Name: Jordan Wilson
Rank: Black Belt
Weight: 73k / 160 lbs.
Favorite Position: De La Riva.
Jordan is the head instructor at Sanctuary Jiu-Jitsu. Jordan began training Jiu-Jitsu in 2002 at the age of 17 after watching Royce Gracie dominate and submit fighters twice his size in the early UFCs. Jordan’s first instructor was Jon Hinds, owner and founder of the Monkey Bar Gymnasium and (then) a Rickson Gracie purple belt.
For some people Jiu-Jitsu is so transformative that when they speak of its impact upon their lives they speak of being “saved” by it. Jordan is one of those people. When Jordan started training he was overweight, ate terribly, and smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. Jiu-Jitsu provided Jordan with the impetus and motivation to change. Needless to say, he started living a healthier lifestyle, eating better, training daily, and cutting out cigarettes and alcohol.
In 2004 Jordan received his blue belt from Rickson Gracie black belt Luiz Claudio. During this time Jordan started teaching Jiu-Jitsu classes at the Monkey Bar Gym on a regular basis. Soon thereafter he suffered a major shoulder injury that took him off the mats for an extended period of time. However, with determination to keep studying and learning he kept training as often as he could – large periods of inconsistency followed by intervals of intensive training. In 2010 he received his purple belt, also from Luiz Claudio.
In late 2014, after years of unfocused training, Jordan decided to rededicate his life to the art that gave him so much. He resumed the Jiu-Jitsu program at the Monkey Bar Gymnasium, starting with a single dedicated student. More students followed and they all progressed quickly and did very well in local competitions. In 2017 Jordan was promoted to brown belt by his original instructor Jon Hinds and shortly thereafter became affiliated with the Caio Terra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association.
Jordan’s primary passion in life is teaching, training, and sharing Jiu-Jitsu with others. He is always looking to expand his game, evolve his understanding of the art, and share everything he knows and learns with his students. Jiu-Jitsu is a constantly evolving art and sport, and Jordan strives to continually evolve with it. He is resolutely devoted to the progress of his students, both on the mats and off. Jordan implores that everybody try Jiu-Jitsu at least once, because it could very well change their lives like it changed his.
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