Black Belt Tessa McMahon
The co-owner of McMahon Training Center and one of the just a few female Jiu-Jitsu black belts in Colorado today, Tessa McMahon began her search for the most realistic form of self-defense as a senior at CU in 2001. She found it at Easton Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Boulder, where she quickly flourished in the art of BJJ – Tessa McMahon was the first American woman to win the Pan-American gold medal for two consecutive years, and was ranked the #1 female in her weight class in 2005.
After graduating from college, Tessa became a middle school Spanish teacher and taught for five years in Aurora, Co. During that time, she continued to train BJJ under Professor Amal Easton, and competed successfully in various BJJ tournaments around the world.
In 2004, Finnie and Tessa were married, and two years later, they decided to dedicate their lives to martial arts through opening the McMahon Training Center in Fort Collins, Colorado. In the summer of 2009, after 8 years of training Tessa was awarded her Black Belt by Professor Amal Easton.