Interview with 10th Planet black belt Geovanny “Freakahzoid” Martinez – his recent win over Jeff Glover, the scheduled sub only no time limit rematch in September and EBI.
BJJ Legends: Before starting BJJ you actively competed in breakdancing. Give us a little history of that.
Geovanny: Before BJJ I was known in the global dance Community as “Freakahhzoid”. I always loved entertaining. I traveled and battled all over the world with my crew “The Freak Show”. We started a new unique style that consisted of a lot of athletic flexibility and balance, but we also had a different look to us that always made us stand out. Some people hated and some people loved it, but either way we were always free.
BJJ Legends: What got you into bjj and when did you start?
Geovanny: I got into Jiu-Jitsu by luck. I was always interested in Jiu-Jitsu but I never could afford it. I got lucky that someone was looking for a dance instructor to teach dancing to his kid at his new Jiu Jitsu school. A mutual Bboy friend told him about me and I got to meet Ryan (10thPlanetVista). We clicked right away. In return for teaching his kid dancing, he allowed me to train for free and I’ve been training practically everyday since. It’s been about four years of training NoGi Jitsu, I started in the end of 2010
BJJ Legends: When did you get your black belt?
Geovanny: I got my black belt on January 29 2014
BJJ Legends: You’ve reached a high level in a relatively short amount of time. Do you attribute your quick learning to your breakdancing background or?
Geovanny: I definitely feel that breakdancing has helped my Jiu-Jitsu game progress quicker than others. The patterns you have to memorize in dancing are very similar to the patterns you have to memorize in Jiu-Jitsu. Also, the conditioning needed for breakdancing transfers well over to bjj. It works your flexibility, strength. explosiveness and your overall body awareness — it all benefits my game.
BJJ Legends: You recently competed at the first Eddie Bravo Invitational – a sub only competition game show trying to bring BJJ to a TV audience. What do you think about the tournaments format and your experience?
Geovanny: EBI was by far my favorite tournament yet. Not just because I won, but the excitement and the the energy of the tournament was amazing. I love what Eddie’s doing with EBI. It’s set up to entertain the audience and also to make it fun and interesting for the competitors. Most tournaments you have to pay them money to compete. The top stars in our sport are still paying entry fees to the biggest tournaments. EBI is paying competitors for submissions and plans to continue to pump any money they can secure from sponsors back into the prize money for competitors. This incentive really pumps us competitors up and encourages the submission.
BJJ Legends: Did EBI make make it onto TV?
Geovanny: From what I know, the footage is still being edited and packaged as a pilot to be sold to a network that can’t be announced yet.
BJJ Legends: In the finals you beat Jeff Glover. What was that like? Were you confident going in? How were your nerves?
Geovanny: Going up against Jeff Glover was so exciting but I was definitely nervous. Jeff Glover has definitely been a big influence in my game. I love the way he entertains and always goes for it — never holds back. So yeah I was nervous but I had to step it up. I’m used to the pressure though from my breakdancing days. I’m hungry right now at this moment, it doesn’t matter who’s in front of me I got to do me.
BJJ Legends: Rumor is there is a rematch between you two set for sometime in September. A submission only, no time limit super fight at the Gracie Nationals. Is that true?
Geovanny: At this moment nothing is officially set in stone, but we both said we were down to Rose Gracie so it’s going to happen one way or another.
BJJ Legends: Who asked for it?
Geovanny: Lol I want the rematch for sure but I definitely didn’t call him out.
BJJ Legends: What do you think about the no time limit sub only format?
Geovanny: I love submission only it challenges you physically and mentally and cancels out stalling. The only strategy that really works is attack or survive — which is in my opinion the true essence of Jiu Jitsu.
BJJ Legends: Both you and Glover constantly look for the sub and put on a good show so I’m excited to see the rematch. Thanks for taking the time out for this interview, is there anything else you’d like to say?
Geovanny: Thank you for sharing my story all I got to say is keep your eyes on the freaks because we don’t sleep. Always representing 10thPlanetjj Phalanx and of course the mighty Freak Show.
BJJ Legends: Is there somewhere online we can go to see videos of you or more info? (Fb page, insta, youtube channel)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Freakah
Instagram: http://instagram.com/freakazoidtfs
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/freakAHzoid
EBI match between Glover and I
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-BJJ Legends Thanks Ben Eddy for getting us this interview and for being patient while we got our stuff together and posted it.-