DeltaSigChi4 said:
I wonder who the purple is going to be. Maybe jjmuaythaiguy knows more about this. Maybe JJ is the one who is going to the purple!! Heh.
E
Hahaha, I got that from Kawikaveeka.
The first thing I heard about this is from a Relson Gracie Brown Belt that I train no gi with at the Waikiki Sandvilla = Gracie Waikiki.
Anyway, this whole week I was searching for a place to watch the Pride event this weekend and my friend tells me that Relson called out this guy on ADCC. I was like "holy crap" what the hell did the guy do to piss Relson off. My friend has trained with Relson for 10 + years and is still a brown and says. "I don't know. I never even heard of that guy."
So after Saturdays jj class with Relson I forgot all about it because of the stuff he was showing us. Relson says "Rob, come to my house on Sunday for a barbeque. Bring all your friends." I was like, food, jiu jitsu, Relson's house = I'm there.
After watching the awesome Pride event at Eastside Grill with some fans I head on over to Relson's house. Relson is making his awesome food and we get to drinking some beers and he tells me about this guy Joe who is using his name.
Ah, the lightbulb goes off. Its the same guy as my friend was talking about. So I asked Relson, "Whats the beef Rels?"
Without using his exact words he says, some reporter asked him for an interview for Joe Hurst? whatever his name is because he says that he represents the Gracie name in his area. Relson says in no short words that the guy does not represent Relson or any Gracie that he knows of. Relson says he was an okay blue belt but any of the purples from our school or any one of the associations under him could tap him. The problem with the article is that it was very, very long and Relson said they only posted what they wanted. I think a few of the associations (Phil and some other guy) are trying to work with Relson and the reporter to post the whole story.
Facts are that yes, he was a blue under Relson, then moved and trained under someone else for a while, opened a school, invited the person he trained under to give expensive seminars, while at the same time, courting Royce Gracie to come give a seminar. Whoever the guy was that gave the seminar prior to Royce coming made a killing and gave him his purple or brown, I forget. So when Royce came to give the seminar, there was only 3 students who took the seminar. Good for the students but bad for Royce. Royce was upset when he found out that there was seminars before he came, bascially tapping the $$ flow for him. Royce spent $2,000 or more dollars to get there for three days to make $150 or whatever he charged.
Then this guy Joe starting promoting and referring an event in which Marc Laimon and some other guy had a serious rule violation and that made more bad blood, rumors and stuff. I think when Royce next saw him, like two years later, Joe was a brown and Royce was like "WTF?!" and called up Relson to ask if he promoted the guy. Relson was like "Oh HELL NO!" So Relson really started getting calls as no one I know has been promoted that quickly in any Relson Gracie academy. A year and a half later he is BLACK? Who is this guy the second BJ Penn.
Anyway, what really hurts is the loyalty and love here folks. Relson really cares about his students and when you ask for help he gives it. I guess this guy wanted to meet Relson's dad and actually did taking pictures and all at the ranch and now has it hanging at his school or something as proof of his black belt. Its kind of like he used Relson and his dad for his own benefit.
I still don't know the guy but if he is claiming to represent a Gracie he should have something in writing. He might actually be working with trying to be a Gracie Barra affilitate or something. No one really knows.
All I know is that people are working on posting the whole story on the interview and the guy in question so if anyone hears about it or sees a posts then post it here.
That is all I know on the subject.
