Mark Staniszewski

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Mark Staniszewski; also known as Mark Stan and "Judo-Mark" (born August 1973) is an American born martial artist who is regarded as one of the most experienced grapplers in America. He is the first athlete to win Pan American Championships in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo;^[2] and he is a Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee.^[3]

Biography[]

Staniszewski was born August 1973 in Brooklyn, New York. Long Island raised, Staniszewski was introduced to boxing and traditional karate and Tae Kwon Do at an early age by his father. Staniszewski began wrestling in Junior High School continuing into college at Cortland State University. While abroad at the University of North London, Staniszewski played left prop for an all-English rugby team. There, one of his teammates introduced him to judo. After graduation, Staniszewski continued judo and in 1996, he began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with childhood friend and former UFC champion Matt Serra. Staniszewski trained and competed in both sports for over two decades. His unique grappling style has earned him international titles in Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Submission Grappling and Wrestling.^[4][5][6]

Personal life[]

Tragedy struck in early 2013 when Staniszewski's youngest son Jake was diagnosed with a rare pediatric cancer. The Staniszewski family took their fight for Jake from the United States to Germany in search of a novel treatment. During this time, Staniszewski received news that his younger brother Michael passed away due to a sudden illness. Eight months later, his son Jake lost his battle with cancer.

Comeback[]

Staniszewski returned to competition in 2015, entering the P&F World Games. With over 12,000 athletes from 70 countries, Staniszewski earned silver medals in both Judo and Submission Grappling. Later that year, Staniszewski suffered a life-threatening heart attack. Staniszewski returned to compete at the 2017 P&F World Games winning a gold medal in Submission Grappling. [1][2]^[7][8]

Black Belts[]

• Judo: Black Belt (4th degree).^{[9][10][11][12]}

• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Black Belt (3rd Degree). ^{[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]}

Notable[]

• International medalist in Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Submission Grappling and Wrestling.
• Formally ranked on USA Judo's elite top ten point list.
• Martial Arts Hall of Fame (Most Outstanding Competitor).
• First athlete to win Pan American Championships in both Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.^{[22][23][24][25]}
• 2009 World Masters Judo Championship Team Captain. USA earned a bronze medal (tied with Russia).^[26]
• Medalist in both the Elite and Masters divisions at the 2009 USA Judo Nationals and World Team Trials.
• 2009 East Coast Judo Champion (+100kg). ^[27]
• USA Judo's Most Outstanding Masters Athlete for 2010.
• Most notable technique: sode guruma jime (Ezekiel choke).

Career highlights[]

References[]