Former UFC and Pancrase champion Bas Rutten posted this photo on his Facebook page today, featuring Detroit Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder in a gi wearing his white belt with two stripes. Pictured alongside Rutten and Fielder is Jon Burke, the trainer at VI Levels Fitness where Fielder has been training this offseason. Among Burke's clients at VI Levels are Shaquille O'Neal, Paula Creamer, Ryan Longwell, and Fielder.
Fielder's Brazilian jiu-jitsu training seems to be going well, as you can tell that he's lost a lot of weight. The two stripes on his belt indicate that he's halfway towards consideration for a blue belt, the next belt an adult can earn past the white belt. After four stripes, Fielder would be eligible for a blue belt. It's unlikely he'll be able to train much once the season begins in two weeks, so it looks like that Fielder is going to fall short of his blue belt this offseason.
At any rate, it's pretty cool to see Fielder using an unorthodox training method to get in shape, and hopefully it will entice other professional athletes into practicing jiu-jitsu as part of their workout routine.
