Mario Lopez, the “Saved by the Bell” TV show star, isn’t just a great actor… But he’s also a committed and successful Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete and competitor! Most recently, he competed at the Phoenix IBJJF Open, in the Masters 4 blue belt light division.
The video on Lopez’s Instagram profile shows neat takedown and pressure guard passing skills. In the end, he won the gold!
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Mario Lopez has been training BJJ for over four years. Now a BJJ blue (and, as it seems from the stripes, a soon to be purple) belt, Lopez said that he trains BJJ “more for the sake of sanity than vanity”:
I’ve always loved martial arts. I always grew up wrestling and boxing. When I had my first son, he was very hyper and I wanted to teach him discipline, respect and self defense – all great attributes in life. Once I got him into it, I wanted to get into it too.
It’s like physical chess. I work out more for the sanity rather than the vanity, it helps with stress.
He even got his kids into Jiu-Jitsu and absolutely loves training:
Jiu-Jitsu is like physical chess. You’re constantly learning and expanding your mind. I just love it! I love the community and everything that it’s about and that I get to do it with my kids.
It instills such a great work ethic and confidence and physical toughness, as well as emotional, psychological toughness, and a lot of confidence.
So I love all those things and all those attributes that it teaches. It will compliment my day.
Actor Mario Lopez On How Jiu-Jitsu Makes Him Jacked & Energized at Age 48
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