Faixa Roxa 7.12.14

I started training jiu jitsu inadvertently, because I began training in kajukenbo before I got married in the spring of 2008 and jiu jitsu and judo were part of the curriculum.  (I learned sort of a triangle, and the rudest closed guard break ever, the one where you dig your elbows into the meat of their inner thigh, but the knee-cut part of that pass was part of my bread-and-butter for years.)  I was off and on with kajukenbo because, after all, I was planning a wedding and the reception was at our house.

But in June I started training for about 3 weeks with William Vandry, a Machado bb here in Austin.  Then I went on my honeymoon, and came back in July, had an ugly interaction with him, and left his school.

I started training at the Relson Gracie school under Phil Cardella and Christy Thomas in August 2008.  Got my blue from Relson in January 2009.

And July 12, 2014, I got my purple from Paulo "Coelho" Brandao, 5th degree under Royler, and Donald Park, also a Royler bb.  :)

I won't even try to list everyone I'm grateful to.  That would be insane-- every single person I've watched, trained with, talked to about jiu jitsu has taught me something.  But special mention goes, of course, to certain folks who have had more influence than others....

My instructors-- left to right, top then bottom-- Donald (make every rep your best), Paulo ("Red hair!"), Jordan "Wristlocks" and the "Jordan Pretzel" Silverman, Jim "Captain America" Shipman, and Tim Kennedy (he of the patriotic singlet)... I'm lucky to have you.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Also past instructors Phil and Christy and Richard Giberson and Josh Lauber at Relson's, all my foundational stuff is because of you, and Richard Power and Kirk Smith... super influential!

Henry Akins (HUGE!) Darren "Keebler" "C-L-E" Branch. Hillary Williams, Marcelo Garcia, Bernardo Faria, Emily Kwok, Val Worthington, Ryan Hall, John Ouano, James Valentine, Charlie Liu, Sophia McDermott Drysdale, Sonny Nohara, Alvis Solis, Griff Sombke...

Robert Reed and Tom Krausz for getting me into this crazy business...  past and present teammates: Scott Reis, Courtney Fuqua, Rebecca Varady, Dan Dau, Vidush Rana, Roy Olivarez, Scott Reed, Marc Morales, Anthony Rodriguez, Doug Connolly, Ivelin Ivanov, Zade Samuels...

Friends at other schools (brothers from another mother/sisters from another mister):  Devlin Kostal (where are you!), Andrew Leftt, Aparna Modi, Chuck Hardin, Sam Browning, Chrissy Linzy, Elyse Goldberg, Julia Johansen, Peter Sanchez, Tara Talanco Varon, Kat Harrison, Mike Calimbas, Mike Donovan...

And my sponsors, Steve Turner at Black Eagle, Christopher Lane at Happy Kimonos, Matt Kirtley at Scramble, Mike Ripberger at MMAOutlet, Justin Garcia at Rough Zen/Jungle Gym, Neal Fletcher at Bullshido, Vanessa Bush at SubMISSion, ..

You've all supported me and made beautiful marks on the paper of my jiu jitsu life.   Which is an enormous and precious majority of my real life, and my dream life.  THANK YOU.

Cheers to the rest of the journey!