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Geoff Real doc One-Handed Fighter to screen at San Diego Film Festival
"More than a social media fluff piece."
Geoff Real, training for the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Fighting World Championship
In 1970, Tom Dempsey booted a 63-yard field goal to give the New Orleans Saints a victory over the Detroit Lions. The kick set at NFL record that stood for 43 years; the feat was made all the more remarkable by the fact that Dempsey had no toes on his kicking foot. In 1993, Jim Abbott pitched a no-hitter to give the New York Yankees a victory over the Cleveland Indians; the feat was made all the more remarkable by the fact that Abbott had been born without a right hand. Born with one hand himself, local professional jiu-jitsu fighter Geoff Real is aiming for a seat at that table, as depicted in new short documentary called One Handed Fighter.
Video:
Trailer: ONE-HANDED FIGHTER
“I haven’t been handed anything,” Real says. “No pun intended.” As a military brat growing up, he moved around a lot. Hazing was just a part of growing up. As a kid, he eventually found a way forward while grappling in his friend’s yard in Illinois. “I was wrestling with one of my friends, and then his dad came out, and he wasn’t mad at all. He was like ‘You know, Geoff, you seem like you’re kind of natural with all that. Maybe you should look into wrestling.’” Despite the fact that most grappling is highly grip-oriented, he enjoyed a successful high-school wrestling career, and then started training in jiu-jitsu mid-2000s.
It started with wrestling.
Fast forward to 2013: Real was dealt more adversity when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. At that point, he was a black belt in jiu-jitsu and training in San Diego. After surgery in December 2013, he says, “I couldn’t do anything for a few months. In March of 2014, I was eventually able to get back to competing.” In May of that same year he fought his first amateur MMA fight at an Epic Fighting event, securing a victory in under a minute. Following that, fighting mainly in jiu-jitsu, Real went on to compete and medal in ADCC and IBJJF Opens, as well as Eddie Bravo Invitational tournaments.
Now, at 37 years old, Real wants to take one last crack at the ADCC West Coast Trials. After falling short of advancing into deeper rounds of the tournament in previous years, he still has something to prove. “I’m always one match away from getting to day two, but then I end up fighting some stud. It’s a young man’s game, but I love the event. Win or lose, I’m leveling up my jiu-jitsu.”
While he is still competing, his focus now also includes coaching. Last year, he was the head coach at Alpine Jiu-Jitsu. But, as he was getting ready to buy the gym, he was fired over disagreements with the current owner in January 2024. “It was one of the most devastating moments I’ve gone through,” he tells me. “I’ve never cared about a job so much. I put my heart and soul into it. It was what was going to push me to the next phase of my life.”
Upcoming Event
One Handed Fighter
- Friday, October 17, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
- AMC UTC, 4425 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego
- Age Limit: Not available
Losing the coaching job in Alpine meant losing the students he trained. One specific bond was with a girl named Devin, who is a part of the documentary. “She was born with Cerebral Palsy,” Real says. “Her left side doesn’t function as well as the right. She is the star of the film, honestly — Devin and kids like Devin. For somebody like me or Devin, we don’t want to be reminded how we’re different.” (Real still gives her private lessons, so not all was completely lost.)
When Real told owner of Sundoc Studios Matthew Meredith his story, the filmmaker saw the project as something that aligned with the outfit's creative vision. Says Real, “My intention with the film — and this has actually been a goal of mine for the past 15 years — is I want to help kids with cancer and disabilities, and even adults that are going through it.”
Studio owner Meredith adds: “I met with him and had this big realization that Geoff’s story is so much more than a social media fluff piece. The opportunity to make a true impact with a real ripple effect was stark to me. I wanted to do something a little bit more meaningful.” Sundoc Studios creates original documentaries that, “advocate things we’re passionate about,” Meredith continues. “Then we also make documentaries for businesses and nonprofits that have impactful and meaningful stories to tell.”
The documentary will be Meredith’s directorial debut, and will screen at the San Diego International Film Festival at 10:30 am on October 17 and 10:15 am on October 19 in La Jolla. “The film really highlights San Diego,” Meredith explains. “Getting accepted into the festival felt really meaningful. It felt like the city was accepting us.”
Photos courtesy Sundoc Studios
Here's something you might be interested in.
Geoff Real doc One-Handed Fighter to screen at San Diego Film Festival
"More than a social media fluff piece."
Geoff Real doc One-Handed Fighter to screen at San Diego Film Festival
"More than a social media fluff piece."
Geoff Real, training for the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Fighting World Championship
In 1970, Tom Dempsey booted a 63-yard field goal to give the New Orleans Saints a victory over the Detroit Lions. The kick set at NFL record that stood for 43 years; the feat was made all the more remarkable by the fact that Dempsey had no toes on his kicking foot. In 1993, Jim Abbott pitched a no-hitter to give the New York Yankees a victory over the Cleveland Indians; the feat was made all the more remarkable by the fact that Abbott had been born without a right hand. Born with one hand himself, local professional jiu-jitsu fighter Geoff Real is aiming for a seat at that table, as depicted in new short documentary called One Handed Fighter.
Video:
Trailer: ONE-HANDED FIGHTER
“I haven’t been handed anything,” Real says. “No pun intended.” As a military brat growing up, he moved around a lot. Hazing was just a part of growing up. As a kid, he eventually found a way forward while grappling in his friend’s yard in Illinois. “I was wrestling with one of my friends, and then his dad came out, and he wasn’t mad at all. He was like ‘You know, Geoff, you seem like you’re kind of natural with all that. Maybe you should look into wrestling.’” Despite the fact that most grappling is highly grip-oriented, he enjoyed a successful high-school wrestling career, and then started training in jiu-jitsu mid-2000s.
It started with wrestling.
Fast forward to 2013: Real was dealt more adversity when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. At that point, he was a black belt in jiu-jitsu and training in San Diego. After surgery in December 2013, he says, “I couldn’t do anything for a few months. In March of 2014, I was eventually able to get back to competing.” In May of that same year he fought his first amateur MMA fight at an Epic Fighting event, securing a victory in under a minute. Following that, fighting mainly in jiu-jitsu, Real went on to compete and medal in ADCC and IBJJF Opens, as well as Eddie Bravo Invitational tournaments.
Now, at 37 years old, Real wants to take one last crack at the ADCC West Coast Trials. After falling short of advancing into deeper rounds of the tournament in previous years, he still has something to prove. “I’m always one match away from getting to day two, but then I end up fighting some stud. It’s a young man’s game, but I love the event. Win or lose, I’m leveling up my jiu-jitsu.”
While he is still competing, his focus now also includes coaching. Last year, he was the head coach at Alpine Jiu-Jitsu. But, as he was getting ready to buy the gym, he was fired over disagreements with the current owner in January 2024. “It was one of the most devastating moments I’ve gone through,” he tells me. “I’ve never cared about a job so much. I put my heart and soul into it. It was what was going to push me to the next phase of my life.”
Upcoming Event
One Handed Fighter
- Friday, October 17, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
- AMC UTC, 4425 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego
- Age Limit: Not available
Losing the coaching job in Alpine meant losing the students he trained. One specific bond was with a girl named Devin, who is a part of the documentary. “She was born with Cerebral Palsy,” Real says. “Her left side doesn’t function as well as the right. She is the star of the film, honestly — Devin and kids like Devin. For somebody like me or Devin, we don’t want to be reminded how we’re different.” (Real still gives her private lessons, so not all was completely lost.)
When Real told owner of Sundoc Studios Matthew Meredith his story, the filmmaker saw the project as something that aligned with the outfit's creative vision. Says Real, “My intention with the film — and this has actually been a goal of mine for the past 15 years — is I want to help kids with cancer and disabilities, and even adults that are going through it.”
Studio owner Meredith adds: “I met with him and had this big realization that Geoff’s story is so much more than a social media fluff piece. The opportunity to make a true impact with a real ripple effect was stark to me. I wanted to do something a little bit more meaningful.” Sundoc Studios creates original documentaries that, “advocate things we’re passionate about,” Meredith continues. “Then we also make documentaries for businesses and nonprofits that have impactful and meaningful stories to tell.”
The documentary will be Meredith’s directorial debut, and will screen at the San Diego International Film Festival at 10:30 am on October 17 and 10:15 am on October 19 in La Jolla. “The film really highlights San Diego,” Meredith explains. “Getting accepted into the festival felt really meaningful. It felt like the city was accepting us.”
Photos courtesy Sundoc Studios
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