Paralyzed jiu-jitsu athlete Ben Kunzle was awarded his black belt by longtime coach Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu.
Ben Kunzle stays some of the inspirational tales in jiu-jitsu.
In Could 2022, Kunzle – then a high-level brown belt competitor nicely on his technique to turning into an elite black belt – suffered a extreme spinal wire damage leading to paralysis of his higher and decrease extremities. Regardless of his accidents, he has remained an energetic member of the jiu-jitsu neighborhood.
Kunzle was not too long ago awarded the rank of black belt by his longtime teacher, Battle Sports activities chief Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu.
This isn’t the Black Belt journey that I had all the time imagined, but it surely’s the one life selected for me
From once I began Jiu-jitsu at 11 years previous, I all the time knew that I’d be a black belt. It was by no means a query of if however extra of a query of when
I all the time noticed myself being a high-level, black belt competitor, representing my workforce and my nation all all over the world however life had totally different plans
I see at this time that I used to be placed on this earth to indicate the world that it doesn’t matter what occurs to you. Life continues to be stunning and there’s nonetheless a lot to stay for
To me, this black belt represents greater than only a black belt within the sport however a black belt in life 🥋
@cyborgbjj thanks for being the chief you’re 👊🏻 and being there for us at our lowest
While you got here into the hospital and gave me that speech at that second, I selected that I wouldn’t enable life to beat me and at this time I’m a a lot better particular person due to it
Despite the fact that he’s not capable of compete, Kunzle has continued to contribute to the jiu-jitsu scene.
Notably, he headed up Blue Collar Fight Club – a brand new skilled grappling promotion that held a $25,000 grand prix in 2023. The occasion featured quite a lot of the world’s prime opponents, together with no-gi world champion Roberto Jimenez, fan favorites Andy Varela and Jay Rodriguez, in addition to ADCC champion and event winner Giancarlo Bodoni.
