Outside of David “The Rock” Jacobs Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy, the snow had been falling steadily for hours. Whether this would affect the attendance at JT Torres’ first seminar in the DC metro area since moving to San Diego, California years prior was impossible to know. The driving conditions on the road continued to worsen, and yet David Jacobs seemed unconcerned. I don’t know if this was a testament to his whimsical nature, or unbridled confidence that JT, now a recently crowned ADCC champion, would garner enough support from the local Jiu Jitsu community to make a worthwhile seminar. Steadily, students came through the door, unbundled themselves and changed into their gis, ready to participate in two and a half hours of dedicated learning.

JT covered aspects of his own game, heavily favoring how to build from the guard into a single leg finish, as well as his patented double De La Riva guard. The students were thoroughly engaged and asking tons of questions as JT made the rounds, correcting technique and showing variations as well.

As the seminar progressed, and I hovered the mat, shooting clips of the techniques and his interaction with students, my mind drifted to how I wanted to frame this interview. Instead of focusing on Torres’ competitive success, or the opening of his new Jiu Jitsu Academy, Essential Jiu Jitsu in New York, I wanted to hear JT tell me about how he built himself as a competitor. I wanted to hear about the pressure of success at the elite level. How does one deal with losses when in the spotlight? How does one balance the pressure and constraints of being the head instructor of one’s own academy while still actively competing at the highest level of the sport? What’s left to look forward to, and where does the motivation to continue come from when you’ve essentially seen and done it all?

I posed vague and pointed questions alike to JT Torres and let his answers form the structure of this mini profile. As I sifted through the interview, one thing became clear-- the positive mental attitude and resilience of JT Torres is one of the main ingredients of not only his competitive success, but in his business life, character and stature as a man. His very nature exudes a quality which seems curated to inspire others.

After finishing the bulk of the work cutting this miniature profile, I shelved it for a number of reasons. One of which was that shortly after the seminar, David Jacobs passed away in a most untimely fashion, leaving his friends, family and students devastated. As I dust off this footage, and tie up the loose ends to publish it, I’d like everyone to take a minute to reflect on the strong relationships and bonds that being involved in the Jiu Jitsu community promote. Think about and cherish the fact that we need each other to make this work-- whether it be the role of a teacher, student, training partner. David Jacobs was all of these things and more. Stick together. Rest in power Rock.