Changing Lives
Through Jiu-Jitsu
The Cobra Youth Scholarship Foundation helps kids in Plano and North Dallas access Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, mentorship, and a supportive community where they can grow in confidence, discipline, and resilience.
Proudly serving kids in Plano, TX and the North Dallas community.
More Than
Training
Scholarship students receive unlimited access to a structured martial arts program built around Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Through consistent training, they develop discipline, confidence, resilience, and respect.
What makes this different is that they are not placed in a separate program. They train alongside adults, professionals, and families from all backgrounds as part of the same community. That kind of inclusion can change how a young person sees themselves.
Training
Builds confidence, discipline, self-defense, and strong habits.
Gear & Uniforms
Gives students the equipment they need to begin with dignity and confidence.
Mentorship
Provides positive role models, guidance, and accountability.
Competition
Gives students a chance to test themselves and grow through challenge.
Life Skills & Community
Builds leadership, teamwork, respect, and a sense of belonging.
Your generosity helps build stronger futures.
Support a StudentWhere We
Serve
We serve students throughout the North Dallas area. Training takes place in Plano, TX in partnership with Cobra BJJ, a professional martial arts academy with over 16 years of experience developing young athletes.
Cobra BJJ provides world-class instruction in a safe, inclusive environment where students learn respect, discipline, and perseverance alongside technical martial arts skills — and alongside members of the broader community.
Who
Qualifies
Students ages 4 through 26 who live in Plano or the broader North Dallas area are welcome to apply. Priority is given to low-income households, single-parent families, youth facing challenging circumstances, and students who show genuine commitment to growth. Scholarships are donor-funded and based on each family’s situation.
How it works
Apply online using the Apply Now button. Applications are reviewed by a panel and prioritized by order of submission and demonstrated need. If funding is limited at the time of application, eligible students are placed on a waitlist.
Expectations & Renewal
Scholarships are renewed annually based on consistent attendance, positive behavior, and steady academic effort. Students are expected to show up and give their best — on the mats and off. Parent involvement is welcome but not required.
What's Covered
Scholarships include training tuition at Cobra BJJ, uniforms and gear, mentorship, and tournament support where appropriate. Coverage is based on each family’s situation and available funding.
Founded by a
World
Champion
20+ Years Teaching Youth
The founder of CYSF is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, IBJJF World Champion, and lifelong martial arts instructor. For more than 20 years, he has taught youth through martial arts and mentorship.
He earned his black belt in 2007 and won international titles across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. But competition was never the main mission. CYSF was built to help youth who wanted the benefits of training, but whose families could not afford the cost.
The founder receives no compensation from the foundation. Every scholarship is funded by donors.
Why
Martial Arts
There are a lot of youth programs. Here’s why this one works.
In martial arts, you can’t fake effort. There’s no bench, no score to hide behind. That builds real accountability. The belt system teaches delayed gratification — progress takes months, not days, and youth learn that growth comes from consistency.
Unlike team sports where someone can coast, martial arts demands individual responsibility inside a team. You train with a partner, push each other, and earn every step forward. That’s why this changes youth in ways other programs don’t.
The result is stronger confidence, better discipline, more resilience, and a healthier path forward for the youth we serve.
Our Impact
Youth Served
Helping kids access structure, mentorship, and opportunity through scholarship support.
Community Donations Received
Powered by donors who believe more youth deserve access to life-changing martial arts.
Scholarship Youth Supported
Serving both boys and girls through a program built to strengthen confidence, discipline, and resilience.
27 youth served so far, with additional applicants still waiting for funding to begin.
What Youth
Are Asking
For
Confidence · Self-Defense · Discipline · Structure
When families apply, the same needs come up again and again: confidence, self-defense, discipline, structure, and a safe place to belong.
Parents describe wanting their child to feel safer, stronger, and more capable. They talk about needing a positive outlet, a healthy routine, and strong role models outside the home. Many families are rebuilding after job loss, bereavement, or financial hardship, and are looking for opportunities their child would not otherwise be able to access.
These are not statistics. These are real families in our community asking for help. That is why this program exists.
Voices from Our Community
A few of the many real stories from our scholarship applications. Names are kept private to protect the families who applied.
Every Dollar Builds a Future
Your gift helps fund training, mentorship, gear, and life-changing opportunities for youth who need it most.
Support a Student. Strengthen a Future.
Every gift helps provide access to training, mentorship, structure, and opportunity for youth in our community.
Full Monthly Sponsor
Covers one student’s full month of training and program support.
Half Sponsor
Covers half of a student’s monthly training.
Supporter
Helps keep a student on the mats.
Annual Scholarship
Sponsors one student for an entire year including training and gear.
Gear Package
Equips a new student with the gear they need to begin.
Tournament Entry
Helps send a student to compete.
The Cobra Youth Scholarship Foundation is fiscally sponsored by Fiscal Sponsorship Allies, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. EIN 85‑0839183. FSA retains variance power over all contributions, meaning it has the exclusive right to ensure funds are used for permissible charitable purposes. CYSF partners with Cobra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to deliver training to scholarship recipients. The program’s founder also operates the training facility and receives zero personal compensation from the foundation. All scholarship decisions are made by a review committee, and all donated funds are held and disbursed by FSA. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. If giving through an employer portal such as Benevity or directly to Fiscal Sponsorship Allies, include “Cobra Youth Scholarship Foundation” in the memo so your gift reaches this program.
Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities
Businesses can help fund scholarships for youth in Plano and North Dallas while investing in confidence, discipline, and meaningful community impact.
Community Partner
Helps fund scholarships for multiple students and expands access to training and mentorship.
Leadership Partner
Supports broader program growth, including scholarships, equipment, and student development.
Founding Partner
Makes a major impact by helping fund a larger group of youth and strengthen the long-term mission of the program.
Custom sponsorships are also available for businesses that want to make a larger impact.