Hello from Arizona. My introduction to the forum and the system
Hello, from the barren desert of the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation, Arizona. Located South of Phoenix and West of Tucson, right on the US/Mexican Border. I started my BJJ journey nearly 4 years ago, still trudging along. I have a full time job and am a full time dad. On top of that its a 100 mile round trip to get to class in the Town of Casa Grande, a Nova Uniao affiliate. I didn't pay much attention to my no gi game, honestly I was more interested in gi for the novelty of it I suppose. I wrestled throughout high school and figured no gi would only be slightly different. I was only interested in learning with the gi. All these years later I came to the realization that I depend on the gi almost entirely for my chokes, passes, and sweeps. At my gym we only have 1 no gi class a week and it tends to conflict with my work schedule. I wanted to fill the gap in my game and thought who better to learn from than the no gi specialist of 10th Planet.
Last week I made the 200 mile round trip to visit 10th Planet Phoenix. Coach Steeyle and the rest of the guys were very welcoming. The more I read about the system and the 10th Planet philosophy, the more I wish I started sooner. I wish I lived closer to the gym, but my roots are in the reservation. Im looking forward to what the future will bring on this 10th Planet path.