Featured affiliated academy: High Hat Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, USA
Where is the gym located?
South Burlington (VT), United States.
How many people train there?
15 full time adult members (gi and no-gi), 14 kids (gi), 12 kids wrestling. We have a lot of members that cross train from other gyms as well (drop in training partners).
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
We have been getting about 2 new members a month.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
White belt up to brown belt. But we are under Nick Bramlage, a 1 stripe black belt that comes to train monthly.
When did High Hat Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, USA open?
We opened a small training room in June of 2023. In February of 2024 we found our current standalone location, which is when we began advertising.
Some facts about you:
Name: Shayne Fenton
Age: 50
Belt: Brown
Profession: Farmer
Years in BJJ: 8
Other martial arts: N/A
Currently living in: Charlotte, VT (15 minutes from the gym)
Originally from: Burlington, VT
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
I was training under a Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt, and my son lost interest in that program. In order to keep him active, we opened a small training room near our house where we trained together. From there I realised that I was unhappy with the training as well. I was introduced to Nick Bramladge from Infinity Martial Arts, who is an Allen Hopkins blackbelt, and began training under his tutelage. Alex Z began training with me and we began brainstorming to find a larger location where we could build out the Jiu Jitsu program, but also build a youth wrestling program. After moving to the new location we brought in three-time Vermont state wrestling champion Jack Carney to lead the youth wrestling program.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
In our adult program we have a high school senior, several members of law enforcement (both local and federal), a doctor, an executive vice president, a math graduate student, a physical therapy student, and many others.
The kids program has students from 5th through 10th grade.
Why do they train in High Hat Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, USA?
Lifestyle change, community atmosphere, to be essentially a part of a support group. Some train for competition and some for self defense. Some of us come to train hard and get a good anaerobic workout and sweat.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
The population is small in our area. It can be challenging to incorporate new people into our gym and build their fundamentals while also keeping the more advanced people engaged. But we have established a good system that keeps it balanced. Vermonters live a very active outdoor lifestyle. It can be hard to pull people away from their lifelong interests.
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
We are very optimistic based on the growing interest. The sport is clearly gaining popularity. We offer an excellent combination of sport Jiu Jitsu and self defense. Our location and friendliness make us an excellent local option for training. Our goal is to double our adult enrollment by Christmas.
What’s the best thing about High Hat Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, USA?
Our focus is on building a great training environment which is very welcoming. We are not focused on the financial aspect of having a gym, which gives us the freedom to vet new training partners.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
We are two miles from the Burlington Waterfront of Lake Champlain and the Church Street area. We are 1 and a half miles from the University of Vermont. We are 20 minutes from excellent hiking and biking trails, as well as some of the best ski resorts in the north east. We are an hour and 15 minutes from Montreal.
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