One of two instructors at Cross Guard Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Cory West has been rehabbing a knee injury that’s kept him out of competition. He hopes to make it to the World Master Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championships this August in Las Vegas.
How long have you been doing jiujitsu?
About six or seven years.
What got you into it?
My dad actually got me into it, when I was younger. In my early twenties, I was kind of getting into a little bit of trouble. He stopped by and gave me a card for Beto (Nunes), Sam (Kimmel)’s original instructor. He gave it to me and said, “If you want to be tough, why don’t you try it out here?” I brought a friend with me, took an introduction class and was sold ever since.
At what point early on did you decide this was something you wanted to fully commit to?
I’m just a really competitive person. When I first got into it, I was an MMA fighter. I wanted to be an MMA fighter. Jiu jitsu was just part of that for me. I spent two years fighting MMA. I had five fights. The last few fights didn’t really go my way, and I kind of just took some time off to reflect. That’s when I realized I just wanted to focus on jiu jitsu. That was what I wanted to do, probably, for the rest of my life.
Now you’re teaching here at Cross Guard.
I do help with the kids class, and I cover the adult classes if Sam’s gone for a tournament or something, and I’m still here. I’m a substitute instructor, I guess you could say … For now, it’s more or less an internship kind of thing.
Do you hope to open your own school one day?
Absolutely. That’s definitely the end goal. When I’m a high-level brown belt, maybe a black belt, that’s when I want to start looking for a place to open my own spot.
How long do you have to go before you reach that level?
That’s really tough to say. That’s really up to Sam. He keeps a close eye on my progress and how I’m developing with my skill set. I really try not to think about a timeframe as far as my belt is concerned, because I know I’m in good hands and that it will come when I’m ready for it. It’s going to be a few more years, for sure.
You’ve been working on rehabbing your knee before you get back into competitions. How long do you think you have until you can jump back in?
I’m really starting to get back in now. I know what I can and can’t do to try and stay safe. I try to stay conscious of my knee and watch out while I train — not really go easy, but just cautious. Hopefully, I’ll be competing again in the next couple of months.
What was your last competition?
NAGA in Lakeland, not this last December, but the year before that. It’s been about a year and a half now.
What advice would you give to a newcomer?
Patience. I like to tell people that you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable if you’re going to get good at jiujitsu, because a lot of it is getting smashed and learning how to deal with that, to stay composed and properly defend yourself.
What’s the strongest part of your game?
Defense.
Where do you want to improve most?
My fundamentals. My basics. Particularly my grip placement — centimeters can make worlds of difference. And pressure, same thing. Speed and timing are the two main things on my mind right now.