Instructors
Chris Ruiz
Integrity. Passion. Perseverance. Sensei Chris embodies these three tenants in all his endeavors. He began his marital arts career at the age of nine, after his father signed him up at the local Judo club in Santa Maria. Throughout Chris’s childhood, his love for martial arts never changed, even as his life did.
When Chris enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, he was reintroduced to martial arts. Its role took on a new importance and became paramount in Chris’s life. After his exit from the USMC in 2005, Chris struggled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Martial arts once again gave him a refuge to become the best version of himself. A year later, he started his career in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the instruction of Sensei Paulo Augusto of San Diego Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
In 2009, Chris, along with his wife Erin, relocated back to their hometown of Santa Maria. Chris was approached by a long-time friend and police officer to instruct and teach ground tactics for fellow peace officers. Shortly after, Chris taught formal classes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at a local school, which later closed its doors. However, this did not stop Chris’s hunger for instructing others in self-defense and self-improvement- it only drove him to open his own facility.
Inner Strength Marital Arts Academy (ISMAA) officially opened its doors in 2012. Chris continued to teach and expand within Brazilian Jiu Jitsu while developing programs for anti-bullying and self-defense. He created Santa Maria’s first all-women’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program. Chris’s determination to teach and unending passion to always learn earned him a surprise visit from his teacher, Master Paulo- Personally awarding Chris his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt at ISMAA in 2014. Even through life’s most challenging moments, martial arts continues to be his driving force to overcome any obstacle.
Chris has a different teaching style than most instructors, incorporating what he has learned from both the Marine Corps and Master Paulo. The result is aggressive yet clear instructions to his students. His long training history in various martial arts and combative techniques has helped him train a wide range of individuals: Professional MMA fighters and boxers, military and law enforcement units, and the day-to-day individual. Through his own experiences, Chris is a firm believer martial arts builds character and personal opportunity for everyone, no matter the age or obstacle in life.
Erin Ruiz
Since the birth of Chris and Erin’s second child in the fall of 2015, Erin has been devoted to training in BJJ. By immersing herself in this martial art, Erin was able to regain her muscle tone, coordination, and overall fitness.
Currently, Erin is instructing Little BJJ (ages 3-6) at SMBJJ. Leveraging her expertise in Early Childhood Education, Erin is able to provide our youngest team members with a supportive and developmentally appropriate learning environment. Her activities are designed to promote coordination, gross motor function, and team-oriented social skills to help our young students thrive.
Mike Hartman
For more than 23 years, Mike has been a dedicated educator and coach on the Central Coast. Before settling in California, he was a star athlete, earning four varsity letters in Football and Wrestling at Carleton College, where he was named All-Conference in Wrestling on three occasions.
In May 2022, Mike was awarded the prestigious Black belt from Sensei Chris Ruiz, marking a significant accomplishment in his martial arts training.
Along with his wife, Tammy, and their two sons, Scott and Will, Mike currently resides in Santa Maria.
Coach Bea
Bea has always been an avid jogger, but in 2015 after learning of a series of attacks on female joggers, she felt motivated to do something to protect herself. Bea joined a local Jiu-Jitsu gym her son attended.
“I thought I was too old because I was 36. I thought “there’s no way I’m going to remember this stuff. I can’t remember what I did the day before”! I was the only lady in the gym at that class and felt I needed to prove myself.”
She started to go to every class and fully dedicated herself to learning more. After six months she fell in love with the classes. In the last seven years, Bea has trained with women who have been victims of sexual assault and attempted kidnapping among other things.
“I wanted nothing more than to see these women succeed so I put extra dedication to these ladies in particular. This is where I found another love, another branch of jiujitsu, the self-defense branch. I strive to do what I can to help women and young ladies protect themselves.”
Rayce Henderson
Meet Coach Rayce, a passionate grappling practitioner and instructor. Coach Rayce currently teaches on Saturday mornings and his class emphasizes No-Gi grappling, with a focus on breaking down grappling into digestible and scalable concepts.
One of Coach Rayce’s standout attributes is his focus on systemizing grappling. He understands that creating a structured approach to learning BJJ is essential for students to grasp and apply techniques effectively. Through his clear and methodical instruction, he empowers students to continually progress.
Steve Davis
Steve Davis has been training Jiu-Jitsu for seven years. He started Jiu-Jitsu as a form of stress relief and a workout and fell in love with the mental and physical challenges that come with the art.
“I value my time on the mat to re-center myself and de-stress,” says Steve. “I am blessed to both train and teach with my wife which has helped with my growth as a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.”
Matt Wuchner
Meet Coach Matt. He’s been a coach and personal trainer since 2006 and a BJJ enthusiast since 2016. In his Concepts and Components Class at SMBJJ, he works with a unique set of frameworks to help students “learn how to learn” the art and science of Jiu Jitsu.
His goal is for every person who attends class to have a blast and walk away knowing they improved in their own practice of Jiu Jitsu. With his passion for BJJ and extensive experience, Coach Matt is a valuable addition to the SMBJJ team!