Actor Mark Paul Gosselaar has been training bjj for 15 years! Gosselaar, is known for his role as Zack Morris in ‘Saved by the Bell’. The 49-year-old actor, also recognized for his interest in high-performance vehicles, disclosed that he currently holds the rank of purple belt under instructor Gracie Baja in Sanitas.
In an interview from 2018, Gosselaar talked about his Jiu-Jitsu journey.
“I am a practitioner of Brazilian jiujitsu,” he says. “I’ve been training for over 10 years. And the stunt coordinator is a practitioner as well, of jiujitsu. A lot of the stunt guys we were working with were all jiujitsu and Muay Thai. There was a very specific scene in which we only grappled — no punches thrown. All it was was grappling and chokes, sweeps. It was fun to coordinate that and present it to the director.”
In a recent interview with UFC Fight Pass, Gosselaar discussed his experience with BJJ, mentioning his consistent training over the past 15 years. Despite holding the rank of purple belt with two stripes, Gosselaar expressed a desire to pursue achieving the black belt rank, acknowledging the long and rewarding journey the martial art has provided him.
“I was never focused on belts, but I’ve been involved for so long. I should make an effort for the belt. I think with jiu-jitsu, it’s one of those things where you’re always going to be learning. So that’s the beauty of the sport – the knowledge and wanting to continue learning, which I do. But I also want to have something to demonstrate my progress,” stated Gosselaar.
While Gosselaar has been actively engaged in BJJ, balancing his passion with a busy acting career, he emphasized the continuous learning nature of the sport. He highlighted the beauty of jiu-jitsu lying in the perpetual journey of gaining knowledge.
Gosselaar, who recently appeared in the NBC drama-mystery series ‘Found,’ recognizes the need for consistent dedication to achieve the coveted black belt rank. With upcoming projects on his schedule, time management will play a crucial role in his pursuit of advancing to the next level in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
