Antonio Fortier started his Jiu-Jitsu journey when he was 11. From day one, he was a natural athlete and fast learner, with a fearless spirit and a little bit of an edge. Early in his journey, he frequently arrived at class with a new injury he had collected at the skate park on his scooter.

He was consistent with his training, started to see results, and the Jiu-Jitsu addiction began. Antonio leads by example in class with focused energy and intensity. He started to buy into the system, and everyone could see his results on and off the mat.

This transformation lead to him being a positive influence on the other students in his class, an excellent example of “if you put in the work, you get results.” Leading him to be the Student of the Month in June 2020.

In January 2021, Antonio started volunteering and helping with youth classes. In this role, he learned much about being more disciplined and progressed as a communicator and leader. Being an assistant Instructor taught him the why behind the techniques and gave him a deeper understanding of the fundamentals.

In June of 2021, Antonio moved to the Adult program and raised his commitment to another level, both on and off the mat, integrating strength training as another tool for the battle. In Aug of 2021, Antonio became an employee after concluding all his volunteering hours.

In May of 2022, Antonio’s hard work started to show results when he won the American Jiu-Jitsu Cup in a dominant fashion. He’s putting in the work! Sometimes we have to remind him to rest. He is now a crucial part of our youth program and someone we can count on.

Teaching Jiu-Jitsu has taught me many things, including my purpose in life, which is to spread Jiu-Jitsu and the life-altering lessons that come with it to as many people as possible.

My short-term goal is to compete in MMA, which will allow me to understand what a martial artist needs to thrive. My long-term goal is to run my gym one day, allowing me to live doing what I love most.