This is a blog for me (Dillon Draper) to collect all my writing on various topics, without being beholden to other platforms (or paying for multiple domains). More specifically, my interests of late remain largely centered around 3 major topics: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (my sport and passion), Super Smash Bros. Melee (my esport and lesser passion), and Technology (my profession and kind-of sort-of passion if you squint).
I do not intend to promote this site heavily, and expect that most people visiting will already know me in some capacity. Still, for any who may be unfamiliar, or perhaps might only know me from one of the above categories, I’ll include a brief summary of my perspective and credentials in each one as a form of introduction.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)
I am 2nd degree black belt in BJJ under my coach Josh Johnson in Elizabethtown, KY. I currently train at Wildcat Jiu-Jitsu in Franklin, KY. I began training in college in 2011 at 4 Seasons Martial Arts in Lexington, KY, eventually changing gyms/affiliations to my current one when I graduated in 2015, ultimately receiving my black belt in 2017. I have never been an avid competitor; I have never enjoyed competing in BJJ, and have no higher accolades than a couple of NAGA gold medals at brown belt (if you are unfamiliar with the competitive Jiu Jitsu ecosystem, this is not a huge achievement). My original intent in writing about Jiu Jitsu was to provide instructional and technical writing meant to accelerate the others’ growth in the art. I was loathe to contribute to the ever-growing body of what I consider culture war slop that dominates the BJJ brain space. By this I mean the sorts of pieces that endlessly rehash impossibly tired topics like “gi vs no gi” and “Is cheating ethical if I really really want to win?” (steroids). However, in recent years I have become increasingly aware of what I can only call a growing moral rot in BJJ culture. To discuss the origin of this fester would merit a piece all its own, but suffice it to say the increasing entanglement of the art with far-right politics and the rash of sexual misconduct scandals trouble me deeply. I have no illusions that what I write here will do actually do anything to counter this (even if it were widely read), but it bothers me to the point that a part of me must write on it, in addition to the more technical pieces that I actually want to be writing.
Super Smash Bros. Melee (Melee)
I compete under the pseudonym “Grab” in the 25 year old video game Super Smash Bros Melee for the Nintendo Gamecube, and have for nearly 10 years now. I am currently ranked 75th in the world and have been ranked as high as 47th. I am known for my gameplay with the character Marth, my strong opinions on both controller legality and low tier characters (I am what some would call a conservative in this space), and my post-tournament writeups wherein I review the experience of attending a major tournament as well as reflect on my own performance. I expect those tournament writeups to dominate the melee section of this blog, but also hope to contribute some posts focusing on actual gameplay and perhaps even discussing the scene and culture.
Technology
As for tech, I am a mid level software developer for a healthcare startup in Nasvhille, TN. I am newer to the tech world than I am the other two, having joined my current employer in 2021 as my first job in the field. However, seeing as it is my day job, it is the one I spend the most time in these days. Lately, I have felt increasingly compelled to write about tech for a few reasons: Firstly, after five years, I finally feel that I have enough knowledge and experience to contribute something worth reading. Moreover, I have recently had newly redoubled interest in tinkering with developer tooling, and wish to share my experiences with others. I have also grown increasingly annoyed with…essentially all existing rhetoric in the space around AI/LLMs. I find the discourse in relation to these tools nothing short of appalling, and will also probably also use this platform to vent my frustration with fanatics, performing seals, luddites, doomsayers, and other assorted weirdos.