About Artichoke

Origin Story

My name is Art "Artichoke" Alvarez and I used to train at Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu in Chino Hills, Ca. I reside in Los Angeles, CA and along with being a Mixed Martial Artist, I am also a Pen & Paper Artist.

One day in class one my classmates asked why I haven't gotten into making MMA/BJJ designs and start selling shirts out of my trunk like the TAPOUT guys. I didn't have an honest answer to give, with the real reason being that I was afraid to put my stuff out in the world and it failing or people not liking my content.

For a while I contemplated the idea however, it was in my very first tournament before hitting the mat against my opponent that I told myself, "I have trained long and hard to see if my JJ skills are good enough to help me win and if I can do that I can do anything." While I lost my first match to an arm triangle the support my team and friends gave me helped me realized that nobody really cared if I won or lost they were happy that I put myself out there and gave it a try. I guess being choked out in front of my team and them all having my back was the motivation I needed to get started. 

While I never got around to selling shirts out of my car, I had created Artichoke Fight Gear as a way for me to display and sell my MMA/BJJ inspired artwork. I hope you like my artwork and help support my dream.

If you're not up to purchasing any of my merchandise but, have your own ideas please connect with me via text, email, or DM "CAN YOU DRAW ME SOMETHING? to get started. If not thanks for dropping by and if possible please share my services with someone you may know who needs custom artwork. Thanks.

Artichoke