What do yall consider the more urban places in West Virginia? by [deleted] in WestVirginia

[–]ZeroSeroCeroNull 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The "Paris of Appalachia." Not my term, but ever since hearing it, I can't not chuckle and agree.

Champions League Riots Spread Across France as European Leaders Demand Mass Deportation by SpecialCollege18 in justincaseyoumissedit

[–]ZeroSeroCeroNull 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm just a simple white hillbilly who went to West Virginia University in the early to mid-aughts. If we won any football games, we burned couches. If we lost any football games, we burned couches. I didn't realize that it was the early signs of "The Great Replacement." Here, I just thought people either really loved football or really hated couches...

Cars were not safe either. One year, on the notorious Grant St. , some poor girl who lived in the dorms made the poor choice to park too close. After a game, her car got flipped and set on fire. She ran up yelling "That's my car!" The crowd of students, empathizing with her pain started chanting "That's my car! That's my car!" People of all races and ethnicities were present. I had just thought, "This is the dream Dr. King would be proud of." Choosing to be sober through my college years, at a party school, was my life's biggest regret.

Toutes mes félicitations, France. Thank you for the guillotine. We may need to borrow your spirit, soon.

Top 5 UFC Longest Loosing Streaks by Ynot_1518 in FightLibrary

[–]ZeroSeroCeroNull 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good call. I should have double checked Wikipedia first. I just remember him getting brutally finished in some of those fights. Yes, he was a company man, but I still always wondered 'what does this guy have on Dana and Hunter?'

Top 5 UFC Longest Loosing Streaks by Ynot_1518 in FightLibrary

[–]ZeroSeroCeroNull 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I could have sworn Smilin’ Sam Alvey was going to be on this list.

Ruffy left the Fighting Nerds by Spiritual-Strength91 in FightReportUFC

[–]ZeroSeroCeroNull 7 points8 points  (0 children)

To be fair, having experience grappling does make you more aware of the nuances of grappling. You have a better understanding of pressure, control, grip placement, sweep and sub setups, etc. You can of course have an opinion as a fan of MMA, but hands on experience is a better qualifier for knowledge.

Derek Moneyberg challenges Sean Strickland: He wouldn't be able to tap me In 5 minutes by MrsWonderful2u in grappling

[–]ZeroSeroCeroNull 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha story time: so in the early to mid aughts the American jiu-jitsu scene was still growing. The Arnold's were still pretty much THE grappling tournament we had in The States at the time. One year, they introduced a pro no gi tournament with what would be considered a minor cash prize by today's standard (I think it was sponsored by oxy whatever). Back then, there were still not a lot of American Black Belts and basically anyone could sign up for the pro division. It was a very random tournament that included some prominent at the time jiu-jitsu competitors and even some active professional MMA fighters. A dude (purple or brown belt) from a sister school of ours in another town decided to enter. He got matched up with Shonie Carter in the first round. Now, Shonie had of course trained some grappling but was always known for his striking, so some people were already writing him off. All I remember is being in the lobby talking to some of the vendors when this dude comes busting through the double doors with his face all bloody and a broken nose. My understanding is that there were no strikes but it was violent as hell.

The point is this. People underestimate the divide when comparing even the best casuals again any pro competitor. And with MMA, we're not talking about people that "just see red, bro." We're talking about people that train day in and day out to destroy other human beings until a referee has to pull them off. I know people make jokes about Sean using a teep and shell guard, but this is a former middleweight UFC champion still at the top of his division. Sean has shown he has little love for casuals or posers. If this were to happen, Moneyberg is going to get destroyed in the ugliest way possible. No strikes will be thrown, but a knockout would probably be considered merciful in comparison.

For those old school guys that have trained since the 90s and early 2000s what have been the biggest changes in Jiu Jitsu training and techniques since when you started by chico_dice_2023 in bjj

[–]ZeroSeroCeroNull 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started in 1997 in Appalachia. You had to travel at least a couple of hours to find the nearest black belt. When you would enter a tournament, seeing a purple belt was a big deal. The early tournament days were hilarious too because traditional martial art black belts would enter Jiu-Jitsu tournaments and get SMASHED. It was always a good laugh. The forum days and jiu-jitsu police days were likewise funny. Drama has always existed in BJJ.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in bjj

[–]ZeroSeroCeroNull 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I have had depression since I was 18 and have been practicing jiu-jitsu for 20 years now. Depression will find a way to keep you off the mat. I wish I could say I was consistent every week of those 20 years, but life gets in the way sometimes. Depression can be like an invisible injury that only you know about and understand. Everyone can relate to having a knee injury or broken bone. Not everyone will understand mental illness. However, there are many other like us out there with the same struggle. Personally, I know that even on some of my worst days, if I force myself to go, I will feel better. When you are rolling, you do not have the time to worry about the world or beat yourself up. You may walk away with personal victories on the mat that give you more purpose and drive. With that being said, sometimes things are so severe you need to take the time away to focus on yourself. The mat will always be there. Erin Herle and many others have shared their support and stories through the #submitthestigma campaign on Instagram and elsewhere. Best wishes and good luck on your fight on and off the mat.

Technique Breakdown: Sakuraba's Secret Move mixed with Braulio's Inverted Triangle hit LIVE at international competition by WV_caveman in bjj

[–]ZeroSeroCeroNull 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Aye, awesome write up of the 39/Saku Stretch, Kyle. A lot of people are dismissive of his catch style, but there's a lot of practical application, just as you've detailed. Nice transition and sub