Gracie Regionals

[DanConway]

I am disappointed in the way this thread played out.

Craig is a good dude, trains his ass off, and won fair and square with tournament legal moves.

FYI he has only been training for 2 years, is a one stripe blue belt, and has 1 year of high school wrestling experience. Also he has 0 control over what belt he is.

I will also add that he knows the back flip was a dick move, we talked about it in length but he also said it is a ritual. Anyone who is superstitious or has rituals would understand.

He lost to the same kid twice and instead of complaining about it on a Internet form, he shook the kids hand, met his mother, and invited them to come train with us in Indy. Offered him a place to stay and train in August and congratulated him. He then went home and trained.

If we are talking about the same guy, I think we all will take your word that hes a good guy and just let the thrill of victory captivate him. That is entirely understandable. Nobody is saying his wins arn't legit or he didnt deserve them. Again, my complaint about his back flip was because it was very clear his opponent was actually injured and it bothers me alot to see people celebrate when that is the case. Also, on saturday he had kicked some chairs in a fit when he lost in the gi.(I did not witness this, but multiple tournament staff told me it took place and they were displeased with him because of it). I do not know if there was any circumstance to that other than being a poor sport, but I do understand how upsetting a loss can be as well -- but still he is better off curtailing that behavior. It seems like hes just the kind of guy to be emotionally attached to his matches: upset when he loses, excited when he wins, 100% understandable, but he should really consider how acting those out can reflect upon him to others.

[Nick Paul]

I have no reason not to believe you on his experience level. He felt like a very seasoned grappler when I faced him but he's obviously a really athletic dude. Like others have mentioned, It's the celebrating while you're opponent is injured on the mat that rubs people the wrong way. And throwing a fit when you lose is pretty childish. I don't know him personally, maybe he is a nice guy. But it's very rare that you find bad sportsmanship like that at a jiu jitsu tournament.

[Ross Davidson]

You're a beast Ross. Glad to share the mats with you for the week! You always have a home away from home here in Chitown!

Looking forward to next time, Josh!