Having dedicated over a decade of training in the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, US-based Saint Lucian martial artist Michael Young is now the proud recipient of his sixth black belt.
Young, a devoted martial artist, has expertise in multiple disciplines as his black belts in different styles range from Japanese forms like karate to a Korean taekwondo.
His highest rank is in Japanese jiu-jitsu in which he is a seventh-degree black belt.
His martial arts journey began by observing his older brother, George Edward, and later blossomed into a passion for Brazilian jiu-jitsu, thanks to the influence of a fellow Saint Lucian.
“I became interested in martial arts after watching my older brother, George Edward, who trained in Shotokan karate under Sensei Errol Weekes, and my uncle, who was also a brown belt in Shotokan karate. My brother would playfully practice on me, and that sparked my interest—I was hooked forever,” Young shared in an interview with St. Lucia Times.
Young described the discipline of Brazilian jiu-jitsu as “an art that focuses on leverage and technique rather than brute force,” noting that he began learning the art with Mervyn Steele, currently a head coach at a jiu-jitsu school in St. Lucia.
“After years of training in standing and striking arts, he was the one who introduced me to the importance of having a ground game or a strategy for fighting if ever taken to the ground,” Young said.
Now the owner and operator of a martial arts school in Florida, Young continues to contribute significantly to martial arts education and its promotion, emphasizing that his journey to success was not easy.
“It’s hard to make a name in martial arts if you don’t put in the work. You have to get up and show up to your training sessions. Look at Julien Alfred—everyone saw the few seconds it took her to win her race, but she had been putting in the work for years before that,” Young noted.
“My advice is to never give up on your dream and commit to the effort. As I tell my students, hard work beats talent when talent refuses to work hard. No one becomes successful by sitting on the couch scrolling through their phones or on social media. It’s all about putting in the groundwork and, most importantly, being consistent because every day counts.”
Finally, Young also encouraged fellow Saint Lucians, especially youth, to embrace martial arts as a tool not only for self-defense but also for overall personal development.