04/26/2026
The 10th Planet Ventura family just got its first home grown Black Belt - Damien Gonzalezđź–¤!
Damien joined our gym when we had only been open for three months, immediately becoming the hardest worker in the room. He started competing immediately (the second picture is from a Subfighter tournament he won as a white belt) and he just keeps getting better and better with each match. Damien has an all around game - he’s a great passer, he’s great at leg locks, and he knows the 10th Planet system as a whole extremely well.
Damien was the first student we let teach for us. He taught our kids classes until his work as an electrician took up too much time - but he still finds time to teach our beginners classes. On Sundays, Damien can usually be found helping whomever shows up with whatever they need to work on.
We couldn’t have picked a better person to lead the way for the next generation at our gym. Damien, your dedication to your teammates and your growth as a person has been an inspiration to us all. Watching you grow from your first day has been an honor. Let’s keep building.
We were lucky enough to have the legendary Eddie Bravo on hand for the promotion after the Raw Garden Tap and T**e tournament we hosted yesterday. It means the world to us to have been able to promote our first black belt in front of the man who taught us the art we love. Eddie even signed Damien’s black belt, making that keepsake just a little more special.
