Joy Ann Pendell

 About Joy…

Joy grew up in Stonyford CA, graduated from Willows High, and has been training and actively competing since 2014 in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Originally drawn to the martial arts in hopes of getting in better shape, she quickly became addicted to the challenge of the sport. She jumped into her first Jiu Jitsu tournament after 6 months of training, competed in her first Muay Thai smoker fight 3 years later and her first MMA fight 4 months after that. She is now a decorated competitor, winning many major tournaments including the IBJJF Pan and World Championships (4x). In her first tournament as a Black Belt at the 2021 World Championships, she won double gold after placing first in both the Heavyweight and Open Weight Master 1 divisions and finished the season ranked #2 in the world in her division. She is a regular on the Fight to Win Pro circuit, has fought in over a dozen Muay Thai fights, and is an active professional MMA fighter. Prior to turning pro, she held 2 CAMO state titles in amateur MMA at lightweight and welterweight with 4 TKO victories on her record and 2 more promotional titles at lightweight for Valkeryie and Evolution fighting.

For the first 7 years of her martial arts journey, Joy made a 4 hour round trip drive each night of training (Stonyford to Sacramento and back). Our vision at Willows Jiu Jitsu & MMA is to bring martial arts much closer to home, allowing others to learn new skills and discover their own abilities. Martial arts has the power to create confidence, a sense of purpose and community, and bring a shift of perspective that can transform lives. We are committed to providing a friendly, inclusive training environment for all ages and fitness levels that addresses each individual’s needs and goals.

Martial arts are for everyone!