Ralph Gracie

Hi everyone! My name is Tyler (Ty), and I'm looking forward to meeting all of you. I'm a former professional rugby player for the Philippine National Team — Go Volcanoes! — where I played Flanker for two seasons. Prior to that, I played collegiate rugby for Oregon State University. Before college, I played American Football for four years and swam club for eight years. My Jiu-Jitsu journey started when I was 26, and I have to admit, I quit after three months. My ego got hurt, and I wasn't piecing things together or understanding the martial art. At the age of 30, I saw a Jiu-Jitsu school that wasn't too far from my apartment. After a New Year's resolution, I told myself, "I have no excuse to give it another shot." I got back on the mats more mature and patient, respecting the process and being open to the vulnerability of getting squashed or submitted. It's all part of the journey. The school I trained at was strictly No-Gi, which was right up my alley. I enjoyed moving fast, being slick, and having more freedom of movement. I was truly starting to have fun. Fast forward five years: I bought a house and relocated to a new area. I was able to find a new school, and they were primarily Gi. Holy smokes, I was a dead fish in the water! You Gi players are nuts (in the best way, of course!). The intricacy of the Gi, the grips, and the transitions felt like learning a new language. I slowly adapted, but I still use No-Gi grips in the Gi. I see all your Gi players' knuckles, and gosh, my fingers hurt just from looking at them! I'm currently 39, a husband to an amazing wife, and a father to two wonderful girls. I can honestly say that being a dad is the greatest thing I could ask for in this life. I'm always smiling ear-to-ear when I see my ladies and love being a "girl dad." Since having kids, I can confidently say my Jiu-Jitsu has gotten better. All the stress of feeding, changing diapers, losing sleep, or even neglecting yourself to ensure your family is taken care of — that experience has taught me to slow the game down on the mats. I'm seeing opportunities when sparring and assessing things with a new lens, just as you would with your kids. "Are you hungry? Do you need a nap? Need a diaper change? Want to play?" This is the same checklist mindset that has helped me with Jiu-Jitsu: Transition here if the pressure is coming from there. Knee-cut here if they are trying to go there. Grip like this if they are doing that. If this makes sense, right on! If not, still right on for taking the time to read this. If you are ever in the Bay Area, please ping me. You are always welcome to come train! :)