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Spotlight

Spotlight (65)

Feature on a athlete or coach in the BJJ / Grappling community

Monday, 20 August 2018 22:02

Chris Ulbricht: Injury Recovery Strategy Guide

Written by Monta Wiley
Chris Ulbricht: Injury Recovery Strategy Guide

BJJ Legends got the opportunity to speak with Chris Ulbricht about his experiences and strategies in facing the opponent known as INJURED.


Delay, physical strain, and anxiety; injuries are an athlete's biggest fear come to life. Injuries are hard to avoid, they are a constant demon us due to the activities we do. For Brazilian Jiu-jitsu athletes the risk is higher. We risk breaking limbs and constantly push beyond our limitations to achieving our goals. Injuries can certainly be a burden, but they can also be tamed while on the road to recovery.

Garden State Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Head Instructor, BJJ black belt, Chris Ulbricht, 27, has dealt with his share of injuries in his 10 year BJJ career. His recent full recovery from a seven-month injury has opened him to many lessons in patience, modification, and perseverance.

Suffering an injury can be a burden for any dedicated Martial Arts practitioner. When you think of the mere thought of having an injury, what comes to mind?
Chris Ulbricht: Injuries are definitely something that's unavoidable to a certain extent if you’re a full-time athlete. If you train long enough, you're going to get injured. Like anything in life and especially anything in Jiu-Jitsu, an injury can be something that makes you worse or something that makes you better depending on how you respond to it.

You have suffered a series of injuries in your career. Instruction may be limited, training is put on hold, and competing is out of the question. How do you deal with those experiences mentally?
Chris Ulbricht: My last injury affected my ability to teach because I wasn’t able to even demonstrate any techniques for my students for about five months. However, I soon discovered that I was able to teach just as well, if not better, by having two of my students demonstrate the technique while I commentated. This is still a teaching method that I use from time to time even though I am now 150% better.
Also, I typically roll in almost every class I teach, so the time that I was out allowed me to observe my students much more during their sparring. This, in turn, helped me discover patterns that enabled me to design extremely relevant lesson plans to work on issues I saw during their rounds.

The recovery process is a long road to becoming well. Do you mind sharing with us your road to recovery experience?
Chris Ulbricht: I got injured in May 2017, and after seeing five doctors, it was determined that I would need to have a surgery to ever be 100% again and it was performed July 5th. This was a projected 6-7 month recovery, and I was able to return early to modified rolling during the last week of December. I returned to full unrestricted training during the last week of January.

Are there any methods you use to speed up the recovery process?
Chris Ulbricht: Yes! I’d say the most important thing is to always do the best you can with what you are able to do at any given time. I started watching technique videos and match footage right away. When I got cleared to ride a stationary bike, I rode the bike. When I got cleared to drill, I drilled. In my experience, people often wait until they are “100%” to start training again which I believe is very detrimental. You also need to have good communication between your doctors, physical therapists, and strength coaches to have an efficient recovery plan.

We all at times during the recovery process have a sense of eagerness to get back to training. Has there ever been a time where you have gone through the process of training with an injury and if so what procedures do you use?
Chris Ulbricht: Whenever training with some type of physical ailment it’s important to determine whether you are hurt or seriously injured. If you have an injury that is NOT going to heal on its own, it’s time to see a doctor and come up with a plan before you attempt to train around the injury. If it’s something less serious that will heal on its own, it comes down to proper sports medicine (tape, athletic braces, REST) to manage the injury, communicating with training partners during live rolling, and/or modifying your training to allow the injury to heal. If you’re not sure how serious your injury is, I recommend seeing a doctor so you can make informed decisions about your training.

Coming back from the injury do you have any "mat rust" getting back into tournament shape, while also maintaining your role as the head instructor of Garden State Brazilian Jiu-jitsu?
Chris Ulbricht: I definitely did have a little bit of mat rust in terms of my timing, strength, and cardio but I feel that while I was out, I made tremendous strides in my progress as an instructor, as well as with my understanding of Jiu-Jitsu. Also once I got back to training, I was able to regain my timing and increase my cardio and strength, so those temporary losses don’t matter anymore.

I have a lot of really tough training partners at Garden State Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy who thankfully give me great rounds in every class. I’m also working with two excellent strength coaches- John Stoble, out of Crossfit Five Points in Atlantic Highlands and Matt Szep out of Core Fitness in Middletown NJ. I have added yoga to my weekly routine to allow myself to recover better and improve my flexibility (we have an awesome Yoga teacher named Shawna Rodgers at Garden State BJJ).  At this point, all the rust is off and it's just working to sharpen the sword every day.

What are you looking forward to, any upcoming events you have your sights set on?
Chris Ulbricht: I have two big things coming up this summer. I’m going to be teaching at the BJJ Globetrotters Camp in Belgium (also taking a solo trip to Iceland) and then when I get back I’ll be competing at Fight To Win in Asbury Park on August 3rd and in the Show The Art Finishers 6 155lb Pro Division on August 12th. [Follow up: F2W was canceled and at Show the Art Chris won his first match and lost the second.]

Finally wrapping up this interview, what is the biggest advice you can give to readers going through an injury?
Chris Ulbricht: DON’T STOP TRAINING EVER. Once you can do some physical activity, any good instructor can come up with some modification to the technique to work around your injury or give you something else to do. If you can’t do anything, you can always come to just watch classes and spend time with your teammates. Rolling is the most fun part of Jiu-Jitsu, but it’s far from the only way to get better. If you do the best you can and scale up from there, you’ll have a faster, safer, and more complete recovery.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CHRIS ULBRICHT & GARDEN STATE BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU VISIT:
Garden State Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Website   
Garden State Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Facebook
Garden State Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Instagram

 

Published in Spotlight
Tagged under
  • chris ulbricht
  • garden state brazilian jiujitsu
  • injuries
  • injury
  • training
  • john stoble
  • matt szep
  • shawna rodgers
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Tuesday, 29 May 2018 08:27

Spotlight on: Dustin Shelhamer

Written by Monta Wiley
Spotlight on: Dustin Shelhamer

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu continually serves as a unique outlet in transforming lives. The BJJ Effect is exhibited through many compelling stories ranging from an individual reaching their athletic goals to one’s aim of conquering the battle against themselves. In 2018 at the IBJJF Dallas Spring Open, 44-year-old, blue belt Dustin Shelhamer captured double gold – with a torn bicep. The audaciousness of facing insuperable challenges is nothing new to Shelhamer. In fact, it has been an ongoing occurrence, as Shelhamer has had to overcome many battles to experience the life-altering benefits BJJ has to offer.

Before Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Dustin Shelhamer was a full-time firefighter paramedic, police officer, and Federal disaster team member. 25 years in the practice field, Shelhamer was one of the onsite responders to some of the horrific events in U.S history. His philanthropy work for his community grievously came with a price. The experience of these events triggered Shelhamer in developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The disorder became a deleterious plague in the serviceman’s life.
        
“I spent 25 years in public service as a Fire Fighter paramedic, Police officer, as well a member of the Federal Disaster Team, “Shelhamer said. “I have traveled the world and seen horrific things. I was at Oklahoma City Bombing, World Trade Center, and other horrific events. Those experiences are where I developed PTSD and even didn’t realize it. I destroyed my marriage and was pissing my life away.”

The downward spiral wouldn’t last forever, as a saving grace would bring positive reinforcement in uplifting Shelhamer. Founded by Chad Robichaux, The Mighty Oaks Warrior Program is an organization that assists individuals that struggle with Post-Traumatic Stress, as the focus centers on rebuilding the broken lives of its participants. Like many Mighty Oaks alumnus, Shelhamer involvement allowed him to reap the program’s benefits, growing mentally and spiritually. Shelhamer’s time at Might Oaks is also where he was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Shelhamer instantly fell in love with the grappling Martial Art practice.

“A good friend reached out to Chad Robichaux, and he got me into the Might Oaks Warriors program. I was hesitant to go at first because the program was originally designed for military personnel, and I had never served. However, Chad convinced me to go, and I was the first civilian to go through the program. They taught me two important lessons that changed my life; be the man God created me to be and to find a healthy outlet.”

God and Jiu-jitsu are the two of the greatest gifts that have given the retired servicemen a new life to live for. Inspired to continue his studies of the grappling arts, after Mighty Oaks Shelhamer's journey would take him to Midland BJJ in Midland Texas, where he has been training and mentored under the leadership of BJJ World Champion, Bruno Bastos. The 2.5 years at Midland BJJ finds the enthusiast training four to eight times a week, engulfed in the BJJ lifestyle. Shelhamer is grateful for his professor and teammates aiding him in his BJJ journey.

Midland BJJ Team

“I love this sport and the friendships it brings. My Professor is a great motivator although he is considerably younger than me he has my greatest respect,” Shelhamer told BJJ Legends. “He is still a very active competitor and leads from the front. We also have some great black belts in our gym that drive us and lift us up. Brad Barnes is my solid when I’m trying to figure it all out! He’s no BS and tells it straight. Joe Castillo “Joe-Jitsu” might be the most respected man in our gym. 60 years old multiple belt level world champion and genuine gentleman. Gabe Hernandez everyone’s friend and savage, and Matt “little one” McCormick is a monster and smiles while he crushes you.”

Coach Bastos

All of Shelhamer’s training would eventually prompt a desire to test his skills in a tournament setting. The desire of challenging himself drives Shelhamer's motivation to compete. No injury, opponent, or mental demon has yet to break the Midland BJJ representative thus far, as he has accomplished much success as a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competitor. Dustin Shelhamer’s competitor aspirations are to win the Master Worlds and become a positive role model for his teammates.

“My biggest competition is me. I can’t quit, no easy way out. I’m fortunate in my walk with PTSD that I have never considered suicide. But I did give up on life. So now that I’m walking a different path, I made a promise to never quit to myself, to God and my corner man. Even in a loss, I succeeded in beating myself when giving up was easier.”

What would life be without BJJ for Dustin Shelhamer? There would be no healing, no fulfillment, no blessings, and no rehabilitation. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu has given Shelhamer all of these rewards, as life couldn't be any more gratifying on and off the mat.

Published in Spotlight
Tagged under
  • dustin shelhamer
  • mighty oaks warrior program
  • posttraumatic stress disorder (ptsd)
  • chad robichaux
  • midland bjj
  • bruno bastos
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Monday, 06 November 2017 13:11

The Moldova Project (Part II)

Written by Robert McMasters
The Moldova Project (Part II)

The Beginning

Back in 2012, I wrote a story for BJJ Legends magazine about promoting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Moldova. (Brazilian Jiu-Jitus in Burlacu Moldova) At the time I was trying to drum up support both in and outside of the country: creating awareness among foreigners that the country even existed, while trying to convince Moldovans that training and teaching BJJ could potentially help to open an innumerable amount of doors for them. By now, I have completely worked myself out of a job… and I couldn’t be happier!

You see, the whole idea of non-profit work is to eventually work yourself out of a job. Think about it; if you run a non-profit aiming to defeat poverty, and poverty is defeated, why go to the office anymore? Even if you run a non-profit that is a labor union or something, you would hypothetically not need to be employed anymore if everyone was getting their fair share at their jobs. Of course, we can all think of exceptions to this idea, but it is otherwise a good rule of thumb when seeking to work with or donate to non-profit organizations.

A lot has happened since 2012. In addition to no longer having much work in regards to “the Moldova Project”, my wife and I have also moved back to the US, bought some property and opened a new gym with a new goal in mind. More on that later, but first let me tell you how BJJ has evolved over the years in Moldova into what it has become today.

In 2011 we were blessed to have received some international attention to our program via Christian Graugart, the original BJJ Globetrotter, and his around-the-world BJJ adventure. Shortly after his visit, some traditional martial artists decided to open their own BJJ gym in the capital of Chisinau. This was a very important step in the process as time itself stops and starts in Chisinau for most Moldovans. I knew that once this happened, the spread of Jiu-Jitsu throughout the country would be inevitable.

Around the same time, a team from a mid-sized town in the south of Moldova decided to take up the Brazilian variety of Jiu-Jitsu in addition to their own version of martial arts. Led by the charismatic former member of Soviet special forces, Sergiu Dobrea, team Se-An-Do continues to have one of the largest youth programs in the country. They’re a considerable force to be reckoned with in a myriad of fighting sports in Moldova.

So now, with these three core teams in place, one of my former students and I decided to host a tournament. We decided to try a new tournament format loosely based on a classic collegiate-style wrestling competition: the dual. Basically, there are around 10 weight classes, and each team chooses their best fighter for each weight class. With three existing teams in Moldova now, the “Burlacu Tri-Duals” was born.

I had some really high hopes for this new idea of mine. Unfortunately, the annual tournament was plagued from the beginning. The first year the Chisinau team bailed at the last minute, so we just had 2 teams competing against each other. The second-year Se-An-Do wasn’t able to participate but luckily a newly-formed team also from the southern region was able to take their place. The third year the format was scrapped and a more traditional (and from my point of view, boring) format was adopted. Thus, the “Burlacu Tri-Duals” became the “Burlacu Open” tournament. By this time, I was just a supporting figure; my former student, Alexandru Birlea, took over the reins almost completely, and I’m happy to say that he did a really great job!

Original BJJ student from Moldova, Alexandru Birlea (right), after receiving his brown belt from Tudor Mihaita (center) along with Alex's BJJ student, UFC fighter Ion Cutelaba (left)



Over time, other teams threw their hats into the promotional ring and a whole slew of other BJJ competitions were held in the south of the country as well as the capital. There was the Moldova Cup, the Moldovan BJJ Championships as well as ADCC Moldova, just to name a few. By the time I left the area in 2014, there were no less than eight teams training Jiu-Jitsu across the country. I have no idea how many are training now, but Jiu-Jitsu is thankfully becoming more common in Moldova, and more importantly, it is completely sustainable! Moldovans are running their own gyms, their own tournaments and are buying and selling their own equipment. I’ll occasionally get a box or two of used gis together for kids who otherwise can’t afford a new one, but this has proven to be more of a hassle than what it’s worth for both parties involved. So, really, this is a great thing!

From 2006 when I started the first BJJ program in the country, to 2014 when I left Eastern Europe, presumably for good, I definitely missed out on a good deal of training opportunities, tournaments, promotions and all the other cool stuff you get along with taking the more traditional route of training with one team. On the other hand, I’m proud to say that one of my first students, Alexandru Birlea, is ranked higher than me in BJJ, he can beat my ass, and he’s also the head BJJ coach for a UFC fighter. Not bad for a poor kid from a tiny village in the middle of nowhere in a country that nobody has heard of! I’m obviously super proud of him, his accomplishments as well as the accomplishments of so many others like him. But, of course, I’ve checked my ego at the beginning of this article, so enough bragging from me for now ;).

The Open Source Project

As we gradually became more and more hands-off with the Moldova program, my wife and I had been looking for the next step in our lives. When we moved back from Eastern Europe in 2014, our goal was to learn a bit of the hospitality business and then eventually go into business for ourselves. Over the years we really had a lot of fun both hosting guests at our little apartment in Bucharest, as well as being hosted by a multitude of people, mostly in Moldova and Romania. If there’s one thing that Romanians and Moldovans typically do very well, it’s hospitality, so we took our ideas with us and moved to Texas.

We lived in Pharr, Texas for about a year and a half, and while we were there, we worked at an RV resort in part to get back into the swing of things in the US as well as test the waters to see if we really wanted to go into hospitality. The job paid horribly, but luckily I was able to teach fundamental BJJ at Carlos Diego Ferreira’s gym in Pharr, in exchange for training time with the team. I credit Team Ferreira with helping me to love training Jiu-Jitsu again and to finally make the transition from just being a wrestler who happened to do Jiu-Jitsu, to a full-fledged BJJ fighter.

Our next move was to Gunnison, Colorado. We worked at a motel cleaning rooms part-time during the day, and I would train and/or teach at Gunnison BJJ in the evenings. Cleaning rooms and doing yard work at the motel was surprisingly a very positive experience; I was finally able to work with my hands, which I found to be very personally fulfilling, and then I would train BJJ on my off time. There wasn’t a lot of consistent structure at the gym, so I was able to teach myself most of the new-school moves and concepts that I had missed out on while I was out in the middle of nowhere. While I’ll probably never berimbolo anybody, I have grown to have an affinity for the leg lasso and I’m even able to invert when appropriate.

Unfortunately, I have a bad hip and had to undergo hip surgery in November of 2016. I was on crutches for a good 3 months, which gave my other joints, ribs and back a good amount of time to heal as well. My wife and I spent 2 of these months traveling east from Gunnison, and all the way down the coast to Key West. Our new mission was to find an affordable piece of property with which to start our business. The business would include both Jiu-Jitsu and hospitality, all wrapped up in one somehow.

On our way out to the coast we decided to stop through Asheville, NC just to see what was there. We found the perfect property for sale that was in our price range, and after wandering the coast for a couple months, not really finding anything that compared to this property in Asheville, we returned to Appalachia and put a bid on the property. The bid was eventually accepted and now we have a gym as well as over two acres of future campground!


Building the mats 1
Building the mats 2
BJJ Guest Hostel

 
 
Now, here’s how I came up with the concept of Open Source Jiu-Jitsu. During my time away from BJJ and from work, I decided to formalize the fundamental Jiu-Jitsu that I had been teaching all of these years by writing a curriculum. The curriculum is 10-weeks long and is designed to continuously rotate through every 10 weeks. This way, if you show up and start training in the middle of the curriculum, you will see the same technique again in ten weeks. Furthermore, as most of us know, drilling and tightening up our fundamentals is never a bad idea, so we encourage our students to go through the curriculum more than once.

All of our fundamentals classes, which utilize the curriculum, are “pay-what-you-want”. This way, even the poorest of BJJ students can train Jiu-Jitsu and save their dignity. It’s just one more heavily-utilized excuse not to train Jiu-Jitsu, that has been taken off the table completely. I’ve never even made $30,000 in a year in my whole entire life, and the last time I even came close was 2009. I’ve frequently been in the position where I had to ask an instructor if I could clean mats or teach in exchange for training time, and that can really wear on your morale over time.

We have a contributions box in our gym where our students are welcome to give a suggested donation of between $10 and $20 per lesson… or not! The box is usually behind me while I’m teaching and interacting with students, so I have no idea who’s paying and who isn’t. This way it prevents me from holding grudges against non-payers or favoring paying students.

Another component of “the Open Source model”, is that I am not the only one giving instruction all the time. If I happen to be the best-qualified teacher on a given subject, then I’ll do the teaching in this circumstance. However, if we happen to have a high-level wrestler in the room, for example, it makes more sense to have that person teaching takedowns, assuming that they are good at communicating their knowledge to others.

Sustainability and the Future of Open Source Jiu-Jitsu

While Open Source Jiu-Jitsu is, in fact, a for-profit LLC, our goals haven’t changed much since the Moldova Project. We want people to feel empowered, and to improve their lives as well as the lives of others through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We want to produce high-quality teachers, athletes and overall high-quality people at our gym, and we don’t want money or a lack thereof to be an issue that gets in the way of training Jiu-Jitsu.

Furthermore, we aim to have the above-mentioned teachers and otherwise good people run the program in the future. As long as we are paying the bills and continue to maintain high-quality BJJ and other programs, we want others to be able to thrive in this environment and basically run the gym with minimal oversight in order to reach their goals.

Asheville Open Source Team



We’re also hoping that this idea spreads and that other gyms see the value of adding a similar program to their existing structure. We’re convinced that after seeing how successful the program is here at Open Source Jiu-Jitsu, that other gyms will see that you are in fact able to run a profitable business and offer “pay-what-you-want” classes, or something similar, at the same time.

We also want to invite established, high-level grapplers to come not only to see Asheville but to be a part of what we have going on here. The campground and the gym being in the same location is like a match made in heaven. While we regularly take in wandering grapplers into our home, we’re only going to be adding more options around the property where folks can chill out, see the sights and get some rolls in. Our vision is that some folks will be able to stay a couple weeks or even months, turning this into a true open source project.

Special thanks to my wife and business partner, Amanda McMasters, and to the countless others who have helped me so far along the way during this epic jiu-jitsu journey of mine.

Until then, thank you, dear reader, for having read all of this. If you ever happen to be in Asheville and would like to see what we have going on here… perhaps even guest teach a class, please feel free to contact us at bobby at opensourcebjj.net. Hope to see you on the mats!

Link to site: www.opensourcebjj.net
link to fb page: https://www.facebook.com/opensourcebjj/
Address: 357 Gorman Bridge rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Phone number: 828-782-3264

Published in Spotlight
Tagged under
  • moldova
  • open source project
  • pay what you can
  • christian graugart
  • bjj globetrotter
  • asheville nc
  • bjj guest hostel
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Tuesday, 25 July 2017 05:16

The Jiu-Jitsu Pastor

Written by Marlon Ransom
The Jiu-Jitsu Pastor

Imagine for a second checking your bracket at some local tournament, Pans or Worlds and you see your pastor’s name. Awkward would be an understatement, a rare occurrence would be a truly accurate assessment. A select few churchgoers have the opportunity to get their guards passed and their souls nourished by the man in the pulpit, those attending Recreation Church are the lucky ones. The pastor, Vincent Dehm, does not shy away from his love for the mat, in fact his intention is to spread the lessons learned from BJJ to the kids in the community.

Have you ever been challenged to roll by a fellow pastor or church member?
Pastor Dehm: Surprisingly not, but I do joke around with members of the church and tell them, “Don’t make me put the mats down!”

How did you discover BJJ and where do you train?
Pastor Dehm: I have to lay some foundation here, first off, I am not unfamiliar with the mat, my background is wrestling. I wrestled all four years of high school and two years of college. I ended up catching a knee to the temple and I sustained a brain injury that resulted in a swift end to not only wrestling, but my doctor at the time ordered a halt to all combat sports. Now fast forward 22 years later and I’m getting a check-up and the doctor asked me when I had had a heart attack and I said, “What?” I was 226lbs at the time and that was the wake-up call I needed. I went on a diet and decided to get into BJJ, I went to Crazy 88 in Elk Ridge, Md. and did a few trail classes. It has remained my grappling home ever sense, that was November, 2011.


Pastor Dehm teaching guard work


What do you say to those who may wonder, or even ask you if it’s appropriate for a pastor to do BJJ?
Pastor Dehm: That is a question I have no problem discussing. To any who say that, I simply say there is wrestling, grappling and fighting throughout the bible.

How long have you been a pastor and what led you into the ministry?
Pastor Dehm: I have been a pastor since 1999. What led me into the ministry? Well, I wasn’t necessarily led, I was ‘called’ by the audible voice of God when I was 12 years old and I ran as fast and far away from that ‘calling’ as possible. Years later I chose to stop running and embrace it with an open heart and clear vision.  

Where is your church located?
Pastor Dehm: Recreation Church is located in Park Heights, which is approximately 6 miles northwest of downtown Baltimore.

What is the community like?  
Pastor Dehm: I could easily provide some attention-grabbing crime stats, or disproportionate and negative school drop-out rates, but that does not tell the entire story of any community. I will say that as a church body, along with family and friends we do our best to provide programs that result in positive empowerment and a call to action.   

What exactly is the BJJ program at your church and how did you come up with it?
Pastor Dehm: Honestly, I cannot take full credit, I watched an episode of ‘Rolled Up’ on Budovideos, which highlighted Fernando "Tererê" Augusto. One of the topics was his social project for kids, which without question inspired the formation of our program. We offer a 1 ½ hour class on Wednesday during the school year and then in the summer we do Mondays and Wednesdays, and it is 100% free, with snacks and meals included. I’m also proud to say the Gi’s are provided by my friend Geoffrey of Deus Fight Company, who I reached out to after I saw his merchandise/sponsorship on that episode of ‘Rolled Up.’

Pastor Dehm with students

How many kids are involved, what is the curriculum, and who are the instructors?
Pastor Dehm: To date we have 65 kids enrolled ranging from 5yrs old to 14yrs old and the curriculum is a combination of anti-bullying, self-defence and sport BJJ.  Our instructors, besides myself, we have my daughter, Kayla, who is an avid competitor and a blue belt, John Johnson a purple belt from Crazy 88 and Dustin Herfurth a blue belt from Ground Control in Columbia, Md.

Have the church administrators been supportive and are there any people who take issue with the program?
Pastor Dehm: Absolutely! They see the results and the enthusiasm of these kids, which is infectious. As far as haters go, there has been at least one colleague of mine who has been critical of the program, but besides him everyone is on board with what we are doing, they see the vision.

Pastor Dehm in front of class



What have been some challenges you have faced?
Pastor Dehm: Well, as much as I love puzzle mats, it is a lot of work and it is highly time intensive to put them together, clean them and subsequently take them apart and restore them. Staying on the subject of time, it can be difficult to coordinate the instructor’s schedules, more so during competition season, as many of us compete and we need at least two people at each class due to the amount of kids. So those are ongoing challenges, but it’s all good, we make it work.  

Can you share a testimony about one of the kids in the program?
Pastor Dehm:  Now this could be an article all to itself, I can think of so many worth sharing. One that stands out is a 13yrs old who has Asperger’s Syndrome, his mother enrolled him with the hope that it would help with his social interactions and he has shown noticeable and progressive improvement.  

How can people get involved, how can they help?
Pastor Dehm: Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,  and tell me what you are interested in doing, how you may want to help.  

Pastor Dehm and Kayla on the mat


What are your personal goals with BJJ?
Pastor Dehm: I want to be able to keep up with my daughter, Kayla, and ultimately see us become black belts together. I also want to share the journey with our team mates and the kids in our program who would otherwise not be in a financial position to do this great sport.

 

Kayla Teaching

What are your long terms goals with the program?
Pastor Dehm:  We want to open a Recreation Center and have a full schedule of classes and activities from BJJ, Muay Thai, fitness instruction and more that will be 100% free to the Park Heights community.

Check out Pastor Dehm and make sure to pick up a copy of his latest book  at  www.vincentdehm.com.

Published in Spotlight
Tagged under
  • pastor vincent dehm
  • recreation church
  • terere agusto
  • deus fight company
  • john johnson
  • dustin herfurth
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Thursday, 14 July 2016 14:52

Carlos Terrinha - 15 time Pan Am Champion

Written by Kris Shaw
Carlos Terrinha - 15 time Pan Am Champion

Carlos Terrinha

Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhaes -

"Terrinha is one of my most accomplished students in competition. He has won the Pan Ams 15 times and the World's Masters 3 times, besides others gi and no-gi titles. His experience as a competitor has made him a very good teacher and coach. He has a very intelligent way to adapt and modify techniques to be better suited for his students. I'm very lucky to have him as a student and friend."

Carlos Terrinha was born in in 1969 to a low income family, the 10th child with 11 brothers and sisters in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil.

In 2003 Carlos moved to the USA and became a resident of Hopedale Massachusetts. He teaches BJJ at Gold's Gym in Milford, adults 6 times a week, kids 2 times a week.

Passionate about the Martial Arts, he not only teaches BJJ but also plays a little at Judo, has dabbled in Capoeira and American boxing and has trained 8 years of traditional Jiu Jitsu from professor Juse Adilson Ferreira, his master was Takeyo Yano. For 12 years Carlos worked as a Civil Police Detective for the state of Minas Gerais.

Terrinha worked his whole life to find a way to pay for his classes to learn Jiu Jitsu, travel and compete. This champion began to train Jiu Jitsu 1989 when he was 19 years old with professor Jose Adilso.

He started competing as a white belt and never stopped. He was 3 time State champion in Minas Gerais , 3 time Brazil National champion and 2 time World Champion.

In 1998 Terrinha had a chance to meet Vinicus "Draculino" Magalhaes from Gracie Barra BJJ. Professor Draculino had moved from Rio de Janeiro to Belo Horizonte around 1986, Terrinha started to train with him and his students at Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte. and it changed Terrinha's life.

"Training with Draculino changed my Jiu-jitsu because I had the chance to see a new style of Jiu-jitsu of Gracie Jiu Jitsu and I had the opportunity train with a great competitors from his team, students who want to be a champions. Those guys do not play for fun any time and it changed my way to see Jiu-jitsu."

With so many compitions under his belt Terrinha has his share of bad calls. In 2005 finals the referee simply raised the wrong hand.

"I have won Pan American's 14 times officially and 1 time unofficially. In 2005, the referee made a mistake, I had won the fight and he put up Franginha's hand. Afterwards Franginha told me that I won but the referee give to him. Also the referee told me that he made a mistake, this is why I consider myself a 15 time champion."

Here's the stats:
Pan American
Gi
Med Heavy 2005
Med Heavy 2010
Med Heavy 2012
Med Heavy 2014
Med Heavy 2015
Med Heavy 2016
Open Class 2016

No-Gi
Med Heavy 2008
Open Class 2008
Med Heavy 2009
Med Heavy 2010
Med Heavy 2012
Med Heavy 2013
Med Heavy 2014

April 2012 Terrinha was moved up to #1 in the World at IBJJF ranking in Senior 2 division and keeped it until 2015. In January 2016 Terrinha went to Portugal to participate in the European Championship and won his medium heavy division making him a 2 time European Champion. It did not stop there, Terrinha came back home and went to California in March 2016 to participate at the Pan American Championship and he won his medium heavy division and Open class and became the first American to win the Pan American Championship 15 times.

Terrinha says to anybody who wants to do sport, "You do not need to be a champion but you should train with a champion because they test the technique at the competition that they teach their students."

Carlos would like to thank his kids Ana Carolina and Carlos Eduardo, his girlfriend Pollyana Carbone, Professor Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhaes, the Gracie Barra team and his students for always pushing the level higher. A very special thanks to his boss and sponsor Jose Farah Jr.

Come to be part of this lifestyle and if you have never participated in Jiu Jitsu, come to try a class and get to know it and see for yourself how it will change your life. http://www.carlosterrinha.com

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Monday, 07 March 2016 13:44

Adam Stacey: Journey Based Jiu Jitsu

Written by Monta Wiley
Adam Stacey:  Journey Based Jiu Jitsu

Hitting reset and training your training partners, Adam Stacey shares his story coming up outside of SoCal/Brazil Jiu-Jitsu motherland.

Growing through Martial Arts is beneficial to anyone’s journey in building character on and off the mat. A thirteen year practitioner in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Adam Stacey is a BJJ Black Belt under Nic Gregoriades and head instructor of Custom Jiu-Jitsu in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Competitor, truth-seeker, and instructor Stacey has a unique outlook on life through Brazilian Jiu-jitu reflected through his journey in the grappling arts. Conducting this interview with us at BJJ Legends hearing his story many will be intrigued and ponder of the hidden personal benefits Brazilian Jiu-jitsu has to offer its participants.

Everyone has a story as to what got them interested in this great art known as Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. What got you involved in BJJ?

Adam Stacey: I’ve always been fascinated by the Martial Arts. I grew up on Ninja Turtles, Surf Ninjas, the Karate Kid, etc. I did a little Danzen Ryu Ju Jitsu, a little Judo, and Folkstyle Wrestling growing up. I was introduced to BJJ around the age of 21.  I started when I was in the US Navy onboard the USS Chosin. A friend of mine asked me to roll. Being a wrestler I accepted the invite and after being arm barred 100’s of times I realized this art was for me.

At what point in your journey did you come to the conclusion that BJJ was fully apart of your life thus making you fully committed to it?

AS: From day one I’ve enjoyed the art. Jiu-Jitsu became my priority once I attended my first academy: Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu under Romolo Barros.  I was relatively strong in the Navy because until I encountered Jiu-Jitsu my definition of strength was my total bench press max. However, I rolled with my first instructor, Romolo Barros, he was a normal looking guy, and he submitted me quickly… over and over again. My definition of strength was way off. So, shortly after I started I realized I wanted this in my life forever.

Everyone has their own perception based on their journey of highs and lows. What is you philosophy on BJJ?

AS: Jiu-Jitsu is so much more than Jiu-Jitsu. It's hard to encapsulate in words. Jiu-Jitsu is my community. Jiu-Jitsu is my strength. I had a somewhat crappy early childhood so Jiu-Jitsu, has been a mentor and teacher that has helped me in so many ways.  I have a shirt from Tatami Fightwear that says: “No matter what life throws at you there is always Jiu-Jitsu.” That’s pretty much how I see it.

Open minded to the art, part of your growth found you cross training with a lot of other grappling practitioners including your opponents. What inspired to do this and most importantly how can one benefit from this approach?

AS:  If I want to be a shark on the mats I need to swim out past my fish bowl. If I only swim in my tank I may be the king of that bowl but my growth will be stunted. I’ll have a Jiu-Jitsu game bound to a small container. I feel it is important for Jiu-Jitsu practitioners to swim in other fish bowls, so to speak, so that they can see how other fish bite/swim.  Analogy aside, tournaments, other academies, they are all part of the main goal: to grow the BJJ community and be the best ME in Jiu-Jitsu that I can be.  I cannot be the best me if I do not train across academy lines.  As for training with past opponents… I don’t really look at them as opponents. More as teachers. I am extremely grateful for all those I’ve competed ‘against’. Maybe if I treated them as opponents and not teachers I might have more gold medals. Ha!

Speaking of opponents one of the most challenging parts of someone’s journey is competing which bring out various emotions. What is your overall outlook on competing and through your wins/ losses what motivates you to compete?

AS: My Jiu-Jitsu journey has been different than most. Since I was a high blue belt I have always had a long distance relationship with my instructor due to my location. So it has been difficult for me to refine my game without the constant oversight of an instructor. In place of that oversight I’ve used competitions as my testing ground. I would study techniques, drill, visit other academies, and then take it to the competition.  After every competition I would fill my journal with lessons learned (I still do). I’d then fix my errors and apply the lessons learned to my next tournament. If there were errors I couldn’t find the solution to I would seek help via email from my instructor.  So, long answer short, GROWTH motivates me to compete. Every competition helps me grow. In turn, I pass my lessons learned on to my students so they avoid the pitfalls that I hit the hard way.

Switching topics becoming a Black belt how does your journey differ as oppose to your previous ranks white through brown?

AS: March 7th will be my one year anniversary as a Black Belt. Man, being a Black Belt is a weird paradox. It has changed everything but then again it feels like my journey has restarted. I like to use the Call of Duty analogy. Once you reach the highest level in the game Call of Duty you have the option to “Prestige”.  To prestige basically means you trade in all your accolades and start from scratch. That’s what I feel has happened. I’m starting over but I now have a “Prestige” Belt around my waist. From White Belt to Black belt I pursued the path to the black belt. Now that I am a Black Belt my goal is to be an EFFECTIVE black belt. I still have a lot of work. But I’m growing every day.

Apart of being a black belt you have taken on the role as a leader of your own academy the Jiu-Jitsu Brotherhood in Klamath Falls, Oregon.  Becoming an instructor what are some of the important things you learned from your journey that you pass on to your students?

AS: That’s just it. I instill the journey mindset into our students. Every class, every tournament, every win, every loss, every person (both good, and bad) are elements of the journey. Take them. Learn from them. Become better.  If we only learn from the good times or the things we like that might only be 50% or 60%; even a perfect 50% is an “F”. Enjoy the journey and learn from everything!

Finally looking back what do you feel got you to where you are today after a long extension as a participant in BJJ?

AS: So many people have helped me. My wife’s love. All my Jiu-Jitsu teachers great and small roles alike; Nic Gregoriades, Dave Kama, Nick Laudenglaus, Alex Aftandilians, Heitor Abrahao, Romolo Barros, James Tanaka, David Hattori. My training partners; too many to list but my Brother-in-Law Seth Johnston has played a huge role in my journey. My students… all of them through the years (I've been showing people Jiu-Jitsu since I was a blue belt... not because I am such a good instructor but because I quite literally had to train my training partners. I was unaware of any 'REAL' BJJ community when I came to Klamath so we had to create one).   …also, and in all honestly, John B. Will’s books on BJJ have been a great standard for the foundation of my Jiu-Jitsu.

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Thursday, 08 October 2015 16:34

Devin Chasten- The Grind to Success

Written by Monta Wiley
Devin Chasten- The Grind to Success

After two over doses, the last one landing him in a coma Devin Chasten started BJJ in earnest. After a broken neck and spine surgery in 2011 Devin received his brown belt this October from Dustin “Clean” Dense. Read the rest of the interview.

 

Success through hard work is the merit that defines a champion both on and off the mat. Yet being a champion doesn’t come easy as it takes struggle and the will to work to reach one’s goals. October 1st 2015 marked a monumental day for grappling practitioner Devin “Pirata” Chasten of Kansas City, Mo with his promotion to BJJ brown belt under world renowned Dustin “Clean” Dense. This pivotal achievement wasn’t accomplished overnight as Chasten’s rollercoaster nine year journey showcases the results of never giving up and always striving to become better. Devin openly touches on in this exclusive interview with us at BJJ Legends.

Your instructor Dustin “Clean” Denes visited your gym Bodyfit KC to do a seminar on October 1st. In addition he surprised you with a well-deserved promotion to BJJ brown belt. Would you care to touch on your thoughts and feelings about getting promoted that night?

Devin Chasten: It was an incredible feeling with a lot of emotion behind it for sure.   He gave a long speech before the promotion at the end of the seminar, touching on a lot of things about our relationship, the beginning of our training together, so on and so forth.  It was an incredible speech that left me almost tearing up to hear how he felt about me and about this promotion, a moment I will never forget.

Achieving this feat was by no means an easy task. Reflecting on your journey when you think of the word “struggle” why is it a good thing?

DC: Struggle is a great thing in hindsight; it is an opportunity to grow.  Without a struggle to overcome, you can’t get better.  That’s how I looked at it, and believe me I had my fair share of struggles, just as many have.  Some people could look at it as a road block and shy away, I tried to stay positive and take it head on.  Without my struggles and adversities, I wouldn’t be who I am today or have the knowledge I have.  It made me change the way I train, look at Jiu-Jitsu, and my approach to the way I do it.  At the end of the day makes you so much better, because you have to try different things and you have to get out of your comfort zone, which is somewhat the essence of Jiu-Jitsu.  Learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Talk to us about some of the hurdles that transformed you to the man you are today?

DC:  I’ve had many, but a few really stand out, I started Jiu-Jitsu not because it looked fun to me, but I needed a way to channel my energy in a positive way.  I started training seriously after my second overdose, one I barely survived.  I was in a sort of a coma for about a week, when I finally came out and realized my situation and how bad I was getting, I called my friend at the time and told him I need to do this seriously, I need to have direction in my life because if I didn’t I knew I wouldn’t last long once I got out.  So in a serious way, Jiu-Jitsu saved my life for real.  Another serious hurdle was when I had broken my neck in January of 2009, without really knowing it.  I trained that way for six months before I Finally went to the doctor’s office about it, after my right pec, triceps, and forearm had completely atrophied.  I had nerve damage from my shoulder to my finger and couldn’t feel my right index finger.  The whole time Clean made me push through, sometimes training 8 hour days for days straight pushing through the injury because we thought it was just my arm, not my neck.  For the next 6 months after I did physical therapy, cortisone shots, everything we could fix it to no avail, leading to Surgery December 2009.  All the while, I never stopped training.  I took 3 months off after surgery, came back to train 3 months and competed in the IBJJF world championships my first tournament back.  I’m now dealing with spine issues in my lower back, which at one point about a year ago I was having troubles walking or even getting out of bed, but with the knowledge from the years of dealing with these situations and with the help of a fantastic physical therapist I have managed to recover, train hard and work around it without it affecting me too much.

Everyone’s journey has reason it began leading to you experiencing your share of ups and downs. Tell us a little about how you got started in BJJ?

DC:  I was living a very hostile life before I started Jiu-Jitsu, and I always watched the UFC and always thought I could do it.  Growing up, if I wasn’t skipping school I was getting in fights to get kicked out,  I had lot of anger so before I even put on a gi, I fought MMA on a few shows on a local circuit.  I was 18, fresh out of high school and fresh out of the hospital.  I got released out of the hospital in October 2006 and took my first fight a month later with only a month of \"MMA\" training and a few years of high school wrestling experience.  I got the W by TKO in 1:33 of the first.  I had two more fights, the latter one where I had a pretty serious eye injury to my good eye, I say good eye because I am actually blind in my right eye already and have been since I was a year old.  I made a full recovery from the injury in that fight and realized MMA was not a smart choice, and that was right around when I met Clean and immerse myself full time Jiu-Jitsu with him.  The rest is history.

Dustin Dense is known in the BJJ Community as a respected and intense individual. Tell us about of your experience training under him and most importantly what you learned from him that’s helped shape your life on and off the mat?

DC:  Intensity was an understatement; it was downright insane training from the beginning.  We met Clean when he lived in Missouri for a short period of time but when he moved back to Florida he would come back once sometimes twice a month and we would drill and train for 6-7 days straight, 8-10 hours a day.  He would try to kill us.  I remember guys getting vertigo from the sessions, most would come once and we would never see them again.  At some points I would have to peel my gi off my skin, leaving what looked like bed sores from training so much without any breaks.  The old Clean, he wanted us to be killing machines.  My friend David Vava and I used to wake up at 4 am and drive 2 hours to a gym he would teach at when he lived here, to train for 2 hours then I would come back home and go to community college (which I eventually dropped out of so I could train with Clean more). Those two hours were nothing but us getting smashed as bad as we could by guys who Clean had waiting for us, it wouldn’t stop until Clean was satisfied.  He was crazy, and we didn’t know anything different.

We were young, stubborn, and wanted his respect.  I remember after of those sessions I went to shake Clean’s hand and he looked me dead in the eyes and said \"Your Jiu-Jitsu it shit.  You are shit.  Don’t come down here and train unless you’re going to bring something better\".  He shrugged my handshake off and I left.  He was hazing us, seeing if we were worthy of his time.  We kept going back until we earned his trust, and we eventually did.  After training for a few years I moved to South Florida for 3 months to live with him and train at his academy he opened, there I got my purple belt that was in 2011.  As always, every day was war and you had to be the last man standing or suffer the consequences.  I look back, after going through all of that I knew that nothing else in life could be that hard, which made me more successful in everything else I did.  He showed me how to work hard, how to push past any point of wanting to quit, how there was a way through any situation no matter how intense.  I owe almost everything in my life to that man, for all the hard times he was always there for me, always believed in me and never let me give up.  I am forever grateful to Dustin Denes.

Are there any other individuals that have helped in your growth in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

DC:  I also cross train at KCBJJ.  Owner Jason Bircher, Travis Conley, Taylor Kettler and Carlos Dallis are my main training partners there.  Although Clean is my master, Jason Bircher and Travis Conley have been mentors of mine as well.  Travis is my go to guy, one of my best friends who keeps it real and says to me what I need to hear, and pushes me beyond my limits in the training sessions.  We have a tight knit community here in KC; they all want the best for me as I do for them.

Switching positions in your current as an instructor at Bodyfit KC how do you use your experience to inspire and help your students?

DC:  I feel like I’ve been down a special and unique path, whether it’s been what I’ve been through with Clean, what I’ve been through with injuries and life in general that I feel I can relate with just about anyone on some level which helps as an instructor.  Due to severe injuries I’ve had to change my game so much that I’ve learned a diverse style, so it’s easy to show people something in all aspects of the game.  I don’t think I’m great at any one thing, just a jack of all trades because I’ve had to learn and switch my style with each injury, which is a great thing because it made me open my mind to so much more and not be stubborn on something and closed minded to the rest, which translates so well to teaching.  I love teaching and interacting, training with students.  It makes you stay on top of your game and relevant, I’m always reviewing things I worked on for years, it’s awesome.  

Finally with some much accomplished in your life what does the future hold for Devin Chasten?

DC:  As long as I’m able to train, I know whatever is in store in the future will be great.  Of course I want to go and win big championships, but the journey along the way is what I live for.  Now as a new brown belt, I’m ready to come out of the gate strong, compete as much as possible but also learn and enjoy the road.  With age, development and experience comes wisdom, and I’m ready for more and whatever the future holds!

Devin Chasten Shout Outs:  David Vava at Bodyfit Kansas City, Jason Bircher and Travis Conley at KCBJJ, Anyone and everyone who has ever had a positive impact in my life in Jiu-Jitsu and off the mat, I owe it all to you. Finally Last and not least, Dustin \"Clean\" Denes.  I owe him more than I can ever explain.

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Tuesday, 24 November 2015 07:40

TMJ: Tamo Junto You Can Count On Me. Professor Jason Yerrington's Journey

Written by Deneatra Terry
TMJ:  Tamo Junto You Can Count On Me.  Professor Jason Yerrington's Journey

Interview with Ohana Academy owner Jason Yerrington about his philosophy on running a gym, Cronh's disease and their up coming Ohana Award Ceremony.

 

“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think”-Socrates

BJJ is not always about being number one or how many titles you obtain.  For some, the lives of the people positively affected while on the journey truly is THE POINT.  United States Martial Arts Inductee Professor Jason Yerrington talks to us about his special journey.  A journey that he needed a helping hand with and those that love him rallied.  Tamo Junto (TMJ) means you can count on me and when he needed it the most, Team Ohana was there to be counted on.  The Ohana Academy Owner discusses training with Crohn’s Disease, the changes that led to the Ohana expansion, new black belts, and how he still has a fighting spirit whether or not the odds are in his favor.  He has had the overwhelming love and support of friends, family, and his students during the most difficult time of his life.  Professor Yerrington is living proof that it really isn’t about how you start the race but how you choose to see it through to the end.

BJJL:  Why BJJ, not baseball or basketball, what drew you to this particular martial art?

JY:  BJJ was something that I decided to start doing after I had finished playing basketball.  I played two years at Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas and then transferred to the University of Incarnate Word where I red shirted my first year and finished out my eligibility the next two with them. When basketball was done there was a competitive void in my life.  I saw the fight between Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin.  I was captivated watching those two guys put it all on the line.  I knew right then and there I have to do that.  Three months, I was the main event at a show in Waco, Texas.  Needless to say, I got knocked out.  I went back to the gym and started to really throw myself into Jiu Jitsu. Prior to that fight I had never trained in the Gi but as soon as I put it on and had my first roll, I was hooked for life!

BJJL:  You are the owner of Ohana out of San Antonio TX.  Ohana, what does it stand for/represent…why that particular moniker?

JY:  Ohana is a Hawaiian term referring to family. The concept emphasizes that families are bound together and members must cooperate and remember one another!  As I began to progress in my Jiu Jitsu journey I started to feel a sense of community and bonding with every one of my training partners. I chose to name our school Ohana because of this and the Hawaiian culture seemed to embody a lot of the concepts that I was becoming accustomed to from my experiences in Jiu Jitsu.

BJJL:  How long have you been training, what’s your lineage?

JY:  I started training in February 2006.  I received my blue belt from a man named Jaime Miller. Shortly thereafter I left and enrolled at Marra Senki Jiu Jitsu Academy where Professor Sergio “Marra” Correra took me in.  Once he awarded me my purple belt he helped me open my first Ohana Academy and he has been my professor ever since.

BJJL:  How involved is your family?

JY:  In the beginning my family (mainly my wife) was just a supportive and fan. Once my daughter Arianna turned three yrs old we started her in our Jitz for Totz program and since then my family has been very involved in everything we do at Ohana. Well that’s not totally true. My wife just recently started her journey on the mats a couple of weeks ago.  My second daughter is two now but will also start training when she turns three.  It makes my heart so happy seeing them on the mat.  I know that I can feel comfortable as my girls grow up because they will be prepared in ways that the majority of people will not be. They may never ever want to compete and that’s fine.  I know that the experiences they gain through Jiu Jitsu will prepare them in ways I never can as just their dad.

BJJL:  A guy your size must have a difficult time finding the optimal training partner.  You are in great shape, but you are what I call, a size extra.  How do you compensate when training so that you don’t get hurt or so that you don’t hurt anyone?  

JY:  Being a big guy comes with its challenges and its pros for sure.  It has always been my approach to training to try and move like a little guy.  I never wanted to have a static strength type of game.  I have always strived to have a flow more in tune with someone that is 150lbs or lighter as opposed to the kind of games that you see from guys 220lbs and above.  Injuries will happen in training but I have found that there are three main philosophies when training jitz. Win/lose… lose/lose… and win/win… I strive to keep a 40% win/lose to 60% win/win ratio.  A win/lose roll is a competitive roll.  A win/win roll is more along the lines of catch and release or flow rolls.   This way it allows me to explore and expand my game because of the investment that my partner and I put into our training rolls. You cannot however ever remove competitive rolls.  If you do then what good would it be if you had to defend yourself on the street or in a competition.

BJJL:  What aspect of your game do you think has improved the most since you began training?

JY:  The aspect of my game that has improved the most would have to be my inversions and also my escapes.  Movement with a purpose but never straying from the movement. As soon as you stop moving you start dying

BJJL:  What do you try to instill in your students the moment the set foot on the mat?

JY:  I try to instill in the students to invest in losing or as we call it learning.  I try to let people know that the wall of China wasn’t built in a day.  There are so many ways to answer this question but the truth is that it is different for each student.  Everyone has an individual journey!!

BJJL:  I don’t know how many people are aware of this but in 2012 you were inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame as Instructor of the Year.  That is an AMAZING accomplishment.  Talk about what that meant to you, to your family.

JY:  That was a VERY unexpected honor! I do this because I love Jiu Jitsu and I love helping people.  In a way I see Ohana Academy as a church, a church of Jiu Jitsu! Lol but that is the truth. Being inducted was a major validation and one in which I am EXTREMELY proud of!

BJJL:  What are the various programs that Ohana has to offer?

JY:  My first academy (the Central San Antonio location) offers it all and we still pretty much do. We have BJJ, Boxing, Wrestling, Muay Thai, No Gi, and of course MMA.  My second location in Stone Oak we wanted to create a grappling only school where our focus was Jiu Jitsu!

BJJL:  Ohana had a transition with its black belts.  Gustavo Carpio moved to California and you were able to partner with Bruno Alves (GFT).  How did that transpire?

JY:  Gustavo had a great opportunity to partner up with some business men in California and open his own school, Connect Jiu Jitsu.  I was sad to see him go but so happy for him and his family! We still text and talk all the time.  That’s one of things that I love about jitz, every class is the opportunity to meet your next lifelong friend.  Basketball never did that for me. The opportunity to work with Bruno Alves was like a golden egg falling into my lap.  He is a great guy with great Jiu Jitsu and an awesome addition to our family.  It has been a pleasure to get to know him and his wife Alessandra.

BJJL:  What are your long-term plans for Ohana?

JY:  My long term plans for Ohana are to always be a family environment that uses Jiu Jitsu as a vehicle for accomplishing whatever your goals are.  Whether that is to be a world champion, lose weight, stress relief, self-defense, or open up your own school.

BJJL:  You have had a rough year due to illness, will you talk a bit about that?

JY:  This year has been one of the most trying years of my life.  I was diagnosed in 2009 with Crohn’s disease/ ulcerative colitis.  In Nov 2014 I went into the ER for lower abdominal pain.  At the ER they diagnosed me as having diverticulitis.  I then had another colonoscopy in Dec 2014 and it was there that the doctor said I was misdiagnosed and it was not diverticulitis but instead a ball of cancerous cells in my colon.  This is the average for people with active ulcerative colitis.

The risk for cancer increases dramatically after 6 years of an active disease.  Since being diagnosed with that I have undergone chemo infusions, steroidal treatment, tons of drugs.  I literally can’t even list them all.  I have had countless accidents.  At times it feels like I’m trapped in my own home due to the fact that I can’t leave without the risk of an accident.  Then the doctors ordered me on total bowel rest which means they inserted a PICC line and every night for 14hrs I was given medicine and food.  When I say food I mean this nasty white substance that had carbs and fats and proteins.  I did this for just over three months before the PICC line became infected and the organism tunneled through my heart and made its way into my lungs and then was filtered into my blood.

I then had heart failure, kidney failure, and liver failure with a bad case of pneumonia in my lungs. In other words my body was septic.  The doctors said that if I had waited one more hour I would have been dead.  I then spent six days in the ICU.  After getting out I refused to have the PICC line put back in and instead went on a juice fast after watching the documentary fat, sick, and nearly dying (I also competed in the Austin open five days after getting out of the ICU…DUMB).  Since then I have begun a drastic recovery.  I am still receiving infusions and am still on numerous medications including the steroids.

The good news is that after all this the ball of cells has decreased dramatically.  I am still waiting to do another colonoscopy to biopsy the mass and go from there.  Throughout these things I would never be able to have made it to where I am now without the constant help and support of my wife Megan.  She has been there for me through everything and her undying love even in the worst situations has been such a blessing, but that’s what family is! That’s OHANA.

BJJL:  Biggest setback since you began training?

JY:  The biggest setback in my training has been these last 9 months.

BJJL:  Proudest Moment?

JY:  My proudest moment was winning the No Gi worlds as a brown belt.  I have not yet been able to compete in the worlds as a black belt due to my health but I promise you I will make it back

BJJL:  Any regrets?

JY:  I think we all have regrets or things we would have liked to have done better.  I wish I had started juicing earlier, paying closer attention to my health, and trying to do everything in my power to not let this sort of happen. I know that some things are out of my control but if I had known the type of affect that juicing has had on my disease I would have started years ago.

BJJL:  Do you have anything coming up in the next few months at Ohana that you would like to announce?

JY:  Coming up at the end of the year we have our rank day on Dec 3rd and I’m excited to announce the 1st annual OAC (Ohana Award Ceremony) happening on Dec 4th. This is going to be an awesome event where it will not be as strict as a black tie affair but more like a black tie affair OHANA style!

BJJL:  Would you like to thank anyone for helping you along the way?

JY:  First and foremost I want to thank the lord Jesus Christ, then my wife, and my two beautiful princesses.  My father and mother for their support.  My professor Sergio Correra, Gustavo Carpio, Randy for all of his awesome insights, and all my students that have believed in us and the concept that is Ohana Jiu Jitsu.

A journey begins and ends wherever we want it to.  The path is ours to choose.  When the time comes will you fight?  Will you fight for your hopes, your dreams, and the very air that you breathe?  When the time comes will the fight be in you?  Will you push the limits and go above and beyond what is humanly possible?  Professor Yerrington chose to fight.  He has fought every step of the way of his journey in BJJ and in life.  Professor Yerrington’s Journey is unique and inspirational.  On that day when you know you have absolutely nothing left and you think you have gone as far as you can go.  Just get up, think outside of yourself for a moment, and just like Professor Yerrington, FIGHT!

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”-Confucius

 

 

Follow Professor Jason Yerrington and Ohana Academy at:

http://ohanajiujitsu.com/

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/OhanaAcademy

Instagram:  @OHANA_ACADEMY

Twitter:  @OhanaAcademy

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/jason.yerrington

Ohana Academy is located in Central San Antonio at:

8318 Jones Maltsberger Ste. 109 San Antonio, Texas 78216

&

North San Antonio at: 

166 North Loop 1604 Suite 202, San Antonio, Texas 78232

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Tuesday, 27 October 2015 04:38

Team Gacho: Alliance Powerhouse Competitors of Texas

Written by Deneatra Terry
Team Gacho: Alliance Powerhouse Competitors of Texas

 

Team Gacho: Alliance Powerhouse Competitors of Texas

 “You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” - Jack London

The last two years for Team Gacho has been outstanding.  Gold at Master's Worlds, Gold at Pans, Gold at Worlds, Gold at Kid's Pans, the list goes on and on.  This family of competitors is an absolute POWERHOUSE.  It takes hard work to achieve this level of succes as an individual.  It is amazing that this family is able to achieve such success as a team.  They are truly an inspiration to us all. Husband and wife, black belt Raul Jimenez and brown Gabriela Muller talk with BJJ Legends about the biggest loves in their lives their family and BJJ. Team Alliance Gacho is located in Spring Texas, about an hours drive outside of Houston.

BJJL:  Why MMA? Is it big in your Country?

Raul: MMA is big in Ecuador but Jiu-Jitsu is bigger, more people do Jiu-Jitsu. I wanted to do MMA for the adrenaline and to challenge myself and see what I can do. Also, I got to travel with MMA, I fight in Brazil, Korea, Ecuador and Mexico.

BJJL:  Husband/Wife how did you meet?

Raul: We met in school in Ecuador.

Gaby: In school in Ecuador. I moved there when I was 12. We went to the same private school and hung out with the same people.

BJJL:  You’re a family that does this as a cohesive unit, are your children interested in anything other than BJJ?

Raul: My son Roberto does wrestling in school, he also likes to ride his skateboard and Matias wants to do wrestle.

Gaby: Roberto wrestles, cruises on his skateboard, unicycles and his dream to to learn how to surf. Matias wants to wrestle as well and his seems interested in soccer and gymnastics.

BJJL:  As a support system for each other how has this helped you all these years as you achieved your goals?

Raul: My wife and son help with the academy when I travel to compete or seminars.

Gaby: Before Roberto got so big he was my best training partner. We were about the same weight and he pushed me, now he smashes or plays with me (ughhhh)

BJJL:  Talk to me about your BJJ lineage?

Raul: I am a black belt under Mestre Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti and he is a black belt under Master Rolls Gracie.

Gaby: I am under Alliance, Mestre Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti gave me my purple belt and my husband is my main instructor.

BJJL:  What equals a well-rounded fighter? How does one train to become the equivalent of a Kenan Cornelius?

Raul: Train hard, there is no other way.

Gaby: There is no easy way to be a well-rounded fighter. I see my son’s evolution and how much he has worked to get to the level he is at. You need to be dedicated, train hard and love it.

BJJL:  Is there anything you would like to tell a person that is starting out in MMA/BJJ/Boxing…etc? Some pearls of wisdom you wish you had known that would have prevented injury, aggravation, etc?

Raul: Don’t hurt your partners. Leave your ego when you go train. If you hurt your teammates you won’t have anyone to train with. Also, don’t say “let’s roll light,” then try to rip off their foot.

Gaby: I would tell them not to spaz out and work on technique and not on ripping your teammates head off.

BJJL:  The right gym, the right black belt, what advice do you have for people searching for the right environment to train in?

Raul: It is both. You need to find an academy that is serious about the sport. Find out the credentials of the instructor. If you're interested in competing, find a school with an instructor that competes and will push you to train hard.

Gaby: You need to train where you feel comfortable. Research the instructor, see what their Bjj lineage is.

BJJL:  If there is one thing (across the board) that you would like to be standardized when it comes to BJJ rules, what would it be?

Raul: I don’t like advantages, you should get point on what you actually did, not almost do.

Gaby: Let purple belts do toeholds and knee bars.

BJJL:  There are so many BJJ competitions out there, a person could compete on weekly basis, how does one distinguish a good tournament from a bad one?

Raul: Find tournaments that are organized and don’t mix weights and belt ranks just to fill a bracket.

Gaby: I like to refer our students to the well-organized tournaments.

BJJL:  What is a solid piece of advice you think all competitors would benefit from when picking a tournament to compete in?

Raul: There are so many options, just look at the rules and see what tournament fits you.

Gaby: Compete when you are ready and feel comfortable.

BJJL:  Do you have any women only classes?

Raul: Not at the moment, Gaby wants to do one in the summer.

Gaby: No, we don’t have enough girls for that.

BJJL:  Do you have any thoughts about women only classes? Any thoughts on, “The Blue Belt Curse” in relation to women that train?

Raul: I support all women's class but it’s hard to find women that train and love it. The blue belt curse is for men and women, they think they black belts when they get the blue belt. Blue belt is you finishing kindergarten, I don’t understand why people quit.

Gaby: I think there are great, even all women’s open mats are extremely beneficial to women that train. Personally, I am not one to start something and not finish. I recently just graduated college at 37 years old. When I started jiu-jitsu I never had a doubt in my mind that I would continue until I got my black belt. I don’t understand women that start training for 1 or 2 years and quit. I think in the first weeks on training you know if it's right for you. If you accomplish getting your blue belt why quit?

BJJL:  Your Team finished strong in 2014 and has started 2015 with a bang, what do you attribute your success thus far to?

Raul: Alliance is a successful team because everyone helps each other, all the top level guys share their knowledge to everyone on the team and the team is always evolving. We don’t just stay on the basics. My school is still small and I would like to continue to see it grow, I want to form champions, not just my kids, I want to see my students up on the podiums at high level tournaments.

Gaby: Alliance it the only team to win 10 world titles. There are many high quality, top notch athletes.

BJJL:  Your oldest son (Roberto, 15) has been competing since he was very young, he is a force in the BJJ world. He is a dynamic competitor to watch, why do you think he is so driven in this sport?

Raul: He loves the sport. If it was up to him, he would only train, eat and sleep. He is driven because he wants to be a world champion at every belt.

Gaby: It took him a while to warm up to the sport but now he only thinks about training. I think his passion is seen on the mats when he is competing.

BJJL:  Do you have any regrets thus far? Training miss steps/setbacks, not following advice, etc.

Raul: Rest when my body needs it, if you have an injury listen to your body and rest. Also, I thought that bodybuilding and lifting heavy would help me when being big guy doesn’t help and it's important to eat right all the time.

Gaby: I wish I started training when I was younger. If I would have started when Raul started training I would be a black belt. Not cutting too much weight.

BJJL:  What has been your proudest moment since you began the practice of BJJ?

Raul: Winning Pan-Ams as a black belt, brown belt and purple belt and getting my black belt.

Gaby: Winning my first IBJJF gold last year at Dallas Open

BJJL:  What are your plans for the future? What goals do you still have left?

Raul:  Keep training as long as my body allows me to. I would like to be ranked number one in my division. Make my boys, my daughter that will be born in December, and my students World Champions.

Gaby: I want to get my black belt and continue to compete. I compete masters so I would like to win Masters Worlds or Pan Ams.

BJJL:  Is there anyone you would like to thank that you have never had the opportunity to thank for helping you get to where you are today?

Raul:  My wife, I don’t thank her enough for everything she does and all her support.

Gaby: My husband and sons, they motivate me every day.

BJJL:  If you could go back and change anything about your journey, would you?

Raul:  I am happy with everything I have accomplished. I wish I started younger and focused more on my training when I was younger. I am glad I pushed my kids to train and not quit because they will be champions.

Gaby: Just wish I started younger and valued the importance of drilling earlier in my journey. I feel my game got better the more I drilled.

Team Gacho started off 2015 with an unbelievable winning streak and has been on a roll ever since.  2016 is right around the corner and I see no signs of them slowing down.  This family trains together, competes together, and wins together.  That is something we all can respect and admire.  Team Gacho is reaping the benefits of all their years of hard work and deserve each and every blessing that has come their way.  

 

“I ask not for any crown
But that which all may win
Nor try to conquer any world
Except the one within.”

- Louisa May Alcott

 

 

Follow Team Gacho at: 

http://www.teamgacho.com/

FB:  

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alliance-Team-Gacho/156193973216

https://www.facebook.com/raul.jimenez.792

https://www.facebook.com/gabymuller78

https://www.facebook.com/roberto.jimenez.1614460

Instagram:  

@ALLIANCETEAMGACHO

@GACHIUX

@GABYDOL78

@ROBERTINHO_JIMENEZ

 

 

 

 

 

Published in Spotlight
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  • gabriela muller
  • romero “jacare” cavalcanti
  • Rolls Gracie
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Thursday, 28 May 2015 01:22

Maximiliano Ulloa

Written by Kris Shaw
Maximiliano Ulloa

In a wheel chair and paralyzed from the last rib down Max is going to compete in the 2015 IBJJF World Championships. A little background on a great warrior. Photos courtesy of Paulo Bihis and Bathala Apparel.

Maximiliano Ulloa is a purple belt under Leticia Ribeiro who trains at Gracie Humaitá South Bay. He’s 37 years old and will be fighting as a light weight (157) for the first time in his life.

Max became a paraplegic in 2012 after a fall from a second story balcony pinched spinal cord at level T7. With a T7 injury he has lost the use of his abs as well as his legs and lower back.

Before his injury Max was a 1 strip blue belt.

Max spent 2 months in hospital and 2 weeks in outpatient rehab when insurance only provisioned for 1 PT visit per week. He was home alone for 2 months then his brother moved to California to help. Six months after his accident resumed training because of his failing insurance need for rehab. He trains 8-10 hours a week.

Max took several months to travel across the US alone. He visited family and academies along the way. While he was visiting Miami for two months trained at the Rilion Gracie Academy. With Leticia’s blessing Max was awarded his purple belt from Rilion 2014.

Motivated to inspire other spinal cord injury people Max started the non-profit RollingtheWalk.com. He is supported by the great people at Jiu-Jitsu Changed My Life.

Max Royler by Bathala Apparel
Photo Credit:Paulo from Bathala Apparel
Max ->
https://www.facebook.com/MaximilianoUlloaYork
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grappling-Graphics/246478195484344
https://www.facebook.com/RollingTheWalk
http://www.rollingthewalk.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jiujitsuchangedmylife
http://www.jiujitsuchangedmylife.com/ 

nothanicaped

Published in Spotlight
Tagged under
  • maximiliano ulloa
  • leticia ribeiro
  • Gracie Humaita
  • gracie humaita south bay
  • rilion gracie academy
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  • spinal cord injury
  • spinal cord injury level t7
  • JiuJitsu
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Monday, 16 February 2015 11:33

Tears, Scars, & Lies: Shary Arnold's Outlet through BJJ

Written by Deneatra Terry
Tears, Scars, & Lies:  Shary Arnold's Outlet through BJJ

Returning to BJJ gave Arnold the skills to overcome debilitating fear. She came back to her roots, her second family, BJJ.

Trigger Warning: Descriptions of Domestic Violence

Psalms 18:48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.


In March 2013 Shary Arnold took her first step in her BJJ journey at Global MMA Academy under 2nd Degree Black Belt Beto Nunes.  Unfortunately, Arnold’s steps (like so many) were previously impeded. She wasn’t able to resume her training until 10 years after her initial taste.  Work, kids, and life in general become a priority that takes precedence over all things. Arnold’s derailment was much darker. In 2004, her spouse returned home from a one year deployment in Iraq. Arnold had knee surgery immediately after his return.  Instead of going home to recover she was brutally sexually assaulted upon her arrival.  That day marked the beginning of a six year nightmare.  

BJJ Legends: Tell me about yourself, where you are from, if you have siblings.  Tell me about your parents, elementary, middle, and high school.

Shary Arnold: My name is Shary and I was born in San Jose, California, grew up in Port Orchard, Washington until I joined the Army after high school.  My mom, step dad and twin sister live in Washington and my real dad and his side of the family mostly live near San Jose, California.   My mom and step dad moved us to WA when I was 7.  I went to Burley Glenwood Elementary, Cedar Heights Junior High and graduated from South Kitsap High School.  I played sports starting young.  Began with soccer and then started playing basketball in 3rd grade until 11th.  I was in a serious car accident when I was 16.  My twin sister suffered the brunt of the injuries physically, but the accident left me with lingering hip damage as well as suffering from PTSD, nightmares and flashbacks.  

BJJL: Tell me about life post-secondary.

Shary: I joined the army when I was 18 and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington.  Got pregnant and then married shortly after I turned 19. Followed a marriage from Washington to North Carolina to Alaska and eventually to Florida. More than 6 years of our 8 year marriage was severe physical, mental, emotional and sexual abuse.  I spent most of my 20s living a double life, away from family and friends who didn’t really know what was going on.  

BJJL: How did you meet your husband?

Shary: I met my (now ex) husband at Fort Lewis, Washington while we were both stationed there in the Army.  A mutual friend introduced us to each other.

BJJL: When was the first time you saw his temper?  Did it involve violence?

Shary: I remember the first time I saw his temper was soon after we started dating.  He had locked his keys (and mine) in his car.  He was yelling and irate and went to find a rock to bust out the windows.  I had to calm him down and tell him we should just call the locksmith.  There were several fights (without physical abuse) before he deployed to Iraq in 2003.  I was pregnant with our oldest, my daughter Kaitlyn.  He was aggressive and very verbal at that point and also showed signs of suicidal tendencies.  He had told me about the abuse he was raised seeing, with his dad severely abusing his mom over many years.  He also had been sent to an anger management treatment facility in his teenage years.

BJJL: Do you recall the worst incident related to the abuse?

Shary: There were so many incidents that i can recall.  I can't narrow one down to say it’s the worst.  He raped me and beat me, many times in front of my children. There was one time, it was morning and I was getting ready for work.  We got into a fight and he started choking me.  He shoved my face against the ground.  I couldn’t breathe and I was about to pass out.  The fight eventually ended but not without leaving my eye filled with blood.  The pressure of choking me caused my blood vessels to pop inside my eye.  I had to go to work like that and remember making up yet another excuse as to why I had bruises and now a blood filled eye.

There were so many injuries but thankfully never any broken bones.  He ruptured my ear drum one time, many black eyes, bruised limbs, cuts.  He hit me with a dinner plate that broke and the glass cut into my stomach.

BJJL: How did your friends and family react to how you were treated?

Shary: For many years, I didn't let anyone know. We had moved to Alaska in 2004 and I got pregnant with my son, Jakob.  After the birth, my sister flew up to help babysit so that I could go back to work.  We had been fighting and I was in the basement when he beat me.  My sister came down the stairs and saw me on the floor.  But like I had done so many times before, I defended him when she was telling me I needed to leave. My sister ended up leaving the house and wouldn’t talk to me.  It wasn't until around July 2007 that his abuse led him to be arrested.  It was a span over a couple of days, and a lot of it is a blur to me.  But what I remember being in a lot of pain, he had choked me, beat me and I remember my muscles being so sore it felt like I was in a bad car accident.  I think it was on a Saturday that I had enough and I swallowed some pills, not in an attempt to kill myself, but to stop the pain.  He grabbed the bottle and held me down forcing me to swallow the rest. I remember at that point i had my cell phone under a pillow and I dialed one of my friends.  She could hear the yelling and she called police.  My mom flew to Alaska and helped watch the kids while I was taken to the hospital and given time to heal. She eventually took them with her to Washington for 3 months.  

Currently however, I do not have a relationship with my mom, twin sister or step dad.  They, for unknown reasons to me, have maintained a relationship with my ex-husband, even after he fully admitted to everything he has done. They had no regard for my safety and feelings in the situation, so I made the choice to take them out of my life. 

Anyone who did not support me or provide safety and positivity, has been removed from my life.

BJJL: At what point did you start feeling it was time to walk away?

Shary: In September 2010, we had been in a fight in the kitchen.  He tried to stab me but missed.  He ended up grabbing my hair and dragging me to the bedroom in front of the kids.  I was yelling for my daughter to find my phone and call 911.  When he realized I had taught her how to call for help he started yelling at her and calling her names. He trapped me in the bedroom until he yelled at her enough and scared her into a ball on the couch.  He then beat and raped me to the point I couldn’t move.  After he was done all I could hear was yelling.  She told me that he grabbed her by the arms and put her on the kitchen counter.  I could hear him calling her a traitor and telling her if he goes to jail it’s her and my fault.  It was at that point I knew I needed to get out.  October 10, 2010, I told him I wanted a divorce. He wouldn’t let me out of the bedroom and finally when he did he loaded the shotgun and put it in his mount, in front of me and the kids.  The police came and escorted him out.  

Up until that time, when we lived in Alaska and he had mentioned possibly moving to Florida, I immediately started thinking about ways to leave.  Living in Alaska made it hard to get away.  Financially I would have never been able to make it.  I had no support or a means to get away.  But the possibility of living in Florida and the research I had started doing about the laws for divorce and I knew I could do it.  So the move to Florida was a huge role in my game plan to leave.  

BJJL: Were children involved in any of the abuse?

Shary: They mostly witnessed much of the abuse but there were many times his violence endangered them as well.  There was one time we were at the mall and he said he wanted to get fast food.  I said we should just go home, save the money and I would make lunch.  He threw a fit.  As soon as we got into the car he was punching the dash board. He punched the gear shifter and broke it off.  Then as we were driving, he kicked the gas pedal and broke it off too.  He ran two red lights and was driving erratically.  I was terrified. And the kids were screaming.  He was very verbally and I’d say emotionally abusive to them as well.  He would yell and call them names when they wouldn’t do something right and I remember spending a lot of time after I left him, helping my daughter try to get past the complex he gave her.  She lacked a lot of confidence because of how he treated her.

BJJL: What gave you the courage to not look back?

Shary: I finally hit a point where I didn't care where the kids and I were going to live, whether it was a car or cardboard box.  I had been starting to train for a triathlon, mostly because if I wasn’t home, I wasn’t getting hurt.  I think the time I spent swimming, biking and running gave me time to think and process things.  I leaned on a few close friends who I told everything that was going on.  I even wrote a letter to one of them before the day I left.  (I will share it with you, because it has a lot of the whole story)  All those years, he would tell me I would never make it without him.  But I got to the point that once he went after my daughter the way he did, I knew I had to get us out of there and I would find a way.  The day after he was escorted by police, and the weeks that followed, I started to feel life in my soul.  The support I had from my work and close friends was unbelievable.  And it gave me the strength to keep pushing forward.  I’ve spent a long time reflecting and reading self-improvement books.  I also was in counseling for many years during the marriage and after.  

BJJL: When did you start BJJ? Who do you train w/both school and Professor?

Shary: I started training BJJ in March 2013 at Global Mixed Martial Arts Academy under Professor Beto Nunes.  And starting September 2014 I transferred to Samsara Martial Arts under Rinaldo Santos (Under Carlson Gracie).  Dylan Moquin and Jon Gold have become our academy’s main instructors on the days that Professor Rinaldo is at his home academy in Orlando, FL.

BJJL: How long have you trained there?  What belt level are you?

Shary: Samsara Martial Arts Academy is recently new, opening up officially in August of this year.  So I have been with them full time since their doors opened.  I just got 2 stripes a week ago, so now I am a 4 stripe white belt.  My progression has been up and down because of injuries.  I have dealt with joint issues and hyper lax (super stretchy) ligaments that make it easy for my joints to dislocate, keeping me off the mats way more than I would like.  

BJJL: Do you compete, if so, please tell me about it

Shary: My first tournament was in December 2013.  I remember the anxiety I had going in there.  Wanting to prove something.  I had won gi and no gi in my division.  But the weight class above mine only had one lady and she needed someone to fight so I said of course I'll do it.  She had almost 50 lbs. on me at the time. She won by points in no gi. But when we got to the gi match, I was winning by points.  I remember her getting to side control and smashing her weight on my chest.  I couldn’t breathe.  I caught a glimpse of the clock and saw there was a minute and 20 seconds left.  Not being able to breathe is a trigger for me.  All of the times my ex-husband would choke me I panicked.  Every time.  But at this moment in the match, I felt that panic and shut it down. I relaxed.  I held on and when I heard the buzzer go off and I had won, I was overcome with so many emotions.  No one around me had any idea why I was crying, and I don’t even know if they noticed.  But for me, it was huge.  I overcame that fear at that moment and that match will always be in my heart.  

BJJL: Fondest memory so far since you started BJJ.

Shary: There are so many memories from BJJ that are fond to me.  I have traveled all over Florida to train at any school I can.  The friends that I have met are more than my friends, they are the family I never had.  Having a place that I belong means the world to me.  Overall, when I think back and reflect on Jiu-Jitsu, the opportunities that have opened up, and just the way my life has been affected by it, I get really emotional.  It means a lot to me and I can see the progress that I’ve made mentally and emotionally as well as physically.  Having the outlet has helped me with stress more than any medication the doctor has tried to prescribe to me. On top of working full time and raising 2 kids on my own, I also take 10 credit hours at the local community college.  School is a major struggle in my life.  But the mental aspect of Jiu-Jitsu has helped me push through the hard times that I feel during school and I know taking an hour or 2 to train will help clear my mind and I can attack anything else I set my mind to.

BJJL: With your past being so traumatic, how has BJJ helped you cope?

Shary: BJJ has helped me cope in so many ways.  The triggers of being choked, not being able to breathe, feeling all that weight on your body and not able to move, I have been able to shut that fear down.  It doesn’t control me or cause me to lose focus in my grappling.  If anything, it feeds my fire.  

BJJL: Are there times that BJJ triggers anything related to your past trauma?

Shary: All the time. My ex-husband was a big guy.  350 lbs. at 6'3''.  That weight on top of my body was paralyzing.  I would fight back for hours but eventually had no energy to fight against him.  In BJJ, we grapple all different sizes and weights.  It’s tough sometimes. The choking and panic feeling when you can’t breathe is something most people have to get used to when they start BJJ.  But for me, it’s not a new feeling.  But I've learned how to react to it.  In BJJ, it’s also different because you can TAP and be released.  Dealing with triggers is all about how you react and think about what feelings its causing.  I have spent years processing my feelings and triggers are inevitable.  I never know when something is going to trigger bad memories or feelings.  Having a good mindset to begin with has helped me heal.  Talking about it and getting the feelings off my chest have helped a lot too.  

BJJL: When was the first time you knew everything was not only going to be ok for you but better than ok?

Shary: I don’t remember the exact moment that it all came clear to me, but I remember that first week after I left, I had never felt more alive.  It’s been 4 years and every day gets better and better.  I am an emotional person, so I cry a lot when I have that sense of gratitude and appreciation for my life.  Everything smells good, the air feels good to breathe in. Having freedom and having my kids who are happier and healthier now is the best feeling in the world.

BJJL: Tell me how you feel today?

Shary: Today, I feel an amazingly overwhelming appreciation for life.  I have recently had some incredible people enter my life because of Jiu-Jitsu and because of the contest held by Girls in Gis.  I feel strong and determined to succeed.  I have so many plans for my life and my future only seems to get bigger, brighter and happier.

BJJL: How has BJJ changed your life for the better?

Shary: I can't see my life without BJJ.  BJJ has taught me how to push through mental barriers.  It’s taught me how to make mistakes and then learn from them.  The friends I've made have been the best part of my Jiu-Jitsu journey so far.  Training gives me a purpose and a challenge.  I remember my first day in class, I was so nervous.  I didn't want to suck!  But I knew I would because I was new, shy and clueless.  But I was a parent first, I had my kids training in BJJ for a few months, so I already had some friends that trained too.  That helped a lot with my first day jitters.  After that first day, the fire in my soul was lit.  When I am injured and unable to train, it’s hard emotionally for me.  I want to be on those mats. I want to be around the people that push me and also make me laugh.  Its home to me.  

BJJL: If you could go back and changed things, would you?

Shary: There are so many times I wish I could go back and change it.  I think more so because of my kids.  What I went through was terrible, but it’s made me who I am today.  Strong.  Driven.  And I now have appreciation for life that I wish other people could feel.  It’s amazing to wake up in the morning and have another day to work towards my dreams. 

“Use the darkness of your past to propel you to a brighter future.” -Donata Joseph

For some statistics on domestic violence against men/women, please go to:  
http://www.ncadv.org/resources/FactSheets.php  
http://www.ncadv.org/files/Domestic%20Violence%20Stylized--GS%20edits.pdf
Follow Shary Arnold:
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/shary0325
Instagram:  @SJA0325

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Friday, 02 January 2015 19:11

Não Para: Leka Vieira A Relentless Competitor

Written by Deneatra Terry
Não Para: Leka Vieira A Relentless Competitor

Não Para:  Leka Vieira A Relentless Competitor

“Just seize every opportunity you have, embrace every experience.  Make a mark for all the right reasons.”  Chrissie Wellington

 

Picture it, Copacabana, Rio DeJaneiro.  In 1992 an up and coming 16 yr old handball star had to suddenly give up on her dreams of being part of the National team due to a partial tear in her ACL and relocation issues.  Did any of this stop her from pursuing a new dream, ABSOLUTELY NOT. 3X BJJ World Champion, 4th Degree Black Belt, Professor Alessandra “Leka” Vieira has encountered multiple setbacks throughout her 22 year career, but she never stopped.  Her drive to compete sent her looking for another sport that would always be challenging, enter BJJ.

One day out of the blue, Professor Vieira entered what could be described as “Thunderdome” at her own risk thus beginning her BJJ journey.  A predominantly male-oriented sport, she was fighting an uphill battle in extremely hostile environment.  Professor Vieira is a well known pioneer for BJJ and that was never her intention.  Every training session Professor Vieira attended she had to prove that she was just as serious, if not more so, than her male counterparts.  It took some time, but her relentless drive began to yield the results she had been working so hard for.  Professor Vieira’s road was rocky, but that never stopped her.  The diligent student earned her blue belt in six months (an unprecedented amount of time for a female) from another pioneer Master Aloisio Silva (first BJJ professor to make a female BJJ black belt world champion).

After a year of training, she entered her first competition.  Just like many competitors starting out she did not come out victorious in her first competition but she definitely won.  The 3X PANAMS Champion never repeated the same mistakes after her first loss.  In 1998, she reaped the ultimate reward for all she had worked for and received her black belt.  In 1999 she became the first female black belt world champion.  Professor Vieira was crushing goal after goal all because she never stopped.  When she made her way to America, with 200 dollars in her pocket and a dream, even she didn’t realize at the time what lay ahead for her.

 

In 2004 Professor Vieira opened her own school Leka Vieira BJJ out of Torrence, California with classes for women focusing on BJJ and self-defense.  Things got off to a slow start.  BJJ still wasn’t main stream (especially for women) and the classes were not meeting her expectations.  Notably, Professor Vieira extended an invite to a female student from another school to attend her class and the response she received was unusual.  I believe the individual compared Professor Vieira’s classes to tea party.  Professor Vieira responded by attending the student’s school, staying for a class, and blowing through male and female attendees like a Category 6 hurricane.  This had nothing to do with egos, this was like 1992 again and this pioneer was proving that women are just as good as the men.  If the women were not backing women then clearly there was a bigger problem facing females in the sport.  Years later, under Professor Vieira this same student received her black belt.  Professor Vieira is absolutely genuine and her mentorship is something up and comers would benefit from.

Knowing the art of BJJ is not enough, especially for women.  It is imperative that women (whether you compete or not) become immersed in the background of the higher ranking female black belts.  It is only a matter of time before a Professor Duarte- Magalhaes or Professor Vieira becomes the first female Grand Master.  This may bring about a change for women in BJJ that will ensure the playing field is permanently leveled.  Perhaps part of the promotion process should be about knowing more than passing the guard, sweeps, etc.  BJJ is not Professor Vieira’s only passion.  Her family is her foundation.  Her mom, husband, and two children are the center of her universe.  She found the perfect balance between her two true loves and couldn’t wish for anything more.  You can’t ask for better out of life.

Professor Vieira’s injuries early on continue to plague her and have kept her from competing as consistently as she once did.  That still hasn’t stopped her from pursuing goals.  Leka Vieira BJJ may have had a slow start but that is no longer the case.  Her all women’s classes at Gracie JJ Valencia (located out of Valencia, California) are doing very well.  Professor Vieira provides an environment that promotes safety and empowerment.   The culture these women are in thrives because her primary focus is ensuring techniques are being executed properly.  It is not about speed.  It is about ensuring nobody gets hurt and that proper BJJ and self-defense is being taught.  Building the self-esteem of these women helps each one achieve the ideal comfort level.  They are not timid and when it is go time, these ladies are like panthers in the Serengeti.  They go hard and when time is up….on to the next.

Professor Vieira has created an environment where the synergy keeps women coming back.  The fun starts the minute she sets foot on the mat.  The women push each other in order to progress.  Once again Professor Vieira is a 1st, she is the first female black belt to start an all women’s class and 10 years later it is still going strong.  Her contribution to the BJJ community goes above and beyond anything a 16 year old handball player could have ever imagined.  Her path changed and because she never stopped, she has brought about significant historical changes to BJJ.

 

Her tenacity will always be at the forefront and that is a great thing for the female BJJ community.  We all start from the bottom and having the opportunity to receive mentorship on any level from Professor Vieira would be a blessing.  She is always open to provide guidance to women at any stage on the gentle art of BJJ through seminars or camps.  Her advice for white belts starting out is to do your research before joining a school, ensure the school is legit, the teacher is a black belt with a lineage that can be authenticated (otherwise there will be safety issues) and never lose faith.  You must stick with it.  It takes time but eventually you will be the one smashing instead of being smashed.

Her thoughts on the blue belt curse are simple.  Women reach the next level and are plagued by injuries.  There are not enough female counterparts to train with and their male counterparts show no mercy. The other issue with some students can be lack of instruction.  If the student is struggling and they are not provided much needed guidance eventually the already isolated student unfortunately walks away from training.  Lack of support is probably the main reason students leave a school and female blue belts appear to have that problem more than any other belt level.

As far as BJJ has come since Professor Vieira began 22 years ago, she still believes it has a long way to go for women.  Her advice across the board is to focus on having a complete game.  If you are weak on top, you need to work on the bottom.  There is no way around it.  If you are asked what is you weak side, your answer should be I have no weak side.  If your game is not complete, then your game is lacking.  One would think between her family and BJJ, Professor Vieira couldn’t possibly have time for anything else, then came the 25th hour in her day.

Professor Vieira is not only an advocate for women defending themselves,’ she is also an ardent advocate for children.  Her love for them led her to begin donating to a children’s food bank: http://www.helpthechildren.org/hunger-in-our-world/child-hunger/how-often-do-you-think-about-child-hunger.  Professor Vieira is the type of wife a husband is always proud of, the type of mother a child looks up to, the type of teacher one wants to emulate, and the type of woman one aspires to be.  2015 is already bright for those of us that have followed the professor’s career as she has decided that she will return to competition this year.  In all this time and with all the setbacks, Professor Vieira never stopped.  If she couldn’t train, she was conditioning herself and watching and learning.  She never strayed from the path.  Winston Churchill sums up Professor Vieira’s whole attitude “If you are going through hell, keep going”  she has done it more than once and she won't stop.

 

 

Contact/Follow Professor Vieira at:  

http://www.lekavieira.com/

Leka Vieira BJJ (Facebook)

lekabjj(Twitter)

lekabjj(Instagram)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Published in Spotlight
Tagged under
  • Leka Vieira
  • alessandra “leka” vieira
  • Aloisio Silva
  • leka vieira bjj
  • self defense
  • selfesteem
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Monday, 29 December 2014 14:49

10th Planet’s Rising Star: An Interview with Geo Martinez

Written by Aiseop
Geo Martinez at EBI 2.

On the day of the first Eddie Bravo Invitational in June 2014, Geo Martinez and his brother, Richie, arrived at a dark and empty downtown Los Angeles at 4am. They rode a red-eye bus from Las Vegas, after breakdancing all day in a major competition. They had not eaten in twelve hours and had barely slept. Tired and worn, they were sitting against a badly-lit corner of a building, hoodies over their heads, looking like two homeless dudes waiting for a shelter to open for breakfast. Unbeknownst to Geo at the time, this would be the final morning of the last day of Jiu-Jitsu anonymity. Some time later, their ride arrived to get them ready to make their professional jiu-jitsu debut at Florentine Gardens in Hollywood later that night.

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Geo won the EBI tournament, defeating Jeff Glover in the finals. To say that Geo, a.k.a. Freakahhzoid, twenty-seven years old, from San Diego, had a good year would be an understatement. In January of 2014, he received his Jiu-Jitsu black belt. This feat was accomplished after only three years of training. He started under Sean Bollinger, then Ryan Fortin, and finally, received technique polishing from Eddie Bravo himself.

This year, he went undefeated in all his tournaments. He conquered the regional tournaments nearby. He also captured gold at larger venues like Gracie Nationals. His breakthrough, and his debut to the world, though, came at Eddie Bravo’s submission-only tournament. The first one was held in June, in which Geo defeated the well-respected Jeff Glover. In October, he fought again, at the second EBI, this time beating Fabio Passos (a Cobrinha black belt) in the finals.

The world at large, though, really took notice after his performance at the ADCC North American Trials in early December. Geo submitted all his opponents, some as fast as forty seconds with a rear naked choke, a calf crank, a kimura, and a variation of a D’Arce choke. When asked about competing at IBJJF events, he said he would have loved to compete in the NoGi Worlds of the IBJJF. However, he was denied entry because he did not meet the IBJJF’s time-in-rank requirements at purple and brown. Jean Jacques Machado vouched and signed Geo’s registration, but was denied by the organization.

IBJJF notwithstanding, the right people have taken notice of Geo. He was scheduled to fight at Metamoris 5 against Rubens Charles "Cobrinha" but an undisclosed hitch held that match up. Rumors are, Geo will fight at Metamoris 6.

Who would he face? Who does the jiu-jitsu world want him to face? Geo’s preferred fighting weight is at 135lbs. This puts him in the range of Caio Terra, Bruno Malfacine, Paulo and João Miyao, Gui Mendes, Rubens Charles “Cobrinha,” Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes, and Gianni Grippo. To those not in the know, to place Geo in this list seems incredulous. Those that have had a chance to train with and compete against Geo would love to see him go against one of the above. This writer hopes Ralek complies.

10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu had a lot to be thankful for in 2014. Eddie Bravo’s performance against Royler Gracie in Metamoris 3 in March didn’t so much “redeem” his victory against Royler from the 2003 ADCC, as it completely obliterated a decade of misinformation and prejudice his style of Jiu-Jitsu has faced. This new era has brought new attention to Eddie’s Jiu-Jitsu, which he doesn’t like to call a system, but more of an approach, or a philosophy: to have an open mind, discard with what doesn’t work, and use what works.

With this new regard, Eddie has been able to showcase one of his star fighters, Geo, who along with Denny Prokopos, Nathan Orchard, Richie Martinez, and Sean Bollinger, are coming to represent a new wave of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu fighters in what perhaps can be classified as the second significant era of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu.

Champions

 

I had the good fortune to interview Geo over the holiday weekend. I found him to be incredibly humble but passionate; intelligent and intuitive. I and many others look forward to what 2015 will bring.

Interview with Geo Martinez.

  • Seeing how most of the people that will read this are from outside of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, could you briefly give us your biography and jiu-jitsu biography? Who were your instructors? How was it possible you got black belt in 3 years?

I was born in 1987. I’m twenty-seven. I started training jiu-jitsu 4 years ago. I started training with Sean Bollinger then Ryan at 10th Planet Vista. Honestly, I just kinda got obsessed with it and trained every day.  My brother, too.

  • Your brother, Richie, is an awesome jiu-jitsu, fighter, too. He took Garry Tonnon to the limit at the first EBI final. Do you and your brother, Richie, keep count of who has tapped who? What’s it like to train with your brother?

It’s a blessing to train with my brother.  We’ve been doing everything together, bboying, video games, and doing jiu-jitsu. We want each other to be better. No one’s keeping count but it’s always nice to compete against someone who wants you to be better, too.

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  • What sort of training methods and philosophies allowed you to get your black belt so quickly? Did your skills from breakdancing help your transition into martial arts?

Breaking taught me discipline, to be with a crew, and rely on others for your training. We train hard. Breakdancing is very difficult for your body. So I’ve been training my body for complex moves and sets for a long time. As a dancer, I understand techniques as a pattern. Bboying also helps you take risks. You know, you gotta go for it, throw yourself on your head and spin. Is that why you like the rolling kimura attack? Oh, yeah, I love that attack, and the trucks and rolls to the truck. Feels natural to me.

  • What attracted you to 10th Planet in particular?

Eddie. Simply Eddie. He was the freakshow in jiu-jitsu. He got hated for it a lot. But he’s always been kind to me and is a generous, open teacher. Eddie inspired me beyond movement and technique. He accepted me and my crew (all in my crew do jiu-jitsu). He helped me in my life. He never wanted to do anything to harm anyone. He just loves jiu-jitsu. He’s open to anybody. Has a laid back mentality. Ben Saunders, an American Top Team fighter, is one of Eddie’s new friends. You can come from anywhere and he’ll accept you.

  • Do you have a theory of jiu-jitsu? In your documentary before EBI-1, you said, “Jiu-jitsu, B-boying, what’s beautiful about it is endless patterns.” Can you elaborate on the idea of “endless patterns” and its connection to jiu-jitsu?

Jiu-jitsu patterns are the foundation of our movements and our opponent’s movement. Everyone has a particular “set” they do from this or that position. It’s less about “seeing” patterns than about feeling them. The less you think, the better. When you’re free, your movements are a lot more creative, and you feel your rolling partner’s patterns. When dancing, you’re performing and you have to execute the move.

  • Tell me about your nickname Freakahhzoid and your crew’s name The Freakshow.

Being a freak means we accept everybody, and we don’t wanna be robots. When we started dancing, it felt like everyone was the same. Personally, I’ve always been an opposite’s dude. I like taking the detours, because that’s when you are yourself.

  • The truck. Is that your go to position? Do you finish most of your fights from there? Or where?

I’d rather take the truck than the back. There’s only a few counters to the truck. I get a lot of my submissions from there. But the submission I hit the most is the kimura.

  • Do you think you’d ever transition to MMA?

I’m a sucker for MMA, am a huge fan, but I know it’s a lot of work. I still want to battle, dance, do jiu-jitsu. My brother’s opening a new 10th Planet San Diego, and I got my school in Oceanside. If I do anything, I have to dedicate it all.

  • Finally, any shout outs?

I want to thank Phalanx. They’re my biggest sponsor. They’ve believed in me since I was a purple belt. Great company and great gear. A huge shoutout to my brother, Richie; and, of course, Eddie.

***

Geo Martinez is available for workshops, seminars, or camps. He is a highly regarded teacher. He gratefully accepts inquiries through:

His personal Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/freakahhzoid?fref=ts

Or school:

10th Planet Oceanside: https://www.facebook.com/10thPlanetjjVistA

Or 10th Planet San Diego (Richie’s school): https://www.facebook.com/10pSD

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Sunday, 30 November 2014 00:00

Rachel's Journey: A New Beginning Through BJJ

Written by Deneatra Terry
Rachel's Journey:  A New Beginning Through BJJ

 

RACHEL’S JOURNEY:  A NEW BEGINNING THROUGH BJJ

“Sometimes the past is something you just can’t let go of.

And sometimes the past is something we’ll do anything to forget.

And sometimes we learn something new about the past that changes everything

we know about the present.”

―Meredith Grey

One way or another, we have all been violated by someone in our lives.  Someone has taken advantage of us, lied to us, stolen from us.  Those things have happened to the best of us and for, the worst part was not the action but the person that performed it.  One violation that no one should ever endure is one of the body.  It takes away everything a person holds dear and often one is unable to recover from it.  Rachel Sanchez (Team Tooke, North Houston) has unfortunately endured such a violation.  Through BJJ she has come through her experience stronger than even she could have imagined with unwavering support from her teammates.  Sanchez’s journey began two years ago when she was in search of self-defense classes and begin training with the lure of a free trial.

Her initial start was unbelievably rocky.  The larger male drill partners’ smash and pass routine will NEVER sit too well with a trauma victim.  She often suffered panic attacks from pushing away teammates vs being able to use the drilling techniques taught to assist her with transitions.  Sanchez’s comfort zone was with male non-threatening teens as partners or other women.  They were her size and her weight.  A person that has been through a traumatic experience typically avoids anything that reminds them of it like the plague.  The senses are also the sensors or alarms that trick the brain into believing you are in clear and present danger when in fact the danger is your own memories.  Memories have a way of being both a blessing and a curse for a trauma victim and at any given moment those memories can terrorize them in a way that is crippling.

Sanchez has been one of the lucky ones.  She makes it clear that even when she has felt triggered that BJJ has been her saving grace and she is nothing but thankful.  “Because of my PTSD and how common my particular triggers are I am a very high strung person. When I'm training my energy and anxiety levels mellow out to levels I can actually relax and be calm with. When I do get triggered, practice will always work the tension right out of me.  I was injured for three months recently and unable to train.  It was really hard.  My emotions were a roller coaster but I managed to make it to every class and my Professor Travis Tooke (Team Tooke) was amazing about keeping me actively involved with the class.  I was still able to contribute to my team. I would not have come out of that injury as well and as stable as I did if it weren't for my coaches and teammates.”

Sanchez has had some wonderful support from her team and that is an absolute blessing.  Tournaments are a time in which she is truly tested and in need of that support.  Every trigger she has is pinged.  The best part is she has support through each and every obstacle, the worst part is her hurdles are less like taking fire from a 22 and more like receiving a non-stop barrage from an M-16 on burst.  To turn down advance after advance leaves one in a fragile state when she still has to compete.  At times like that her character is truly tested and the lady really shines, simply because she stays the course.

Sanchez has emerged from her trauma battered but not broken.  The anger and rage she felt post trauma has been channeled in a positive manner.  A girl that was once a blazing ball of fire has been reduced to smoldering embers.  BJJ put out the blaze.  That’s not to say that she doesn’t have moments of anger.  That’s not to say that Sanchez never gets triggered.  However, her responses now vs her responses post trauma are like night and day.  The four-points method her team developed and uses with her has had phenomenal results. This is when a coach or teammate knows she is struggling and approaches, places their hand on her shoulder to let her know they have her back.  This team supports their teammate through thick and thin.  For a sport where a women may be apprehensive to start because of the male dominated culture this is enough to let all know, things are rapidly changing in BJJ and they are changing for the better.

“Violators cannot live with the truth: survivors cannot live without it. There are those who still, once again, are poised to invalidate and deny us. If we don't assert our truth, it may again be relegated to fantasy. But the truth won't go away. It will keep surfacing until it is recognized. Truth will outlast any campaigns mounted against it, no matter how mighty, clever, or long. It is invincible. It's only a matter of which generation is willing to face it and, in so doing, protect future generations from ritual abuse.” 
― Chrystine Oksana

Published in Spotlight
Tagged under
  • rachel sanchez
  • team tooke
  • north houston
  • trama
  • healing
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  • panic attacks
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