Who is Jason “The Specimen” Soares?

One of my fighters at the Freestyle Fighting Academy is a back-attack machine. But we almost lost him to a terrible motorcycle accident that nearly killed him. His comeback is nothing short of amazing. His name is Jason “the Specimen” Soares.

Jason was born and raised in the Florida Keys and was a super athlete from the start — lettering in wrestling, football, and track and field at Coral Shores High School. He enrolled at Florida International University with hopes of becoming a stockbroker, but FIU happened to sit across the street from FFA. That was no coincidence: he had a scholarship to any state school and chose FIU to train with my brother Marcos and me. It didn't take long to see he was a phenom, tearing through local grappling tournaments on his rise to blue belt.

In 2010, a car smashed into his motorcycle on the highway, sending him flying to the concrete. Jason jumped up, said he was okay — and collapsed unconscious moments later. He was airlifted to the hospital for exploratory surgery: internal bleeding, broken ribs, a spiral fracture of the tibia, a torn Achilles, and more. He survived, but the doctors were clear that he'd never do sports again, and that simply learning to walk could take years.

Everyone in the room was crying — except Jason. He couldn't speak on the respirator, so he wrote a message on a notepad:

“Get me a fight in 3 months coach. I will be ready.”

He was confined to a wheelchair for months. It didn't stop him from coming to FFA to watch classes and take notes. The moment he was on crutches he made his way to the heavy bags and started punching — a big no-no. He was a stubborn one, so we compromised on light weights under supervision. A few short months later he was moving unassisted, defying every expectation.

He talked his way back onto the mats (he may have fibbed to me once about having the doctor's — and my brother's — clearance to roll). But the lie worked out: a year after the accident we relented and let him compete. He didn't miss a step, dominated fierce South Florida competition, and qualified for the 2011 FILA Grappling World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia for Team USA — where he took first place, claiming FFA's first world title with Marcos coaching him to victory.

Just two years after a near-fatal accident, he made his pro MMA debut and won by rear naked choke. He has since built an undefeated 14–0 record — 9 wins by submission (6 by rear naked choke, two armbars, and a guillotine), 3 by TKO, and 2 by decision — and captured the 145 lb Fight Time title. He went on to coach on The Ultimate Fighter alongside Dominick Cruz and competed twice on American Ninja Warrior.

Even if you never buy this course, take this with you: Jason isn't a freak of nature. The difference is his mindset — an unshakable belief that he'd recover and become the best fighter he could be, despite everyone telling him otherwise. Cultivate that, and nothing can stand in your way.

What Jason can teach you

Jason focuses on the king of chokes, the rear naked choke, and he made a keen observation about why. In wrestling, people pin themselves when they're getting worked over — deep down they want out, and the body gives in. MMA is no different. So: what's the best position to lose from where it doesn't look weak to give up? A submission. What position lets your opponent chase the finish with little risk? The back mount. What submission is easy from there and doesn't care how tough or flexible you are? The rear naked choke.

That's why the back became his go-to position and the choke his go-to finish. His real strength is an indomitable will — he applies constant pressure until his opponent breaks and taps. This course is how he teaches you to do the same.