Greg Jackson was born in Washington DC, but moved to the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico when he was six months old. His family didn't own a television until he was nine, so his early influences were based on books, which built within him a rich history of literature and fueled his imagination. But growing up a white kid in a Hispanic neighborhood, he was forced to fight almost daily to prove his worth. Jackson soon took to the martial arts to defend himself and became an ardent student of anything and everything that was practical in a fight, including the wrestling that his father and grandfather (both state and national champions) taught him. By seventeen he was teaching his fighting skills to a dedicated few in an Albuquerque dojo and by thirty years old he was the most influential trainer in the growing sport of Mixed Martial Arts. His long list of champion fighters reflects the complete dedication Greg Jackson has made to the evolution of unarmed combat.