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Island Jiu-JitsuKakaʻako · Honolulu
Island Jiu-Jitsu coaches and students in three rows in front of the logo wall

Coaches

Every coach rolls with every student.

Including the black belt. Our coaches teach technique first and self-defense always — and everyone on the mat is supported and encouraged to perform at their best.
Book a classSee the schedule
Jason Vigil in a white gi and black belt, holding a baby in a tiny white gi, in front of the Island Jiu-Jitsu logo wall

Founder

Jason Vigil

Owner · Coach

3rd-degree black belt

Black belt since 2013, Jason loves seeing students excel. His teaching style is technique-oriented, with a high focus on self-defense.

Jason discovered his passion for teaching early — coaching friends in his garage in 2004 — and formed Island Jiu-Jitsu in a Hawaiʻi Kai backyard in 2010. He received his black belt in 2013 from Jason Izaguirre, owner and coach of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Kailua, and is now a third-degree black belt.

Jason believes students need to learn both the basics of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu self-defense and the new techniques world champions use today. His integrated style makes classes diverse and fun.

  • Teaching since 2004
  • Black belt 2013 · Jason Izaguirre
  • 3rd-degree black belt
Read the full Island Jiu-Jitsu story

The team

The coaches on the mat.

Black belts, brown belts, our No Gi coach and the women who lead our self-defense workshops — every one of them will roll with you.
  • Chris Ledman in a white gi in front of the Island Jiu-Jitsu logo wall

    Chris Ledman

    Coach

    Black belt

    Chris (aka Chris “Gracie”) is a black belt who has been training jiu-jitsu since 2008. He began his jiu-jitsu career at Gracie Kailua while also training with Jason Vigil in their backyard.

    Chris’ keen attention to detail comes from his USMC background — which may also drive his encouragement of students to have perfect technique. He enjoys coaching at competitions and assisting those new to the sport.

    • Training since 2008
    • USMC background
    • Competition coaching
  • Kawena Mitchell in a black gi in front of the Island Jiu-Jitsu logo wall

    Royal “Kawena” Mitchell

    No Gi coach

    Kawena started training jiu-jitsu in 2008 at Gracie Kailua Jiu-Jitsu under Jason Izaguirre. He has been coaching No Gi classes at Island Jiu-Jitsu since 2015.

    Kawena is also a personal trainer and coaches boxing and Muay Thai.

    • Training since 2008
    • No Gi coach since 2015
    • Personal trainer · Boxing · Muay Thai

  • Chris Stokstad

    Coach

    Brown belt

    Chris has been training since 2008 and received his brown belt under Jason Vigil in March 2017.

    He believes jiu-jitsu is a practice of peace and empowerment, and looks forward to seeing it grow throughout Hawaiʻi.

    • Training since 2008
    • Brown belt · March 2017

  • Kyle Oswalt

    Coach

    Black belt

    Kyle is a black belt who has been training jiu-jitsu since June 2014, starting at the Island Jiu-Jitsu Ilikai location.

    He enjoys sharing his knowledge of jiu-jitsu and helping students get better.

    • Training since June 2014
  • Tammy Chang smiling in a white gi in front of the Island Jiu-Jitsu logo wall

    Tammy Chang

    Women’s self-defense · Coach

    Brown belt

    After two children, two careers, and more than nine years of training jiu-jitsu, Tammy received her purple belt in 2017. She now holds her brown belt.

    Along with working behind the scenes at IJJ, Tammy started the Women’s Self-Defense workshops to empower women mentally, emotionally, and physically.

    • Started the women’s self-defense workshops
    • Purple belt 2017 · now brown
  • Nick Alcoran in a white gi in front of the Island Jiu-Jitsu logo wall

    Nick Alcoran

    Coach

    Nick started training in 2014 and fell in love with jiu-jitsu the very first day.

    He finds it satisfying to teach someone how to defend themselves — and even more so, to give them the confidence to avoid adverse situations altogether.

    “We are all on the same journey, just on different paths.”
    • Training since 2014

  • Ocean Hay

    Keiki coach · Dojo manager

    Brown belt

    Ocean remembers the exact day she started training jiu-jitsu: February 10, 2015. Now a brown belt, she helps manage the dojo and coaches the keiki.

    Ocean also leads the monthly women’s self-defense workshop alongside Tammy Chang.

    “It’s inspiring to watch the younger generation grow and develop at such a young age. Every kid in the class has left footprints in my heart.”
    • Training since February 10, 2015
    • Women’s self-defense

Also on the mat

  • Taylor Kuhia in a black gi in front of the Island Jiu-Jitsu logo wall

    Taylor Kuhia

    Coach

  • Archie in a black gi in front of the Island Jiu-Jitsu logo wall

    Archie

    Coach

  • Dan Chipchase smiling in a blue gi in front of a rack of belts

    Dan Chipchase

    Coach

  • Lowen Tynanes after a training session

    Lowen Tynanes

    Coach

  • Professor Elijah Edwards in a grey gi and black belt in front of the Hawaiʻi flag and the Island Jiu-Jitsu logo wall

    Elijah Edwards

    Professor · Coach

  • Professor Murvil “Rusty” Lipsey in a blue gi, seated on the mats throwing double shakas

    Murvil “Rusty” Lipsey

    Professor · Coach

  • Coach Paul Conn in an Island Jiu-Jitsu shirt with a medal at the ADCC Austin Open

    Paul Conn

    Coach

How we coach

Technique first. Self-defense always.

  • Technique first

    Jason’s teaching style is technique-oriented, with a high focus on self-defense. Warm-ups, drills, detail-oriented technique, then open mat.

  • Self-defense always

    Students learn the basics of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu self-defense and the new techniques world champions use today — an integrated style that keeps classes diverse and fun.

  • We roll with you

    Our coaches — including the black belt — roll with all students. You learn all the details of every position, regardless of belt rank or experience.

Women’s self-defense

Tammy Chang and Ocean Hay, both brown belts, lead the women’s self-defense workshop on the last Friday of every month, 6–7 PM. No experience or fitness level required.

Women’s programBook a class