For sure, Brown and Black you gotta get to HQ/compete, I'm talkin' about Blues and Purples :)
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You make the same good point a lot of other people make JC the problem is there is another option (competition). Plus unless you are a jiu jitsu savant and can go from white to black in 4 years then you don't have to make the trip every year. You have years to plan for a trip to HQ.
Traveling to HQ anytime at all in the near future is not an option for me. I now have over $10,000 of medical bills (after insurance) from my sons heart surgery last month. I'm lucky I have insurance cause so far I've gotten over $350,000 worth of bills. That's with 2 more surgeries to go. I did still get slammed with thousands and have to do what I can. So I'm sorry, but not everybody can make that trip. I will one day, but no time soon. I'll be lucky if my affiliation and school survives after all the shit I'm having to deal with right now.
The way affiliate ranking is now though, it still leaves me another option. Compete. I'm more than happy with that. :)
You only have to look at your son to know that you shouldn't lose hope. For sure 10th Planet Charlotte will survive.
Competition is great, but in the UK it's rare, we only get two major tournaments a year, that's not enough. Especially when the past two times I have been too injured to compete, it's ridiculous. So I HAVE to go to HQ.
join the club here in NZ no gi comps are rare. One nationals a year...
If you don't have the tournaments in your area, just organize them yourself. :)
Damn Helton. Respect. Good luck with everything. I'm def counting my blessings. Hearing the sacrifices you guys make really puts my situation in perspective. I've got it good.
Hey Jay Chow...can I put a little bug in your ear? Not sure how realistic it is for you, but have you considered organizing competitions? Do some research. Look into what it entails. Talk to the local schools and see if they'd be interested. Sometimes if there's no option, you gotta make the option. I mean, you've already considered opening your own 10th planet. Why not get some experience handling business? I'm sure it's easier said than done, but unless you look into it, you'll never know.
Its Your System! Its Your Rules! Don't Change it!