Fake MMA gyms in Clarksville TN
February 10th, 2012There are several gyms in Clarksville TN that downright lie about their credentials. This page will list the gyms, the lie they tell and the person that is doing the lying.
1. CMMAA- CMMAA’s head instructor and owner John Renken claims to hold black belts in Sambo and Muay Thai, the problem is that neither Sambo nor Muay Thai have belts or rankings in their systems. John Renken is under investigation right down about his claims by the BBB. John Renken also claims that a well know BJJ black belt gave him his Black belt in BJJ but wouldn’t you know it, that well know Black Belt said that he never ranked John Renken higher than a Purple belt(two belts bellow black). John Renken also claims a Black belt in Judo but his old Judo instructor who is a very well respected Judoka in TN said that John went away for a two week summer camp for Judo as a yellow belt and came back as a black belt (5 belts skipped in two weeks). There are other instructors at CMMAA who claim Sambo and Muay Thai belts as well but John Renken is the owner and leader of the band of liars. John Renken is currently under investigation by the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
2. Clarksville Fight Club/Team Wildside-These two failing “MMA” gyms united in hopes of making one good gym and while they were at it they felt the need to invent ranks for themselves. In the past Eric Chester who is the owner of Clarksville Fight Club claimed that their BJJ instructor was a black belt under Royce Gracie but after a very public phone call made by Max Bishop to his friend Royce quickly reviled that the black belt in question was really a BLUE belt. Mike Merriman who is the owner and leader of Team Wildside must have felt left out and started telling people that he was a brown belt in Sambo. I guess the facts that he never studied Sambo under anyone or the fact that Sambo does not have belts made a difference to him. Mike and Eric are currently under investigation with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).