Inside Chicago’s Only Assyrian-Owned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy

A Conversation with Professor Ashur Darmo

Raised by his immigrant mother and grandmother in Chicago, Professor Ashur Darmo discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at just 15 years old. What began as an outlet became a life-changing pursuit, one that led him to become a Pan-American Champion, world-ranked IBJJF competitor, and founder of Chicago’s only Assyrian-owned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy: The Academy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Glenview, Illinois.

Now a 2nd-degree black belt, Ashur has spent half his life on the mats building more than athletes. Through discipline, structure, mentorship, and community, he’s helping shape the next generation both on and off the mat.

“Jiu-Jitsu Changed My Life.”

Growing up around gangs, drugs, and free time, and without a father figure at home, Ashur says martial arts gave him structure, discipline, and direction.

Research has consistently shown that children raised without fathers face higher risks of delinquency and incarceration. For Ashur, Jiu-Jitsu became the structure that changed that trajectory.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs — “Father Absence and Youth Incarceration”

“Free Time Isn’t Free.”

“Kids need passion. Kids need structure. Kids need discipline. Otherwise, they’ll find direction somewhere else.”

For Ashur, martial arts is about far more than competition. It’s about giving young people an environment that provides accountability, purpose, and consistency.

He believes structure itself can become life-changing.

“Even if you’re lost, you know at 11 AM or 6 PM there’s training. You keep showing up, and over time that routine builds momentum, discipline, and direction. Otherwise, it’s easy to drift.”

More Than Technique

At The Academy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the first lesson isn’t necessarily technique — it’s community.

“Before technique comes community. Students learn to shake hands, introduce themselves, help one another, and grow together.”

Ashur says many children arrive shy, timid, or unsure of themselves. Through training, they begin building confidence, resilience, and belief in who they can become.

For many students, the academy becomes more than training. It becomes community, mentorship, routine, and purpose.

“Their testimony is still being written.”

World-Class Standards

Ashur’s vision for the academy is rooted in both excellence and authenticity.

Ranked among the top competitors in the world, he says the academy’s mission goes beyond simply representing the Assyrian community. It’s about building a legitimate, high-level program with real results.

“This is world-class.”

From international competition to youth mentorship, The Academy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu reflects a story built on perseverance, humility, and purpose.

Proudly Assyrian. Built on Excellence.

Ashur says being Assyrian is something to be proud of, but true representation comes through discipline, professionalism, and building something meaningful for the next generation.

Through The Academy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, that vision is now becoming reality in Glenview, Illinois.

📍 The Academy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
1730 Waukegan Rd, Glenview, IL

In Our Conversation with Professor Ashur Darmo, We Discussed:

• Growing up in Chicago and discovering martial arts
• How Jiu-Jitsu gave him structure and direction
• Building confidence and discipline in children
• Creating community through training
• What it means to represent the Assyrian community through excellence
• The vision behind Chicago’s only Assyrian-owned BJJ academy

By the Assyrian Cultural Foundation
Written & Published by: Brian Banyamin