About Music City Martial Arts

Ed Clay brought Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Luiz Palhares from Brazil in 2001 with a single vision: build the dominant martial arts academy in Middle Tennessee and throughout the Southeast. That vision became Team Shawn Hammonds — one of Tennessee's most respected grappling programs — and the foundation everything at MCMA is built on.

From the beginning, the standard here was different. Fighters were required to train for two years before earning their first BJJ belt and competing under the banner. That commitment to fundamentals and discipline — not shortcuts — is why this lineage has produced champions in the ring, the cage, and on the mats for 25 years.

Music City Martial Arts is the new headquarters for all Shawn Hammonds programs, housed in a 5,000+ sq ft premium facility in Berry Hill with stadium-style spectator seating, top-tier weightlifting equipment, and a training environment that attracts serious practitioners and complete beginners alike — including members of Nashville's Metro SWAT team.

MCMA is also home to a full Wellness & Recovery suite — peptide therapy, red light, hormone replacement, prescription weight loss, IV recovery, saunas, and premium supplementation — making it Nashville's only true one-stop fight and fitness facility. Nick also supports Kintsugi Kinetics, a nonprofit committed to using martial arts for community development.