So, I took an ass whoopin at a seminar...

[Tim Bruhn]

Agree as well. The whole story is weird/concerning.

Only going from what you typed but it sounds 100% fuelled by ego. You didn't go to the seminar to learn, you went to 'prove' yourself and what got proved was that you shouldn't have been there ESPECIALLY with a kid and his parents!?

You asked for honesty, just giving it. Hope you can take some positive away from it and am glad you escaped with minor injuries and the kid was ok.

Much love.

[Tony "The Goods" Garcia]

I agree with Zog and Brian. The reason I took the student and parents was because it was literally full of kids his age as well. I talked with the owner, guest instructor, and parents before deciding. I guess it was still a bad choice. Nobody is hurting my feelings here, I'm glad I'm getting some feedback. Thanks guys.

[Martin Harris]

... Right off the bat a black belt tries kicking me in the mouth. I clinched and pulled guard with double unders to whether the storm. He couldn't pass and I went to full guard. He tried a few times before simply breaking and flying over my guard with a 270 lb elbow to my nose. This broke my nose and knocked me out for a few moments...

This is insane... Did you agree upon a Pro MMA match/all out fight? You should have left right after this, no way I would let any student compete in this type of match outside of a sanctioned MMA bout. As head instructor you need to be leading by example and protecting your students. You also need to clearly understand the "rules" of any match you engage in. Elbows are serious as fuck, if someone is throwing them it is time to destroy them or get the fuck out.

[Tony "The Goods" Garcia]

I'll take my lumps like a man, I'm not going to argue. I understand that I made a bad decision, however I'd like to answer a few questions. There were no legitimate bjj ranks there except the seminar instructor ( he wore a brown belt but admitted to only being a blue. It turned out that he was actually the "Grand Master's son as well). The time line between me calling out the instructors and this seminar was well over a year. We signed up for a seminar, not an mma match. I took my best student because it was a seminar, just like Samuel Braga & Carrico that I take him to as well.
It really doesn't matter as I can't change the past. I was interested in hearing from the 10WO and I did. Lessons learned. I made a bad decision, but I don't want the reputation of endangering children. I've taught kids martial arts classes for over 20 years and have never had an issue such as this.

[mikel]

Just curious Tony, you are ex military or active right?

[Tony "The Goods" Garcia]

Prior Army yes Sir.

[Amir Allam]

This is a troubling story in several ways, Tony. I don't know you personally at all and I hope that you don't take this as a personal attack.

Perhaps the most beautiful thing about jiujitsu is the confrontation and defeat of the ego which occurs every time you tap out. If you find yourself ruled by pride, you may try to 'excuse' the submission and then return to sparring with increased intensity in order to 'prove' that you're somehow 'better' than the submission showed. But surely the correct response is to admire the correctness of the technique that was applied, and search your actions for the errors which led you into failure. In doing this, you are reminded that you are eternally a work in progress, and that you have just been pushed along the path in the correct direction towards ultimate and unattainable perfection.

There is nothing to prove, no value at all in winning at a gym, and no reason not to abandon a situation that is for any reason counterproductive. If your opponent is bigger/stronger/more skilled compared to you, tap out. If your opponent is rolling spastically and you feel physically threatened, tap out and stop rolling with him. If you are actually physically injured, you go home and heal or at minimum sit out and watch. If anything is incorrect, you leave. Tap out, and just walk away.

If the only thing you had said was that you had broken your nose and continued rolling, I would already be flabbergasted. Why on Earth would you do such a thing?

In order to convince people that your martial art is correct, you do not 'beat' them; you show by example what it is you hope to achieve through your art. There is no need to bully, brag, challenge, humiliate, belittle, or antagonize anyone; simply be polite, respectful, and practice your art. People will eventually come around. Or they won't; does it matter?

Both you and your pride have been wounded. I hope you heal well but that your pride dies, Tony.

[Brandon Mccaghren]

I'm disappointed to hear this story on several different levels.

[Tony "The Goods" Garcia]

This is a troubling story in several ways, Tony. I don't know you personally at all and I hope that you don't take this as a personal attack.

Perhaps the most beautiful thing about jiujitsu is the confrontation and defeat of the ego which occurs every time you tap out. If you find yourself ruled by pride, you may try to 'excuse' the submission and then return to sparring with increased intensity in order to 'prove' that you're somehow 'better' than the submission showed. But surely the correct response is to admire the correctness of the technique that was applied, and search your actions for the errors which led you into failure. In doing this, you are reminded that you are eternally a work in progress, and that you have just been pushed along the path in the correct direction towards ultimate and unattainable perfection.

There is nothing to prove, no value at all in winning at a gym, and no reason not to abandon a situation that is for any reason counterproductive. If your opponent is bigger/stronger/more skilled compared to you, tap out. If your opponent is rolling spastically and you feel physically threatened, tap out and stop rolling with him. If you are actually physically injured, you go home and heal or at minimum sit out and watch. If anything is incorrect, you leave. Tap out, and just walk away.

If the only thing you had said was that you had broken your nose and continued rolling, I would already be flabbergasted. Why on Earth would you do such a thing?

In order to convince people that your martial art is correct, you do not 'beat' them; you show by example what it is you hope to achieve through your art. There is no need to bully, brag, challenge, humiliate, belittle, or antagonize anyone; simply be polite, respectful, and practice your art. People will eventually come around. Or they won't; does it matter?

Both you and your pride have been wounded. I hope you heal well but that your pride dies, Tony.

Thank you Sir, beautifully written as usual. There's a lot of knowledge here that I need to learn.

[Tony "The Goods" Garcia]

I'm disappointed to hear this story on several different levels.

I'm sorry to have disappointed you Coach.