Jonathan Lipnicki Of Stuart Little Fame Earns BJJ Black Belt
Jonathan Lipnicki is best known as the child actor from hit films like Jerry Maguire, The Little Vampire and the Stuart Little series but now he’s a BJJ black belt as well. He’s confirmed that he started training in his early teens and has stuck with it ever since, even working around filming commitments. Despite starting out his life being known as a cute kid and surprisingly good actor at a young age, he started to seriously reinvent himself as he got older. He quickly got into physical fitness and BJJ and he started to look more like an athlete than an actor, from older social media posts it seems as though he also does, or has done Muay Thai, or some form of striking martial art as well.
This makes Jonathan Lipnicki one of the earliest examples of a celebrity embracing BJJ, even if he’s not the most well-known. It’s thanks in part to early adopters like Lipnicki, and the growing prevalence of BJJ in fight choreography, that the sport has steadily become more mainstream and has drawn bigger celebrities like Russell Brand and most recently Kate Upton which, in turn, only enhances the sport’s visibility again.
Celebrity Submission Only match with Ashton Kutcher, anyone?
“I’m in shock. I don’t know how express exactly how I feel. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt!!!! I have been training roughly 14 years, and jiu-jitsu has been there for me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is a huge part of my life and a low of my growth as a human being as been a result of training. Since I was a teenager, I have been surrounded by men and women in the gym who have pushed me way beyond my comfort zone. I am an actor, so people often assume I’m going to suck or have been exclusively privately trained. That is not the case here, but that has sure made me work harder! I roll with everybody! I have had my ass kicked since I was 15 years old, and it has both simultaneously built my confidence and kept me humble. I have had to take time off when I do film, but I have always made an effort to come back when I’m done and get back into the mix. Thankyou to my coach @legend_of_cyberbully for being a friend, coach and mentor! Thankyou to @streetsportsbjj for teaching my coach and passing on this beautiful art. Thankyou to Alan Zborovsky for teaching me throughout my teens and early twenties. Thankyou to @saeksonmuaythai for being a constant figure who checks me when I need it, and continually pushes my toughness. If you have ever thought about trying BJJ, do it! I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it!!
Jonathan Lipnicki on getting his BJJ black belt.
