‘Some things will change’ – New ownership discusses the end of B-Team
Nick Rodriguez and Damien Anderson spoke about changes that will happen following the end of the B-Team.
Craig Jones recently made waves in the BJJ community by announcing that he will be departing the B-Team, signaling an end to the Austin, Texas powerhouse gym. However, despite the bold claim that the B-Team will cease to exist, the gym will continue on without Jones, but under a new name and different ownership.
On the latest episode of the Simple Man Podcast, gym co-owners Nick Rodriguez and Damien Anderson, along with fellow co-owners Nicky Ryan and Ethan Crelisten, discussed the future of B-Team.
First and foremost, it’s worth noting that this was an amicable split. With Jones and his business partner, Seth Belisle busy promoting the Craig Jones Invitational, they are stepping away from their duties at the B-Team.
According to Anderson, the gym and its team of elite grapplers will continue training as normal:
“Basically, what’s happening is, Craig and Seth are super busy with CJI. It’s a f****** massive tournament, and it’s just easier for us to run the ship. We’re already doing it, so it’s just a transfer of ownership. Literally nothing is changing in the gym.”
While there won’t be any major changes for the time being, Rodriguez added that, along with a rebrand and new name, the gym will shift its focus from just submission grappling to offer other martial arts, like striking and MMA:
“Some things will change. We’ll adjust the culture a little bit. Different ideology behind training, especially with this eco stuff, it’s making a transition… It’s more of a rebrand…
“Specialized obviously in jiu-jitsu, but when we’re ready for the expansion of other martial arts like striking, we’ll make sure we have somebody who is absolutely one of the best coaches in the world.”
What’s more, the gym will be geared more toward families and could potentially offer kids’ classes. Anderson added:
“What we want to do is rebrand to a family gym where we can focus on the next generation of athletes and have a full encompassing martial arts. Striking, wrestling, grappling.”
The B-Team formed in 2021 following the split of the Danaher Death Squad. From that split, Jones, Nicky Ryan, Crelisten, and Rodriguez formed the new team in Austin.
