Grapple-A-Thon Afterthoughts

Well as everyone is quiet aware I always write blogs on cool events that happen whether it be tournaments, travel trips, or anything that pops into this strange mind of mines and yesterdays event should be no exception.

On March 30 2013 at the Xande Ribeiro's BJJ academy (my training facility) I hosted a grapple-a-thon event in an effort to raise money for the family of my friend Rustle Laidman who passed over a month ago. Planning the event was last minute and with all the weekly articles, regulard work, and other things going on I can truly say it was a tough challenge for me planning the event.

I was super nervous going into the event for various reason. Will alot of people come, will there be any problems on the mat between people, amongst other outside concerns...but like my past tournament expereinces my nervousness quickly deteriorted as time moved along.

Originally and from a financial standpoint the event was just a way to raise money..however as the event was at its begining stages looking at the various people over 30 people (from different gyms) interacting on the mat with each other...I thought to myself "hmm this may turn into something bigger".

As everyone lined up the bossman xande said his few words then I said my open speech.
Although looking back at it I thought the speech was kind of corney -lol- to sum it up it really was from the heart and reflected what I learned these past month which mainly talked about the people you meet help you grow no matter what your goals are.

In terms of the atmosphere itself it was REALLY something to be apart off and wayyy exceeded my original vision and expectations. Great training, No-Ego, Learning Something, and Having a great time all while helping for a good cause.

It was almost a mirror image of what it was like years ago at the CSULA BJJ open mat....A Place of Fun and Learning.

Even after the event everyone walked away from the event with something. Some people won gifts but most importantly made new friends along the way ( i saw some of the facebook adds and comments amongst the participants) so I  guess my corny speech worked in some way.-haha-

In terms of the feedback afterwards I got alot of great reviews. Originally this was going be the only one I do. However I have decided that. .....there will be another Grapple-a-thon event in the near future !!!! (maybe in June or July)

My rough draft idea at this time is to do a charity event raising money for a group of people or individual every 3 months that needs help that is in our martial arts community ( off course I am open for ideas). One thing I learned about my trip from Denver is the value of helping others and although we sometimes get verrry distracted with drama and other BS going on...I think it can be really beneficial for not only someone in need but also for yourself because you can gain alot out of it.

In closing I want to ask.......... "How Do You Really Want to Take a Stand ?"
you can standout with your pick-it signs giving negativity attention it actually wants or put it down and show those lames what this community is all about bring some light in dark circumstances.

I know what I want to do.

monta

also in terms of how i was able to complete my 120 minute challenge..well if u read my tournament blog u should know how i was able to do that ;-)

Colorado Tournament Expereince aka "THE LEARNING"

No matter what event happens in life each event always has a way of teaching us something. Due to the unexpected death of my friend I never got the chance to write about my Episode 3 of the “The Battle Within” from the “Fight to Win” tournament I competed in Denver, Colorado two weeks ago.


Unlike my last two tournaments, I ended up losing in the first round to (from what people told me afterwards) one of the top blue belt light featherweight in Co. It was probably the craziest fight I ever been in because I don’t remember anything that happen. All I remember was a lot of defending, a sharp sec of pain in my finger, and me getting sub in the end (YEAH IM NOT AFRAID TO ADMIT IT).

After congratulating my opponent as I walked off the mat I felt serious pain in my right middle finger. When I looked down my finger was shaped like the letter “V “which meant it got dislocated during the match. How I was able to keep fighting and not feel any pain is beyond me but overall walking off the mat I was at peace with myself knowing I gave it everything I had and just lost to a better fighter that day.

Since I returned to competing 6 months ago after a three year lay-off, every tournament is personal. Not personal in a sense of wanting to beat the person bad across the mat from me but rather a personal development experience toward growing and learning about my strength as an individual. Looking back on this event I can honestly say although I did not bring home a medal a reflection of my growth and attitude was revealed that day. Years ago I would have been vengeful, butt hurt, and probably be scared to compete again.

This time I felt different. I stepped out on the mat, went through a bit of bloodshed, experienced setback, and walk off the mat knowing I went through a tough situation which taught me some things. Boy has my attitude changed since 2005!!!
 

To be honest about it all I wasn’t mad at all about losing or even getting hurt. I was upset because due to the injury I wasn’t able to compete in the submission only absolute.

In terms of my injury situation the recovery has been going well. As a matter of fact it’s not a serious as I thought it would be. Although I have been in this aluminum brace for 2 weeks it hasn’t stop me from doing what I want to do. I’m still able to write articles and even train which includes sparring (with caution off course). I even have developed a one gi on no-gi grip strategy until I’m fully able to make a fist with my hand. So overall it hasn’t been bad. I’m just looking forward to recovering 100 % so I can compete again to see what else I can learn through this fighting experience.
 

So that is what happened. I know everyone likes to hear when I win but I wanted to be openly honest about each tournament experience I go through didn’t want to seem like a sore loser cause I’m far from that.
 

To end this blog I want to talk those who make fun or misjudge my views on competing. I know a lot of haters as of late have been quite vocal about my blogs about how deep which is fine.
 

I guess that is why I see some of those same people getting emotional when they get silver instead of gold, constantly being male groupies to these top rising stars, getting discouraged cause they aren’t progressing in skill and have nothing better to do that worry about what Monta is doing or saying.

Trust me I didn’t see it either until I was encouraged by a group of great MMA friends who taught me what competing is really about.
 

One thing I learned these past couple of weeks especially with the death of my friend and all the other crazy things going on in the world "Life is not sweet". As a matter of fact it’s hard to the point where it will drag you down making you feel very miserable where you want to give up at times...just like competing.

I’m not going to apologize because some of you don’t see things the way I see it. I’m not going to apologize for not crying like a bitch when I lose a match. I not going to apologize for staying strong through the tough hurdles I come in contact.
 

However what I know I will do keep fighting, keep growing, and off course (I know some don’t like when I say this but...strive in becoming a better man than I once was.

-monta 

 

Rustle Laidman: Warmth from the Cold

“The World is Cold So Wear a Sweater”.

On a drunken night in my college days at the 118 dorm with my roommates this was an expression we used to describe what was going on in the world we dwelt in. In fact the world is evil due to the corruption and ideology that comes with the society will live . However being blinded (negative) as we were at the time we never talked too much about the sweater which in fact symbolizes warmth from the blizzard showcasing there is some sort of good/ light to every dark situation.

Being in martials arts for almost 9 years I have had my share of  many experiences  that have shaped me into who I am today and who I continue to strive in becoming. My trip to Denver oddly enough molded the above quote I said 6 years ago into a reality. Cold Weather, Blizzard Snow, losing my bjj match, and a dislocated finger all became the unkind session from my time in The Mile High City. Luckily this trip offered some warmth from the storm as I made great new friends in the form of the people from Relson Gracie Colorado Crew who took care of me like I was one of their own (more on these individuals in future articles) along with meeting some other friends like Josh Cavan, Nick Laney, and old friend Kwai Long.  Its people like this that put things into perspective and make me blessed for the individuals that enter into my life .It also times like this that allow you to reflect  see how far you come and the people that got you where you are today.

After my loss at the “Fight to Win” tournament in Denver sitting at the hotel with a dislocated finger I got a phone call that literally sent my world crashing down to the abyss. My lifelong friend and martial arts mentor Rustle Laidman passed away. It was news that shocked me and for the first time ever I broke down as I curled in the corner wondering WTF was going on. I was confused as to how a great person could leave my life so swiftly with no sign whatsoever.

The Monta Wiley you see before you was not always the nice, mellow, charitable, hardworking guy you know him to be today. Flashback to my humble beginning at CSULA Martial Arts Program  due to some personal problems off the mat (death of my dad and other life quarrels) , on the mat trials as a martial artist, and just a little bit of having a child-adult like arrogance I was not the easiest person to be around. Although I was “trying” my attitude was negative and it wasn’t “Accommodating” with the instructors. No1 would dare step to me or u would most likely get cursed out or even physically violated but then there was this old guy name Mr. Rustle Laidman. A man of fearlessness, wisdom, humbleness, and darn right honestly opinionated (for good reason).

 Like myself, he was once an individual trying to find his own way in the world and has also battled his own demons. We were both rebels from different time periods using our own wits and cunning to become better and positive men through each hurdle in our path. At the time as negative and as nuts as I was I didn’t understand why he took a liking to me so much ( mind you I was very paranoid/untrusting of people at the time) he would stay after and spar BJJ with me, teach me judo moves when my sensei’s wanted nothing to do with me, give me a ride back home 20 minutes to the project Hood I lived in, He even protected me from getting booted from the judo program after a 2006 incident I did at a tournament which got me put on judo parole. Even to this day I never understood why he did it. I guess it was my blindness of that sweater (warmth) that existed in the cold world I was living in.

A couple of years later I found myself a little more mature and walking across the stage to receive me degree in Aviation. I don’t know what it was that day but for some reason I asked myself a question. I said who was my best friend during my time here in CSULA.. the name that instantly popped up first was Rustle ( true story no BS). I sent him an e-mail later that day and thanked him for being a great friend which he gave me a great reply letter on my growth. Oddly enough as I made my exit from CSULA he was making his own exit as he and his wife Janel moved to Oregon. It was as if IMO his work of helping so many people at the college was done.

After college we still kept in touch. He would always spy on my facebook waiting for the right time to Pounce putting me in check to get me back on track like he has done many occasions in the past and on one occasion boyyy did he ever which would be the next step that would take to a place I never thought I would find myself. Depressed and out on my luck in 2010 I use to write my thoughts and opinions on a creation I made known as the montablog venting my frustrations with martial arts and the world in general. On one occasion Rustle made his move making a harsh comment “ Your good with words but  I don’t feel you’re a great writer”. WTF I didn’t understand where this shit came from I wasn’t trying to be a writer I was just getting my thoughts out. Once again I found myself in a position pondering what my friend’s motives were. 3 years and many typed words later that “honestly harsh” statment from Rustle allowed me to produce hundreds of articles helping many people and making many friends across the globe (some of which I have become really close with)…WOW he did it again –lol-

As time moved later in life I found myself in a good stable condition. My training was going good, stable law-firm job, trying to touch people lives with my writing , amongst other blessings coming into my life it seemed like that troubled young goon from CSULA was gone and the MAN Monta Wiley came into being.

Well situated I decided to take a cross country trip around the U.S. One stop I made back in November of last year was to Portland, Oregon. The main reason for the trip was for two reasons which were to meet the people I did articles on and secondly too personally thank Rustle once again for helping me so much in my life. Sadly due to schedule conflict that meeting never happened with Rus.

Flash forward to January after a scandal that shocked the martial arts community ( I don’t need to say what it is). Being a well-known writer I voiced my opinion and got some great feedback. Later that day I received a message from my friend Rustle. I thought it was going to be another schooling lesson from my OG friend. On the contrary this is what he told me in a message…………….

Rustle Laidman: JJ been bery, bery, good to you also, Monta. You were painfully shy, unable to look people in the eye. Some instructors were not as accommodating of your personality as they were of Arun, so you've had to make your own way. But you have made your way. And in fact you're taking it in directions other people can't because of your talents. It's an ongoing process. I think it's harder for me and you than it is for somebody like Arun, but still, we have a lot to be grateful for.

Looking back at this message when I think about it he was letting me know I am on my own now and he had nothing left to teach me.

As I sit here typing this blog against doctor’s orders with my dislocated finger the physical pain I feel is nothing compared to the hole that is in my heart right now for the loss of my friend. I have had a lot of deaths come into my life over the past decade ( family members, friends, childhood idols, and other sad stories that touched home) which I was able to come to grips with and move on quickly due to the circumstances that what present in front of me. This however is a death that strikes the core literally makes my heart curl as I type each word.

My martial arts mentor, my friend, the individual who is responsible for my great writing career, and father figure..gone like that. Dang –smh-

However like the people I have meet in Denver and across the world I am so blessed to have had such a great person in my life that helped me become the man I am today who asked for nothing in return. I guess aside from my mother I now know where I got my charitable traits from.

It may take some time to get over but I know Rustle wouldn’t me acting this way. Guess this is another part of the Battle Within I promoted so highly off.

I once had an arrogant saying back then every time I ended training back at CSULA… “Monta Has Left The Building”.

As I continue down my life to becoming a better man each day. I just hope GOD see’s my effort.. so I can enter his building and see you again. Farewell my friend and thank you for being a part of my life.

From yours truly,

Monta Wiley

The 97 % vs. 3 % ( The Reverse Truth)

The past 3 weeks has been a rocky moment for the BJJ community. From rape allegations to ethic/ moral beliefs it clear that this is a sad and intriguing moment for everyone involved in BJJ. Emotions have definitely erupted over the past weeks causing a serious separation in two classes almost like a religious war –lol- which pits the proud 97 %ers against the almighty 3 %ers.

For those that don’t know what these #’s mean let me give you a brief synopsis. (don’t worry I will be unbiased)

3% er- is one that strives to reach his highest potential at all cost. In our world it is those competitors who aspire to be world champions with no other obligations but toward himself and his ascension in the ranks.

97% er-  a person who isn’t concerned with glory or gold medals but more centered toward personal growth. They carry a strong since of “martial art values” which upholds the standards of those who love the martial arts, and train to build strong Character, for Sport and to develop skill and awareness for Self-defense.

Each class carries a sense of pride in what they believe in. And with the recent letter from Ryan Hall and the picture of Keenan shown here, it is clear even the top dogs are choosing which class best fits them.

Reflecting back on my 8 ½ years of being in BJJ. I think it has evolved a lot especially with the rising stars many of us look up to, the world championship tournament now being in America, and many other components which got us to where we are today.

C’n all this change in front of my eyes Itruly believe the 97 % and 3 % is a little mixed up in terms of their classification. I truly believe that 3%er’s are really the 97 % and vice versa. Before you blow a fuse let me explain why.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is not a sport it is technically a martial art and if you know anything about martial arts you know what is true purpose is intended for. As this martial art progressed turing into a sport  especially with the rising popularity of MMA there became a shift in a practitioners mind frame from becoming martial artist to more of a competitor practicing martial arts. Even BJJ schools have shifted their philosophy to the point where $$$, becoming popular, and making prized athletes   is the central survival goal intheir expansion.

When I started BJJ in 04 the promotion for most schools was “learn techniques, lose weight, life changing, honor, integrity, -etc-“  NOW with the rise of competition teams you see promotions of a guy holding 50 medals and belts around his neck, Competition Team references, and all things closely related the sport aspect of being the best.( with no emphasis on growing as a person – at least from what I c these days-), which clearly displays what 97 % of the community thinks these days.

I guarantee you if you walk up to any person ( especially from a major competition team) they will tell you their goal is to become a world champion.

Then you have the 97 %ers ( aka IMO 3 % ers) these are people who carry the same values they were taught years ago . Although expansion and being good in competition is a plus for their team, above all else they carry strong values they were taught when they first started which centers on having integrity and respect for their fellow brothers and sisters - on and off the mat (along with the stuff I mention at the begining of this blog). With the state the community is in now reflecting back on their growth these few competent individuals realize more than ever what being in martial arts is all about. This is why they choose to take a stand for the foolishness going on today.

Being in this practice myself and looking back on my life in it I am most certainly a 97 % ( aka 3 %). Experiences, people I meet, and other concepts have molded my mind to believing this practice is made for helping people on a personal level bring positivity and strength in a person’s life. Sure it nice 4 me to learn new stuff or win a medal. .but lifelong friendships and personal growth is the biggest prize I’ve been blessed to obtain.

Some people (mainly those who chase gold) who aren’t from my time or understand my story might see things differently, just as I will never understand what make getting Gold so important in a person’s life as a martial artist. But hey everyone has opinions and views of things based on what they see or think.

Overall it is a serious fight going on now.

·         Beliefs vs. Glory

·         Medal Chasing vs. Personal Chasing

·         Competitor vs. Martial Artist

·         Good vs. Evil

However you want to call it this situation of 97 % vs. 3 % is on and popping…which is a battle I believe will never go away. Like hungry politicians grappling for supremacy  or Crips and Blood banging it out…if someone feels strongly about something in their heart they will fight 4 it to the bitter ends. Sux it had to be this way..but in my opinion it was coming eventually

In closing all I gotta say is dig deep and look at everything BJJ has to offer. I guarantee you will finds things you didn’t know exist that would help you big time on and off the mat

 

monta

Lost Principle

Ok I wasn’t going waste my time on the situation but by the request of some people looks like I going to step up and put my two cents in on this horrific incident that transpired 2 days ago. This will be the one and only time I talk about this so check it out.

I am not going sit here and waste my time bashing the two particular individuals that obviously have gotten an ear full from thousands of other angry people ( if u want to know what I’m taking about  check the link to the story here http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/01/matthew-maldanado-nicholas-schultz-accused-in-new-year-s-eve-rape-83850.html

Or

Center this blog another incident the sprung up which relates to the person who teaches these guys (if u want to know what I’m talking about check out the link to that story here  http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2013/1/10/3856994/team-lloyd-irvin-rape-case)

 

However what I will focus on is the forgotten principle that so many people have overlook/ignored when stepping into Martial arts. Since my return to competition as you have read in many of my past blogs I have talked about how experiences and practice in BJJ should be used to better yourself. When some people read my views they called me a HATER because I am not a medal chaser or compete at the highest level. Hmm pretty valid stand I guess. However let me tell u the problem with people’s opinion on my views.

There are A LOT people from different timelines that come into martial arts ( BJJ in this case) for the wrong reasons. Back in the early 90’s people saw Royce Gracie and wanted to be tough and break arms like him. Today one glimpse of the UFC boom everyone want to learn BJJ. As some of these people start to grow  (most likely) their ego gets bigger, the accomplishments/ medal stack rises then all of a sudden they have this “I’m feeling myself” attitude about themselves. The sad part is a lot of you Man fans/ Stans in BJJ end up falling in love with these people because they are WINNING and are such “GREAT PEOPLE” not knowing the truth behind the medals and happy faces in their moment of glory.

Now how does what I say relate to the incident. One’s attitude during practice and as an martial artitst transfers off the mat in their daily lives which causes them to make bad choices some of which lead to serious consequences. These clowns that did this to the girl are an example of  people that exist in our sport that have learned nothing but how to chase medals, brag about hurting people, and wanting people to adore them. Then when shocking news like this pops up everyone is so shocked and say it a “sad day for BJJ” no genius it’s not a sad day for BJJ.. BJJ is literally sad by the minute ….

If anything It’s a Sad day for the Victim.

There are two points I want to make concerning my above analogy…..

1.       We as a community need to focus on what this sport original purpose was which is to help you grow as a person in a positive way. Don’t get a wrong it cool to win in competition and learn stuff however acquire that through your journey of your purpose of becoming a better person. I can’t begin to talk about how much this sport has helped me. Also instructors need to start promoting the sport properly to prevent problems like this. The biggest problem I always had with Lloyd JJ marketing is he  promotes it as a way to draw people to become “champions” nothing else which is all a person will think about no matter if they grow positively on the inside or not. I learned long ago u can have all the money and all the medals in the world. But when you die and leave this earth your real legacy will be defined by what you have done for your fellow man.
      

        When it come to Monta Wiley (ME) Everyday of my life I am always striving or finding a way to become a better person than I once was yesterday.  Am I perfect.. NO......however it doesnt mean I cant attempt to move one step closer at being just that.Correcting my  mistakes, learn how to treat people, and make decision for a positive change. These are things I learned through martial arts.

2.       For you people admiring these rising stars who are medal chasers or top BJJ personalities  this is a prime example of what you don’t know will shock you.  Alot of these people you ended up adding on facebook because they great don’t give a damn about your friendship. You have NO clue who these people truly are or what they do are after the grappling medal festivities is over. If anything start focusing on being inspired by your instructors who actual have hearts that care about you, training partners you bleed on the mat with, or people stories that actually have some personal struggle in their rise to the top you can relate too.

 

 I’ll end this blog with a quote from a great martial artist i did an article on. Learn it well folks

 

"There's a lot more to it than just learning different techniques on the mat and winning medals in competition. What Jiu-Jitsu really is at the end of the day, is a vehicle to better your life in every single aspect.”- Harryson Franz

Monta 2012 Top 10 Moments (5-1)

5. Colton Smith Article- Writing Send Off ( taking a break from writing) : Although helping people with articles has been a great feeling for me, there are some things that comes with being a writer that can prove quiet stressful. 2 years deep of writing on a weekly basis I yearned for a break from writing to refresh my mind and build myself as an individual. Around August through September of this year a few a birds chirped me in the form of MMA instructor Jarrod Clontz, Army Personnel, and even his wife talking about this guy name Colton Smith. Reading his story I knew this was the way I should go out this year as a writer and boyyyy did I ever. Not only did the article get a lot of attention it really helped get another amazing story out to let everyone know WHO Colton smith really is ( there are Internet blogger who attack his character for what he did on the show). In the end Colton took a bunch of weight off my back and he went on to become the winner of The Ultimate Fighter Show that season.
Thx Colton and best wishes…don’t be a stranger K.I.T brother !!!

4. Academy Special Guest ( people I did articles on coming down to train at my academy) : There is one thing I ask for from the majority of the people I write about and that is simply to one day train with them. This year my academy had a lot of top stars stop by. Amongst this stars were also great guest I did articles on. Although they are not big yet having Ricky Johnson, Kyle Stewart, Jarrod CLontz, Tom Barlow, and Brock Gorang was super exciting for me on many levels. Every personality offered something different and training with each of them was off the hook!! I put this in the top 5 mainly cause it really gave me the opportunity to interact with the individuals I spent sleepiness nights writing articles on while also them getting to know the mystery man behind it all..

Thanks for coming down guys…...wonder who will be # 6?!

3. Getting Promoted by Xande from Blue to 4 stripe Blue Belt  : When I became a blue belt 5 years ago it was a great moment for me. But during that 5 year journey ( due to me living in different parts of the city and unfortunately having to switch school except for the last one) I never got anything. For years I stopped caring about getting anything and just focused on my growth in skill which helped me in the long run. Then along came the night on November 13th when Xande gave me 4 stripes in one night on my blue. As crazy as it may sound I was shocked a person at his level thought that much of me (to be honest I thought I wasn’t gonna get anything at all). Overall I felt vindicated for all those years I didn’t get any plus it gave me a since of that feeling “my instructor appreciates me as his student”.

2. Northwest Adventure (trip to Portland and Seattle) : One trip symbolized a dream come true. The other one can be considered a Revelation. A couple of years ago I saw this post card of a Space Needle and told myself “one day I will visit that place and be on top of that tower. Flash-forward to 2012 I found myself traveling to Seattle, Washington were my lifelong dream came true. While there I got a chance to do some great sightseeing which consist of Saceo Filed, the waterfront, and stand on top of the space needle. In addition I also got some training down there that took my game to the next level courtesy of the Foster BJJ team, everyone at Ivan Salaverry’s, and the best unknown grappler around Andrew Perkins.
Now on the other side of the coin you have Portland, Oregon. I never really made any intention or interest in going there, however with so many friends I did articles making the countless statement “Let’s Train” I figured it be a cool idea to go down there to see what’s up. To be perfectly honest I didn’t know what to expect when I went up there to visit Portland. While Seattle I was excited Portland I was more nervous if anything. I quickly found out that that nervousness I had was more curiosity which was revealed in the following 3 days I was there. Meeting those people like 10th planet Oregon Peeps, Brent Primus, and Tommy Leisman pretty much changed my life forever, it was almost like meeting long lost brothers (from an interaction standpoint). It really put into perspective and made me realize the impact my articles have on people. At times as a writer it can be hard but through meeting them it really motivated me to continue what I do and helping others.

1. My Return to Competition : Carrying over 5 years of baggage and demons to due past competition experience. With a little bit of motivation I finally decided to step out and give competition one more try. If you read my 2 part blog on this you know the details of my story on this matter......

http://monta-wiley.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-return-to-competition-war-from.html

http://monta-wiley.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-return-to-competition-war-from_9.html

Writing the 2 part blog was the toughest thing I ever had to do because for the 1st time I was letting everyone know who Monta was. To say the least I was scared because I didn’t know how people were going to react. Thankfully it was not only well received but other related to it. Through this it allowed me to launch as series of blogs and even Facebook wall post helping to motivate people concerning this matter and even life in general. I feel this is the # 1 moment of the year because in one moment it built me to become a stronger individual capable to tackles anything the world throws at me with no fear…while also inspiring other to do the same.

Monta 2012 Top 10 Moments (6-10)

10.      Attending a UFC event Ground Floor no Bleachers: Overall it was a new experience for me in many ways. Being on the floor side offers a spectator with a whole range of advantages. Not only did I see great action close up but also got a chance to see some fight personalities like Ronda Rousey and Royce Gracie…IMO the biggest celebrity I got to meet was my boss from fighthub.tv Marcos Villegas. Overall great experience that I will never 4got.

9.      BJJ Legends 1^st Magazine Publishing Article: This was big for me in many ways because one of my goals as a writer was always to have one of my pieces in a magazine. Not only was it great to have my work published in a book sold worldwide but to also have my instructor Xande on the cover was even cooler. This would have been at a higher # if it weren’t for some errors I saw made in the article by head editor…but overall I’m just very appreciative for getting the chance to accomplish a writing goal of mine.

8.      Kenny Florian Seminar: It not really much to say about this but in terms of MMA fighter that does bjj..Kenny Florian has been one of my favorite. The experience was very amazing training with him and his brother. Every time I had a question I called them over to soak all the knowledge I can get, plus so Bruno and Phan can get a lot of pictures of me with Kenny and Keith so I can have something to look back on.

7.      Starting at Xande JJ- Day 1 :  Taking a gamble I decided to give so cal jiu-jitsu one last shot and train with Mr. Xande Ribeiro..The Key word here is “DAY 1”. Coming in with some extra baggage from my previous academy although I was excited to train with Xande I was also very nervous. Every day I had this crazy thought that something bad was going to happen and that day will be my last. But as time passed along I began to loosen up and embrace my new team and instructor which has been a great time this past year.

6.      Training with Judo great Chuck Jefferson:  It has been over 3 years since I’ve done any Judo and for one time only I made my return to train with my all-time favorite judo player Chuck Jefferson. It terms of my visit to Chuck Jefferson's Judo it was an awesome. When I walked in and saw the layout of the facility I had to ask myself for a second...is this the right place? (Mainly because it didn’t look like your typical judo dojo).  The class went great that night but it was the following day that would remain a memory forever. The following day I was able to take judo private from him which was also amazing. At time we would sit on the mat and talk about the judo/jiu-jitsu problems and other things about my experience and his experience. Never in a million years had I thought I would be sitting down talking normal with my favorite judo player. Thank for the friendship Sensei Chuck hope to see you next year!!  also shoutout to ..Sensei Lee Heitzman!!