U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Leon Jackson, a structural maintenance specialist with the New Jersey Air National Guard's 108th Wing, poses for a portrait in his gi, the traditional garb he wears as a Brazilan jiu-jitsu purple belt, on Nov. 23 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
Jackson has won numerous jiu-jitsu awards, most recently at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) 2015 World Jiu-Jitsu No Gi competition in San Francisco on Nov. 7, where he won gold and silver medals. "My mother raised me right," said Jackson. "She raised me to be tough." Jackson is also proud of the fact that he is a "no meat athlete," and is the founder of Vegan Jiu-Jitsu. "I think the best part about being vegan is the inner peace that comes with veganism," said Jackson. "I feel better knowing that my dietary choice reduces my carbon footprint and saves the lives of animals. I also feel the effect in my cardio, I honestly never get tired while training." (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released). Original public domain image from Flickr