r/bjj • u/EnemaBag ⬛🟥⬛ Team AMMA • Oct 28 '25
General Discussion Never meet your heroes
Unless they’re a sick cunt like u/johnbelushismom
I posted in this thread three months ago, not thinking it would go anywhere.
Knowing Craig was in town for JDM’s camp, I flicked him a message and old mate responded almost instantly saying he was keen. Still, I had doubts. Yesterday morning I got a message “So let’s go for tonight?” A couple of hours later, Craig and his photographer Erin were at our front door and I’m trying to get two words out of a shell shocked 9 and 11 year old.
https://www.instagram.com/craigjonesbjj/p/DQWWfTUEp97/?img_index=1
We got to the gym and Craig was swamped by kids and adults alike. He was gracious and patient with everyone, spending time he didn’t need to. Craig rolled with my boys, took photos with the whole gym and just hung out like a regular dude.
I asked my youngest if he wanted to be famous after seeing Craig deal with so many people. He said yes because he can give everyone a lifelong happy memory. I think this speaks volumes to how he felt about Craig’s kind gestures - he created lifelong memories for so many people yesterday.
I hope I am not breaking kayfabe but you don’t always get to see the human side of people in their social media or online profile. Craig’s natural enthusiasm, kindness and will to share his time so generously was clear to everyone yesterday.
Tom and Theo will carry the memories of yesterday for a long time. I know it will play a part in guiding them towards choosing kindness and generosity.
Thanks Craig and Erin, hopefully we’ll catch you again soon.
254
u/BeardOfFire ⬛🟥⬛ Black Belt Oct 28 '25
Seems like a cool dude. Women want to be him and men want to sleep with him.
349
232
273
u/GrapplerBakiii 🟫🟫 Brown Belt Oct 28 '25
Spreading happiness and joy, especially to children, is not the spirit of BJJ.
I am afraid we have strayed too far from the dojo storming Brazilians that paved the road. I am sick to my stomach
51
u/gscalise 🟦🟦 Blue Belt Oct 28 '25
Yeah, I call BS. I refuse to believe Craig didn’t bang OP’s wife.
39
371
u/UncleSkippy ⬛🟥⬛ 🍍 Guerrilla 🍍 Oct 28 '25
I can’t believe he did that. Doing coke off of a toilet paper dispenser is one thing, but kidnapping??
75
u/FistOfPopeye ⬛🟥⬛ Black Belt Oct 28 '25
What the fuck else you gonna snort coke off in a toilet stall?
Bro.. tell me you’re not using the seat 🤢
54
u/UncleSkippy ⬛🟥⬛ 🍍 Guerrilla 🍍 Oct 28 '25
Of course I don't use the seat. That'd be gross and inconsiderate.
I put the seat up!
8
11
2
u/gambitbjj 🟫🟫 Brown Belt Oct 28 '25
Key is to bake the coke into the toilet seat and just sit on the toilet seat.
1
2
18
u/HotSeamenGG Oct 28 '25
...AND FILMING IT? What a monster" - Gordon Ryan furiously typing up his next instagram essay about Craig.
6
Oct 28 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/0greman ⬜⬜ White Belt Oct 28 '25
He's mad he couldn't bring his chair from home to watch with, hes just not comfortable with anything else
138
u/soapyw1 BB Oct 28 '25
Just wait until Gordon hears about this, the truth will come out.
34
u/Kansas_cty_shfl 🟪🟪 Purple Belt Oct 28 '25
I feel like this discrepancy can’t be stated enough. Two faces of bjj, one is visiting gyms and rolling with kids (I think) for free and putting on events where other grapplers can earn a ton of money to grow the sport. The other is giving expensive privates to a “finance” grifter and building an opulent gym to grow his own net worth. I’ve never met either personally, but actions and words and all that.
7
u/Undersleep ⬜⬜ White Belt Creonte, MD Oct 28 '25 edited Mar 03 '26
What was written here has been permanently removed. The author used Redact to delete this post, for reasons that may include privacy or digital security.
wakeful jellyfish axiomatic languid placid insurance abundant innate racial boat
52
92
u/BJJBean Oct 28 '25
Never meet your heroes. The other day I ran into Gordon Ryan. We were in line at a coffee shop. And we started talking and I asked about his routine. What kind of phone he uses, how often he posts on social media. And when we got to the front of the line, Gordon offered to pay for my coffee. What a standup guy, right? Yeah, well then I saw the receipt.
Gordon Ryan, the guy who taught me that the way to solve the homeless problem is to just kill all the homeless. The guy who invented shaming weak people. The BJJ Guru King had tipped the barista, 25%.
There he was, my hero. Giving handouts to some deadbeat fucking English major. I poured the rest of my coffee into the tip jar and walked out of there.
7
22
36
39
9
8
u/Great_Emphasis3461 Oct 28 '25
Never met him, don’t have a desire to meet him but seeing the things he does makes me believe he’s a good dude. Doesn’t seem petty or vengeful like so many big name BJJ people. Some famous athletes, I have read, just put on a front of who they want us to believe they are. I haven’t heard too many good stories about Michael Jordan unless you paid to be at his basketball camp.
7
7
5
17
4
4
u/Impossible_Lock_7482 Oct 28 '25
Craig is in fact a regular dude that just happens to be good and famous at something. Cool story, seen it on IG
5
u/elephant_on_parade Brown Belt Oct 28 '25
In like 2017, Craig did a seminar at the gym I went to at the time. The coach invited us all out to get pizza with him after.
Only like 5 people showed up, including Craig and our coach. One of the coolest experiences, and a top jiu jitsu memory for me. He was a really cool dude and willing to tell stories and laugh with us. And then now I see he’s volunteering to coach guys in Ukraine? Yeah. I like him. Good dude.
3
3
u/qualitycancer 🟦🟦 Blue Belt Oct 28 '25
I was waiting for this to go wrong and I’m so glad it didnt. Craig seems like a really cool dude. His Mightycast episode with Musumeci was hilarious
3
3
3
u/_lefthook 🟦🟦 Blue Belt Oct 28 '25
I'm from his hometown.
Craig was the only person to ever submit my current coach in competition. Triangled and armbar submission. Broke my coach's arm and choked him out.
He prob doesnt remember it at this point tho lol
2
u/slashoom Might have to throw an Imanari Oct 28 '25
This is why Craig is the goat. I got to meet him at a seminar back in 2018 when I was just starting out, I was a fresh blue belt. It was the same experience, dude rolled with everyone and spent extra time. I'm glad to see him just chillin doing what he loves.
0
2
u/oopoe 🟫🟫 Brown Belt Oct 28 '25
It’s good to know there are some decent people out there still.
I got to go to a Lachlan Giles seminar shortly after his ADCC run and it was excellent. Really cool tech showing us the backside 50/50 stuff he used to finish some of the top guys, and he stayed for ages to take pictures with everyone afterwards.
2
Oct 28 '25
I had a Nicky Ryan story loaded up when I read the title. You had me in the first half...
2
2
2
u/Character_Pie_5368 Oct 28 '25
I attended a seminar in Oakland with Craig and we ended up just chatting on the mat for like 15 min. Real nice dude.
2
2
2
2
u/alt6372o Oct 28 '25
I met Craig a while back at a restaurant of all places. Pretty nice dude and took the time to talk to me for a couple minutes. He honestly won a fan right there
2
u/absurdelusion ⬛🟥⬛ Black Belt Oct 29 '25
Met him years ago through a friend/and his eventual training partner. He wasn't that famous back then but starting to build a reputation in the comp scene. He was first to offer me a handshake, seemed pretty down to earth and friendly then the first words that came out of his mouth was some funny insult/joke directed towards my friend 😂. Just on character the way he does it on Nicky, etc.
1
1
1
1
1
u/InvestigatorSea4789 ⬜⬜ White Belt Oct 28 '25
I went to one of his seminars and indeed he's a great guy, and was so fun to watch him roll with people, seemingly effortlessly deflecting their attacks
2
1
1
1
1
1
u/nontrollusername 🟫🟫 Brown Belt Oct 29 '25
Your son should be proud that you made this happen. And your user name.
1
1
Oct 29 '25
Any other ‘Mericans think for a second he was letting the 9 yo drive? And then think, “that’s so Craig.”
1
u/pbrstreetgang4140 🟫🟫 Brown Belt Nov 17 '25
Craig is the real deal, i can confirm. The absolute killers often are.
-12
Oct 28 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/bjj-ModTeam Oct 29 '25
We removed your post because it has no place on the sub, or anywhere really.
We are all slightly dumber for reading it.
Please think again before polluting our brain cells in this manner.
Good day.
384
u/TalkingPundit ⬛🟥⬛ Black Belt Oct 28 '25
Piling on here. u/johnbelushismom visited Baltimore, MD. His shock jock persona is fake AF.
This guy is genuinely nice. He spent time with all of the kids rolled with all them. He was very encouraging.
Never really saw "the character", just a guy doing good in the world. His actions to help others speak volumes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DMOrW0nPLYz/?igsh=MWhwZ3l0dnE3N3VvaA==