Dec 07, 2015

mahabis interviews // luke jarvis, jiu jitsu photographer

luke jarvis // mahabis ambassador jiu jitsu

Wearing his mahabis everywhere from the studio to the jiu jitsu mats, photographer Luke Jarvis takes some time out from martial arts to talk to us about his downtime.

Describe what you do in one sentence…

I’m a photographer for Neal’s Yard remedies and full time jiu jitsu nerd with Ippon Gym, Bournemouth.

How did you first get into photography?

My dad used to have an old Olympus slr which I used to toy around with all through my childhood, him and his dad were always into photography and I guess it’s just something that I picked up from them!

Where is your favourite place to shoot?

Luckily Dorset has thousands of incredible sights and is perfect for any photographer, we have a beautiful coastline and incredible landmarks too, like Durdle Door. Recently my gym is my favourite spot, It’s a great size and really well lit, I think because i’m there a lot there’s no nerves shooting or getting in the way!

Where do you get your inspiration from, and if you’re experiencing a creative block, how do you recharge your ideas?

The places i shoot help a lot with inspiration! I’ve been lucky enough to shoot some amazing events and great locations too, and these do make your job a lot easier! when I’m stuck for ideas jiu jitsu helps, when training your forced into awkward positions and you start to see in things from a different perspective (literally!), just shaking up how you view what you want to shoot helps loads.

Has jiu jitsu always been something you’ve been interested by?

I got into jiu jitsu in a big way around two years ago but before that its always something i’ve bee interested in yeah, unfortunately a footballing injury left me with a torn cruciate ligament and hefty surgery just as i started to get into bjj so it was a long wait until I could actually give it a try!

Has practicing jiu jitsu changed your lifestyle?

Absolutely! it’s a tough martial art and it demands dedication your end but the return is great! it’s rare to find a martial art that encourages creativity and flow like bjj. Since starting I’ve found my social life if mostly jiu jitsu now, anyone will tell you its a great, close knit community. My team mates are my family and the gym is a second home these days.

Do you find it helps you to de-stress or relax?

It does but not in the usual sense of going in a thrashing it out. You find it just takes over your thought process. You go in after a rubbish day and its a really positive experience where your learning all the time.

Three picks from your music collection that you reach for when you want to relax…

ha! tough one:

Jurassic 5 - Concrete Schoolyard
People Under The Stairs - Acid Raindrops
Ugly Duckling - Rio De Janeiro

How have you been wearing your mahabis in the past month?

I’ve been wearing my mahabis EVERYWHERE! They’ve been my go-to footwear if I’m in the studio or on my feet all day. They’ve also become my pre and post jiu jitsu footwear too! I incorporate them into most outfits, love 'em!

Which colour combination did you go for and why?

I went for the Classics in Larvik Light grey and Gotland Green soles. Most of my wardrobe is black, white or grey! so the green certainly helps inject a bit of colour!

How important is downtime for you?

Its pretty important.

My job sees me travelling around quite a bit which as glamorous as it sounds can lead to long days, late nights and early starts, this plus fitting training in means its sometime tricky to balance my job with my lifestyle.

I've recently started making time to just relax and already feel the benefits both in work and the gym.

If you had an extra hour in the day, how would you spend it?

On the mats!