Jake Watson is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athlete who was born in Bellflower, California and started training BJJ at age 12. In his own words, he got into grappling because “I watched UFC 65, and ended up starting MMA training after receiving my Tae Kwon Do black belt.” Since then he has gone on to achieve his black belt in BJJ which he received at age 21. His current teacher is Andre Maracaba and he trains at his gym which is called Maracaba BJJ. It is Maracaba and Leandro Lo who Watson lists as being the most influential grapplers on his game.
We asked Watson about his favorite positions whilst playing BJJ, he added “My favorite guard is butterfly guard (though I rarely get the opportunity to use it) and my other favorites are collar and sleeve, DLR and single-leg X. My best sweep is the traditional butterfly sweep, and my other favorites involve berimbolo’s and single-leg X variations. When passing, I love to leg drag and I love to mix up pressure passing to create openings.” He also lists the straight ankle lock as his main submission.
When competing, he typically weighs around the 195lbs mark in the medium-heavy category. He claims his biggest achievement was winning No-Gi Worlds Double Gold (Juvenile Blue) whilst being the only athlete in history to win the Team Trophy as a single athlete in a major IBJJF tournament. Like many competitors, he has had his share of injures and says that ligament damage in his left ankle from Roberto Jimenez at F2W93 was the biggest injury to date. He also adds Gustavo Batista at Pan Ams 2020 as his toughest opponent.
Q&A
Regarding your religion, is this something you were raised with or is it something you moved to in later life? If you look at many sports champions, particularly in MMA a lot of the top guys are often religious. Why do you think guys with religion seem to be more successful compared to guys who aren’t as religious?
“I came to a life of following Christ through my mother when I was about 20, but I truly didn’t start devoting myself until this year. You know, as athletes we walk a fine line when pursuing God (referring to Christians), because we are called to love others beyond what we do on this earth, our sights being set on Heaven. I believe my strength comes from setting an example, everything I do in this life is for God to be glorified, and my results are intended to showcase the effect Jesus has on my life as a whole.”
Following on from that, would you be able to give a specific bible passage relating to the struggle or improvement related to the sport of Jiu Jitsu?
“You know, brother, I don’t think I could pinpoint one in particular. Scripture is intended to guide the believer in all they do and bring them closer in relationship to God. What has improved my jiujitsu the most has been the actual process of handing over everything to Jesus. I believe jiujitsu is the medium in which I am to spread the Gospel.”
You’re fairly active on F2W. Do you think these promotions will continue to increase in popularity? Even 5 years ago they weren’t as big [as they are now], but they’ve overtaken some of the smaller IBJJF events, they seem to have got a lot bigger.
“I believe promotions are getting better at making jiujitsu a spectacle, and that is where F2W stands out above the rest in my opinion. Seth and the team do a wonderful job making every athlete feel like their own superstar. I think superfight promotions are going to continue to grow, and while I don’t believe they will replace the IBJJF, I do believe they will continue to grow in their own light.”
You seem to be quite accomplished at amateur martial arts. Do you think at some point you could move to MMA?
“I would want people to know that in my career I will never sell out for money or for a brand. I only endorse that which I believe in and believe is not harming my integrity or that of others. I appreciate messages and aim to respond to everyone who ever has questions for any reason, so feel free. To answer the MMA question, I am unsure what the future holds, though I am thoroughly enjoying jiujitsu, commentating and podcasting at the moment. Is the door on MMA closed? Maybe partially, but it’s not a door I am gonna say I will never open again, we will just have to wait and see. Thank you!”
Lastly, do you have any plans for the future?
“I want to grow my podcast OpenGuardCast, keep improving my Jiu Jitsu to surpass my limits, and commentate as many events as possible.”
You can follow his podcast here and his personal account here
