Keith Cowdrey
A GFTeam purple belt under Professor Deivid Dias — an IBJJF champion and Pan American medalist, and the high-energy coach our newest students meet first. Athletic, enthusiastic, and impossible to have a boring first class with. Your first class is free.
The coach beginners meet first
Keith Cowdrey
Every academy needs someone who makes the first night feel easy — at WDC BJJ, that's Keith Cowdrey. A purple belt under Professor Deivid Dias of GFTeam, Keith coaches our adult beginners, giving brand-new students their first real taste of jiu-jitsu.
He teaches like he competes. An IBJJF champion and a Pan American medalist, Keith has tested his game on the sport's biggest stages — then brought it home and stripped it down to the fundamentals a beginner can actually use on day one.
Off the adult mats, you'll also find him on the floor of the kids program, assisting our youngest students with the same energy he brings to everything.
Athletic, enthusiastic, all-in
Keith was an athlete long before he was a grappler. He played competitive soccer, and the things that sport drilled into him — footwork, conditioning, timing, and a motor that doesn't quit — walked onto the mats with him and never left. His jiu-jitsu is built on that engine: active, mobile, and always moving forward.
He came up through GFTeam DC under Professor Deivid Dias, earning his purple belt in this academy. That matters for his students, because the game he teaches is the academy's game — learned from the source, one detail at a time, the same way everyone in the room is learning it.
Competition proved it works. Keith is an IBJJF champion and a medalist at the Pan American championship, one of the toughest tournaments in the sport. Competing at that level teaches you exactly which techniques survive pressure — and those are the ones he bothers teaching. No fluff, no filler: what works, taught simply.
What students remember most, though, is the energy. Keith is the coach clapping from the edge of the mat, the one who learns your name in the first class and your goals by the second. His beginner sessions are built so a total beginner can walk in nervous and walk out sweating, smiling, and already better than when they arrived.
His promise to every beginner: you will never stay the most lost person in the room for long.
Where you'll find him
Coaching the adult beginners
Keith coaches beginners and new students in the adult program — the friendliest first step into jiu-jitsu. Fundamentals, movement, and controlled drilling, all scaled to brand-new students, in gi and no-gi; no gi is required for your first class, just athletic clothes and a water bottle. Check the schedule page for beginner class times, and tap a class to book your free trial.
Claim Your Free TrialOn the floor with the kids
Keith also assists in the kids program, helping our youngest students — ages 4–12 — build coordination, confidence, and discipline in a room that stays safe and fun. The same enthusiasm that powers his adult beginners makes him a favorite with the kids.
See the Kids ProgramYour first class is free.
Start with Keith — a real beginner class, coached by a champion. No experience needed, and no contracts or long-term commitment — just come train. Enrollment includes a free uniform for kids, youth, and adults.
1. Send the free-trial request or call us.
2. We confirm the right class for your age and schedule.
3. Arrive 15 minutes early in athletic clothes.
4. Train in a real group class — then decide with zero pressure.