Mark dominated the Canadian Grappling scene and became known on the international scene as well as a very skilled competitor.When someone starts to train BJJ they usually begin the addiction by trying to seek out the best knowledge they can find. In Canada, it took us a while for the knowledge to be accessible. We had to rely on our annual visits from Royce, than maybe Renzo, one time Rickson and so fourth. However, a few canadians actually went out early on to seek the knowledge from the source. Mark Bocek is one of those individuals in Canada who at an early age did this. He travelled to Califronia to spend time with Rickson and other members of the Gracie Family, as well as other parts of the U.S., Hawaii and of course the motherland, BRAZIL. The results speak for themself, as Mark dominated the Canadian Grappling scene and became known on the international scene as well as a very skilled competitor. As a purple belt in Brazil (if you buy OTMs video Dengue Fever you will see this) Mark fought Royler Gracie Black belt Fabricio Morango in a submission wrestling match. Mark outwrestled and outsmarted the veteran black belt. Mark also became the first Canadian to win the Purple Belt Division at the Copa Do Mundo in the absolute division.
These were just 2 examples of Marks many victories to create alot of buzz around him. It became obvious that he was a determined person who would not stop untill he became the best. Training with the best to be just that.
Now, Mark has turned his attention on being the best in MMA and it looks as though he is on the right path as well. Expect to hear big things from Mark in the near future!
1)Mark, you are known as one of Canada’s top Jiu-jitsu players, but rumour has it youve caught the MMA bug, is this true? Yes definetely, MMA is my life, I have always wanted to hit people in training when they were stalling, MMA is the whole reason I got into bjj after watching ufc 2. 2)Who are you currently training with? I’m training with my students and my friends, they are pushing me very hard for this fight and I’m ready. 3)When is your fight scheduled for? My fight is scheduled for saturday october 14th in Gatineau, Quebec at the Apex fighting championship. 4)where do you see yourself in 5 years? UFC lighweight champ. 5)Do you see yourself primarily an MMA fighter from now on or will you be competing in Jiu-jitsu/No-Gi tournaments as well? I just got back from Naga in July so I will continue to compete in jiu-jitsu, submission wrestling and MMA. 6)Who do you train with in Canada and who do you acredit your success to? Like I said, mostly my students and friends, I have alot of good wrestlers, strikers and grapplers to train with that keep me sharp. 7)If you had a choice to train with anybody or any team in the world, who would it be? I would choose Team Quest, they have a very consistent MMA team 8)Is there anyone you would like to face in MMA/Submission Wrestling/Jiu-jitsu? Anyone who is tough and good, I like the challenge. 9)In Grappling you have fought all over Canada, Europe the US and even Brazil. who has been your toughest opponent?Canadian/USA/BRAZIL My toughest opponents would have to be the ones that have beat me, so that is Cameron Earle and Kurt Pellegrino. 10)Who were some of the teachers that you learned from? I have learned from Joao Roque, Shaolin, Marc Laimon, John Lewis, I have studied Bj Penn alot and I learned alot from Marcelo Garcia. 11) Do you teach and if so where? I teach at Kombat Arts Training academy in Mississauga and Kombat Fitness downtown, all the infor can be found at my site at www.markbocek.com 12)Who are your favourite grapplers/mma fighters you like to watch? Dan Henderson, Matt Lindland, Randy Couture, Bj Penn, Fedor, Cro Cop and Shogun. 13)Any plans to open a school in Canada one day? One day when I have more time to commit, right now the focus is fighting. 14)What has the training at Hendersons school been like? It was a great training camp with all types of great fighters to keep me sharp in all areas, exactly what I needed, I cant wait to go back. 16)How has Jiu-jitsu changed/affected your life? Bjj has given me goals that I would have never dreamed of reaching before. 17)If you werent doing jiu-jisu/fighting, what would you be doing? I’d probably be gaining alot of weight and buying alot of new sofa’s to sit on to watch tv. 18)Have you ever thought of applying for the Ultimate Fighter show? I will apply when they get the 155lb weight class, I would love to get on that show. 19)Is there anyone you would like to thank? I would like to thank pound 4 pound and big dog fight wear.
Be sure to check out:www.markbocek.com as well as www.kombatfitnessgym.com