Taking 10th Planet to the Ivy League
When I began fighting, I treated Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) as a tool instead of a martial art. I preferred striking and had very limited knowledge on the ground, was decent at a few submissions and sweeps, the ability to defend. Then I stepped away from fighting for eight years and forgot the little that I did know.
As part of Unlocking the Cage, my sociological study of the MMA fighter, I began training again. I visited over 100 gyms across the country and jumped into classes anytime I could, attending no-gi sessions because I wasn’t about to drag around a sweaty gi. After extensive discussions with BJJ black belts on the relevance of gi training, I was at peace with my approach. With limited time to train, it made the most sense to study the sport closest to how I wanted to compete.
During my travels, I noted the differences between fighters and martial artists, and understood that I’d never made that transition. Interested in finally treating jiu jitsu as an art and starting over from step one, I headed to 10th Planet HQ in downtown LA to check out a class. The system and terminology was a bit overwhelming, but I was hooked, and only partly due to the pre-class conspiracy fact discussion.
After a few more classes, I committed to training twice a week, despite my tight schedule, banged up body, and the fact that I was well on my way to becoming The Most Submitted Man in America. Instead of visiting different MMA gyms and training for free, I paid my dues and braved the drive downtown, gradually picking up skills while making great friends.
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Though still a beginner, I drilled enough to confidently perform a demonstration at Brown University when I guest lectured for a Sociology of Martial Arts class. The next night I joined Brown’s Grappling and Mixed Martial Arts club, an awesome group I wish they had when I was a student. Thanks to Pete Jeffery, the head coach of Tri-Force MMA and the club, I had the pleasure of teaching the Lockdown and the Electric Chair sweep and submission. I had no business teaching to kids that outranked me, but hoped I could show them something new to consider.
Two days later, I jumped into the Super Heavyweight, intermediate, old man division at NAGA, barely winning my first match, and losing the second on a judge’s decision. I was disappointed in my performance because I didn’t better represent the school, but I’m only going to train harder because of it. The 10th Planet system does work, I believe in it, but just like anything else that’s worth mastering, it’s a matter of putting in the time and effort to learn it.
Although I couldn’t bring home a gold medal, I was cheered up by my friend, Adam Aparicio, who had been my partner for the lecture demonstration. Adam, an experienced fighter and jiu jitsu competitor, informed me that one of the students from GAMMA surprised him with the Electric Chair four days after I had demonstrated it. It’s very cool to hear that the student had enough faith in it to add the move to his game plan. It’s even cooler to hear that he nailed the submission.
If you are interested in learning more about why I enjoy 10th Planet, check out this clip from the lecture.
