“Tap early, Tap often”, it’s a saying that Professor Jason Schilbach’s students hear often. Very few people can say that their career started when they were only six years old. Jason recalls, “I remember growing up in Germany watching TV. The first time I saw two guys wrestling I immediately started wrestling and pinning my childhood friends, I was only six years old “. It was only after Jason and his family relocated to the United States during his early teen years that he began to take a serious interest in the wrestling program in school. High, to High and then University, Jason’s never-ending drive to further develop his body and skills turned him into a highly competitive athlete.
“I remember back when I was just training, studying, eating and sleeping, I wanted to be the best, I felt unstoppable! Unfortunately, that was also during the time that I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I remember seeing the doctor, hearing the news and then thinking I’ll just go home and deal with it. The doctors of course had other plans for keeping me alive so reluctantly I was admitted into the hospital for treatment.``
Taking a gap year in college so he could focus on his health resulted in Jason getting cut from his wrestling team. “Training and wrestling became such an integral and necessary part of my life that I needed to find a replacement so I began to search for an alternative to replace my wrestling. I remember going up against various other martial artists and I would dominate them with wrestling.“
The turning point came when Jason was introduced to a fighter, then a blue belt, Prof. Caleb Mitchel, who was skilled in Brazilian Jui Jitsu or BJJ. “He was a small guy. All I remember was being the proverbial cupcake attacked by a monkey. I remember laying there on the mat and thinking to myself, ‘I’ve found what I’ve been searching for’.”
It wasn’t long after that Cesar Gracie dropped by to roll with Jason. “I had no idea who Cesar [Gracie] was, all I remember is him destroying me,'' says Jason laughingly. “Afterwards Cesar invited me to come train under him. I would then spend the following 16 years training, rolling and hanging out with people like Nick and Nate Diaz, Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez, Caio Terra, and on and on. The academy was where many of professional MMA fighters learned their submission and ground game. For me it was not only a place where I could train with the best, it was also a place where I could clear my mind and bring introspection into those areas of my life I wanted to focus on.”
When asked: “So why did it takes almost 20 years to get your black belt?” Professor Schilbach replies, “It took so long because I don’t like getting punched in the face! But seriously, at the time only the professional MMA fighters were getting black belts, there was definitely a glass ceiling under Cesar Gracie when it came to non-professional fighters. After four years as a brown under Cesar I was very close to shattering that glass ceiling to getting my black belt.“
In the summer of 2016 Jason left the US to go live in London to study and train under the 10 time world Champion, Roger Gracie. “I spent another two plus years having to reprove myself under Roger”. In December of 2018, Jason would be awarded his black belt in the London based RGA (Roger Gracie Academy). Professor Schilbach has dedicated his life to the study and advancement of BJJ. He has overcome countless challenges throughout his life. Just last year during a routine checkup they discovered early signs of colon cancer. “We caught it early and dealt with it aggressively.” he stated. "I was told it would take a year [to fully recover] but it wasn’t long after I was walking that I was back on the mat training and teaching again”. Part of his recovery was to spend some time in the Philippines for some R&R with some close friends. It didn’t take him long to find some local BJJ practitioners in Manila, where he is now residing. He use to begin by (half) jokingly saying to his new opponents, “Take it easy on me, I’m still recovering from my cancer surgery”. Of course the possibility of any sympathy immediately vanished once they began rolling. Don’t let his calm and relaxed demur fool you. He’s a sleeping giant that awakens like a beast that will have you tapping out before you even realize what just happened. His years of experience and techniques are self evident and now we are fortunate to have him here in the Philippines. You can find him in some of the local gyms around Makati City, rolling and giving critical feedback and instructions.
“I came here to enjoy the beaches and hang out with my friends but what I discovered was a people who were filled with love and respect for God and each other. Now I want to bring the Gracie style of BJJ to the Filipino people and to the Philippines, I’m excited with the opportunity to teach and train with a new group of people”.
“The greatest good that you can imagine, go for it with all your heart.” -Jason’s favorite philosopher Jordan Peterson.
