Chris Mierzwiak is a second-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) under Jorge Gurgel and the founder of Meru Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Arvada, Colorado.

Chris began his BJJ journey in 2007 and spent the early years of his career pursuing professional MMA. He competed in both Strikeforce and Bellator, and behind the scenes, ran training camps and cornered fighters competing on some of the sport's biggest stages — including the UFC, Bellator, Invicta FC, and Titan FC. Among those experiences, was cornering UFC Hall of Famer, Rich Franklin at UFC 147 against Wanderlei Silva.

After stepping away from competing in MMA, Chris turned his full attention to Jiu Jitsu — both on and off the mats. He built a professional career in the martial arts technology space, supporting academy and gym owners around the world. This work has exposed him to dozens of world-renowned instructors and leaders across the industry, shaping his philosophy on what it means to teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu well and run an academy with intention.

For the past eight years, Chris has held leadership and teaching positions at academies across the greater Denver area. That experience, combined with the lessons learned from a lifetime in the martial arts world, led to the creation of Meru BJJ — an academy built on the values he and his family live by every day.

Chris Mierzwiak