Xpereince : Continuing On

"Every New Beginning Comes from Some Other Beginnings End"- Seneca

Well it seems like my awesome two year venture with  Xande Ribeiro and Gang has come to an end as I now find myself back where I started in 2011 with no BJJ home ( wow talk about full circle). I cant begin to explain how  blessed I am to be apart of such a great team and instructor and although it sucks that it has come to an end one thing life has taught  is to stay strong, never give up, and keep moving forward which I will continue to do.

A new purple belt in hand, instructor back in Brazil, and team disbanded I guess the question everyone has been wanting to know is "What Are You Going to Do Now Monta"? I asked myself that same question and if you would have asked me earlier this month I would have told you I Don't Know. Fortunately now I do have an answer so here goes.

After visiting some new gym options, thinking, and talking with some close friends I have reached a decision. Starting next year sadly I will no longer be under Xande Ribeiro Jiu-jitsu and I am now apart of  ... Team (click link).

---------------------------------------------------------------------




If you click the link all I gotta say is ....GOTCHA !!!! ;-)

The reason for this decision has nothing to do with loyalty to the Bossman but rather a sense of happiness and satisfaction with the association I am apart of. Coolest thing I have discovered about being apart of the Ribeiro team is whether you looking to become a world champion or just another dude training, fellow  people that are apart of the group (at least the ones I have meet outside my gym team)  will be willing to help you the best way they can whether it is picking you up for the train station, hang out afterwards, giving advice, or even giving you a place to stay as an out of towner.

There is certainly no shortage of charity with this faction even when being caught in the confusing situation I found myself in after Xande's departure back to Brazil.So I figured why go through the pains of joining another academy, starting over, trying to fit in, and other quarrels  if a situation can be resolved/fixed. ( especially since I just train and compete on occasion).

Thanks to two special individuals (whose choose to remain anonymous) the option of remaining Ribeiro is now possible as  I will now be cross training between 2 Ribeiro gyms on a weekly basis. This way I can continue to maintain a regular training routine, stay a purple belt under the same team, and   above all it eliminates the "burning bridges"/ offending anyone factor with my actions.
I guess you can call me a Ronin  Ribeiro Guy.

Many great BJJ practitioners such as Tom Barlow, Adamson Brothers, Darragh O Conaill, and lets not forget about a truck load of 10th planet practitioners have followed this road/format I am embarking on and excelled well without the 100 % dependency of their instructor...So hey as the peer pressure of drinking would suggest "Don't Diet It, Try It" ( ok that was a bad example)

In addition my training won't stop there as I will now be devoting some of my time on Thursday Nights at my old college Cal State Los Angeles at the BJJ Open Mat. The CSULA Martial Arts Program is where I got my start from and I can honestly say if it weren't for the people that helped me I wouldn't be the person I am today. On many occasions when I left the college I wanted to go back but wasn't ready. Now with a purple belt , 9 years of experience, and a little more mature I think its only fitting I go back and give back to my community that did so much for me being the uncontrollable, angry, opinionated character I was at the time.

Also FYI that also means all you other  Xande Ribeiro Ronins  now have a spot to train on Thursday nights !! :-)

As for the rest of my plan for next year the script remains the same.... training, writing, Grapplethon events, traveling, challenging myself in competitions (going for 3-4 tournaments next year), and cant forget about my good ol paper job...So only thing to do at this point is.... Continue On.

Typing this last blog of this year all I can do is reflect and prepare for what is to come next year.
2013 was a wild and crazy year filled with ultimate highs and super lows points which has helped in my growth as a person. I don't know what 2014 will bring but one thing is 4sure whatever challenges come my way...the goal will always remain the same.

 Becoming a better man than I .........(awww I'm tired of writing this year you know the rest !!!!) :-)

Peace Out

monta (pronounced like Monday with a "T" replacing the "D")

Xperience : Leading The Way

"Our Lives Aren't Just Measured in Years. The Measure of Our Lives Are The People We Touch Around Us"- Peeta Mellark (Hunger Games: Catching Fire ).

Everything in life happens for a reason including the people that enter into it. People don't come into our lives by accident and although  their presence  may  often be  temporarily the interaction provides as a great learning experience to help us in our growth whether the lesson is harsh or uplifting.

I have meet a lot of people along my life journey especially  in my many travels in the MMA/BJJ world. Sitting here writing this blog it still blows my mind of one particular individual and if anyone would have told me 7 years ago that he would be my instructor when I first became a fan  back  at the Pan Ams 2006 I would have called them a bold face liar. But hey nothing happens by accident RIGHT ?
I would like to define the 2 year tenure as not just your typical getting better at BJJ session but also a call of action by someone to force one to improve every aspect of our lives. The individual I am talking about is Alexandre "Xande" Ribiero.

For all you newbies in the game if you don't know who Xande Ribeiro is you need to look him up as he is regarded as one of the most accomplished BJJ fighters of all time. Since 2006 I have somewhat followed his career . While many BJJ greats had the skills and work ethic that made them champions on countless occasions the thing that stood out about Xande for me was his attitude which can be described as  a fearless warrior  ready to go through whatever obstacle  to achieve his goal.

Years passed on in my own journey as I was gradually  trying to find my own place in the bjj universe as a blue belt. But it wasn't until 2011 where I found myself in an unhappy training situation  which left me at a standstill of WHAT NOW ? Xande also seemed to be settling off on his own journey at the time as he moved from San Diego to Los Angeles.  I was stoked when I found back in May 2011that he was going start a school in MY city so why not give it one more shot and  train under a world champion I respected plus I figured being at the start of something for once would be great becuase  I would get the chance to see the academy built from the ground up.

Contrary to what people might have thought (at least IMO) me and Xande were never close from a  friendship standpoint (not to say we didn't get along because we got along great).99 % of our time together was spent on the mat. It's not to say I didn't want to be it just that when I came into the program I had instilled a mentality within myself to "play my position" above everything else which was to be the best student I can be and doing what Xande told me personally to do from day one which was staying committed to my training and my new BJJ family.

The months  passed on as a found myself making close friends with my teammates (some people I consider brothers) while also learning BJJ techniques from the best. However moves taught in BJJ can only apply in the field of combat ( competition and self-defense) because although I learned some great techniques  I learned something far greater which happens to be a challenge all of us go through daily  ...LIFE.

Life is challenge every time you walked out of the door filled with various issues  whether it is on your job, relationships, becoming the best at your craft, or some uncertainty within ourselves.  BJJ World Champions are also not prone from this attack  including Xande. (hopefully I don't get in trouble for saying this but here goes)...

On occasion (especially in Year 2) Xande would come  to class and you can tell something was bothering him. It was like the weight of the world was on this man's shoulders as he took each step trying to overcome whatever "battle within" he was going through. But after strapping on that white kimono something happen  which is something I never seen in all my 9 years of training. Whether it was verbal poetry or raw emotion  he would turn it into positive energy on the mats running intense classes while  spitting words I never heard come out of an instructors mouth something you couldn't find at your typical BJJ gym bound by the rules of train hard and pay your tuition.

"Every time you walk out of your house there is gonna be a challenge how are you gonna respond to it"

"You don't have to be a BJJ World Champion just a better person than you once were"

These were just small examples of  encouragement/motivation he instilled in us something no fan or seminar attendee could ever get. Xande was a man that truly understood what this game is all about.
 He was able to connect life trials with BJJ trials which gave us all a boost of confidence of whatever task or hurdle we were taking on to become better which is certainly made him worthy of the title Bossman..

On a personal note knowing Xande (especially a famous person of his caliber in the BJJ World) provided great influence and a sense of clarity that I wasn't alone. That I wasn't the only deep one , that I too was fighting every day to become better, reflecting, and through it all trying make my own positive contribution to society. It is those qualities that made me proud to be his student, wanting to learn more on how to be better, proud to take two metro trains and a bus 3 to 4 times a week at night to the academy, and most importantly  (n this thought never crossed my mind ever)..... someone I wanted a BJJ Black Belt from someday.

Unfortunately  life has a way of throwing wrenches in the equation as Xande's life (4 good reasons) was directing him into a new direction back to Brazil. Although I understood the reasons I did not take it very well (I have my reasons). Being that I lost so much this year (if you been following my timeline in 2013) this was something that I was angry and upset about asking the burning question why me ?. Not only my instructor but also all the friends (teammates I made in the process all gone. It hurt  me deeply even much so that for the first time I BROKE...I wanted to quit BJJ for good cause nothing seemed to work for me. Then all the reason for this sadness hit me.

At that moment I realized this guy is truly making an impact in my life and although I was to prideful to admit it to his face under my straight blank/clueless face demeanor I didn't want him to go, I still needed him in some way to continue helping me...a painful hurt I kept bottled up.

But even in dark sad times Xande always had a way to keep everything positive . Heading into the  Jiu-jitsu Jam/Seminar at Oceanside Jiu-jitsu on 12/3/13 all I truly wanted was just one more time to learn and train with him which I got. Little did I know I had something else waiting for me that night. Giving his speech he talked about the many special people he met during his time in LA. I don't remember much after that but I do remember him reaching in his Gi and pulling out a Purple Belt and saying my name.

The emotion I felt that day was overwhelming filled with shock, surprise, dumb founded for a minute and gratitude. It's was so overwhelming that after he put the purple belt around me I went into a  Daydream Seizure for 10 minutes because I didn't think any of it was real. Even looking back on that day it hard to explain how I felt but I can tell you one thing I was humbled and honored to become his Purple belt. Now if that isn't a way to end a great chapter I don't know what is.

If you want to know about how lives are measure by the people we meet this is what this experience  did for me and whether it is truly temporary (The END) or a mere set up to an upcoming sequel if definitely taught me a lot about myself.

and its not really much to say but ......................

thx Boss Man

1 % better or maybe even 2 % in this case

-monta (pronounced like Monday with a t replacing the d) :-)



to be continued next blog will talk about my training future.........................................

Quick-Stop Grapplethon

Hey everyone welcome to the first installment of Quick-Stop Grapplethon. In an effort to continue our campaign of community and charity the event will be held at the same location as Grapplethon 2.

Dan Lukehart's Brea Jiu-jitsu Academy
379 W. Central Avenue
Brea, California 92821

The Grapplethon events this year in my opinion has been one of the best ideas we came up with which has brought new life and opportunities for all of us here in the Southern California community. So being that the end of the year is coming to a close and competition bug cools off why not spend it one last time doing what we do best training and helping someone in need.

What is a Quick-Stop Grapplethon: Our past Grapplethon events have been organized in an event format filled with challenges, prizes, training and charity. A quick stop Grapplethon event is focused on the core of the purpose which centers of Charity and unity with the community.

What is the Cause? -

This Quick-Stop Grapplethon will focus on helping John Flite. Here is his story (told by John Himself)

John Flite : My name is John Flite. I am a Philadelphia Probation Officer but BJJ is my passion. I am 42 years old and married to my wife Amy. I am a father of two kids. Gabe is 11 and Rosie is 17. I have been training BJJ for a little over 5 years. In August I was promoted to the rank of purple belt by Jared Weiner. My son Gabe also trains under Jared also. This was suppose to be an exciting time for my family. My daughter is a senior in high school and will be off to collage next year. After I revived my purple belt I noticed my energy levels were off. I went to the Doctor and on October 7, 2013 I was diagnosed with Leukemia. I was told it was in 40% of my bone marrow and that I would have to be admitted to the hospital to receive chemo therapy. I was admitted on October 14, 2013 and as of this writing (12/11/13) I have been hospitalized since. I was given two rounds of intensive chemo therapy which seems to have crushed the cancer for now. My Doctor said I may be discharged within the next few days depending on the results of a couple more tests. I have done my best to stay positive the whole time. I keep telling myself that I refuse to be sick! I started writing about my situation on Facebook and was amazed by the outpouring of support I was getting from the BJJ community! Many people that I have never meet reached out offering support to me and my family. It touched me and has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life. I think Leukemia is going to make me a better person in the end! I am not sure what the future holds for me. I may need more chemo down the line and I may need a bone marrow transplant but my Doctor is optimistic about me being cured! I continue to fight this battle and refuse to stop until I win! I couldn't do it by myself. Without the support of my family and the BJJ community I'm not sure that I would be doing as well as I am.

 

Date: December 21st 2013

Price: $15 {nothing more nothing less}

Raffle Prizes: not that it will be a major focus but there will be 5 raffle prizes given away for the event. {Raffle ticket will be free with your $15 entry}

For more information, updates, or to sign up visit
Quick Stop Grapplethon



Or free to contact me at monta_193@yahoo.com

The Memory of Frank Edge- A Continuted Legacy

Writing these blogs are by no means an easy task to complete. They are deep written reflections of the emotions which is covered through the knowledge I have gained from  life experiences and people I have come in contact with. Life journey without a doubt teaches us valuable lessons and although some are filled with a harsh/painful format in most cases the end always justifies the means which can open our minds to a concept we were once blinded by.

Friday Morning found myself at a very familiar and dark moment in my life to be awaken with the sad news that my friend Frank Egde had passed away after a long hard fought battle with cancer. With scars still fresh from a friend's death earlier this year this death without question made my heart drop when I heard the news finding myself in a deja vu position I wished would never happen so soon.

Although I knew Frank for a short period of time (4 months to be exact) through my conversations with him, following his story, and my process  of creating his Grapplethon event I am caught in a limbo of emotions one filled with pain/bitterness and another of humbleness/being well-healed.

In the pain sector I am in a space of being sad that once again I lost a friend I cared a great deal about. Finding myself in my own frustrating examination period in which  the main question that arise is Why ?
- why did Frank have to go through this - Why must a wife carry that heavy burden of losing her other half and why must two sons carry on life without their dad. It's scenarios like these that make the game of life seem unfair to cope and deal with  which unfortunately leaves a bigger set of unanswered questions and anger toward our creator at times. (a small bit of pain which I will carry with me day by day)

On the other side of the coin through knowing Frank the humbleness/being well-healed keeps me moving forward and being down in the dumps. It truly amazing and was a honor to learn so much from this man's life. The power he had to reunite old friends, brining strangers together form new alliances, and also revealing our own compassion for our fellow man.

At this time I would like to share a personal letter I wrote frank along with the donation.. It pretty much reveals the impact he made not only on myself but also the grappling community here in southern California
-------------------------------------------

Dear Frank Edge

Before I go deep into this letter I want to start off by saying YOU ARE THE MAN! It’s people like you who inspire me every day to never give up on things that get me down in life and judging from the  turnout  of Grapplethon 2 a lot of people must have felt the same way.

The event was a great turnout which featured over 60 people in attendance which was far bigger than Grapplethon 1 which had 27 people. I’m not sure if you are  into grappling scene news but due to the major world champions/ well established schools here in southern California there are a lot of politics and a little ego when it comes to training at other academies other than your home gym.

However this event showed a glimpse of what can happen when all that is put aside. Everyone had a great time showcasing great unity /brotherhood while also showing our support for you at the same time.

In other words I know you don’t like taking credit for a lot of stuff but it was YOU that brought the California community together in a major way.

Anyway not to be too long with you here enclosed is the money we made from the donation received at the event. It’s not much but hopefully it helps. You also should be receiving another mail from Jason Lee.

I cant express enough what a true honor it was knowing and learning from you Frank and although we haven’t meet yet  just know you have a lot of great friends on the west coast that is in your corner.

KEEP FIGHTING FRANK !!!!!!

-monta

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I look at this letter I come to realize that this mans life was with great purpose which can teach us all about the true meaning of selflessness, kindness, valuing those close to us and most  being a certified bad ass in tough times (tackling pain through adversity).

this blog is a mixed feelings of emotions so I want to end this by giving my prayers for Wendy and the children and most importantly once again thanking Frank for letting me be apart of his life.

luv u brother

-monta

Grapplethon 2 - The Aftermath (Part 2)

An unforgettable event filled with great training, camaraderie, and supporting Frank Edge

I'm sure everyone who was apart of it can agree Grapplethon 2 was a successful event. As all of the participants may have left with some great memories and increase in skill aside from being in a lot of physical pain afterwards and  mixing my cell-phone with my VCR remote the past two weeks have been hard for me to grasp which has lead me to a current conclusion that just maybe the primary component that has helped me to become a "better man than I once was" was right in front of me the entire time.

Throughout the week of maintaining a full time paper job and commitment to helping a fellow teammate  with his "Battle Within" in preparation for the IBJJF Nationals the constant thought of how Frank Edge is doing and my willingness to put my body on the line in an 180 minute challenge for someone I barely know still plays in my mind on a daily basis in regards to what is truly important to me  being apart of this great fight community.

Two questions have popped up from time to time from various people. One was why did you go 180 minutes to help  a guy you didn't know ? and  The other is why do you constantly write articles on many MMA fighters ( some who are unknown) for no pay ?

The answer is simple to understand Pain . Not to sound like  a wacko but when I speak of Pain I am referring to the struggles we all undergo  in our daily lives. A good friend Tyler Maples made a great point which he referred to a fighter's journey as dark and lonely. Whether it is Frank Edge's fight with Cancer, an ambitious MMA fighter chasing  UFC dreams, or a solider putting their life on the line defending his country.. pain is simply unavoidable . Nevertheless there are also ways to cope with it.

The greatest lesson I've FINALLY come to realize through my writing and this charity Grapplethon event is that everyone  has the ability to inspire, learn, and help  each other through the pains we are dealing with due to the similarities in struggles or our noble initiative to at least acknowledge it and pick someone up when they are down.

The work of helping someone through these events must be done for the work and work alone which primary goal centers on bringing some light to dark circumstances.(which should never center on expecting something in return)

Examples: giving a friend some advice for a problem he is having or even giving spar change to someone homeless on the streets

If anyone has read my blog on "The Influence of Writing" you  probably would understand the value and importance of the friendships I have made in writing articles which has made a positive impact on my life in many areas. A give and receive theory sorta speak.

What I am about to say is very hard for me to say because I don't want people to think I am a PUSSY because those who know me (especially my track record from back in the HEY DAY) I'm far from it. It's a choice based on what's truly important to me and what has really helped me to become who I am today. Unbeknownst to the after effects the Frank Edge Grapplethon experience has given me I have come to the conclusion that although returning to competition  has been great for me which has allowed me to overcome fears and collect a little "Bling" in the process it fails in comparison to the feeling of helping someone, receiving a thank you,  being called a brother or any aspect which centers on the camaraderie I built these past 3 years.

The feeling that I had of being able to  put a smile on a man’s face dying from cancer is indescribable and even a bit emotional/overwheeliming for me to talk about as a write this blog,a feeling far greater than winning a tournament match. It keeps me going it lets me know I have some sort of worth in the world or in people's lives to say the least. (Especially since I’ve experienced some depression back in the days when I was coming up in bjj/mma).

This statement is not to say that Im done with competing. Like I said I never expected grapplethon to have this profound effect on me  so for now I'm going to take it day by day, and if I want to compete I will, but I'm not going to be heavly searching to do it" .

For almost nine years as a student of this art I always tried to be notice whether it is showing how mean I can be on the mat or chasing being the BEST (back in the old days) ..always thinking about my arrogant self. Nevertheless sometimes becoming a better man than you once were is  exhibited by what you do for your fellow man which will define your true character." #SELFLESS


Thanks to all my friends and most importantly  Frank Edge for finally making me realize this.

1 % Better Everyday

-monta(y)

Grapplethon 2 - The Selfless Cause (Part 1)

It's funny how quotes mentioned to me in the past evidently forecast the tale of what I may be experiencing today. On an afternoon drive after graduating from college I had a small conversation with long-time mentor JPK. We talked about a lot of things in regards to my entry into  the "Real World". The conversation was very deep however one statement  stuck out to me ..when he spoke to me these words.




"Monta(y) there is going come a time in  life where it wont always be about you anymore & it will be what you do for your fellow man which will define your true character."

Naïve, still growing, and developing some form of low self-esteem during that post graduation period  I came to the conclusion that what he said was complete bullshit because blinded by my own selfishness/ego I honestly felt had nothing to offer to help anyone let alone help myself.  Flash-forward  to today the last 2 weeks have been a very reflective and crossroad moment for me as  I soon realized that  JPK statement's  intent was to prepare me for something over the horizon  later in my life .

Aside from the articles people have grown to love which may exaplin the reason why I have been blessed with so many friends and opportunities , the recent Grapplethon 2 event really opened my eyes to a lot of things which clearly became a life altering lesson of the ultimate commitment of what it means to be selfless . Technically speaking Grapplethon 2 was not  suppose to happen for a variety of different reasons (which I refuse to bitch about on this blog). Nevertheless once those roadblocks were out of the way there was no doubt in my mind that it was going to happen which this time featured me helping a complete stranger by the name of Frank Edge.

 Frank Edge is by all means the definition of a true fighter. Reading his story  and frequent wall post on Facebook without question will bring tears to your eyes as he takes you on a daily chronological journey through his battle with testicular cancer. Although stricken with this horrible fate which could led to his death, what I highly respected about Frank was his will to #keepfighting even with things  not currently going in his favor. At that moment I knew I had to show my support to let Frank  and his family know someone out there cares about their struggle.

 Since I been involved in the fight community helping out strangers was always natural to me because of the multiple times I did it with my writing, as long as I was compel/driven to do it  (Look up some of the people's names and their fight status  if you don't believe me). So organizing an event to aid Frank  was not an issue for me.

Although creating Grapplethon 2 was my idea however it would have never came to life without the major assistance of the raffle gift sponsors, promoters, Jason Lee, the people who came to the event, and Dan Lukehart for letting me use his academy when he didn't have too. #collective effort
(wanted to point that out before I continue with this blog)

Unlike Grapplethon 1 upon hoping off the plane after a great time in Austin, Texas I wasn't nervous at all as to what was going to happen. This time around I heavily focused  because I knew I had a job to do  in making a great event for Frank and also for everyone attending. Strangely enough days leading up to the event a lot of questions start popping up in my head  which I couldn't explain, as if this event was going to change me in someway  which I kind of ignored at the time. Another burning question that was on everyone's mind ( including myself) was would I be able to complete an insane challenge to  get more money ($1,000 from what I was told) to add to the charity in the form of the 1914 Kimonos 180 minute challenge.

For those that don't know what that is it  basically means I have to roll 180 minutes straight with no break in between the rounds. Speaking for experience especially since I refused to drink water during the challenge unless you fall under the categories of doing it for charity, training for a world class title that hold great importance to you, or border-line crazy I would advise you not do this because the after effects will take a toll on you physically and mentally.

Being pushed by countless grapplers during the 3 hour period was by far one of the toughest things I ever had to do as a grappler. There were many times that I wanted to give up however the rapid thought of  "I Gotta Do This For Frank" keep me moving to reach the finish line even if it meant destroying myself in the process ( and boyy did I do that -haha-). It was the hurt and pain I felt reading his story which got me through it all with the help of everyone I trained with that day.

The event itself far exceed my expectations. With the $1,000 (later found out it was $2,000) accumulated from the grueling 180 challenge we also collected an additional $745 ( in event entry fees) from all those who attended.

The event also gave me the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and even meet /train with some people I did articles on which was great for me. It was  a beautiful sight seeing so many practitioners from various BJJ schools coming together training and enjoying each others company which really showcased unity our community has.

With the blue mats soon deserted only leaving behind  pools of sweat from the 67 people Grapplethon came to a successful close , however as I reflected on the events that occurred at the event on a train ride home I was soon hit with the answers to those unexplained questions I had in my mind.

(which will be covered in the part 2)........

Grapplethon 2

Hey Everyone back by popular demand is Grapplethon 2. In an effort to reconnect with friends as well as make new ones this event will be held at a new location

Dan Lukehart's Brea Jiu-jitsu Academy
379 W. Central Avenue
Brea, California 92821

The last Grapplethon far exceeded my expectations which was a great event that was not only for a good cause but also brought the community together showcasing major unity no matter what patch we have on our backs. Since that time many people have been asking me when will the next event be ? So after months of being busy and finding a great cause to support its time to get back to work.

So here is the rundown of Grapplethon 2 !!! 

What is a Grapplethon :At Grapplethon it is set up like an open man 180 minute rolling session. The rolls will be 6 minutes each so at the end of the day you will get 30 rolls of great training while also hopefully meeting new friends in the process while supporting a great cause.

What is the Cause : this event we will be supporting a man living in his last days with cancer by the name of Frank Edge

For more information on his story and status visit his facebook page

Date : August 24 2013

Time: 1pm-4pm ( we may go longer)

Price : this time around the cost to attend will be $ 10 flat nothing more nothing less. With your $10 entry you will get a free raffle ticket. However if you choose to donate more than 10 you will get another raffle tickets ( still can only win one prize like the last event). I want to keep the raffle tickets count at a minimum so we wont make a mess of Dan's academy with color post-its everywhere. Plus it will make the drawing go smoother.

180 Minute Challenge : Last time I rolled 120 minutes straight and was able to obtain $1000 extra bucks toward the charity. This time around I will have to roll 180 minutes straight for Frank Edge to raise more $$$ courtesy of 1914 kimmonos. So going need you guys help to push me through the 3 hours of rolling !!

Raffle Prizes : Raffle prizes will be raffled after every 12 minutes ( 2 rolls) so everyone will get to get there prize during the event !!!
(Sponsors and gifts will be announced on the event page in the coming days leading up to the event)

Monta Grand Prizes: Aside from the raffle gifts this event festivities will feature the newly established two grand prizes from yours truly .............

Grand Prize # 1 (180 minute Challenge)- Besides myself let's see if anyone else can do 180 minutes of rolling !! The individual who can also stay in for 180 minutes straight will receive a $180 gift certificate for budovideos.com. In the event of a tie the $180 will be divided amongst the individuals.

So for Example: If five people make it through the 180 minutes each person will receive $36.

IN THE EVENT THAT THE ROLLS REQUIRE ROTATION..THE GRAND PRIZE WILL BE CHANGED TO A RAFFLE PRIZE of  $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO budovideos.com.

Grand Prize # 2 (Monta Tapout Challenge)- many people made a statement that I did not roll "hard" enough to earn the big 1914 donation. Well lets make me work a little harder this time around. I will be doing 30 rolls that day (with hopefully 30 different people). Whoever can submit me the most within the 6 minute duration roll....will get a $ 100 OTM gift card ( same format applies in the event of a tie) but don't beat me up too bad remember beating up a man of charity is like hitting a person with glasses and you wouldn't do that ..would you ??? :-)

Note: This challenge only applies when rolling with ME not others you roll with...this is not a place for ego or competition.. let keep it fun and memorable !!

Grand Prizes will be distributed electronically with a confirmation code two days after the event.

For more updates or to sign up visit the  Grapplethon 2 Event Page


or feel free to hit me up at monta_193@yahoo.com