10th Planet purple belt Ricardo Campos steps onto the Fight 2 Win stage this Saturday against Douglas Ancey of Guardian Gym. A self-described thrill seeker, he’s looking to add a victory at F2W to his collection of life experiences.
Here’s our interview with him ahead of Fight to Win 94.
Where did you grow up and how did you find yourself in Jiu Jitsu?
Born and raised in the Bay Area, I grew up in a small town called Danville. When I was little, my parents put my older brother Fernando and I in multiple sports to see what sparked an interest. In the realm of Martial Arts, I started doing Tae Kwon Do for a few years, but it did not really stick.
Eventually, High School came around and a friend of mine told me to try out the wrestling team. I laughed because the only thing I knew about wrestling at the time was you had to roll around on the ground wearing spandex. Regardless, I ended up giving it a shot and beat one of the returning students on my first day of practice. From there, I realized I liked this sport of aggressive cuddling; to which I decided to continue on this path, leading me to where I am today.
How long have you been training Jiu Jitsu?
That is a tough one to answer, but I will give it a shot. I wrestled for a couple of years in High School, but was not a star by any means. If I meshed the grappling experience together and cut out the down time, I would say about 6-7 years.
Who would you consider as some of your main influences in the sport?
Geo Martinez, Jeff Glover and Garry Tonon are my favorite active competitors. In my opinion, these guys have the most exciting and innovative grappling styles, which is what I try to emulate.
What’s life like for you right now?
Life right now is pretty amazing. Many of my friends and people I talk to call me a “thrill seeker.” They seem to know me pretty well because I love adrenaline, new experiences and pushing my mind and body to the limit. I work a full-time job as a Construction Manager, and prioritize my Jiu Jitsu training around that. On the weekends when I am not competing in a tournament, I like to get outside and explore or do something that gets my heart pumping.
What do your main priority within jiujitsu?
Longevity. I want to train and compete in this sport for as long as possible. I know priorities change as we get older so I am looking to do and accomplish as much as I can while the time is available.
What accomplishment are you proudest of so far?
My claim to fame so far is hitting my first Twister from the standing position in front of Eddie Bravo. This meant the world to me because I had been working on the Twister submission for about a year at the time. I had lost several matches leading up to that moment going for the Twister because I had set my mind on accomplishing it. It was a huge mental push to stick with my goal regardless of the outcome, and it eventually worked itself out.
How would you describe your Jiu Jitsu to somebody that’s never seen you compete before?
Don’t blink!
. Your opponent at F2W 94, what do you expect out of him?
I am expecting him to come at me hard with aggressive wrestling and heavy pressure. I have heard from mutual friends our styles are polar opposite, so it should make for an interesting and exciting match!
Any prediction for the finish?
Wrist lock… Just kidding. I have a fever and the only cure is a Twister.
What’s next for you after this?
Possibly No Gi Worlds, we’ll see. I am really digging the way Fight 2 Win Promotions runs their shows so hopefully more of these events.
Any last words?
Shout out to my Coach Alex Canders, he is the man and I look up to him and his work ethic a lot. Huge thanks to all my training partners at 10th Planet Walnut Creek; I really appreciate all of the help preparing for this and I cannot wait to do the same for them. Also, thank you to my number one supporter since day one, my Mom. Her love and support of my endeavors means so much and I am glad she will be in the audience cheering me on. Last but not least, thank you to everyone that has ever believed in me. I can only hope to one day give back to all of you the same way you have done for me.
