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Monday, June 9, 2008

World Bronze Medalist

This past weekend I won a Bronze medal in the Brown Belt Ultra Heavy Weight Division at the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Championships!!! It was an awesome experience! I had a ton of fun being there with my wife and little girl. We had some spare time to check out a few fun things in Long Beach too while we were there.

I had a couple good matches on the way to the bronze medal. I also was able to see more of what the "next level" for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is all about. I have a long way to go but I think its reachable. I hope to keep on winning medals and improving my technique as I work my way to my black belt.

In my division I had a nice submission win over a tough opponent (Lalo Salazar) and then lost a decision to Gustavo Dias.

In the Absolute Division I won with a submission over an athlete from Finland (I used a Kimura Arm Lock), then won by advantage point over a Brazilian, and then lost to Kayron Gracie by submission just two matches shy of the medal rounds. It was a much better experience than I had last year losing one and done.

Now that I have medalled at Pan Ams and Worlds in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu I am looking forward to winning those tournaments in the years to come. I am grateful the Lord has blessed me to be able to compete and do the things that I enjoy and feel that I need to do in life. It has been awesome to be winning again!

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Fighting Spirit


The Pancrase World Submission Wrestling Championships was a great time for me and my family. I had been having some problems with my back over the last few weeks and it hurt so bad it was killing me.

The first match I had out there was against an athlete that looked like nothing physically and I thought I would run through him...DOH!!! So after I had taken him down and a few seconds later I was tapping out to a knee bar. I was shocked! I couldn't believe I had just lost my division! Especially to a physically inferior opponent! I then got more mad and focused than I have in years and choked my opponent for 3rd and 4th in under 30 seconds which won me 3rd place.

I had to stand with the other competitors and receive my 3rd place medal...I walked over to where my wife and girl were talking with a friend and I threw my medal down on my gear...I was even more mad after I won 3rd...and more focused on DESTROYING any and all opponents in my way to the Absolute title. Throwing my medal was very uncharacteristic and I'm usually as graceful and humble in defeat as in victory...but today was different. Something inside me decided it was time to fight and fight hard.

In the Absolute division I submitted (with a one arm smother choke) my first opponent in less than 2 minutes. Then I submitted (with a Kimura armlock) my second opponent in about the same time. Then in the finals match I defeated my last opponent on points...I had a chance for a submission but my aggravated back didn't allow me the flexibility I needed to finish it.

I was awarded a HUGE trophy, a nice medal, AND, the tournaments OUTSTANDING GRAPPLER award!!! It was an awesome experience and I am so glad that I was blessed with the seemingly NEGATIVE outcomes and circumstances that forced me to REACT and ACT in a way that was necessary for me to succeed and win the title that I REALLY wanted. Sometimes the LORD works like that and sometimes we have to be willing and ready to pick our self up and take another shot as soon as we can. It was an awesome feeling to comeback and overcome and be the champion for the whole tournament and outstanding grappler. It was even sweeter that my little family was there with and for me.

I am now able to have the title of WORLD CHAMPION!!!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

"KING OF COMBAT GRAPPLING"!!!

March 15th I won my FIRST World Championship!!! I won the Pancrase World Championships of Submission Wrestling. I won the title of "KING of Combat Grappling"!!! Pretty exciting! I will write more when I get a chance. It was a great weekend and great blessings!!!

Friday, March 7, 2008

Pancrase..."World" Championships

I will be competing in the Pancrase Submission Wrestling "World" Championships on March 15th. We will be taking the trip to Denver, Colorado. It was formerly called the North American Championships...which I won 3 out of the last 4 years. I am hoping to win this tournament and have some fun in the process.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Wrestling Training

Training has been improving at UCTC. We have a few more bodies to train with. More bigger guys to train with and its getting fun! I am having better workouts and hope things keep going well.

Planning on a training trip to Canada soon...hopefully. Read an article on www.themat.com about my training partner Ari Taub.

Here is a link: http://www.themat.com/index.php?page=showarticle&ArticleID=18177

Hope it works...DOH!!!

Pancrase in 15 Days!!!!!

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Training

Training has been going well. Getting in shape and ready for the Pancrase Championships in Denver, Colorado.

Also getting ready for Greco Roman Nationals which qualifies for Olympic Team Trials in June.