Jay Valko, on spending a lifetime mastering the art of jiujitsu, and following his passion for constant erudition.
Enter the Lionheart
Lawrence Dunning
4.9 • 67 Ratings
🗓️ 14 May 2021
⏱️ 75 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Lawrence is joined by his longtime jiujitsu instructor, Jay Valko, a lifelong jiujitsu athlete and philosopher with vast interests, specifically, finance and economics, philosophy and political libertarianism. Jay reminisces of his early days of training and his evolution with combat sports. From traditional martial arts to high school wrestling, to the beginning of his jiujitsu journey with Gracie Barra pioneer, Eduardo De Lima in Florida, then finally moving to Chicago and training under the late, great Carlson Gracie. Prior to getting his jiujitsu black belt, he was offered the opportunity to start his own jiujitsu academy and is now a passionate and beloved jiujitsu instructor who gains joy in knowing he is leading and influencing the next generation of competitors through his love for jiujitsu. Jay's world views are profound and inquisitive in nature, and much larger than jiujitsu alone.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'm really looking forward to talking to my Jitsu instructor, Jay Valco. |
| 0:21.2 | When I first moved to Chicago for work in 2003 and started training in Jitsu, there was |
| 0:25.6 | only one school downtown. |
| 0:28.0 | Carlson Gracie Senior had just moved from Brazil to teach with his son Carlson Jr. and |
| 0:33.0 | Jay was one of the most technical and competition-focused students at the school. |
| 0:37.8 | He was also one of the few people who took the time to show me techniques and talked to me |
| 0:41.7 | about Jitsu's strategies and philosophies, as opposed to most of the other people there |
| 0:46.1 | who just used to beat me up, didn't show me anything. |
| 0:48.6 | It was very different how it is today. |
| 0:51.9 | Now many years later, as one of his black belts and one of his instructors, I can honestly |
| 0:56.4 | say that if it wasn't for him, I would have quit Jitsu many years ago, and I would have |
| 1:00.1 | missed out on all the amazing lessons, experiences and the Jitsu journey that I've been on and |
| 1:05.7 | the incredible community that I've met along the way. |
| 1:08.1 | It's always a pleasure when I get to sit down with him and I learn something every time |
| 1:11.5 | we talk. |
| 1:12.5 | Jay, my friend, we are recording. |
| 1:21.0 | This is such a treat because I've known you so long and we've been talking about this |
| 1:24.2 | for a while and it's great to have you on. |
| 1:27.0 | Great to be here. |
| 1:28.4 | Congratulations on getting this going. |
| 1:29.4 | That was a little suspect when you were doing it right when you had a kid. |
| 1:33.0 | I know. |
... |
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