Physical educator: Freeman PE teacher Zack Schneider moonlights as professional Jiu Jitsu fighter

Spokane has more to offer in combat athletes than boxing and MMA fighters.

Freeman elementary school health and PE teacher Zack Schneider competed in the Combat Jiu Jitsu Bantamweight Worlds tournament in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, on July 30 and earned second place overall.

From gaining interest in Jiu Jitsu after watching the Ultimate Fighting Championship in high school to training at a Jiu Jitsu club run by a blue belt at Washington State University, Schneider never expected to be competing at the level he does now.

“I always did fairly well for whatever level I was at, but I wasn’t spending money to go travel and compete all over every weekend,” Schneider said.

Typically, professional Jiu Jitsu athletes gravitate to competing in the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation tournaments. Athletes will often travel throughout the United States to compete at different IBJJF tournaments to rack up points in the hope they will be invited to the IBJJF World Championship.

“I thought that was the only path (and) only way to get recognized,” the Robert Drysdale black belt said.

In 2021, Schneider’s coach Pablo Alfonso was set to compete in the bantamweight CJJ championship but had to pull out due to injury. Schneider took Alfonso’s place and the night ended in a loss in the quarterfinals against Elias Anderson.

Schneider tried again at 145 pounds in the featherweight division and took another loss in the quarterfinals.

When the opportunity came to try for a third time at CJJ, Schneider leapt at the chance. The first few weeks of his training camp presented Schneider with unique challenges.

In addition to finishing out the last few weeks of the school year, Schneider had previously competed in a tournament at 155 pounds.

“I get on the scale (and I am) 158 pounds and I need to be 136 or lower so the weight cut starts right away,” he said. “Along with having those really long (school) days, I’m also trying to throttle back my calorie intake. There was a good amount of feeling of fatigue early on.”

Schneider’s strength and conditioning coach Dylan Lemery emphasized how disciplined Schneider was during his training and weight cut to 135.

“It was a very daunting task, and it took weeks of being extremely disciplined. I would imagine by the time he got down to 135 pounds, he was at an extremely low body fat,” Lemery said. “Not everyone can do that.”

Training for a combat Jiu Jitsu match is different than his usual Jiu Jitsu training. With combat Jiu Jitsu, the matches are submission-only. Additionally, athletes can strike open-palmed from certain positions.

It creates a different sport, Schneider said.

“To prepare for combat Jiu Jitsu, you’re integrating strikes into a sport where you’re used to being able to grapple,” he said. “If anyone familiar with wrestling could imagine, you’re allowed open palm strikes as soon as you were in referee’s position in a wrestling match. Obviously that changes how some of those things go down.”

In preparation for the tournament, Schneider put in long hours at the gym and in strength and conditioning with Lemery.

“(Schneider is) a hard worker, very consistent (and) never skips (class),” Alfonso said.

After a 10-week training camp, Schneider was ready for his third attempt in CJJ.

Schneider’s first three matches were completed all by rear-naked choke in overtime, landing him a spot in the finals where he fell to a rear-naked choke from 17-year-old Dorian Olivarez.

Eager to compete in the promotion again, Schneider is looking forward to competing in the CJJ Lightweight World Championship.

“You can do it all,” Alfonso said. “This kid has a job, a wife and kids and makes time for training and is always ready for an opportunity.”

Schneider’s next Jiu Jitsu opportunity is a rematch against Elias Anderson and will take place under the canopy at Riverfront Park on Sept. 30 as part of the Spokane Submission Challenge grappling card.