Born in Azerbaijan near Dagestan, Professor Roger Mamedov immigrated to Brooklyn in 1992 during the war. Martial arts quickly became a compass in his life. At age 8, he began training in Shotokan Karate under Gene Dunn. By 12, he was already working at the very school where he trained. At 13, he added Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to his practice. Muay Thai followed at 15, boxing at 19, and wrestling soon thereafter. At age 20, he stepped into the cage for his first professional MMA bout—and opened Williamsburg Mixed Martial Arts Academy the very next month.

 

Roger has trained under some of the most respected names in martial arts: Master Renzo Gracie, John Danaher, Don Saxby, Judo master Kiyoshi Shiina, and head coach Ricardo Almeida, under whom Roger has trained since 2008 at Almeida’s Robbinsville, NJ academy. His journey has also been shaped by boxing coach Mark Henry—who cornered Roger in his professional fights—and shared corners with him while coaching UFC fighters like Akira Corassani. Roger has trained alongside legends including Frankie Edgar, Eddie Alvarez, Edson Barboza, Marlon Moraes, and members of the Gracie family—Roger, Rolls, Igor, and Gregor—as well as Braulio Estima and many others.

 

As the founder and head instructor at Williamsburg Mixed Martial Arts (WMMA), Professor Roger uses martial arts as a tool for transformation. His goal is to help each student develop confidence, self-defense skills, and a stronger, healthier mind and body. He’s built WMMA into a community-driven academy—welcoming to all ages and skill levels—and designed it to be unlike any other: grounded in excellence, but accessible to anyone willing to learn.

 

In addition to decades of experience in martial arts, Professor Roger Mamedov brings a deep background in psychology-based coaching. He has spent years counseling and coaching individuals through anxiety, depression, trauma, and fear—both on and off the mat. His teaching style is personality-driven, adaptive, and deeply empathetic, grounded in trust, emotional regulation, and behavioral science.

 

Roger blends martial arts with psychology-informed methods, drawing from cognitive-behavioral frameworks and trauma-sensitive approaches to help students overcome internal blocks and build lasting confidence. His coaching is highly individualized, incorporating visual, auditory, and sensory-based instruction. He uses clear metaphors, analogies, and diagrams to bring complex ideas to life, making learning feel natural, empowering, and accessible to all.

 

He has extensive experience working with students of all ages and abilities, including those with special needs, guiding them through structured, patient, and emotionally attuned instruction. These same principles carry into his writing. In books like Hard Words, Steady Hands, Roger explores how language, emotional triggers, and trust shape performance, conflict, and connection—on the mat, in life, and in the self.

 

Roger also leads workshops on bully prevention, stranger awareness, and internet safety. His Women’s Empowerment Workshops have given women the practical tools—and personal confidence—to protect themselves. Whether he’s working with professional fighters, children, students with with learning differences, or adults reclaiming their confidence, Roger believes the most important fight is often the one within—and he’s here to help people win it.