Beginning Of Journey

Coach Maher started training at 5 years old. He was highly successful with impressive competition records in various  martial arts. At a young age coaches recognized his explosive striking power.  As a child he trained in various traditional forms of martial arts. Tae Kwon do, Shotokan Karate, Kempo Karate, Hapkido and Judo. Maher competed in Karate and Judo as a youth, but due to limited contact of those martial arts. Maher sought out more aggressive full contact martial arts.

Boxing/ Kickboxing/ Muay Thai-Training under a World Champion and Expert Striker

Around 12 years old Maher feel in love with Boxing, Kickboxing/Muay Thai. It was not long after transitioning over Maher started fighting in Kickboxing and Muay Thai smoker fights in his early teens.  After the gym he was at closed down Maher joined another gym quickly the coach at that gym told him due to your potential, skills and experience you should leave this gym and come train where I train with my coach.

So Maher started to train under Muay Thai World Champion/ Pro Boxer/  Multiple times Kickboxing champion, Illinois Martial Arts Hall of Famer, Olympic Boxing alternat, Multiple time Open Division Golden Gloves & National Champion Glenn Hudson.

 Glenn was a tremendous Boxing and Kickboxing coach. Immediately after seeing Maher spar he told Maher to register for a big upcoming boxing tournament the Golden Gloves not even 4 weeks training under Hudson Maher as a teenage was fighting and winning. Under Glenn Hudson Maher's boxing and kickboxing skill and experience grew quickly. Glenn always pushed his fighters to fight frequently and against more experienced fighters regardless of the style, unlike other coaches who look for easy fights. Maher went on to win dozens of matches In Boxing, Kickboxing and Muay Thai and winning titles.

Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

In Maher's teens Mixed Martial Arts started to become popular and so did Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Maher had some grappling experience, but Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was still new and rare in Chicago at the time, upon moving for college he sought the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach and he was lucky that the greatest coach in the world Carlson Gracie Senior had recently moved to join his son in Chicago to start a team. Maher knew who Carlson was and how legendary he was. Maher feeling so blessed to train directly under him daily, he fully submerged himself obsessively in Jiu-Jitsu. Maher went on to compete in Jiu-Jitsu tournaments and won every tournament he entered.  He went undefeated in Jiu-Jitsu competition with over 75 matches between Gi and No Gi and no losses. He beat a 3 time Mundial/ World and Pan Am Champion twice in 1 day Gi and No Gi. Maher got to share the mats with legendary Jiu-Jitsu icons and MMA fighters during his time at the Carlson Gracie Academy. 

Maher's goal was to accumulate grappling experience to add to his striking experience and move into Mixed Martial Arts. Unfortunately before even entering his physical prime at the age of 23 Maher sustained a very bad spinal injury in his neck and a year later he injured his lower back.

With over 175+ matches in multiple combat sport and less than a handful of early childhood loses. Maher's well rounded knowledge, excellent competition experience, high winning percentage and being coached by world class coaches.  Makes him such a uniquely qualified and knowledgeable coach who due to his winning ways had his peers seek out his coaching when preparing for competitions. This lead to a natural progression of his role as a coach. He has built champions in MMA, Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu and continues to develop future generations.