Former BJJ world champion Jake MacKenzie from Truro opens gym in Halifax

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TRURO, N.S. — It was a homecoming for Jake MacKenzie on Saturday (June 3) as he provided instruction and advice to those taking part in an afternoon session at the Truro Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym on Prince Street.

MacKenzie, a Truro native, is one of the most decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes in the world with more than 100 medals earned from national and international competitions.

Having spent much of his time in Brazil, where the 37-year-old met his wife Melissa Britez Costa, also an accomplished athlete and teacher of the sport, MacKenzie and Costa have recently opened their own gym in Halifax – the Jake MacKenzie School of Jiu Jitsu.

“It has been open for maybe three months,” MacKenzie said, talking to SaltWire during a short break in the training on Saturday.

“So we’ve been busy with that,” he said, adding the gym is located on Lady Hammond Road.

As for whether or not that means his competition days are over, MacKenzie said not necessarily.

“I’m going to take this year off from competition,” he said. “I’m supposed to go to Japan, hopefully at the start of 2024, and I’ll do a couple of matches there during the year but, definitely, a shift in focus from competition to being a business owner – running a school and doing instruction full time.”

Having started himself at the age of 12 by dropping into the local dojo at the time, MacKenzie talked about his messages to the young people he’ll now be grooming to fulfill their goals and expectations.

“My family always supported me – 110 per cent,” he said. “My parents were always very supportive. I told them I wanted to do this, and it was kind of a pipe dream – there was nobody really coming from Nova Scotia who was able to do that.

“But I surrounded myself with good people. I had good instructors in Halifax with Kevin Taylor and Peter Martell and they were always very supportive. Again, just surround yourself with good people and believe it’s achievable.”

As for a philosophy he takes into instructing, a piece of advice that is universal, MacKenzie was quick to settle on one word – “repetition.”

“Drill it in as much as possible,” he said. “Get in as many reps as you can. A lot of schools will do three to four moves in a class – I’ll teach two moves in two weeks … a two-week block. It’s about just making sure the students have a very good understanding of what they’re doing by doing it a thousand times.”

And for the mental side of the sport, the man who has won more tournaments in Brazil than any other foreign athlete said it can be “more than 80 per cent” of an athlete’s performance.

“Being able to come up with a game plan, a strategy, it’s like a human chess match.”

As for the club in Truro which looks down Forrester Street and Civic Square from its large second-floor windows, MacKenzie said it’s good to see the club open and operating.

“Brad (Sullivan) is a great guy,” he said of the former mixed martial arts professional fighter who has more than 11 years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experience. “He is doing great things, and this is going to be really great for the community. We’re very happy to have him part of our affiliation … I can’t say enough good things about him.”

Truro BJJ is located at 779 Prince St. and for more information, visit its website at trurojiujitsu.com or Facebook or Instagram pages.