Life & Work with Jay Zeballos

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay Zeballos.

Hi Jay, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a lifelong martial artist who has been training since I was 6 years old. When I was a child, its my dream to become a black belt, a champion and to have my own dojo. Life took me in a different direction though and I began a career in commercial printing, learning the trade from my father who was the owner of the company and was grooming me to eventually take over.

In 1997 I discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Little did I know at the time what an incredible impact that art would have over my life. I began as a student and fell in love with not only the techniques but the way in which the training cultivated a lifestyle of overall wellness. It is a powerful resource to develop and maintain not only a strong body but strong mind. I had aspirations of becoming an instructor, but the demands of my printing career made that next to impossible.

As fate would have it 2007 was a year that was life-changing for two reasons. First, I experienced the euphoria of achieving my Black Belt. A personal goal that took ten years to achieve was finally realized. However, the joy of that goal was overshadowed by the fact that my career in the printing industry was gone as the business I was set to inherit was forced to close. This was the beginning of a chapter in my life that was filled with uncertainty, stress and fear. I shared this very private matter of my life with my instructor, a very famous martial artist named Jean Jacques Machado. And a result, he offered me an opportunity to become an instructor under him. It was not a lucrative offer, merely a starting point, but I was drawn to accepting it for two reasons – for one it reignited my passion for what was my childhood dream, and two, I knew if I worked hard enough I would find success.

At the beginning of my teaching career, it was all effort, little reward. Teaching for me is very fulfilling in that it’s all about giving to those around you. It is a very selfless endeavor. I had to just remain patient and focus on the work. After a few years, I felt my career really start to take root. I began to accumulate a steady base of private clientele and even started traveling doing seminars and workshops around the U.S.

Fast forward to today I am a full-time instructor with a very demanding teaching schedule. I mentor up-and-coming instructors looking to accomplish their own goals. I travel both domestically and internationally teaching this amazing art. I am living my childhood dream. It is a career that provides me peace, happiness and fulfillment.

I never forget where I came from though, and I am quick to point that out to people when they see my life and say that I am “lucky”. The road to get to where I am today might have been paved with a little luck, but it was definitely one filled with adversity. Traveling through it was challenging at times, but through it all, I never gave up.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
At the same time my career in the printing industry went away, my wife’s career went through a downsizing as well. We spent the better part of 2009 fighting to save our home, which we were fortunate to do, but from 2010 to 2013 we were constantly struggling just to keep our heads above water.

Then in late 2013, some of the income that I was able to gain through teaching was cut in half and I began to slide back down into greater financial hardship. That was almost a breaking point for me. Fortunately, I was able to push past it. I did notice a pattern though, every time I started making progress there was always some level of setback. I just kept my mind focused on being grateful for where I was at, while at the same time visualizing on my goals.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an instructor in the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I have been training for over 25 years and am a 4th degree Black Belt. I have won numerous championships during my competitive career, but am now almost exclusively an instructor. I teach group classes for both children and adults, conduct private training and teach seminars both domestically and internationally.

I feel my specialty is teaching the cerebral aspect of the art. I enjoy deep diving into the physical techniques but fusing the application with a more mental approach. As we say in our academy, “we don’t fight, we do Jiu-Jitsu.”

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
It has played a significant role. My first significant advancement in my teaching career was when I had the opportunity to head up a second location in Malibu. It took almost two full years to build the student body up and just when we began to hit our stride the building owners told us they were completely demolishing the building for renovations. Just like that it was gone.

Then after about a year, we re-opened in Malibu in a bigger space. Again it took about two years but we created a very successful program and just as we were getting ready for bigger things the Woolsey fire destroyed most of the homes in Malibu, our academy was heavily damaged and with no immediate options for re-opening we were forced to close. That was the final straw. Two amazing ventures and opportunities gone.

However, I never look at setbacks as bad luck. Every time I have experienced set back, there was always some opportunity that would arise from the ashes. After the second closure of our academy in Malibu, I began to travel extensively teaching seminars as well as secure a number of private clients, both were opportunities that I could not do previously due to my responsibilities of running a school.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayzeballos/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jayzeballosbjj