BJJ Magazine + DVD

Many martial artists, BJJ and jiu-jitsu practicioners have a day job.  Only a few make a living out of practicing their art. Meet George Birkadze, an avid martial artist who practices and teaches MMA fighting, grappling and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.  His day job is not what one can expect from such a tough BJJ guy.  George is a world famous ballet dancer, instructor and choreographer.  Martial arts helped him to survive tough teen years in Moscow where local bullies taunted him for being a dancer. Over the years this fighting hobby became something more—a life-long passion.

In a recent interview George opened up about his life in Georgia (a country in the Caucasus Region, former part of the Soviet Union).  As a young boy George started taking ballet lessons because he dreamed of traveling around the world.  In those years becoming a famous artist was the only way a USSR citizen would be allowed to travel anywhere outside of the Soviet Block.  When he was 15 years old, George received an invitation to study at prestigious Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. While living in Moscow he encountered the bullies and started practicing Karate and Judo.  Around the same time he met and became friends with Feodor Emelyanenko, who later became one of the greatest MMA fighters in the world.

Read More >>