As I had mentioned previously; my sleep schedule was way off and as a result I slept in on the Saturday of my visit and missed out on the open mat. I woke up around 2:30-3:00pm, showered, and made my way out. The plan had been to go out walking and take some pictures around Alexandria. If you're familiar with my trips to Brazil you'll know doubt be aware that I do like to go exploring the city and area I'm living in on foot and take pictures. So upon planning this years trip I made sure to pack my camera.
Anyhow I made my way out the door and and down the block and figured that I'd head out towards the Potomac Center then head south from there as I had seen some nice buildings and architecture from afar. As par course with my trip thus far I was soaked in sweat a block or so from the 50/50 hotel (as it is called). I had made sure to pack lots of water and some Gatorade to make sure that my previous days experience was not repeated. I made it up to the Potomac Center then headed south. I had walked maybe about 10 minutes from the center when I realized that I was not going to be doing any picture taking as it was just too hot out and the sun was beating down hard (it being mid-day). At this point I turned around and headed back to the Potomac Center. I went in to the Target as it was the nearest store and I was burning up by this time. I did some window shopping to cool down then made my way down through each store. I finally arrived at the Barns & Noble/Starbucks and sat down to veg out and try to figure out what I was going to do with my day.
As it turns out there is a movie theater in the Potomac Center and I figured that the best way to get out of the heat and do something other than sit around was to go to a movie. So i hopped on my phone, found the listings and decided that I was going to go see the newest Harry Potter movie. Not really being a movie critic all I'll say is that I liked the movie and it was nice to veg out and get out of the heat. After the movie was over I walked back down the stores, grabbed some food, then sat in a different Starbucks for about an hour or so then made my way back to the house to kill time on the internet.
Here is a picture of my movie stub for proof...ha ha:
When I arrived back to the house the Kenny and Seph were home - I do believe they went to some sort of get-together/party and Seph was a little tipsy. Other than that my Saturday was uneventful. As per usual I stayed up late, slept-in on Sunday.
Upon waking up on Sunday I figured that I better get my traveling - I had initially decided I was going to Grayhound bus it to Charlotte but after a talk with my Ma she convinced me that perhaps trying the train would be a better option. After some research I discovered that the Amtrax train station was not far from where I was staying and it would work out much better as I could only find a grayhound bus station in Richmond and the only bus to Charlotte leaves everyday at around 8:00am ish.
So I went on line and managed to figure out which buses I need to jump on to get there and back. After a long, long wait the bus finally arrived at the bus stop and it was about a 15 minute ride to the train station. I purchased my ticket ($102.00 for a one way to Charlotte, NC from Alexandria, VA.) After another long wait at the bus station I caught my bus and made my way back to the neighborhood where I was staying. I decided that I should grab something to eat so again I made my way up to the Potomac Center. Grabbed a bite to eat, headed back home and tried to prepare myself for my last few days of training at Ryan Hall's academy.
Monday was pretty much my same routine, get up, shower, make my way to starbucks for a coffee and late lunch/breakfast. Come back to the house, shower, hop the bus, train, hop the bus back to the house. Get off at my bus stop. Stop at 7-11 on my walk to the house to grab a hot dog and a coke zero. Shower, change, eat something and then veg out on the computer till I fall asleep.
During my time at the 50/50 academy I was exposed to a whole different approach/style than I had been previously used to. Most notably the deep half guard and the one foot x-guard. I've been working on the x-guard for about 2yrs now; of course my training has been spotty. And I have found myself in the position of x-guard/deep half so my time at Ryan's academy was well spent. Of course I think that about least a month at the academy would have been what I needed to make a real impact and work the deep half, x-guard, and one footed x-guard.
Overall there was nothing too outrageous to talk about; training, sleep, eat, and veg out.
However, one thing stands out from my last few training sessions at the academy. During the fundamentals class we worked on posturing in the guard, breaking open the guard and passing to side control and eventually the north-south choke.
Anyone familiar with being in the closed guard will no doubt know about the concept of posture which involves a few things going on at once. For the unfamiliar I'll break it down as best I can.
you need to control the hips (of the guy holding you in his closed guard) which in most cases, in the gi, is done with one hand gripping the Gi Jacket roughly around where the ribs would be so as to create discomfort is your opponent should try to sit up. Your other hand should be controlling his Gi pants near the waist area so as to control his hips. You should also be looking straight in front of you (keeping your head up). Finally, you should be, for the lack of a better explanation, thrusting your groin area into his butt so as to further immobilize his hips and create a very strong posture from which you can begin to stand up and start opening and passing the guard.
Ryan had observed us and from what I figure we we for the most part getting the gist of it. While we were drilling the guard passing Ryan stopped us and corrected and pointed out a few things that we needed to work on. One of them being thrusting your groin area in so as to create that strong vertical pillar that is essential for strong posture in guard. In order to get this through to us Ryan mentioned if anyone had seen the youtube clip "FALCON THRUST" from what I can recall no one had and he said this is exactly the motion he wanted us to use when posturing up in guard. He laughed a bit and did what I call the "Duff Man" motion from the Simpsons tv show. Anyhow, after training I made my way back home and followed my usual ritual.
Here is the clip of the infamous "Falcon Thrust":
For some reason this clip has been labeled as offensive so it might not embed or you might have to log into a youtube account. If so I am sorry - but you know how Puritan youtube has become in the last year or so.
Anyhow, that is the type of hip movement/thrust that Ryan wanted stress to us that we needed to use when creating that good posture to successfully open and pass an opponent's guard.
My last night at the academy was more of the same; warm up, drill, positional spar. Like I had mentioned earlier I wish I could have stayed longer to take advantage of all the new and exciting techniques that I was learning but life is such that most good things must end. Here are a few pics I snapped from my last night at Ryan Hall's 50/50 academy:
The first two are of Ryan, myself, Seph, and Kenny (in the arm sling). The second is of Ryan and Seph talking some strategy/technique??? The third pic is of a fellow named Courtney (last name???) that I met at the academy and was one of the guys that I got along with really well and was also very helpful with some of the techniques that I was unfamiliar with. And finally another pic of Ryan and Seph engaged in some deep Jiu Jitsu conversation.
Thus ended my almost 2 week vacation/training excursion to Virginia and Ryan Hall's 50/50 academy. Much like my experiences at Gordo's academy in Brazil I found that I was welcomed in to the academy as not only a foreigner (me being a Canadian) but a Jiu Jitsu student who comes from a different camp (I would consider myself a Gordo/Josh Russell student of BJJ).
I feel that in some parallel universe or another parallel life - that I'm in Virginia training everyday at 50/50 academy and loving life - despite the heat (perhaps in this parallel world it's not so hot and humid in VA. Just as in another parallel world I'm kicking butt in Brazil and training everyday with Gordo and the jiu jitsu beasts in Barra da Tijuca in Rio.
After the photo taking Ryan thanked me and again mentioned that he felt honored that I chose his academy out off the academies in the world. But lets be honest the honor is all mine and I have met some really good guys in Alexandria/Arlington and I hope fate and life brings me back that way as I really felt at home and good training there.
I've talked to a friend of mine from my home academy in Calgary - Gracie Barra Calgary - and he is a big fan of Ryan's and we had talked about perhaps taking a trip down that way sometime next year - I'm thinking the Easter Holiday.
If you should ever get the urge to train at a welcoming academy with lots of good jiu jitsu players and a world renowned instructor and aren't to keen on traveling to Brazil then I suggest that you contact the 50/50 academy at the address below:
http://5050bjj.com/
And ask about the 50/50 hotel - Kenny Savercool and Seph Smith would be the ones to talk to about staying there.
So that is pretty much it for this portion of my summer 2011 Jiu Jitsu trip - the next stop is South Carolina and Jeremy Arel's Great Grappling Academy - stay tuned for adventures from there. Till then....
Peace, Love, and Happiness (whatever happiness is to you)
Andre (the king of Broken-Heart'd Jiu Jitsu...haha!!!)
thanks for taking the time to share your BJJ adventures with those of us back in Calgary. Ryan Hall is one of the best instructors out there
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