HUGE DILEMMA- Need help in trying to advance JJ career

[Brandon Mccaghren]

Interesting comment. I was letting you know so two teamates (technically I guess) would not have to fight each other on a high level card (but rather support each other?) but if this is the route you would like to go to make a name for yourself so be it. Best of luck!

I know for sure that Tori didn't mean anything offensive here. I think she was giving Gabby a compliment actually.

[Brandon Mccaghren]

I was referring to your views in the potential quality of a practitioner from a small team, based on our brief mat time together. You took my paragraph break out when you quoted me.

[TaylorWolf]

I want to be the best female no gi grappler. Period. In the world. I want to be in the first 10 of Eddie's female black belts, if not the first five or less.

I see you girl

I wonder how som many people from Atlanta are so successful, without living in L.A. or N.Y.....weird

Hell yes our gym American Top Team Atlanta is on fire right now. Recently our head coach Jucao choked out Mark Munoz in the 1st and two of our best No-gi guys got promoted to brown belt. There is an electricity here for sure, very high level stuff.

Also we are very 10th Planet friendly. I encourage anyone from 10P to stop by for some rolls if you are ever in Atlanta.

[sean applegate]

If a team like alliance is based out of atlanta, it makes the entire region better. They compete locally and we fight them regularly. As a matter of fact, brandon just sock locked an alliance brown belt. Cobrinha, lepri, and even marcelo lived in the southeast at one point or another. All the while competing at the top level. Ill be in L.A. for the EBI trials, pay attention and ill show you what level exists out here. Until then, keep shrimping, big guy.

[David Rosado]

VJ, 10th planet or not I would fight Gabby and be honored to do so. I would fight any of the other girls they'd like to match up with me. I'm looking for something new and exciting to try this year.

Interesting comment. I was letting you know so two teamates (technically I guess) would not have to fight each other on a high level card (but rather support each other?) but if this is the route you would like to go to make a name for yourself so be it. Best of luck!

10 on 10 crime happens all the time. It's all love.

[HerbChao]

Tori, does Grapplers Quest go near AL these days? I know it's been a bit tough for the tournament organizers there for a bit, but looks like they're trying to pick back up some steam. Also, would you consider travelling to hit up tournaments along the East Coast (it looks like FL is having a growing number of circuits pop up like 7 Grappling, and there's another tournament New Breed Grappling that is picking up steam too).

Or, maybe Pat and I could ask Mario at Dragons Lair if he'd do another 8 woman tournament and make sure you're on it (at the tournament Pat and I did last weekend it was a female absolute nogi grand Prix style tourney with Peggy Morgan from Ultimate Fighter taking the trophy).

Either way, I admire your passion, if I make it out to the FL training camp in Aug hope to meet Sean and you!

[Brandon Mccaghren]

Brandon, perhaps we just have a miscommunication. I have mad respect for your skills, and the skills of MANY people who train in small groups, obscure places. I'll be training the rest of my life and I'll probably never get to the level you're at already. But being a really strong grappler is very different than earning gold in the most prestigious international competitions.

How many 10p people have even competed in ADCC worlds, let alone medaled, let alone won? It's really really really really hard to get to the very top podium of the top tournaments in the world. Almost every single person who gets there has training partners who also compete at that level. I'm really surprised this idea is so controversial.

I agree that if you want world championships, you need destroyers lined up against you every day. My issue is with people believing that a guy who wins a tournament always has the best Jiu Jitsu. Knowledge can be racked up and refined from anywhere in the world. Winning a tournament (and in a lot of cases, even one match) has a lot more in play than simply the quality of your Jiu Jitsu. You gotta be a savage athlete, strong as an ox, and let's be honest here: you probably wanna do steroids, as well. Competition is a completely separate skill set.

Also, what I believe as far as myself is that I could have been one of those fast Black Belts, yes. Not with HIGHER LEVEL coaching; with ANY coaching. I can call on Eddie, Herzog, and many others at any time. I get to train with them regularly. But I've never had a coach oversee me day to day. Would have been amazing; I didn't have that. I'm incredibly proud of that fact, though, and I wouldn't trade what we have here for any situation in the world. So when someone insinuates that our Jiu Jitsu is inferior, whether because we are 10th Planet or because we don't have current world champions, I take it personally.

I know you didn't mean any disrespect. I just think there are probably things about the process that you don't understand yet.

It always comes back to the individual. Does this guy have what it takes to truly pursue excellence? If yes, he will find excellence. Because I assure you that there are many, many students at Atos, Alliance, and every other team who aren't world champions and never will be. Why is that?

[Gray]

I would say that at blue belt, if you're not interested in IBJJF tournaments, you're better invested in going to schools with the top females and training for a week rather than competing. Go roll with Domynyka and see what she does/did/will do to be the best.

[Brandon Mccaghren]

I would say that at blue belt, if you're not interested in IBJJF tournaments, you're better invested in going to schools with the top females and training for a week rather than competing. Go roll with Domynyka and see what she does/did/will do to be the best.

That's strong advice.

[Martin Harris]

I agree that if you want world championships, you need destroyers lined up against you every day. My issue is with people believing that a guy who wins a tournament always has the best Jiu Jitsu. Knowledge can be racked up and refined from anywhere in the world. Winning a tournament (and in a lot of cases, even one match) has a lot more in play than simply the quality of your Jiu Jitsu. You gotta be a savage athlete, strong as an ox, and let's be honest here: you probably wanna do steroids, as well. Competition is a completely separate skill set.

Also, what I believe as far as myself is that I could have been one of those fast Black Belts, yes. Not with HIGHER LEVEL coaching; with ANY coaching. I can call on Eddie, Herzog, and many others at any time. I get to train with them regularly. But I've never had a coach oversee me day to day. Would have been amazing; I didn't have that. I'm incredibly proud of that fact, though, and I wouldn't trade what we have here for any situation in the world. So when someone insinuates that our Jiu Jitsu is inferior, whether because we are 10th Planet or because we don't have current world champions, I take it personally.

I know you didn't mean any disrespect. I just think there are probably things about the process that you don't understand yet.

It always comes back to the individual. Does this guy have what it takes to truly pursue excellence? If yes, he will find excellence. Because I assure you that there are many, many students at Atos, Alliance, and every other team who aren't world champions and never will be. Why is that?

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Brandon Mccaghren again.