Growing up in a trailer park and trying to stay out of trouble, fifteen-year-old Travis Tooke had zero plans for the future. Then one night a friend brought over a VHS-taped UFC tournament, and together they watched a slender Royce Gracie dismantle his opponents with something called jiu-jitsu.
With that one fuzzy video, Travis’s life found direction.
Jiu-Jitsu and Life: Lessons Learned on and off the Mat follows Travis throughout his jiu-jitsu training from Houston to Dallas to Rio de Janeiro and back again. More than just a book about martial arts, this is a sometimes humorous, sometimes gut-wrenching look at what it takes to succeed—both in martial arts and in business—when you start with only grit, tenacity, and heart.
Along the way, Travis encounters mentors, charlatans, friends, and liars as he struggles to find sure footing in the business world to pursue his love of teaching.
With complete candor and endless wit, Travis leads you on his journey from his humble beginnings teaching out of his dad’s garage, pushing himself to learn from his many mistakes, on his way to establishing one of the most successful jiu-jitsu schools in Texas.
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Travis Tooke has been the master instructor and CEO of Team Tooke Mixed Martial Arts for the past fifteen years. He earned his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Carlos Gracie Jr. and currently holds the rank of fourth-degree black belt. Travis has been teaching jiu-jitsu for over twenty years and has trained thousands of students, including UFC veterans Andrew Craig and Yves Edwards. He is also an active jiu-jitsu competitor. Travis lives in Houston with his wife Ingrid, and, besides teaching and training in jiu-jitsu, he is a student of life. He loves expanding his knowledge, growing his business, traveling the world, fishing, and learning to play guitar.
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Travis Tooke is the perfect person to write this book. He approaches all aspects of his life with the same ferocity he has with jiu-jitsu: he’s committed to learning about it from the best sources and becoming an expert by putting in thousands of hours. You’re sure to be informed and inspired.
—Andrew Craig, UFC fighter
I’ve known Travis for most of my time in the sport of mixed martial arts. He is honestly one of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts I’ve ever rolled with and has always been an inspiration. His dedication shows in his continued improvement as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competitor and instructor. This is evident in his students’ performance in competition as well. Through commitment and dedication, this book shows us how the joy of something you’re passionate about can lead to doors being opened that we never imagined accessible to us.
—Yves Edwards, UFC fighter and former #1 Lightweight
Travis Tooke has been the master instructor and CEO of Team Tooke Mixed Martial Arts for the past fifteen years. He earned his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Carlos Gracie Jr. and currently holds the rank of fourth-degree black belt. Travis has been teaching jiu-jitsu for over twenty years and has trained thousands of students, including UFC veterans Andrew Craig and Yves Edwards. He is also an active jiu-jitsu competitor. Travis lives in Houston with his wife Ingrid, and, besides teaching and training in jiu-jitsu, he is a student of life. He loves expanding his knowledge, growing his business, traveling the world, fishing, and learning to play guitar.
