The Basulto family. Photo: Personal archive

On Saturday Oct. 11, 2014 Mestre Royler Gracie conducted another great seminar at Gracie Humaita North Carolina in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina.  Prof. Armando Basulto had over 40 Jiu-Jitsu devotees on the mats to learn from the master himself on his annual visit.

Among the promotions that Mestre Royler presided over that day was a very special one.  Christine Basulto, Prof. Armando’s wife and student of over 15 years, was awarded her black belt in front of all present.  This makes her the only Gracie Humaita female black belt in the state of North Carolina and one of the few women black belts in the world who were promoted directly by Mestre Royler Gracie.

Christina receiving her black belt from Royler Gracie. Photo: Personal archive

Royler Gracie addressed the assembled students to comment on Christine’s long-time commitment through the years and challenges.  Christine had maintained her training and discipline through the birth of twin boys, graduate school degrees, work-related responsibilities and all while administrating the GMA Basulto Academy of Defense full-time.

It is said that the thousand mile journey begins with one step.  Christine began training with Prof. Basulto not long after they met and married 20 years ago.  As a NYC inner-city school teacher who had to travel late-night alone throughout the city, she was motivated to learn an effective martial art.  At the original Basulto Academy of Defense in New Jersey, she was the only woman on the mats for many of her formative Jiu-Jitsu years.

Christine was a silver medalist at the 1999 Royler Gracie Championship and was also a competitive kick boxer, being a member of the 2002 USA Savate Team to fight in Belgium (coached by Prof. Armando).  When the couple moved to North Carolina to raise their newborn twins, she continued to train as often as she could while the new academy was established.

Today at Gracie Humaita North Carolina, Christine has assumed a leadership role, helping to develop women’s participation in the “arte suave” and organizing women’s self-defense seminars and running specialized “Women’s Training Nights” at the academy.  Now the academy boasts a range of women fighters ranging from yellow belts to purple belts, all taking their first steps on their personal thousand mile journey.

Learn more about Armando and Christine Basulto and GMA Gracie Humaita North Carolina by visiting www.wncbjj.com

GMA member Armando Basulto of Gracie North Carolina will be hosting the legend Royler Gracie this Sunday, Oct. 11.

You can learn from Royler, a multiple time world champion and ADCC world champion at this three-hour seminar from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The location of the event will be at Tuscola High School: 564 Tuscola School Rd., Waynesville, NC 28786.

To reserve your spot fast, contact Armando Basulto at 828-230-5056. Learn more about GMA Gracie North Carolina / Basulto Academy of Defense at www.gracienorthcarolina.com

Team from Gracie Humaita NC getting ready for Polar Bear Plunge. Photo: Rachel Robles

A team of students from Professor Armando Basulto’s GMA Gracie Humaita North Carolina helped raise money for local school programs by jumping into the icy waters of Lake Junaluska, NC on Feb. 1. The team from Basulto Academy of Defense was sponsored to take the icy plunge in order to raise money for the Haywood Waterways Association’s Kids in the Creek program.

Lake Junaluska and Haywood Waterways staff spent a lot of time on Friday breaking through several inches of ice near the beach so plungers would be able to jump in the 30-degree water on Saturday.

Check out more of what the Basulto Academy of Defense team gets into besides freezing cold water here: www.wncbjj.com

Justin Laille and Kevin Dinofa of Gracie Humaita NC in frozen Lake Junaluska. Photo: Jessie Stone

The group at the Gracie Humaita North Carolina In-House Tournament. Photo: Personal Archive

GMA Gracie Humaita North Carolina (Basulto Academy of Defense) held its annual Fall In-House Tournament on Saturday Nov. 16 in downtown Waynesville.  Nearly sixty Jiu-Jitsu practitioners were in attendance along with family and friends to see the exciting sportive aspect of this self-defense art.

The Acai All-Stars band. Photo: Personal Archive

On October 19 the Gracie Humaita leader and Jiu-Jitsu legend Royler Gracie will be holding a seminar at GMA Gracie North Carolina. The academy otherwise known as Basulto Academy of Defense is home to head instructor Armando Basulto, first degree black belt under Royler, who has made way for Royler to extend his knowledge to his students and those eager to learn in the area.

The seminar will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the location is: 218 Branner Avenue, Waynesville, NC 28786

More information can be found regarding pricing, details and reservations by contacting Gracie North Carolina at 828-230-5056

Don’t miss the chance to learn from a legend of the Gracie family. Check out www.gracienorthcarolina.com for more info about the academy.

Basulto and students in Atlanta

GMA member  Armando Basulto and his team from Gracie North Carolina traveled to the Atlanta Open on September 15th.

“We had lots of great matches and the guys and girls really gave their all,” says Prof Armando. “Even in divisions were we had some great wins in the first round or two but were stopped deeper in into the brackets, we had some great display of technical Jiu-Jitsu”.

One of the highlights for the team was blue belt light-featherweight Ryan Conn defeating a much larger, ultra-heavyweight opponent in the Absolute division with a great show of the “arte suave” in action.

The Basulto Academy team returned home with 2 Silver and 1 Bronze and lots of great memories.

For more info, go to wncbjj.com