One wouldn’t have guessed from the results over the past six months – gold at the 2017 ADCC World Championships and top honors at the IBJJF 2018 Pan Championships – but it was less than a year ago that people were telling JT Torres his competitive career was finished.

“When I first opened my academy, people told me that my competitive career was over. That I wouldn’t be able to continue. But I also had people who told me that if I wanted it bad enough, I could get it done – Andre Galvao was one of these voices.”

Torres credits the four years spent in San Diego training at Atos under one of the all-time greats, Andre Galvao, as a key source of inspiration. “For years I saw Galvao running and expanding his academy and association, all the while winning competitions at the very highest levels of the game. I saw that it could be done, and he told me I could do it as well.”

And the proof is certainly in the pudding: JT has taken home top honors in every major event he has competed in since opening his school.

JT Torres vs Espen Mathiesen – 2018 Pans

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If Winning Hasn’t Changed, What Has? 

Echoing the likes of many who came before him, Torres asserts that running an academy has lead to a deeper understanding of jiu-jitsu and that “teaching white belts, kids, and competitors has contributed to understanding techniques in a new way” and given his already laser-sharp technique a fine-tuning.  

The changes were not merely conceptual however, moving away from a team that is home to some of the very best competitors on the globe meant that JT’s training had to be re-worked as well.

“[Since moving away from Atos HQ] my training had to be super-focused, and I never missed a beat. I had a stricter diet, I drilled harder, and sparred with even more intensity.”

JT Torres vs Alexandre Molinaro – Pans 2018

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Plans for The Rest Of 2018: World Domination

Great news for everyone besides those in the lightweight division: JT Torres confirmed that he will be competing at the 2018 IBJJF World Championships and is seeking the one medal missing from his long list of achievements.  

JT Torres: Clam in the eye of the storm. Photo: Chase Smith

Just as he has for the past 12 months, Torres will continue to run and expand his academy in the process, which includes the recently announced scholarship initiative which will provide five athletes the chance to train for free and with access to extensive private training and instruction.

Clearly, the exchange is beneficial for both parties: athletes get the opportunity to train with someone with nine years of experience at the highest level of the game, someone who admits he has “made mistakes, and has been through it all before” AND Torres gets five dedicated monsters to help get him ready.

The last 12 Months for have been a hell of a ride for JT – and though the goals have expanded to growing a business and building future champions, the prize has always been the same: excellence.