BJJ Black Belt Question

**kimuralock** · Posted On: 2/25/2011 11:54am

Please help out guys, have suspected this guy as a fake for a while now. He's in my area and just booted him out of our school basically for being crazy on a few levels! This is what he's listed as on our old site, and again he's gone after only being with us for about 6 weeks.

Basically when asked about his Black Belt, first he said he got it from an unknown guy at Gracie Barra in Framingham Mass. However the other day he said he "Spent $800 bucks at a 3 hour seminar, and was givin his black belt from a guy from Dragons Lair".

Me being a Brown belt for 5 years, (Under a 6th Degree Black under the late Carlson Gracie Sr.), i know if you show up at a seminar, one it's not $800 bucks, two you definately aren't just given your Black Belt. Especially under a school you don't regularly train in!

I can verify that he got his Blue Belt with Gracie Barra in Maine, but thats the last known belting that can be verified. CEBJJ was his OWN school, and he was the highest rank there, with no affiliation to any other schools. He was thrown out of Barra for being to rough with students, and hurting a few. This came directly from his previous instructor who i'm friends with.

Anyway here is what he has listed for his "ranks". Note the time span between the Purple to Black, and i know he's not BJ Penn!

The Naga belts and medals are true, however i wish to know if the rank is complete bullshit. Thanks guys and let me know if you need any more information and i can try to get it.

Adam "SubZero" Sawyer

Earned BJJ Black Belt, December 11th, 2010, Framingham, Mass.
3 time NAGA Medalist, Lincoln, Rhode Island, 2010
Earned BJJ Brown Belt, January 7th, 2009, Framingham, Mass.

NAGA Championship Belt winner, Masters Advanced No-Gi, 2008
11 X NAGA Gold Medal Winner, 2007-2010
9 X NAGA Silver Medal Winner 2007-2010
7 X NAGA Bronze Medal Winner 2007-2010
7 X AGC Gold Medal Winner, 2007, 2008
5 X AGC Silver Medal Winner, 2007, 2008
Nationally Ranked #2 BJJ GI Competitors 2008
Nationally Ranked #11 BJJ No-GI Competitors 2008
Nationally Ranked #9 BJJ GI competitors, 2007
Nationally Ranked #20 BJJ No-Gi competitors, 2007
8-5 in Professional and Amateur Mixed Martial Arts. (2007-Present)
3-0 at Burlington Brawl & Heavyweight Champion belt holder, 2008
Earned Purple Belt, October 1st, 2007, CEJJ, Orrington, Maine.
2nd Place Absolute Blackfly Tournament, Farmington, Maine, 2007
Mundials, World Championship of Jiu Jitsu competitor, Long Beach, California 2007.
Earned Gracie Barra Blue Belt, May 12th, 2006, Bangor, Maine
Gracie Barra BJJ Instructor, October 2006, 2007, Bangor, Maine
11X Vermont Open medal winner, 2007-2010
Vermont Heavyweight Absolute Runner-up 2008
Vermont Heavyweight Absolute Runner-up 2007
Maine Skirmish 2nd Place, SuperHvy, 2003, 2004, Winslow, Maine
Maine Skirmish Absolute Runner Up, 2003, Winslow, Maine
Florida Warriors Cup Absolute Champion 2000, Pensacola, Florida
Earned Machado Blue Belt, November 7th,1999, Niceville, Florida
Alabama Winter State BJJ Open, Gold/Silver, Men^s Intermediate Division, 1999
Alabama Summer State BJJ Open, Gold/Gold, Men^s Intermediate Division, 1999
4-4 in Mightyman Fights (Boxing), Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1998
United States Air Force Judo Team, Falcon AFB, Colorado, Yellow Belt, 1997
Vee Arnis Jitsu, student, The Defense Institute, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1997.
Judo student, Ramstein Air Force Base, 1994-1997

**Gabetuno** · Posted On: 2/25/2011 12:13pm

Hey Kimuralock, thanks for the post.

My buddy Mat used to have his gym right next door to the Vee Arnis guys, though this may predate him, I'll have to see. Either way, he might know the guy.

Do you know which Machado he claimed his blue belt to be from, because my lineage is Machado.

Also, what belts are his gi competition awards in?

**kimuralock** · Posted On: 2/25/2011 12:40pm

Hey thanks for the quick reply, i'm also investigating on my own. Got some more info and i'll update you.

States it was a 3-day seminar (So the $800 may be on point) back in December. I contacted Dragons Lair in Framingham Mass via Email, so i'll see where that goes. Also contacted Professor De Souza who he claims gave it to him during that seminar. (Cesario De Souza).

Again if it's legit, it's the first i've ever heard of someone going to a seminar, and getting a black belt after never having trained there before!

**kimuralock** · Posted On: 2/25/2011 12:43pm

Also not sure on the Machado Blue, but the Gracie Barra Blue was given under Brown Belt, Eduardo Benjamin and is legit. So the last legit belt i can say he has, is Blue.

NAGA i saw him do as a Purple (He had his brown belt in his bag, but wouldn't wear it), and he took second out of two guys. He got handled by a Purple Belt from Link if i recall. Last Naga he did as a Brown (Rhode Island) and it was a two man division and he took second. Then he got handled by Mat Santos who most know is a legit black belt.

**Gabetuno** · Posted On: 2/25/2011 1:28pm

Oh Mat wrestled him? He was the guy I was referring to up above. What tournament did they roll in, NAGA? Do you know the year?

Was that the tournament where he did Gi heavyweight for shits and giggles?

**Gabetuno** · Posted On: 2/25/2011 8:10pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjkLp...eature=related

Is this the guy, the one in the camo gi with the 4 stripe black belt?

**Gezere** · Posted On: 2/25/2011 8:21pm

Originally Posted by Gabetuno

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjkLp...eature=related

Is this the guy, the one in the camo gi with the 4 stripe black belt?

Looks like a brown belt to me but I still smell something fishy.

According to the time line he went from purple to black in 3 years. That is not unheard of BUT those who have done it boast some badass competition records (ie placed in PanAms AND Mundials)

**Gabetuno** · Posted On: 2/25/2011 9:22pm

Originally Posted by Gezere

Looks like a brown belt to me but I still smell something fishy.

According to the time line he went from purple to black in 3 years. That is not unheard of BUT those who have done it boast some badass competition records (ie placed in PanAms AND Mundials)

Agreed, I'm just trying to get a sense of things for when I talk to Mat tomorrow. I would like to know if he wrestled him in the finals or first, because I think Santos took that division with two matches.

**Gabetuno** · Posted On: 2/26/2011 6:12pm

Talked with Mat today, and said he vaguely remembered wrestling someone by the description of Adam, but he didn't stand out in his mind. He sort-of recalled throwing him and submitting him, though he didn't sound sure. Some may say that suggests something about Sawyer's skill level, but I am not sure if I would, as Mat is pretty talented and has fought a lot of top-level dudes.

**kimuralock** · Posted On: 2/26/2011 6:26pm

In that video he was sporting a 4 stripe Brown, this was right before he "got" his black belt. Yes Santos was in RI, and entered the heavy Gi for shits and giggles. He won his superfight earlier that day as well.
Yes Santos is VERY good, as i've been to a ton of NAGA's, and have seen him compete for some time. However i've rolled with Adam a few times, and if he wasn't strong (Very strong....... doubt naturally) he wouldn't have much.
Just pisses me off if he is belting himself, and has given rank to others..... however if it's legit then i'm fine with that. However i'd bet almost anything it isn't true!
Still waiting for a response from Dragons Lair in Framingham Mass.... and also from Professor De Souza on this.
Want confirmation on this as EVERYONE up this way has doubted this rank for some time.