Gracie Charlottesville Instructors: John McCune, PhD
2nd Degree Black Belt | Instructor, Gracie Charlottesville
2nd Degree Black Belt | Instructor, Gracie Charlottesville
Dr. John McCune
John McCune is an active competitor, coach, and martial artist based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Holding a 2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, John teaches at Gracie Charlottesville, leads the academy’s competition classes, teaches advanced classes, and brings a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Virginia to his analytical approach, treating the mats as a living physics lab where leverage, momentum, and biomechanical efficiency are rigorously calculated.
Beyond the academy walls, he shares his passion for the sport online as the creator of Dirtball BJJ, an awesome YouTube channel dedicated to high-level grappling breakdowns, and serves as the driving force behind 434 BJJ LLC, an elite grappling lifestyle and training enterprise dedicated to the relentless pursuit of technical excellence on the mat.
His grappling philosophy is built on the recovered and refined teachings of the legendary Ramon Fantastic, the shadowy forefather of American Catch-Jitsu. Through ACJ, John subverts traditional progression by prioritizing submission before position, channeling this heritage into a submission-only hybrid system defined by specialized curricula and unrelenting, heavy-focused pressure that turns abstract physical laws into an inescapable competitive advantage. Grappling is truly a family affair for him as well; he proudly shares the mats with his three children, who boast two black belts and a purple belt of their own. His overall methodology centers on high-level competition readiness, pressure-passing mastery, and the uncompromising study of combat mechanics.
