Zak Maxwell on top of Kron Gracie at WPJJC Trials in San Diego, California / Photo: Alicia Anthony/publicity

Jiu-Jitsu black belt Zak Maxwell (Gracie Humaitá) caught his teammate Kron Gracie off guard in the under-74 kg final of the San Diego tryouts for the WPJJC. The Regis Lebre student secured his free trip to Abu Dhabi thanks to the points he scored with a back attack, and he commented on it to GRACIEMAG.com.

JIU-JITSU AND EGO DON’T COMBINE

“I always get something positive from each tournament. Just because I was able to overcome my opponents’ games on that day doesn’t mean I’ll be able to do the same thing and win tomorrow, and vice-versa. I look at my performance without ego or vanity, and so I analyze where I had the roughest moment, regardless of if I won or lost. I had a few tough matches at the San Diego qualifiers, and I could easily see where I need to improve,” said the sagacious Zak.

HOW TO IDENTIFY THE HOLES IN YOUR JIU-JITSU

“I practice a lot of different positions. The sport is always evolving; my coach and I are always studying techniques and observing what other fighters are doing, so we can incorporate that into our Jiu-Jitsu,” he taught.

“The main tip I can give a blue or purple belt is to attack your flaws. It’s to find the holes in your game and try to correct them early on. Being honest with yourself is the right path. By being honest you will manage to become a well-rounded fighter a lot quicker,” said Zak in conclusion.

So being honest then, gentle reader, what flaw will you be attacking in training today? Let us know.