· Living The Dream: P.J. O’Sullivan

On June 19, world renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor Jean Jacques Machado came to Hamilton, Ontario to teach his style of jiu-jitsu to an eager group of students. Machado also had something else on his agenda; he awarded longtime student Paul "P.J." O'Sullivan with his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Like most who took up the sport in the early 1990s, O'Sullivan began training martial arts after watching Royce Gracie use Brazilian jiu-jitsu to win the inaugural UFC events. After a few years of training, O'Sullivan traveled to Torrance, Calif. to study with Gracie. However, he was subsequently told that he should train with Royce's cousin, Jean Jacques Machado, because, like O'Sullivan, Machado was born without fingers on one of his hands. It was not until 1999 that O'Sullivan, with the help of former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez, met Machado in Los Angeles, Calif. It was then that Machado awarded O'Sullivan his blue belt and their long-lasting relationship began.

O'Sullivan quickly rose through the ranks, earning his purple belt in 2003 and brown belt in 2007, all while teaching math at St. Thomas More Secondary School. O’Sullivan, ever the student, equates mathematics and jiu-jitsu by stating, “In math you can kind of know what you want as the answer and work your way to get there. Same thing (in Brazilian jiu-jitsu), if I know I want an arm lock, I can work my way to get that arm lock.”

In 2008 O'Sullivan took a leave of absence to learn how to surf and further his jiu-jitsu game, by moving to Australia's Gold Coast. While there, he began teaching at Potential Unlimited Mixed Martial Arts (PUMMA). After one year, O'Sullivan returned to his home in Canada and his career at St. Thomas More. Shortly thereafter, in November of 2009, he opened Pura Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and fulfilled a life-long dream.

Through his connections and renowned form of martial arts, O'Sullivan has brought some of the best practitioners of the sport to Pura, including: Rubens "Cobrinha" Charles, Andre Galvao, Jean Jaques Machado, Rafael and Guilherme Mendes, Carlos Machado, and more being lined up for the new year.

Despite the demands of teaching and helping to coach the junior football team at St. Thomas More, O'Sullivan runs daytime, evening, and weekend classes with the help of Rory McDonell (pro MMA fighter), Ernie Fairles (blue belt), Mark Elliot (blue belt), and Alasdair Barr (blue belt).

Those students, as well as others, are readying for one of Canada’s biggest grappling tournaments, the Jean Jacques Machado Canadian Open in Windsor, Ontario on Feb. 20.

The tournament will be O’Sullivan’s first since becoming a black belt.

For more information on Pura Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu visit: http://www.purabjj.com/