Lovely to har Chris and Melissa chat - as always. A little clarification - yes, I was fortunate enough to introduce Dave Meyer to Jiu Jitsu, when I was a purple belt. I got my black in early 1997 - a date I cannot forget, because it was also the year I got married (the greatest achievement of my life). Best wishes to Chris, Melissa and all my fellow 'early adopters' - days of high adventure.
John! Thank you so much for chiming in and listening. We really want you to be on the pod sometime if you are able and willing. Please email me podcast@combatbase.com so we can be in touch! -Tobin
I got my black belt in December of 2005. Went to Rio for vacation in 2006 and trained at Comprido’s school in Copacabana. After 3 weeks of training I was invited to hang out with the other black belts on this street corner in Rio. Black belts of all ages and from other schools were there,including Gracie Barra. Guys were barbecuing on a grill, hanging out and socializing. Learned that black belts in Rio have a high status, like not waiting in line at clubs. Very cool experience.
Pensacola Haueter student here. I visited Craig Kukuk in Red Bank NJ in the 90’s as a blue Belt. He was a good guy and legit. I feel lucky to have rolled with 4-5 on this list, especially Haueter. Great stuff - keep it coming.
Lowell Anderson was one of my old instructors I trained under. From what I was told by my old training partners, his sons, he was one of the original 12.
@@combatbase Loved this episode! I'm sure you've met and train with Lowell in the past. Found an old school video with Lowell in the first 2 fights. th-cam.com/video/bPaSaRKaqhg/w-d-xo.html
Pretty sure Chris was the first American BB I ever saw compete in BJJ, in person. IIRC, it was at that big Joe Moreira tourney at UC Irvine where there was a riot (1996?)and Chris had a match where he utterly exhausted himself and was laying down to recover right by where I was standing.( I have no idea who his match was with or what happened.) but I was like "WOW... an American BJJ Black Belt!" I remember it made a BIG impression on me, because I wasn't even 100% sure that was possible for an American. It was a different time. It was kind of an inspiration, so thank you!
We absolutely love love love this channel. While there are tons of technique focused TH-cam channels and those are great too and we need them, having access to the living history of Jiu Jitsu is priceless. The fact that many of the OGs like Chris are still around and can give detailed and accurate accounts of the history is truly a gift. I really hope they have Robert Drysdale on one day to bring these history lessons full circle. Keep these coming guys. We love the format. Oh and the intro is dope AF!
If I remember correctly, the head coach/owner at the gym I attend was roommates with Craig Kukuk. Our head coach got his black belt from Ralph Gracie, and they used to steal the gym’s key to make counterfeits so they could train after hours lol.
The story on Ken Gabrielson is incorrect. He got his black belt from Reylson Gracie. He trained under Relson in Hawaii in the beginning, but moved to California when he graduated college. Ken told the story on Kamajiujitsu channel on TH-cam. It’s his first hand recount of his BJJ journey.
Thank you for mentioning Rick Mentor should have been one of the Dirty Dozen! I train with him for two years back in 2011 as lost contact with him. If you know l can reach him , please let me know! This is Jujitsu history! Thx Alpha washing Coach AL
Hot take: it would never be "Maeda Jiu-Jitsu" because Donato Pires dos Reis and Jacyntho Ferro called what they taught "judo" when the Gracies learned it from them...
John Lewis went from blue to black under Pederneiras. He was a black under Judo Gene LeBell before he started doing BJJ. He got his blue from Rickson & got kicked out for taking a fight with Carlson Jr. He went from blue straight to black under Andre Pederneiras. He was one of the first well rounded MMA fighters.
Dave Kama is from the Big Island of Hawaii. John Lewis was a breakdancer from Hawaii. Ken Gabrielson didn’t receive his BB from Relson. Steve Maxwell was Relson’s first American BB and that was in about 2000.
They didnt research this episode at all.They used a very old list that has been corrected multiple times.Its well known that gabrielson was in 1993, that bass was in 1995 and that kama was after saunders who himself got black in 1997.Kama was ricksons second black belt confirmed by dave himself on a dirty dozen list yrs ago.I presume everyone o the list started in rorions garage since there was no academy until 1989.
@combatbase you should already know this had you researched for the show.All of the originals like kama,saunders, bressler and gabrielson have done podcasts in recent yrs.One guy Id love to hear is marc eccard who was with rickson to brown belt in the mid 90s but seems to have dosappeared since then.
Here's a tip on recalling names I've used in the past. You run down the Alphabet starting from A and think of the 5 most common names that come up. Aaron, Alan, Alex, Andre, Anthony and so forth. If none of those ring a bell, you move on to letter B and do the same for that letter. I've been using this system for quite some time and 90% of the time the name comes back to me. Another tip for celebrities is that you find a movie you're 100% sure they've starred in and go straight to wiki to find the name of the cast. If you have any tips on how to remember BJJ moves besides drilling them 1000 times that would be helpful. I've been taught 1000 moves and remember maybe 20 moves.
i like to distill the important aspects of the move and take hand written notes and make a script or mental checklist of the order of operations.. its a mental visualization technique. Example.. for the triangle from bottom of full guard ..pass the arm, control the head, foot on the hip, walk back shoulders , grab the shin , lock it up and squeeze..im a 51 yo old man currently a blue belt that's been training for 5 years to provide you a reference of my limited jiujitsu experience
i learned about the memory palace technique online from a memory champion named Ron White. i found out later coincidentally is a purple belt in jiujitsu. I've used this method in my professional career and am practicing using it for jiujitsu.
@@RichardYu1983 Wikipedia explains it as: "The method of loci is a strategy for memory enhancement, which uses visualizations of familiar spatial environments in order to enhance the recall of information"....hope this points you in the right direction and is helpful
Ganrielson was neither a wrestler noe judoka , he was a jkd guy that started with rorion in 1982, hehas done sevetal podcasts in the past few yrs explaing all this, reylson not relson gave him the black belt.
How long did these dirty dozen fellows train before earning a black belt? I have heard that being promoted to a black belt in bjj takes longer than becoming a doctor or earning a PhD.
@@scarred10 Sweet. My concern is getting better each day. The belt color doesn't matter to me. I believe that Relson was a brown belt for 7 years and Rener was about 19 or 20, and since they begin at birth that means he had been doing it for 20 years. I hope and pray that jiujitsu doesn't get watered down like other martial arts.
@@scarred10 If ot had been me who was under Rorion, I would never ever leave. Ever. So what if he didn't test me for a black belt. The knowledge that I would acquire from him would far outweigh a piece of cloth.
@@mjp-bi3re the problem was that he wasnt teaching them, he was delliberately holding back technical knowlledge for comtinued financial gain .Do you realise rorion never gave any black belts outside his sons in over 25 yrs as a teacher in california.
@@mjp-bi3re they dont begin at birth, no serious training happened until they were teenagers so probably 15 yrs only because the minimum age was 18 for a black belt
With all due respect, the lovely lady (I'm sure she is) keeps cutting Chris off (I know she's Mrs. Haueter), but It's hurting the quality of the show. I believe everyone is here to hear what Chris has to say and the knowledge he has to impart being one of the few people to be around in the early days of BJJ...please let him finish a thought before you all chime in or give your input. Thank you.
With all due respect, I do not think the lovely Melissa cuts in too much. She pops in occasionally. Sometimes Chris runs on and don’t get me wrong I enjoy hearing his stories and perspective. But having the hosts and guests interacting keeps my attention. Chris , Melissa and Tobin keep doing what you’re doing!
@@scarred10 wow that’s a little brutal. Obviously I respectfully disagree with you. As with any conversation that is not scripted there will be conversations that seem to go nowhere but for the most part I find the podcast very interesting.
@combatbase thus bothered me in the beginning too. This is generally done by guys who don't respect you. But women operate differently. And I appreciate how Chris is not outwardly effected by it and examples to me how to respond to being cut off/challenged/ questioned, etc. But who knows why she does it. (She "is" the only female and maybe feels she has to speak out more and feels safe to do so with him. So he is a platform for her to speak up on... In any case. I think her personality adds value. I enjoy the show
Keep these coming... could listen to Chris about the legendary OG days, all day long.
Lovely to har Chris and Melissa chat - as always. A little clarification - yes, I was fortunate enough to introduce Dave Meyer to Jiu Jitsu, when I was a purple belt. I got my black in early 1997 - a date I cannot forget, because it was also the year I got married (the greatest achievement of my life). Best wishes to Chris, Melissa and all my fellow 'early adopters' - days of high adventure.
John! Thank you so much for chiming in and listening. We really want you to be on the pod sometime if you are able and willing. Please email me podcast@combatbase.com so we can be in touch! -Tobin
Thank you!!!
I got my black belt in December of 2005. Went to Rio for vacation in 2006 and trained at Comprido’s school in Copacabana. After 3 weeks of training I was invited to hang out with the other black belts on this street corner in Rio. Black belts of all ages and from other schools were there,including Gracie Barra. Guys were barbecuing on a grill, hanging out and socializing. Learned that black belts in Rio have a high status, like not waiting in line at clubs. Very cool experience.
Sounds amazing!!!! What an experience!
Pensacola Haueter student here. I visited Craig Kukuk in Red Bank NJ in the 90’s as a blue Belt. He was a good guy and legit. I feel lucky to have rolled with 4-5 on this list, especially Haueter. Great stuff - keep it coming.
Amazing history. Thanks for sharing and supporting!!!
Thank you for listening!!
Lowell Anderson was one of my old instructors I trained under. From what I was told by my old training partners, his sons, he was one of the original 12.
Nice, will be sure to shout him out as a member of the OG's club
@@combatbase Loved this episode! I'm sure you've met and train with Lowell in the past. Found an old school video with Lowell in the first 2 fights. th-cam.com/video/bPaSaRKaqhg/w-d-xo.html
Pretty sure Chris was the first American BB I ever saw compete in BJJ, in person. IIRC, it was at that big Joe Moreira tourney at UC Irvine where there was a riot (1996?)and Chris had a match where he utterly exhausted himself and was laying down to recover right by where I was standing.( I have no idea who his match was with or what happened.) but I was like "WOW... an American BJJ Black Belt!" I remember it made a BIG impression on me, because I wasn't even 100% sure that was possible for an American. It was a different time. It was kind of an inspiration, so thank you!
Amazing experience. Thank you for sharing!!!
We absolutely love love love this channel. While there are tons of technique focused TH-cam channels and those are great too and we need them, having access to the living history of Jiu Jitsu is priceless. The fact that many of the OGs like Chris are still around and can give detailed and accurate accounts of the history is truly a gift. I really hope they have Robert Drysdale on one day to bring these history lessons full circle. Keep these coming guys. We love the format. Oh and the intro is dope AF!
Our pleasure! Thank you so much for the positive feedback. We are enjoying producing the pod. Robert is definitely invited to be on the pod.
WOW! Thank you
If I remember correctly, the head coach/owner at the gym I attend was roommates with Craig Kukuk. Our head coach got his black belt from Ralph Gracie, and they used to steal the gym’s key to make counterfeits so they could train after hours lol.
The story on Ken Gabrielson is incorrect. He got his black belt from Reylson Gracie. He trained under Relson in Hawaii in the beginning, but moved to California when he graduated college.
Ken told the story on Kamajiujitsu channel on TH-cam. It’s his first hand recount of his BJJ journey.
Excellent reference. Thank you, will tune up our understanding.
Interesting history, when will you drop this episode on Spotify?
Thanks! Its up on spotify and apple!
Love these. Would love to see you and Dave Kama compare stories of the old days or other dirty dozen members
We would love that too.
That “Jiu-Jitsu Shirt” is the best! 🙌🏽😂🙏🏽
CRAIG KUKUK I think is in Idaho now? Meridian Idaho.
Nice. We would love to talk to Craig!
Thank you for mentioning Rick Mentor should have been one of the Dirty Dozen! I train with him for two years back in 2011 as lost contact with him. If you know l can reach him , please let me know! This is Jujitsu history! Thx
Alpha washing
Coach AL
Thanks for sharing! We need to get him on the pod!
19:22 starts the actual list. just fyi.
Oh Hell yeah this is a great story.
Hot take: it would never be "Maeda Jiu-Jitsu" because Donato Pires dos Reis and Jacyntho Ferro called what they taught "judo" when the Gracies learned it from them...
ahhhhhhhh.....great perspective.
John Lewis went from blue to black under Pederneiras. He was a black under Judo Gene LeBell before he started doing BJJ. He got his blue from Rickson & got kicked out for taking a fight with Carlson Jr. He went from blue straight to black under Andre Pederneiras. He was one of the first well rounded MMA fighters.
Thanks for the contribution. Amazing history.
Dave Kama is from the Big Island of Hawaii. John Lewis was a breakdancer from Hawaii.
Ken Gabrielson didn’t receive his BB from Relson. Steve Maxwell was Relson’s first American BB and that was in about 2000.
Ken Gabrielson was promoted by Reylson (son of Carlos) not Relson.
Thank you!
Thank you for the clarification!
They didnt research this episode at all.They used a very old list that has been corrected multiple times.Its well known that gabrielson was in 1993, that bass was in 1995 and that kama was after saunders who himself got black in 1997.Kama was ricksons second black belt confirmed by dave himself on a dirty dozen list yrs ago.I presume everyone o the list started in rorions garage since there
was no academy until 1989.
Thanks for the contribution to the story. Feel free to share more!!
@combatbase you should already know this had you researched for the show.All of the originals like kama,saunders, bressler and gabrielson have done podcasts in recent yrs.One guy Id love to hear is marc eccard who was with rickson to brown belt in the mid 90s but seems to have dosappeared since then.
@scarred10 OK! I apologize for disappointing on the research end. Thanks for the input☺️
We will keep doing our best. Thanks for listening!!
Dartanian bagby was also in the first 12.
Yes! definitly belongs in the OG club, will shout him out in future episodes. Hope to get to talk with him some day.
Here's a tip on recalling names I've used in the past. You run down the Alphabet starting from A and think of the 5 most common names that come up. Aaron, Alan, Alex, Andre, Anthony and so forth. If none of those ring a bell, you move on to letter B and do the same for that letter. I've been using this system for quite some time and 90% of the time the name comes back to me.
Another tip for celebrities is that you find a movie you're 100% sure they've starred in and go straight to wiki to find the name of the cast.
If you have any tips on how to remember BJJ moves besides drilling them 1000 times that would be helpful. I've been taught 1000 moves and remember maybe 20 moves.
method of loci , memory palace
@@Dustride1 Hm? Explain that more please.
i like to distill the important aspects of the move and take hand written notes and make a script or mental checklist of the order of operations.. its a mental visualization technique. Example.. for the triangle from bottom of full guard ..pass the arm, control the head, foot on the hip, walk back shoulders , grab the shin , lock it up and squeeze..im a 51 yo old man currently a blue belt that's been training for 5 years to provide you a reference of my limited jiujitsu experience
i learned about the memory palace technique online from a memory champion named Ron White. i found out later coincidentally is a purple belt in jiujitsu. I've used this method in my professional career and am practicing using it for jiujitsu.
@@RichardYu1983 Wikipedia explains it as: "The method of loci is a strategy for memory enhancement, which uses visualizations of familiar spatial environments in order to enhance the recall of information"....hope this points you in the right direction and is helpful
I have trained with Dave Kama. I've heard him say that he doesn't know what # he was, and acted like he really didn't care when the subject came up.
I’ll be adding the mech to my Xmas list 😁
Thank you!! Order soon before we run out!
All true 🤙
Ganrielson was neither a wrestler noe judoka , he was a jkd guy that started with rorion in 1982, hehas done sevetal podcasts in the past few yrs explaing all this, reylson not relson gave him the black belt.
Thanks for the clarification!
Guys according to Joe Rogan I always thought Steve Maxwell was the first or close to the first black belt from America??
How long did these dirty dozen fellows train before earning a black belt? I have heard that being promoted to a black belt in bjj takes longer than becoming a doctor or earning a PhD.
@@mjp-bi3re 10 yrs average in those days but from rorian never, thats why everyone left him in the mid 90s
@@scarred10 Sweet. My concern is getting better each day. The belt color doesn't matter to me. I believe that Relson was a brown belt for 7 years and Rener was about 19 or 20, and since they begin at birth that means he had been doing it for 20 years. I hope and pray that jiujitsu doesn't get watered down like other martial arts.
@@scarred10 If ot had been me who was under Rorion, I would never ever leave. Ever. So what if he didn't test me for a black belt. The knowledge that I would acquire from him would far outweigh a piece of cloth.
@@mjp-bi3re the problem was that he wasnt teaching them, he was delliberately holding back technical knowlledge for comtinued financial gain .Do you realise rorion never gave any black belts outside his sons in over 25 yrs as a teacher in california.
@@mjp-bi3re they dont begin at birth, no serious training happened until they were teenagers so probably 15 yrs only because the minimum age was 18 for a black
belt
With all due respect, the lovely lady (I'm sure she is) keeps cutting Chris off (I know she's Mrs. Haueter), but It's hurting the quality of the show. I believe everyone is here to hear what Chris has to say and the knowledge he has to impart being one of the few people to be around in the early days of BJJ...please let him finish a thought before you all chime in or give your input. Thank you.
With all due respect, I do not think the lovely Melissa cuts in too much. She pops in occasionally. Sometimes Chris runs on and don’t get me wrong I enjoy hearing his stories and perspective. But having the hosts and guests interacting keeps my attention. Chris , Melissa and Tobin keep doing what you’re doing!
@@DiKat7 chris talks through his hole most of the time with no succint point made.Hes a bjj master but that isnt how you communicate a persperctive.
@@scarred10 wow that’s a little brutal. Obviously I respectfully disagree with you. As with any conversation that is not scripted there will be conversations that seem to go nowhere but for the most part I find the podcast very interesting.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for listening to the show! You have been heard.
@combatbase thus bothered me in the beginning too. This is generally done by guys who don't respect you. But women operate differently. And I appreciate how Chris is not outwardly effected by it and examples to me how to respond to being cut off/challenged/ questioned, etc.
But who knows why she does it. (She "is" the only female and maybe feels she has to speak out more and feels safe to do so with him. So he is a platform for her to speak up on...
In any case. I think her personality adds value. I enjoy the show