Locals Mike Nasu and Neil Mcwatt were awarded black belts at a special seminar on August 20 at the local Mountain Fitness Centre. The event took place after a special seminar was taught by head instructor of Mountain Jiu-Jitsu, Marco Vieira.
Matt Parker and Natasha Nasu were awarded purple belt and a yellow belt was given to teenage student, Afton Fell.
Jiu Jitsu black belts are rare and difficult to earn, as only 2% of all Jiu-jitsu practitioners earn their black belts. Mike Nasu has been training since 2004 and full time for 12 years while being active in Rotary & full time Financial Advisor
“I started training Jiu jitsu so I can teach my kids the art and I also wanted an opportunity to lead in front of them” “Both kids were decorated grapplers growing up and won many local BJJ tournaments” “the whole family trains now”
Nasu said he is very proud to earn this Belt from Marco Vieira, but could not of done it without my training partners and family. He says Jiu jitsu is an individual sport but you need a team to support you.
“I keep training and promoting the art despite my injuries to keep and grow the art of Jiu jitsu in Squamish” “I have many injuries but I cannot stop training in fact I don’t think I can ever stop training Jiu jitsu,” he says.
Mike has travelled extensively and trained at many of the worlds top jiu jitsu academies and with many world champions. Neil Mcwatt has also been training off and on for almost 20 years. Mike Nasu’s wife, Natasha Nasu, is a Clinical Nurse educator and it is extremely rare for a 48-year-old female to train BJJ and to obtain the rank of Purple Belt.
“We are a family at Mountain Jiu jitsu, and it keeps us young and in shape,” she says. “The confidence you get on the mats translate to my confidence off the mats.”
