Salute to all Crosley Gracie Jiu-Jitsu students who represented the team at Saturday’s tournament in Stockton. All 21 competitors fought with heart and resilience and upheld our never-quit standard in victory and defeat throughout the training camp.
I’m always proud of how our students and families stand out in the crowd by behaving with class both on and off the mat. CGJJA students behave with discipline and respect; when the match starts, they have blood in their eyes. Kind and dangerous!
Every time we compete, valuable lessons are revealed to both coaches and athletes. I see things we must work on as a Team. We had some newcomers locked in from the start, who are absolute sponges win Gold.
First time on the big stage! Impressive! We had other newcomers who got their feet wet, fought until the very end, and got to experience the high-pressure environment, managing disappointment and learning more dedication and commitment are required for success.
The sting of defeat is the motivation to work harder! We had others who hadn’t been on the top step for years and saw the value of tenacity and perseverance. If you don’t quit, you’re always in the fight. Others learned the lesson of fundamentals and simplicity over complex strategies.
We witnessed a mom who, two years ago, was watching her kids and husband from the sideline step out of her comfort zone and scrap in the finals of her division. We watched an O.G. win his countless Gold medals with precision and calmness, all while his biggest fans watched from the bleachers.
We witnessed one of our Black Belts go through the fire of training camp to get the chance to compete alongside his son, only to intimidate anyone from registering.
Thank you, fellow black belt Tim Toon, for assisting with coaching.
See you on the mat! - Ryan Murphy
“You don’t know anything about anyone until they have been tested.” - Cus D’Amato