Jason Cruz Rickson Gracie Jiujitsu "Pure Bred" Rooted in tradition, Jason's journey began at age seven training on wooden floors and makiwara boards. He earned a Traditional Karate Black Belt and is a Guro in both Pangamot and Lameco Filipino Martial Arts, which along with his experience in Jeet Kune Do served as the foundations for his striking style. A "purebred" Rickson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Jason's lineage is unbroken from his first trial lesson with Master Rickson Gracie to receiving his black belt from the hands of the Master. A dedicated coach and elite training partner, he is now a sought after coach and has prepared fighters for Professional Competition and played a pivotal role in the first and most recent victory of a Gracie since the early days of UFC. Today he and his family run Bushido Mountain Dojo in Montana, where the mission of preserving art and spreading the way art Rickson Gracie Jiujitsu and Filipino Martial Arts is his focus.

From Karate to Invisible Jiu-Jitsu: Etiquette, Discipline, and Teaching as Family

Host Pete Deeley interviews Professor Jason about his martial arts journey from karate training at age seven on wood floors to Filipino martial arts and Jeet Kune Do with original Bruce Lee students, and how those experiences shaped his approach to jiu-jitsu. They compare earlier eras—when students "courted" instructors and etiquette was central—to today's more transactional gym culture. Jason describes building a dojo in Montana focused on respect, safety, and community, including white-gi preference, interviews and waiting lists, and treating students as family rather than customers. He recounts driving 80 miles each way for years to train in a Rickson Gracie lineage and shares how "invisible jiu-jitsu" applies off the mat as being a better teacher, husband, and dad. They discuss concepts like stripping away the useless, soft vision, "no technique," and a recent epiphany: "invisible timing," plus student transformations through breathing, kindness, and improved relationships.

00:00 Welcome and Setup

01:36 Early Karate Roots

03:00 Jeet Kune Do Era

05:16 Bruce Lee Philosophy

09:38 Efficiency and Focus

13:14 Invisible Jiu Jitsu

16:18 Building Dojo Culture

20:04 Coffee Shop to Dojo

22:28 Gi Color and Ego

22:57 Dojo Safety Culture

23:52 Dojo as Spiritual Practice

25:03 Chasing the Purest Jiu Jitsu

27:01 Earning Access and Commitment

28:40 Students Not Customers

29:25 Real Life Transformations

33:27 Invisible Timing Epiphany

37:36 Aikido and Mystical Rootedness

41:22 Etiquette and Beginner Mind

44:13 Mind Heart Respect Closing