Jean Jacques Machado is a name that belongs in the long list of inspirational stories that have been archived within this blog.  His achievements alone make him an inspiration, but physical accomplishments are just the beginning.  Machado was born with a disfigured left hand that has only a thumb and little finger.

Despite this so-called disability, Machado has become a dominant force in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  Below is a partial list of his amazing accomplishments (per the wikipedia link above):

• Rio De Janeiro Jiu-Jitsu State Championships Cruiser Weight Champion 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987,1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu National Championships Cruiser Weight Champion 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987,1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
• Sambo Wrestling Championships National and Pan American Cruiser Weight Champion 1993 Oklahoma – 1st Place 1994 San Diego, CA – 1st Place
• Grappling Style Challenge Japan 1995 – Champion
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu American Championships 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
• Black Belt Super Challenge Championships 1998 – Champion
• Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships 1999 – Champion – 66k-76k Division 1st Place Most Technical Fighter Award
• Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships 2000 – 66k-76k Division Silver Medalist
• Black Belt Super Challenge 2000 – Champion
• Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships 2001 – Open Division Silver Medalist Best Match Award Fastest Submission Award
• Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships 2005 – Superfight Runner Up

Force of the Spirit

For those interested in learning more about his story, an excellent documentary was created in 2005.  I finally got around to watching the full documentary earlier this year.  I really enjoyed it.  You can see a few minutes of footage within the clip below.

You can also view Machado’s official site: http://www.jeanjacquesmachado.com