DALLAS, TX, June 21, 2012 – It wasn’t too long ago that there weren’t too many Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Grappling tournaments in the state, at least not on a regular basis. Or if you did happen to go to one, there may not have been many competitors in your division or ranks higher than purple belt on the mats.
It’s a lot different now.
The Texas grappling tournament scene has matured a lot over the past few years with homegrown promotions like Fight to Win / World Grappling Circuit, Grand Prix Grappling, American Grappling Federation, and the like holding regular shows along with other national entities like the IBJJF, NAGA, and Grappler’s Quest also making annual appearances in the lone star state. In short, it’s a good time to a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu / No-GI grappling competitor nowadays with more and more options coming your way and tournaments being held nearly every weekend.
As is such, promoters are on a continuous hunt to distinguish their events from the rest of the pack. We recently caught with the guys from one such promotion, BJJ Classic, recently to talk about their unique spin on BJJ competition and what they hope to bring to the Texas tournament scene with their second event and beyond.
Interview – Christopher Story / Ronnie Chesko (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Classic)
BJJ Classic is a project started by two BJJ enthusiasts and close friends Christopher Story and Ronnie Chesko. Chris started training back in 1999 at Mohler Jiu Jitsu in Irving, TX. Aside from Carlos Machado and Allen Mohler the highest ranks in the area were purple belts like Kenny McClure, Orlando Waugh and Travis Lutter. In those days, even seeing a purple belt was very rare! Chris earned his Black Belt under Orlando Waugh and finally achieved 1st degree under Bruno Bastos. Ronnie has been an avid BJJ fan and follower over the years.
What has BJJ done for your lives?
Chris – BJJ has been a life changer, helping me grow as a person and molding me into a more disciplined, principled person. BJJ is a sport which forces a person to dig deep inside and do some soul searching, to look inward for answers and results. So much of what we learn on the mat can be applied to our everyday life and how we relate to others.
Ronnie – I’ve followed BJJ for a long time now and I’m blown away by how much the sport takes and gives from those who train. It’s so fun to watch the results of hours of mat time, to see the successes and failures and most of all the lessons which are learned along the way. BJJ is so much more than a sport, it’s a lifestyle.
Have you both been based in Texas for awhile?
We both grew up in Irving, which is where we became friends running the streets creating chaos any way we could. Today, Chris resides in Arlington with his expecting wife, Misty. Ronnie lives in Irving with his fiancée Rachel.
What unique proposition to do you hope to bring to the scene with your tournaments?
We started the BJJ Classic project when we realized how far BJJ tournaments have deviated from what traditional BJJ training was meant to be. BJJ is about submitting your partner, not manipulating points systems and time limits. It’s about strategy, technique and endurance.
(Chris) When I started BJJ we didn’t roll with a timer, you rolled until someone submitted. So that’s BJJ Classic- a place to fully unleash.
Can you go into further detail about what you hope to bring starting with your tourney on July 14th?
There is no other place where competitors can compete submission only. This redefines how fighters train. If you show up expecting a 5 minute roll, you’re going to get beat. In March, we had three purple belts roll for over 30 minutes! Competitors can expect to be challenged in ways they’ve never been before. For competitors who want to stick to the points/timed division we’ve begun to establish a pretty fierce field of competition which is only getting better. So either way you roll, you know its going to be tough.
What are you excited about with this upcoming tourney?
After the March tournament we’ve received such a positive response from competitors, coaches and spectators. July 14th is already shaping up to be a really great tournament. We are so excited to see all the fresh faces and how much competitors have grown since their first glance at submission only.
What do you hope to bring to the Texas BJJ landscape in the near future? Any other events planned?
Our vision over the next year is creating awareness. By offering competitors a place to truly mentally and physically push themselves, we believe we’re returning BJJ back to its roots. We feel like this is the next frontier of BJJ and we are proud to be a part of that!
Is there anything else I haven’t asked that you wish to highlight or share?
We really do feel like we are trying to bring something pure and innovative to the BJJ community, so thank you for providing us the opportunity to share that. We want to encourage everyone to come challenge themselves on July 14!