Entry fee-$100
Gasoline-$40
Training-$130
Toll road-$10
Total-$280 for 4 minutes of fighting and this t-shirt.
****I'm the Marco Melandri of Brazilian jiu jitsu competition****
Some guys just don't have the luck. Marco Melandri is that guy in MotoGP. He showed promise on the Honda and then after moving to Ducati and Kawasaki he has basically stunk. But he is still fast enough to be in MotoGP and has won races at the world level but is not considered one of the top guys.
That is me in Brazilian jiu jitsu competition. I have stood on the podium in some big tournaments but after going from blue belt to purple I have kind of floundered if you just look at it on paper. Three tournaments with three losses. Two from submission. Horrible. Yet everyone I have lost to has gone on to take second in our division. From smaller local tournaments to the freaking WORLD championships of jiu jitsu.
I may occasionally be derided by folks for my competition performance, like Marco, but I am still competing at a top level with the best guys.
I may be the slowest cheetah, but I'm still a cheetah!!!
*****The 2010 World Jiu Jitsu Championships*****
If you are one of my FB friends you know I struggled with my health and weight coming into this tournament. If you are a long time blog reader you know last year I dislocated two ribs before the worlds and couldn't compete. Cursed I tell you, cursed I am.
Well even with a last minute issue with my weight and finally weighing in EXACTLY to the freaking ounce, 141.0, I was able to compete this year in the Mundials.
To be the world champion there is not age category, you just "are". My first fight was against a really good kid, 20 years old, from Sao Paulo Brasil. I of course googled him when the brackets were up and researched all I could about him. Heck, he did the same thing and actually friended me on FB! hahahah.
I fought hard but made one mistake early on in how I positioned myself and then one mistake being a little too slow at the end and he caught me with an Americana arm lock from the top, half guard. He went on to take second place in the world in the male, purple belt, light feather class.
I can now say I know what fighting someone world class is like. I feel good about my effort on the day, I know where to improve and I can't wait for next year!!!! CSU Long Beach, next year my hand will be the one being raised!
Win or loose, I love Brazilian jiu jitsu. my opponent
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