Stephen Maxwell, better known as Steve Maxwell (December 3, 1952), is an American

fitness coach A personal trainer is an individual who creates and delivers safe and effective exercise programs for healthy individuals and groups, or those with medical clearance to exercise. They motivate clients by collaborating to set goals, providing m ...

, physical educator, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor. Maxwell was named one of the top 100 trainers in the United States by

Men's Journal ''Men's Journal'' was an American men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and gear. It was founded in 1992 by Jann Wenner of ...

Professional background

Maxwell was the first man to teach

kettlebell In weight training, a kettlebell is a cast-iron or Steel casting, cast-steel ball with a handle attached to the top, resembling a cannonball with a handle. It is used to perform a range of Exercise, exercises; primarily Ballistic training, ball ...

classes in the United States. He holds a master's degree in Exercise Science from

West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester University (also known as West Chester, WCU, or WCUPA, and officially as West Chester University of Pennsylvania) is a public university, public research university located in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania. The university i ...

. Maxwell trains professional athletes including players for the

Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. Founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, the ...

, and

Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

. He also has worked with various US Government agencies, including the DEA,

Secret Service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For i ...

, and FBI as well as many Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academies throughout the country. Maxwell travels around the world leading seminars in strength conditioning, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kettlebells, and joint mobility. Maxwell had owned and operated Maxercise Gym, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, PA for 16 years.

Grappling

Maxwell has a long history of competitive

grappling Grappling is a fighting technique based on throws, trips, sweeps, clinch fighting, ground fighting and submission holds. Grappling contests often involve takedowns and ground control, and may end when a contestant concedes defeat. Shou ...

. He wrestled competitively through high school and college, and then in the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

. Maxwell became the first person certified to teach Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the USA. He is the first American to earn a black belt from Relson Gracie.

Jiu-Jitsu accreditations

* 1997 National Purple Belt Champion GJJTA * 1998 Runner-up Purple Belt GJJTA * 1999

Purple Belt Purple Belt may refer to the following: *Purple belt, a rank in martial arts (see Kyū) **Purple belt (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), a level in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ranking system *A road in the Allegheny County belt system#Purple_Belt, Allegheny County ...

Pan American Champion * 2000 Brown Belt Senior

World Champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

* 2000 Brown Belt Senior Pan American Champion * 2001 Brown Belt Senior World Champion * 2002 Black Belt Senior Pan American Champion * 2002 Black Belt Senior World Champion * 2004 Black Belt Senior Pan American Champion * 2006 Black Belt Senior Pan American Champion

Personal life

Maxwell is the father of World Champion and four times Pan American Champion Zak Maxwell and his ex-wife DC Maxwell is also a black belt under

Saulo Ribeiro Saulo Mendonça Ribeiro Filho (born July 2, 1974) is a Brazilian submission grappler and former mixed martial artist. He is a 6th-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and brother of Xande Ribeiro. After earning a black belt in judo, ...

with several tournament accomplishments.DC Maxwell
at Grappling Girls Guild

References

External links

Official Steve Maxwell Website

Steve Maxwell Founded Gym in Philadelphia

Gracie Academy Philadelphia competition team
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Steve Living people 1952 births American exercise instructors American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu West Chester University alumni