I earned my blue belt in 2023 from Jerry VanZant at Valhalla AJJ. I currently train out of Shelbyville at Gracie Jiu Jitsu of Kentucky. I’m a firefighter and paramedic with far too many hobbies. My goal is longevity in the grappling arts.

Hey everyone, glad to be here. My name is Anthony, I’m a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt and the founder of Modern Grappling. I’ve been training for 5 years and compete regularly. I'm in love with grappling. In love. I'm currently in healthcare as a nurse. It's okay. It pays the bills. My ultimate goal is to make grappling my full-time job. Not necessarily competing, although competition is a means to prove that my game works. But rather train and coach full-time. I want to be immersed in grappling as much as possible. Despite working full-time, I'm still doing anywhere from 10-14 training sessions a week. If I'm not training, you can find me making stupid Instagram videos at: @aavanderpool, studying Jiu-Jitsu, or spending time with my girlfriend. Gym / Location: Valhalla AJJ, belted under Jerry Vanzant II. I also cross-train at Lexington Jiu-Jitsu with Michael Seals. Both gyms are in Kentucky. Favorite Position: Back mount Favorite Submission: Rear Naked Strangle What I’m currently working on: Staying attached to the lower extremities by controlling both legs simultaneously until arriving in the breaking position. I created this community to bring serious grapplers together to share ideas, study the sport, and improve faster. Looking forward to learning from everyone here.