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.

2023 Year End Black Belt Photo at Gracie Barra Escondido

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

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).

[Updated] A Post About Gracie Barra HQ's Awesome Customer Service

Remember the gi I bought when I visited Gracie Barra HQ? Well, the patch on the pants started to come off. I was pretty disappointed and upset that a gi that I have only had for 2 weeks and the large circle GB patch on the pants is starting to come off due to poor stitching. I contacted Gracie Barra HQ because I bought the gi from them. I wanted to exchange the whole gi or just the pants for another one. Or get a partial refund so I can pay someone to properly stitch the patch back on. My GB gi from 8 years ago never had a patch come off, I'm still wearing that gi to this day. This gi couldn't even last a month.

Gabriela from Gracie Barra HQ responded promptly providing multiple solutions. Because the gi was purchased using GB Irvine's POS, and not through graciebarrawear.com, they are unable to process a partial refund to reimburse me for taking them in for repair. They suggested that they can take the pants in for repair for me! And if that didn't work, they can also reimburse you in the form of store credit.

Since I just wanted a gi that "works", I opted to get the pants repaired. They quickly sent a shipping label and I dropped off the package. In less than a week, I got my gi pants back with the patch properly sewn on. I am very glad that Gracie Barra HQ took responsibility, even though Storm Kimonos made the gi, and made things right. Knowing this, I wouldn't mind making another purchase from Gracie Barra HQ.

[Update on Jan. 24, 2019]
Same gi new issue. Small GB patch on front of gi is coming off due to poor stitching. I only wear this gi every other week and have only own it for less than 6 months. I have 3 GB gi's in my rotation. This is the only gi giving me problems. :(

I reached out to GBWear about this issue and they promptly sent me a return label and fixed it for me.  It took about 1 week for them to get it back to me, but their customer support is awesome and I will not hesitate to purchase another gi from them. Nowadays, all gi's are the same for me. It's the customer support that sets them apart.

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.

UFC Gym Mission Valley, San Diego, CA

Consider this a mini review on the UFC Gym in Mission Valley. Wayne F. wanted to check out the UFC Gym Mission Valley because we just wanted some mat space to roll. This review was not paid for nor did we take any classes. We just used their mat space as an open mat.

Highlights:

• Staff is very nice and friendly.
• Gym is very clean.
• Equipment seems brand new.
• It's not just for people who want to train MMA but there were people there who just used their equipment to work out like a regular gym.
• Bathroom/Showers/Looker room is clean.
• Pricing seems to be negotiable (not 100% sure because I didn't sign up).
• 2 floors.

Overall: UFC Gym in Mission Valley seems like a very nice and clean place to train MMA or if you just want a place to work out. The way the pricing breaks down is if you pay a high "down payment" then your monthly fee is lower. If you don't pay a high "down payment" your monthly fee are "higher".

Anderson Silva Seminar

Today I got to train with a legend in the UFC. Anderson "The Spider" Silva taught a seminar at ATOS. He taught a sequence that started from standing to a submission in guard. Here's what I remember.

1. Distance Management
2. Clinching to intercepting a punch. (The key is to clinch behind their head at their ears.)
3. "Wrapping" their arms while in a clinch to throw forward or trip backwards. (The key is to grab their wrist while it's above your arm.)
4. Dodging their punches behind the elbow then finish with a triangle or armbar.

Guest instructor move: picking up heels then jumping to armbar. 

Vince K. was my training partner. I have known Vince since I was a white belt.

This was a screenshot taken from the video posted on ATOS Jiu Jitsu Facebook page: video link 1 & video link 2.

JT Torres' Farewell Celebration

ATOS had a farewell celebration for JT Torres. He is moving back to the east coast and opening his own school. The celebration consisted of an open mat with free street tacos. I hope I get the chance to train at his new school one day. Best of luck JT!

Demian Maia at ATOS

One of the perks of training at ATOS is sometimes we have someone famous drop in and teach a seminar.  Today's guest is UFC's Demain Maia.  His style of jiu jitsu is very old school compared to what's being taught at ATOS, which more of a modern jiu jitsu.  Demian Maia's style reminds me of the non-fancy GB stuff with a touch of fancy and self-defense.

I should really fix and re-tie my gi before photos, this picture makes me look fat.

Class photo taken from atosjiujitsuhq's instagram, I'm in the 2nd row.

A Transitional Period in my Life

I had to switch BJJ schools because GBSD closed down.  I really loved training with the people at GBSD: Alby, Brian, Justin, Ryan, and Thuy just to name a few.  I will truly miss my GB family.

Today, Nov. 7, 2014, I officially signed up at ATOS, one of the best and most competitive Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools in the world.  The cost is more than I would like, but being able to train with some of the best in the world really appeals to me. Iron sharpens iron.

My Fiancée's Classmate is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt

So it turns out that my fiancee's classmate is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Fabio Santos! Caleb Queern was nice enough to invite me to drop by Monday for open mat. This is the same Celab that runs the Fightworks Podcast! I was able to get in a few rolls with him and a couple of brown belts.

Troubleshooting Side Control

If opponent sticks their arm between my side control, go to mount. -Justin

Torreando Counter with Arm Drag or Rollover Sweep

Torreando Counter with Arm Drag or Rollover Sweep with Jeff Glover

Detail on Seatbelt Grip From Behind

Brazilian black belt Alex gave me an Brian a tip last night for Seatbelt Grip from behind. The arm that is under your opponent's armpit grips on top of the hand/arm that is over your opponent's shoulder. The reason is that your opponent will likely push off your top gripping hand, in which case you can continue your hand/arm above their shoulder for a choke. This tip was like a light bulb moment.

In class yesterday, Justin went over the following:

• Fireman's Carry (Throw)
• Bow and Arrow Choke (without foot over opponent's shoulder)
• Bow and Arrow Choke with shin to back of opponent's head.
• Brazilian black belt Alex showed a modified Bow and Arrow Choke where you remove your leg from underneath your opponent but without putting your foot on your opponent's shoulder. The key is to remove your leg as you're laying your opponent down.

Farewell To One Of Our Coaches

Lately, I haven't really been training too much because my left hamstring is injured. I also can't believe how long it has lasted and how it affects other parts of my body like my ankle and back. But when I found out that Alex Cone. was leaving San Diego, I had to throw on my gi and be there for his last couple days.

I first met Alex in 2010, when I was a white belt and he was a purple belt. Back in the day he was teaching Sunday classes. Those Sunday classes were the bomb! I remember those days, it would be me, Alex Cone (purple belt), Terence Mooney (purple belt), and Brian Leslie (white belt). I learned so much from those guys in that one day. It was basically my Q&A session of the week, and to clean up anything I didn't understand taught that week or troubleshoot problems I was having. The bonus was back then Alex was teaching some advance moves during those Sundays. I took those secret Sunday moves and used it on guys the following week. I made so much progress as a white belt because of Alex Sundays.

Now I'm a purple belt and Alex is a brown belt. I have learned a lot of my moves from Alex. What I have been learning lately from him are:

• the mental aspect of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
• be aggressive during rolls
• don't be afraid to try new things even if they don't work, just keep trying different things
• grips! He said my game would be SO MUCH BETTER if I have the right grips

I hope one day in the future to roll with Alex. He'll probably be a black belt next time I see him, maybe I'll be one too.

Purple Belt!

After being choked unconscience, one black eye, a sprain shoulder, numerous knees to the nose and mouth, I am a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. BJJ is a puzzle I'm still working on solving and looking to improve at it day by day: cardio, conditioning, and technique.