This past weekend, we had the honor of promoting three incredible men to the rank of Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The achievement itself is incredibly rare, but the stories behind them are truly one of a kind.
Chris Andrews’ path was forged from his relationship with his father and children, as their involvement in martial arts sparked his own journey. Since then, Jiu-Jitsu has changed his life in so many ways but not without tons of dedication and hard work on his part. He’s been a permanent fixture of the 6am Sunshine Boyz from his first day and one of the most helpful hands you can find as a teammate. Congrats! 🖤
Antonio Encalada began training with us several years ago after moving to the area. He had already been awarded his Brown Belt in Ecuador and had a strong foundation of techniques to go along with it, but he also had a passion for expanding on it. He was an immediate fit with the team – a soft-spoken, caring, family man whose Jiu-Jitsu spoke volumes. And now he’s been turned up to 11. 🖤
Nick Frame was one of the first students of CTA Irving when we began classes at our original location in Valley Ranch. His energy is absolutely infectious and maybe that’s how he’s able to become such a dear friend to so many so quickly. He carried that same enthusiasm into all of the facets of his life, including martial arts – from Boxing to Judo to Jiu-Jitsu. His path to Black Belt wasn’t without its obstacles and certainly wasn’t straight, but sometimes when life throws us a curve ball, we’re still able to turn it into a home run. 🖤
Congratulations and thank you to you guys for your dedication to yourselves, passion for your craft, and trust in me. I’m so proud to have you as Black Belts, but even more honored to have you as a part of my life. OSS.
One Team. One Family.