This is taken from the new Nibiru Forum on www.10thplanetjj.com.
“Now that I have your attention let me introduce myself, and for those who already know me, let me let you fall in love with me, all over again.
My name is Alder Hampel, that’s right, just like my user name. I train at 10th Planet HQ in Hollywood, CA under Eddie Bravo. I’m currently a brown belt and an instructor at 10th Planet Burbank, CA. I also run a little blog called 10th Planet Watch. Through that, and through teaching 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu seminars, I’m helping to spread the nogi gospel, all over the world, and maybe beyond.
I was introduced Jiu Jitsu after watching some guy named Royce beat up a bunch of dudes in a 8 sided cage sometime in the mid 90’s. Not too long after that, at Jean-Jacques Machado’s, I was introduced to a blue belt with amazing long black hair that he tucked underneath some kind of swimmers cap. I never really paid him much mind, and even after I quit training at JJM’s, I’d see Eddie around, at the Wholefoods, or sometimes he’d stop into the club I trained was then training at, Renato Magno’s Street Sport Jiu Jitsu. I’d always be cordial, and say hello.
Fast forward a few years. I’m out of school and making enough money to train Jiu Jitsu again after a couple years off. I start looking for gyms near my work in the West Hollywood area. As it turns out, there’s a gym called the Bomb Squad, literally across the street from my work. I decide to check it out.
As I was checking it out, I noticed nobody was wearing a gi. Back in the day, we sometimes had “Vale Tudo” days where we didn’t have to wear the gi, this must be one of those days. To my surprise they trained all “Vale Tudo” or as it was now known, no-gi. The instructor was none other than that blue belt with the amazing long hair, Eddie Bravo Unfortunately he’d cut his hair at this point and had gotten his black belt. I check out class, chatted Eddie and Reintroduced myself, got a free “Twister” DVD, and got a price check.
“Really?!? $105 for unlimited training? Fuckin’ awesome!”
When I got home, I watched the “Twister” DVD. My jaw dropped and I proceeded to stare in disbelief as Eddie triangled Royler Gracie. I never followed Sport JJ, I was more into MMA, so I never had heard about Eddies match with Royler. It wasn’t until I saw it on the DVD that I really understood what a gold mind I’d struck right there on “Tranny Row” in Weho.
As the story goes, I got my purple and brown belts under Eddie, and the rest is history. Why does all of this matter you ask? It doesn’t, not at all. Not in the slightest. This was all just a ploy to tell you a story in hopes you’d give me a little bit of attention. And now that I have your attention, I’d like to talk about 10th Planet Watch.
Through my blog, 10th Planet Watch, I keep my readers informed with the latest in 10th Planet news, techniques, tournament footage, seminars, affiliate info, comedy and so on. I’ve also formed the 10th Planet Police, a group of volunteer interwebbers with one mission, to waste their employers money keeping the virtual mats safe from poorly executed 10th Planet technique. For past blogs, please see, www.10thplanetwatch.com. For all future blogs, please check the blog section of www.10thplanetjj.com
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to all the future good times!
Alder – 10th Planet Watch”
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Posted by Alder Hampel
