Photo courtesy of Matt Wetrich
A business in downtown Jefferson celebrated its relocation on Saturday.
No Coast Jefferson moved from just east of Greater Life Chiropractic, on East Lincoln Way, to just north of Greater Life, with a Grand Opening and ribbon cutting. Owner Jacob Keller said his classes are about Brazilian Jiu Jitzu, and it is a grappling-based sport that focuses mainly on the ground with joint manipulation, chokes and submission. He talked about how he got started in the sport.
“Back in (20)17 my daughter and I decided that we were going to do a martial art and I didn’t necessarily want to get kicked or punched. So I thought Jiu Jitzu would be something more along our lines. So she and I did this for about three or four years and then she graduated (high school) and moved out and I just kept doing it for more like exercise.”
After getting the blessing of his wife and Professor Jared and Professor Angela of No Coast Urbandale, Keller started having classes in his living room in March of 2021. Just after eight months, Keller said increased interest ballooned to where he needed more space and was able to move the business to the former All Abilities Cycle building on East Lincoln Way. Soon after that, Keller pointed out he was running out of space and then after a discussion with Dr. Philip Heisterkamp of Greater Life Chiropractic, Keller took over the building to the north of Heisterkamp’s business and doubled the mat space.
Keller offers classes for youth 7-14 and another class for 14 and older, based on weight and ability. He explained that Brazilian Jiu Jitzu takes a lot of core and mental strength, but is doable for people of all ages. Keller talked about his favorite part of owning No Coast Jefferson.
“I would say my favorite part of all of this is seeing some of the kids that come in here and how they grow, and they change, and they gain confidence. You can see their shoulders are slumped and when they come here for a few months, they gain confidence and their shoulders are back and their heads are high.”
Classes are held Mondays and Fridays in Jefferson and in Carroll on Thursdays. The 7-14 class is at 5pm and the 14 and up class is 6pm. Keller says the first class is free for people to try it out and if they like it, there is a flat monthly fee of $70 and participants are not required to come to every class. Contact Keller with any questions at 515-370-1784 or follow No Coast Jefferson on Facebook by clicking the link below.