Byron Lovvorn and Professor Juan Guevara own and operate The Kakuto Challenge tournament. The biggest sub-only tournament in the southeast United States. They talk about their vision, backgrounds and why submission only is a great option for competitors! Click “Read More” for show notes!
SHOW NOTES:
- How the Kakuto Challenge started
- How Ryan and Professor Juan met
- The early MMA and BJJ scene in Atlanta
- Professor Juan reminisces on when Ryan was a young punk in the academy
- The old school mentality
- Making a tournament better over time
- The downside of EBI rules
- The big names that Kakuto has launched and hosted
- How Kakuto has given extra spotlight to women’s Jiu-Jitsu
- Michelle Nicolini
- Highlights of Kakuto’s women’s division
- The difference between men’s and women’s Jiu-Jitsu
- Ruben Alvarez
- How sub-only rules eliminate ref bias completely
- The struggle of launching a tournament / Being fueled by passion
- Karen’s involvement on the design side of Kakuto
- The importance of upholding the value of rank, even if you lose a student over it
- The importance of a balanced game
- Building a tournament while working full time jobs
- Surrounding yourself with the right people
- The value of patience in the tournament business
- Another one of Ryan’s security stories
- Using technology to bracket a tournament
- Daniel O’Brien
- Why Kakuto no longer offers kids divisions
- Eddie Bravo’s contributions and support of Kakuto
