Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. Promoted to Purple Belt by Jean Jacques Machado
Freddie Prinze Jr., one of the biggest television and movie stars of the 90s and early 2000s, has leveled up in jiu-jitsu. On Thursday, the actor announced that legendary jiu-jitsu player and instructor Jean Jacques Machado has promoted Prinze to the rank of purple belt in BJJ.
Machado had kind words for his student following the promotion:
“I remember we met years ago when you were a teenager, not knowing years later you will become a super star, later in life we saw each other and start training JiuJitsu again few years later after an incredible commitment and dedication I felt you are ready to step up, congratulations on your purple belt,” he wrote on Instagram.
Prinze Jr. first became widely known for his roles in the late-90s blockbusters I Know What You Did Last Summer and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. He continued to stay in the spotlight with roles in Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2, as well as guest appearances on TV shows such as Friends and Boston Legal. A longtime MMA and professional wrestling fan, Prinze Jr. has previously worked with the WWE both behind and in front of the camera.
One of the most experienced jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world, Jean Jacques Machado is a seventh degree coral belt. An ADCC champion and Sambo national champion, Machado has instructed a number of famous and high-profile jiu-jitsu practitioners, including 10th Planet founder Eddie Bravo, Joe Rogan, and Chuck Norris.
