This Saturday night marks the return of Fight 2 Win to San Jose, CA. The event features 30+ bouts set to take place at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds starting at 5pm.
In what should be a surefire exciting matchup, Raul Castillo Martial Arts rep Sam Temko takes on Ralph Gracie rep Nick Greene in a 185 lbs. black belt gi match.
We recently caught up with Sam to get his thoughts in the match,
Same, tell us a bit about your grappling history.
I have been grappling for 19 years, recently I just finished coaching the skyline college wrestling team so I was grappling with them a lot as well as training Gi and No-Gi at Raul Castillo Martial Arts and No-Gi at AKA
What your favorite activity outside of the gym?
When I’m not at the gym training I’m usually at the beach with my two boxers catching waves or coaching one of the three wrestling teams I coach.
How has jiu jitsu impacted the rest of your life?
Jiu Jitsu has impacted the rest of my life by giving me a positive outlet to focus my time and energy on and has allowed me to meet and befriend some truly remarkable individuals.
Why do you like to compete?
I like to compete because it forces me to focus on my game and the games that other competitors are using and forces me to develop my Jiu Jitsu game in ways that I might not have had I not been competing.
Have you done F2W before? How does it differ preparing for this vs. a tourney?
I have done fight to win before, the only real difference in preparation for f2w vs a different tournament would be the use of certain holds that are usually illegal as well as the use of slams.
How would you describe your style of BJJ to a fan who wants to know what to expect?
My style of Jiu Jitsu is a dynamic hybrid of wrestling and Jiu Jitsu and while I welcome a takedown battle I’m also happy to be on the mat.
How are you preparing for your opponent? Anything specific?
I know my opponent is a regular competitor and tough Jiu Jitsu practitioner so I have been regularly training with some really tough black belts including Raul Castillo, Adam Piccolotti, Ronnie Micallef and Ron Keslar.
Any prediction on how this match will go?
I’m hoping the match will be an exciting battle on our feet but I’m guessing he will pull guard and play the shield guard game he likes to play, I see us both battling for leg locks.
Any last words before the match?
Thank you to my sponsors and coaches, you guys are so supportive and always believe in me.
To my fans thank you for coming to support me, let’s make this a fun night to celebrate the sport of grappling.
