Denver team. Heather is available for private lessons at $100 per hour.
Conor Heun
10th Planet Denver Head Coach and Owner, Conor Heun has over 40 years of grappling experience under his second degree black belt.
Conor started wrestling at 4 years old. He won state titles in Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco Roman, wrestled on the Colorado National Team in Fargo and competed overseas in the Tour Du Monde but fell short of earning a High School State Title, losing by a point in the finals.
Conor spent 5 years wrestling at Ithaca College in Upstate New York but again fell short, failing to win a National Title.
Unwilling to give up his championship dreams he moved home and got his first real taste of jiu jitsu training with the fighters at Easton's BJJ in Boulder, CO in 2002.
After moving to LA in 2005, Conor began training under Master Eddie Bravo and fell in love with the Rubber Guard. Impressed with his work ethic, his toughness, and his flexibility, Master Eddie encouraged Conor to try his hand at MMA.
Conor spent the next 7 years fighting the toughest men on the planet in the IFL, Elite XC, and Strikeforce. He retired in 2012 with a professional record of 9-5 and opened 10th Planet Denver in 2018 realizing his lifelong goal of leading his own team.
Conor is available for private lessons at $200 per hour.
Zane
Stone
Black belt Zane Stone began his exploration into Jiu Jitsu in 2009, when he spent a short time training in the Gi in Australia. After a two year hiatus and a move to San Francisco, he discovered 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu and settled into a steady training schedule.
Zane spent the next 7+ years dedicating his time to training and competing under Denny Prokopos (Eddie Bravo's first Black Belt) where he progressed from white to brown belt.
Zane has had the pleasure of training with some of 10th Planet's and Northern California's most decorated and skilled grapplers, gaining knowledge and technique along the way. Zane was given his 10th Planet Blackbelt by Conor Heun in June of 2022.
After relocating to the Mile High City, Zane was thrilled to find a new home at 10th Planet Denver. You can get a taste of his well-rounded and individualistic approach during his class Wednesday mornings at 6:00am.
Zane is available for private lessons at $100 per hour. He can be reached by call or text at: (773) 571-5285
Mike
conigliaro
Mike met Coach Heun playing Street Fighter 2 in 2012. After beating Conor over and over using nearly every character in the game, Conor invited him to the Jiu Jitsu gym hoping to even the score.
Mike barely knew what Jiu Jitsu was when he first stepped onto the mats and although he had no prior martial arts experience, a lifetime of skateboarding had made him tough and resilient. He struggled at first but refused to give up and soon found grappling to be a powerful vehicle for personal development and a community of some of the most inspiring people he ever met.
Having spent time training in both traditional gi based Jiu Jitsu and the 10th Planet Style, Mike brings a very well rounded game to his teaching. These days, Mike jokes about being a “jiu-jitsu evangelist” as he strives to make better people through jiu-jitsu. He helps new practitioners feel comfortable in a sport that can be intimidating and fosters a friendly atmosphere where everyone can feel empowered to become the best version of themself.
Mike is a brown belt and is available for private lessons at $80 per hour.
brian thurow
Brian began his Jiu Jitsu journey in April of 2016 at Katharo Training Center in Littleton, CO. Being in his mid-thirties, having zero martial arts experience, and a laundry list of pre-existing injuries, Brian was more than hesitant to give BJJ a try but he knew that what he had been doing wasn't working either.
Brian was depressed, out of shape, had no routine, and no sense of community. After a long conversation with a good friend who trained, he eventually put his fears aside and put on a white belt. It totally changed his life.
His first four years of training were primarily in the gi, with a heavy emphasis on self-defense and takedowns. After joining the team at 10th Planet Denver Brian was awarded his brown belt in 2023.
Brian's style of jiu-jitsu is based almost purely on fundamentals and basic techniques that anyone can do.
When he's not on the mats, he works as a tattoo artist at his shop, Dedication Tattoo and enjoys life here in Wheat Ridge with his beautiful wife, Demi, and their dog, Rumi.
Aside from training he enjoys fishing, cooking, reading, and a nice hot bath. He's also a newbie freshwater aquarium hobbyist.
If you see Brian at the academy, please come say hello!
Keith
Roop-
Eckart
Keith started his martial arts journey with Aikido in 2005. He dabbled with a variety of styles before falling in love with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2014.
After receiving his blue belt in 2016, Keith traveled across the midwest and competed in various tournaments before settling down at 10th Planet Denver.
Keith has developed a very dangerous Guillotine and his Kimura game always leads to a sweep or a finish.
Keith was awarded his brown belt from Coach Heun in 2024.
Keith believes guard retention and submission chains form the core of a strong grappling game and is excited to share his knowledge with the 10th Planet community during his Monday morning 6:00am class.
Keith is available for private lessons at $80 per hour.
adam
davila
Adam Davila started his journey at Northern Illinois University when he joined their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club in 2014. He was seeking a change in lifestyle and Jiu Jitsu made the most sense to him. It brought him discipline, purpose, and an outlet for his competitive nature.
Despite having to take breaks in training to allow for life events, he never lost his passion and has since become one of the most active competitors at 10th Planet Denver, winning gold in multiple submission only tournaments.
Adam, a 10th Planet brown belt, has been training with 10th Planet Denver since day one and truly relishes the opportunity to share his knowledge as a coach.
You can catch Adam teaching our noon All Levels Classes on Monday Wednesday and Friday.
Adam is available for private lessons at $80 per hour.
Ben
swan
Ben Swan started wrestling in 1989 in Merrill Wisconson for the Junior Jays at the ripe young age of 4. He was a multiple time Wisconson National Team Member in both Greco and Freestyle.
At Merrill High School he was a team leader, voted Team Captain as a Sophmore, Junior, and Senior. He was a four year starter setting the school win record and placing 6th at the State Tournament his Junior year.
In college, Ben wrestled for the University of Dubuque in Iowa at 149lbs and graduated with a degree in Health, Wellness, and Recreation.
After college began his foray into traditional Chinese Medicine. He attended East West Healing Arts Institute where he graduated with a degree in Western Massage and Eastern Medicine.
Ben and Conor became fast friends in 2012 when they were both working at 24 Hour Fitness in Boulder as Personal Trainers.
Conor invited Ben to check out 10th Planet Jiu and the rest is history. Ben dove headfirst into Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts and was awarded his brown belt in 2024.
Ben is avaiable for one on one sessions in massage, strength training, and grappling at $100 per hour.
Sheila
Davila
Sheila started training in 2016 after her partner convinced her that learning self-defense was a necessary skill. She immediately became enamored with both the physical and cognitive challenge jiu jitsu provided. While she began training in the gi, earning her blue belt in 2019, she enjoyed cross training and was intrigued by 10th Planet's nogi style. She eventually saw the light and decided to train full time at 10th Planet Denver.
Shortly after earning her blue belt, Sheila began her coaching journey as a substitute coach for the women’s class. She soon developed a special interest in helping grow the community of women and helping others achieve their goals. She takes great pride in being able to coach on a regular basis and be a supportive mentor for her team.
In March of 2023, after 4 years with 10th Planet Denver, Sheila was awarded her purple belt.
Outside of Jiu Jitsu, Sheila’s other favorite hobby is to cook and feed people. She and her Husband Adam run The Yuppie Kitchen, providing delicious vegan fare at pop up's around the city and at private events.
Sheila is available for privates at $70 an hour.
Kacey
Chan
Kacey is a Colorado native growing up with dance, volleyball and soccer as her sports.
During her college years at CU Denver, she began her fitness journey and taught spin, kickboxing, and strength & conditioning. She soon decided that martial arts would be her focus and started training in both Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
In August 2018 she began her Jui-Jitsu journey with 303 Training Center and received her blue belt in December 2019 under Tony Basile.
Though she continues to work, learn, and grow her game in Gi, she has fallen in love with leg locks and nogi grappling. In 2022 Kacey join the team at 10th Planet Denver and loves the flow, technique and culture. It is nearly impossible to get her off the mat!
Outside of the gym Kacey enjoys her time on hikes with her German Shephard, creating or observing art, and breaking bread with her friends & family.
Kacey is available for privates and charges $60 an hour.
Shane
Roeschlein
Shane Roeschlein began training in 2017 at North Park Jiu Jitsu in Sand Diego, CA as a way to do something fun and active with his daughter and soon became a coach for the kids team.
Coach Shane holds the rank of purple belt under Michael Cusi and Johnny Tama and trained nogi with Sloan Clymer and Ram Ananda.
After 20 years in San Diego, shane traded the beach for the mountains when he moved back to his hometown with his family in 2021.
At 10th Planet Denver, Shane coaches the all levels class Monday mornings at 6:00am and the kids classes at 4:00pm. When he isn't on the mats he is a published writer and a bass player in the SoCal hard-core punk band, Cabrón.
Shane is available for private lessons at $70 an hour. His email is shane.roeschlein@gmail.com
Brian
Lipsett
A life long combat athlete, Brian started grappling as a young wrestler. He earned multiple all-state honors in high school and was a state finalist his senior year. He had been exposed to MMA through a coach, Josh Burkman, who was having success in the UFC at the time. With that example, Brian’s focus shifted to add striking and submissions to his game and he was able to accumulate an amateur MMA record of 2-0 and a professional record of 3-0, all by way of first round finish. Ultimately, the demands of training and competing in MMA were not sustainable and Brian moved on to other pursuits away from combat sports. BJJ struck the right balance and in 2016 Brian started on his jiu jitsu journey. He would eventually earn his Purple Belt under Caio Terra Black Belt Ranulfo “Gonzo” Gonzalez before his passion for the No-Gi game led him to Conor and the 10th Planet Denver team where he was awarded his Brown Belt in January, 2023. Brian strives to perform common techniques uncommonly well and enjoys helping spread the art that has been so impactful on his life. Off the mats, Brian is a financial advisor and the founder of OakwayFinancial.com. He enjoys applying principles learned in training to his work and life outside the gym and truly believes jiu jitsu can help people become the best versions of themselves.
miguel
Morales
Miguel Morales is a 10th Planet purple belt who began his martial arts journey at 15 years of age. He started with Tae Kwon do and earned his blue belt there before focusing his attention on MMA.
He first joined Limitless MMA where he trained for a year before joining the team at High Altitude Martial Arts. When HAMA closed down during the Covid Plandemic Miguel started training in Coach Conor's garage while 10th Planet Denver was being built out.
Miguel is a well rounded martial artist with 5 kickboxing bouts and 5 MMA fights on his record.
Since Joining 10th Planet Denver, Miguel has fully dedicated himself to Jiu Jitsu and is an avid competitior. He has entered more than 10 tournaments and has won 4 gold medals in addition to the 5 professional Jiu Jitsu fights he has competed in.
One of the hardest workers on the team, Miguel is usually the first to the gym and the last to leave. Outside of the gym he enjoys anime and riding his motorcycle.
Miguel is available for privates and charges $70 an hour. You can reach him through his Instagram below.
Tim
Mohatt
Tim Mohatt is a NASM certified personal trainer with a passion for helping others achieve their fitness goals. With over 5 years of experience in the fitness industry, Tim has developed a reputation as a skilled and knowledgeable trainer who places as strong emphasis on sustainable fitness habits.
A firm believer in the power of positive thinking and a can-do attitude, he motivates his clients to push past their limits and reach their full potential, both in the gym and in their daily lives.
Tim discovered Jiu Jitsu when he attended UFC 1 in 1993. His friends all put their money together to buy the Rorion Gracie VHS set and started grappling with eachother the next day. Tim trained in the gi for about 10 years and got his blue belt from Royce Gracie in 2005.
Tim started in the 10th Planet System in 2013 when he moved to Boulder training with Conor Heun and Drew Ash at 10th Planet Boulder. Tim has trained at over 10 different 10th Planet Moons and loves the diversity that comes from all the different moon heads. Tim earned his purple belt in April of 2024 from Head Coach Conor Heun
Tim is available for personal training sessions at $50/hr and has tremendous results with body recomposition and behavior change.
Hannah
Mitchell
Hannah is a lifelong athlete who grew up playing sports. Despite trying Soccer, Lacrosse, Water Polo, and Ultimate Frisbee, Hannah never found an activity that really held her interest until she tried rock climbing.
After moving to Colorado, Hannah was seeking a new community and finally took her Husband Scott’s advice to try Jiu Jitsu. Preferring Nogi, Scott told her to check out 10th Planet. When Hannah saw that 10th Planet Denver had women’s only classes, she forced herself to try it and immediately fell in love.
Jiu Jitsu had the same physical and mental problem solving that she liked so much about rock climbing but on the mats, it was like the rock was trying to climb you back.
Obsessed with this new game, she made a commitment to herself to attend all the women’s class and progressed quickly. Her skills were recognized in January of 2022 when she was awarded her blue belt and again in April of 2024 when she earned her 10th Planet purple belt.
You can take Hannah’s class every Tuesday night at 6:00pm.
Ian
De sol
Ian, a 10th Planet purple belt, has spent his life dedicated to athletics and grappling. Hailing from Albany, New York, he began wrestling in second grade and honed his skills wrestling for Guilderland High School, amassing over 100 career wins, qualifying for the NYS tournament, and clinching a Section 2 Class A championship. In the offseason, Ian spent his time training at Adirondack Three Style Wrestling Association (ATWA), and was a four-time NYS placer in Freestyle and Greco.
Transitioning to collegiate wrestling, Ian spent four years at Bloomsburg University, competing as a Division 1 wrestler while earning a BA in Sociology. Following graduation, his passion for wrestling led him to coaching at Upper Darby High School, alongside pursuing studies in Scientific Glass Technology at Salem Community College. Ian’s professional journey in scientific glass spanned several states, including Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Colorado.
Despite a hiatus from the mats, Ian reignited his passion for grappling in 2020 when he walked into 10th Planet Bethlehem, later continuing his training at 10th Planet Austin.
Today, Ian works in the innovative realm of metal additive manufacturing and is grateful to have discovered his place within the vibrant community at 10th Planet Denver.
As the kid’s coach Ian’s goal is to provide a positive and supportive environment where young athletes can feel empowered to learn, overcome challenges, set and achieve goals and be who they are, while developing essential life skills that will serve them well beyond sports.
george
grijalva
George’s introduction to the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu began with a few classes under the mentorship of MMA fighter Mike Guymon, known as "The Joker." He earned his Blue Belt in 2011 under Professor Louis Vintaloro at Performance Jiu-Jitsu in New Jersey.
Following an almost decade-long hiatus, George crossed paths with Conor Heun, who extended the invitation to begin training in his garage during the covid lock down. This pivotal moment marked George’s return to the world of martial arts, igniting a passion that now burns stronger than ever.
Today, George is dedicated to training, helping coach the new students, and filming classes at 10th Planet Denver and was recently awarded his 10th Planet Purple Belt.
As someone who has often found been the smallest person in the room, George has come to appreciate the power of technical expertise in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is a firm believer that one's size should never limit their ability to excel in this beautiful and intricate martial art. With a commitment to sharing the art of BJJ and promoting its effectiveness, George is excited to be a part of your journey toward mastering the techniques and strategies that make Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a unique and empowering discipline.
George
martinez
Coach George “Buzzsaw” Martinez has been training mma for 10 years. His journey started with High School Wrestling where he took 6th in state as a senior.
After High School he started fighting and became the Fight Fusion Amateur 125lb Champion, and the Sparta 125lb Amateur Champion, defending his belt 4 times before going pro.
As a pro, Buzzsaw is 5-3 with a 100% finish rate. He held the #1 spot for Colorado Pro Flyweight for several years and is currently ranked #2. George has been recognized as one of the top 20 prospects not signed to the ufc.
George has an extensive background in Freestyle Wrestling, Greco Roman, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, Muay Thai, and Capoeira and has taken his favorite aspects of each art to create his own unique, unorthodox, and highly entertaining style of fighting.
George fought on Dana White's “Looking for a fight”, Fury FC, and in the LFA. Buzzsaw coached high school wrestling at Denver North for 3 years, 1 year at Skyview and 1 year at Montbello.
As a 3rd degree purple belt and a veteran of over 20 fights George has a wealth of knowledge he's excited to share with the 10th Planet Denver Community.
George is available for private lessons and charges $100 an hour.
ali
akalin
Ali Akalin is from Turkey and he has lived and studied in Thailand and The Netherlands. He was introduced to boxing in highschool, and later resumed his training in 2011 at Trevor Wittman’s Grudge Training Center.
While at Grudge, Ali was introduced to wrestling (initially with coach James Fleming), and was later introduced to the 10th Planet system of Jiu-jitsu (through coach Drew Ash). In 2016, following the closure of Grudge Training Center, he joined Genesis Training Academy where he continued to work on his Boxing and grappling. It was at Genesis that Ali first met Conor Heun and Heather Jo Clark, and decided to resume training in the 10th Planet system.
Coach Ali was awarded his brown belt by Coach Conor Heun in April of 2024.
Ali can be found helping out with the kids classes on Saturday mornings, working with new students in the fundamentals classes and teaching boxing fundamentals on Sundays at 9:00am.
george
Martinez
Coach George “Buzzsaw” Martinez has been training mma for 10 years. His journey started with High School Wrestling where he took 6th in state as a senior.
After High School he started fighting and became the Fight Fusion Amateur 125lb Champion, and the Sparta 125lb Amateur Champion, defending his belt 4 times before going pro.
As a pro, Buzzsaw is 5-3 with a 100% finish rate. He held the #1 spot for Colorado Pro Flyweight for several years and is currently ranked #2. George has been recognized as one of the top 20 prospects not signed to the ufc.
George has an extensive background in Freestyle Wrestling, Greco Roman, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, Muay Thai, and Capoeira and has taken his favorite aspects of each art to create his own unique, unorthodox, and highly entertaining style of fighting.
George fought on Dana White's “Looking for a fight”, Fury FC, and in the LFA. Buzzsaw coached high school wrestling at Denver North for 3 years, 1 year at Skyview and 1 year at Montbello.
As a 3rd degree purple belt and a veteran of over 20 fights George has a wealth of knowledge he's excited to share with the 10th Planet Denver Community.
George is available for private lessons and charges $100 an hour.
Joey
Manchego
Joey met Coach Conor while working at 24 Hour Fitness in 2016. During their time working together they loved to push each other and other members of their team in challenging workouts. Joey found motivation from Conor not only from his tenacity during grueling workouts, but also in his work ethic as a Fitness Manager.
They stayed in touch throughout the years and in 2021 Joey finally decided to join 10th Planet Denver and soon found a new appreciation for the martial art. Joey was awarded his blue belt in 2023 and is looking forward to improving his skills while teaching Saturday Kid's class with Coach Ali.
Joey has a background in many sports, starting with Tae kwon Do at the age of 4 and participating in competitive soccer, basketball, baseball, track and football. Building comradery in sports is one of the aspects of sports that Joey enjoys the most.
Having kids of his own, Joey knows how impactful it is for kids to have multiple positive adult influences. Joey's goal is to help kids gain self-confidence and the skill to make the right decision during challenging times.
Joey is available for private lessons and charges $60 an hour.
andrew
cox
Andrew started training jiu jitsu in 2020 after hearing several people talk about how awesome jiu jitsu was. Although it took him several years to muster enough courage to get on the mats for the first time, he hasn’t looked back since he took that first step.
Andrew favors a defensive style and enjoys using unorthodox positions and submissions to trap and suprise his opponents. Andrew earned his blue belt in April of 2022 and now helps coach the kids class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Off the mats, Andrew enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife and five children.
Andrew is available for privates and charges $60 an hour. You can reach him by call or text at (720) 296-9021
Brock
McKenna
When Brock moved to Colorado in early 2018 from his home in Florida he was looking for a new hobby besides weightlifting and pickup basketball.
Growing up in Florida, Brock always wanted to train at a 10th Planet Acdemy but there wasnt a school close enough to his home to make it worth while.
Shortly after arriving in Denver, Brock saw a post on instagram that 10th Planet Denver was opening in November 2018 so he made up his mind to give it a shot.
He showed up at our original location and has been training at 10th Planet Denver ever since.
Brock was awarded his blue belt by Coach Conor Heun in November 2020 and his purple belt in September of 2023.
When he's not training or working he's at home chasing his two little ones around.
Brock is available for privates and charges $50 an hour.
mars
brassell
A Colorado native, Mars Brassell’s martial arts journey began over a decade ago at Gumm BJJ & MMA in Littleton, Colorado, driven by a fascination with martial arts films and UFC/Pride fights, and a desire to overcome personal challenges with being bullied in highschool and lacking self-esteem.
During this time, Mars found Eddie Bravo’s DVDs which he would study and practice from, seeding his proclivity for the 10th Planet system early on. Under Brad Gumm, Mars earned his purple belt after performing well in local competition shortly before the school was permanently closed.
After this, Mars faced a hiatus from consistent training, but could never quite shake the desire to get back on the mats until he discovered 10th Planet Denver and Coach Conor Heun when they opened their home location in Wheat Ridge. The values, sense of community, and stylistic resonance he found at 10th Planet Denver reignited his passion for the sport and reaffirmed his desire to share his knowledge and experience with others with newfound commitment and consistency in training.
As a Jiu Jitsu coach, Mars is committed to helping his students unlock their potential, build confidence, explore their curiosity, and experience freedom of expression and personal growth through Jiu Jitsu.
Mars earned his 10th Planet brown belt in April of 2024 and is available for private lessons at $80 per hour.
Tyler
Harmon
From the small town of Crowley, Louisiana, Tyler Harmon's journey with boxing began in childhood, training sporadically from ages 8 to 18. Although football took center stage during those years, the desire to coach always lingered.
As an adult, Tyler reignited his passion for boxing, eventually coaching his first classes at 10th Planet Denver. Over the past four years, he's committed himself to studying boxing as if it were a college major, enriching his coaching approach with a deep understanding of the sport.
Tyler's coaching style resembles an art class – he provides the canvas, empowering individuals to paint their own colors and develop their own style. he works to foster creativity and self-expression within the realm of boxing.
Tyler is excited to bring this blend of experience, dedication, and artistic coaching to the 10th Planet Denver community. His goal is to help our members become more confident on their feet while they train their grappling game.
Tyler is available for privates at $60 an hour and can be reached at (337) 250-3010 or through his Instagram linked below.
Sebastian
Zydek
Sebastian is a 10th Planet blue belt & started his jiu jitsu journey in 2021. Jiu Jitsu quickly became a passion for him.
Sebastian is constantly studying new techniques and seeking new information in the jiu jitsu world. He loves to travel all over to train at other 10th planets constantly visiting 10P ATX, 10P Vegas and 10P Lombard, but always comes home to 10th Planet Denver to share his knowledge.
Sebastian trains daily and also competes as much as possible, making his professional debut at F2W 213. He strives to be better and is constantly pushing his team.
His favorite quote is “ Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but doing it like you love it” - Mike Tyson
Sebatian is available for Privates and charges $60. He can be reached by email at:
or through his Instagram linked below.
Are you
next?
At 10th Planet Denver we are always looking for our next world class coach. Are you a black belt looking to learn the 10th Planet System?
Are you a current student looking to share your passion for Jiu Jitsu with the next generation?
Are you a movement coach, strength coach, striking coach, dance instructor, yoga teacher or have some other skill you think would be benificial to the 10th Planet Denver Community?
If so, please send us an email at 10thplanetdenver@gmail.com
and lets get the conversation started.