"The results have been incredible."

I’ve been training martial arts, competing, and coaching for most of my life. As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, academy owner, and someone who’s spent years helping others improve their physical performance, I thought I had a pretty solid understanding of training and conditioning.

Then I started working with Austin.

What impressed me most wasn’t just his knowledge—it was his ability to adapt. Every time life threw me a curveball, whether it was an injury, a scheduling issue, a competition, opening a business, or just the realities of being a husband, father, and academy owner, Austin found a way to adjust the plan without losing sight of the goal. He never tried to force me into a cookie-cutter program. Instead, he built a system around my life.

The results have been incredible.

In my mid-forties, I am stronger, more athletic, more mobile, and recovering better than I have in years. My performance on the mats has improved, my energy levels are higher, and I simply feel better day to day. More importantly, the training has been sustainable. It doesn’t feel like I’m constantly beating myself up to make progress. It feels like I’m building something.

Austin and I joke around a lot, and I often tell him that whenever I accomplish something physically impressive, I’m going to blame him for it. The reality is that there’s a lot of truth behind the joke. Many of the things I’ve been able to accomplish recently are directly tied to the systems, habits, and training principles he’s helped me implement.

What speaks volumes to me is the level of trust I am able to give him in him. As I continue building Matt Labs Martial Arts, Austin is one of the people I trust to help guide not only my own physical development but also the development of the athletes and students who train with us. I don’t make that statement lightly.

If you’re looking for someone who understands performance, recovery, longevity, and how to create a plan that actually fits your life, I can’t recommend Austin highly enough. He’s helped me become a better athlete, a better coach, and frankly, a healthier person overall.

And if I keep getting stronger at 46, I’m still blaming him.

— Gabriel Matt
Owner, Matt Labs Martial Arts
IBJJF Black Belt