Your Region/States Best Competitors

[NewGuardBjj]

Who are the top competitors in you region or state? I just got to NC, so I'm not really sure who is taking home all the medals here, but back in Texas, Carlos Diego Ferreira had a tear through the BB division not too long ago.

 

[pojo15]

I live and train in maryland. (baltimore county, 20 mins out of baltimore)

I'm sure Tim Spriggs has to be the best guy in all of MD right now.

 

[NewGuardBjj]

I live and train in maryland. (baltimore county, 20 mins out of baltimore)

I'm sure Tim Spriggs has to be the best guy in all of MD right now.

Anybody working the regional circuit?

 

[NateTx4112]

Texas at Black Belt CDF was pretty much top of the top at adult.

At Masters/other ranks there are quite a few Texas people who kill it.

Roberto Jiminez is the best teen out there these days.

Danielle Alvarez is one of the top females

Danny Alvarez killed it at black belt Masters

Jordan Shepler had a killer year at purple belt masters (got his brown recently)

Andy Cordova out of Houston is a monster

 

[NewGuardBjj]

Man, I haven't heard of any of those names. That makes me sad.

 

[NateTx4112]

Man, I haven't heard of any of those names. That makes me sad.

Where are you at in Texas? These guys tore up the national (IBJJF) scene a bit more than local NAGA's.

Roberto is all over Texas though at local tournies...I can't do anything with him except let him whip my ass :-(

 

[NewGuardBjj]

I was in Denton, but I moved to Raleigh, NC about eight months ago. I trained at Texas Elite MMA in Denton.

 

[RJ Green]

Iowa. Most of the state is sitting around waiting to die, the rest is a damn Wrestling Combine.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

For Jersey, is Gary Tonon, and I will count JT Torres and Gianni Grippo. They are both Jersey natives. Oh and Tom DeBlass I guess.

 

[NewGuardBjj]

What about guys working the smaller orgs? Or up and comers. I really can't wait to dive into the competition scene here in NC, both as a spectator and competitor.

 

[Toothless King]

i'm not sure who's the best one in my state California, but i'm sure there are a few.

 

[chunglii]

Not a native of San Diego, but it's gotta be Keenan

 

[beeran1]

I don't know who the best black belt competitors are in Colorado as I don't think there are many. I would guess Matt Jubera. We have many extremely tough black belts in the state; I just don't think a lot of them compete anymore. There's a purple belt training at a different branch of my academy who just placed at Pans in the adult division. A blue belt at my previous academy who is a monster and just placed at a regional IBJJF tournament. Other than that, no idea.

 

[JustTheTip]

Currently-
Bay Area Northern California:
Black belt:
Caio Terra- Multiple time World Champ
Samir Chantre: Always in the running to place at Worlds.Beats everyone except for the elite.
Osvaldo Quiexinho Moizinho- Always in the running to place at Worlds.Beats everyone except for the elite.

Brown Belt:
Woolf Barnato- Won Worlds at Blue, then Purple the next year.Lost his first year at Brown but definitely a top contender to win Worlds this year.

Purple Belt:
Benji Silva- Wins most of the local tournaments and placed at pans this year.
Jeremy Jackson- Won AD Pro at Blue and wins many of the local tournaments.
Danny Speirn- Unnoticed but made a huge leap in his game and has been winning many of the local tournaments and won 5 matches at Pans losing his medal match. Keeps getting better and better after dedicating fully to BJJ.

Blue Belt:
Connor Donaldson- 3rd at Pans, been winning most of the local tournaments.
Anthony Caito- Slept on but a beast at Blue and winning a ton.

White Belt-
Gabreil Williams- Unbelievable White belt. Might just double medal at Worlds even though he is a Light-Featherweight.


Masters:
Sean Nikmorad- Won the local IBJJF Open at Brown Master 1 and easily one of the toughest Brown belts overall in the area.
Daniel Ripper-Won Master Worlds at Purple Master 2 last year and placed at Pans at Brown belt Master 2 this year.

 

[portland]

For Oregon our top competitor is definitely James Puopulo. Our other top guys in the Gi would be my coach Bryan Marugg and Zack and Nate Adamson. For No-gi Nathan Orchard. For Masters Armand Debruge.

 

[dokomoy]

For Oregon our top competitor is definitely James Puopulo. Our other top guys in the Gi would be my coach Bryan Marugg and Zack and Nate Adamson. For No-gi Nathan Orchard. For Masters Armand Debruge.

I'm pretty sure Ben Baxter is the most accomplished guy in Oregon after Puopulo

 

[Uchi Mata]

I don't know who the best black belt competitors are in Colorado as I don't think there are many. I would guess Matt Jubera. We have many extremely tough black belts in the state; I just don't think a lot of them compete anymore. There's a purple belt training at a different branch of my academy who just placed at Pans in the adult division. A blue belt at my previous academy who is a monster and just placed at a regional IBJJF tournament. Other than that, no idea.

If we're mentioning Masters too (which I've seen a few people do), I'll throw out Mike Toussignant from Easton. He won weight and absolute (as a MW) at brown belt M/S Worlds. Does Nick Kline still compete? He won some medals at BB no-gi Pans and Worlds in the late 00's.

 

[greenocelot]

If we're mentioning Masters too (which I've seen a few people do), I'll throw out Mike Toussignant from Easton. He won weight and absolute (as a MW) at brown belt M/S Worlds. Does Nick Kline still compete? He won some medals at BB no-gi Pans and Worlds in the late 00's.

In Colorado, I would probably say Shae Smith and James Strater Smith. Shae's guard is awesome, I used to talk with him about Jiu Jitsu on Facebook before I gave up facebook. Devin Rourke was really good too until he retired, I saw him at Auraria and he told me he gave it up to go to dental school. Seth Daniels got bronze at Pan-Am. Mike Toussignant seems good on his competition record, but from the videos I saw he does not play guard a lot. Also two guys from our academy Josh and Andy. Andy is a brown belt from Princeton BJJ and is really good, with a methodological game. Josh is a black belt and he is one person I can never sweep from guard, I have only done it a few times.

 

[pojo15]

Anybody working the regional circuit?

I havent been active on the comp scene the last 9 months due to injury and starting a new job so I cant really say.

I can speak for someone at my gym though, TJ Triguero "timothy jasper"

2014 juvenile blue belt world champ
2015 silver at pans

pretty much double golds everything he enters BJJ and judo on the regional scene.


kid is 16 5'6'' and like 125 lbs, I'm a 6'1'' 210 lb 20 year old blue belt and I have a hard time passing his guard. his de la riva berimbolo game is crazy but his top game is legit too, very good footwork and he has an array of quick and quirky guard passes, very unorthodox

 

[Uchi Mata]

In Colorado, I would probably say Shae Smith and James Strater Smith. Shae's guard is awesome, I used to talk with him about Jiu Jitsu on Facebook before I gave up facebook. Devin Rourke was really good too until he retired, I saw him at Auraria and he told me he gave it up to go to dental school. Seth Daniels got bronze at Pan-Am. Mike Toussignant seems good on his competition record, but from the videos I saw he does not play guard a lot. Also two guys from our academy Josh and Andy. Andy is a brown belt from Princeton BJJ and is really good, with a methodological game. Josh is a black belt and he is one person I can never sweep from guard, I have only done it a few times.

I've always heard Shae was good, I've never had a match with him but I'd like to, even though I'm a weight class above.

Phil Lietz was doing pretty well for a while, is he still competing really actively?