I met Dennis in 2003, and soon after realized he was very tough, he had (just) won a
Giu-jitsu) championship with no time limit fights. From then until now, coming to live in
Brazil, aside from being very tough he transformed himself into an excellent fighter and
professor of jiu-jitsu. I am sure that he is one of the best North American black belts!!! *That aside from being my first North American black belt!

I got sucker punched today and just wanted to say the things you have taught me saved my life. So from the bottom of my heart thank you.

I was truly fortunate to meet and train with Prof. Dennis in Brazil in 2003. I have trained around the world and rarely have I met an instructor so technical, passionate and gifted in the art of teaching. In my case I am truly grateful as Prof. Dennis went out of his way to help a lowly Blue Belt develop a solid advanced game. He would wake up each day, very very early so we would have the mats to ourselves prior to the start of regular classes. He took me under his wing to coach me one on one, and made an incredible impact on my game. Even in Brazil, surrounded by truly technical fighters, Prof. Dennis stood out with his incredibly clean technique. But what really set him apart was his ability to convey deep concepts very simply and concisely. He is truly one of the best, and anyone who has a chance to train with him should not hesitate to do so. I was honored to share the mats with him then and am looking forward to paying a visit to his academy in Oregon soon.

I’ve trained at MANY BJJ gyms here in Oregon, and Connection Rio is the real deal. Professor Dennis Asche has an unparalleled level of knowledge and depth of expertise, giving him the ability to meet each and every practitioner where they’re at with their game, and help to develop their own preferred toolbox of BJJ techniques. His attention to detail and patience while instructing allows his students to understand the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of every move they learn, providing a wonderful space to try new things with the support needed to truly advance in this martial art. The atmosphere at CRA is very welcoming to all experience levels, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone interested in trying something new, or reaching new levels in a sport they’re already familiar with. This truly is an environment for growth and I’m grateful to be a part of it. Osss!

Having trained in gyms all over the world for many years, Dennis’s classes always stick out in my mind as the most beneficial, enjoyable and relevant to modern jiu jitsu. I still carry with me to this day the unique methods and techniques Dennis taught me and I have been able to apply these practically in many situations. Dennis’s classes were comprehensible to the newest beginner and the most seasoned of veteran practitioners, I can’t say enough good things about Dennis as a coach, teacher, leader and mentor.10