Who are you?

I've met a lot of great people during my visit to HQ and there background stories concerning Jiu Jitsu were very interesting to me... So I thought maybe anyone who was willing could post a little history on their Jiu Jitsu Journey..

I started Jiu Jitsu about seven years ago when I was 17 after I saw my stepfather hit my mother. I came to her rescue which resulted in me being stabbed in the neck. Some of you might have noticed the scar. I then decided to learn "karate" to learn to defend myself better. I just so happen to have a substitute teacher at my school that was rumored to teach "karate"... So I found him and asked him if he taught karate... he smiled and said "yeah... well Jiu Jitsu" and he invited me out to his basement where he was holding classes... I had never seen ground fighting before and had never watched UFC.. So when he laid down and spread his legs and invited me in... I was hesitant to say the least lol. After a few classes I thought it was cool... went to school and was wrestling with all my friends and stuff. But I'll never forget one day my instructor asked me to roll with him. I was somewhat bigger than him so I thought OK NO PROBLEM! and we locked up and he just seem to fall over with ease... I thought "wow I'm on top already" (was actually in his guard) so I postured up like I was ten kinds awesome and then suddenly I flipped in the air and was on my back and he was on top of me(scissor sweep) I didn't know what the hell happened! To me it was a freaking magic trick! I stopped and said "whoa, hold on... what was that?!?!" and he showed me... and that's when it hit me... there was something big to this. This was a lot more than two guys grabbing each other and wrestling. I WAS HOOKED!! So I got my little brother involved in it too! And he instantly fell for it as well... since he was prick in school and was always getting into fights with everyone... used a napkin holder to rearrange a kids face once... But he and I would spend 3 or more hours per day grappling on straight carpet. My skin has become immune to carpet burn now. Then a fight promotion came into town by the name of Cage of Honor. <--- If you want me to continue on with my story I will... but that's already a lot of boring stuff about myself and I'm ready to read everyone elses instead :D

Hi, I'm Adam, and I want to hear more of PJ's story...

But here is mine.

I'm a 33 Year old Australian, father of 4 (3 living), husband to one! I run my own small business doing computer repairs, having done IT consulting in the corporate world since high school. I am also now doing university full time to become a Secondary School Teacher, in Modern History and English. Lots of changes in life going on.

So there I was, running my business, watching the years go by. As a younger lad I almost lived on my mountain bike, along with all of the other traditional Aussie sporting pastimes. But years of commuting to the city (16 hour days, including travel), sitting behind desks and sugary tea drinking were beginning to catch up with me. Well, if the truth be told, they had done so, and had been in effect for some time. I was beginning to look like my dad, and I remembered what having an overweight sedentary father was like. With that in mind, I looked around for something to focus my exercise on. Then I saw the sign, and it opened up my mind (ok, no more bad 90's music references....). It was hand written, and said: MMA <insert phone number here>

At this point MMA had not penetrated the Australian market as much as it has now, but being a net dweller, I had been hooked on UFC and Pride by some US based mates. I was always more a lover than a fighter, letting the red mist descend too much in my few school yard brawls. As such, I had/have no great ambitions of being a fighter, at least at anything past hobby level. But the call of combat was strong, so I rang the number, and got directions to the classes, held in a local community hall.

In my mind, I knew I was out of shape, but the male ego stood in the way of seeing how much so. Even though the class was very much a 'do things at your own pace' deal, within minutes I was drenched in sweat, and useless. Things were no better the next week, and so on. As such, I lost motivation and started to miss classes. In time I stopped altogether. I still wanted to fight, but my fitness needed work just to get to class level. So started the last two years of fitness, but primed with a goal. Why so long? A lot has happened in that time. But one person has kept at me to keep on track. The head teacher kept in touch, not because he needs the students (he doesn't), but because he still considers me his student. Even now, with me at uni and all but broke, he has traded training time for PC support (win win). So, yeah, my man Carlos is the shit.

I love the idea of Combat Jiu Jitsu. As much as I would love to get high level in striking, I feel it is a younger man's game now. I also embrace what I see as one of basis' of the 10th Planet System's strength, the respect of history combined with the need to innovate, improve and overcome. That and you all seem as crazy as I am!

So that, in part, is my story. Hope I didn't bore you to sleep with it.

Ad.

I didn't read any of that never have patients. But I am God.

Sorry this is a great thread. Will get my story up when I wake up this afternoon.

I started off my martial arts journey in san soo kung fu and wing chun kung fu. I remember talking to one of the san soo black belts, asking her if she ever had to use her skills. Her response was "no and I hope I never have to." To me that didn't make sense. Why take years learning something never to get to use it. From that point I knew I wanted to be in the spot where I had to use it. There was no way I was going to learn all this for no reason just in case. I signed up to fight in a local promotion and to make a short fight even shorter I was submitted by triangle choke. A month later I was offered another fight so I said "hell yeah." Another quick tap to a RNC. I don't mind getting my ass kicked. It brought me to jitz. Hell, a lot of people won't even step in the cage . After that point I realized I needed to work my ground game so I quit kung fu and enrolled in bjj. Found 10thpjj shortly after and the rest is history

Thanks for the post Brent and Adam! loved the read! awesome stories! Brent I loved that you were submitted a couple of times and then said "screw this! I gotta learn the stuff these guys are beating me with!" Jiu Jitsu is definitely an art that speaks for itself :)

I think there's been a few threads like this before, bit it never gets old.

My story...

I had been dating this chick for about 3 yrs, and she had a little girl, Raven, that was almost 2yrs when I met her. Raven's bio-dad was a deadbeat and in prison. After about a year, they moved in with me. I soon was labeled "Daddy" by Raven, and I loved every minute of it. She was my babygirl, and I'd do anything for her. At this time, I was interested in jitz, but had never trained. About 3yrs into this relationship, my girlfriend and I had grown apart. More so on her part, because I saw her true bitch colors. We ended up splitting up. We gave up the house, she had the only vehicle, the money, everything. I had nothing. Lost my job, literally had nothing. I was basically homeless. She had cut me off from seeing and talking to Raven. I felt like I had a child that had passed away. One day she was there, the next gone. I put up a fight, and tried to reason with her, but ultimately, there was nothing I could do.

One of my good friends helped me get back on my feet, and I got my shit together. I then got ahold of the MTRG dvds, and was hooked. I was always naturally flexible, and double lotus was easy for me. I watched MTRG at least 3 hours a day, for months! I shit you not, you're my favorite turd! :P Anyhow, I met some guys that were training MMA in a basement, and I went in. Usually what I knew from the DVDs, I easily held my own with them. Later on, they were asking me to show them some shit. We basically had a 10P hotbox about 3 yrs ago. We went on to compete in NAGA, and were holding our own, I even took gold once. After awhile, other things happened, and we went our own ways, still friends though. I now train at Relson Gracie Tyler, Tx, and my buddy train at Relson Gracie Waco, Tx. We still use our 10P skills on our teammates and in competitions. Although we train Relson Gracie, and love it, and will rep it with our hearts, we will always be 10P at heart also, and will always rep it. I feel like Jitz came to me in a time when I had nothing to live for, and it gave me something to live for. We trained from the MTRG dvds and submissions101 for 2yrs, and have been on the Gi now for 1yr, and I should be getting my blue belt next month. I love jiujitsu with all of my heart, and will continue to practice it until God no longer allows me to.

John that story is straight up awesome!!!!

As is yours, brother.

Rickson lived up the street. His son rockson was my age. Saw him beat people up. Thought bjj was awesome as a result. However didn't want to train with his team cause most of the dudes my age who trained were the assholes of my neighborhood. Found another gym and started training. Never looked back