Elite Edge MMA and Jiu Jitsu - Ankeny
About
Elite Edge MMA and Jiu Jitsu in Southeast Ankeny
Elite Edge MMA and Jiu Jitsu is Ankeny's largest mixed martial arts academy, located at 116 SE Lorenz Drive in the southeast Ankeny commercial corridor and serving the broader Des Moines metro from three Iowa locations (Ankeny, South Des Moines, Waukee). The Ankeny gym was founded by Josh Neer, a former professional MMA fighter and Iowa MMA Hall of Famer, with an instructor staff including Joe Brammer, Gavin Urias, Keegan Virchow, Brandon Lloyd, and Wes Sloan - a deep roster of black-and-brown-belt coaches with active competition experience.
Kids Martial Arts Programs
The kids program serves children as young as 7 with a beginner-friendly Jiu-Jitsu curriculum that builds foundational positions and techniques:
- Takedowns scaled to bodyweight
- Guard play and side control retention
- Mount escapes
- Early submission chains drilled with strict safety controls
- BJJ running alongside MMA, kickboxing, and No-Gi tracks
What's Included
- Three Iowa locations: Ankeny, South Des Moines, Waukee
- Founder Josh Neer, Iowa MMA Hall of Fame
- Deep coaching roster with active competition experience
- Free intro classes as the standard entry point
- Gi rentals available for first visits
Experience
The room culture emphasizes mat respect, the resilience of losing a roll and coming back, and chaining technical sequences together. Adult and advanced students share the same room across the schedule, so kids see real adult-level training and understand what continued practice looks like over years. The Ankeny location is convenient for Ankeny proper, Saylorville, NW Polk County, and the north Des Moines metro.