Team Texas: William Tackett

Name: William Tackett

Rank: Purple

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Where you train: Brazilian Fight Factory

How long have you been training? I started back in 2009.

Favorite Gi? Archetype 😍

What’s in your gym bag? A gi, rashguard, mouthguard, and a towel.

Favorite submission? Rear naked choke!

Favorite thing about the Jiu Jitsu community in Texas?
That I have seen the Jiu-Jitsu community grow from a smaller scale to now one of the biggest communities In the U.S.

What’s one thing you would change about the Texas Jiu Jitsu community?
More super shows in Austin, like Kasai, F2W, and other big shows

What is your greatest accomplishment?
Although I have won a few good titles, I am most proud of my run at the ADCC Westcoast trials where I took second place.

What has been your biggest struggle in Jiu Jitsu?
Finding like minded people who have the same goals and drive as me. I feel I have found that at Brazilian Fight Factory 😁

If you could give any advice to your white belt self, what would it be? 
Build your game. Dont just have a bunch of random techniques, make them in a sequence of eachother and build a system.

What motivates you to train on days when you just don’t feel like it?
My team! I used to have to tell myself that my opponents were training harder, but now I know that my team is training if I'm not, and they will pass me up if I slack off.

If you could take a private lesson with any Jiu Jitsu practitioner who would it be? 
The GOAT, Roger Gracie.

Who is your favorite competitor to watch? 
I love watching JT Torres!

Who is your favorite TX competitor to watch? (outside of your current affiliation) 
Although he's no longer in Texas, I gotta go with my brother Roberto Jimenez!

What’s your perfect Jiu Jitsu playlist?
I dont like to listen to music before competition, I feel it distracts me from my fight. So I like to just stick ear plugs in and play no music

What do you remember about your first day of Jiu Jitsu? 
We practiced shrimps and side controle escapes and then watched the adults spar.

What do you remember about your first tournament?
My and my brother were at a local Naga and we both won our divisions by submission! After we got our swords, we were hooked!

What is your post-competition meal/restaurant?
 I love Pizza and Sushi! I never complain with either 😂

When you’re not training Jiu Jitsu, where can we most likely find you?
 Either in my bed or in the kitchen 😂 On a serious note, I really dont do much outside the gym besides go to church and spend time with family.

Anything exciting coming up?
I still have alot planned for this year! NOGI Pans, NOGI Worlds, and some super fights!

Team Texas: Jean Dalua Cartagena

Name: Jean Dalua Cartagena

Academy: NBTC Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Rank: Black Belt- Second Degree

Years Training: 17 years

Favorite Gi: Nozomu brand

What's in your gym bag? Well in my gym bag I always have my gym clothes, tape, my gi, protein and supplements, cookies, some snickers- the new ones that are made with peanut butter

Favorite Submission: Triangles

What's your favorite thing about the Texas Jiu Jitsu community?
 I like that everyone that competes from Texas support each other’s no matter the team

What is your least favorite thing about the Texas Jiu Jitsu community?
 Well for me I like everything. Here there is a lot of good jiu-jitsu talent and I have made many new friends since I came from Puerto Rico.

What is your greatest accomplishment? 
My greatest accomplishment was having the opportunity to travel to the USA and make my dreams come true, show my Jiu Jitsu here in the USA and represent my island of Puerto Rico 🇵🇷

What has been your biggest struggle?
Leaving my family and friends behind to follow my dreams for the love of Jiu Jitsu.

What motivates you train on days when you don't want to?  
My students motivate me every day I want to be a good leader for them and if they see me working hard they are gonna do it too.

If you could take a private lesson with anyone who would it be?
Ronaldo Jacare de Souza is one of my favorite fighters I grow up watching his fights

Who are your favorite competitors? 
I have many,  but definitely Jacare and Terere- old school jiujitsu

Who are your favorite Texas competitors to watch?  
I like to watch Cole Abate. He has really good Jiu Jitsu and is a very talented boy.

What's on your Jiu Jitsu playlist? 
 Reggaeton, Old School Hip Hop and Reggae music

What do you remember about your first tournament?  
I remember being a white belt who has only been training for 3 months and they didn't have anyone in my weight division so they put me with the blue belts and I won first place!

What advice would you give your white belt self?
Keep training, working hard and don’t be afraid to fail because good things are coming.

What is your go-to post-training meal or restaurant?
Isome protein shake after training and as for food I eat anything I would like to eat 😁

If you're not on the mats, where can we find you?
You can find me in the gym out in nature, on the river, hiking or at the beach when I have the opportunity to go there in Texas

Anything exciting coming up? 
Yes, Master Worlds! We are having a big camp in my gym in New Braunfels (NBTC) with a couple of World Champions coming to teach. It'\ is gonna be very good training from August 9th-11th.

The Jiu Jitsu Struggle is Real: July 4th Gif Edition

When you ask someone if they're going to open mat and they say no, but they'll run later....

When someone tries to use my own move against me......

Team Texas: Moses Cabrera

Name: Moses Cabrera

Rank: Yellow belt

Where You Train: Ohana  Academy in San Antonio TX

How Long Have You Been Training: 5yrs

Favorite Gi: Roll Bliss Custom Team Moses Gi

What's in Your Bag: Gi, and No Gi maybe also snacks

Favorite Submission: Arm Bar

Favorite thing about the TX Jiu Jitsu community? After going to war with each other we can hang out and play Fortnite.

What is one thing you would change about the TX Jiu Jitsu community? Going to Submission only matches instead of points because sometimes kids just hold or stall for a win.

What is your greatest accomplishment? I would say my greatest accomplishment is winning my 3rd Championship Title Belt for Submission Hunter Pro 45 In San Antonio at Cowboys Dance Hall. I was really emotional because my mom passed away on January 11th, 2019 from Cancer, so my family and friends were there to support me. I felt my mom was there. She would always tell me "show up and do your job."💜🦋🙏

What is your biggest struggle? I like pulling guard, so now I want to perfect my top game that will be my hardest struggle to change.

What advice would you give your white belt self? Don't let a win or a loss define you. I'm not the best at this cause I still cry or get upset when I lose, but try to know this will help you improve your Jiu Jitsu game in the future,  my dad he always asks me, "do you wanna be good or do you wanna be great in Jiu Jitsu?"  So my answer is "great!"

Who is your favorite competitor to watch? My favorite competitor to watch is all of my opponents,  like watching my friends and Cole Abate, Sergio Guajardo, Brother Salgado, Mona Bailey, Jr. Ortega, and Zane Mangan. I take private lessons with my big bro Cole Abate he is one of the best Teenagers in Jiu Jitsu ... even when I win he lets me know what I can do better so I can improve my game

What's on your playlist? Classic Rock music

What do you remember about your first day of Jiu Jitsu? I cried but at the end of the day, I told my dad I wanted to come back tomorrow to train.

What do you remember about your first tournament? My 1st tournament was Gracie Grappling Cup in San Antonio TX.

What's your go-to post-competition meal? Twin Peaks kids eat free from 11am till 4pm on Saturdays.

If you're not on the mat, where can we find you? Playing Fortnite in my room or hanging out with my friends.

Have anything exciting coming up? Just won gold in Ibjjf kids in Houston TX,  Fighting for my 4th Championship belt for Submission Hunter Pro soon, Just training with all my friends and teammates around Texas is exciting to me and last, just want to thank my Professor Jason Yerrington from Ohana Academy in San Antonio TX, where I have been  since I was 6☆