Shelbie Fujii, front middle, poses for a photo with a class at her Brazilian jiu jitsu school in Gardnerville. Fujii became one of the Carson Valley’s first female BJJ black belts.
Shelbie Fujii, co-owner and head female instructor of West Coast Martial Arts/Machado Jiu Jitsu in Gardnerville, recently received her Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt.
Fujii received it from Hall of Fame Coral Belt, Grand Master Carlos Machado and ninth degree Grand Master instructor George Fujii in Dallas, Texas, according to a press release.
Fujii is a 50-year-old mother of four and grandmother of seven who has been training and teaching mixed martial arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu full time for almost 20 years. Though autoimmune health issues and injuries have plagued her over the years, she consistently trained through surgeries and health issues to achieve her goal of black belt professor. It takes an average minimum of 10+ years to earn a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and then another several years training and teaching consistently to earn a professor degree.
Over the last 20 years, Fujii has taught and continues to teach hundreds of students. She is well loved by her students, kids, teens, women and men alike. She also taught many of the special needs kids in the Carson Valley area schools Pro bono and many of the families and Marines from the Mountain Warfare Training Camp nearby in Coleville.
Fujii also coaches the Gardnerville Team Fujii Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in competitions and the team has been very successful including seven competitors all earning first place gold medals in the most recent competition in the spring of 2024.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is arguably the hardest martial art to earn ranking in. Fujii is based at her school in Gardnerville, which she runs with her Black Belt husband George Fujii. Shelbie has traveled around the US, training to achieve her goal. She has also competed several times through the years and has done well in tough competitions. Shelbie also holds a fifth degree Master Instructor Black Belt in Mixed Martial Arts under Black Belt Hall of Fame Grand Master Instructors Ernie Reyes Sr. of San Jose, California.
Fujii teaches weekly at West Coast Martial Arts/Machado Jiu Jitsu including a special women's only Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and self-defense program for kids, teens and women of all ages at the school in Gardnerville, at 1328 N. Hwy 395. For more information, call 775-782-8343 or email Shelbie@westcoastgardnerville.com.
