Sickness, Mouthguards, inspiration...

Well my training this week has been put on hold this week because of some dental/tooth problems.  I finally got in to the dentist today so hopefully the problems and pain will not dominate my life anymore.

The lesson I've take from the past few days:

INVEST IN A DECENT MOUTH GUARD.  I'm not sure what caused the complications - if I bit on something and cracked my tooth or if it was Jiu Jitsu related (it would not be the first time).  Either way I do need to invest in a mouth guard.  Dentist work is expensive (thank god for a job that has coverage) and I do not want to have to keep going back to fix things that were fixed.  For the time being I'm going to go grab a double (covering your upper and bottom teeth) mouth guard from Wal-mart (the boil and bite kind).

I also started catching a fever/cold on Monday which has made the past few days even that much more unbearable at work.  I feel like I've run 10 miles by noon each day.  I'm still feeling very weak and sore from the fever but I think I've managed to avoid a full blown fever (you know the kind that leave you unable to leave your bed and if you do leave your bed you're pretty much useless).

Well on to more important things.  I'm planning on hitting the mats tomorrow (Friday) for an open mat.  My goal is to do my version of a drill/workout that I learned at Ryan Hall's academy last summer.  Said workout/drill is called Marathon Roll - which consists of 10 back to back rolling sessions with different partners of 5 minutes, with 1 minute rest and no quitting once you've started.  You'll read about if I end up doing it.  Either way my tooth/mouth should not be hurting me much and my fever/cold seems to be on the down slide.  Thus, I should be okay to do some training.

As I've gotten older I've learned that when I'm sick and or injured that I need to take the time off to rest and heal.  If I don't then it usually leads to just getting worse and worse.  I've also taken a closer look at my nutrition and have tried to eat better - lean meats, protein powder, vitamins, fruits, vegetables, etc.  I'll be the first to admit that I'm by no means Mr. Clean Eating but compared to even a year ago I'm eating a lot better.  I've looked into fuelling and recovery before and after workout/training.   All in all I'm still experimenting with everything.

In short I've been trying to eat better, recover better (sleep, pre and post workout), stretch, Hot/Cold showers (look it up), vitamins, breathing (you'd be surprised how much learning to breath properly helps you physically and mentally).  Most importantly just letting go of the things and people that pull me down, hurt me, and basically don't bring anything positive into my life.

On my last post  (link below) - I just want to add that I've noticed that the North/South Choke is a slower choke.  By this I mean is not an instant choke like say the Guillotine or Rear Naked Choke.  Once you've gotten the position and choke in place it feels like a gradual tightening then BAM! It's too late and you'll nap if you don't tap.  Where as the RNC or Guillotine you feel the pressure immediately and if you don't tap right away you be asleep.  I've noticed that the North/South traps the opponent but he (me) can feel the gradual tightening but there is time to tap (which is not always the case with RNC and Guillotines).  It does reach a point (from my limited time playing with the technique) where you DO feel that point of no return and THINGS do start to fade.  Anyhow, watch the videos I posted, buy Marcelo's book or subscribe to MGA (Marcelo Garcia in Action). and be patient.  It is a great technique to add to your arsenal from side control.

Last Blog - with North/South stuff

If you're familiar with competition Brazilian Jiu Jitsu then you'll no doubt know who Rodolfo Vieira is - basically he is the competitor who has taken the the Gi world by storm.  And is a serious challenger to Roger Gracie's dominance of the past few years.  I came across this little documentary last week.  It is a three part series in to Rodolfo's regime and what it takes to be a World Champion in Jiu Jitsu (or anything for that matter). If I do make it Rio this summer I would love to take a day or two from my Gordo Jiu Jitsu family and train at GFT and perhaps meet and train with Rodolfo???  Anyhow, if you're needing inspiration watch the videos and take in some lessons from someone who has dedicated everything to the thing he loves doing.

Part 1:



Part 2:




Part 3:




So that is my little update for this Blog.  In case you're stuck in a rut or lacking inspiration (even after viewing the above videos) I'll plug this story again.  The 78 yr old man who recently received his Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

78 yr old BB - Gracie Mag Story

Till next time . . .

. . . Life, Love, and Jiu Jitsu

A.

Back to training, Summer Plans, North/South Choke, Portuguese for BJJ

So I've finally gotten back to training. Gracie Barra Calgary - I started about 2 weeks ago and have been going 2-3 times per week as time and body permit.

I'm in the process of trying to decide where I'm going to go train this coming summer.  Ideally I'd love to get back to Brazil, Rio and the family at Gordo Jiu Jitsu.  But as with most things in life it does not happen till it happens.  The flight is going to be expensive, and if I do go back I want to be able to have my own room at the new Connection Rio house and I do believe that will be expensive as well.

I've been looking into going to NYC and training with my personal BJJ/Grappling hero Marcelo Garcia.  I've been looking into apartments and any money I save on flights will be made up by booking an apartment in NYC.  Expensive place.  I'm attracted to going to NYC to not only train with Marcelo but because I'd just like to see the City - it has been on my list of places to go before I'd ever thought I'd be travelling the world to train BJJ.  Here is a link to Marcelo's academy in NYC:

Marcelo Garcia NYC Academy

My other wish would be to train with Rubens "Cobrinha" Charles.  About two weeks ago I came across his academy webpage and I would love to spend a few weeks there.  The only hitch is that it is on the other side of the USA in California.  If you've read my blog you should know that Marcelo Garcia is a favourite of mine but you might not be aware of Cobrinha.  Here is my personal favourite Cobrinha highlight:



Here is a link to Cobrinha's academy website:

Cobrinha BJJ Academy

If I'm not able to make it to Rio this summer my plan is to spend 2 weeks training at Marcelo Garcia's academy in NYC, then fly west to Cali and spend another 2 weeks training at Cobrinha's academy.  So at this moment my options are open but I'm looking to book flights and accommodations asap to save money.

So upon returning to training I've been able to somewhat work on a few things that I've been researching and that have been on my mind while on hiatus from training BJJ.  One of the techniques that I've been wanting to explore was the North/South Choke.  I've recently purchased Marcelo's newest book and there is a big section on his favourite chokes - basically the Guillotine, Rear-naked Choke, and North/South.  I've spent my time working on the Rear-naked Choke - even prior to training at Gracie Barra Calgary - it had been one of my favourite techniques.  Mainly, due in part, to being a big fan of not only Marcelo Garcia but BJ Penn as well.  I'd played around with the North/South in the past but had not really tried it out.

Prior to returning to training I'd some some research - both through book and youtube stuff that is out there - on the North/South Choke.  So once I got back in to it I was able to pull a few training partners off to the side and drill the set up and finish to this particular choke.  Besides Marcelo's book the following YouTube clips have helped out (of course nothing beats mat time, drilling and live training):

Marcelo explaining it himself:



Here is Stephan Kestling with Marcelo braking down the choke for him:



I've been able to catch a couple of guys with and I'm in the process of working out the nuances of the choke.  I hope that eventually I can add it to my repertoire - such as it is.

Well that's about it for this round of blogging, writing, and BJJ updating.  Before I leave you I'd like to point you to a website and post that I came across - Portuguese for BJJ.  If you ever plan on going to Brazil to train it would be good to have some knowledge of Portuguese (especially if it pertains to something you love doing; in this case BJJ).  Enjoy:

Introduction to Portuguese for BJJ

Well that's it for now - hope you're training or following and doing whatever makes you smile and your heart float.

Till next time...

A.

I forgot to add this little news clip - it fills me with such hope and inspiration.

78 yr old man receives his Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

I hope to attain my Black belt within the next 5yrs - lofty aspirations but what the hell; 4 years ago I would have never dreamed that I would quit my job and  move to Brazil to train bjj.  here's to making dreams and hopes happen...

It's been awhile; some inspiration.

As the title of my blog says - its's been awhile since I've written and updated the blog.  Last time I wrote it was just a week or so after getting back from Jeremy Ariel's gym in Fort Mill South Carolina.

I did not have my own computer - I was using a loaner computer which I did not have access to once I got back.  I just got a new computer - A Macbook Pro.  Yay!

So now I can start trying to update.  Obviously I'm back in Canada, working, and, unfortunately, not training as much as I'd like.

I'd like to use this blog to just show some techniques that I've found on line - namely from two of my mentors - Dennis Asche and Jeremy Arel as they both use the medium of Youtube to show new techniques.  I'd also like to just showcase anything I'm working on or inspirational videos I've found.

I'll also try to close up this past summer's adventures - in a future blog.  I just have to get my pics and notes together.

On the subject of inspiration - I came across this video last week and have become very inspired by it.  It involves Rodolfo Viera - currently the man to beat in BJJ (that is with the Gi).  I'm not sure how a match between Roger and Rodolfo would go.  I'd say experience, mastery of the basics, and ability to come back from adversity would side with Roger.  While explosiveness (athleticism), youth, conditioning, and hunger would belong to Rodolfo.  Not trying to disparage anyone  as both men are amazing technicians - just Roger is a bit more a laid back basic game while Rodolfo is more of a pressure/top/athletic game.

This video also hints at the other BJJ lineage of Luis Franca and Oswaldo Fadda.  Here is a link to the BJJ Heroes website that delves a further into this relatively unknown BJJ lineage.  As the Gracies are usually only mentioned when one speaks of BJJ:

BJJ Heros Oswaldo Fadda

Here is the clip that has so much inspired me-with the prominent figures being rodolfo Viera and his master  Julio Ceasar Pereira from Grappling Fight Team (GFT).



In particular I like the notion that Julio Ceasar wants to use Jiu Jitsu to form a citizen aka a good person who is able to function and contribute to society in a positive way.  This is why I continue to train (when I can) and take my summer pilgrimages to go and train anywhere I can.

Here are the BJJ Heroes bio of Julio and Rodolfo:

Julio Cesar Pereira

Rodolfo Vieira

Here is another new clip from Dennis and Connection Rio that showcases some of the Older guys who've gone to Rio.  Being an older guy (late 30's) it was nice to see this clip to highlight a few guys that may be a bit older but still love and hold that passion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.



For anyone reading this and planning on heading to Rio here is a clip with Dennis and his Portuguese for BJJ:



Good Training!!!

Well that is all for now - I hope I can continually update the blog (work eats up so much time).

Till next time!!!

Train Rides, Late Night Eating, and the Power of Visualization (The Dreaded Salt Shaker)

So after catching a ride back to the house with Kenny I started getting ready for my departure to Charlotte, NC the following morning (my train would leave at 11:15am and was to have arrived in Charlotte at around 7:30-8:00pm later that day).  I got home, showered, ate, and then did the laundry that I had left to do and began packing.  I'm not sure why but my belongings seemed to have taken up more space that I remember last time.  I managed to get everything packed in but again it all seemed much more cramped and heavy than I remember.

Later on Seph arrived back at the house and eventually we decided to make a late night McDonalds run - Kenny wanted a milkshake and Seph was hungry and I must admit I was also still a bit hungry. So off we went to the McDonalds a block or so away.  I had told myself that I was going to try to avoid the McDs and managed to do so till my last night in Va.  After getting some not so fine food we made our way back to the house and had some light conversation.

I don't regret coming to VA and training at the 50/50 academy - at times it was way too hot and humid for me to handle but I felt a sense of welcoming and anonymity in Alexandria/Arlington that I thrive and feel most at home in which is something that I struggle to find back home in Alberta being from a small city like Lethbridge.  Inevitably, I'll run into someone I know or knows me - at times that's good but most of the time I'd rather just be anonymous.  Not to mention Lethbridge brings back some unhappy memories.  If not for my family and a few friends I'd probably have left or not come back from my first excursion to Brazil.

Enough venting.  I put out the Gi that I had worn on my last training session to dry and packed up the rest of my belonging's. And tried to get some sleep as I had to be up by 7am to make sure I would be ready to hop the train to Charlotte to train with Jeremy Arel.

Friday morning, about 3hrs sleep, showered, finished packing up the few belongings.  Woke Seph up and got a ride to the train station.  Said my goodbyes and walked into the train station and waited for the train to arrive.  It was approximately 9:30am and my train was to arrive just after 11am.  In my rush I had forgot to ask Seph to stop at 7-11 or even McDs so I could grab something to eat and drink.  It was after after 10 minutes that I realized that this was a big mistake as I started to get hungry and light-headed - my energy levels were way down and the heat and humidity did not help much.

I had mentioned that I don't regret coming to VA to train.  I will say that I regret not putting more effort in to trying to create some better bonds with my hosts Kenny and Seph.  I keep mostly to myself and kind of did my own thing while in VA.  I feel that I could have put in a bit more effort in to trying to be more open and what not but you I guess it's just not my nature.  I hope that if I make it back that I can work on that as both Kenny and Seph are cool guys.

While waiting for the train I found some vending machines and picked up some chocolate bars, water, and gatorade.  And waited.  The station filled up and emptied as people arrived and left on their trains to various destinations.

Just after 11am one of the train station attendants called out for all passengers on the train bound for Charlotte (and stops inbetween) to make their way out the the platform.  After about 10 minutes the train arrived and I made my way on to the train.  Here are a couple of pictures that I took while waiting for the train to arrive:

Waiting for the train to arrive.

Train just get here already!

The plan had been to get a seat by a window so I can snap some shots from the train.  But the train attendants informed us that people traveling in groups of 2 or more would board first; by the time I got on the train the pickings were slim and as per my luck I was not able to get a seat by a window.  I was just thankful that the train had air conditioning (at least initially)as it was another stiflingly hot day in VA.  As it turns out it would have not mattered much as I sleep pretty much through most of the train ride in to Charlotte.

I'd like to say that the train ride was thrilling and that I did something crazy like hook up with some hot gal.  Unfortunately it was the polar opposite.  Not having much sleep the night before I ended up sleeping and when I was up I was surrounded by mostly less than "hook-up" type of people.  I was thankful that the train did have a store that opened up and sold snack meals.  The only real drama that I encountered on the train ride was that were running late.  First because the train was not able to run at full speed because of the heat (dont ask me why but I can attest to the fact that it was murderously hot out).  We were also running late as we had some trouble with the Engine car of the train.

Jeremy had informed me that his mother would pick me up at the train station as he was going to be still teaching when my train was to have arrived.  Well I had no other way to keep in touch with jeremy except through facebook.  In informed him of the train running late.  In order to do so I had to turn on my connection to the mobile network then log in to facebook and send a mesage - I had come to the conclusion early in my trip that using my cell phone, specifically mobile browsing, was out of the question as roaming charges are really outrageous and I did not want to come home to a enormous phone bill.

In total my train was just shy of 3hrs late and in the end Jeremy picked me up at the train station.  I arrived in Charlotte at around 10:50pm just a few minutes shy of a 12hr train ride.  I was not to stressed out by this as I had never been on a train before and it was a new experience.

After picking me up Jeremy asked me if I'd like to get something to eat and I said yep.  So we made our way to this 50s inspired bar/diner???  I ordered a burger and fries. I also tried something new; deep fried pickles.  Yes you read that right - Deep Fried Pickles.  Behold:

Deep Fried Pickles!

My impressions?  They sounded like they would taste like crap but they ended up being pretty good eats.  Not that I would ever miss eating them again.  But it is nice to try something different.  Here is some bathroom art from the same bar:

Pabst - beer of hipsters the world over!

After eating I learned that although Jeremy picked me up in Charlotte, NC.  That I would be staying and training in South Carolina - about 10 minutes south of the city of Charlotte.  We drove to the house, I got settled in.  Before I went to sleep Jeremy told me to watch his latest video upload.  I did and here it is for your viewing entertainment:



So that was my long day.

Stay tuned for more blogs from my time in South Carolina.

Andre.

Connection Rio

I'm not making it to Rio this year and obviously not going to be hanging out with whom ever is staying at the Connection Rio house (from what Dennis has told me they are two houses now - both within walking distance to Gordo's Academy.

I came into contact with Dennis Asche and his company ConnectionRio about a month and a half before I left for Rio 2yrs ago. This was at a time when I had decided, for various reasons, to quit my job and try to pursue the BJJ dream of going to Rio and doing nothing but training and living the lifestyle.

It was a chore to try and get everything in order and a big leap of faith for me - considering I'd never flown in a plane, never been farther than Vancouver in Canada and Wyoming in the USA. But I guess when you've become heartbroken (with life in general) one to many times you either make changes or just resign that your life is going to suck and you're going to die unfulfilled and a chump.

Anyhow, long short - I tried in vain to secure a place to stay in Rio. Most places were way out of my price range. I was pretty certain that a long term stay was out of the question (I had planned to stay at least 5-6 months). Anyhow a friend from Gracie Barra Calgary sent me a website that had tips and pointers for people wanting to go train in Rio. I ended up contacting them (they were from the UK - if i recall correctly) and in turn he gave me Dennis Asche's contact info. I ended up contacting Dennis right away and he said that he had a space for me. And well the rest is history. I stayed at the ConnectionRio HQ for about 3 months; a family emergency sent me back to Canada cutting short my trip but for good reason (perhaps another blog will get in to this).

I ended up going back to Rio and ConnectionRio last year and had planned on going back but things don't work out as you plan. But I do plan on making my way back to Rio, ConnectionRio, and Gordo's academy again. The previous blog got into my plans for this summer.

If you are into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and want to experience the birthplace of BJJ (Brazil, Rio, Barra da Tijuca, etc...) in a safe and secure environment. Then i highly recommend contacting Dennis Asche through the connection rio website and start working on living your dreams.


http://www.connectionrio.com/

Here is a clip of BlackBelt Dennis Asche (under Roberto "Gordo" Correa de Lima) and founder of Connection Rio showing off a couple of butterfly guard passes:





Here is a clip of the ConnectionRio show; an interview with Rafael dos Anjos who just fought and defeated George Sotiropoulos this past weekend at UFC 132.






Finally, here is a clip of a young gentleman I've seen but never really talked to at Gordo's academy talking about being positive and training. He is Robson Gracie:

I'd suggest subscribing to the ConnectionRio youtube page or contacting Dennis if you have desire to go to Rio, train, and live the Jiu Jitsu lifestyle.

Anyhow, that is it for now. I'm still waiting on the Marcelo Garcia academy to get back to me so i can start booking flights and finalizing my plans. Hopefully everything come to fruition.

Till next time . . . Peace!

Summer 2011-jiu jitsu?

Well it's been ages since I've wrote on here. Time for an update. Well last time that I wrote was in Rio (last August) and well I kinda got lazy and stopped writing. I had planned on picking it back up when I got back to Canada but my computer crashed a few days after I arrived back in Canada which in turn just helped me lose my motivation for anything.

I pretty much stopped training (work ate up most of my time and crazy winter weather helped with the lack of motiavtion.)

I had planned on going back to rio this year and competing in the rio open and trying to work my way closer to that purple belt. But as such, in my life, things just never worked out (a lack of get go and motivation on my part which led to not getting a place to stay in Connection Rio). There's really no place else i would consider staying and training Rio - Its all about Connection Rio and Gordo Jiu Jitsu. It is where my heart lies.

I will always be Gordo Jiu Jitsu and will always represent Dennis Asche and connection Rio. Well at least for as long as I'm in this world.

But things are not so bleak. I know that I cannot just sit around and be bummed out in southern, Alberta. It would lead to falling back into old patterns and depressions. So I tried to scrabble and think of what I can do.

I contacted my Friend Jeremy Ariel, whom I met on my first trip to Rio, and asked him what the chances were of him holding me up for a few weeks this summer and letting me train at his brand new gym in Charlotte, N.C. He said sure and I will be going there for a few weeks in late july and early august.

Here is Jeremy showing off what he calls the Rommel guard pass (one of my favorite instructors at Gordo's Academy).






So training at Jeremy's gym (aka Gerbil) will be the 2nd half of my summer adventure .

I'm waiting to hear if plans fall through to train at Marcelo Garcia's academy in NYC for a week or so. Here is a clip of Garcia if you're unfamiliar.





If things work out I'll also be training at Ryan Hall's academy 50/50 in Washington, D.C. If you're unfamilar with Ryan Hall here is a clip:





I'm hoping to spend 6 days at Marcelo's and another week at Ryan Hall's. Finally 2 weeks or so training with my Connection Rio buddy Jeremy. It is not Rio but it's not bad either way. However things turn out I will be happy to life, breath, and hopefully get my fire back.

I'll start posting and writing more - no matter what happens. It's part of being happy and living life. Doing what yo love and I used to love writing so much.

Peace out and leave a comment if you read this. Don't hesistate to check out my profile and send me a message if you're wondering about anything. I'll end with a little clip of Connection Rio:




Well two clips this one featuring a brief section with your's truely.







Whoever is looking out for us . . . "Guide us till the end of time"

Opening Doors in Rio - letting the sun in

Well it’s been far too long since my last update - I’m thinking that I will do 2-3 smaller blogs as opposed to my usual longer blogs.

This blog will cover the week of July 19 -25, 2010.

The week started off on a good note - I ended up going for a run on Monday afternoon then went to train that night. Overall, I pretty positive day. There is nothing really of note -as most of the days were the same, get up, eat, maybe train or go for a run during the afternoon, come home, eat, sleep, then get ready for evening training.

This week was the week of Rio Open so the gym was pretty packed each night - in fact on the Monday I had noticed there was another female black belt in the academy but did not really pay much attention as I was there to train and honestly I cannot see very well without my glasses. Once training was over I threw on my glasses and was heading out the door when I noticed that the female black belt was none other than Kyra Gracie herself. Damn, and I did not bring my camera. OH well.

Monday was also the day that a new guy moved into the house - Richie.

Anyhow I ended up training Monday to Wednesday.

I awoke fairly late on Thursday morning; which was the first day of the Rio Open. I had planned on going down to watch the guys and gals from the house compete but ended up missing out on rides to the tournament. I arrived back at the Connection Rio house and was lucky enough to run into Jeremy and he informed me that he would be heading down around 4pm as he did not have to compete till closer to 6pm. So I had a ride there (cab ride that is). As we arrived we ran in to Dennis and some of the people from the house and from the looks on their faces I knew that they did not do so well.

Jeremy asked me if I would be willing to record his matches during the Rio Open and I agreed. As for the match - well Jeremy did not do as well as expected. But he put up a great fight and in the end he walked away from the match while his opponent limped away. In-fact, in the very next match Jeremy’s opponent just ended up basically giving up because of the damage that Jeremy did to his knee. Go figure. Next time.

The next day I had also agreed to go to the open with the new guy Richie to film and give support. We were up fairly early that morning and headed off to the cab stand near the Mudial grocery store. The cab ride was pretty crazy as the cab driver was fairly slow (by Rio standards), and his vehicle began to emit smoke, in addition the oil light came on. But we managed to make it to the Tijuca tennis courts on time for Richie’s matches.

In the end Richie ended up wining his division - I got to film him. Braga Neto also helped to coach Richie. All in all a great day for my new friend. Here are a couple of photos of Richie:





We also trained later that night and ended up getting to meet BJJ legend Vinicius “Draculio” Magalhaes as he dropped by Gordo’s academy for an interview with Dennis. Check photo for proof (ha ha!):





I ended up not making it to the Rio Open on Saturday - which sucked as I wanted to see Gordo’s matches. Again, it was a matter of not planning ahead and missing out on rides to the tennis courts. Gordo ended up winning his division so all praise be to the master himself.

I managed to talk Richie into going on Sunday - Justin, another room-mate - also wanted to come along so we ended up catching a cab down to the tennis courts around 11am. By the time we got there quite a few of the matches had already taken place - so we hung out, ate, watched matches and gals (female watching is mandatory in Rio..ha ha!). Bought some merchandise (picked up a snazzy hoodie and duffel bag.) Richie and I ended up staying till around 3pm and decided to head back to the house. On our way I out I just happened to look up and catch a glimpse of one of my BJJ Heros Saulo Ribeiro. I ended up getting Richie to ask him if I could take my picture with him as I was too awe struck. Here is my picture with Saulo just before his absolute matches:




So that was pretty much the week of the Rio Open - I must say that this was as good a week as I’ve ever had. Lots up ups and very few downs.

I think about this week and I feel like things can turn out for the good - the weather was nice, my friends competed, some won, some lost but they all fought hard and made themselves proud, I met some hero’s and made a new friend - which is what living life is all about - those surprises that you expect and don’t expect.

I not sure where this road (path) that I’ve taken will lead me - I just know that it feels right. But I must confess that at times it can be hard and that I do get discouraged (next blog will get into this) and want to give up and just go back to playing it safe (9-5 job, pay bills, etc…) but, for whatever reason, I keep at it. Get up and keep at it. Perhaps maybe someday “She’ll” read about me and realize she let something go that was worth having (I know I should have let her memory die a long time ago but you know, it is what it is and I cannot and will not apologise for still aching)

So here’s to running head first through all those doors that lay out before us - as the saying goes “the sun never shines on closed doors.” So bust those doors down and let some goddamn sunshine in . . .

Next blog coming soon !!!!

“Come July we’ll ride the farris-wheel round and round and if you never let me go I’ll never let you down”

A.

Rainy days and packed houses alwasy get me down

Part two:

Well the plane ride was what a 10hr plane ride in coach - long, uncomfortable. Although I must say that I was thankful that the plane was not too packed - this was probably due to the fact that I flew on a Tuesday as opposed to a flight closer to the weekend; which I’ve been told are the times to avoid as everyone leaves on weekends.

The flight went well - I ended up watching the movie Date Night as well as an episode of The Office as well as some other comedy shows. I also watched some House and a bit of CSI. To kill time I also started to read one of the books I picked up before I left; in this case I started to read The Road as I had watched a movie and liked it and figured I needed to read the book. I plan on finishing it quickly as I might use it for teaching English this coming fall.

We made it to Rio on time. I was a bit worried that I might get hassled by the customs people as I do believe I only have about 15 days till I have to renew my visa for another 90 days. Of course it will go back bump back to 180 on Aug 07, 2010 - as August 07 was the day I arrived last year.

In talking with Dennis he said that a gentleman named Danillo “Moto-Serra” would pick me up at the airport. I was told he was a black gentle man, with tattoos, who is also a Vale-Tudo (anything goes) fighter - basically an MMA fighter. I waited for my bags to come around, which they finally did after about 25 minutes. I then walked through the final check in and walked out hoping my ride was there - and of course he was not. If you’ve never been to Rio you won’t get why I was so nervous - I did not want to get swarmed by the Gringo Hawks aka the cab drivers that hound you to take their cab. But for some reason they did not bother me - one guy even tried to help me with calling Denis. I wandered around for about 40 minutes. I then noticed someone walking in and towards the arrival area - he fit the description that Denis gave me so I walked up to him and asked if he was Danilo and he said yes. So I had my ride - it was a long ride as Danilo decided to take the scenic route and even made a stop at his place to pick up a cell phone charger. I was a bit worried I was being taken for a ride but I eventually made it to the Connection Rio house.

When I arrived at the airport it was overcast but no rain as Danilo and I made our way through the city it started to rain and continued all the way to Barra da Tijuca. And has been raining ever since I got here - that’s 4 days now. I must say it is getting kind of depressing. I wanna hit the beach and see some skimpy bikinis…ha ha!


Anyhow, when I arrived the first thing I noticed was that the place was packed and no one really knew where I was going to be sleeping - I was dead tired by this time and just wanted to sleep; after I got something to eat of course. Dennis was not around and was not expected to be in for a few hours. So I grabbed a chair and sat there doing absolutely nothing and tried to get some sleep which is not very easy to do in a house packed with people, clothes, while you’re sitting in an uncomfortable chair.

After about 2hrs I struck up a conversation with one of the gals in the house and told her I was tired and hungry. She ended up lending me her key so I could walk down to Camacha’s restaurant to get some chicken, rice, and beans - pretty much a staple for me. I started to walk down and had barely gotten half a block when I noticed someone running up to me - low and behold it was Denis. He shook hands, hugged and had a brief conversation. He was heading to the house to pick up some of the house members for a training session and I was hungry so we went our separate ways.

I ate breakfast/lunch - went to the bakery to grab a coffee, listened to my I-pod and then walked back home. By this time I learned that I was going to be sleeping in the make-shift room - which is the living room. Either I was happy to be getting bed so I could get some rest. Unfortunately, by the time I got my bed situation sorted out the coffee had kicked in and I was took jacked up to do anything. So I pulled out my computer and surfed the net for a bit.

I was definitely too tired to train that night so I decided to just walk over to Gordo’s academy and take some pictures. I walked in and got to see the new renovations that Gordo’s academy has undergone. When I left last October the gym was just starting their renovations and was pretty rough to say the least. Well it’s safe to say Gordo now has the first class gym that is deserving of his legacy, reputation, and manner. Gordo’s renovated academy is beautiful. I’ve added some pictures to show how it looks now. I’ve yet to wander up stairs but I will post some pictures from up there once I get back.

After I had walked in and settled in a chair - Gordo noticed me and stared at me for a few minutes, smiled then walked over to me. I got the fairly standard handshake and half hug that seems to be the norm amongst Jiu Jitsu practitioners here in Rio. He was very happy to see me and asked how long I was going to be and if I was going to do the Rio Open. I told him a month and that I might do the open - of course I ended up missing the deadline for the Rio Open (it was the day of my arrival and my mind was just not working properly - so I ended up forgetting to registrar.)

You will notice that there is a large mirror in the background of some of the photos - each section of mirror is a little storage place. I thought that was wonderful. Overall, I’d say that being back here is like coming back to my ‘other home’ I just wish that I did not have to travel so far to feel like I’m where I need to be. Life is strange like that. One thing that I’m happy about is the mindset I’m in this time. I don’t have all the baggage I had last year and I just feel so much more positive about this round here in Rio. I do plan on coming back again and again - till my goal is reached.

I really hope that it stops raining soon - so I can get out and go on my walks around Barra - picture taking of course. It just sucks being stuck in the house most of the time. Till next time!

Stay tuned for more updates.

Peace :) Andre!

Brazil

Well been ages since an update.

1. i just finished my first year of teaching and i will be back in the fall to teach highschool again - not sure if i will come back.

2. I will be heading back down to Brazil to train at Gordo's academy next week - i will be leaving on july 13 and stay for a month and be back mid August.

3. i will be heading down to brazil in a much better mindset that I was last year - not as much baggage as last year. So i hope this translates to a better time; not only training but just the overall experience of Brazil and Rio.

4. i know that i will have to sacrifice lots to atain my goal of black belt in BJJ - but i will do it, i know that this will bring much more joy than anything else i've ever done.

5. i wanted to do the Rio Open but since i have not trained much up here i will have to skip it - just focus on a couple of training goals. Which are:

a) working on my guard passing - i was working on this prior to having to leave Rio early.

b) side mount - not only maintaining position but subbing from there.

c) Close guard - attacking (looking for the submission or sweep) as opposed to a surviving closed guard.

6. I want this year to be great - i want to continue training once i return to Canada and be well on my way to Purple by this time next year. I want to be open to everything.

7. I've spent too much time worrying about the future and harboring on the past - It si time to start living in the moment, the now! The past is dead and gone and the future is not here and more-so the future hinges on what I do in the NOw! So here to the new mindset - it will be hard work but nothing is worth having that does not come without sacrifice or hardwork.

8. Want to try surfing while in Rio....it was one of my plans but plans got cut short last year.

Well that is my update - this blog will be updated more often as I am now looking to Rio and Gordo's academy once again. Oh yeah - bless you if you are reading this.

Andre

Update - exerpt from book

Hey, not sure if anyone reads this thing but if ya do a few things

I'm starting to feel comfortable in my job - as a high school teacher. It's a day to day thing but I'm finding my way and my place.

I'll probably be back in Brazil this summer - only for a month this time as I will be back teaching in the fall for another year then I will attempt to take another 6 months off of work to go back and train in Brazil - Rio, Gordo's school.

I've been working on a book chronicling my life during the time of deciding to quit my job and go to Brazil and my time in Brazil. Here is a small sampling - If you read this comment please. I'm hoping this can lead to other opportunities. Hoping to get it done by summer then start trying to get it published.

Here is a sample from the book "Life, Love, and Jiu Jitsu Adventures."

Chapter 2 - If Not for Bad Luck I’d have No Luck At All!

So how did a Native male from the Kainai Reservation find his way to Brazil and Gordo’s gym in Barra da Tijuca? There were a lot of factors that led me to pursue this dream and in turn make it a reality. But it can be summed up with one person’s name: Kenny Florian. Anyone familiar with the current fighter stable in the UFC will no doubt know that Kenny is a fighter who is one of the top contenders in the UFC’s 155 division. Ken-Flo (as he is known) recently (Aug. 2009) fought a losing effort for the 155 pound title against current 155 king pin and P4P fighter BJ Penn.

There were a few factors that led to my initial decision to pursue this dream and each one must be briefly mentioned and detailed in order for the full picture to be understood of what brought me to Brazil and Gordo Jiu Jitsu to forget the past, live in the moment and find a future.
I had mentioned earlier that I had made the decision to move my training to Gracie Barra Calgary and Professor Josh Russell. It is a 2 ½ hr trip from Lethbridge (where I was residing) to Calgary and the GBC academy and another 2 ½ hr trip back after training; in total I would spend 5hrs on the road to go train for 2hrs or so. Because of gas prices back then and time I was only able to make it up to Calgary to train about 2 times per week with the occasional 3rd session. But for me it was worth it as I was learning the Gi system and doing what I wanted not to mention it was keeping me out of trouble and I was making some new friends.

All was going smoothly through May, June and the early part of July. As I had mentioned because of distance and gas prices I was only able to make it up to Calgary to train twice which meant that I had to keep myself active and occupied. I would occasionally train back at Lee’s gym and also I would go for run’s and outdoor body-weight exercise routines. During one of these supplemental workout routines I had decided to go running through the hills and river valley like I usually did. All was going well about 10 minutes into my run. I had just made my way down the hill and to the river bottom trail that leads runners, walkers, bikers down from the freeway to the park along the river’s east side. I was just rounding a corner on one of the trails when I noticed some mud that had slid down from the hill (it had been raining a lot during the summer of 2008) and took note of it. I veered to my right to avoid the big pile up of mud and had just started to work my way back on the paved trail when I hit a small mound of mud and dirt and my right ankle hit just enough of it to cause my it to twist. Now keep in mind I was going a pretty good pace and the mound was a few inches off of the ground. I cried out in pain and stopped immediately. I attempted to shake it off and take a small breather to rest. I looked down at it and it was already swelling quite a bit.

I knew the ankle injury was a bad one; but here I was down in the river bottom about a good paced 20 minute run away from my apartment. I was not sure what to do and I was extremely frustrated that this had happened. I tried to walk it off but it hurt just putting any weight on it and I knew that the walk home would be about 1hr at the very least. I took a deep breath, bent down and laced up my running shoe as tight as I could get and started to jog. Let me tell you it hurt like hell but the faster I got home the faster I could start to try and get some ice on it. Well I jogged home which took about 30 minutes and after about 10 minutes the pain stopped. Of course I knew that adrenaline had kicked in as well as I’m sure some shock.

Once I got home I pulled off my shoe and was shocked at how huge it had swollen. I limped to the shower and washed off, put on some clothes and grabbed some food. By this time the pain had returned and I knew that I had a very serious injury. I put some ice on it, elevated it and chilled for the night. By the next day my ankle looked like there were two grape fruits on each side. And just walking was a reminder of my bad luck and stupidity. I limped into work that day and for about a week afterwards; by limping I mean hobbling very slowly. I was out of training and doing anything for 2 weeks. Nothing was broken but it was badly sprained and I’m very lucky I did not do worse jogging home. In hindsight I should have asked someone in the river bottom to give me a ride home. But as my mother would say “I was trying to be a hero” and it proved nothing to anyone; including myself. Chalk it up to male ego. This was 1 of 4 events (a run of bad luck?) that contributed and set in motion the decision that Brazil was somewhere I needed to go.

The next string of bad luck happened in the form of an infection on my leg. The decision to travel that far to train also had it’s setbacks. Namely, that GBC did not have a shower installed. This is fine if you’re living in Calgary and not so fine if you live 2 ½ hrs away. When I did go up to train it was always a night before planning; a lunch, my Gi and training gear, something loose to change into after my training session, and some sort of disinfectant wipes so that I could have something resembling a shower. Well for the most part this was not a problem. However, at some point it was inevitable that I would catch something - the biggest worry being Staph infection. Well at some point during the early part of July 2008 I had received a small scratch on my right thigh - no biggie. It was not really something that really grabbed my attention. In my years of doing grappling I had received 100’s of scratches and scrapes all over my body so in all honesty it did not even capture my attention, after all I was wiping myself down. Well it ended up being something that should have gotten my attention sooner. Initially, it seemed like it was a heat rash but after about a week and a half I stared to become worried. I eventually got it checked out near the end of July and found out that my leg had an infection on it. . I got some medication that cleared it up within a week or so. This occurred around the same time as my ankle injury thus I did not get it checked till late July and already being out of commission meant that I didn’t have to worry about training and spreading it around to others. On a side note; I’ve noticed that a lot of people do not practice the same discretion when going to the gym. In fact a simple shower before training would greatly aid the combat against infectious skin ailments. So take note all you disgusting, non-showering Ultimate Fighter wanna-be’s; practice safe and clean grappling and fight the fight against the outbreak of skin ailments amongst us grappling practitioners.

The 3rd and misfortune of summer of 2008 was closely related to the previous misfortune. Around the time I got the skin infection on my leg I was also having some problems with the ribs on my right side. There was some discolouration and what appeared to be bruising around the ribs. I chalked it up to the Judo throws we had been practising at GBC. Anyone who’s done even a bit of Judo will surely know how it can take a toll on the body and leaving you hurting and bruised so I assumed that was why my ribs hurt like hell. When I finally got in to see the doctor I inquired about my ribs and showed her the bruising. She took a close look and informed me that I had contracted a case of the Shingles. WTF was my immediate thought. The doctor informed me that Shingles is a form of herpes virus and is passed on from skin to skin contact. Again, my best guess would be somebody from training passed it on to me and I can be fairly certain that it was not due to any sexual activity with any nasty girls. I know this because I was in the midst of trying to woo a girl I had known for a few years and had finally taken the plunge to try and win her affections sand turned out to be quite possibly the biggest “lost cause” I’ve ever taken on.

2nd last day in Brazil.

By now anyone who reads this will know that I came back to Canada early because of a family emergency that needed to be tended to.

Well those last few days were pretty sad for me. I was just starting to find my place in Brazil and my Jiu Jitsu finally felt like it was reaching it's potential. After years of only being able to train off and on - and some times off for extended periods of time. And all that built up knowledge felt like it was starting to come out on the mats - little by little. Coupled with the knowledge and experience I was picking up down in Rio it felt like the potential was there to take it to new heights. Then of course the craziness started and well it got cut short.

All was not lost as on my second last day in Rio I had gone out to take some pictures and decided to drop by the academy to get some photos from the evening training session that night (Tuesday October 20th) it was a sad time for me as I did not really want to leave; especially under the circumstances that I was leaving under. Emotionally I was a mess those last few days in Rio - and of course it's extended on to my time here in Canada - but I was constantly breaking down: sad because I was leaving, sad because I feared the worst for my father and family, sad because I was not finished what I had started, sad because I was coming home to nothing. I'm not ashamed to say that some tears were shed explaining to Rommel what was going on and why I was not staying as long as I had planned.

I took some pictures of the guys training and after class Gordo and Rommel suggested that I and the guys who were training that night take a group photo. So we all got together for the photo by the training cage with the Gordo logo. Just as we had lined up Gordo pulled out some belts and called me up and awarded me my Blue Belt for winning my category at the Copa Cyclone Jiu Jitsu Tournament 2009. It was very unexpected and a great going away gift - an early present so to speak. It made my leaving a lot more easy because I had achieved one of my Goals for my Rio training trip.

I was able to hold back my emotions and receive my blue belt with a smile on my face. It took a bit longer than i thought it would - i was gunning to receive my blue belt within a month but actually training was a reality check. But I managed to get it done about a month or so later than I had hoped to; but it got done.

There was one more crazy story that occurred on my last day in Brazil but I will save that for my next blog. In the mean time the photos are from my second last day (last evening) in Rio at Gordo's gym.


*That's Gordo in the white Gi giving me my Blue belt and Rommel in the Black Gi after the Group picture.