<p>Growing up in a trailer park and trying to stay out of trouble, fifteen-year-old Travis Tooke had zero plans for the future. Then one night a friend brought over a VHS-taped UFC tournament, and together they watched a slender Royce Gracie dismantle his opponents with something called <em>jiu-jitsu.</em></p><p>With that one fuzzy video, Travis&rsquo;s life found direction.</p><p><em>Jiu-Jitsu and Life: Lessons Learned on and off the Mat</em> follows Travis throughout his jiu-jitsu training from Houston to Dallas to Rio de Janeiro and back again. More than just a book about martial arts, this is a sometimes humorous, sometimes gut-wrenching look at what it takes to succeed&mdash;both in martial arts and in business&mdash;when you start with only grit, tenacity, and heart.</p><p>Along the way, Travis encounters mentors, charlatans, friends, and liars as he struggles to find sure footing in the business world to pursue his love of teaching.</p><p>With complete candor and endless wit, Travis leads you on his journey from his humble beginnings teaching out of his dad&rsquo;s garage, pushing himself to learn from his many mistakes, on his way to establishing one of the most successful jiu-jitsu schools in Texas.</p>