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Nov
13
This Saturday West Side Academy will be competing in a local submission-grappling and jiu-jitsu tournament. I have two schools, and both schools are going. I’ve been thinking lately about how some of the guys that train in Logan have never met some of the guys that train in Ogden, and many will meet for the first time at this tournament.
I’ve never liked the idea of competition between the same schools, for example West Side Logan vs. West Side Ogden, even if it were a friendly inter-squad competition, I just don’t like the idea. I also don’t like the idea of making any distinction between schools (West Side Logan or West Side Ogden). We are from West Side, all of us, period.
At the tournament this weekend we will compete under one banner and that will be West Side Jiu-Jitsu. I heard that the Machado brothers do the same thing. When they bring their schools to a tournament they all compete under Machado even though there are five brothers with five different schools, they are unified in competition. I respect that. Plus, if you have all the Machado’s fighting under one name you’re bound to win the tournament on numbers alone.
I hope all the West Siders do well tomorrow and no matter the outcome, we will be brothers in battle and great friends in peace.
I’ll be the number one cheerleader since I won’t be competing. rahrahsisboombah
Great post Mark. It brings up the point that while jiu-jitsu is an individual competition, it takes a whole team to get the individual to where he is. At Gracie Barra Seattle when the school competes in tournaments with other schools, if two Gracie Barra team members are ever matched against one antother, the one who has been training for the shorter period of time with the team forfeits to the one with senority. This really makes them stand out as a team and lets the other schools see how unified and dedicated the team is to each other.