Pablo Perez

Purple Belt
Instagram: @paebloperez

I started Jiu jitsu at 18 years old. After high school wrestling I needed to find an outlet to continue improving. My former coach invited me to help finish the construction of a jiu jitsu gym in my area. I first trained in a community center on some very thin mats and then once the gym was completed I joined and formally started my training. It quickly became a passion and I was eager to continue competing.

My favorite part of Jiu Jitsu is that we are always learning.It sounds cliche but no matter how athletic or experienced you may have there is always something to learn and improve on. Despite my extensive experience in wrestling I continuously feel like I am learning and improving on my takedowns game. Obviously my ground game continues to develop and the learning curve is even more seemingly.

One of my biggest accomplishments is winning the IBJJF Nogi World Title at purple belt. I have came close but it seemed like I could never seize my victories. The journey to the world title was my favorite process, the training, preparation and challenges shaped me into a better person and athlete.I was able to win the title with 5 victories (4 submissions).

A fun fact about me is that I was born in Mexico city, yet most bjj practitioners confuse me to be Brazilian. I am also a musician at my church (bass) and I just completed my B.A. in History from San Diego State University.