martial artist
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...
who is a
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
black belt. In addition to a number of major competitive achievements, Fowler is notable for the speed at which he attained the rank and is, according to some sources, the 3rd fastest American on record to do so. He is head instructor at North Shore Jiu Jitsu Club in Haleiwa, Hawaii.
Grappling career
Although coming to the art with a background in
high school wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, also known in the United States as folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practiced at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially collegiate wrestling wit ...
, Fowler did not begin formal
grappling
Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling i ...
training until after high school in 2001, moving to
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
to enter into Lloyd Irvin’s advanced grappling program. Fowler’s meteoric grappling career began shortly thereafter, winning numerous private tournaments such as
Grapplers Quest
Grapplers Quest is an organization mainly concerned with the promotion of Grappling (submission wrestling) and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. Founded in 1998 by Brian Cimins, Grapplers Quest hosts competitions of various division, age, and wei ...
and achieving a Pan-American championship as a blue belt. Many championships were to follow, with career highlights of 5 American National Championships and an Asian Open Championship in the black belt division.
He also teaches numerous grappling seminars across the US.
ADCC
In 2007, Fowler was invited to the
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, is an international submission wrestling, submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). The inaugural tournament was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1998. It has been ...
, a prestigious Submission Grappling event where despite ultimately placing 4th overall, he defeated the legendary
Renzo Gracie
Renzo Gracie (; born March 11, 1967) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A member of the Gracie family of Brazil, Renzo is a 7th Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Carlos Gracie Jr. He is the so ...
and
Saulo Ribeiro
Saulo Mendonça Ribeiro Filho (born July 2, 1974), brother of the equally famed Xande Ribeiro, is a 6th-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). After earning a black belt in Judo, he began his training of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Rio de J ...