John Will
Encyclopedia
John Will is a notable martial artist
from Australia
. Will won the Best Exponent Award in the first World Silat
Championships held in Jakarta
in 1981. Will also completed his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Rigan Machado
and his brothers, John, Roger and Jean Jacques Machado
in 1997; making him one of the first twelve foreign nationals to have won a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
, Goju Kai Karate
and Taekwondo
, training with Benny Urquidez
, Gene LeBell
, Pete Cunningham, Rorion Gracie
and Rickson Gracie
and the Machado
brothers and teaching Shootfighting
. During a trip to India
, John Will trained in the art of Vajra Mushti
under the Jyesthimalla clan in Gujarat, India
. Will is also credited with publishing a rare first-hand account of the ancient Indian martial art in western media.
John Will is noted for taking several overseas martial arts training trips each year, and has been doing so since 1975; including training in Indonesia
, Thailand
, Hong Kong
, Japan
, the U.S.
and Brazil
. Currently John Will is the Australian national director of Machado Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Australia
. The organization is the largest in the Australasian region (with over 70 member schools) and is known as BJJ Australasia. He teaches BJJ, as well as Shootfighting
, at his Black Belt Studios in Geelong.
Along with partner David Meyer (based in San Francisco), Will founded BJJ America and to date, more than 600 schools throughout the USA, utilize the professional BJJ Curriculum that Will designed and authored in 2000. More recently, he has tailor-designed various curriculi for several notable martial arts organizations including Chuck Norris's UFAF (United Fighting Arts Federation).
John teaches distilled, accelerated learning-based defensive tactics programs to various law enforcement and military agencies; including the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Defence Forces, the Marine Corps at Quantico in Virginia, USA .. and many others. He is renowned for his ability to tailor-design both the tactical package and the delivery methodology to go with it. His highly innovative teaching methodologies have earned him a reputation as a Supercoach; and it is in this capacity as a trainer of trainers that he obtains much of his employment. To date, he is the only non military SME (subject matter expert) that the Australian military has employed to design and teach their MUC (Military Unarmed Combat) package.
John is a self published author, with 4 instructional books directed at the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Self-defence market. His first 3 books are purely BJJ orientated and cover: Fundamentals, The Guard and advanced attacks & escapes. His 4th Instructional Book is "Fight ~ Logic" a book that covers Johns passion for all aspects of the self defence game, from Pre-Fight scenarios right through to taking the fight to the ground and conclusion.
John's recent writing focus has been the penning of his autobiography, which is to be released as a 3 part series entitled Rogue Black Belt. As with his instructional Books, John is publishing these works himself and selling them via his websites and through his extensive network of Martial Arts friends and practitioners.
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Will won the Best Exponent Award in the first World Silat
Silat
Silat Melayu is a blanket term for the types of silat created in peninsular Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Singapore. The silat tradition has deep roots in Malay culture and can trace its origin to the dawn of Malay civilization, 2000 years ago...
Championships held in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
in 1981. Will also completed his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Rigan Machado
Rigan Machado
Rigan Machado is an 8th degree red and black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu earning his rank under Carlos Gracie Jr. He is a former Jiu-Jitsu world champion and a veteran of the ADCC. Machado holds a victory over Ron Tripp, the only person credited with a victory over Rickson Gracie...
and his brothers, John, Roger and Jean Jacques Machado
Jean Jacques Machado
Jean Jacques Machado is one of the five Machado brothers, including Carlos, Roger, Rigan and John, renowned for their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills...
in 1997; making him one of the first twelve foreign nationals to have won a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Personal life
John Will's background includes training in amateur wrestlingAmateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
, Goju Kai Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
and Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
, training with Benny Urquidez
Benny Urquidez
Benny Urquidez is an American kickboxer, martial arts choreographer and actor. Nicknamed, The Jet, Urquidez was a non-contact karate competitor who later pioneered full-contact fighting in the U.S. He made the transition from point to full-contact karate in 1974 – the year of its inception...
, Gene LeBell
Gene LeBell
Ivan Gene LeBell is a former American Judo champion, instructor, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and professional wrestler born in Los Angeles, California. LeBell has worked on over 1,000 films and TV shows, and has authored a number of books.In 2000, he was promoted to 9th Dan in US Ju-Jitsu...
, Pete Cunningham, Rorion Gracie
Rorion Gracie
Rorion Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and instructor, a prominent member of the Gracie family, and a founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the oldest son of Hélio Gracie and one of the few people in the world to hold a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,...
and Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie is a Brazilian 8th degree black and red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin and Royler Gracie.-Biography:Rickson...
and the Machado
Machado
-People:*Alicia Machado, Venezuelan Miss Universe*Staney Machado, RN Podar Physical Education Teacher*Anderson Machado, United States baseball player*Antonio Machado, Spanish poet*Bernardino Machado, Portuguese statesman...
brothers and teaching Shootfighting
Shootfighting
Shootfighting is a combat sport and martial art, with competitions governed by the International Shootfighting Association . Shootfighting incorporates techniques from a multitude of traditional martial arts, the most principle of these being Muay Thai and Catch Wrestling.Shootfighting was...
. During a trip to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, John Will trained in the art of Vajra Mushti
Vajra Mushti
Vajra Mushti is a Sanskrit bahuvrihi compound translating to "one who is grasping a thunderbolt" or "one whose clenched fist is like a diamond". It is a name of Indra mentioned in the Ramayana epic....
under the Jyesthimalla clan in Gujarat, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Will is also credited with publishing a rare first-hand account of the ancient Indian martial art in western media.
John Will is noted for taking several overseas martial arts training trips each year, and has been doing so since 1975; including training in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Currently John Will is the Australian national director of Machado Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The organization is the largest in the Australasian region (with over 70 member schools) and is known as BJJ Australasia. He teaches BJJ, as well as Shootfighting
Shootfighting
Shootfighting is a combat sport and martial art, with competitions governed by the International Shootfighting Association . Shootfighting incorporates techniques from a multitude of traditional martial arts, the most principle of these being Muay Thai and Catch Wrestling.Shootfighting was...
, at his Black Belt Studios in Geelong.
Along with partner David Meyer (based in San Francisco), Will founded BJJ America and to date, more than 600 schools throughout the USA, utilize the professional BJJ Curriculum that Will designed and authored in 2000. More recently, he has tailor-designed various curriculi for several notable martial arts organizations including Chuck Norris's UFAF (United Fighting Arts Federation).
John teaches distilled, accelerated learning-based defensive tactics programs to various law enforcement and military agencies; including the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Defence Forces, the Marine Corps at Quantico in Virginia, USA .. and many others. He is renowned for his ability to tailor-design both the tactical package and the delivery methodology to go with it. His highly innovative teaching methodologies have earned him a reputation as a Supercoach; and it is in this capacity as a trainer of trainers that he obtains much of his employment. To date, he is the only non military SME (subject matter expert) that the Australian military has employed to design and teach their MUC (Military Unarmed Combat) package.
John is a self published author, with 4 instructional books directed at the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Self-defence market. His first 3 books are purely BJJ orientated and cover: Fundamentals, The Guard and advanced attacks & escapes. His 4th Instructional Book is "Fight ~ Logic" a book that covers Johns passion for all aspects of the self defence game, from Pre-Fight scenarios right through to taking the fight to the ground and conclusion.
John's recent writing focus has been the penning of his autobiography, which is to be released as a 3 part series entitled Rogue Black Belt. As with his instructional Books, John is publishing these works himself and selling them via his websites and through his extensive network of Martial Arts friends and practitioners.
- Book 1: Rogue Black Belt: Fear & the Engine focuses on John's early years growing up in Australia and the path that led him to the Martial Arts and onto Bali and his Silat World Championship win in 1982.
- Book 2: Rogue Black Belt: Challenge & Ownership continues the story after the Bali years and through the forming of Blitz Magazine in Australia and his subsequent travels to India, Thailand, Japan, the USA and Brazil, where he interacts with some of Martial Arts' biggest legends and most famous practitioners, leading to his discovery of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
- Book 3: Rogue Black Belt: Passion & Purpose will take John's story from his fledgling BJJ and Defensive Tactics teachings to the full blown instructor of instructors of today.
Notable students
- Elvis SinosicElvis SinosicElvis Sinosic is a retired Australian professional mixed martial artist.-Biography:Born in Canberra, Elvis Sinosic now resides in Sydney, where he practises his martial arts training. Elvis was born to Croatian parents and is proud of his Croatian heritage...
- UFC Fighter - Anthony PeroshAnthony PeroshAnthony Perosh is an Australian mixed martial artist competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He competes in the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions...
- UFC Fighter - Brian Johnson - NAGA Champion
- Stacey Cartwright - Abu Dhabi Winner
- Maryanne Mullahy - Mundials Gold Medallist
- Melissa Will - Panams Gold Medallist
- Steven Perceval - BJJ Black belt - CFC head referee and an appointed referee for UFC 110 Sydney Australia (Acer Arena)
- Frank Monea - Martial Arts Hall of Fame - 1999
- Daniel Digby - BJJ Brown Belt - Industry of Combat New Zealand Welterweight Title Holder
External links
- John Will's autobiography Rogue Black Belt: His life from his perspective
- John Will's Personal Blog
- John Will profile
- Will/Machado BJJ Australia
- Vajramushti The Ancient Vale Tudo of India by John B Will
- John Will. Articles and interviews
- John Will's distilled, accelerated learning-based defensive tactics program