Let us introduce Kyle, “The Rolling Rev”, Watkins. A local undefeated Brazilian Jujitsu (BJJ) champion running four years, pastor, businessman, husband – a truly one of a kind fighter that we at Cornucopia are proud to sponsor. We are always pleased to hear about successes happening in our community, so we sat down with Kyle to talk about how he started his journey into Brazilian Jujitsu, his recent successes, and how Cornucopia has helped him along the way.
getting into bjj
At 27 years old, Kyle had been working at a general corporate business job, leading a good life. When the company he was working for began to make changes to its structure, he realized his passion was to truly help others grow both physically and spiritually. It was at that time he saw the opportunity to make it happen – sparking his journey into Brazilian Jujitsu. He has come a long way as the years have unfolded, enjoying every step of the way.
For the past seven years, Kyle has been fighting in various tournaments, working up to to receive a black belt. As a purple belt, Kyle has accomplished great success at his tournaments, dubbing him undefeated for the last four years.
recent successes
We talked with Kyle about some of his most recent wins, starting in April of this year. At the New York Open, he walked away as Male Purple Belt Champion. Following this win Kyle competed in the Pan American Tournament. Awarded Male Purple Belt Champion, Kyle attained a champion title at the largest Brazilian Jujitsu tournament held in North America – an extremely prestigious win! His most recent win as purple belt came just before Thanksgiving at the International Brazilian Jujitsu Federation’s (IBJJF) New York BJJ Pro (pictured above). This was a very important moment for Kyle as the competition ranked fighters both nationally and internationally, allowing winners to be placed into the spotlight for BJJ sponsors. At the New York BJJ Pro, he took gold in the medium heavy weight class. His successes don’t end there – Kyle has most recently experienced another huge success in the world of BJJ.
Earlier this December, Kyle was promoted from purple belt to brown belt, just ONE belt shy of a black belt. Kyle shared that this prestigious moment shows that “seven years of hard training is paying off outside of the tournaments and competitions showing that I’m worthy of elevation.” We are very excited to see where this new stage takes Kyle as he enters tournaments and continues to work towards obtaining his black belt. His successes do not stop at fighting though – there is much more to this champion.
Kyle “The Rolling Rev” Watkins after being promoted from purple belt (around neck) to brown belt (around waist), December 3, 2016
beyond the mat – instructing
Not only has Kyle worked passionately at fighting in tournaments, but also has helped to guide others in their BJJ journey while running Vamos Mixed Martial Arts Academy for the last four years. He is also a dedicated Pastor and Sensei, helping him to receive the nickname “The Rolling Rev”. Juggling so many responsibilities makes it extremely important to Kyle to find the perfect balance – finding time to be a pastor, sensei, trainer, and to be a successful competitor. When he heard about Cornucopia and our products, the partnership sounded like a perfect match to his lifestyle.
“Cornucopia and the food and products they sell are all Non-GMO, natural…just the best products. I want to have the best foods in my body to perform the best. I strongly believe that in order to be successful or to be the best, you have to do everything the best way. Eating, training, even sleep. Every aspect has to culminate with success and speak success.” Both Kyle and we here at Cornucopia believe that it is the perfect match, ideal for the perfect athlete. We are beyond proud to sponsor such a hard-working and passionate individual such as Kyle. We cannot wait to see where the future takes him. Kyle, the Rolling Rev, Watkins – keep passionately chasing your passion.
