In interviews, Sean Patrick Flanery has made a big point of his desire to present an authentic picture of BJJ as it was executed in the 1990’s. He calls it, “ugly jiu jitsu,” and the fight sequences, choreographed by Flanery himself, are definitely a highlight of Born a Champion.
Framed within the conceit of a documentary and narrated by protagonist’s Mickey Kelley’s best friend, Taco, the movie is half love story, half fight film, but wholly devoted to praising jiu jitsu. Flanery, who is himself a black belt, offers the audience a title card after the final scene, calling his movie “a lover letter to jiu jitsu.