Featured affiliated academy: Crazy Monkey Centurion, BJJ South Africa
Where is the gym located?
The gym is located in a suburb called Centurion in Pretoria in South Africa. About 40 km north of Johannesburg.
How many people train there?
We have about 80 clients including our kid’s classes.
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
The gym is growing, slowly though, but it is growing. We gain about 1 to 2 clients a month.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We have white belt clients all the way up to brown belts.
When did Crazy Monkey Centurion, BJJ South Africa open?
We officially opened our doors to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in January 2000.
Some facts about you:
Name: Jacques Wagner
Age: 49
Belt: Second Degree Black Belt
Profession: Full-time Martial Arts Coach and Studio Owner
Years in BJJ: 23
Other martial arts: Functional Boxing, Savate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Krav Maga.
Currently living in: Centurion in Pretoria in South Africa
Originally from: Durban in South Africa
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
I started training martial arts in 1993 after I left the military. I started with Kuk Sool Won and then went over to Taekwondo in 1994. I received my black belt in 1995 and bought the studio from my coach in 1996.
In 1999 I started training in boxing, MMA, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Rodney King (4th Degree Black Belt under Master Rigan Machado) and in 2000 I changed from Taekwondo to a full-time MMA, Boxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Initially it was a love-hate relationship with Jiu-Jitsu, as I was never trained in ground work, I mean in Taekwondo, you just kick, right? But I did love the challenge Jiu-Jitsu brought and fell in love with it to the point that my studio is now mainly Jiu-Jitsu based.
I have been fortunate to have trained with Master Rigan Machado, Chis Haueter and Matt Thornton.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
Most of the students that train with us are on the older side of 30, white collar workers, or a lot of people that are self-employed. It is not uncommon to have a doctor train with a lawyer or a varsity student train with the owner of a company. So we really have a widespread group of amazing clients.
Why do they train in Crazy Monkey Centurion, BJJ South Africa?
Most of our clients train for self-preservation and to do something to challenge them physically and mentally. They train to be a part of something bigger – a bigger community united by the love for Jiu-Jitsu. We focus a lot on taking the lessons on the mat and taking it into your everyday life. Besides that, all our clients have an insane amount of fun on the mats and they always leave feeling happy and ready to face the challenges in life.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
Where we are in Pretoria, not a lot of people want to do Jiu-Jitsu as they don’t want to “cuddle” on the floor. Fighting is done with fists. In Johannesburg and Cape Town the Jiu-Jitsu culture has a good base and they generally have a lot more members.
The economic climate in South Africa is not great, as our currency is very weak against the Dollar, Euro, and Pound. People really don’t have a lot of disposable income, and with our rolling blackouts where people do not have electricity for sometimes up to 8 hours a day, it really challenges a studio and trying to keep clients is a real hard thing to do.
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
Hopefully people will change their minds and get more into Jiu-jitsu as there are a few up and coming studios in our area and with the word spreading there seems to be a lot more interest due to people like Jocko and Joe Rogan etc. So hopefully the Jiu-Jitsu culture takes hold in our area.
We hope that the economic climate improves and that the rolling blackouts come to an end.
What’s the best thing about Crazy Monkey Centurion, BJJ South Africa?
I must say the people. My clients are some of the most amazing people you will ever meet and they all share the passion that is Jiu-Jitsu. I have some of the craziest and “feral” clients you will ever meet on and off the mats, but they will soon give you the shirt off their back should you need it.
We stand together and the bond we share is something that only a sport like Jiu-Jitsu can bring to the table.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
There are so many monuments, architecture, and historical landmarks, and the wildlife in South Africa is absolutely breath-taking. Most places are 40 minutes to an hour away where you can see lions, zebras, elephants, rhino, and various game. You can take a drive in a game reserve, hike an amazing trail in the bushveld, or cycle in some of the best nature spots in South Africa.
Our summers are the best, as it gets crazy hot but everything is green and lush and getting outside is a must.
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