John Will

Full Name: John Will

Weight Division: Traditionally competed in open/middleweight categories

Team / Association: Will-Machado BJJ

Key Distinctions: Member of BJJ’s famous “Dirty Dozen” (the first 12 non-Brazilians to achieve the rank of black belt).

Biography
Born on April 16, 1957, in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, John Will is widely celebrated as one of the most significant martial arts pioneers in the Australasia region. Despite having a father who worked in law enforcement, Will faced severe bullying during his school years—an experience that ultimately ignited his lifelong passion for contact sports and self-defense.

Will began his journey by wrestling at a local church club before transitioning to Taekwondo at the age of 15. His fascination with combat sports quickly grew into a lifestyle of global exploration. At age 18, he left Australia to immerse himself in Pentjak Silat (a traditional Indonesian martial art). His dedication to the discipline was realized in 1982 when he became the first non-Indonesian to win the World Silat Championship in Jakarta.

In the late 1980s, Will founded and edited Blitz, an Australian magazine entirely dedicated to martial arts. The publication served as his passport to travel the world and research various fighting styles. It was during this period that he encountered submission grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Through his journalistic work, Will gained access to martial arts royalty, training with icons like Gene LeBell and Rickson Gracie.

His pursuit of elite grappling eventually led him to the legendary Machado brothers. Will also traveled directly to Brazil to seek out the best instruction available. His decades of multi-disciplinary hard work culminated in 1998 when he was awarded his BJJ black belt from the hands of Rigan and Jean Jacques Machado.

In doing so, Will cemented his place in grappling lore as a member of the “Dirty Dozen”—a term he actually coined himself during an interview to describe the first 12 non-Brazilians to achieve black belt status. As the head of the prominent Will-Machado BJJ association, he paved the way for generations of Australasian grapplers and has personally awarded black belts to some of Australia’s most recognizable combat sports figures, including George Sotiropoulos, Elvis Sinosic, and Anthony Perosh.

Legacy & Highlights
Coined the Term “Dirty Dozen” — Formally categorized the first wave of international BJJ black belts.

First Non-Indonesian World Silat Champion — Won the prestigious tournament in Jakarta (1982).

Australasian Pioneer — Founded one of the largest and most successful martial arts networks in the Southern Hemisphere.