Our Story

Besnek Jiu Jitsu began in 2017 with Murat Besnek training with a few friends to prepare for international competitions. As a family man, Murat was unable to train as often at De Been Jiu Jitsu in St Kilda as he once had. As the word got out about the local competition training, more and more people wanted to train with Murat. What started off as a Jiu Jitsu competition training session with friends soon had Murat fielding questions and teaching techniques to his peers. Today, Besnek Jiu Jitsu has a loyal following of students who train for competition, fitness and some fun.

Murat Besnek is a 3rd-Degree Black Belt under Peter de Been, and has competed and won many State, National and Pan Pacific medals. Besnek Jiu Jitsu was once solely a place where people trained for competition; these days it is more predicated on creating a balanced lifestyle than being a school which solely emphasises competition. This does not mean competition training isn't available — it is — the goal has simply become much broader due to demand.

While training Jiu Jitsu, Murat aims to provide an opportunity for members to regain physical fitness and mental well-being, and an avenue to socialise in a healthy way. As for kids, Murat wants to give them a chance to have fun and get strong while learning practical Jiu Jitsu techniques. Jiu Jitsu is great for kids — it keeps their minds occupied while helping them learn how to defend themselves, build friendships and practise social skills, all the while staying active.

Murat understands very well that to excel at the elite level in any field requires total dedication, and he is more than happy to assist anybody trying to win major titles in Jiu Jitsu or MMA. He still competes internationally a couple of times a year, chasing the dream of an international medal, while working full-time as an academic teaching Economics at Charles Sturt and La Trobe University.