My first tournament!! NAGA

Rail City Kid · 07-02-2006, 06:36 PM

Well I got to RI this weekend and fought in my first grappling tournament (which I guess is different then a straight jiu-jitsu tournament?) and it was a pretty exciting event over 700 participants and even more spectators. I made weight of under 140lbs (I cut 15 lbs, but I still felt fine. I had almost 4 hrs between weigh in and my actual fights where I could hydrate and eat). I recorded each fight but I don't have a fire-wire connector so I gotta get someone to put em online. Anyways at the last minute I decided to fight in the next category up which was 6months to 2years of training and they allowed wrestlers which the class I should have been in (under 6 months of training, I only have 2 months under me) did not allow wrestlers. I was nervous as all hell (like throw-up style) when they were putting the fights together, but once I the match would start the adreneline started to flow and it all came easy. I ended up taking third place (bronze medal) submitting 3 guys (1 triangle choke, 1 Guillotine choke, and one wrist lock that I could feel the guys bone flexing before he tapped ).

I lost in the semifinals to the guy who ended up winning the whole division, but it was prolly the best fight of the division. Right off the bat he took me down and I got him in a strong guillotine (he told me after he was on the verge of tapping) but he kept working it and he popped his head out. At this point he has 2 points for the takedown and he was content on holding me down for the remainder of time and as soon as I realized he was not fighting but just trying to hold me I started talking all sorts of shit telling him he drove all this way to sit on top with a 2 point advantage because there was no way in hell he could submit me. So I'm on bottom yacking away trying to work anything I can think of and with 30 seconds (4 minute matches) I dig a heel into his mid-section and he just pops backwards, I jump forward and bam put him on his back 2 points for me tied with 15 seconds left I lost my balance and he flipped me 2 points for him as he flipped me I locked in another badass choke and he started to panic but his corner was screaming 10 seconds left etc etc. Maybe one more minute I win... maybe not. Regardless after all the shit talk we shook hands and I told him he deserved it and he gave me props on my performance and cheered for me in the third place match.

Rail City Kid · 07-02-2006, 06:47 PM

Here are a couple of pictures!!

Right after weigh in ----the cliche "Calm before the Storm"

Now for "The Storm" right before the first fights started. (god it was hot as hell in there)

This is right when I won 3rd place (kind of a goofy picture but I can't even explain how good I felt)

And this last picture is with my coaches towards the end of the tournament.
In the blue is my actual Jiu-jitsu coach Bob (wound up winning silver in one of the toughest divsions of the night). I'm in the red under armour shirt. In the black is the head coach Tom Murphy who actually fights in the UFC so he couldn't fight since it's an exclusive contract. And the guy with no shirt is James who we could all very easily be watching on a future UFC event!