OUR STORY

The story of Growth Mindset Collective begins long before the academy opened.

As a child, Coach Mark Miller was beaten up after school on the blacktop. His father immediately enrolled him in karate with Alan Dollar in Antioch, California. What started as a way to learn self-defense quickly became something much more. Martial arts gave Mark confidence, discipline, and a sense of purpose.

When Mark's father passed away, so did his passion for martial arts.

For years, he drifted away from training while navigating the grief of losing one of the most important people in his life.

Everything changed when a close friend convinced him to try Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

After his very first class, Mark knew he had found something special.

"I’m going to do this for the rest of my life."

Jiu Jitsu became more than a hobby. It became a lifeline.

The challenge of learning, the science behind the techniques, the artistry of movement, and most importantly, the community surrounding the sport helped Mark through one of the most difficult periods of his life. Jiu Jitsu gave him support, purpose, and a path forward when he needed it most.

Not long after, Mark and the friend who introduced him to Jiu Jitsu, Kyle Commetta, decided to open their own academy in Richmond, California.

At the time, Mark was a blue belt and worked as a CrossFit coach, serving as the academy's strength and conditioning coach. Kyle, then a brown belt, led the Jiu Jitsu program as head instructor.

Together, they taught Jiu Jitsu in a community that faced significant challenges and watched firsthand how martial arts positively impacted people's lives.

They saw students gain confidence.

They saw people find direction.

They saw lives change.

And Mark knew exactly why.

Because Jiu Jitsu had done the same thing for him.

Over the years, one lesson became clear:

The most meaningful transformations rarely happen because of a medal, belt promotion, or competition result.

They happen when someone gains confidence they never had before.

When a child learns to stand up for themselves.

When an adult discovers they are capable of more than they believed.



When a student learns to stay calm under pressure and apply that lesson to everyday life.

Growth Mindset Collective was created from that experience and that belief.

Today, Mark runs Growth Mindset Collective alongside his wife, Sabrina. Together, they are building the kind of academy they would want for their own family—a place where people feel welcomed, supported, challenged, and encouraged to grow.

Martial arts is not just Mark's profession; it's a part of his family's life. His daughters train Jiu Jitsu, and the lessons they learn on the mats—confidence, resilience, discipline, and respect—reinforce why Growth Mindset Collective exists in the first place.

Coach Mark is determined to build more than a martial arts academy. He is committed to creating a place where people can find support, purpose, confidence, and community—a place that could change, or even save, someone's life the way Jiu Jitsu changed his.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Progress Over Perfection

Nobody starts as an expert.  Every black belt was once a beginner.

We believe growth comes from consistent effort, a willingness to learn, and the courage to keep showing up even when things are difficult.

Our goal is not to create perfect athletes.

Our goal is to help students become more confident, capable, resilient, and disciplined through the practice of martial arts.

Technical Excellence

We believe that good coaching matters.

Classes are structured to help students understand not just what to do, but why techniques work.

By focusing on concepts, principles, and fundamentals, students build skills that continue to serve them throughout their martial arts journey.

Community Matters

A positive training environment is one of the most important factors in long-term success.

At Growth Mindset Collective, students are encouraged to support one another, train safely, and celebrate each other's progress.



We train hard, but we do so with respect, humility, and the understanding that everyone is on their own path.

WHERE THE KNOWLEDGE COMES FROM

Eduardo Rocha is a 5-time World Champion Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt — one of the most decorated competitors and instructors in the history of the sport. Training under his lineage means the knowledge passed down on this mat has been tested at the highest levels of competition, refined through decades of teaching, and validated by results.

In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, lineage matters. It is how the art is transmitted — from instructor to student, generation to generation. A strong lineage means the techniques you learn carry technical authority: they come from people who have used them under pressure, against the best in the world, and refined them to work at every level. For a beginner, this means you are learning fundamentals that have stood the test of real competition. For an experienced practitioner, it means the details are correct from the start.

What that means for students at Growth Mindset Collective is tangible: a structured curriculum built on technically sound fundamentals, coaching that understands competitive jiu jitsu from the inside, and instruction that respects both the depth of the art and the goals of every individual on the mat.

HEAD COACH & FOUNDER

COACH MARK MILLER

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt | Under Eduardo Rocha | 20+ Years Experience | Teaching Since 2009

Coach Mark Miller earned his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Eduardo Rocha, a 5-time World Champion whose technical depth and competitive pedigree are recognized across the global BJJ community. That lineage is not a background detail — it is the foundation of every class taught at Growth Mindset Collective.

Over more than two decades on the mat, Coach Mark has trained and coached throughout the Bay Area, bringing high-level instruction to students at every stage — from first-timers stepping onto the mat for the first time to competitors preparing for regional and national tournaments. His coaching career began in 2009, and the experience accumulated since then shapes every detail of how classes are structured at the academy.

Growth Mindset Collective represents Coach Mark's commitment to making that level of instruction accessible to students in Oakley and the broader East Bay — a place where serious jiu jitsu is taught with clarity, patience, and long-term development in mind.

START YOUR JOURNEY

Everyone begins somewhere.

No experience is required.



Whether you're looking for your child's first martial arts class or your own first step onto the mats, we'd love to welcome you to our community.