Trivium is an American heavy metal band from Orlando, Florida. Their frontman is Matt Heafy and Matt is quite dedicated to jiu-jitsu. So much that he calls it the 2nd most important thing in his life after music which he’s been working on at least 20 years back.
A photo posted by Matthew Kiichi Heafy (@kiichichaos) on
Heafy recently discussed by People shouldn’t be Afraid to Go Out After Paris and Orlando Night club shootings and just how important jiu-jitsu is in his life.
As he told blabbermouth, staying in shape while on tour is integral:
“Jiu-jitsu has become the biggest part of my life outside of music. Music is probably first, then jiu-jitsu. That’s why I’ve gotten so intense with my practice schedule — I’ve had to learn something from the ground up. I remember the first time I ever grappled or sparred or fought. I was against someone who was probably 60 or 70 pounds lighter than me who was 17 years old. I thought, ‘I got this.’ And he choked me out in 20 seconds. I was like, ‘All right, I don’t know anything about this at all.’ And I love that. I like things that are humbling. I like the fact that my entire life, I’ve been playing guitar and singing in TRIVIUM. I joined the band when I was 12, so to pick something up new that I didn’t understand that was frustrating, weird, and difficult, and seemed impossible, and still seems impossible some days, it was a metaphor for life, learning jiu-jitsu. It’s about learning about yourself, the habits you have, and what you like. And how you learn; I’ve learned that I’m a slow learner.”
Heafy trains at Gracie Barra North Orlando:
Heafy is uniquely qualified to weigh in on the shootings having played the Download festival in Paris at the scene of the shooting – Bataclan theater:
“That day was particularly difficult for us and the band. I woke up, went in the dressing room, getting ready for the day, and a bomb-sniffing dog checks the dressing room and leaves. And I look on my phone and check the news… And we’ll backtrack… When the Bataclan shooting happened, we were in Orlando. The merch guy who was killed at the show was a merch guy of ours for years — Nick [Alexander]. He was a really good guy. The morning of the Download Paris show, the Orlando shooting happened at club Pulse, the exact same day. When I was in Paris, the Orlando shooting happened; when I was in Orlando, the Paris shooting happened. It was very difficult for me. It was ironic as well because a lot of my family was so worried about me particularly being in Paris. You never think of all places Orlando, Florida would have a shooting with the night before, Christina Grimmie, and the next day at Pulse, and the next day, a kid gets eaten by a gator. Florida is pretty insane with all the stories that have been happening lately.
“So, it was a very difficult day for us, and we were down. We were trying to think of any way we could help, so we got three of our guitars and started having every band from every festival sign them. We were able to raise almost $10,000 for that, so we sent that in. That helped a bit. When we played the show that day, I told the crowd the story: ‘This is a very difficult day for us, as you know Orlando had a shooting back home.’ I told them, ‘We were with you guys for the Bataclan shooting. This is proof that nothing will ever stop all of us from doing what we love.’ That was really great to have that. A week later, we were in Brussels and Brussels also had attacks. When we were in the center of Brussels — and it gives me chills thinking about it — they had a big Orlando monument in the city, so that was really cool. I took photos of that. When we played the Graspop [Metal Meeting] the next day, I told them, ‘Thank you guys for your support. We were with you guys as well.’ It’s weird to have to make that same speech, but it’s also a good thing. It was the highest attendance Graspophad ever had, and Download Paris, that was the first year it had sold out. It’s showing people aren’t afraid of doing what they love. We shouldn’t be. We shouldn’t be afraid to go out and do things and do as we do, because that’s what the extreme minority that we’re afraid of wants [us] to do. It’s not working.”
His wardrobe certainly reflects his passion:
A photo posted by Matthew Kiichi Heafy (@kiichichaos) on
