About Us

Katie Ericson is a jiu jitsu black and and co-owner at Union Jiu Jitsu. Katie began her jiu jitsu career by attending a women’s self defense class at the University of Oregon in 2009 and instantly fell in love with the sport and shortly after began training at Northwest Martial Arts in Eugene, OR.

After receiving her purple belt, she began to compete in local tournaments and really enjoys pushing herself competitively and to coach her students to do the same. In 2018, Katie and David decided to open up a gym in North Bend, Oregon and fulfill their dream of teaching jiu jitsu and passing on their knowledge to future generations. Katie believes that jiu jitsu is great for anyone looking for a healthy activity and that self defense is important!

At 32 years old Jessy started his Jiu Jitsu journey in 2012 where he took his first class while living in Hawaii. Looking for a fun way to get some exercise and get fit, he fell in love instantly. Being a smaller guy he realized Jiu Jitsu would allow him to defend himself against larger opponents. Over the next 6 years Jessy would dabble in Jiu Jitsu getting into classes when he could, but due to his job being a pilot he was moving around and didn’t have as much time to dedicate to his passion for the martial art. Eventually he decided while living in North Bend to start his own Jiu Jitsu club which eventually led to the opening of the gym under the instruction of David Sigler and Katie Ericson and Jessy was able to dedicate himself to learning the art of Jiu Jitsu and convinced his wife Jenn to join him on the mats where they excelled together.

Jessy is a regular competitor on the IBJJF circuit and has vast knowledge of what it takes to perform at the highest levels of Jiu Jitsu competition. Jessy teaches our competition class where he focuses on the drills and mindset required to take your Jiu Jitsu to the competition mats. This class is highly recommended for all students to attend Gi or No Gi.

Jenn Holmberg began her Brazilian Jiu Jitsu journey in 2018 at the age of 41, bringing with her over 25 years of experience as a professional dancer and choreographer. Her dedication, discipline, and love for movement quickly translated into success on the mats. Just a few years into her training, Jenn’s passion and hard work culminated in earning a Bronze medal at the prestigious Master Worlds as a Purple belt.

At 47 years old, Jenn embodies the strength, grace, and resilience that come with a lifetime of physical mastery. She continues to push her limits and inspire others, proving that it’s never too late to start something new and excel.

Mallory Ingalls is a purple belt and adult fundamentals instructor who discovered her love for jiu jitsu at the age of 30. Originally from upstate NY, Mallory has a background as a collegiate softball player and coach, working with athletes of all ages.

After living on the OR coast for a few years, she was looking for a new way to be active and was eager to seek out some sort of community outside of her work life in healthcare. She found everything she was looking for upon signing up for the fundamentals program taught by Professor Katie in January of 2021. She immediately fell in love with the sport, began competing after about 8 months of training and began coaching her own adult fundamentals classes in June of 2023. She loves sharing jiu jitsu’s power to build confidence, resilience, and community, as she has experienced first hand how much this art can change your life for the better and help you grow as a person. Known for a fun and positive coaching style, she focuses on the fundamentals, creativity, and adaptability—helping athletes find their unique paths on the mats.

Her favorite thing about jiu-jitsu? Seeing students and teammates unlock new skills, witnessing the “aha” moments, and the rolling sessions where everyone leaves smiling. Off the mats, Mallory can be found adventuring with her husband and her dog, or dabbling in a wide variety of hobbies, always bringing the same passion and energy to everything she does. She can’t wait to see you on the mats!

Christian Chase is a passionate blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu who brings his unrelenting dedication and infectious enthusiasm to our youth programs. He’s not just a coach. He’s a mentor who connects with his students on a whole new level.

With his heart of gold, he exudes warmth, positivity, and a genuine desire to see each student thrive.What sets Coach Christian apart is his exceptional patience. He understands that learning martial arts can be challenging, and he’s always there to guide, support, and motivate his students every step of the way. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced student, Christian’s unwavering commitment to your success will inspire you to achieve your full potential.

Elise Grundy began her Jiu-Jitsu journey in 2023 at the gym and has been hooked since day one. Jiu-Jitsu gave her exactly what she needed; confidence, community, healthy habits and a safe, clean place for her and her daughter to learn martial arts. Since beginning she has shown dedication, hard work and patience, leading to her coaching our youth programs. Coaching for our youth has been a great fit as Elise has a lot of experience working with youth in this community.

Employed with the Coquille School District as an educational assistant, and having been an assistant teacher at Marcene’s Montessori in Bandon, OR, she has a passion for teaching. She has also coached a T-Ball team, led a summer reading program and is a devoted mother. With this experience she understands how to facilitate a large group and keep things productive, fun and cohesive. Believing self defense is for everyone and that these skills are essential to our youth, she continues to show up with a bright, warm presence. Elise also has enjoyed roller skating for the past 20 years and that has been an asset to her Jiu Jitsu, translating to agility, strength and endurance on the mat.