FokaiUK:Creg Creel Q&A.PedroBessaBJJ.UK

Garra:

Hi Greg, thanks for taking some time out for the Q&A bro.  Can you give us some back ground on you martial arts history, how long you been training and what got you into Martial arts, BJJ and MMA?

Greg:

hey no probs bro, yeah I started BJJ late 2004 with no previous martial arts history what so ever ha ha, I had never seen a dojo until I started BJJ, I gave up rugby when I was 19 and I was looking for something else to do, funny story really one of my mate got into a little trouble and to cut a long story short they meet up to get it on ha! I went along to watch the fight and after around 15 mins of running around they hit the ground I looked over and this guy was shouting out advise to the one guy, I looked at him thinking what the hell is this guy on about, after the fight finished  I  went home did some research and discovered  BJJ ,  I  started training  with my mate Adrian (blue belt) once a week which just wasn’t enough, one session a guy call Simon Rossiter(purple belt) came to train and he became a massive influence in my  BJJ forever,

Garra:

Who were the first people you trained under in BJJ?

Greg:

The first main Academy I trained at was Gracie Barra,   I went there with Simon and Adrian after pestering Adrian about extra training, they took me along where I met Chris Reece who was a purple belt at the time under Braulio Estima ( brown belt now) , we  were  travelling to Gracie Barra in Swansea 2-3 times a week a 100mile round trip to train there because there  was no BJJ in my home town , after that a black belt opened a class in  Bristol, England (Carlos Lemos), me and Simon started to travel to  Bristol  to train with him, the dream was to train with a black belt regularly at the time so this was a awesome opportunity, things didn’t work out the way we planned with Gracie Barra Bristol, Carlos upped and left, me and Simon were left without a club until we heard of a new black belt still in Bristol Pedro Bessa we started there in 2006 and the first session I did there I knew this would be my home for life!!

Garra:

You are one of the Youngest (if not the youngest) Brown belts in Wales and one of only 3.  How does it feel to be at the very top of BJJ in your country?

Greg:

I think I’m the youngest at 25, it’s a massive honour to be one of only 3 in wales at the moment, Wales has a massive pool of talent here with guys from Pedro Bessa BJJ like Kevin Cox ( brown belt)  Ross Nichols European champ at blue , Craig Ewers the welsh national judo coach and BJJ purple belt, Simon “mush Davis the list goes on all theses guys train hard fight hard, and the new blues Jamie Hughes and Scott Morgan,  and white coming through the competition scene it’s exciting times ahead for Pedro Bessa BJJ and BJJ in Wales.

Garra:

What are your biggest achievements to date in and out of BJJ?

Greg:

The most important thing to me is my family Amy and Roman, I had a brilliant upbringing and this set me up for life, cheers Mam and Dad. In BJJ my biggest achievement is getting my brown belt, as mentioned I’m one of only 3 in wales 2 for us belong to Pedro Bessa BJJ this was a massive mile stone for me. When I got the belt I felt on top of the world, as Pedro put the belt round my waist he said “time to train harder now Hippo boy” this filled me with motivation to be the best I can and to improve my BJJ and take it to the next level,

Garra:

What do you look to achieve in the next 2 – 3 years for yourself and also Pedro Bessa BJJ and Celtic Pride MMA?

Greg:

For myself I want to be the best out there fight the best guys in the UK and Europe and prove a guy from the Valleys of Wales can make something of himself, for Pedro Bessa BJJ I would love to help developed young fighters to compete on the UK BJJ circuit and build the club not in numbers but in quality, as for Celtic pride MMA the goal is to continue to built the team up form the grass routes fighting armature MMA semi pro and then professional MMA on the big shows, we’ve got a quality team with me and Lee Stingemore the Thai coach putting in a lot of time and effort into making sure our guys are in the best hands possible, the young guys coming through like Jamie Hughes(6-0-0)MMA  Ryan Williams at only 16 fighting and beating men in the cage ,Steve Gifford (2-0-0) semi pro all these guys have came from no MA background at all into very good MMA fighters,

Garra:

Who do you respect and admire in BJJ and in day to day life?

Greg

In my day to day life my girlfriend Amy puts up with A LOT, all the training I do away on weekends with the MMA team she supports me 100%, and my brother Matthew who’s a massive support to me,

In BJJ Pedro Bessa I respect and admire this guy 110% he’ll fight when ever where ever laying it all on the line every comp, fighting anyone to test his ability’s he’s been a massive influence in my BJJ and continues to support me and the team all the way,

Kevin Cox is another guy I respect he came from some dark times in is life fighting an illness which attacked his joints to come out the other end and back to full fitness with a little weight added on HA HA a lot of people would have given up if they was in his shoes.

I admire and respect Jacare de Souza and Andre Galvao, both guys fight to finish, looking for the submission win. Both guys are hugely entertaining in their approach to BJJ. Something I think that can get lost in the stall and win by advantage strategy we see in some competitions.

Garra:

Prof. Pedro Bessa has a reputation for giving people he likes interesting Jiujitsu nicknames, something that was apparently quite common in the days of TT back in Brazil. He has Espantalho (Scarecrow), Anao (Midget) why do you think he calls you Hippo?

Greg:

ha ha yep he calls me Hippo ha ha I don’t know why but I do know a Hippo is the most dangerous animal in Africa so I’ll cling on to that fact ha ha ha

Garra:

Thanks Greg for taking the time out of your busy schedule of training and family life and Congrats bro on the gold medal at the Hereford open and belated congrats to you and Amy on the arrival of little Rome.

Greg:

Cheers bro, can I give a couple shout outs??

To the big man Pedro Bessa thanks for all the training and support, my misses Amy for all the crap she puts up with, Simon Rossiter I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for him, all the guys at Celtic pride MMA, Lee Stingemore my partner at Celtic Pride, Black Eagle Kimonos for the sponsorship, Garra fight wear, and all the guys that help me out Scott Morgan and Jamie Hughes

If I missed anyone I’m sorry

Cheers

Hippo in action

http://www.youtube.com/user/CelticPrideMMA#p/u/3/gVF92_yKP2E

http://www.youtube.com/user/CelticPrideMMA#p/u/4/bPzgUXQ5HvE