One Door Closes and Another Opens...New Academy to Call Home

"Amor Fati - "Love your Fate", which is in fact your life."
-Friedrich Nietzsche 

Where it Began

My beginnings in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu started in February 2008 with North Dallas BJJ (NDBJJ).  I remember the day I committed to this sport and fell in love with it very early on.  Within a couple months of training I remember standing in the gym making small talk with my Professor, Joseph D. Shelley and thinking...one day I want to be a part of this gym.  I want to be an upper belt, someone who has an impact here in some way.  I kept these kinds of thoughts to myself for the most part outside of my girlfriend at the time (now wife).

About the time I received my blue belt in the summer of 2009 I had the opportunity to begin teaching as an assistant in the kids classes.  As time progressed I was helping assist in adult beginners classes and eventually advanced classes around purple belt.  I just kept grinding away as a student and instructor, constantly trying to learn and evolve.  I found a lot of value in teaching because it kept me honest.  You can't teach with any reasonable level of confidence if you don't have a good grasp of what you are doing.  I was by no means a world champion competitor (although fairly active) but I dedicated myself to growing both as a student and instructor.  I feel now that my commitment to be the best instructor I could be aided in my growth as a student of Jiu-Jitsu in all areas.

Progression

As time passed I became more involved with the gym.  I was teaching private lessons on a consistent basis and becoming more involved with the operation of the gym.  It was important to me to be an asset to our academy and aid in the growth of it.  I enjoyed feeling appreciated and someone that could be depended on.  There were times where I sacrificed my own training for that level of commitment but I felt it was worth it in the long run.  I eventually took over the kids program at brown belt and began developing the curriculum and running the gi program.  This is about the time I could finally look around and say..."Well, I finally got here.  Where are all those upper belts and students when I started?  I outlasted the majority of them.  Not because I was better but because I wanted it more and was fortunate enough to stick with my coach from the beginning."  Loyalty and commitment have always been important to me.

My coach, JD Shelley coaching me at purple belt (AGF 2012)

That "Last" Promotion

Fast forward to June 2015 and I received my Black Belt under my first coach (NDBJJ) JD Shelley. That was obviously the highlight of my pursuit in Jiu-Jitsu thus far.  I wrote a blog entry dedicated to this moment almost a year to the day describing how it felt to reach Black Belt. (Link below to this article)

We continued on the same path at our gym for a while despite times getting tough.  I worked hard to try and do my part to grow the academy but unfortunately that all came to an end when we had to close our doors in April 2016. It was definitely a tough time and hard to let go of some of the relationships that were built. In hindsight that "last" promotion was pretty cool.  Myself along with three other teammates were promoted to black belt that day.  There was a core group of us "old guys/girls" that stuck it out to the very end.

New Chapter

Despite all the bad things that happened, losing my original home academy, along with the ability to train with my old coaches, teammates, and students a silver lining was found.   I was able to find a new gym, very close to my own home in Tier 1 Training Facility in McKinney, TX.  Professor Alan Shebaro was incredibly welcoming to me and nothing short of a great guy.  He has given me the opportunity to come on board and assist with his kids Jiu-Jitsu program; a place for me to train; a new place to call home.  The gym is filled with some great students of various levels not to mention a lot of familiar faces.  Some of them are friends I've made along the way and even some old teammates that changed gyms over the years.  Everyone has made me feel like I've been there forever and in light of the sadness of one door closing a new door has opened.

Just a little bit of about Alan Shebaro, he is retired special forces (Army) and had deployments to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  He received his Black Belt from Carlos Machado in 2004 (before Jiu-Jitsu was cool).  His Jiu-Jitsu is very technical; a great instructor and still a student of the game pursuing new knowledge.  He is a Shoyoroll sponsored athlete and competes regularly in IBJJF events as well as Pro Jiu-Jitsu events (Respect & FTW Pro).  Last but not least he is very active giving back to the community and helping veterans.  He's probably the busiest guy I know while maintaining a ferocious commitment on the mat as an instructor and mentor.

My new coach, Professor Alan Shebaro

Many of my teammates also came over to Tier 1 to train which has been really nice while making this transition.  It's very weird to train in one place for nearly eight years and suddenly begin training in a foreign place.  Especially when you've only been at one gym your entire time.  Fortunately for me it hasn't had that feel and more like a home I didn't realize I had waiting all this time.

Not a bad group for my first class at Tier 1

Please Visit:
http://www.tier1tf.com/
http://www.wedefyfoundation.org/
http://www.mission22.com/
http://ifightinpajamas.blogspot.com/2015/06/soi-got-promoted-to-black-belt.html

So...I Got Promoted to Black Belt

Professor JD Shelley & Me

I will apologize in advance that this post will probably sound like I'm rambling.  I will do my best to keep it logical and organized but I can't help the fact that trying to summarize 7.5 years of training while keeping it reasonably concise is a lot to ask.

Last night I reached a big milestone in my life and Jiu-Jitsu career.  I was awarded my black belt by my Professor, Joseph D. Shelley (2nd American black belt under Romero "Jacare" Cavalcanti.  I began training February 2008 as the age of 30.  I played soccer competitively from a young age up until my late 20's.  I began training Muay Thai at NDBJJ in 2006 and thought I would NEVER have anything to do with the "grappling stuff." Looked like too much work to be honest.  The truth was I was going through a difficult time in my life, a recent divorce, financial difficulties, among other things.  I didn't fully commit to Muay Thai because of I was out of shape and the commute was not ideal.

Fast forward to 2008.  I'm driving by the old gym and think to myself..."it's time to make a change for the sake of your own health."  I dropped in to simply observe and see what it was like to go through a routine beginner class.  I sent an email to JD Shelley to introduce myself and that I would be coming in to try a class.  Well I did...and I loved it.  It gave me something to focus on that I was missing in my life, a place to exercise, somewhere I could learn something, and work out the competitive side of my personality.

As a newbie it didn't take long for me to recognize the upper belts were vastly better and more knowledgeable than myself and other fellow white belts.  I found Jiu-Jitsu to be incredibly challenging and frustrating at the same time.  I just kept going back no matter how good or bad my training sessions went.  It didn't take long for me to "buddy up" with a couple other white belts and even a couple upper belts.  I did my best to get to know an upper belt that had been at the gym and with JD since the early 2000's.  I even met him back in 2006 during Muay Thai and he was nice enough not to punch my face off during my first class while he was prepping for an MMA fight.  He fought professional MMA and was an instructor at the gym.  I'm not going to lie the guy was a bit standoff-ish but I persisted to get to know him and ask lots of questions. That guy would go on to get his brown belt in 2008 and his black not too long after.  I was lucky enough to see him receive his 1st & 2nd degree black belt promotion last night.  His name is Shervin Alavi and he has become not only a good training partner but a good friend since then.

Keith Wilks another fellow white belt training partner has been a friend as well since then.  We have both shared promotions ever since the beginning through last night.  There have been countless other people that have come and gone for various reasons and I can't name them all. There is still a small group of us "old guys" now which even to me..."we aren't ALL the old guys" because Lord knows there were many before us.  That being said it has been an absolutely difficult, at times frustrating, and many times fun, exciting "journey" (I hate that word) to get here.

Keith Wilks, Shervin Alavi, & Me

I've endured my fair share of injuries along the way, set backs, personal & professional challenges, you name it.  I'm just a regular guy like most people reading this.  None of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family.  I was lucky enough to meet my wife right after I began training in 2008.  She has been there every step of the way.  She is the person that has had to put up with me when I've had a bad day at the gym, the office, etc.  Lindsey has always known this was important to me; she has been and will always be my #1 fan.  I can't say enough about that really. My parents and daughter without a doubt have also been crucial to support and help me get here even though they don't fully realize their roles.

Lindsey & Me

Lucky Dude!

Timeline
Feb 2008 - White belt
October 2009 - Blue belt
December 2011 - Purple belt
November 2013 - Brown belt
June 1, 2015 - Black belt

I've competed in my fair share of tournaments with successes and some failures.  I'm currently 38 and even when starting this at the age of 30, my ability to participate in tournaments is and has been limited at best.  I have a professional career, a family (3 children), among other obligations so keeping everything balanced has always been a challenge.  I'm very lucky I have had a good support system in my wife and family.  I have sacrificed an unbelievable amount of time with them to get here so soon.  For that I appreciate what they have been willing to sacrifice for me.

Note: I have competed at every level and have been lucky to record most of my matches.  I am missing some from last fall at Five Texas 2 I hope to upload.  If you are willing/interested to see any of my matches over the years you can find them on my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Reefernut77/videos

I began teaching as soon as I received my blue belt and have continued on since then teaching kids and adults of all levels including private lessons.  I immediately discovered that teaching was a big passion right away.  It helped me understand things better and gave me a new outlet to communicate with people.  I enjoy seeing people learn and can also share something that I am passionate about.  If you have seen my blog then you have an idea how "into" Jiu-Jitsu that I am.  I study it and my life revolves around it.

Some people along the way have and continue to ask "how did you get promoted so fast?"  The answer is simple.  I kept coming to class and training.  It didn't stop there though.  I focused on improving certain aspects that were problematic for me in the gym while rolling or at competitions. I never took breaks either unless I was injured.  The longest break I took over 7.5 years was three months for a broken foot which I just recently have come back from.

I'm not a super star; I'm an average, athletic guy that simply remained focused and always continued to learn and evolve.  That is what is important to me in Jiu-Jitsu.  That is not the same for everyone as we all have varying levels of interest but that is the most simple way to answer that common question.

I also found along the way that as people would come and go, and some even came back...it was important to me to eventually earn my black belt but it was even more important to get it from MY coach, Joseph D. Shelley.  He has never been known to "hand out belts" and has incredibly high standards especially at the black belt level.  Lineage means a lot to me and he trained with some of the best.  You may not know my coach but if you do, you know that he is one of the toughest guys you will ever encounter on the mats.  He's a 2 tour Gulf War veteran (Marine) and a two-time Nogi Worlds Champion 2008 & 2010.  Even at his age (early 40's) you would never know it by the way he rolls on the mat and his dedication to the sport.  He is and will always be MY coach and he is also my friend.  I am grateful for the time, energy, and opportunities he has given me over the years.

I can't thank every single person that has helped me but I will list the most influential people that come to mind not previously mentioned above.

-All of my training partners
-Every guy that stepped on the mat against me in competition
-Robson Moura
-Reilly Bodycomb
-Sean Roberts
-Michelle Nicolini
-Caio Terra
-Mendes Bros
-Bruno & Rico Bastos
-Gustavo Dantas
-Manny Diaz

My lineage:  Rolls Gracie--->Romero "Jacare" Calvalcanti--->JD Shelley--->Me

Some of the the NDBJJ Black Belts in attendance last night

http://ndbjj.com/index.html

Guests at the Gym this Week

This week has been pretty fun at our gym.  My coach's first black belt, Hector Munoz, has been in town for the week training with us.  He brought along friend and training partner Leonard Garcia (most known for MMA and his fights in the UFC).  Rather than focusing on MMA during the week they are here working their Jiu-Jitsu.  Leonard Garcia is still based out in Albuquerque, New Mexico and spends most of his time training at Jackson's MMA but said he was going back to his roots and focusing on his grappling.

Garcia is well known for his slug-fests in the UFC and WEC organizations.  He is now fighting for Legacy Fighting Championships and is scheduled to fight Daniel Pineda on November 14th in Houston.  Pineda has excellent Jiu-Jitsu (12 of his 16 wins by submission) so it's not a big surprise that Garcia is focusing on his ground game for this fight.  I didn't know it but Garcia's first exposure to the martial arts was through Jiu-Jitsu.  I got to train with him on Monday night; my coach paired us up and it was cool seeing him train in a gi.  He is currently a brown belt and has been for quite some time.  He said that he was initially a submission guy when he started MMA winning most of his fights utilizing his ground skills.  As many know organizations like the UFC pay very well for fighters willing to keep it on the feet and slug it out.  This had an influence on his training and focus in MMA.  Garcia basically stopped training Jiu-Jitsu and put his focus on Muay Thai kickboxing and nogi/mma grappling.  He says that he wish he had chosen a different path because he knows his first real strengths have always been in Jiu-Jitsu.

It was a real pleasure getting to train with him on Monday.  I can't express enough what a nice, humble person he is. Many of my training partners said the same thing.  We got to roll one round at the end of the class.  I was able to catch a sweep from open guard and almost completed a pass.  He was able to escape and catch me in his closed guard.  From here he had some nice attacks.  He was constantly moving chaining sweeps and submissions.  He caught me in an omoplata that he came close to finishing but I was lucky enough to escape.  I wish I would have had a little more time this week to train with him but my schedule simply didn't allow it.

Both he and Hector have been training twice a day at the gym (nogi days and gi in the evenings) so they along with our own guys have gotten some great work cross-training.  Having them here to visit has really brought in a lot of people that want a chance to train with them.  Both are headed back down to Corpus Christi to train at Hector's gym Full Contact Fight Academy.

Me & Leonard Garcia

I had not rolled with Hector Munoz since I was a newbie white belt in 2008.  All I can say is wow is he good.  He is a little older since then (so am I) and probably even better now having been a black belt for about seven years.  I can say that Hector is a true prototype of my coach; simply a younger version.  He is planning on competing at Nogi Worlds in a couple weeks.  If you are visiting the South Texas area I highly recommend dropping in and training with Hector and his crew.  Very tough and technical bunch of people there.

Me & Hector Munoz

Funny sidebar note.  One of my friends is about to open a new business in Frisco called Below Zero Cryo.  I saw this picture posted on Facebook...somehow Leonard managed to find this place yesterday.

Leonard Garcia test run in the Cryo

Leonard got to talking to the owner and realized they had a common friend in me.  Justin Miller, the owner of Below Zero Cryo, managed to make it up to our gym last night for open mat to train with all of us. Packed house with tons of talent.  I'm hoping to try out the Cryo-craze soon as it's a much nicer experience than the typical ice bath according to everyone I have talked to.  

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Full-Contact-Fight-Academy/611138505623708?rf=130193643703454
https://www.facebook.com/officialbadboygarcia
http://www.legacyfights.net/events/legacy-fighting-championship-37-fight-card/
https://www.facebook.com/BelowZeroCryo

Throwback Thursday Grappling Match

Life has really gotten in the way of Jiu-Jitsu and keeping up with the blog since last May.  Going through a home purchase and impending move right now.  I've been able to keep a decent training schedule but far from what I'd like with the IBJJF Dallas Open coming up in 8 weeks.  Oh and on top of all that our gym relocated from Plano to Frisco!

Hopefully things will settle down after next week. I have a Reilly Bodycomb seminar review coming up soon that I will share.  In the meantime here is a #TBT grappling match from back in 2011 when I was a blue belt.  It's always cool to go back and watch old matches to see how much you've progressed and of course to evaluate things to work on.  I probably played the most passive game ever at this particular tournament which was a first for me.  Things that I learned most in this match:

1. Passing the guard...I wasn't very good at it then.
2. Importance of breaking grips.
3. Properly defending/escaping the omoplata rather than rolling and losing reversal points.
4. Don't wear old, lightweight gi's that stretch.  The sleeves on this Koral gi were awful and was retired shortly after.

Link for mobile users: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_jr7U2v6e8&list=UUu7YcolqIpkY9Yix2McdluA

My Brown Belt Promotion

So I'm a little late on this blog post but figured better late than never.  At least I'll be able to go back and appreciate the fact that I documented it in some way.  I started training in February 2008 at the age of 30 under JD Shelley (North Dallas Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) which at the time was still Alliance affiliated.  We are currently Novia Uniao affiliated with Robson Moura.  JD was the second American black belt under Romer "Jacare" Cavalcanti and in our area was one of the few great instructors for quite some time.  Of course the sport has grown a lot but he still remains as one of the top BJJ instructors in my opinion.  I have stayed with him since then, received my blue belt in the early fall of 2009.  From there I became an assistant instructor helping with kids and adult beginner classes.  I feel that teaching has helped to keep me sharp and honest.  I'm constantly looking for ways to better my Jiu-Jitsu not only for myself in competition inside and outside the gym but to be a better instructor.

I have a family, a full-time job, etc.  I do my best to maintain a good level of training and teaching on a weekly basis while keeping my family life in order.  I probably average about four training days per week plus whatever teaching that comes up.  I have been very consistent with training never taking more than 30 days off the mats with injuries.  I wouldn't call myself a tournament rat but I have done my fair share.  I compete when I can but probably average 2-3 competitions per year since I received my purple belt in December 2011.  I did far more comps as a white and blue belt.  I'm not a superstar...I'm just a regular guy that never quit and does the best that I can to seek new information to take my BJJ to the next level.  I've had my fair share of victories in comps and plenty of embarrassing moments to go along with it.

Fast forward to November 2013 and the day came.  We had a very large (planned) promotion ceremony at our gym.  No one really knew who was due for what so there was some element of surprise. When I got called up to the front for my promotion I honestly didn't have any real expectations.  I had been a purple for just shy of two years and only had a couple stripes on my belt.  Well, when JD pulled out a brown belt I was pretty elated.  Very exciting moment that doesn't come without some burden of pressure.  If you make it to blue belt then you know what I'm talking about.  Junior belts are always looking for an opportunity to kick your ass and show they are ready for that next level.  They say to take ego out of the equation when rolling or training but who wants to get embarrassed by a junior belt really?  This attitude is what keeps us on our toes and constantly trying to take our skills to the next level.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0wwwcbk8go)

I've been very blessed to have some consistent training partners (my level through black belt) that started around the same time as me and are still here to this day constantly striving to be better.  I also am very fortunate to have a loving wife that is super supportive.  She's always been willing to travel with me to tournaments and let me train late at night to make sure I get a good level of training on a regular basis. Without her this would have been much more difficult.  

Cole, Lindsey, & Me

Me & Martin (my best training partner was promoted to purple)