Jaren “The Monster” Grob: From the X-Games to the BJJ mats
Interview with Jaren Grob above
Combat sports and martial arts have garnered a surge of notoriety over the past decade like never before in history. After the polarizing rise of the UFC, martial arts became a staple in health, exercising as well as self-defense.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt, Jaren “The Monster” Grob already achieved the highest levels of success in professional sports before ever stepping foot on the mat.
In the early 2000s, Grob was dominating the world of aggressive inline skating (rollerblading) and continues to this day. Achieving X-Games gold 2x, countless other championships, as well as a video game cover, Grob was utilized as the cover athlete for 2002’s Aggressive Inline.
Grob isn’t the only professional rollerblader to ever step onto the mats. Another X-Games vet, former UFC and WEC veteran, Mike Budnik competing alongside Grob in their blading days.
For Grob, the intensity of performing as a sole competitor is a rush like no other. I wish I did it earlier than now, but I started,” Grob says about starting his martial arts journey. “I’ve watched it from the very beginning,” he says about the rise of combat sports. “Dan Henderson and people, and Randy Couture that can go up into their 40’s! So, it gives you a little bit of hope to be athletic at that age!” he says with a laugh about competing with younger practitioners.
These days, Grob isn’t ruling out the possibility of stepping into the cage, stating “I’ve always wanted to fight” However, with the busy days of being a traveling skater and full-time father, time will tell what is in store for “The Monster”. The sheer fact of staying active while learning how to protect his loved ones is key. “I’ve been athletic my whole life and a daredevil I guess you can say,” says Grob. Nowadays, who knows if there are weapons so it’s good to be able to defend yourself and learn.”
Tune in above as Jaren “The Monster” Grob takes off the Gi and unstraps the blades for this one-on-one chat with MyMMANews. He discusses what brought him into the realm of martial arts, the correlations of two vastly different sports and so much more!
