Luke Backes is an assistant coach on the Screaming Eagle Wrestling coaching staff. Originally from Florida, Backes was a competitive Powerlifter in High school and held two Florida State records before joining the Army in 2006. He has since deployed over a dozen times to combat in numerous worldwide locations. He has earned multiple leadership awards and accolades and was recently selected to the Sergeants Major Academy.
In 2009 he began training in MMA and owned an amateur record of 4-0.
Upon moving to Clarksville Luke continued his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) training in 2020 and earned his blue belt from Renzo Gracie Clarksville in 2021.
A successful competitor, some of Luke’s accomplishments includes:
- Multiple-Time Fuji – Blue Belt Champion (BJJ)
- Tap Cancer Out – Blue Belt Champion (BJJ)
- Grappling Games – Blue Belt Champion (BJJ)
- Multiple Time-Good Fight– Blue Belt Champion (BJJ)
- IBJJF Nashville Open – Blue Belt Champion and Open Weight Silver Medalist (BJJ)
- IBJJF Atlanta Open – Blue Belt Champion and Open Weight Bronze Medalist (BJJ)
- IBJJF Austin Open – Blue Belt Champion (BJJ)
- 2022 IBJJF Pan American Championship– Blue Belt Champion (BJJ)
- 2022 IBJJF Master World – Blue Belt Bronze Medalist and Absolute Weight World Champion (BJJ)
- Currently ranked #1 IBJJF Master 2 Blue Belt in the world out of 950 competitors.
Luke also has a Bachelors Degree from AMU and a Masters Degree from Villanova University.