Pan Ams 2011, Alliance

Let’s see. Back in March for Pan Ams I was only training 3 days a week maybe, was fat and had to starve myself to make weight. Unfortunately my work didn’t allow me the days off and I had to work on the Thursday and then from 6-10am on Friday—the day I was competing. With nothing in my stomach, not nearly enough sleep and no coffee to keep me awake, I miraculously worked my shift and my friend Jessi chauffeured me to the tournament in Irvine. Yay carpool lane.

So I got there and weighed in and was a little under. I had room for some banana! So I warmed up with my friend Jessica Eve Richer (remember that name) from New York and waited for my name in the bullpen. I wasn’t very nervous and my first match was against some girl from some team I had never heard of. I jumped guard, which I’ve never done in competition before. I played some spider and got an armbar where the girl was tapping but I let up before the ref called it. Abort. Got up, passed, remembered a choke that my training partner had taught me two days before that involved using my own lapel over her neck and turning my body to north south. Success. With my first match over, Romulo rushed me out of the barriers to lay down and rest. He got me water, yelled at me for texting and even told my annoying teammate to leave me the hell alone. It was awesome. Second match was against a girl that I had just met while waiting. She held my water and ipod while I tied my belt and fixed my hair. It was nice (HA) and then I realized I was going against her. In my head I thought “this girl wears too much make-up and smells too good, I must beat her.” I spent the match just gaining point after point. Sweep, pass, knee on belly, mount, half guard to pass, to mount to a cross choke from mount. Next match was my friend Sam from Paragon. I pulled guard, swept, had some trouble passing and my balance was compromised a bit. She got into deep half and I somehow managed to stay on top and pass. Romulo tried telling me that I needed to be sitting on the other side of her head but he didn’t explain it right and I ended up looking at him with a confused look while almost doing the splits. Anyway, I got in side control and she would not stay down. She kept trying to sit up and it was exhausting and near the end of the match she reversed me but I was able to get my legs under to recover an upside down guard and snatch her arm for the armbar. Three submissions, felt good. Before the final match I had a lot of time to rest and get ready. I knew it was the girl from Las Vegas Abu Dhabi trials and her only pass was double unders. Guess what she went for? I was able to maintain my guard for awhile but her pressure was so much and my legs went over my head. She got my back and I tapped to the choke. I also had a temper tantrum because she held it for so long. We cool though. So I placed second and it was alright.

End of that weekend I tagged along with the company I was with over to Cobrinha’s grand opening. A week later I left Romulo’s and signed up at Cobrinha’s. As much as I look up to Romulo and appreciate everything he has ever done for me (which is a shitload), I am a blue belt and don’t owe anything to anyone. I do think my switch to Cobrinha will prove beneficial and I have nothing, absolutely nothing against team Romulo. It wasn’t anything anyone did, it wasn’t anything said, it just wasn’t working and I had been having problems for months of all different kinds. I know I need to mature and I wasn’t going to be able to do it there. I wish everyone success and I hope I haven’t burned any bridges. Sometimes we need to do what’s right for ourselves no matter the cost and for me, this switch was it. I’ll be competing at the Dallas Open in 2 weeks under my new team Alliance.

As far as my writing, expect a new interview with the Mendes Bros on budovideos.com!