Gordon Ryan has always been a vocal supporter of friend and mentor Garry Tonon but recently he wrote a very revealing story detailing just how deep their friendship goes, and how much Tonon has been helping over the years:
I met this man here when I was a 4 stripe white belt and he was already a 2 time no gi world champion at brown belt and on his way to adcc at 20 years old.
All I could do is sit in the chair in and watch in awe as he dismantled all my usual training partners with ease. And all I thought to myself was “man I really hope I can be like that one day” and the truth is that one of the biggest reasons I’m like this today is because of him.
Him, @tomdeblass, and my 1st coach ever @prof_miguelbjj always told me constantly I could be the best in the world. And they truly believed it.
No-one knows this. But garry literally spent tens of thousands of dollars on me just so I can train. Paying both of our ways into the city for YEARS. That in itself is 2k a month.
Buying my meals in the city. Buying my flights to major comps. And letting me teach at his gym @brunswickbjj and STILL paying me even though he paid for my life. Nothing I can do can ever repay that. So for anyone who talks shit about @garrytonon… go die. Bec there are few friends on this earth better than this one.
The two friends teamed together to offer up a private lesson for charity which reportedly went for over 3.300 $.
