How did you discover 10th Planet and Eddie.

[FRANK BARCA]

Thank you jem

oh man grubbs you hit the nail on the head here dude!
10th planet in aus us huge, for being such a small dude frank is larger than life. #granklife

[FRANK BARCA]

THANK YOU JASON. I had tears in my eyes reading all these posts. It wasn't my intention for you guys to feel compelled to write these words. I didn't even think twice about writing my words at all in fact, I was so pumped to tell my story as I am extremely proud of what I have achieved through the 10P system. But above all that, the friends I have made has been a privilege to know and to share the mat with every one of you has been awesome.

Im humbled by all your words and thank you once again. You've made an a 10P soldier very happy.

I'm also here because of Frank Barca.
5 years back I was at a gym 'training' MMA when I came across Frank in an article for Aussie MMA magazine.
It was my first glimpse of the spider-web to arm bar transition.
Now I'd read BJJ tutorials before but the way Frank broke it down and seeing the system for the first time it jumped off the page at me and I knew it was special.
So that weekend I jumped in my car and drove the 2 hrs to his gym.

He gave me the basic lockdown path that first visit all the while saying "Eddie does this here..." And "Eddie likes to do this...", I had no idea who Eddie was!
Of course I well & truly do now, but I was there that day to train with Frank.
And even after a white belt Adam Gray triangled me 100 times in 3 mins I knew I'd found a home, an Instructor & someone I'm proud to call friend.

At this time I was in terrible shape (40kg overweight) and stinking up the gym and just struggling to do anything on the mats.
After that one visit though it was like night and day, I swept everyone with old school and even tapped some fools with just the lockdown!
I don't think there's a word for how happy I was, and I knew this system was legit.

After that I typed Eddie Bravo & 10th Planet into the YouTube search engine and a 10th Planet soldier was born!

I've accomplished a lot since I started under Frank, but I owe it all to him.
Even my work ethic of just keep working cones from his, watching how he's evolved over the past few years to the unbelievable knowledgable coach & mentor he is today.
He sets the benchmark for all 10th Planet warriors here in Oz and I look to his example to be the best ambassador I can be for our great Martial art.

So that's my long ass intro to 10P, and I think this just officially became the we love Frank Barca thread

[Marty McLaren]

Need to rename this the Ultimate 10th Planet Australia thread!

I had heard Eddie on the JRE podcast and sort of had an idea who he was. I was wasting some time in a bookstore and came across Jiu Jitsu Unleashed. I didn't really get most of the stuff in there but the lockdown resonated so much with me. At the time, my flexibility was pretty shit and being a short arse with really short legs I couldn't close full guard on anyone. I could, however, hold traditional half guard but had absolutely no game except use it to hang on and stall. Lockdown changed my attitude and has slowly but surely changed my game. I went to Eddie's seminar in 2011 and was completely overwhelmed with the level of teaching and techniques. After the seminar I joined this forum, bought Mastering the Rubber guard book and DVD and then Mastering the Twister book and DVD. Whilst my game is still a very slow work in progress I am constantly inspired by the guys and girls on here and feel very fortunate to have met several of you in real life and am honoured to call you friends. I strongly believe the sense of belonging and family comes from the positivity and humility of Eddie and all of the 10th Planet Moon Heads.

For the record, I haven't had as much to do with Frank as most of the other Aus guys on here but in all my encounters with him he BLEEDS 10th Planet. Eddie and the system couldn't have a stronger representative here in Melbourne.

[FRANK BARCA]

Thank you Marty.......its always a good time bro when you drop into the academy. Im looking forward to the next time and don't forget June 7th, as the Master himself will be back at 10P HQ Melbourne, so pencil that date in son!

Need to rename this the Ultimate 10th Planet Australia thread!

I had heard Eddie on the JRE podcast and sort of had an idea who he was. I was wasting some time in a bookstore and came across Jiu Jitsu Unleashed. I didn't really get most of the stuff in there but the lockdown resonated so much with me. At the time, my flexibility was pretty shit and being a short arse with really short legs I couldn't close full guard on anyone. I could, however, hold traditional half guard but had absolutely no game except use it to hang on and stall. Lockdown changed my attitude and has slowly but surely changed my game. I went to Eddie's seminar in 2011 and was completely overwhelmed with the level of teaching and techniques. After the seminar I joined this forum, bought Mastering the Rubber guard book and DVD and then Mastering the Twister book and DVD. Whilst my game is still a very slow work in progress I am constantly inspired by the guys and girls on here and feel very fortunate to have met several of you in real life and am honoured to call you friends. I strongly believe the sense of belonging and family comes from the positivity and humility of Eddie and all of the 10th Planet Moon Heads.

For the record, I haven't had as much to do with Frank as most of the other Aus guys on here but in all my encounters with him he BLEEDS 10th Planet. Eddie and the system couldn't have a stronger representative here in Melbourne.

[Isaac Atley]

my story is a tad different. i started off trying to bet on a boxing match in nz and having the shop shut early so i couldnt, which pissed me off cos i actually called the fight. i was complaining to my hairdresser of all people the next day and she starts going into way more detail than i knew, left hook combo this, good foot movement that. and she introduced me to her husband who trains mma and he got me into jiu jitsu. the first day i went out there he showed me some holds and locks and choked me out but when he tried to americana me, my shoulder just wouldnt stop bending and he just looked at me and goes, "damn youre flexible, youd love some crazy rubber guard shit"

he taught me some lockdown stuff but nothing in detail and i knew the name eddie bravo, but it wasnt until i was in germany after training in mma and jiu jitsu and german ju jutsu and then finally just practising with a friend that i found submissions 101 and found the rubber guard and practised it over and over and then one day i found the forum and had a near epilectic fit when i saw that hamburg had a 10th planet moon to train at.

i went to train with them and got my out of shape arse beaten over and over after learning the triangle from meathook. i couldnt stop smiling and i became obsessed with it. tobi and verena really helped me become an athlete instead of someone who has a small hobby. and when i got to meet eddie and magnus and all the beasts in sweden i was hooked.

nowadays im in new zealand trying to represent it as much as i can, and ive gotten to meet and train with some absolutely fantastic people. rare gentlemen that share the same passion as i do. from eddie himself to tobi and verena in hamburg to magnus in stockholm, mick and chris in birmingham, and of course frank in melbourne. every single one of them has helped me soooo much, (sentimental part) not only improving my game but being true friends and helping in most cases a complete stranger.

10th planet and the people in it have changed me in all the right ways and even when everything else seems to be stuffing up, i know ive got hundreds of people all around the world who want to choke me.

i only hope that i can continue my jiu jitsu journey and help people out in the same way that so many of the people on this forum have helped me. its awesome having so many people to look up to and strive to be like.

(sorry guys i think thats kind of closer to my life story, but its really late here and these aussie blokes just broke passed all my defenses)

[FRANK BARCA]

Awesome Isaac

[Isaac Atley]

Awesome Isaac

Thanks mate, i completly agree with everything people have said about you. i remember meeting you for the first time. almost 40degrees and youre bouncing around enough to make the energizer bunny the flash and superman all collapse in exhaustion. it was inspiring and even though ive only had a few days of training with you, its always been amazing.

youre a legend of the sport in my eyes and not just aussie but oceania in general is lucky to have such a charismatic talent to rely on.

[Joe Yunker]

Fortunately I'd only spent a couple months in the Gi. Someone told me to check out Eddie and mts. Everyone else told me it was bullshit, that Eddie was a joke. I'm stubborn and rebellious so I immediately went and checked it out. I loved mastering the system, but I didn't think about training 10th planet right away. I could only make it to my gym once or twice a week because it was a long drive at a shitty time of day. I realized if I was going to take jiu jitsu serious, I was going to have to find somewhere closer to home to train. I google searched and, praise odin, 10th planet St Paul was waay closer. Fucking synchronicity happening. I've been 10thp4l ever since.

[Ryan fortiN]

In January 2009, after 5 years of off and on training, and still a white belt, I opened my first Jiu Jitsu academy... WHITE BELT UNDERGROUND JIU JITSU. We were bad asses! hahahahaha with very little technique

After about a month of business I received a phone call from BJJ CORAL BELT, CARLOS VALENTE!! He started harassing me about my lineage, and that I had no right to open an academy when he had 2 black belts within 7 miles of me. I told him, as long as students show up to class, I am going to teach! The next day, the owner of the studio I rented, said 2 men had stopped by, and they looked like serious martial artists..... with really messed up ears! I knew I was getting dojo rushed!!

It was like being hustled by the mob!! I felt I needed to affiliate with a large team, so I would have some backup...... so I searched...

Back then, 10th Planet only had 5 moons... but Eddie Bravo was all about No Gi and so was I. I emailed Mr. Bravo only to be disappointed with his reply... $2500 a year to affiliate, or $2500 for a seminar... I was like, bro... Im a white belt, that charges guys $50 a month for UNLIMITED TRAINING.. I cant afford you, so he offered a solution. He told me to contact one of his brown belts, and I could probably get a deal.... Riverside happened to be the nearest moon. I made some calls, and next thing I knew, I had Sean Bollinger scheduled to give a seminar! Sean was amazing!! I cant remember all that he taught, but there is one tech that has stayed with me to this day, the Samurai Roll.... which is still a big part of my game. Sean couldnt believe I hard started a school as a white belt, and a friendship was formed! I was amazed at how talented Sean Beezy was, so I instantly was hooked, and wanted to learn his ways. After about a year of training, and me trying to convince Sean to come teach in Vista regularly, it happened. Sean and I teamed up to start 10th Planet VistA... In a garage.. with some BREAKDANCERS...... and the rest is history

Heres the first in house tournament I ever held... organized, reffed, and everything else done by yours truly. enjoy

[Jason 'J-Faz' Farren]

That's great hearing you're story Ryan.
I didn't even realise you were Rattlesnake until the end, gave it a nice M.Night Shyamalan twist to it ha ha.
I also came from training in a shed, and seeing where you are now is really inspiring.
One things for certain though... I gotta get me some break dancers on my team haha!