Swanzey martial arts gym changes hands as longtime student becomes owner

Shields said Brazilian jiujitsu is a grappling discipline that focuses on controlling an opponent through techniques such as joint locks and strangleholds rather than striking.

A familiar face is now in charge at Monadnock Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, where Aaron Shields has moved from student to owner after 13 years with the gym.

Shields, a Keene resident, took over the business on June 15 after being approached earlier this year by Peter Greene, who had been running it before relocating to Florida. Shields is the third owner of the gym at 140 Monadnock Highway in Swanzey.

The business began in Keene in 2008 under Dan Caulfield, when it operated as Flow Martial and Meditative Arts. It later moved to Swanzey, and The Sentinel reported on that transition in 2015.

Shields said Brazilian jiujitsu is a grappling discipline that focuses on controlling an opponent through techniques such as joint locks and strangleholds rather than striking. He added that owning a jiujitsu academy had long been one of his goals.

He has taught classes at the Swanzey gym since 2019 and is now a black belt. With the ownership change, he plans to take on more instruction for the gym’s roughly 130 members.

The new owner said the operation will stay largely the same, though he has started making small updates to the interior to create a more welcoming atmosphere. Those changes have included removing a front desk and bringing in a new leather couch.

Monadnock Brazilian Jiu Jitsu offers training every day, with classes in the morning and evening. Schedules vary by day and are posted on the business website.

Shields said he wants to preserve the gym’s role as one of the few jiujitsu schools in the area. He is also balancing the new responsibility with another business he and his wife, Kat Wood, own in Keene, Mudita Massage & Wellness.