Pahrump Academy Athlete’s Breakout Year Fuels Local Jiu-Jitsu Growth

Mix It Up Academy, housed in a blue metal building at 1051 East Mickey Street, became a focal point for local martial arts after owner and head instructor Robert Wilson’s youngest son, 18-year-old Zackery James Wilson, turned a steady training regimen into a breakthrough competitive year in 2025. Competing primarily as a blue belt that year, Zackery entered 15 tournaments and returned with 15 medals: nine gold, five silver, and one bronze. His schedule included wins at NBJJF Las Vegas in January, a championship belt at NAGA Las Vegas in August in the teens gi expert division, double gold at Grappling Industries in August, and a gold at the American Grappling Federation Tri-Cities event in Washington.

The academy’s rise is tied to long experience and national links. Robert Wilson began training in 2003, holds a third-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under coach Robert Drysdale, and operates Mix It Up Academy as an affiliate of the Zenith team. That affiliation gives local competitors access to major stages and International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation sanctioned events often streamed on FloGrappling. Zackery supplements his Pahrump training with six days a week in Las Vegas, primarily at Zenith, and takes MMA classes at Xtreme Couture under former UFC fighter Mike Pyle.

Mix It Up Academy emphasizes broad access: classes run Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays with kids training from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m., followed by adult classes from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The kids program serves roughly ages four to 13 and is nearing capacity, while the adult program begins around age 13 depending on size and readiness. The operation is family-run: Robert and his wife Kimberly are both black belts under Drysdale; their oldest son Alec is a black belt, middle son Nicholas and daughter Esteffana hold blue belts, and Esteffana coordinates sign-ups and social media.

For Nye County, the academy’s momentum carries practical implications. A near-capacity youth program points to growing demand for supervised after-school activities that combine fitness, discipline, and self-defense. Competitors traveling to regional and national events generate modest local spending on travel and equipment and raise the county’s profile in regional sports networks. The Wilsons’ emphasis on steady progression—Zackery was promoted from white on April 16, 2024, but remains at blue by design—underscores a development model focused on long-term skill and academic balance; Zackery is homeschooled through Heritage Christian Academy and maintains straight A’s while training roughly 12 classes per week.

As the academy continues to attract youth and adult students, local planners and small-business advocates may want to factor martial arts programming into recreational and economic development discussions. For residents, Mix It Up Academy now offers both a pathway to high-level competition and a nearby option for regular fitness, structured youth activity, and community engagement.