ORIGIN STORY
By Michael Trajan Todoran
AKA Mikola One
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Chess Set
Why
In October 2020, I decided to move my family from Los Angeles, California, to Salt Lake City in search of a quieter lifestyle centered around family. It was important to us to build a community quickly since we did not have any family or friends in our new city.
At the time, my son was 8 years old, and it was important to me that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu would be his first martial arts discipline. The process of finding a school was methodical. We took advantage of trial periods at several dojos in the area until we stumbled upon Gracie Barra in Sandy, Utah, led by Duayne Bowers. Immediately, we knew it was the perfect fit. Our original intent was for only our son to attend, but after watching him on the mats, I immediately joined the school as well.
Like many others before me, I became increasingly obsessed with everything Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: training, drills, literature, and media consumption. These influences provoked my conscious and subconscious mind. Frequently, the analogy of chess and Jiu-Jitsu was used across these platforms as a way to frame the dynamic range, subtlety, strategy, and the inevitable tap or checkmate.
As an avid chess player and visual artist, I knew I had to create a chess set for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that seamlessly married the rich traditions of both disciplines.
The Design Process
The design process started with respect. The earliest life lessons I was able to offer my son came through the chessboard. At three years old, he was trained to begin each game by looking at his opponent, extending his hand for a handshake, and confidently saying, “Good luck, Sir,” or “Good luck, Ma’am.” After a game, whether he won or lost, he was taught to say, “Good game, Sir,” or “Good game, Ma’am.” We drilled this repeatedly until it became second nature.
When he began BJJ at Kron Gracie’s school in West Los Angeles at age 5, I experienced one of my proudest moments as a father. The students lined up in belt ranking, and my son, being the newest and smallest, stood at the very end. When the instructor introduced himself, my son immediately shot out his arm, gave a firm handshake, looked him directly in the eyes, and said, “Nice to meet you, Sir.” I saw a smile wash over the instructor's face, and his body language immediately changed to match the level of respect given to him. The instructor glanced around the room to see whose son this was. We locked eyes, and I gave him a nod, silently acknowledging that my son was mine. He gave me a subtle nod of approval before commencing the class.
During the design process for the chess pieces, I often asked myself: Would a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu red belt give me a nod of approval upon seeing this piece? Would a Chess Grandmaster approve of the set? If the answer was no, I searched for the "yes" answer. I also looked within myself, repeatedly asking if the direction I was going satisfied my needs for both artistic integrity and innovation.
After determining that respect was the driving force behind the design, I began my research. For the heights and base sizes of the pieces, I referred to the International Chess Federation guidelines for tournament pieces.
What fascinates me about Jiu-Jitsu is the diversity of individuals on the mat at any given time. I recall one particular sparring session where I realized I had sparred with a female police officer, a convicted felon, a mother, a wrestler, a businessman, a teenager, and a senior citizen, all from different ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds.
The personalities and body types of my training partners inspired the aesthetics, styles, and postures of the chess pieces. The King is inspired by Grandmaster Mitsuyo Maeda (“Count Koma”) and my lead instructor, Duayne Bowers. My favorite detail about the King is his hand resting on his worn belt.
The Queen is an amalgamation of several female Jiu-Jitsu practitioners I know personally and have seen at tournaments. After a hard roll, it is common for a Gi to open from being pulled, pushed, and yanked. I wanted to acknowledge this detail in my chess set, manifesting it in the Queen’s design.
The Castle sits in the Seiza meditation position, representing a stoic, confident, and seasoned warrior. Its ears are heavily cauliflowered.
For the Bishop, I broke away from the traditional all-male chess sets and decided that a woman in a classical contrapposto fine art stance best represents the eloquence of diagonal movements across the board.
The Knight is a fierce competitor. It was important to convey a menacing sensibility in its design. I went through several iterations before achieving a look that instills fear in anyone unfortunate enough to stare it down.
The last and arguably most dynamic piece is the Pawn. The Pawn sits in a traditional lotus meditation posture, ready to fight both an internal quest for knowledge and external opponents.
Sentiment Behind the Set
My sentiments toward the pieces are grounded less in the idea that higher-point-value chess pieces equate to higher-ranked Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. Instead, I view the pieces as representing the different spirits one experiences while sparring with an opponent.
After the traditional slap-bump to acknowledge agreement to combat, you might start the session with a Pawn mindset, simply trying to advance. Your opponent’s counter may force you to react fiercely like a Knight. When thwarted, you might abandon a position and move laterally like a Castle. Spotting an exposed arm, you channel your inner Bishop to reach across diagonally and collect it. Once you secure the arm, you transition to position yourself for a rear-naked choke, embodying the Queen’s versatility. Finally, sinking the choke and earning the tap, you ascend to the role of the King.