Page 31 - Issue 3

GRAPPLER Summer 2019

“Train or cry. Which one do you wanna do? Sometimes to compliment her strength and grip after. Even though
it’s both.” she was eliminated, she still achieved her goal.

She earned her black belt but had never competed. She “I knew then I was a black belt,” she says.
felt like she needed that experience to validate her rank. I’M NEVER
That was five years ago. Today she focuses on expanding
Her knees were shot from roller derby long before she her gym, where she lives, that has an adjoining door
started training. She wore #7 on the track, “Blue-Eyed which leads into her barbershop. She teaches in the
Hellion” printed on the back of her jersey. morning and cuts hair in the afternoon. And if that GONNA USE
wasn’t enough, she plans to add a second level and
“We were sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon. We didn’t coffee bar to her already impressive compound.
skate for money, we skated for beer.”
She’s also an advocate for Pretty Dangerous THIS
She would be one of the oldest athletes competing as Women, an organization predicated on leadership
well, at 44 years old. Plenty of reasons not to, none of and empowerment for women within the Jiu-Jitsu
them good enough. community. They organize events and teach seminars,
followed by an open mat session. It’s a brilliant way “I was alone. I’m at Pete’s Bar. I’m
“How am I gonna find out if I”m a blackbelt if I don’t to bring females together if there aren’t many other standing here at the bar getting my
train with other females?” women where they train. She is scheduled to teach at an drink, and here comes this tall guy, and
event in Orlando next month (April 2019), co-sponsored he keeps doing this to the girls: walk
Beech entered a two-month training camp to prepare by Jiu-Jitsu Gypsies. to this girl [step in close behind her],
for her very first tournament, the World Championships. put his weenie on their butt. Next girl,
She underestimated how different women’s bodies feel She’s the only female black belt in town, but she expects weenie on their butt. So he’s walking
in combat and admits she didn’t fully understand the that to change very soon. down, and I’m seeing him [do this].
rules. She lost on points, but her opponent made a point I get distracted...and he makes it to
me. So I spin around, grab him by his
collar and BOOM! He went backwards
and slid across the table [behind him].
He’s down, and next thing you know,
the bouncers grabbed him and took
him out. Everyone was saying ‘that’s
so cool’. It was a movement from
Hawaiian Jiu-Jitsu, how to base and
push someone off their balance.”

All I can picture is Cassandra kicking
ass at The Gasworks in Wayne’s World:

“Rough night, huh? Everybody’s kung
fu fighting.”

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