Where Passion Meets the Pavement: An Interview with Marcos “Yemaso” Torregrosa

I recently met Marcos “Yemaso” Torregrosa after being a fan of his on social media for a while. I knew he was a world champion and has a successful academy in Sacramento, California, but I had no idea the depth to which many have said how amazing this man is. After attending a seminar with him a few weeks later, my mind was blown. I now consider him the “hidden gem” of the jiu-jitsu world to those who have not had the opportunity to cross paths with him yet.

When black belts talk about jiu-jitsu and the life they have made because of it, they often describe it as “love,” passion, and/or an obsession. Yemaso’s passion for jiu-jitsu translates into his teaching and transforms his performance in competition, which largely accounts for his success as an academy owner and a competitor. He says:

When describing "passion," I try to make my sentiment as relatable to the person I am talking to as possible. The problem when describing my passion, Jiu-Jitsu in particular, is that people fail to appreciate my perspective and don't give it the merit or importance I do. So I try to appeal to something that maybe was thrown away with one’s youth and whose memory may inspire nostalgia. I ask them what was something they loved and left behind in pursuit of more profitable endeavors… art, video games, exercise, partying, traveling, writing, reading, training dogs, photography… the list goes on and on, yet until you make that connection with some people I never can TRULY explain what I feel about Jiu-Jitsu.

I heard a phenomenal quote that I identify with 100%; "obsession" is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated.

This resonates with me on so many levels as my passion for the trade I have chosen to dedicate my life to has been frowned upon by many, including my own family. Many told me to do other things, more profitable things that would force me into an ordinary existence free and devoid of "passion." I ask people if they are happy with their jobs and most reply "no." Not a surprise considering they have been conditioned to undermine and deter people from chasing their "passions."

I interpret Jiu-Jitsu as that which gave me life. I was ordinary, rebellious, and probably not on the best of paths, yet deep down I always had the upmost appreciation for the martial way. I was fascinated with the Budo code and read about all the great martial arts masters. This is never something I was forced to do, the thirst for that knowledge came so naturally. Likewise, my affinity for all things martial arts saw me working all styles and trying all techniques. The Dao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee was an early favorite, as he adopted so many styles of fighting into one.

I was "obsessed" with perfection through evolution and adaptation within the arts and it all came naturally, a deep seeded passion.

I discovered Jiu-Jitsu on the 27th of July, 1999, and remember the day like it was yesterday. In hindsight, I realized then and there my purpose. I found a structure through chaos that warped all aspects of my life, a change many thought drastic and childish, and dedicated each waking hour to its perfection. My youthful passion awoke and possessed my present from that day on. I trained extremely hard, two times daily as a white belt and this was not because there were an abundance of tournaments on the IBJJF circuit, but because I loved it. I felt I got better with every session and that held true to all the dietary and social changes surrounding myself.

As the years passed I competed more and more and eventually came to a point of teaching and I feel here is where my passion for Jiu-Jitsu really came to float. My own interpretations of Jiu-Jitsu had to give way to the presentation of the information as a whole, a macro per se. It had to be universal so all could apply and I developed our curriculum. This happened not as a necessity, but because my passion for perfection within chaos drove me to find the answers. I modify and edit as time passes, discarding some, adding more, yet constantly amazed at the beauty of its simplicity and in awe of the potential power behind the technique. 

One could say reading this that my passion has evolved and while it is correct that it has grown, I can assure you it all stems from the same place I was as a boy: the desire to seek out knowledge and provide structure to a chaotic world. Jiu-Jitsu is that for me and for corresponding my own passions with dedication to my craft with consistency on the mats I have found myself.

It should come as no surprise that Yemaso tries to instill the same values of consistency and dedication in his students.

I realize it is not easy to train every day. I know most of us have terrible 9-5 jobs and our own desire to train needs to be balanced with other aspects of life, yet I feel that getting in 2-3 days a week should be the bare minimum. This is a good start and as students grow within our program I try to instill a measure of importance of community. At our gym we have a beginner class that runs through our curriculum and it's imperative that white belts be paired with the upper belts. This is an actual rule at our gym, as I feel one of our greatest attributes is building from the bottom up. Community is so important and the mantra "it takes a community to raise a child," is the same for Jiu-Jitsu. Some of my own personal favorite moments are watching our white belts grow with these new drilling systems we employ and seeing them give our upper belts problems. (laughing) Even better is going to an IBJJF event such as the San Jose Open every year and watch our white belts close out divisions. It is clear to me that if our foundation is strong technically, that our school as a whole stands to gain.

In a previous blog, we discuss how not all black belts are created equal. Yemaso is quite unique. He is a dynamic teacher, fierce competitor, and most importantly, a down-to-earth dude. If you message him on social media, he will respond no matter if he knows you or not. He loves being a resource and is always open to share his jiu-jitsu. His success, both in life and in competition, is inspiring. When asked what his three top rules for success in BJJ and in competition, he says:

At a fundamental level we are challenging ourselves to a duel with the man/woman we were yesterday each and every time we step on the mats to train. While I understand that there needs to be a particular focus for tournaments, dietary restrictions coupled with specific and hard training schedules, the same can be said for the recreational practitioner that wants to improve. The only difference, and this is exactly what I tell my students, is that in a tournament setting there is performance anxiety. Yes that alone can be a daunting thing to get over, yet the mind can be trained just as any other aspect in your life you wish to get better at.

A clear example is the student that just wants to get better. They arrive and need to keep training with consistency (my biggest focal point for students). He/she just wishes to get better so they come and do all the drilling, roll close to all the rounds, and their lives, as a result also change. Does the recreational practitioner not try to eat better to improve their performance at the gym? Yes! Do they not try and limit their going out/partying because it dawns on them that drinking and staying out all night can hurt the body at practice tomorrow? YES! These are all changes that recreational players make so where does the difference lie? In dedicating oneself to do it for a particular goal and in the performance anxiety.

Within these paragraphs you can find the answer to the top 3 rules, for me, they are as follows:

1) Consistency

2) Dedication

3) Smart Application

The last of the three is probably the most overlooked as many good competitors are dedicated and consistent in their training, yet the application in their lives is very unbalanced. I, myself, am a repeat offender of this last one yet, through age, I am getting smarter. (laughing) To apply this properly is to transcend technical discussion and apply Jiu-Jitsu as a lifestyle and this means listening to ones body when hurt, spending time with loved ones as training can be so brutal that one can miss out on life. I am a serious offender of this and the "balance" I seek can be very hard to define. I put in quotation as in balance there needs to be a defined yin and yang while understanding that certain sacrifices need to continue to be made to achieve ones goal.

Like I said before and I'm sure you can agree with me after reading this blog, Yemaso is a “hidden gem” in this community. Not many people are able to translate their passion into a lifestyle and a successful business. His successes and willingness to share his knowledge solely because of his love for jiu-jitsu is amazing. So if you are ever in the Sacramento area, please stop by and get some rolls in. You won’t be disappointed. You can find him here: www.yemasobjj.com or on Instagram at @yemasojj.