Christy Thomas is the first female black belt in Relson
Gracie’s Organization. Relson Gracie is credited for helping develop Gracie or
"Brazilian" Jiu Jitsu. BJJ is arguably the most popular martial art
style in the last 20 years.
Brandon: Since Royce Gracie won 3 of the 4 first UFC tournaments,
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has really taken off. Why did you choose to learn
BJJ over everything else and why would you recommend it over other systems?
Christy: Frankly, I got into
this martial art/sport/lifestyle due to my boyfriend (at the time) and his involvement.
A short time after getting into the classes, I was hooked. It was the practicality
and the fact that you can see, learn, and then apply. You can find out what you
can or cannot do and fix or better your technique. I recommend Gracie
Jiu-Jitsu, hands down for the function, effectiveness and ease in which someone
can get into it and absorb information. Since the application is immediate and
with an instructor and peers present to assist, the fear factor and rigidity is
removed from the learning environment.
Brandon: We know true Martial Artists respect your achievement for
becoming the first female Black Belt in Relson Gracie’s organization. Have you
been discriminated against for owning a Jiu-Jitsu school by others?
Christy: Well, let’s just say
- not to my face. I don’t know if anyone has any issue with me being a female
and running a school that I own and am the primary instructor. In my honest
opinion, I would think someone weak for thinking that way and pity them for the
hardships they must face in life otherwise.
Brandon: How would you deal with this if it came to your attention?
Christy: If this issue were
brought to my attention, I'd most likely feel sorry for someone's insecurity or
assumption of my potential but ultimately I'd have to respect their decision.
Brandon: You mentioned you have had to use Jiu-Jitsu in real life
before. How do you size up an unknown opponent?
Christy: I don’t necessarily
think I size anyone up & they are not automatically less dangerous from
lack of size. If a person wants to initiate any type of control or attack, it
doesn't matter the sex or size. It’s already a self-defense situation no matter
what the issue may be.
Brandon: Let’s say someone is looking for a Gracie affiliated school.
How can they find one in their area?
Christy: These days, the
internet is the best option. I have a lot of students who travel and ask the
same thing. We try to go to our own association and when we can’t we look for
the best option. I would use Google first and type in BJJ and your locale,
FaceBook is fine too since so many people have place pages now. Relson has his
associations listed on www.RelsonGracie.com
Brandon: If they can’t find one, how can they determine which school
is best?
Christy: What I suggest is to
figure out (by asking or on their website) who is the actual top tier instructor
of any organization. You can then research them and their affiliates and
credentials, etc. You can also ask someone higher ranked or well traveled what
their opinion of someone may be. There are frauds so the best bet is to ask
questions until you are satisfied. If the answers to your questions don’t come or
if things get weird, move on.
Brandon: Do you plan on competing in additional tournaments in the
future?
Christy: I love competing and
I will most likely do many tournaments in the future.
Brandon: How do you decide which ones are worth your time and money?
Christy: I see tournaments as
a sporting event. There are risks/dangers and there are events that want to be
extreme to seem cool and get people excited. I look for quality events and I
prefer the ones without a money prize.
Brandon: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?
Christy: It's my opinion that
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is the best empty handed street self-defense system available.
It’s a fantastic idea to get yourself, family and friends into. We accommodate
all ages, sizes & experience levels.
Thank you for taking the time to
answer our questions. We look forward to following your career at http://www.facebook.com/christy.thomas.3956
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