Stephen Hall celebrates gold at the 2014 Pan

GMA member Stephen Hall is turning 43 this Wednesday, March 19.

The leader of Pesadelo BJJ, in Dallas, Texas, has not had an easy life.

For sometime now he has been battling a brain tumor, meanwhile, his academy and the adjoining shooting range he owned burned down last year.

The cancer seems to be under control and he has reconstructed his school with the help of many friends.

On top of all that, last weekend, Hall competed and won the Master 3 black belt ultraheavy division with a nice triangle on Alessandro Almeida.

Today, he posted the following message on his Facebook page: “God gave me this life! 43 years of it today! He kept me through pain, suffering, obstacles, and even held me up over death until now! He gave me a mother who sacrificed herself to see me achieve and progress! He gave me family and friends who love and cherish me! Though I have been so unworthy and unfaithful to Him, He has always been faithful to me without fail! Thank you God for another breath to take. May You make me an example and a blessing to others. May You reward my mother for putting up with and sacrificing herself for me with exceeding bounty because she deserves it. May you bless my friends and family with their every need and desire. That would be my birthday wish as my birthday is already the best ever!”

On a interview published on GRACIEMAG #202, Hall spoke of how Jiu-Jitsu helps him endure life’s hardships: “It kept me sane. Gave me something to point towards and hold on to. The love of Jiu-Jitsu buoyed my spirit when it was low. Also, due to me taking care of my body in order to perform better in Jiu-Jitsu, it made it a lot easier to bear the brunt of the physical trauma from treatment and the disease itself.”

GMA Pesadalo BJJ is back in business! Photo: Personal archive

Stephen “Pesadelo” Hall has struggled with many obstacles over the years but with the help of Jiu-Jitsu, he has maintained his perseverance and positivity to get through it all. Nearly a year ago his academy, Pesadelo BJJ in Dallas, TX, suffered damage from a fire. The amount of loss was devastating for the academy, the students and Stephen since their haven on the mats was destroyed.

But as with any low point in his life, Stephen worked to rebuild. Together with the support of the Jiu-Jitsu community, the academy made its way to recovery. Today marks the first day of classes in the gym since being rehabilitated.

Stephen released this statement on Facebook:

“It’s been a LONG and hard road, but tonight, FINALLY, Pesadelo Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is home! Without all of you, who are really too many to name, we would not be able to be here. My students thank you, and I thank you personally for believing in us and caring for us enough to help us get back by praying over us, donating money, donating time, allowing us into your gyms to train, and encouraging us along the way! The first class will be the Ladies-Only Self Defense class at 6:30p and then we will have GI Jiu-Jitsu at 7:30p. If you are reading this, and would like to roll, you are most certainly welcome to come. We will be having a Grand Opening/Open House soon, and you will all be invited! We still have some work to do to get things perfect, and still need work on the place but we are able to train at home…God is always Faithful! May God bless and keep you all. Thank you is not enough!”

Take a look at the initial damage:

The fire in February 2013 ripped through Pesadelo BJJ. Photo: Personal archive

Pesadelo BJJ is located at 1607 W. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, Texas 75235.

Follow the road to recovery by visiting www.pbjj.net

Stephen ‘Pesadelo’ Hall withi his gold medal and tribute patch to Aubri. Photo: Erin Herle

The stories you’d hear if you sat down for even an hour with Stephen “Pesadelo” Hall are endless. They aren’t war stories or long jokes, or gossip but very personal triumphs that the Jiu-Jitsu black belt has had to endure. The 42-year-old is able to pass on lessons from personal experiences that only make him a perfect role model for those he encounters along the way of his Jiu-Jitsu journey.

On Saturday, Sept. 7 at the American Nationals, the GMA member from Dallas, TX won his division and immediately kissed the patch of a little girl’s face directly under his right shoulder after his hand was raised. The picture was that of a four-year-old girl named Aubri Guinyard-Coverson who became a role model for him in a very unlikely way. The four-year-old passed away from cancer in June but it was her courage that remains with Stephen as he faces his own cancer treatments.

Stephen wins his match. Photo: Erin Herle

In February, Pesadelo BJJ was torn apart by a fire and he has since worked on recovering his academy. Prior and even as of late, he enders surgeries to keep his body well and able to continue training and competing all over the world. From his hand to his head, back to his neck and knees, the multiple incision marks each tell of triumphs that he overcame with his faith and the importance of courage as little Aubri showed him.

Here is the story as told by Stephen of a brave little girl to which he dedicated his most recent win:

“Her name was Aubri Guinyard-Coverson. She was the daughter of one of my students named Catherine. Catherine came in to try a class and said she would be back, but I didn’t hear from her for a long while. When she came in next she brought Aubri with her. Aubri was really interested in training but her illness prevented her from being able to fully. That said, when she would come in, she would play as if she had no end to her energy and really showed everyone in the gym what real strength was. If not for her cute little bald head and her tube in her nose you would never know she was suffering from the battle as she was.

Stephen kissing Aubri’s patch. Photo: Erin Herle

When I had a relapse and needed to take treatments, she told me everything would be ok, and told me, “All you have to do, is think about the next time we will play, and it will be over quick, and then we can play again because everything will be ok!” (Wisdom of how to face struggle from a three year old!) She may not have gotten to go through the belt of the gentle art, but she was a black belt at life when she died June 29, 2013. I was lucky enough to see her the day she went home to God. It hurt to see how it took her beautiful smile away. I left to go to get her a kimono and have everyone sign it to give to her, but only a couple hours after leaving, I got the call that she passed.

Watching her, made my own battle insignificant. She was infinitely more strong than I, and no matter what happens on the mat, I know she is watching. So until I get to see her one day again, any time I have trouble to face on the mats or off, I will be thinking of the next time we will play and soon it will be ok! This American Nationals medal is for Aubri. I am certain that I would not have made it without her. Thoughts of her and her strength have pulled me through injury, pain, bouts of sickness, the loss of my gym, and I know that her example is one I still have yet to live up to. Today I just won a medal. She is the champion!”

GMA member Stephen Hall, aka Pesadelo (nightmare, in Portuguese), has had some great results lately.

He and his students from Pesadelo BJJ, an Alliance affiliate in Dallas, Texas, collected victories in different events, as he tells us. The IBJJF’s Miami International Open was one of them: “I am very proud of my team. In addition to my gold medal in the black belt senior 1 absolute division and the 2nd place in the ultra-heavyweight, three students I took to Florida also brought back gold medals!. Michael Foster tapped out all his oponents at the purple Belt, master middleweight. So did Ronald Green, at the purple belt senior 1 lightweight. Brian Lewis repeated the performance at the purple belt senior 3 super-heavyweight. He also took the bronze at teh absolute. This is a repeat of what they did at the Las Vegas Open.”

And that is not all, as Hall continues: “In the recent regional tournament, Battle of H-Town, They all won their division with Michale taking the purple belt adult middleweight division, Ronald taking the purple belt masters middleweight division, and Brian taking the purple belt masters super-heavyweight division. I had two white belts also take gold in their division at Battle of H-Town. I would just like to salute them all for their hard work, and belief in the Alliance Jiu-Jitsu they have been handed and are working to show!”

Congrats to Stephen and his team.

For more info, go to pbjj.net.