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    • This Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion isn’t from Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, he’s from Truro, N.S.

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    Many of the top mixed martial artists hail from Brazil, but jiu-jitsu world champion Jake MacKenzie isn't from Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro -- he is from Truro, N.S.

    “Jiu-jitsu is kind of like a therapy,” said MacKenzie. “It’s like a game of human chess.”

    With encouragement from his father, Mackenzie walked into his small-town dojo at 12-years-old. Just four years later, he sought out the world's best in the birthplace of the sport.

    “I started traveling back and forth from Canada to Brazil at 16-years-old to do training camps and competitions,” said MacKenzie. “I needed an outlet where I could see if I would be able to make a career of this."

    MacKenzie has since won more than 100 championship medals. From nationals to world championships, the 37-year-old has won more tournaments in Brazil than any other foreigner in the history of the sport.

    “I won the Sao Paulo Open three times in three different weight divisions, which is one of the hardest tournaments to win in Brazil,” said MacKenzie.

    MacKenzie met his match when he was introduced to fellow competitor, turned wife -- Melissa Britez Costa -- who is also an accomplished athlete.

    Britez-Costa has medaled at the World Championships (IBJJF), the World Pro (AJP tour), along with winning multiple medals at the Pan Am Championships and other Grand Slam titles.

    “Jiu-jitsu is really a sport for everybody,” said Britez-Costa. “There’s no certain body type or age for it. You can learn at any age. The learning process is endless.”

    With more than three decades of combined experienced, the pair have returned to the Maritimes after living abroad to take on new roles as coaches and gym owners.

    They recently opened Jake MacKenzie’s School of Jiu-Jitsu in Halifax.

    Brazilian jiu-jitsu is one of the fastest growing combat sports in the world, due in part to the rise of UFC.

    “The scene has really grown here in Atlantic Canada,” said MacKenzie. “A lot of the tournaments you’ll get 300 to 400 competitors. There’s a lot of different opportunities for young athletes to compete."

    In an ironic twist, top Brazilian athletes now travel to Canada to learn from Jake and Melissa, including Ademir Araujo, who will soon compete at the London Grand Slam and Pan Am Games.

    “My first experience with a Canadian class has been really good,” said Araujo. “Jake has been training with me a lot."

    MacKenzie says the sport is geared towards all levels and is great for fitness, mental health, and self-defence.

    “It’s good knowing that if you did have to defend yourself in a situation that you would be capable of doing that.” 

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