We were lucky to catch up with Rudy Rexx Canales recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rudy Rexx, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

From idea to execution was a challenging process but so are the arts that I practice. In a lot of ways it prepared me to become a business owner. I have been teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.in Austin for 15 years before I even considered opening a place on my own. I learned a lot through trial and error. What works and doesn’t work. What keeps students engaged and what doesn’t. The business model of a BJJ gym statistically works very well. And so with a lot of planning, thinking, and just being around friends that are positive influences, I was able to execute the plan. One of the biggest compliments I get as a BJJ Academy owner is that we found a way to make it fun and competitive. Everyone reaches their goals whether it’s competition or fitness/self-defense. At Violet Crown Jiu Jitsu, we have an open door policy. Everyone is welcome regardless of team affiliation. That keeps the vibe fun and friendly.

Rudy Rexx, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I basically got into this industry by being a student first and foremost. Eventually teaching part-time at some of the studios that I was training at. As for the services we provide, we offer Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.classes for sport and self-defense. I teach private lessons on body movement and other drills related to Jiu Jitsu. to learn how to take a fall properly. How to move appropriately for our sport and to be more efficient.

Our Academy has seen great results with the teens and adults that are training with us. That is what makes me feel our hard work is paying off in such a short time. We’ve only been open two years and most of our students have been taught from the ground up. Many of them doing very well against advanced ranks and in their pro BJJ matches.

When I first opened I had no idea that within two years we would have anyone doing a pro match. It wasn’t even on my radar to be honest. It just goes to show that if you build a friendly community that sky is the limit. Walking into a gym or academy that is related to mixed martial arts, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or even Muaythai for that matter can be intimidating. What we choose to do is make everyone feel as comfortable as possible so we can turn that fear into fire. Turning the least assuming individual into a force. Some of our students are doing so well that they are teaching classes themselves and doing amazing.

There is nothing that makes me happier than to see that the students that I have taught are now teaching themselves. Not only at my Academy but at other locations as well. Teaching for 15 years in Austin has helped me develop other teachers in Austin at their own gyms. That also makes me happy. What makes me smile the most is witnessing those past students help others with a positive lifestyle change.

Our name used to be Rudy Rexx Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but I really wanted something that was related to Austin because I’ve lived here for 30 years, so I decided to re-brand to Violet Crown Jiu Jitsu. It is an old nickname of Austin based off of our beautiful violet sunsets.

As for what I am proud of the most is really sitting back and watching how the Academy has its own ecosystem. The beginner walks in the door for his/her first class and we have the more advanced students helping them on their first day making them feel at ease. We also have a lot of ladies participating in our classes. We have an amazing group of women that train hard and that also welcome other women with open arms to our Academy. I am also very proud of that.

How did you build your audience on social media?

As for social media, it is very important to have a presence. Even when you feel like no one is watching or liking your stuff, it is so important to be consistent. You have to post every day or at least every other day. I was already used to doing this with music and dance in my life prior to opening a business. A mentor of mine told me that no one is going to market yourself better than you.

With that said, I’ve never really felt comfortable sharing my arts for the public to see, but it was something that I had to get used to. I was a competitive Bboy for over 25 years and developed a bit of a social media presence from that scene. Some of that has carried over to my BJJ business, so I will always root for the person who is at least trying to have a presence on social media. Pick one or two and stay consistent.

Your best marketing is always going to be word of mouth but that doesn’t mean to give up on Instagram or TikTok. And don’t be scared to get feedback from your peers. The last thing you want is to have an awkward social media presence, so I always ask your friends, family, students, and whoever else that will give you constructive criticism. And you have to be strong enough to receive it, receive that constructive criticism so you can move forward.

I have noticed that the more I help people on social media by BJJ instructional’s or music tutorials, the more engagement we receive. It has to come from the heart. The moment people feel like you are faking it, you will lose engagement.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

We don’t manufacture products from scratch but as an entrepreneur you have to get pretty creative with creating team gear. And also for your followers/fans that want to support your business. This is where it gets a little bit tricky because a lot of the manufacturers are in Pakistan.

I literally receive 10 emails a day with a different manufacturing service from Pakistan. So it is hard to pick one out of the bunch. So if you have a friend that’s in the business that does this type of work, use his or her advice. The last thing you want is to spend all of your time testing out hoodies, shorts, rash guards, and T-shirts from 20 different manufacturers. That gets a little tiring and you wanna have more freedom to actually build your business.

If there is someone local that you can find, even better. It’s always good to put money back into your local community. That’s what grows the local economy. And if your local economy is doing good then that means you have the potential to grow with it as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.violetcrownjiujitsu.com (May be soon Violetcrownbjj.com)
• Instagram: @rudyrexx93 & @violetcrownjiujitsu
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCmFfQJrReGfSvDP6PVPGGyQ
• Other: Thank you all for this wonderful opportunity to speak on my passions. Y’all are doing wonderful things for the locals! Cheers!

Image Credits
I own all the photos.