Martial arts legend Dan Inosanto has just been promoted to fifth degree black belt in BJJ by Jean Jacques Machado at the age of 87 years old. Inosanto has been a popular figure in the martial arts world for decades and is known for being the main spokesperson and historian for Jeet Kune Do after the death of Bruce Lee. He has a wealth of experience in a wide range of different forms of martial arts and has been actively training since the age of 11.
Initially, Inosanto began learning Okinawan Karate under his uncle before also training in Jujitsu and Judo, eventually receiving a black belt in American Kempo. He spent years learning from several different masters of their respective martial arts all around the world, from America to Southeast Asia all the way to Europe. Not only did Inosanto teach under Bruce Lee but he also taught him in return too, showing him how to use the nunchaku that he would later become famous for in his movies.
Along with other weapons-based martial arts like Eskrima and striking arts like Muay Thai, Inosanto eventually became interested in BJJ and trained under Jean Jacques Machado. Inosanto incorporated those techniques into his teaching and over the years, he’s taught a wide range of both celebrities and combat sports competitors. Some of his most notable students are MMA fighter and coach Erik Paulsen, elite boxer and kickboxer Graciela Casillas, and hollywood stars like Denzel Washington and Brandon Lee. Despite being 87 years old, Inosanto continues to train and teach to this very day at the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts in Marina Del Ray, California.
Dan Inosanto shared the news that he had been promoted to fifth degree BJJ black belt by Jean Jacques Machado in a recent post to his official Instagram account:
