Vegas is a fun place for a tournament...

[Cash Bill 52]

I competed in the Brown Senior 2 Super heavy and the absolute divisions at the IBJJF Las Vegas International tournament this past weekend. This was a tournament "just for fun" meaning I didn't train crazy hard for it. I just did my normal training leading up to the event. Unlike the Pan Ams, I just took it easy. I never had a real Vegas experience as a single man, so my priorities were a little different this time. I stayed four nights in The Mandalay Bay hotel. Poker, pool parties, clubs, and making new "friends" were my objectives. And, I met all of them!:icon_twis

Everybody dropped out of my division (super heavy) when they saw my name (flat out lie...). So I won a gold medal uncontested. In the absolute division my opponent was the current Pan Am purple belt Absolute champ. He also took third in worlds in the adult division. He was a mere 270 lbs. (this part is true) I pulled guard and went for a triangle. He had so much pressure I couldn't finish him. He passed my guard. I got back to half guard but I couldn't do anything from there. I lost 3-0. The monster went on to win the absolute division by choking his final opponent unconscious. Even though I lost I still got a bronze medal.

Now, the important part. Nobody in Vegas needed to know that I didn't have such a great day...When somebody asked, "How'd you do?" There was no reason to go into detail. I just pulled out my gold medal and said, "Not too bad..." I was not officially lying. (Ok, I didn't really do this)

My coach gives out stripes for highly developed social skills (kissing girls on the dance floor). So my belt will have a stripe soon.

Vegas is a great place to have a tournament. I had the time of my life. I was really channeling my inner Lady Gaga. The pool was a little too hot to wear the medal. It would have probably burned a scar right on my chest. I just kept it in a bag. It's not a bad conversation starter...

(I did not really bring my medals to the pool)

I became unexpectedly single a few years ago. That can be a scary thing at 40 years old. You might feel washed up. Thanks to jiu jitsu, I am nowhere near washed up. I can travel around, compete, meet cool people, and have a fulfilling lifestyle.

 

[Forgottoduck]

Awesome man, great to see you've stuck with it through thick and thin.

I've always wanted to go to vegas, may have to take a store bought gold medal for the ultimate experience though it seems :icon_twis

 

[davejitsu]

Congrats big guy

 

[curb1850]

Awesome! Great post.

 

[Wrestleben]

Epic weekend! Great job on fighting hard and sounds like you had some debauchery as well.

 

[davejitsu]

I remember one time my nephew and I were going back to our hotel after I won a belt at GQ. We had stayed at a really nice hotel and he had the belt on his shoulder; people were asking to get pics with him. It was one of the funniest things ever. In the end, we still don't know what or who people thought he was.

 

[Cash Bill 52]

 

[tlrnick]

We were standing right next to you on the pit after your match, had I known it was the famous/infamous? Cashbill I would of introduced myself. :icon_chee

 

[Cash Bill 52]

We were standing right next to you on the pit after your match, had I known it was the famous/infamous? Cashbill I would of introduced myself. :icon_chee

Are you Larry's teammate? Larry won the division. He trains with Romolu Barral. He's a super nice guy, thank God! Could you imagine him with a mean streak??? :icon_neut

They say his nick name is the cheese grater. When he told me he got third at Mundials I knew I was in trouble. It's hard to deal with such mass!!! 270 lbs. !!! I know my coach (Caio Terra 126 lbs. ) won the black belt absolute. So, I shouldn't complain. I am just not used to such mass!

 

[MMA junkie]

Good stuff Bill. Wet Republic? I'm sure pool partying with a bunch of in shape BJJ guys attracts a lot of attention.

 

[Cash Bill 52]

Good stuff Bill. Wet Republic? I'm sure pool partying with a bunch of in shape BJJ guys attracts a lot of attention.

That pic is from XS. It's the new hottest place in Vegas. It's the closest thing to partying at The Playboy Mansion.

 

[Cash Bill 52]

I remember one time my nephew and I were going back to our hotel after I won a belt at GQ. We had stayed at a really nice hotel and he had the belt on his shoulder; people were asking to get pics with him. It was one of the funniest things ever. In the end, we still don't know what or who people thought he was.

lol...Yeah, it's ok to let people's imagination run wild a little bit...

 

[SheerTechnique]

Thanks for the write up Cash Bill! Congrats..

 

[countlphie]

i'm sold. next competition in vegas, i'm there!!

 

[Darkhorse]

ditto. was gonna do the no gi event, but barely missed the deadline (had a prior engagement that cancelled). now i'm totally bummed. will try to go next time for sure. congrats cash bill! sounds like you re-charged your batteries.

 

[platfox]

That pic is from XS. It's the new hottest place in Vegas. It's the closest thing to partying at The Playboy Mansion.

XS is unreal. $100 to get in before 10pm and $200 after. Line full around the corner all night. Night club is huge and then you step outside and the party around the pool is even more crackin. VIP booths all around the pool and up in the balconies. There's even an island bar in the middle of the pool with card games.

 

[tlrnick]

Are you Larry's teammate? Larry won the division. He trains with Romolu Barral. He's a super nice guy, thank God! Could you imagine him with a mean streak??? :icon_neut

They say his nick name is the cheese grater. When he told me he got third at Mundials I knew I was in trouble. It's hard to deal with such mass!!! 270 lbs. !!! I know my coach (Caio Terra 126 lbs. ) won the black belt absolute. So, I shouldn't complain. I am just not used to such mass!

I am, he's a super nice guy for sure. That was a really good match the both of you had, that triangle was in tight. I hope you can make it to the Nationals next month, it really is nice to meet older grapplers (I'm over 40 myself) who are not only really good at this sport but are also super nice guys.

 

[gdjiujitsu]

Cool post! ttt

 

[BJJ in Chicago]

glad you had a great time.


any info on the tournament itself? The Chicago IBJJ is going on this weekend and I can't compete (sadly, I have a wedding to go to), so I'm curious how its run.

Did they have vendors there? I'm in the market for some new stuff and I'd rather get it in person than online.

 

[BJJ 619***]

Nice work man!
I too did both the Vegas Open and the Nationals No-Gi.
I won a few matches and got third in my weightclass with the gi.
In the Openweight I got laid on but not finished but some 260lbs guy.
Then in the No-Gi part I got jacked on points by the ref and lost my first match,
but I came back in teh openweight and tapped out a middleweight guy and then
the highlight was tapping out an ultra heavyweight to get bronze.

The bad parts, in the semis of the openweight no-gi, I was caught in a kimura type armlock and had my other arm trapped, the guy I was fighting out weighted me by like 40lbs and was cranking on my arm. I couldn't tap and when I tried to yell TAP I couldn't because my mouth piece was slipping so all I could do was yell and make noise. My arm is a little jacked but not as bad as it would be if it went 1 sec more.
Then I got bit by a brown reculse (sp) spider and haven't ate since Sunday, lost 5lbs have 103 fever and shivers and sweats. Also I have a swelling on my leg the size of a bean bag that im sure will have to be "lanced" according to my doctor. And half my leg is red and tender.

But other than the 2nd paragraph it was good times :icon_lol: