New Orleans black belt Hai Tran was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma the week after Thanksgiving, and now he needs the jiu-jitsu community’s help.
Tran came to New Orleans after the Vietnam war in the mid-70s when he was eleven. He’s been doing jiu-jitsu since early 2000. The first time Tran trained jiu-jitsu he asked, “How do you get out of a headlock?” and was told, “you pull your head out as hard as you can.” As a result, he got cauliflower ear after his very first jiu-jitsu class. After that, he moved to NOLA BJJ. His teammates describe him as “always extremely enthusiastic” and “the best kind of student that an instructor could have.” He is incredibly engaging, loves making jokes, and laughing. He enjoys hosting his teammates for UFC fights at his house, and an all-around good person.
Tran got his black belt in 2012 and is the first true NOLA BJJ black belt given out by head instructor Matthias Meister. Tran currently holds the rank of second-degree black belt. Since NOLA BJJ expanded to the west bank, Tran has been an integral part of the west bank gym’s continued growth and success. They call it “the west bank social club” and it’s a fantastic environment thanks in part to Tran.
When he was first diagnosed, there was a shadow on the pancreas. pancreatic cancer being so devastating, Tran feared the worst. After the biopsy, the result is Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and that has given Tran and his teammates hope that he will be able to beat it, but the bills have been piling up.
If you’re interested in helping a man who has been putting others first his whole jiu-jitsu career please check out his GoFundMe campaign to donate and get more information.
