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Jason Shields

Voss chiropractor who discovered jiu-jitsu on YouTube around 2011, founded Frontline Academy Voss and won three IBJJF masters world titles below black belt.

Biography

Jason Shields is a chiropractor in Voss, Norway, and the founder and head instructor of Frontline Academy Voss. He took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu after watching a match on YouTube around 2011, and within a few years was winning IBJJF masters titles at blue, purple and brown belt while running his own chiropractic practice. Before jiu-jitsu Born in Lovington, New Mexico, Shields grew up in the United States and Italy. He graduated in 1989 from Maharishi School in Fairfield, Iowa, where he learned Transcendental Meditation as a student; he later called it "the calm in the storm." His father was a chiropractor, and Shields followed him into the profession; he holds a bachelor's degree in biology and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Martial arts came before any of that. According to his club, he has practiced them since childhood, holds a black belt in kung fu and a brown belt in karate, and trained karate with the Norwegian national team. He began practicing as a chiropractor in 1996, did his internship in Hønefoss and Bergen, and then worked in Bergen and Lærdal. In 1998 he and his wife, Siv Jøssang Shields, moved to Voss and set up their own practice, Voss Kiropraktorkontor. Building a club above the clinic The YouTube match led Shields to contact a black belt in a nearby city, who helped him get a club going in Voss. Frontline Academy Voss was founded in 2012, and it still trains in the training loft at the chiropractic clinic. By 2017 he was putting in 15 to 19 hours of training a week alongside his clinic work, often during lunch breaks, in the room he had turned into a dojo above his office, while also building the club and leading its competition team. The club lists sister Frontline academies in Oslo, Drammen, Bergen and Örebro. Masters competition Shields competed in the IBJJF masters divisions, the age categories for older adults, first in Master 3 and later in Master 4. All of his podium finishes came at super-heavyweight, ultra-heavyweight or in the open class. As a blue belt he took bronze at both the 2014 European Championship and the 2014 World Master Championship. In 2015 he won both his division and the open class at the European No-Gi Championship, and his division at the World Master Championship. At purple belt he won his division at the 2016 European No-Gi Championship, and in 2017 he took the European title in the gi, a division and open-class double at the European No-Gi Championship, and a second World Master title. His old school in Iowa reported that he won all four of his matches at that World Master event without giving up a point or an advantage. He had moved up to brown belt by the 2017 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship, where he won his division and finished second in the open class. At brown belt he added silver at the 2018 European Championship, another division and open-class double at the 2018 European No-Gi Championship, and gold at the 2019 European Championship. His three world titles came at the 2015 and 2017 World Master Championships and the 2017 World No-Gi Championship. In July 2021 he was presented as an active brown-belt competitor under Ricardo Liborio, Eduardo "Teta" Rios and André Porto de Carvalho. His club's instructor page now describes him as a black belt under Liborio and Rios. Teaching As head instructor, Shields leads both adult and youth classes in Voss. The club describes his teaching as centered on sound fundamental techniques and principles, with the aim of making students better on the mat and better equipped for everyday life. In 2017 his old school reported that he was mentoring young people in the sport; he said he hoped to produce "generations of champions." In 2024 he traveled to Brazil with two of his instructors. In Rio de Janeiro he and Ricardo Liborio awarded a black belt to Marit Tyssedal Gabrielsen, his assistant instructor, who has won medals at European championships and at the Master Worlds. On the same trip Rutger Custers, a Dutch judo black belt who took up jiu-jitsu after moving to Norway in 2015 and now runs the club's children's program, also received his black belt. Outside the academy, Shields and his wife run The Integrated Human, a coaching and workshop business in Voss, where he works as a coach and speaker. By the company's own account, he has worked with athletes in six different sports, ranging from recreational exercisers to Olympians and world champions.

Sources for this profile

  • The Integrated Human, "About The Integrated Human", section "About Jason".(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields co-founded The Integrated Human, a coaching and workshop business he runs with his wife Siv Jøssang Shields in Voss, and works as a coach and speaker.

      Where in the source: About Jason, final paragraphs — "co-founder of The Integrated Human"

      Accessed:

    • Shields holds a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and a bachelor's degree in biology, and has practised as a chiropractor since 1996.

      Where in the source: About Jason — "practising chiropractor since 1996"

      Accessed:

    • By his own business's account, Shields has coached athletes in six sports, from everyday people to world champions and Olympic athletes.

      Where in the source: About Jason, athletics paragraph — "six sports"

      Accessed:

  • Frontline Academy Voss, club website front page, instructor section "Dine instruktører" (Norwegian).(opens in a new tab)

    • Jason Shields was born in Lovington, New Mexico, United States.

      Where in the source: Head-instructor bio, first sentence — "Lovington New Mexico"

      Accessed:

    • According to his club, Shields has practised martial arts since childhood; he holds a black belt in kung fu and a brown belt in karate, a discipline in which he trained with the Norwegian national team.

      Where in the source: Head-instructor bio, first paragraph — "Kong Fu"

      Accessed:

    • His club describes him as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Ricardo Liborio and Eduardo "Teta" Rios.

      Where in the source: Head-instructor bio, first paragraph — "1. dan svart belte"

      Accessed:

    • In 1998 Shields moved to Voss with his wife, Siv Jøssang Shields, and the couple established Voss Kiropraktorkontor, a chiropractic clinic.

      Where in the source: Head-instructor bio, second paragraph — "I 1998"

      Accessed:

    • Shields founded Frontline Academy Voss in 2012.

      Where in the source: Head-instructor bio, second paragraph — "I 2012 grunnla"

      Accessed:

    • Shields is head instructor of Frontline Academy Voss and leads its adult and youth classes; the club lists sister branches in Oslo, Drammen, Bergen and Örebro.

      Where in the source: Adult-programme section and instructor list — "Hovedinstruktør"

      Accessed:

    • The club says Shields's teaching concentrates on sound fundamental techniques and principles, with the stated aim of making students better on the mat and more able to handle everyday life.

      Where in the source: Head-instructor bio, second paragraph — "prinsipp"

      Accessed:

    • In 2024 Shields and Ricardo Liborio awarded a black belt to his assistant instructor Marit Tyssedal Gabrielsen in Rio de Janeiro; she began BJJ at 26 and has won medals at European championships and the Master Worlds.

      Where in the source: Assistant-instructor bio (Gabrielsen), second paragraph — "dekorert svartbelt"

      Accessed:

    • In 2024 Shields travelled to Brazil with instructors Marit Tyssedal Gabrielsen and Rutger Custers, where Custers and Gabrielsen received their black belts; Custers, a judo black belt from the Netherlands, took up BJJ after moving to Norway in 2015 and now leads the children's programme.

      Where in the source: Instructor bio of Rutger Custers — "i 2024"

      Accessed:

  • Voss Kiropraktorkontor, clinic website, "Om oss" team section (Nynorsk).(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields grew up in the United States and Italy, holds a bachelor's degree in biology and trained as a chiropractor; he chose the profession out of an interest in sport and health, inspired by his father, also a chiropractor.

      Where in the source: Clinic team section, Shields card — "oppvaksen i USA og Italia"

      Accessed:

    • Shields began practising as a chiropractor in 1996, did his internship in Hønefoss and Bergen, then worked in Bergen and Lærdal before opening a practice in Voss with his wife Siv.

      Where in the source: Jason Shields "Lær mer" panel — "Turnusten"

      Accessed:

    • Since 2012 Shields has led and developed Voss's Brazilian jiu-jitsu club, which trains in the clinic's training loft.

      Where in the source: Jason Shields "Lær mer" panel — "treningsloftet vårt"

      Accessed:

  • Maharishi School, "Maharishi School Alumnus Jason Shields Wins Ju Jitsu World Championship Golf", 7 September 2017 (Internet Archive capture of 18 May 2024).(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields graduated from Maharishi School in Fairfield, Iowa, in 1989, and learned Transcendental Meditation as a student there, which he called "the calm in the storm".

      Where in the source: Third paragraph — "class of 1989"

      Accessed:

    • According to his old school, Shields won the purple-belt title at the 2017 IBJJF World Master Championship by winning all four of his matches without conceding a point or an advantage.

      Where in the source: Fourth paragraph — "all four fights"

      Accessed:

    • Shields took up jiu-jitsu around 2011 after watching a match on YouTube; he contacted a black belt in a nearby city and started his club with that person's help.

      Where in the source: Sixth paragraph, Shields quote — "on Youtube"

      Accessed:

    • In 2017 Shields trained 15 to 19 hours a week alongside his clinic work, often in lunch breaks, in a dojo he had set up in a room above his office, while building Frontline Academy Voss and leading its competition team.

      Where in the source: Seventh paragraph — "15-19 hours"

      Accessed:

    • The school reported in 2017 that Shields mentors young people in the sport; he said he wanted to produce "generations of champions".

      Where in the source: Ninth paragraph, Shields quote — "generations of champions"

      Accessed:

  • Women Who Fight, "Webinar with Jason Sheilds: The Mindset of Champions", published 24 July 2021 (Internet Archive capture of 14 April 2024).(opens in a new tab)

    • In July 2021 Shields was described as an active brown-belt competitor under Ricardo Liborio, Eduardo "Teta" Rios and André Porto de Carvalho.

      Where in the source: Fifth paragraph — "active brown belt competitor"

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2014" official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields (Frontline Academy) placed third in the Master 3 blue-belt super-heavyweight division at the 2014 IBJJF European Championship.

      Where in the source: Male / Master 3 / Blue / Super Heavy (97.50kg), place 3

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2014" official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields (Frontline Academy) placed third in the Master 3 blue-belt super-heavyweight division at the 2014 IBJJF World Master Championship.

      Where in the source: Male / Master 3 / Blue / Super Heavy (215.00lb), place 3

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2015" official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields won both the Master 3 blue-belt super-heavyweight division and the Master 3 blue-belt open class at the 2015 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship.

      Where in the source: Male / Master 3 / Blue / Super Heavy (97.50kg) and Open Class, place 1 in both

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2015" official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields won the Master 3 blue-belt super-heavyweight division at the 2015 IBJJF World Master Championship.

      Where in the source: Male / Master 3 / Blue / Super Heavy (215.00lb), place 1

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2016" official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields won the Master 3 purple-belt super-heavyweight division at the 2016 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship.

      Where in the source: Male / Master 3 / Purple / Super Heavy (97.50kg), place 1

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2017" official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields won the Master 4 purple-belt super-heavyweight division at the 2017 IBJJF European Championship.

      Where in the source: Male / Master 4 / Purple / Super Heavy (100.50kg), place 1

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2017" official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields won both the Master 4 purple-belt ultra-heavyweight division and the Master 4 purple-belt open class at the 2017 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship.

      Where in the source: Male / Master 4 / Purple / Ultra Heavy and Open Class, place 1 in both

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2017" official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields won the Master 4 purple-belt super-heavyweight division at the 2017 IBJJF World Master Championship.

      Where in the source: Male / Master 4 / Purple / Super Heavy (222.00lb), place 1

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2017" official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2017 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship Shields won the Master 4 brown-belt super-heavyweight division and placed second in the Master 4 brown-belt open class.

      Where in the source: Male / Master 4 / Brown / Super Heavy (215.00lb), place 1; Open Class, place 2

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2018" official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields placed second in the Master 4 brown-belt ultra-heavyweight division at the 2018 IBJJF European Championship.

      Where in the source: Male / Master 4 / Brown / Ultra Heavy, place 2

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2018" official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields won both the Master 4 brown-belt ultra-heavyweight division and the Master 4 brown-belt open class at the 2018 IBJJF European No-Gi Championship.

      Where in the source: Male / Master 4 / Brown / Ultra Heavy and Open Class, place 1 in both

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2019" official results page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Shields won the Master 4 brown-belt super-heavyweight division at the 2019 IBJJF European Championship.

      Where in the source: Male / Master 4 / Brown / Super Heavy (100.50kg), place 1

      Accessed:

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