Who says you can’t combine training Jiu-Jitsu with partying? Meet Chad Wright AKA ‘Fat Jesus‘, a larger than life character in BJJ. This Australian BJJ black belt is the CEO of Infinity Martial Arts, a large Franchise of BJJ/MMA academies that is spreading all ver the world. He is currently doing a world BJJ trip training and teaching in various gyms across the globe. He recently spent a few days in Belgrade, Serbia and was teaching at the academy of BJJEE editor Gile Huni’s academy Kimura BJJ Serbia.
Q: Chad, tell us a little about yourself.
I’m 33 years old, and a BJJ black belt under Neil Owen in Australia. My friends call me ‘Fat Jesus’, for fairly obvious reasons!
I am also the CEO of Infinity Martial Arts, which I founded in 2006 and has now grown to 10 franchises in Australia and the UK. We are looking at expanding into Europe now.
I’m also studying Economics at the University of Queensland, and will be taking an exchange year in 2017 in Copenhagen.
Outside of BJJ my main interests are travel, business in general, food and wine, and of course a little party!
Q: So you’re currently traveling around the world teaching and training BJJ. Why did you make that decision?
I spent much of my mid and late-20s building my business interests in Australia. Now that has grown in size and structure to a point where I can run things anywhere with a good internet connection! So, I have decided to explore the world a little bit. I love BJJ and travel, so it is a natural fit.
Along the way I’m helping other young entrepreneurs on their journey too. Having good business systems and process in place is really what has given me that freedom to live the BJJ travelling lifestyle, and I always encourage other BJJ school owners to make sure their business systems are spot on.
Chad Training with BJJ Globetrotters founder Christian Graugart
Q: Recently you started a blog to document your travels – why are you doing this?
It started followfatjesus.com as a bit of fun really, just something I was going to do to keep a journal of my travels. But it is starting to evolve into something more now.
What I want people to realise is that it’s totally possible to be a normal dude, and do Jiu-Jitsu! You don’t have to be an extreme competitor that trains twice a day and never has a drink. Of course, I am not picking on those people – we have them in our own clubs and some are my good friends!
But the reality is that most people who train BJJ just want to be normal people, hang out with their mates and have some fun!
I want to give permission to the jiu-jitsu community that it is okay to have a beer and eat some real food…. and still train and be an important part of a club!
Q. Some people say that BJJ shouldn’t be run as a business, but only taught by those that are passionate about it. What do you say to that?
I agree that BJJ should only be taught by people that are passionate about it, but I also think those people need to be able to earn a living from BJJ. One of my first goals as a business owner was to be able to provide full-time careers (not just a bit of extra money on the side, but a full-time living) to BJJ coaches. I think this is important for the professional development of the industry as a whole.
So, in my mind running a good school where people can get good at BJJ and running a good business where the owners and instructors can earn a good living are the same thing. The more people that are training, the more bodies you have to roll with, and the better the chances of the next Garry Tonon or Miyao brothers walking through the door!
If you look around the world at some of the best schools, they are also great businesses – Marcelo Garcia’s academy, Renzo Gracie, Medes Brothers, and the list goes on…
P.S. I know this isn’t as easy in some countries, due to the differences in what tuition fees are, but my hope is that in the future BJJ will be valued highly in most places, and it will be possible to earn a living from BJJ in more and more places.
Q. What are the future plans for yourself and Infinity?
Infinity is looking to franchise into Europe, where we see significant growth potential in many countries.
We are also about to launch software for the industry that combines database management (CRM), email and text message marketing campaigns, automated billing and point of sale all under one login, and links in with your website to automate processes and systems – so rather than using four or five different pieces of software, it’s all linked. This means you get better statistics that you can then use to further grow your business.
Other than that, we will soon be running BJJ retreats for coaches and business owners, where there will be a mixture of training BJJ, learning how to coach, and learning some business skills. So stay tuned!
Chad training at Kimura BJJ Serbia in Belgrade
Q: Last question: Did you really get promoted to black belt at a beer festival?
Our instructor team gets rewarded with a 2-week holiday every year, and we were touring through Europe – of course we decided to go to Germany for Oktoberfest!
Without me knowing all the instructors packed their belts with them, and when I met them at the beer hall, Neil Owen – my coach – pulled out his very own black belt and presented it to me. It was a great honour.
Our tradition is that the new belt recipient gets whipped, and boy, did I take a whipping that day! Not only the instructors, but the Germans were lining up to take a shot. I must have been whipped about 500 times that day!
Our tradition is that the new belt recipient gets whipped, and boy, did I take a whipping that day! Not only the instructors, but the Germans were lining up to take a shot. I must have been whipped about 500 times that day!
