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