Islander quits job to make his break in jiu jitsu

Monday 20 August 2018

A 24-year-old mechanical engineer has left his job and moved back with his mum in a bid to go pro in jiu jitsu.

Charlie Tromans says he has been interested in martial arts since a young age, but it was only in 2015 that he started training in jiu-jitsu with the Brazilian Power Team Jersey.

Charlie told Express he was looking for some direction at the time. "I went out a lot, I was living at home and spending all my money. I had no discipline," he admitted.

Once on the mat, it was love at first hit. "I had my passion back. I started training twice a week, then whenever I could. It quickly became a hobby." Seeing their student so engrossed in his training, coaches Eddie and Vladimiro 'Miro' soon asked him to join them for a competition. 

Charlie entered his first competition in 2016, just a few months after he had started training. "It was the most nerve-wracking thing I have ever done," Charlie recalled. "I won my first fight. It was a great feeling. I lost the second but I still managed to get a bronze medal. I got the adrenaline rush and the atmosphere was amazing. I have been competing since then."

Pictured: Charlie with coaches Edie and Vladmiro 'Miro' from Brazilian Power Team Jersey.

Over the past two years, Charlie has travelled with the team to several competitions in the UK, as well as in Lisbon, Paris and Rome. But even with regular competitions, Charlie was left wanting more. The idea of becoming a professional fighter then sprouted in his mind, but Charlie dismissed it. "I had this idea in my head that I could give it a go and really push for it, but it was miles away," he explained. "I am not a risk taker at all. I like to feel secure at work, with my finances and my health. I am not an adrenaline junkie!"

But the mechanical engineer, who started working straight out of school, felt stuck in a rut after seven years in the same job. Working full time, he was also struggling to find enough time to practice fighting at a high level. "I needed a bit of a change. The more time passed, the more I was thinking about jiu-jitsu and less about my job. Then one day, my girlfriend asked me 'what do you like to do?' I said I loved to train, coach, get fit, go away and compete," he said.

"The decision was made. I am extremely lucky with the amount of training I can get here. I have an amazing group of coaches who said they will do anything to help me. I have the blessing of my girlfriend and mum. She was a bit harder to persuade but she knows how much effort I put into it. I would be foolish not to give it a shot. I am sacrificing a lot, I won't be as secure financially, I might not be able to go holiday when I want... It's a risk but it's the only one I am willing to take."

Charlie left his job two weeks ago to become a full-time athlete. His plan is to train up to three times a day, eat well, sleep right and go away every other weekend from September to compete. Charlie said that the fight can sometimes teach more than months of training. "A six-minute fight will tell you more about the fighter than months of training. It's good to develop your skills and style. There is no better way to put them to the test than by being chucked into the lions' den and having to defend yourself."

Pictured: Charlie says his first fight was the most nerve-wracking thing he's done.

With quite a few fights under his belt, Charlie explained he still needs to work on his nerves, which proved difficult to handle at the British Nationals in London in June. "How you do in a competition depends on where you are at with your training. There are lots of variables and you have to be in the right mindset. I struggled in London because I was thinking of the process of going pro. I put myself under so much pressure to try and do well that I fell short because of my own doing. My coaches were telling me to calm down. I was very on edge and skittish.

"Through this I have learned that if I remember I do this because I love doing it and don't put myself under so much pressure I will succeed. The Jersey Sport Foundation has been a huge help in dealing with my nerves, as well as the athletic strengthening side. When I start doing two competitions a month, the nerves will leave a bit. But you always need the buzz to get in front of a crowd and fight."

Pictured: Charlie says he is looking forward to competing more often in September.

With a competitive season costing around £12,000 for training, flights, accommodation and entry fees for two overseas competitions a month, Charlie has been busy trying to find sponsors. He has already received the support of Black Label Tattoo Studio and clothing companies Mint Jersey and Frank & Betties. He also launched a crowdfunding page to help fund his dream. "At the moment I want to focus on training and achieving the all-round lifestyle of an athlete. I don't want to fall short of anything, " Charlie explains. "In the future, I will look into getting a part-time job to support my training."  

Charlie's absolute goal would be to win the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, commonly known as Mundials. Before he gets there, however, he has smaller goals to achieve. Those include striking Gold in National and International Championships, but also representing Jersey at the Island Games and the Commonwealth Games. "If I had the chance to go for judo, I would... I want to represent Jersey in jiu-jitsu. I want to be striving for medals and go up the ladder, get a following. 

"If in that process I get to inspire someone else to do what I did, it would be amazing. We have lots of talented athletes here, there is such a potential and such a massive variety of sports. More is always better!"