Plumber / Gas Fitter, Purple Belt

“I have been training Jiujitsu since mid-2016, coming up 4 years. Naturally as any young grom aspiring to be a ninja when he grew up. I was raised on a diet of dragon ball z, martial arts movies and Jackie Chan. I remember choreographing fight scenes with my brothers all day long. And when i was old enough to join a martial arts gym, I enrolled into kung fu and karate schools around town. But never stayed for longer than a month or so. It wasn’t until a good friend of mine who trains in MMA recommended that I try Brazilian Jiujitsu, that I actually stuck with a martial art.

From day one I was hooked; I was the infamous “spazzy white belt” everyone dreads to be. Running headfirst into sparring with a ridiculous grin on my face, getting tapped over 30 times by one of the upper belts, I loved it.

Training every day, researching techniques online, and thinking about torreanda passing while driving to work was the moment, I realised that I had caught the Jiujitsu bug.

My biggest challenges in jiujitsu have been balancing work, life, sporting balance. Jiujitsu takes up a lot of room in my head and without the proper balance, other aspects of your life can suffer. It’s something in still working on. Another challenge has been patience and rushing techniques…timing is everything!

Jiujitsu is an amazing sport, and like anyone who gets deep into it. I wish i started earlier… Regardless, the physical, emotional and mental benefits of jiujitsu are incredible. Not only do I feel more centred, healthier and stronger than I ever have before. Jiujitsu also aids your holistic problem-solving skills, your confidence and gives you a platform to learn just about anything. I would highly recommend anything thinking of trying it or has a fixed propensity towards participating in aggressive ground origami, to give it a go.”