Forest & Burl Dull CA: A Wrestling Family Sticks Together

By Bill X. Barron

Wrestling makes soul brothers of us all. When two real brothers are as committed to each other as they are to the team and to the sport, their intimate family becomes a larger team, an extension of themselves.

Fourteen and eleven, each having wrestled for half of their years, Forest and Burl, along with their father Calvin, are never apart during a long tournament day, each preparing, supporting, and celebrating their brothers’ accomplishments more than their own. No ego allowed.

Trained at MatTime Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling Gym in Penryn, California, the Dull brothers have left their mark. “Forest and Burl have a great work ethic and remain eminently coachable,” cites Coach Adrian Garcia, whose father Gary, a California Hall of Fame coach, assists.

“The boys welcome the opportunity to compete and test their skills against the best of the best, never shying away from the challenge. The brothers embrace our philosophy of mastering the basics and the fundamentals,” Coach Garcia continues. 

Adds Coach Jim Ivaldi: “Forest and Burl are hard-working and resilient; they never complain. They are a breath of fresh air in any room in addition to being rock-solid competitors.”

“Wrestling has made the whole rest of my life that much simpler,” states older brother Forest. “It has opened my perspective on school projects while strengthening me in mind and body.”

To the same end, Forest has attended wrestling camp at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where one day he hopes to join the Space Force and fly their drones.

Joining the RMN Events circuit in 2023, Forest and Burl can be seen at nearly every one of their twenty tournaments in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon.

“RMN is set up much better than the other tournaments we attend,” Forest states. “Some meets do not even allow you to track your progress, whereas RMN is all spelled out on Flo. Also, RMN brings in the best wrestlers from many states, providing different looks and styles.” 

In 2024, Forest finished on top as an RMN national champion while competing in 12U and 13U at 86-90 pounds. In doing so, he also earned the Triple Crown (3 titles), Golden Gear (four first-place championships), and the World Championship Belt (5 top podium finishes).

“Forest and Burl represent a new generation of wrestlers. Now that the jiu-jitsu community has become acutely aware that wrestling techniques complement their fighting success,” MatTime facility owner Ivaldi asserts. ‘It’s a true paradigm shift for both sports.”

Their California training facility has “bred hybrid wrestlers like Forest and Burl who are a blessing because their marital arts background allows them to bring different and creative strategies to their wrestling,” Ivaldi continues.

MatTime has two mottos that speak to their teachings. First of all, “Choose something difficult before something difficult chooses you.” Forest has learned that “wrestling is a life lesson in overcoming obstacles. If you wrestle, you can pretty much handle anything.”

The club website opens with the phrase, “Great things happen when mountains and men meet.” Burl has taken that motto to heart: “Although I placed last in my first RMN tournament, I learned what I should or should not do.”

Assisting Burl with this process, Forest “teaches me moves outside of practice. In return, I support my brother whenever he is out on the mat. We each tell the other what decisions to make on and off the mat.”

Forest shares two important lessons he has learned in wrestling: first, pressure the opponent to put him on defense and create opportunities. Secondly, explode out of the bottom before your opponent begins his attack.

For the two boys, as much as they appreciate the opportunity to travel around the country in pursuit of matching gold awards, Forest and Burl believe that the commitment to their relationship as brothers supersedes any focus on winning. 

Their brotherly bond not only connects them to one another but also unifies their efforts in the mutually participatory sport of wrestling. Observing the Dull family interact at matside brings us home.