Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Price.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
This is my 24th year of jiu-jitsu. Living in Indiana at the time, there were virtually no formal Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools around. It was merely by chance that jiu-jitsu found me the way it did, when a young guy walked in to the Aiki-Jutsu school I trained at. Himself not being able to find a formal Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school, he was exploring the arts that he could find while learning jiu-jitsu from a book. After class he would show us a couple moves he learned and then introduced “rolling” to us, which is what we call sparring (resistance training) in jiu-jitsu, something that was lacking in the traditional art I was in. It was quickly apparent this was the most effective martial art and I was immediately hooked!
Soon after, we met a blue belt with formal training in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Blue belt is the first level achieved in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and this guy was cutting through our defense like a hot knife through butter – it was amazing! Eventually, I started training with his instructor – who then became my longtime coach for the next 18 years – Professor Chet Schemahorn. At the time of meeting Chet, he was a purple belt – the second level achieved in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. My previous blue belt instructor was beating us like you would expect from a ninja in a Hollywood movie, but even as a purple belt Chet was beating us in a way I didn’t even know was humanly possible.
It makes sense though, Chet is a direct student of Helio Gracie – the creator of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (the origin of all Brazilian jiu-jitsu). Chet was also a direct student of Rorion Gracie, the man who brought jiu-jitsu to the United States and created the cage fighting you see on TV, the Ultimate Fighting Championship – a PPV event Rorion created to show the world the effectiveness of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Chet also trained under Royce Gracie as well, the winner of the first few UFC events, sending shockwaves around the world and changing the martial arts forever!
In 2012, now as a purple belt myself, I achieved my Certification as an instructor and began teaching professionally with Chet in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Then in 2017, I was awarded my Black Belt by Ryron & Rener Gracie – Rorion’s oldest sons and the torch bearers of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu under their father and grandfather’s legacy.
So how did I end up in Austin, you ask?
The year 2020 affected us all in ways that we couldn’t have imagined – this is true for me as well. In the first months of the next year it was a personal decision to explore my potential as an entrepreneur in opening my own school – although the risks of more pandemic restrictions on businesses loomed.
The head of our affiliation, Rener Gracie, offered me a position at headquarters teaching and learning business with him at the flagship facility, Gracie University, in Torrance, California. It was there I studied directly with him and his brother Ryron, along with the amazing instructors and staff, until the concerns of restrictions had eased and leasing a facility made good business sense.
What I expected to be 6 months, turned out to be 2 years and 4 months! This was a blessing though, as the knowledge I gained and the experiences I had absorbed proved to be invaluable on my journey. I learned from the master instructors at Gracie University and traveled around the country teaching the world-reknowned law enforcement program, Gracie Survival Tactics. I had the opportunity to train with professional UFC fighter Brian Ortega, explored the beautiful coastline and mountains, went camping in the Sequoias and made many friends on and off the mat – it was incredible!
Today, I have just celebrated the success of our 1st year of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu North Austin as of September 3rd, 2025. Although I will always miss and never forget the amazing friends, students and coaches I’ve met on my path, I have met so amazing people – adult students, children and their parents – here in Austin, Texas already! There is a special culture I learned to cultivate during my time at Gracie University, what I never expected is how special the folks in Austin would already be – I can truly say that having traveled around the country, the people of Austin have made a significant impression on me.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My longtime mentor, Professor Chet Schemahorn and now Rener Gracie, have opened doors for me and they will forever have my deep respect and gratitude.
Everything is merit based though and nothing is promised. That is true in jiu-jitsu and business. It was always a risk.
When I first decided to teach professionally, it was a bold decision considering I had to leave a well established salary position in the medical industry to do it.
Then, when I decided to branch out on my own as an entrepreneurial business owner, I left a well established teaching position at a prestigious Gracie academy to do it.
These are incredible decisions that would shape my life forever.
Rather than stay in the comfort of an established position, I took the brazen risk of losing it all for nothing each time – but in the end, the only way to the destination you want is to take the journey.
Thankfully, I’ve had opportunities to prove myself along the way.
Some people want to prevent fires, some want to learn how to put them out – I am the latter. Willing to trust that whatever comes I will adapt and overcome, not alone but surrounded by great people.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
99% of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu taught in the world is a “sports” jiu-jitsu, in which practitioners prepare for a jiu-jitsu tournament. While it is amazing jiu-jitsu, it is also based on a ruleset of: non-striking opponents, weight classes, time limits, and referees.
By contrast, a “street” jiu-jitsu approach assumes that the opponent will be striking, is larger than you, is not bound by a time restraint, and there will not be a referee.
It was by chance that my journey began with the “street” jiu-jitsu approach and it’s the approach I teach to this day, particularly to beginners.
This fact – along with the very uniquely structured curriculum of the programs in our affiliation – are what set the standards at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu North Austin.
There is amazing jiu-jitsu in Austin & I am grateful to be among them as I bring this unique blend to the scene.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
The people are amazing. It really surprised me how great they are. I really didn’t expect it. I mean I expected they would be nice, but they have truly had a positive influence on my life already.
The thing I like least is when somebody’s pulling into traffic from a side road and they cut immediately to the second or third lane over, rather than to the first lane. That’s super dangerous and unpredictable to fast moving oncoming traffic. Hahah, really I love Austin!
Pricing:
- 10-Day Free Trial
- Family Discounts
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gracienorthaustin.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracienorthaustin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GracieNorthAustin
- Other: https://www.gracieuniversity.com/
