By Avery Ballmann | Staff Writer
On the mat, he is an executive black belt in Brazilian jiujitsu, in his office at the Baylor Law School, Professor Matt Cordon is the director of the legal writing program and a professor of law.
Cordon recently dominated at the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) tournament and took home the expert division championship belt. NAGA is an amateur Brazilian jiujitsu and grappling organization that hosts tournaments all around the world.
Although this is Cordon’s hobby, he trains six days a week, multiple times a day and teaches classes at Select Jiu Jitsu Academy.
“I think it’s something more than just a simple hobby or something to keep me distracted,” Cordon said. “It’s something I incorporate into my daily routine.”
Jiujitsu is Cordon’s escape from the busyness of life and being a professor. This practice is also a means for his mental health and to stay physically in shape.
Lance Yager, owner of Select Jiu Jitsu Academy, was Cordon’s first jiujitsu instructor in 2010. Between then and now, the two are part owners in the Select Jiu Jitsu Academy and have earned their black belts in Brazilian jiujitsu.
Yager and Cordon spar everyday, each strategizing which move will trump the other. Over the years, Yager has seen Cordon’s work ethic through his teaching and training.
“He’s very thorough, very diligent,” Yager said. “Jiujitsu is an interesting thing because we always like to make a joke that it’s human chess. You’re trying to use your arms and legs to get better positioning and get your opponent trapped in a checkmate scenario where they have to tap out and give up.”
In the academy, along the tall cabinets that house the gi uniforms, are the colossal NAGA championship belts that Cordon and Yager have achieved. Cordon’s recent victory was his 55th time competing in a tournament.
“I knew competition would be a good way to keep myself motivated,” Cordon said. “I’ve been competing since about six months after I started training for jiujitsu.”
Not only does Cordon make time for his competitions and training but also for his career at the law school. Students however rarely see this side of Cordon because he says his hobby doesn’t interfere with his work.
Kipp Kollar, President of NAGA, said he began this organization to have competitors compete without the gi uniform and improve the divisions making the fights fair and organized. Kollar started NAGA over 30 years ago and has watched the sport of jiujitsu expand in prominence.
“If you’re a white collar worker it’s very difficult to train and work,” Kollar said. “But jiujitsu, is a much more gentle type of art where you can tap out when you’re in trouble.”
Kollar was previously a professional MMA fighter and said he has had work presentations, where his face was black and blue from a fight that occurred over the weekend. Over the years, Kollar’s tournaments have grown divisions for children, teens and adults, all separated by gender, skill level and weight.
“That’s another reason why I think it’s really popular, especially with kids and with older adults like myself,” Kollar said. “It’s very effective, it works on the street and in the real world, but at the same time, you can train and not get injured and go to work on Monday.”
Cordon competes in the executive 50 and older division. Executive is the highest skill level and only this level can win the championship belt. Though Cordon on paper looks invincible, he says he still gets butterflies before a match.
“I don’t get nervous but I do get anxious,” Cordon said. “I will think about how the match will go, all the variables that could occur and that can increase anxiety to no end.”
To stay focused and mentally fit, Cordon said he gets a hotel room the day of the competition so he can be at the venue right before he has to perform. Some of Cordon’s toughest opponents were his own coach, someone whose is named after a jiujitsu academy and a man 25 years younger than him.
“It’s always rewarding. Rarely have I walked off the mat and felt like I should have won that, if I had just done something different, I very rarely feel that way,” Cordon said. “If I lose it’s because the other person outperformed me and I learn from it. If I win that’s great, I’m happy.”
Outside of competition and work, Cordon is also the faculty advisor for Bear Jiu Jitsu, an organization that practices jiujitsu on campus and at the Select Academy.
“Once class starts, people get so tuned into learning the techniques that they forget what happens outside of the mats,” Yager said. “You’re not thinking about your boss, traffic or things that need to be done at home, you’re thinking about class.”
Yager and Cordon help Bear Jiu Jitsu with training and offering the members a discounted rate to practice at the academy. The next practice will be August 30th at 7 p.m. in Marrs McClean gym.
“Even though the two things I teach are very different, jiujitsu versus legal writing research, both of them involve a steep learning curve,” Cordon said. “I found that learning how to teach one has helped me teach the other and vice versa. Learning is learning even if the context is different and if you are learning how to teach one thing then it can help you improve to teach the other, that’s what I’ve taken away the most.”
