MEET THE COACHES
RUBEN VERA
Head Coach
2° Black Belt under Cleber Luciano - 20+ years of grappling experience.
Ruben was born and raised in Orange County California where he wrestled at his local High School and Junior college. Wrestling was Coach Ruben’s introduction to the grappling world, and although he fell short when it came to his personal goals as a competitor, he was able to help many wrestlers in the area reach goals of their own working as an assistant coach at Westminster HS and Marina HS and as a Head Coach at Huntington Beach High School.
While coaching HS wrestling, he was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by a former teammate and only after a few training sessions, Coach Vera was hooked. After bouncing around a few different gyms in the area, Ruben was introduced to Master Cleber Luciano and his stellar team in Huntington Beach, Ca. After only training with Master Cleber and his team once, Ruben decided that Cleber BJJ would be the gym to help him develop into a great Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. Coach Ruben would receive every rank from Master Cleber and after 9 years of hard work, Ruben would attain his black belt from the Brazilian Legend.
Since then, Ruben has moved to Mason Ohio and is looking to cement himself as one of the best grappling competitors and coaches in the area. After running the NoGi program at a local gym for 16 months, he felt it was time to open his own location so he could teach the art without limitations or barriers, and that is how Queen City Grappling Club was born.
Ruben's vision for QCGC is to help spread Jiu-Jitsu & Grappling to the people in the area all while making a positive impact on the community.
RAMONE JUANITO KENNEY
Assistant Coach
Ramone is a BJJ black belt under 2° black belt Prof. Ruben Vera and 6th degree black belt Master Cleber Luciano.
He was first exposed to Jiu-Jitsu in 2007 after being invited to a local Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club in Cincinnati, OH. After the first day, he knew Jiu-Jitsu was his path. He would later start official training in early 2008 with some of the BJJ Club members that helped form the Gracie Cincinnati Jiu-Jitsu Academy led by one of Master Pedro Sauer’s Black Belts, Jim Kelly.
Jim instilled in Ramone a strong Jiu-Jitsu foundation focused on fundamentals and self-defense. Ramone used those skills to attack the local BJJ Tournament scene finding success in the early belt ranks. Ramone would receive his Blue and Purple belt from Jim Kelly before relocating north of Cincy to the Dayton Metropolitan area.
After the move to a new city, Ramone sought out a more competition focused Jiu-Jitsu academy joining the SAS team and receiving instruction under 3rd° Black Belt Jonathan Stutzman for 4 years, being awarded the rank of Brown Belt. Continuing to compete in both Gi and No-Gi at a higher level, he made the tough decision to leave the SAS team and join Ruben Vera at Queen City Grappling Club to focus exclusively on No-Gi Grappling and Submission Wrestling.
Ramone continues to compete and coach under the instruction of 2° Black Belt Ruben Vera, while upholding the QCGC tenants of no limits, no barriers, no politics.
WESLEY CLETUS CARTER
Assistant Coach
Wesley carter is a BJJ black belt is a multiple time IBJJF medalist and IBJJF NoGi world champion (brown belt M1) with extensive knowledge in multiple grappling arts specializing in leg locks and chokes. Coach Wes teaches our Saturday classes and fills in throughout the week when needed. In his classes you will learn an attack centric style that is ideal for competition.
DANIEL JEBADIAH ZIMMERMAN
Assistant Coach
Coach Dan is a BJJ brown belt with extensive competition experience and has placed in mulitiple IBJJF tournaments across the nation including 2nd at IBJJF NoGi Worlds as a blue belt and in December of 2023 took FIRST at IBJJF Worlds in his division claiming the M1 Purple Belt world title. You can catch Coach Dan at our fundamentals classes Monday and Wednesday at 6pm and our all levels classes on Saturday mornings.
GERMANE LINDSEY JR.
Wrestling Coach
As a wrestler at his Alma mater Moeller, Lindsey still ranks as one of the all-time leaders in takedowns for the Crusaders. Germane won Ohio team's Most Valuable Wrestler award, team's Hardest Worker award and held a 155-26 career record at Moeller High School. During his time at Moeller he became a three-time Ohio state tournament qualifier, two-time state placer and and capped off his senior year with the 140-pound title at the Ohio High School Athletic Association wrestling championships in 2007 and a #11 ranking in the nation.
After graduating from Moeller in 2007, Lindsey headed east to Ohio University. As a Bobcat, Lindsey became the first Moeller wrestler to earn NCAA All-American honors with his sixth-place finish at 141 pounds at the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. During his time as an Ohio wrestler, Lindsey lettered all four years, was voted the team's hardest worker all four years, and led the team in wins twice. Upon graduation, Lindsey stayed in Athens to serve as an assistant coach for the Bobcats before coming back to Moeller.
Germane also has 9 years of coaching experience with 5 years as a National Team Ohio freestyle and Greco Coach.
Aaron Cashman
Wrestling Coach
Coach Cashman is a multiple time Minnesota HS wrestling state placer, 1x state champion, Fargo all american, Cadet Freestyle world team member, a former resident of the US Olympic training center and an Iowa Hawkeye alum. Aaron is dedicated to pushing our youth to become the best they can be in the sport of wrestling and is passionate about developing grapplers into competent wrestlers to help further their abilities.
MARKUS ABRAHAM WOLFINBARGER
Assistant Kid’s Coach
Mark is a BJJ purple belt under Ruben Vera and our head Kids Program instructor. Mark brings over 20 years of coaching experience working with student-athletes as a former Varsity Football coach in the area and has learned to apply his coaching techniques to the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. When he is not on the mat Mark serves as a Pastor at a local church.
IVORY BERNICE VERA
Assistant Kid’s Coach & Women’s Ambassador
Coach Ivory is a BJJ blue belt, multiple IBJJF tournament medalist and is in charge of our half-pint grappling classes.
DYLAN DILLON OWENS
Assistant Kid’s Coach
Coach Dylan is a BJJ blue belt with with plenty of tournament and coaching experience.
ZACHARY JETHROW RICHMOND
Assistant Kid’s Coach
Zach is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and since training at QCGC has become a multiple time IBJJF tournament medalist.
JARED WILBUR SWAIN
Striking Coach
Coach Jared has been involved in martial arts for 15 years with boxing being his first love, which he found at the age of 18. Jared has extensive knowledge of striking in various styles with a specialization in western style boxing. Jared spends his free time lifting weights and hanging out with his French Bulldog, Butter.
AARON BOWMAN
Striking Coach
Coach Bowman comes to us with an extensive background in Muay Thai (20+ years) and has coached multiple athletes to have successful careers (national titles/team USA representatives).
CODY OTIS CUMMINS
Judo Coach
Cody is a Judo Black Belt and focuses on fundamentals with an emphasis on grip breaking and off balancing to create opportunities for a throw.
SEYLA ERNESTO RAN
Kids Striking Coach
Coach Seyla has been training since the late 2000s and has taking a liking to striking arts. He currently teaches our kids striking classes saturdays at 9AM.
Aaron D’Naykwon Jones
Assistant Kids Coach
Aaron is a BJJ purple belt, avid competitor and Middletown native. Aaron has had the opportunity to compete on several big stages such as Fight 2 Win, Stout Fights, Twisted church and multiple IBJJF majors.