Sambo Nationals 2015:
I cut 13 lbs for this and paid dearly. Still an excellent match that I am very proud of. He went on to get first. I start off strong, match is even for the first bit, and even score the first two points around the 1:45 mark... But I get completely worn out as it goes on, and after walking off the mat at the end, feel like I'm going to pass out and throw up at the same time, takes me several minutes to recover.
I had one other match after this that I lost, but it was a little weird because I thought I was winning when I was losing, and with my exhaustion, I stopped trying as hard as I should have. Ah well.
MONOLITH Sambo Invitational 2015:
1st place, second year running. Sambo doesn't have rankings like BJJ or Judo, but one does accrue 'points', and upon reaching thirty points, one receives a 'Master of Sport' title. Each first place win in a sanctioned Sambo tournament is worth 3 points. With 6 points, now (my first one of these a year before wasn't filmed, sadly), I am ranked 7th in the country for my weight class (tied with like 10 other people though).Sambo is very small, but that sure does sound cool to be able to say!
NAGA 2014:
First comp as a purple belt, shortly after promotion. I was expecting to not win any matches, ended up winning them all, thus the explanation of the background and such.I was forced into the 'expert' category against my will, because I was just promoted to purple belt--even though I technically had a shade under 3 years of experience in grappling total, spread out over 9 years! That ended up making the day even sweeter.
Combined with the previous tournament, this put me on a ten-match win streak, 9 by submission.
...After this, several months later, I would go on to get another 1st in no-gi expert at a Fight2Win competition with two matches, win another gi match, and finally have this streak broken by a student of Draculino who had a small (undefeated) MMA record, and completely outdid me on strength (I asked him and he told me he had cut 15+ pounds--he was also seriously cut, and seriously skilled as well). He got some points, and then stalled for several minutes... One of my most frustrating matches ever.
That left me with a 13 match win streak, 12 by submission, though--a very proud achievement for me.
Dallas Invitational 2014:
Last competition as a novice in Judo. People came from several states away for this competition. The advanced divisions have large cash prizes.Machado Naturally Fit Games 2014:
Last competition as a blue belt, kind of forced an early promotion with my performance here. I did so well that I was afraid I'd be accused of sand bagging, thus all the explanation of my credentials.Houston Open 2013:
Second martial arts tournament ever. Three weeks after the last one. This one actually got me a $100 prize. Hurt my MCL badly a few days after this tournament, forcing me to slow down for a few months.
Go Shibata Memorial Tournament 2013:
My first martial arts tournament. Just had gotten my blue belt a few months before, just had started Judo a few months before. Pedicabbed the night before, only a few hours of sleep, decided to do it on a whim. Three weeks later, the guy who got first showed up to another tournament wearing a brown belt... And months later I learned he was actually a Sambo champion, and really should have been disqualified for being in a novice division.I would not have gone to this tournament at all, but was convinced by a Judo instructor of mine to do so. Looking back, I'm so glad I have a video of how bad I was back then, and it's great to be able to compare that with later footage.
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