Coaches

MMA veteran Kris Kemps is married to Kelly and is Dad to twin girls Lil and Izzy and young son Christian.

Kris is a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has been competing in and coaching MMA for almost 15 years. He has fought and cornered on some of the biggest fight promotions in Australia and internationally, including several Shooto Superfights Australia, K-Oz’s Bragging Rights, Eternal MMA and Tsuwamono MMA Japan.

Kris loves competing, but his real passion is coaching. ‘Competition is fun, but coaching is my purpose and what I truly love to do. I love coaching and seeing people grow in confidence, strength and self-esteem.’

Kris began Monster MMA out of his shed back in 2017, shortly after his twin girls were born, training his members in MMA, Muay Thai and Kickboxing. A short time later he bumped into long time friend Dave Smith and after a quick catch up, Dave was on board coaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. With members quickly growing, Kris and wife Kelly made the decision to move the gym into a premises in Davenport and Monster MMA has continued to grow from there.

Favourite coaching moment:

“I have many favourite moments but two that really stand out are:

Seeing the intense, excited face of one of the kids when she was partnered with her Dad learning BJJ drills.

And having one of the kids tell me he was going to ‘beat me now’ after his 1^st grading, it was an amazing feeling seeing how much his confidence had grown.”

Achievements:

• Gold – Oceania vs Japan, Tsuwamono MMA Tournament, Osaka, Japan 2010
• Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt – Nov 2022
• Taekwondo Blue Belt
• Bushi Kempo Jiu Jitsu Orange Belt
• Eternal MMA 13 – Fight of the night
• Certified Coach through the Australian Combat Commission

Monster MMA’s BJJ coach Dave Smith is a 3rd Degree Black Belt. Dave is married to Emma and Dad of 3 to Zach, Lily and Charli.

He started his martial arts career in 1996 in Freestyle Karate and received his Ho-Dan Black Belt in Australian Freestyle Combat Karate under a great man, the late Paul Hoseason in 1998.

After moving to Western Australia from Vic in 1999 Dave continued training Freestyle Karate until he was introduced to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2003.

In 2003 Dave met and started training with his now good friend Wil Cunningham, then a BJJ Purple belt. From this point Dave’s addiction to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu grew.

In 2005 Dave and his family moved to the South West and started training in a humble backyard shed in Eaton with a couple friends. Though growing interest they quickly outgrew the shed and moved to teaching BJJ out of the South West Sports Centre and Bunbury Catholic College.

Dave received his Purple belt in 2007 and made the decision to open his gym “Southwest Vale Tudo” in Bunbury. Later that year the team made their affiliation with the Goioere Jiu Jitsu Team which still exists today.

Between 2007 – 2010 Dave dabbled with MMA for a few years with some success but his passion really lied with BJJ and his drive for his BJJ Black Belt.

2010 showed the opening of Bunbury MMA, in which Dave & Shaun Spooner headed up the Jiu Jitsu team until 2018 with great success.

Then in 2018, after 13 years of coaching, Dave decided to take a break and took 6 months off to refocus.

On return from this short break he secured his alliance with Monster Martial Arts with the goal of further developing the quality and level of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the South West of WA.

Achievements:

• Black Belt – 2012
• 1st Degree – 2015
• 2^nd Degree – 2018
• 3rd Degree – 2020
• GOLD – Australian Champions Cup 2009 – Purple Belt 79kg (No Gi)
• BRONZE – Australian Champions Cup 2010 – Brown Belt 79kg (No Gi)
• BRONZE – 1st International Jiu Jitsu Challenge Aus x USA x Brazil 2011 (Brazil) – Brown Belt (Gi)
• GOLD – Pan Pacific Championship 2012 – Black Belt – 79kg (Gi) and BRONZE – 85kg (No Gi)
• BRONZE – Pan Pacific Championship 2014 – Black Belt – 79kg (No gi) and Open (No Gi)
• Many times WA state championship Medalist 2003-2012

Outside of BJJ, offroad riding and racing dirt bikes is a major hobby of Dave’s, accompanied with the camping and travel that goes along with it. Dave is currently Bunbury’s only accredited coach for signing off and endorsing juniors for racing motocross and offroad racing.

Favourite Coaching moment:

“There has been many great moments in my coaching career over the last 15 years, but to pick a few:

Seeing my first ever student receive his Black Belt in BJJ.

Seeing shy, nervous children grow in self-confidence and receiving feedback from parents of the positive effects it’s had on their lives.

Watching people get “the BJJ bug” is the coolest thing as a coach”.