
Dennis Asche
3rd Deg. Black Belt Professor
BJJ Bend, Oregon by way of Rio de Janeiro: Connection Rio Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy has been years in the making. Bend, OR native and life long martial artist 3rd Degree ...
more3rd Deg. Black Belt Professor
BJJ Bend, Oregon by way of Rio de Janeiro: Connection Rio Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy has been years in the making. Bend, OR native and life long martial artist 3rd Degree ...
moreBlack Belt BJJ Instructor
Danny Fry, CRA's 1st black belt, was born in Santiago/Chile with his hometown in Haiku, Maui. He has been training actively for over 15 years. He is a black belt under Dennis ...
moreBlack Belt BJJ Instructor
Justin Chu is Connection Rio's 2nd black belt, earning his rank in 2022. Full bio coming soon. ...
moreHead Black Belt Judo Professor
Ryan Fukumoto was born in Tokyo, Japan to a Japanese father and American mother. Ryan received his rank in Japan through the prestigious Kodokan. He would join the Judo club at ...
moreBlack Belt BJJ Instructor
Clayton is Connection Rio's 3rd black belt, earning his rank in 2023. ...
moreOwner / Instructor
Josarah has 12 years martial arts experience holding rank of Purple Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitus under Dennis Asche and rank of Orange Belt in Kenpo Karate under Jef Dix of High ...
moreJudo Instructor / Kids BJJ Assistant Coach
Sam Perry was born and raised on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. He spent his childhood on the north shore in a small town called Waialua. Due to the strong influence of Japanese ...
moreKids BJJ Coach
Mikey is a homegrown Connection Rio blue belt. Mikey is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps., hold certificates and instruction in fitness and lifting, and has a passion ...
moreAssistant Kids BJJ Coach
Taylor is a Connection Rio home grown purple belt. Bio coming soon. ...
moreAssistant Kids BJJ Coach
Sean Gregg aka 'Little Sean' and 'Kungfu Panda' is a Connection Rio homegrown purple belt. Sean is the owner of Bend Chiropractic & Wellness Center & the academy go-to ...
moreAmazing gym, first rate in every way. Professor Asche teaches both the morning and evening classes personally. It's rare to find BJJ like this anywhere in the US, much less in Central Oregon. Friendly environment, professional, but bring your A game. I learn more in a single class here than in weeks at some places I have trained.
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!
This is THE place to learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Bend, Oregon. Somehow, black belt Dennis Asche has hit all the sweet spots with his gym: great work ethic, friendly atmosphere, absolutely killer workouts, and loads of fun the whole time. With every kind of training partner you could want, the gym doesn't seem dominated by one "clique" or student type.... 20 something young guys, hard A.F. middle-aged power lifters, short and light guys and gals who will tie you in knots faster than you can blink, kids classes, people over 50, women only class... there's something for everyone. And everyone is just so nice here, not a jerk in the entire group, they're all more than happy to go easy on you if you just ask. But at the same time, anyone that goes here for any length of time seems to be hard as nails, physically and technique wise. You can feel it when you roll with them, even the mid tier white belts. Go here for 6 months and your body will start to feel like it's carved out of wood. Prof. Asche somehow gets everyone to turn it up to "eleven" with his training routine and leadership. Other highlights: - 6:00am classes, three days a week - takedowns and throws practiced EVERY session - special striking classes in conjunction with no gi BJJ, for more realistic self defense - the cleanest mats I've seen in a gym, a foot bath before walking on, and disinfection after every training session - belt testing: some coaches just throw a belt at you when they think you're ready. Many people feel like fakers, and wonder if they really deserve their next belt. I won't outline the entire 2 hour test/ordeal I just saw two students go through for their blue belts, but suffice to say, they absolutely earned them! (Full disclosure: I'm a no stripe white belt at Connection Rio, just another dad bod hobbyist gasping under side control. Been wanting to write this review for a while. No special treatment from Prof. Asche for writing this, the dude spent 12 years in Brazil.. he keeps it real!)