during the late 90’s, I was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) after watching Royce Gracie win the first couple Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). In my mind, the debate over martial arts effectiveness was now over. Royce Gracie demonstrated a grappler could close the distance in a fight, nullify a striker’s offense by taking an opponent to the ground, and submit the opponent by joint man
ipulation or choke hold. I decided I must find a way to study Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. My fellow UFC enthusiast, Uncle Dallin, encouraged me to try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Team Megaton, in Phoenix Arizona. I began training at Megatons and after a few months a couple of Megaton’s top students, Steve Farnworth and Mike McClure decided to begin teaching BJJ at a Fitness Center, in Mesa, Arizona. As Farnworth and McClure were the guiding force behind my initial BJJ instruction at Megatons, I decided to follow suite and began training under Farnworth/McClure, in Mesa. During this time period Farnworth encouraged me to begin wrestling at my high school, in order to establish efficient take down ability. I began wrestling at Mesquite High school and after being thoroughly exhausted from after school wrestling practices, I would drag myself to BJJ at night. During the later years of high school I put a hold on BJJ and wrestling and did not pick up the desire to grapple again until after high school graduation. While sitting on the couch, eating chips and drinking soda, I came across a flyer for a BJJ tournament hosted by Roland Sarria. I decided to roll off the couch and enter the tournament that weekend. I ended up losing to Rage and the Cage Champion, Edwin Dewees by omoplata. Up until that match, I had never seen an omoplata. The tournament was dominated by grapplers from a school called Arizona Combat Sports. I learned Gustavo Dantas was a black belt from Nova Uniao and the instructor for team ACS, in Tempe. A couple days later I returned to the Fitness Center where Farnworth and McClure used to host their classes. I learned that they no longer were teaching BJJ at the Fitness Complex. With having no way to contact Steve Farnworth, I decided to check out Arizona Combat Sports. At first I was skeptical of Gustavo because he did not have the last name of Gracie. Upon watching Gustavo teach his first class, it was like living your life watching a black and white television set and viewing a television show in color for the first time, I was blown away by Gustavo’s knowledge of techniques. I also saw Gilbert wrestling legend, Jed Jobe and the infamous Mike Mendoza training under Gustavo. While training under Gustavo I won numerous local and state titles and twice placed third at IBJJF American Nationals and placed third at IBJJF World’s in 2011. In the early 2000’s I competed at the IBJJF World’s while they were still being held in Brazil but did not place. I began as a white belt with Gustavo and was promoted to Black Belt by Gustavo Dantas ( GD Jiu-Jitsu/Nova Uniao) in March of 2017. In June of 2018, I was extended an offer to teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu out of Faction Combatives and Combat Sports, where I am currently teaching the adult BJJ program.
