me to the mat that some of that Je ne sais quoi would rub off on me. I was such an obsessive tag along he started calling me “ankle biter” I would try to fight him every round of practice, I would never give up trying to throw him even if I was already lying on the ground trying to pull him down with me. We ended up on world teams and tours together. I cried my eyes out when I saw him get screwed out going to the Olympics with me. When I made my way to MMA, everyone in judo scoffed at my goals – but not Justin. As a wrestling California state champion he had an intimate understanding of how judo translates to the no gi world of MMA. I knew he was the only person out there that could teach me at the highest level of such a young sport. He’s such an amazing athlete it’s hard to believe he’s become an even better coach – but he has. Justin’s not just talented but technical, he innovates constantly and still has the ability to physically push the athletes he trains – he teaches not just through theory but application and demonstration. It’s kinda funny to watch him work harder now than he ever has – he takes coaching more seriously than he did being an athlete and it shows. I believe it’s because Justin cares, he has the biggest heart and wants the absolute best for his athletes. For himself, well he can do a weeklong training camp in Spain and then spend 12 hours eating and drinking at Don Burrito before heading to training camp in France (true story, I left, took a 5 hour nap, came back and he was still eating nachos, drinking beer, and he was just getting started) But when responsible for an athlete he’s achieved a whole new level of professionalism and commitment that I am sure is going to lead to him being remembered as one of the best coaches of all time.”