SEAN DYER

MMA Record: 4-2 (Pro) 5-2 (Amateur) (*as of Jam 2012)

1st Place- Lutador Open- Purple Belt GI- 152.9 & Under (2011)

1st Place- Lutador Grappling- Blue Belt GI- 152.9 & Under (2011)

2nd Place- NAGA Men’s Intermediate No-Gi- 160lbs & Under (2010)

2nd Place- Elite Grappling Championships- Men’s Intermediate 159.9 & Under (2008)

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Purple Belt under Chip Coffey (Roberto Traven BJJ Black Belt) (2011)

2nd Degree Black Belt in Karate under Cade Lee (3rd Degree) (2007)

Choi Kwang Do Black Belt under Kirk Robbins (4th Degree) (1997)

Born in 1986 in Atlanta, Ga....

Sean Dyer’s journey through martial arts started around 6 years old. His fascination with Bruce Lee, old martial arts movies (namely “The Last Dragon”), and Power Rangers led to his parents enrolling him in classes under 4th degree black belt Kirk Robbins at Choi Kwang Do. CKD was a form-based stand up martial art that was made by Master Kwang Jo Choi. Kirk taught CKD, but he had trained other arts and had even actively fought in tough man competitions so he taught a unique blend of the techniques. Sean took an instant liking to the classes and excelled in every program, he was even granted the privilege of being able to assist the instructors during the kids classes. At just 9 years old, he moved into CKD’s adult program for advanced training and also joined Choi Kwang Do’s Demonstration Team. As a part of the team, he was involved in high-flying acrobatics, board and brick breaking events, and full contact sparring. After years of training, in March 1997, Sean received his black belt in Choi Kwang Do, at 10 years old. Sean continued his training for about a year after receiving his black belt, and then stopped martial arts completely to play other sports. During that time he mainly played basketball (Recreation, Summer Leagues, Middle School, & High School) and a few other activities including football, band, and track. Although he excelled in some of the sports, he never had the same passion for them as martial arts and eventually quit playing sports all together. While in high school, he began searching out martial arts gyms and trained various places for brief amounts of time. Even, very briefly, training at a church, under a man he would meet again with 2 years later…

In 2004-2005, during Sean’s senior year in high school...

Sean’s dad informed him of a job listed in the local newspaper, which required martial arts training. Sean called immediately and set up a face to face interview. Surprisingly the interview was with the same instructor that he had met a few years earlier, Cade Lee of Cade Lee Karate. Cade was a 3rd degree black belt under Ricky Lockhart of U.K.S. in Rome, Ga. After a follow up interview and a few days of training, Sean started working for and training under Cade Lee. Cade taught American-style Karate, while incorporating stand up grappling and wrestling. Sean taught children’s classes and trained in adult classes, privately with Cade, and during sparring sessions 3 times weekly. Learning to teach was a brand new experience, but helping out in all those Choi Kwang Do classes helped a ton. The hardcore training was another story. Sean had a knack for fighting while standing up, but Cade and business neighbour, Eric Ruggels, were outstanding wresting and they’re wrestling opened up a whole new world for Sean. He began to realize to power of knowing how to fight on the ground. Immediately Sean began reading, searching, and finding ways to learn about techniques to counter wrestling and stumbled across Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and began teaching himself as much as possible…

1995 Sean Dyer- after receiving his Purple Belt under Kirk Robbins in Choi Kwang Do in Kennesaw, Ga.

2007 Sean Dyer – Teaching a Master’s Club Class @ Cade Lee Karate

As Sean was growing as a student, he was also growing as an instructor. As his teaching skills grew, his role in the gym did too. By early 2006, he became the lead instructor for all kids classes and played a major part on Cade Lee’s Xtreme Martial Arts Team. By the summer of 2006, Sean made up his mind to try his hand in MMA. He searched out local promoters, gave them a call and hopped in his first mixed martial arts bout. He had never competed in this time of event and no one around him had either, so they knew little of what to expect. After making the trip to Douglas, GA, Sean weighed in the same day of the fight at 176lbs for a 185lbs fight; got warmed up and hopped in the ring. The fight was amazingly fast paced, with Sean landing over 20 knees to the head during the 1st round, but was stopped in the closing seconds of the fight due to strikes. Beaten, but far from broken, Sean found the sport he’d been looking for this whole time.

Sean and Cade began MMA-style training and eventually formed an in-house fight team. They both competed regularly at local events, and after his first amateur win, Cade Lee turned pro. With Cade competing more, it started meaning more gym responsibilities for Sean. He was made in charge of teen & adult classes, while overseeing the other instructors. It also taught him valuable lessons about training, competing, & surviving in mixed martial arts through watching Cade. During late 2006, Cade took Sean to a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class with him at Alliance Martial Arts. Cade was looking for a place to expand his wrestling base and Sean wanted to try out some of the stuff he had been working on. Sean trained on and off for the next 2 or 3 months there, but found a love for a Muay Thai class offered by Manu Ntoh. Sean trained with Manu for the next 8 months. In the meantime, Sean had been training 2-3 days a week with Manu and 5-6 a week with Cade. The work he was putting in prompted Cade to award him his Black Belt in Cade Lee Karate in late 2006 and his 1st degree by early 2007. Cade had continued training at Alliance under Jacare and Cobrinha but shortly after receiving his blue belt, he had started to reconsider MMA completely and reinstated in the military. Sean was offered the idea of buying and taking over the gym, since he was already in a position to be able to run it. Sean accepted the deal and in 2007, Bellicose Martial Arts was born. Sean began teaching classes based off of stand-up techniques that he had acquired over the years and the MMA and BJJ skills that he had recently attained. He eventually was able to build a competition team (children & adults) that travelled and competed locally and regionally. As a coach & instructor Sean’s children and teens were able to bring home 1st place medal home in multiple NAGA’s, Casca-Grossa’s, & Lutador grappling tournaments in No-Gi. Bellicose Fight Team’s adult competitors did the same, while even having producing solid MMA fighters (Omar Coronado 5-1 Amateur & Pro Fighter Corey Ranic)..

Late 2007-2008, Sean began competing in MMA nearly by-monthly, appearing in fights throughout Georgia and all over Alabama. He had fought in the 185lbs, 170lbs, and on the last two fights of his amateur career, he made his debut at 155lbs. After winning his last amateur bout Saturday night in Montgomery, Alabama, the 5-2 fighter turned pro 6 days later in Rome, Ga for Bullet Fight Gear’s “Battle Of Rome”. After winning his pro debut, he eventually lost a 2 round battle with Ultimate Fighter Clay Harvison, but rebounding a few months later with another win, bringing his pro record to 2-1. In 2009, although still competing, Sean closed Bellicose Martial Arts and took up a “normal” job. He worked at Brandsmart and trained a small group of students at the restaurant & home of friend, Tony Cerrito, while still self-training and fighting. During this time, he trained briefly at American Top Team ATL, until car issues halted that. While working at Brandsmart, Sean ran into Chad Hullander, a co-promoter of the Bullet Fight Gear events. After talking with Chad about training, Chad suggested that Sean come try a BJJ class with Chip Coffey. A week later, Sean and Chad tried the class and in 2010, Sean began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under, Roberto Traven Black Belt, Chip Coffey. The core of Coffey BJJ was formed.