From popular films, to digital vlogs, to televised events, to the dojo floor, there is one overriding trait that infuses and presides over the sport and study of martial arts: perseverance. The drive to, through grit and determination, push through challenges, personal limitations, and structural barriers to find success and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. For any athlete, but especially for martial artists and fighters, honing the body and finding professional success mandates having a certain amount of grit and perseverance that many people don’t ever find.
Canadian Jiu-Jitsu fighter and grappler Kieran Kichuk has those traits in spades. Trained under Fernando Zulick and known for his submission-oriented jiu-jitsu style, Kichuk has overcome personal and systemic barriers to find success in his sport. He’s made waves at a number of grappling tournaments around the world, including the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Pan American No-Gi Championships and the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, including 1st place finishes at the IBJJF New Orleans Open and New Orleans Open No-Gi.
Kichuk’s secret? Simple determination. In his own words, “What makes me successful is my work ethic and my willingness to fail. I am a work harder, not smarter type of person, which means I’m not the most efficient learner, but I’ve had the value of perseverance instilled in me from a young age through martial arts culture.”
Kieran Kichuk has worked hard to develop his professional Jiu-Jitsu career despite structural insufficiencies, various barriers, and situational challenges. He’s become a successful grappler due to his resilience and grit, two traits that empower him on and off the mat. From his disciplined daily schedule, to his desire to improve, to teaching his own students, Kichuk models the perseverance needed to succeed, and the benefits of doing so.
Overcoming Systemic Barriers
Kieran Kichuk’s interest in Jiu-Jitsu, and athletics in general, started young. Following in the footsteps of his NCAA D1 athlete father, Kichuk started off as a track runner. As he committed himself more to sports, he came to realize just how underrepresented Canadians were on the elite, international level of sports, and that gave him a goal to strive for. These desires and commitments crystallized in 2009, where Kichuk’s interest in mixed martial arts began as he watched French-Canadian athlete Georges S. Pierre fight through his UFC championship run.
“This inspired me to start martial arts and pursue excellence in competition,” Kichuk says. “I felt assured that despite martial arts being a new sect of sport in our relatively young country, that elite performance was within reach. With the right work ethic of course.”
Unfortunately, Kieran Kichuk’s martial arts journey would not start smoothly. The relatively new nature of the sport meant that there were few existing resources for an aspiring athlete. No available managers with relevant experience, few teachers and dojos in which to learn, and few established pipelines for professional development and success. However, Kichuk was able to find what he needed with the help of various mentors over the years, eventually earning his black belt after 12 years of dedicated training. His hard work and perseverance would quickly begin to pay off.
“I was an unknown athlete, a fresh black belt with no professional experience under my belt,” Kichuk recalls. “In contrast to the other well established professionals in the Emerald City Invitational, I was an easy pick for a first round loss. Despite being the lowest betting odds to win Emerald City, I was able to defeat all 3 of my opponents including (at the time) the current world champion. My victory that night paved the way for my entire professional competitive career.”
A Focused Work Ethic
Kieran Kichuk hasn’t found his successes through any life hacks, or shortcuts, or personal trade secrets; he’s been able to succeed as a professional martial artist because of his disciplined work ethic, willingness to fail, and personal conviction. In his words, “I’ve seen naturally gifted athletes squander their abilities, and I’ve seen less gifted athletes trudge their way through defeat after defeat and find their way to great success. These are the stories that leave me feeling inspired.”
As a self-professed, “work harder, not smarter” person, Kichuk long ago embraced the culture of perseverance that infuses martial arts culture. It’s a mindset and ethic that’s served him well both in and outside of his sport, and primed him to look at hardship not as a barrier, but an opportunity for learning and growth. Even in his four years working brutal shifts as a line cook, where the overwhelming workload and rapid pace threatened to bury him, Kichuk was able to apply himself and learn.
“I had a love/hate relationship with the workload,” he explains. “It was overwhelming and could not be pawned off on colleagues or subordinates, but this forced me to develop the grit and mental strategies to manage the stress of that dinner rush!”
Discipline and Self-Care
As a professional fighter and grappler, Kieran Kichuk has to maintain his body and mind alike. It doesn’t matter how strong his work ethic is, or how determined he is to persevere through all hardships, if his body gives out on him. Finding the balance between his ambitions and his bodily needs can be tricky, but that’s part of what led him to hone his discipline and stick to a consistent, healthy schedule.
Between waking up around 8:00 AM and going to sleep around midnight, Kichuk’s day is regimented around his business, his sport, and his bodily needs. Three square meals, one each at 8:30 AM, 2:00 PM, and 10:00 PM, provide him the fuel he needs to operate. Multiple workouts, including one just prior to lunch, a cardio workout at 5:00 PM, and a “dead drilling” workout at 6:00 PM keep him in shape and warmed up for the multiple hours of Jiu-Jitsu classes he rounds out the day with. He supplements his sleep with a midday nap to stay energized, and ensures that he’s giving his body everything it needs.
Outside of the working week, however, he takes the time to unwind and recover mentally. He says, “I make sure that I spend time with my family so I feel loved and inspired to continue towards success. I also remember to enjoy the process of growth and improvement.”