Interview with Christy Thomas BJJ

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

Saturday Night Kempo Surprise.

Tonight, Brandon was in luck. We had a guest student come by and give him some good sparring sessions. The student is a girl trained in some kind of Kempo. I believe she’s 14 and has a black belt. She is currently cross-training into other styles of Martial Arts.

It was nice to see Brandon spar against someone of his age with more experience. I wish he had the chance to do this more often. The whole thing was exciting to watch. I thought Brandon did extremely well against her.

This particular class gave us a better understanding of Brandon’s strong and weak points. I hope she becomes a regular student. There is also a possibility her father, which is also a black belt, might do some sparring with him. Quality training! This is could be some exciting stuff.

Unfortunately, there isn’t any video. I’m not sure if there will be any in the future either. I did bring it up but either they didn’t understand, hear, or care for the idea of being on video. Hopefully, if they stick around they’ll allow some video footage. I don’t shoot anyone in Brandon’s videos without their permission.

We’ll keep you updated.

I wasn’t too familiar with Kempo myself. So, I supplied a video for anyone else in the same boat.

Just 2 more weeks till Brandon test for his Red belt. That’s one below Brown in this ranking system.

Interview with Guy Mezger

We are excited to bring you an email interview with Guy Mezger, winner of UFC 13 Light Heavyweight Tournament. He’s volunteered some of his precious time to answer some questions from my son Brandon. 

 Guy Mezger Highlights

Brandon: You have a background in Karate, Kickboxing and Boxing. Which of these did you find the most helpful in UFC fighting and why?

Guy: Actually my background was in wrestling first.  I wrestled as a kid thru college and started karate when I was 14.  I basically did karate & wrestling until I turned pro at age 20.  Wrestling is by far one of the main disciplines of MMA. You are not going to go far without wrestling training. Then I would say for me, boxing / kickboxing was the next important.  It’s kind of hard to say because I also trained & competed in Judo along w/ kickboxing.  Later I trained catch wrestling and Braziilain jujitsu. (I trained with some of the great catch wrestlers of Japan.)

Brandon: Who was the toughest opponent you ever beat? What was your strategy to defeat them? 

Guy: Beating the legendary Masa Funakai was my best win. My strategy for beating him was to out- smart him and out work him.  I, also, kept the fight standing; thanks to my superior wrestling ability. I also beat him up pretty badly with kicks and punches.  

Brandon: What is the difference between people training for the UFC vs. main stream martial arts classes?

Guy: Intensity level of pro fighters is the main difference and usually the UFC/pro fighters have more skills 

Brandon:  What was your training schedule like when you were preparing for a fight?

Guy: It was tough.  8:00 boxing/kickboxing training…12:00 or 1:00 was grappling…6:00 strength & conditioning 

Brandon: You run a very successful MMA school in Dallas called Guy Mezger's Combat Sport Club. What makes your school different than everyone else’s?

Guy: I have brought together the very best trainers from various displines.  My coaches are not just a judo coach or a kickboxing coach etc., they are the best judo coach or the best kickboxing coach.  I do my best to create an atmosphere of unity, intensity and leadership by example at all levels regardless if you are a pro or beginner.  

Brandon: Can you tell us who your number one mentor has been in your MMA career? What are 3 things you learned from him?

Guy: Billye Jack Jackson (my coach for over 15 yrs), 1) He taught me that good character was more important than winning (& all real winners had good character); 2) Hard work is not a talking point but any action point.  You are either willing to train like the champ or you are not.  The results speak for themselves. 3) Be grateful for the blessings you receive.

Brandon:  What was your mindset before your very first fight? How did you overcome any nervousness?

Guy:  For my first fight I was a wreck mentally & I am not sure if I ever really overcame being nervous.  I just went out there and took care of business.  I became more relaxed with each fight.  

Thank you for conduction this question and answer session with us Guy. You made a terrific impression on us by your quick response time and willingness to help with Brandon’s goals. We wish you good fortune with your future endeavors. 

More about BKO Kung Fu