Antonio Estepanian, BJJ brown belt and other spurious claims.

**pliers Hanrahan** · Posted On: 1/05/2013 10:46am

Antonio Estepanian recently came to the attention of the Bjj community in England due to a guy who was interested in training with him asking a well known brown belt if he knew him/was legit etc. After posting on the UK Bjj facebook group it appeared no-one had heard of him and that as he was claiming he was a brown belt under Rickson its a bit of a big deal, his brown belt claim is in the process of being investigated by others but he claims a whole load of stuff in a few martial arts as follows.

I Have copied and pasted some stuff from guildfordpredatorz and guildfordmartialarts
websites, I'm not allowed to post links.

We have also recently welcomed on board a new coach, Antonio Estepanian, who has been training in Martial Arts for 34 years and holds a 4^th Dan in Taekwondo, a Black Belt in Ju-Jitsu, a Brown Belt in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, has trained many years in Boxing and Muay Thai and holds a level 3 in Strength and Conditioning. He is a veteran of over 160 fights and was also part of the US Olympic Taekwondo Squad.

AGE: 38
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 34
QUALIFICATIONS:

• 5th Dan in Taekwondo
• 2nd Dan in Karate
• 2nd Dan in Japanese Jujitsu
• Brown Belt in Brazilian Jujitsu
• 2nd Dan in Kickboxing
• Over 23 years' experience in Thai Boxing
• Certified strengthening and conditioning coach – advanced level and NASM
• NASM Level 4

PROFILE:
Antonio has 34 years experience in Martial Arts and Fitness, working in various prestigious gyms and Martial Arts Academies across the United States. He entered into the Martial Arts arena at an early age, enabling him to achieve winning over 30 National Open Tournaments in full contact forms and point fighting. His continual goal is to pass on his skills and to continue developing cross training as a balanced form of art and to maintain the highest level of fitness.
COMPETITION HISTORY:
King of the Cage full contact fighting, World Tae Kwon Do Championships, Open Martial Arts Tournament, Ed Parker’s Nationals, Open Martial Arts Tournament, United States Open Jujitsu Championship, Pan American Jujitsu Championships.

"Antonio Estepanian will be taking these classes. He spent 12 months training in Thailand and even more time in the US just on Thai Boxing. He has competed 23 times in Muay Thai, with a record of 22-1. He trained for 6 years with Royse and Ricshon Gracie in the US, obtaining his Brown Belt, fighting around 30 times, including at the Pan American games and at the US Open

Can anybody credit/discredit any of the above? basic google searches seem to be drawing a bit of a blank.

**Rock Ape** · Posted On: 1/05/2013 11:12am

Who are you in relation to the person you're questioning.

Why are you not allowed to post links.

What are your motives here.

**pliers Hanrahan** · Posted On: 1/05/2013 11:37am

Nobody, I have less than five posts and Im curious to find if any other of his claims are B.S. apart from the bjj brown belt, I was hoping somebody might recognise his name as he claims he was in the U.S. olympic squad for TKD. If hes lying about any of the above then he is possibly not a bjj brown belt under "Ricshon"

I train bjj btw I suppose I care about it a bit.

**DKJr** · Posted On: 1/05/2013 11:53am

Well it claims he fought in the pan ams and worlds if he ever placed they would have a record of it. I highly doubt it as I've searched his name in connection to bjj and it's highly unlikely you would get to brown belt and compete at those levels without some video or record of it.

It's simple enough to find out if he has a brown belt under Rickson, just shoot them an email.

**pliers Hanrahan** · Posted On: 1/05/2013 12:23pm

A chap called Alister Fulton emailed some people and summarised the responses on a facebook thread.

2 answers so far...1st from Allan Manganello, long-time Rickson student (and close friend of the late Rockson) says he's never heard of him. "Definitely no" from Henry Akins (Rickson BB and former instructor at Rickson's academy). Still waiting to hear from Chris Saunders (one of 2 Rickson BBs in the "Dirty Dozen"

Chris Saunders hasn't heard of him either

Another member of the facebook group has emailed the martial arts school in guildford directly and was told he trained with Rickson in Torrence in the 90's, I have not seen any of these emails though, nor have they been made public to my knowledge.

**Rock Ape** · Posted On: 1/05/2013 12:32pm

Please start supplying the sources to your information in terms of links to the facebook page and or other internet sites.

**pliers Hanrahan** · Posted On: 1/05/2013 12:43pm

https://www.facebook.com/groups/286498698062505/

Thats the fb group uk bjj underground

His claims via guildford martial arts website

http://www.guildfordmartialarts.com/ourinstructors.htm

http://www.guildfordmartialarts.com/...anjiujitsu.htm

**Rock Ape** · Posted On: 1/05/2013 12:48pm

Ok that's a start, thanks.

Now please take screen caps of the comments and conversations which you're referring to and post them into the thread here for transparency.

I'm asking you to do this because:

1, this is your thread
2, you wish to solicit help or advice from members of the site, the onus on you to provide the information which supports your original post.

This is how we roll here

Thanks