“From Child Star to Grown-Up: You Won’t Believe How the Little Boy from Jerry Maguire Looks Now!”
Image credits: jonathanlipnicki
According to the Irish Mirror, the actor started training in martial arts when he was a teenager. Fourteen years later in 2020, Jonathan earned his black belt in jiu-jitsu.
In 2012, he revealed to ESPN how he went down this unexpected path.
The child actor grew up in Westlake Village, a suburb of Los Angeles. It was there that he encountered a fighter who said he’d teach him how to box, which later brought him down the path of jiu-jitsu training.
Image credits: jonathanlipnicki
Jonathan said: “My family actually owns an MMA promotion company, so it’s kind of a family deal. It’s called Fight Sports Entertainment and they throw amateur fights in California. Because of that, I’ve given my mom a lot of the fighters to fight in a show.
“I’m actually training one of my friends right now — he’s fighting a jiu-jitsu guy. So I’m his sparring guy. If it’s someone way better, I won’t be a good sparring partner.”
While Jonathan isn’t a professional MMA fighter and sees himself as just a “student,” he’s proud of his ability to help budding martial artists train and improve their techniques.
Image credits: Movieclips
Image credits: Love Love
Many of his pictures on Instagram feature his jiu-jitsu training sessions, proudly displaying his black belt. His followers and fans have shown support throughout his journey.
One fan commented: “I remember watching you as a little kid. And now you’re a freaking beast and we practice the same martial arts. I think that’s so incredible! Thanks for the memories and now the extra inspiration!”
