It is no secret that Essential Jiu-Jitsu’s pro training is LEGIT. I would describe the training session as a hip-hop fueled roller coaster ride beginning with a warm up that would leave most hobbyists curling and ending with puddles of sweat covering the mat, symbolic of work well done.

The session takes place under the watchful eye of 2x ADCC champion JT Torres, whose presence makes you feel as though all of your dreams are within arms reach, while also letting you know that if you try to cut corners you are letting down not just yourself, but everyone in the room. It's a top tier professional training environment. 

Tickets are on sale now to watch Tezos WNO 19: Meregali vs Duarte presented live by Fat Tire!

We recently visited Essential, and I wanted to share some of the training footage we captured. So here are five rounds from one of the toughest competition rooms in the sport.

Up first, Ffion Davies dominates a ‘king of the guard’ session as she prepares for her Tezos WNO match against Jasmine Rocha on August 10th!

JT Torres hits five submissions in five minutes.

Rene Sousa hunts for subs while he prepares to take on Nicky Ryan at Tezos WNO 19 on August 10th.

Ffion Davies is a tarikoplata machine.

Rene Sousa and Chazz Canas throw down in a spirited roll.

This was just a small taste of what the Essential pro training is all about. As JT once said, “we’re just built different in New York… Concrete, steel, and hard work — that’s all we got out here.”

So with that being said — no matter where you are, I hope you are feeling inspired to absolutely destroy some blue belts at your local open mat this weekend.

About Tezos WNO 19: Meregali vs Duarte Presented by Fat Tire

Tezos WNO 19 will be held live in Austin, TX at the Palmer Event Center on Thursday, August 10. Tickets to watch live are available now at the link above. You can also stream the full card live or on demand on FloGrappling.

• Main Event: Nicholas Meregali vs Kaynan Duarte | Heavyweight bout
• Co-Main Event: Ffion Davies (c) vs Jasmine Rocha | Flyweight title bout
• Main Card:
  • Dante Leon vs Ethan Crelinsten | Lightweight title bout
  • Felipe Pena vs Haisam Rida | Heavyweight bout
  • Nicky Ryan vs Rene Sousa | Welterweight bout
  • Andrew Tackett vs Troy Russell | Welterweight Bout
• Undercard:
  • Sebastian Rodriguez vs Hunter Colvin | Middleweight bout
  • Ben Eddy vs Carlos Henrique | Featherweight bout
  • Helena Crevar vs Ally Wolski | Featherweight bout
  • Achilles Rocha vs JB Bechtloff | Middleweight bout