Unsung Hero: Brazilian jiu-jitsu changed Emmanuel Waddy's life

Waddy was so confident in his abilities that he smoked a cigarette 30 minutes prior to the first class, but that overconfidence was quickly put to rest. In his first foray into Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Waddy was forced to tap out eight times in seven minutes to a 9-year-old kid. Shortly after regaining his focus, Waddy went back for a second sparring session, this time with a 20-year-old student. Once again, he was beaten with relative ease.

The entire experience was incredibly eye-opening.

"It really showed me that I wasn't able to do everything," Waddy said. "After that, I let it go and fought a 20-year-old, and he destroyed me. After that, I went home and curled up into a ball and cried. I couldn't breathe and was throwing up. That let me know that I wasn't immortal and needed to figure things out. After that class, it really opened my eyes as to what I had to do with my life and (the changes I had to make)."

That experience could have very easily set Waddy's life on a different path, but he was determined to improve his skills. Over the course of the next few months, Waddy worked tirelessly whenever he was in his classes with the goal of one day competing in the sport. Three months in, Waddy attended his first Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament.

"My coach was like, 'Just go for it, bro,'" Waddy said. "I won my first match and lost my second match, and it was one of the hardest things I had done. It became my addiction."

That addiction to Brazilian jiu-jitsu is what fueled Waddy to become a phenomenal competitor. Over the course of his years competing, Waddy has picked up 40 different medals at competitions, including 15 gold medals. He has won the Pan American championship three times in his career and the North American Grappling Association's Grappler Championship five times.

"I've just been trying to compete in everything," Waddy said. "I haven't really competed at the high level yet, but I mainly compete at local tournaments."

Perhaps the crowning achievement of Waddy's competitions came the first time he won the Pan-Americas championship. After winning four of his first five matches, Waddy started to experience severe nerves heading into the championship bout – so much so that he nearly got himself disqualified.

"I was so overwhelmed that I was throwing up," Waddy said. "If you throw up (in the match), you are disqualified. Honestly, it was like drinking water, but I got this burst of energy and ended up winning the match.

"I had like a minute left, and I was about to quit on myself, but I didn't. That was probably a defining moment for me."

Becoming an instructor

Waddy earned his white belt within one year of starting his BJJ journey, but began to quickly notice a trend. During matches and sparring sessions, he was beating athletes with higher-level belts with relative ease. It was that realization that started to lead him down the path of becoming an instructor.

"When the higher belts would come to me and ask how I did things, I would get that giddy feeling," Waddy said.

Over the next six years, Waddy worked toward earning his black belt. The lessons he learned from his time studying helped him perfect the type of teacher he wanted to be.

"I had, like, nine different instructors throughout the course of my training," Waddy said. "Going through that, and learning from all those people, I developed my way of jiu-jitsu. (My instructor) liked what he did, and I was able to put that together and create my jiu-jitsu."

After moving back to Cheyenne, Waddy wanted to bring his enthusiasm and love of Brazilian jiu-jitsu to his hometown. Thanks to help from colleague and friend Matt Manzanares, Waddy was able to locate a suitable place to open Madhouse BJJ, where he still teaches to this day.

That energy and positivity is something Waddy has been able to foster inside his gym.

"Everyone is just always in a good mood and wanting to learn, grow and get better," said Manzanares, who is also a coach with the South Side Sluggers. "When he is coaching and teaching, he is being real stern and strict with his instruction. But at the same time, he isn't trying to downplay anyone's abilities.

"He's always trying to see them move in different steps toward the right direction. Everyone just feels safe with him and wants to get better, and when they leave, they want to be better and help others."

Not only has that culture rubbed off on his students, it has also permeated into his staff.

"He's been one of the most influential and motivating guys I have ever trained with," Manzanares said. "He's just a good person and always wants to see people get better, grow and do good things."

Because of the similarities between wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Waddy has been able to work with multiple high school wrestlers in Cheyenne. Recently, the city hosted the Charlie Lake Invitational, where multiple wrestlers who train under Waddy recorded fourth-place finishes or better.

Waddy's 'why'

Teachers and coaches often talk about the rewards of seeing their students succeed. Oftentimes, a sense of personal satisfaction comes along with that, and Waddy is no exception.

While he still competes, Waddy said he pours most of his time into training his students and gets more joy out of helping his students succeed at tournaments.

But more than just seeing them succeed in the sport is wanting to see them succeed in life. Throughout his time teaching, Waddy has been able to help mentor and improve the lives of his young students.

It's the most rewarding part of his job, Waddy said.

"The greatest satisfaction I get as an instructor is from the bullied kids," Waddy said. "I have a kid in here who is autistic, and when he first started, he was depressed. He was getting bullied left and right and was in a bad spot. He came and trained with me (just before COVID started), and after we reopened, he was one of the first ones back.

"He has been with me for three years now, and this kid is now on the honor roll, he lettered in wrestling, he doesn't go to therapy anymore, he's actually speaking out and standing straight up and talking. Those are probably my most rewarding parts, when I see a kid develop confidence. A confident kid doesn't get bullied."

Above all, Waddy doesn't train and teach Brazilian jiu-jitsu for the fame, glory or to make a quick buck. His passion for teaching and his desire to give others opportunities is what drives him to be the person he is today.

All his life, Waddy heard stories of teachers and coaches that turned kids' lives around. Waddy said the reason he does what he does is to be that person for someone else.

"I didn't have that growing up," Waddy said. "Here in Cheyenne, I was in 11th grade with a fifth-grade reading level. They just pushed me along. Obviously, I had a problem, but there wasn't anyone to help me with that problem. When I grew up, and now that I am grown, I am the person that I needed when I was a child.

"It's not just jiu-jitsu, it's life. This is a way of life ,and if you fall into jiu-jitsu, it will change your life. And it's always for the better."