Jiu-Jitsu and Life

Growing up in a trailer park and trying to stay out of trouble, fifteen-year-old Travis Tooke had zero plans for the future. Then one night a friend brought over a VHS-taped UFC tournament, and together they watched a slender Royce Gracie dismantle his opponents with something called jiu-jitsu. 

With that one fuzzy video, Travis’s life found direction.

Jiu-Jitsu and Life: Lessons Learned on and off the Mat follows Travis throughout his jiu-jitsu training from Houston to Dallas to Rio de Janeiro and back again. More than just a book about martial arts, this is a sometimes humorous, sometimes gut-wrenching look at what it takes to succeed—both in martial arts and in business—when you start with only grit, tenacity, and heart. 

Along the way, Travis encounters mentors, charlatans, friends, and liars as he struggles to find sure footing in the business world to pursue his love of teaching.

With complete candor and endless wit, Travis leads you on his journey from his humble beginnings teaching out of his dad’s garage, pushing himself to learn from his many mistakes, on his way to establishing one of the most successful jiu-jitsu schools in Texas.