Another Blast from the Past!

Happy to see my jiu jitsu brother Mike on the mats again. I have known Mike for 15 years.

2024 End of Year Belt Promotions at Gracie Barra Sorrento Valley

This is the first belt promotion at the new location for Gracie Barra Sorrento Valley. Congratulations to all those who got promoted!

Some Old Friends Stopped by at Gracie Barra Sorrento Valley

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with some old friends. I have known Professor Sammy and Daniel for 11+ years.

We all trained at Professor Dominic's school, Gracie Barra San Diego, back in the day.

Visited Some Old Friends at Gracie Barra Sorrento Valley

Paid a visit to some old friends. Thanks Gracie Barra Sorrento Valley for the welcome. I met Professor Dominic and Professor Justin 14 years ago when I started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Professor Dominic's school was the first school I trained BJJ. I got my blue and purple belts there.

Celebrated Magid's Birthday

The GB Escondido Black Belts took Professor Magid to Manna BBQ in San Marcos out for this birthday. Professor Magid said this was his first time ever having all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ.

2023 Year End Black Belt Photo at Gracie Barra Escondido

Another wonderful year of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Thanks Gracie Barra Escondido and team!

2023 IBBJF Worlds

Rode up with Professor Jose Marroquin to watch the 2023 Worlds with Profressor Magid Hage and the Gracie Barra Escondido crew.

Got a Stripe on my Black Belt

Got a stripe on my Black Belt. Thank you all my training partners at @graciebarraescondido

AJ Agazarm Viisted for Little Magid's 3rd Stripe Black Belt Promotion

 

GB Escondido Christmas Party 2021

Got my Black Belt!

Got my Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu today. Thank you to Prof. Magid and everyone at @graciebarraescondido. Also thank you to all my training partners past and present. My BJJ journey has been very fulfilling.

3rd Stripe Brown Belt

Got my 3rd Stripe on my Brown Belt today in 7pm Advanced Class.

I forgot to make a post when I got my 2nd Stripe on my Brown Belt. I think it was last year at the Gracie Barra Escondido Christmas Party (mid December 2018).

Visited Gracie Barra HQ to buy a Gi

My first and only time I have ever visited Gracie Barra Headquarters in Irvine was to buy a gi. My professor was insisting that I buy another Gracie Barra gi. When I dropped by, they were just ending the advanced class and started rolling. A Black Belt named Mike helped me out. At first, he said that the girls running the shop were out today, but after I told him I drove from San Diego he missed out of some rolling to help me buy an Strom A1 Gracie Barra gi. He did tell me to hold off on buying the gi because they were going to switch over to Adidas gi's, but I insisted because my professor insisted.

1st Stripe Brown Belt

Got my first stripe on my brown belt today in advance class.

Brown Belt

Today I got my brown belt from Magid Hage at Gracie Barra Escondido's Christmas Party. It was a surprise because I only had 2 stripes on my purple. But in the bigger scheme of things, stripes don't mean anything. I have been a purple belt for more than 4 years.

2nd Stripe Purple

My cardio is slowly getting better.

Pictured are the first 2 gi's I have ever owned and wore:

1. Official Gracie Barra Gi from summer 2010 when I started training at GBSD.
2. Gameness Gi from winter 2010 that was a gift from Dinah, Nam, and Jim.

Details: Gracie Barra Escondido, Magid Hage Sr., Advanced Class 7 to 8:00pm, Tuesday, August 29, 2017.

1st Stripe Purple

Living in Escondido really changed my personal life. I don't visit my parents or my cousin every week anymore. Heck, I haven't been to either my parents' or cousins' house in more than a month. It also affected my BJJ life. I just found myself dreading the drive from work (RB) to ATOS (Convoy) after 8+ hours of work. Then I dreaded more, the drive from ATOS (Convoy) all the way back to home (Escondido). I slowly stopped training because of the drive. I hated doing it 2-3 times a week. So I made the decision to either find a school closer to home or quit BJJ. And for some reason I can't seem to quit BJJ.

After checking out 3 schools in the Escondido/San Macros area, I settled with Gracie Barra Escondido (GBE). Having a lineage from GB was nice because I was able to talk to the instructors about my previous GB instructors and they knew who they were. They even know some of the students I used to train with at Gracie Barra San Diego (GBSD). I was even able to show Magid Hage a picture of myself and his son, Magid Hage IV, when I was still at blue belt.

Long story short, I continued my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu journey at another school closer to home and earned my first stripe on my purple.

Details: Gracie Barra Escondido, Magid Hage, Advanced Class 7 to 8:30pm, Tuesday, May 16, 2017.