Well I've been off of here for awhile now. A few things to update:
1. I've been having some health issues that have keep me off of the mat.
- I ended up getting an infection (kidney) that has really messed up my body.
- As a result of the kidney infection I ended up with a urinary tract infection that is still giving me problems.
- continued problems with digestion and stomach.
- major acne breakout on my chest.
2. Depression came roaring back (perhaps accentuated by the kidney infection and the myriad of health problems since?).
3. Problems with work - co-workers (one in particular) have made work an less than enjoyable place to be.
4. financial problems - it just seems that I'm barely making it to my next pay check. Working to pay bills and just the everyday things in life (gas - I wish their were viable and affordable options to using a petro based vehicle).
Because of the above problems I've not had the energy nor the desire to train (although it is on my mind all the time). I'm still dealing with the symptoms from the infection and it is starting to become worrisome. I try not to think of the worst but it is hard not to.
I'm going to be scheduling an appointment with my doctor again next week to try and get things figured out or at least start to finding out what may be the problem.
I had tried training about a month and a half ago to less than desirable results. To start off my conditioning was awful and as a result I could not last more than 30 seconds going at a mild pace. The breakouts on my chest were still bad (I had been on the antibiotics for about 2 weeks at that time) and they were busting open and bleeding - which is a concern in regards to infection and a did bear on me mentally. I was also, for whatever reason, bleeding at the drop of a hat. Little scrapes would not stop bleeding. I ended up only training for about a 20 mins then called it a night and a day (for about a month and half.).
I still want to train, I still have my goals and reasons for continuing this long journey. It has just taken a detour. I'm not sure what will happen in the next few weeks - as I will be going to see my doctor and begin the process of trying to figure out what is up with me. Mentally, the sun is out (spring time), I have noticed a slight change in my mood with the added sunlight. Winter was really wearing on me. Waking up and leaving for work when it was still dark out and not getting home till it was dark - that is not the dream.
I managed to make it in this past week to train. I'm on my Easter break and taking care (house sitting) the parents house while they are off with my sisters and kids in California (Disneyland). I'm pretty much isolated out at my parents house (no internet). I do have cell phone service (somewhat). I happened to check my phone and facebook on Monday afternoon and noticed that one of the guys from the gym was going to open the academy up for an open mat. I ended up driving the 3hrs to go train and it was very good for the soul to be back doing what I need to be doing, doing the one thing that never lets me down.
I compare BJJ to having a girlfriend (or boyfriend - whatever the case may be). As it is a relationship, a relationship that gives back whatever I put into it. Is always there and has never let me down; unlike every relationship that I've ever been in.
While I've been on hiatus I've been watching video clips, reading articles, etc that have anything to do with BJJ. Anyhow I had seen the video of Keenan Cornelius doing an armbar from 50/50 guard. Having trained at, and being a fan of, Ryan Hall's gym I have played around with the 50/50 guard but I'm not at the level where I can heel-hook ( I also rarely do no-gi anymore) so I really did not see many options from this guard; other than sweeping. Anyhow, this offers up a cool possibility for me. I even played around with trying to get the armbar from 50/50 on Monday night - to very little success. Here is the clip of the armbar from 50/50:
This was from the recent PanAms Jiu Jitsu tournament. Also at this particular tournament we may have seen the passing of the guard in featherweight division. Rafa Mendes has been on a tear and was neck in neck with Ruben Charles (Cobrinha) for the top dog in that particular division. But at this years past PanAms Rafa dispatched of Cobrinha in stunning fashion (armbar). Here is the clip;
I've also been wanting to try the following pass (demonstrated by Caio Terra) but having been on off of the mats for so long I had not had a chance to try it out. Well i tried it out a few times on Monday night and had some success; all things considered (mind you I have not trained in over a month and a half and before that it had been at least a few weeks since I had trained). It is a very high percentage pass from what I've been told and just with my little bit of experience with it it is indeed a high percentage pass (passing the butterfly guard).
I have to iron out some details but I definitely think this will be added to my arsenal (such as it is). A friend of mine informed me that he knows it as the Terere pass; I consulted my Andre Galvao book and it indeed bares a similar mechanics to the Terere pass (look up it up as I'm having trouble finding it on youtube).
Anyhow, that is my update for now; hopefully my health issues will be non-existent next time I update.
I'll leave you with a cool clip of Rafa Training for Abu Dhabi 2011.
Ciao!
Andre
A Blog/Diary of my Jiu Jitsu adventures; feel free to read, comment, or say hi.
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Friday, April 13, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
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.
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.
Friday, January 20, 2012
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...
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...
Monday, August 15, 2011
Boring weekends (sleeping in);Training; Guard Passing, Posture and the Falcon Trust - Last Week at 50/50 BJJ Academy
So when I last left off I had my equivalent of the near death experience - melodramatics aside I did learn a valuable lesson that you need to keep hydrated when you're training on a day in day out basis and this lesson is heightened when you're in the middle of a heat wave in an area known for not only heat but high humidity.
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!!!)
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!!!)
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Sleep Schedules, Heat Waves, Killing Time.
Well the last time I wrote was about a week ago and I had promised that I would post a bit more; but you know sometimes things just don't turn out the way you want.
So I last left off after just having had my first rolling session at the 50/50 academy and being lucky enough to have rolled with Ryan Hall; which a treat to say the least.
My first few days in VA were pretty much sleep days and I'm not sure if this has contributed to my sleep schedule being way off. After my first training session, and continuing on to my time in South Carolina, I've been staying up to 4-6am each night and sleeping in till anywhere from 12:00pm to 3pm. This is something that I'd rather not be doing but since I'm on vacation I'm trying not to worry too much about it. Still it does bum me out sometimes if I've sleep most of the day away. I worried as to how I'm going to remedy this once I get back home and to reality-I'll figure things out.
So You're probably wondering what my living space was like. Well here is a picture of the front of Seph and Kenny's pad:
As you can see a pretty nice little brick house (many,if not all, the houses were brick and I'm assuming that it is because of the humidity). Let me take you on a little journey. I walk up the side walk, open the chain link fence, close the fence. Walk up to the door and insert my key - Kenny was kind enough to give me my own key - unlock the door, walk in to some air conditioning (you pretty much need an air conditioner down here). If I were to walk straight I would pass through the living/tv room then on to the kitchen and to the left to the kitchen the laundry room.
But I'll take you on a small trip to the left and up a flight of stairs. Once you reach the top of the too your left is Seph's room, straight ahead is the washroom. Now I take a left and and walk down a very short hallway; to my left is Kenny's room. But I continue straight ahead to a door and the guest room. On my very first day the first thing I noticed was the bedding. Here is what I saw when I first entered the room:
Ninja Turtle Bedding; how cool is that? Pretty cool I must say. Anyhow, this is what my room looked like after a few days of training:
Which was pretty typical of my time in Rio - gi's and various training gear hanging around drying. It may be messy, foreign, perhaps even gross to those who are not familiar with the BJJ lifestyle but to those who have traveled and lived the life (for however long it was) it is typical and in someways a comfort. A comfort in the sense that, at least for awhile, all that matters is what you have packed - a few clothes, a Gi, your training gear and a few dollars in your pocket and bank account. I guess I'll never be any gals dream GQ kinda guy but I'm at the point in my life where I'm ok with who I am and the things I do (for the most part as I do have my days) and that's okay.
As I had mentioned earlier my sleep schedule was way off. So Thursday I got up around 2ish, showered and walked to the Potomac Centre. At this point I had also gotten my clothes so it was nice to have a clean pair of clothes to change into. At this point in my trip the heat in Alexandria/Arlington was deathly and I shit you not when I say that I walked half a block and I was dripping sweat. I made my way to the stores which were about at 15 minute walk away but seemed much further in the heat. I had found a Barns and Noble (Canadians think Chapters) bookstore which also had a Starbucks inside. I liked to hang out here and drink a coffee, surf the net, and then make my way around the bookstore. I ended up finding a couple of books for my father and a couple for myself. Anyhow, here are a few pics of the Starbucks.
This first one is of a cup of coffee - probably the first day I went there:
This one is of a nice mural above the coffee bar/register:
I would stay here for a bit then roam around the other stores and then make my way back to the house - usually after purchasing some supplies - water, gatoradge, coconut water, and a protein drink. So I did that and made my way back to the house,showered and walked to the bus stop and made my way to the 50/50 academy in Arlington. Tonight went a bit better as I was in the class with a few other guys who were around my skill level which made me fell better about things. After training I hung out for a bit then made my way back to the bus stop to catch the bus back to Alexandria. My particular bus stop went about half block further from where I would catch the bus to make my way into Arlington. This little walk would take me by the 7-11 and my ritual - for my brief time in Alexandria, of stopping for a coke zero and a hotdog. Yeah I know 7-11 food is kinda gross but what ever.
Anyhow, I got home, showered, ate a sandwich, drank some liquid and made my way up to my room to watch internet tv, surf the net, creep facebook, ha ha ha ha....and stay up till the wee hours of the night.
Friday was more of the same; sleep in late, get up, shower, and walk to the stores. Of course I ended up in the bookstore/coffee shop. I had my Venti cup of coffee and another Venti cup. Eventually I made my way back to the house to get ready to train. I might mention that the head on this particular Friday was close to unbearable and I would later learn the hottest day of the year - up to that point. Here is picture I took inside the bookstore/coffee shop that accents my point of how hot it was:
You can make out on the upper right hand side - yes! That does indeed say 39degrees C. I was later told that with the humidity added in that it was 46degrees C. I can honestly say I've never experienced heat like this. Which brings me to my next little story.
So I washed up and made my way to the bus stop. I was soaked in sweat before I even got to the bus stop. After about 15 minutes my bus arrived I hopped on and was thankful for the air conditioning. After about 45 minutes I was at the downtown town stop - Ballston I do believe - walked down to the academy and by the time I reached the doors and air conditioning I was once again soaked in sweat. So I made my way upstairs,changed and got ready for class.
Initially, class went well but about midway through I started to really get winded and shortly after began cramping up like crazy. It did not occur to me that anything might be wrong at this time and I just attributed it to a hard training session - as I had earlier mentioned almost everyone at the academy was much better than me. Well by the end of the training session my heart was beating fast, my arms were numb, and I was light headed and by this time I was a bit concerned. I walked back to the change room, drank a whole 500ml carton of coconut water, and sipped on some water. I did not feel any better and my chest was still feeling tight.
Now I had planned on taking part in what the 50/50 academy calls the Marathon Roll. The Marathon Roll consists of 10 five minute rounds back to back; with the 1 minute rest in between. It was one of my goals upon planning my Jiu Jitsu trip to Virginia. Now, unfortunately, I was not going to be able to take part. I stayed around and watched the action going on and as much as I would have liked to have been a part of it my body was not feeling right. I packed up and made my way back to the bus stop. I got downtown to the Ballston station and while waiting walked across the street to the 7-11 and grabbed a gatorade and promptly drained it.
The bus ride back to the house seemed to take longer than usual given my current state. In the end I made it back home safely and after a shower and some food I began to feel alot better but the lesson was learned. If you're going to drink to Venti (large) coffees and plan on doing any physical activity after that you had better make sure you are hydrated properly and double this advice if you are in any type of extreme heat and humidity.
Seph ended up arriving back at the house and I apologized to him for not staying around. He mentioned that it was not a big deal We ended up striking up a conversation about music. I learned that Seph had grown up in Richmond, VA and personally knew some members of a couple of bands I listened to back in the day. One of the bands was Avail and the other Ann Beretta - two Richmond, VA punk rock bands. Here is a sample of a very kick ass song by Avail:
Here is a clip of some competition footage from Seph Smith:
It was a pleasant surprise to know that Seph and I shared something in common (a taste in music - as the conversation continued I found out that we both like most of the same bands).
That is it for now - stay tuned for the next installment of my trip and adventure.
So I last left off after just having had my first rolling session at the 50/50 academy and being lucky enough to have rolled with Ryan Hall; which a treat to say the least.
My first few days in VA were pretty much sleep days and I'm not sure if this has contributed to my sleep schedule being way off. After my first training session, and continuing on to my time in South Carolina, I've been staying up to 4-6am each night and sleeping in till anywhere from 12:00pm to 3pm. This is something that I'd rather not be doing but since I'm on vacation I'm trying not to worry too much about it. Still it does bum me out sometimes if I've sleep most of the day away. I worried as to how I'm going to remedy this once I get back home and to reality-I'll figure things out.
So You're probably wondering what my living space was like. Well here is a picture of the front of Seph and Kenny's pad:
As you can see a pretty nice little brick house (many,if not all, the houses were brick and I'm assuming that it is because of the humidity). Let me take you on a little journey. I walk up the side walk, open the chain link fence, close the fence. Walk up to the door and insert my key - Kenny was kind enough to give me my own key - unlock the door, walk in to some air conditioning (you pretty much need an air conditioner down here). If I were to walk straight I would pass through the living/tv room then on to the kitchen and to the left to the kitchen the laundry room.
But I'll take you on a small trip to the left and up a flight of stairs. Once you reach the top of the too your left is Seph's room, straight ahead is the washroom. Now I take a left and and walk down a very short hallway; to my left is Kenny's room. But I continue straight ahead to a door and the guest room. On my very first day the first thing I noticed was the bedding. Here is what I saw when I first entered the room:
Ninja Turtle Bedding; how cool is that? Pretty cool I must say. Anyhow, this is what my room looked like after a few days of training:
Which was pretty typical of my time in Rio - gi's and various training gear hanging around drying. It may be messy, foreign, perhaps even gross to those who are not familiar with the BJJ lifestyle but to those who have traveled and lived the life (for however long it was) it is typical and in someways a comfort. A comfort in the sense that, at least for awhile, all that matters is what you have packed - a few clothes, a Gi, your training gear and a few dollars in your pocket and bank account. I guess I'll never be any gals dream GQ kinda guy but I'm at the point in my life where I'm ok with who I am and the things I do (for the most part as I do have my days) and that's okay.
As I had mentioned earlier my sleep schedule was way off. So Thursday I got up around 2ish, showered and walked to the Potomac Centre. At this point I had also gotten my clothes so it was nice to have a clean pair of clothes to change into. At this point in my trip the heat in Alexandria/Arlington was deathly and I shit you not when I say that I walked half a block and I was dripping sweat. I made my way to the stores which were about at 15 minute walk away but seemed much further in the heat. I had found a Barns and Noble (Canadians think Chapters) bookstore which also had a Starbucks inside. I liked to hang out here and drink a coffee, surf the net, and then make my way around the bookstore. I ended up finding a couple of books for my father and a couple for myself. Anyhow, here are a few pics of the Starbucks.
This first one is of a cup of coffee - probably the first day I went there:
This one is of a nice mural above the coffee bar/register:
I would stay here for a bit then roam around the other stores and then make my way back to the house - usually after purchasing some supplies - water, gatoradge, coconut water, and a protein drink. So I did that and made my way back to the house,showered and walked to the bus stop and made my way to the 50/50 academy in Arlington. Tonight went a bit better as I was in the class with a few other guys who were around my skill level which made me fell better about things. After training I hung out for a bit then made my way back to the bus stop to catch the bus back to Alexandria. My particular bus stop went about half block further from where I would catch the bus to make my way into Arlington. This little walk would take me by the 7-11 and my ritual - for my brief time in Alexandria, of stopping for a coke zero and a hotdog. Yeah I know 7-11 food is kinda gross but what ever.
Anyhow, I got home, showered, ate a sandwich, drank some liquid and made my way up to my room to watch internet tv, surf the net, creep facebook, ha ha ha ha....and stay up till the wee hours of the night.
Friday was more of the same; sleep in late, get up, shower, and walk to the stores. Of course I ended up in the bookstore/coffee shop. I had my Venti cup of coffee and another Venti cup. Eventually I made my way back to the house to get ready to train. I might mention that the head on this particular Friday was close to unbearable and I would later learn the hottest day of the year - up to that point. Here is picture I took inside the bookstore/coffee shop that accents my point of how hot it was:
You can make out on the upper right hand side - yes! That does indeed say 39degrees C. I was later told that with the humidity added in that it was 46degrees C. I can honestly say I've never experienced heat like this. Which brings me to my next little story.
So I washed up and made my way to the bus stop. I was soaked in sweat before I even got to the bus stop. After about 15 minutes my bus arrived I hopped on and was thankful for the air conditioning. After about 45 minutes I was at the downtown town stop - Ballston I do believe - walked down to the academy and by the time I reached the doors and air conditioning I was once again soaked in sweat. So I made my way upstairs,changed and got ready for class.
Initially, class went well but about midway through I started to really get winded and shortly after began cramping up like crazy. It did not occur to me that anything might be wrong at this time and I just attributed it to a hard training session - as I had earlier mentioned almost everyone at the academy was much better than me. Well by the end of the training session my heart was beating fast, my arms were numb, and I was light headed and by this time I was a bit concerned. I walked back to the change room, drank a whole 500ml carton of coconut water, and sipped on some water. I did not feel any better and my chest was still feeling tight.
Now I had planned on taking part in what the 50/50 academy calls the Marathon Roll. The Marathon Roll consists of 10 five minute rounds back to back; with the 1 minute rest in between. It was one of my goals upon planning my Jiu Jitsu trip to Virginia. Now, unfortunately, I was not going to be able to take part. I stayed around and watched the action going on and as much as I would have liked to have been a part of it my body was not feeling right. I packed up and made my way back to the bus stop. I got downtown to the Ballston station and while waiting walked across the street to the 7-11 and grabbed a gatorade and promptly drained it.
The bus ride back to the house seemed to take longer than usual given my current state. In the end I made it back home safely and after a shower and some food I began to feel alot better but the lesson was learned. If you're going to drink to Venti (large) coffees and plan on doing any physical activity after that you had better make sure you are hydrated properly and double this advice if you are in any type of extreme heat and humidity.
Seph ended up arriving back at the house and I apologized to him for not staying around. He mentioned that it was not a big deal We ended up striking up a conversation about music. I learned that Seph had grown up in Richmond, VA and personally knew some members of a couple of bands I listened to back in the day. One of the bands was Avail and the other Ann Beretta - two Richmond, VA punk rock bands. Here is a sample of a very kick ass song by Avail:
Here is a clip of some competition footage from Seph Smith:
It was a pleasant surprise to know that Seph and I shared something in common (a taste in music - as the conversation continued I found out that we both like most of the same bands).
That is it for now - stay tuned for the next installment of my trip and adventure.
Friday, July 22, 2011
No shirt, no shoes, no fun - first few days in Virgina.
So I finally made it down here to Virgina - Staying in Alexandria, VA at the house of two of the top students/instructors at Ryan Hall's 50/50 academy. The two guys I'm staying with are - Kenny Savercool and Seph Smith. Unfortunately, Kenny had surgery the day I arrived and has not been to the academy - at least not the times that I've been there-and will be out for 5-6 months while his shoulder heals up.
Anyhow, my trip started at 12:05am Sunday/Monday, July 17-18. I drove up on Sunday evening, got dropped off and made my way through the check in and waited. Caught my flight which was a roughly 3 1/2 hr flight (give or take). I arrived at about 5am-ish Toronto time and had about a 3hr lay over till my flight left for DC - Ronald Regan Airport.
I made it through the hellishly long line to USA customs. Got through with a little over an hour till my flight left - decided to get something to eat then sat and waited till my flight was boarding. Finally boarded and within roughly an Hour and a half I was in DC. Although, I might add that the flight was late leaving the airport in Toronto.
So here comes the crappy part. We landed, got off the plan, and we (everyone on the plane who had checked luggage) made our way to pick up our luggage. Well I waited and waited - for about 15 minutes after everyone else had gotten their luggage. At this point it dawned on me that my luggage was in all likelihood lost - at very least not in VA. In the end I found out that my luggage had not cleared customs in Toronto and the plane left without my luggage. Anyhow, I was assured that it would arrive on the next flight at 5pm and that I would have my luggage later that night or early the next day. Note to self and anyone reading this; "Do not believe airlines when they say your luggage will be back to you in a timely manner"
Anyhow, While waiting for my luggage and then trying to figure out what was going on with that situation - Seph, Kenny's roommate called me and left a message; I called back and informed him that my luggage was MIA. Eventually, he was able to locate the terminal and exit where I was waiting. As I walked out the doors of the airport the first thing that hit me was the heat and humidity - it was unlike anything I'd ever felt.
After Seph picked me up we headed straight to his place as I was completely beat from being awake since 9am the previous day (Sunday). So he dropped me off and told me that he had to run off as he was teaching a class at the academy. I knew that all I was going to do was sleep and sleep I did. I did not wake up till just before 6pm as I had heard some noise and decided to see what was up. It was my other host Kenny Savercool back from surgery. We had some chit chat, I paid my rent for staying here, asked about places to eat and such. Then made my way out to the 7-11 near by to pick up some water as I was feeling very dehydrated and not much better with the heat.
I ended up finding a great Mexican food place and stuffed myself with steak tacos, nacho chips and salsa, and a guacamole dip. After which I made my way to Target to buy some supplies - washing stuff. And made my way back to my place. When I arrived Kenny was out - presumably from medication and just having shoulder surgery.
I spend a bout an hour trying to connect to the internet and finally did. At this point I did some e-mailing and just mellowing out on the computer. Eventually, I went up to my room and went to sleep.
Day 2 - still no clothes. I ended up getting up kind a early but went straight back to bed. I woke up late in the afternoon and showered and then went for a short walk then came back and waited for my baggage to arrive. By about 9pm I realized that my stuff was not arriving so i went back up to my room and went to bed; unfortunately I was in one of those states where I was tired but my mind was racing and I could not settle down. I was up till close to 6am which in turn had me sleeping most of the day on Wednesday.
So thus far my trip has been:
long drive to the airport in Calgary
long, late flight to Toronto
long wait to get through customs in Toronto
Arrive in DC to find that my luggage was not there waiting for me.
extreme heat and humidity once I arrived.
No change of clothes after 2 full days.
lots of sleeping and not training after 2 full days here.
p.s. I've not had the chance to take much pictures but I will get on that ASAP!
In the meantime if your looking for some cool music to chill out to listen to this song by Robert Bradley I just rediscovered. This is soul music and I've been listening to it non-stop. You may ask why music in a jiu jitsu themed blog? Well music is one of the few things that helps me get through the day and life in general. My tastes are diverse. Enjoy!
Anyhow, my trip started at 12:05am Sunday/Monday, July 17-18. I drove up on Sunday evening, got dropped off and made my way through the check in and waited. Caught my flight which was a roughly 3 1/2 hr flight (give or take). I arrived at about 5am-ish Toronto time and had about a 3hr lay over till my flight left for DC - Ronald Regan Airport.
I made it through the hellishly long line to USA customs. Got through with a little over an hour till my flight left - decided to get something to eat then sat and waited till my flight was boarding. Finally boarded and within roughly an Hour and a half I was in DC. Although, I might add that the flight was late leaving the airport in Toronto.
So here comes the crappy part. We landed, got off the plan, and we (everyone on the plane who had checked luggage) made our way to pick up our luggage. Well I waited and waited - for about 15 minutes after everyone else had gotten their luggage. At this point it dawned on me that my luggage was in all likelihood lost - at very least not in VA. In the end I found out that my luggage had not cleared customs in Toronto and the plane left without my luggage. Anyhow, I was assured that it would arrive on the next flight at 5pm and that I would have my luggage later that night or early the next day. Note to self and anyone reading this; "Do not believe airlines when they say your luggage will be back to you in a timely manner"
Anyhow, While waiting for my luggage and then trying to figure out what was going on with that situation - Seph, Kenny's roommate called me and left a message; I called back and informed him that my luggage was MIA. Eventually, he was able to locate the terminal and exit where I was waiting. As I walked out the doors of the airport the first thing that hit me was the heat and humidity - it was unlike anything I'd ever felt.
After Seph picked me up we headed straight to his place as I was completely beat from being awake since 9am the previous day (Sunday). So he dropped me off and told me that he had to run off as he was teaching a class at the academy. I knew that all I was going to do was sleep and sleep I did. I did not wake up till just before 6pm as I had heard some noise and decided to see what was up. It was my other host Kenny Savercool back from surgery. We had some chit chat, I paid my rent for staying here, asked about places to eat and such. Then made my way out to the 7-11 near by to pick up some water as I was feeling very dehydrated and not much better with the heat.
I ended up finding a great Mexican food place and stuffed myself with steak tacos, nacho chips and salsa, and a guacamole dip. After which I made my way to Target to buy some supplies - washing stuff. And made my way back to my place. When I arrived Kenny was out - presumably from medication and just having shoulder surgery.
I spend a bout an hour trying to connect to the internet and finally did. At this point I did some e-mailing and just mellowing out on the computer. Eventually, I went up to my room and went to sleep.
Day 2 - still no clothes. I ended up getting up kind a early but went straight back to bed. I woke up late in the afternoon and showered and then went for a short walk then came back and waited for my baggage to arrive. By about 9pm I realized that my stuff was not arriving so i went back up to my room and went to bed; unfortunately I was in one of those states where I was tired but my mind was racing and I could not settle down. I was up till close to 6am which in turn had me sleeping most of the day on Wednesday.
So thus far my trip has been:
long drive to the airport in Calgary
long, late flight to Toronto
long wait to get through customs in Toronto
Arrive in DC to find that my luggage was not there waiting for me.
extreme heat and humidity once I arrived.
No change of clothes after 2 full days.
lots of sleeping and not training after 2 full days here.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this particular blog. So to sum up my trip thus far - no luggage no fun!
p.s. I've not had the chance to take much pictures but I will get on that ASAP!
In the meantime if your looking for some cool music to chill out to listen to this song by Robert Bradley I just rediscovered. This is soul music and I've been listening to it non-stop. You may ask why music in a jiu jitsu themed blog? Well music is one of the few things that helps me get through the day and life in general. My tastes are diverse. Enjoy!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Gordo Jiu Jitsu - 4 yr B-day & Real Rio Show clips
My flight is booked to leave this Sunday evening. I just thought I'd put out a quick little shout out to the Gordo Academy on their 4yr anniversary. The Real Rio show caught the celebration - this clip featuring Gordo, Gordinho (Gordo's Brother), Rafael dos Anjos, and Renzo Gracie (speaking about how Gordo came to BJJ and the Gracies).
There is also a little belt promotion ceremony at the end of this clip. This is of significance as I got my blue belt from Gordo in October of 2009 (my last night in Rio during my first trip down). There is a gentleman in this clip who also got a blue from Gordo and he expresses how I felt that night (albeit a bit sad (long story)).
I remember the first time I trained at Gordo's academy - it was a Monday morning. I had arrived in Rio on the Friday, gotten sick, and spent the weekend trying to feel better as well as trying to overcome the shock of having quit my job, selling everything I could, packing the rest of my stuff away, and going all the way to Rio to follow my heart and leave the crap behind.
Anyhow, I walked in and introduced myself to Gordo. It was a nervous experience to say the least. I did not know a spit of Portuguese and I was a foreigner in a strange new place. I did the morning class and afterwards talked to Gordo about prices, times, etc. It was at this time that Gordo asked me how come I just showed up to and that Dennis had told him this guy from Canada was going to show up a week ago. I cannot remember what exactly I told him but in the end I ended up training pretty much everyday at Gordo's (this was before the renovations to his academy) and enjoyed it so much I came back a year later.
Here is pic of Gordo awarding me my blue belt in BJJ:
I plan on going back to Gordo's and Rio soon (in all likelihood next summer).
Here is another clip from the Real with a Gracie Barra Black Belt named "Drive-in" working with some kids in his academy.
Some very impressive Jiu Jitsu from some very young competitors.
Here is a clip with some of the guys from the Connection Rio house rolling at Drive-In's academy:
Well in a few days I will be off to Ryan Hall's academy to train for about a week and a half. After that I'm down to Charlotte to train at Great Grappling Academy with new Gordo Black Belt Jeremy Ariel.
Peace out.
Andre
There is also a little belt promotion ceremony at the end of this clip. This is of significance as I got my blue belt from Gordo in October of 2009 (my last night in Rio during my first trip down). There is a gentleman in this clip who also got a blue from Gordo and he expresses how I felt that night (albeit a bit sad (long story)).
I remember the first time I trained at Gordo's academy - it was a Monday morning. I had arrived in Rio on the Friday, gotten sick, and spent the weekend trying to feel better as well as trying to overcome the shock of having quit my job, selling everything I could, packing the rest of my stuff away, and going all the way to Rio to follow my heart and leave the crap behind.
Anyhow, I walked in and introduced myself to Gordo. It was a nervous experience to say the least. I did not know a spit of Portuguese and I was a foreigner in a strange new place. I did the morning class and afterwards talked to Gordo about prices, times, etc. It was at this time that Gordo asked me how come I just showed up to and that Dennis had told him this guy from Canada was going to show up a week ago. I cannot remember what exactly I told him but in the end I ended up training pretty much everyday at Gordo's (this was before the renovations to his academy) and enjoyed it so much I came back a year later.
Here is pic of Gordo awarding me my blue belt in BJJ:
I plan on going back to Gordo's and Rio soon (in all likelihood next summer).
Here is another clip from the Real with a Gracie Barra Black Belt named "Drive-in" working with some kids in his academy.
Some very impressive Jiu Jitsu from some very young competitors.
Here is a clip with some of the guys from the Connection Rio house rolling at Drive-In's academy:
Well in a few days I will be off to Ryan Hall's academy to train for about a week and a half. After that I'm down to Charlotte to train at Great Grappling Academy with new Gordo Black Belt Jeremy Ariel.
Peace out.
Andre
Friday, July 8, 2011
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 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!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
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"
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"
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Bats in the belfry - Literally!
Another weekend came and went. Time seems to fly down here - of course there are moments when it seems like it is standing still. This usually happens in between training sessions and weekends. It's hard to believe I'll have been here for 5 weeks this Friday. I remember when I got here and was a bit awe struck and thinking that time will never go forward and that I just wanted to go home.
Lot's of things have gone in the past week or so.
1. I attended an MMA show in a large stadium in another part of Rio on Saturday night. There were some big names like Jeff Monson, Pedro Rizzo, Ricardo Arona, Paulo Fihlo. It cost R$50,00 ($50.00 Brazlian dollars) for the tickets and another R$25,00 for the bus ride there and back. Dennis was able to arrange a bus ride for us. The bus driver arrived about 2hrs late and as a result we had to just go straight there - no time to pick up a quick supper or anything. Got there, found the entrance in, found out seats and waited for the fights to begin. Overall, they were not bad but not super great either. The bus ride home was interesting. The fights did not end till about 2am - the bus driver - we had paid for the whole night - had gotten there at about 12am. so he had a little bit of a wait. Anyhow, i think he was pissed off or something and he proceeded to take a long route home then decided to speed through this winding mountain road. Did not say bye to anyone - dropped us off at Camacha's restaurant - a 24hr bar and grill that has some cheap food and usually bad service...but i guess that's part of the charm- then sped off. Overall, a pretty good experience and only my second time out of Barra da Tijuca. The other being the time i got lost on the busses.
2. I'm finally starting to see some little improvements in my Jiu Jitsu. I say this because I am finally starting to hold my own against the blue belts in the academy and depending on who it is - I can survive some of the Purple belts. I'm not getting many subs but not getting subbed as easy as before and getting more and more dominant positions. This is really a good feeling as I was starting to get frustrated and a bit discouraged. I've been told that it usually takes about a month to catch up to the guys that are in you're belt and skill range. The skill level down here is amazing - not that there are not just as skilled guys back home - but the blue belts down here and pretty much every other belt get to roll with browns and blacks on a daily basis. So it's just a lot more skilled guys for the lower belts to learn from. I hope that I can go back home with a profound rise in skill.
3. People are coming and going here at the house. Tomorrow the 2 Irish guys(Paul and Mark) will be leaving. A new guy from Quebec Canada arrived yesterday. Jordan will be leaving in about 2 weeks. Phillip in about 2 and a half, not sure about Alpar - he stays with his girlfriend and is in and out of the house. I'm not sure if any other guys are coming in to the house in the next few weeks. Jason from Australia will be here till November. I just found out the guy from Quebec will be leaving the same day as I am. December 15. It seems so far away but the way that time flies down here. It will be here.
4. I would like to start working on coming back here next June or July. I think that spending time here is good for the soul. Depending on my Parents health I would like to stay for another 4-5 months.
5. I did my first Private lesson today with Rommel Cardozza - a black belt from the guy. We worked on my guard passing. Just some very basic stuff that I was lacking and needed(was not aware of). It was by far the hardest training session I had during my stay here. It occured at about 1pm this afternoon. We ended up in the upper part of the gym and i think all the heat was rising up there. Privates are one hour in length - and it was worth it as Rommel helped me with a lot of little details.
I was completely spent afterwards - came home, showered, walked down with the rest of the guys to grab some lunch, grabbed a coconut and had them chop off the top and I drank the milk inside as Dennis told me it's a good natural way to replenish my electrolytes - kinda like gatorade but with out all the sugar. Which is good because the gatorade down here tastes odd as heck.
I hope to do a few more privates - not as many as I had hoped and initially thought I'd be able to take but a few is better than none.
6. My money situation is still up in the air. I'm waiting on some funding sources as well as the sale of my jeep. Neither of which have come through for me as of yet. I hope that I can get this resolved soon.
7. I'm glad that we are free to roam and leave the house without much trouble. There is a certain individual that is just an annoying, complaining baby. thank god he does not stay here much.
8. I've met a couple of gals but nothing went anywhere. not sure why - just not giving out the right vibe i guess. But hey things will happen when they happen.
9. my dad got put back in the Emergency earlier this week so once again I'm having a hard time dealing with the stress and thoughts that arise from this situation. I'm praying and trying to stay focused and hope that when I return he is back to full health.
i wanted to write more but most days I'm just so tired after evening training - its shower, eat, watch a movie till i fall asleep.
just added a few pics for viewing pleasure..ha ha...
so anyhow, if you read this thanx for taking the time and all the best to you. Will try to keep up as much as possible.
A.
p.s. the reason i named this blog is because a couple of bats made their way into the arena during the fights and during some of the more boring fights - they were the biggest excitement.
Lot's of things have gone in the past week or so.
1. I attended an MMA show in a large stadium in another part of Rio on Saturday night. There were some big names like Jeff Monson, Pedro Rizzo, Ricardo Arona, Paulo Fihlo. It cost R$50,00 ($50.00 Brazlian dollars) for the tickets and another R$25,00 for the bus ride there and back. Dennis was able to arrange a bus ride for us. The bus driver arrived about 2hrs late and as a result we had to just go straight there - no time to pick up a quick supper or anything. Got there, found the entrance in, found out seats and waited for the fights to begin. Overall, they were not bad but not super great either. The bus ride home was interesting. The fights did not end till about 2am - the bus driver - we had paid for the whole night - had gotten there at about 12am. so he had a little bit of a wait. Anyhow, i think he was pissed off or something and he proceeded to take a long route home then decided to speed through this winding mountain road. Did not say bye to anyone - dropped us off at Camacha's restaurant - a 24hr bar and grill that has some cheap food and usually bad service...but i guess that's part of the charm- then sped off. Overall, a pretty good experience and only my second time out of Barra da Tijuca. The other being the time i got lost on the busses.
2. I'm finally starting to see some little improvements in my Jiu Jitsu. I say this because I am finally starting to hold my own against the blue belts in the academy and depending on who it is - I can survive some of the Purple belts. I'm not getting many subs but not getting subbed as easy as before and getting more and more dominant positions. This is really a good feeling as I was starting to get frustrated and a bit discouraged. I've been told that it usually takes about a month to catch up to the guys that are in you're belt and skill range. The skill level down here is amazing - not that there are not just as skilled guys back home - but the blue belts down here and pretty much every other belt get to roll with browns and blacks on a daily basis. So it's just a lot more skilled guys for the lower belts to learn from. I hope that I can go back home with a profound rise in skill.
3. People are coming and going here at the house. Tomorrow the 2 Irish guys(Paul and Mark) will be leaving. A new guy from Quebec Canada arrived yesterday. Jordan will be leaving in about 2 weeks. Phillip in about 2 and a half, not sure about Alpar - he stays with his girlfriend and is in and out of the house. I'm not sure if any other guys are coming in to the house in the next few weeks. Jason from Australia will be here till November. I just found out the guy from Quebec will be leaving the same day as I am. December 15. It seems so far away but the way that time flies down here. It will be here.
4. I would like to start working on coming back here next June or July. I think that spending time here is good for the soul. Depending on my Parents health I would like to stay for another 4-5 months.
5. I did my first Private lesson today with Rommel Cardozza - a black belt from the guy. We worked on my guard passing. Just some very basic stuff that I was lacking and needed(was not aware of). It was by far the hardest training session I had during my stay here. It occured at about 1pm this afternoon. We ended up in the upper part of the gym and i think all the heat was rising up there. Privates are one hour in length - and it was worth it as Rommel helped me with a lot of little details.
I was completely spent afterwards - came home, showered, walked down with the rest of the guys to grab some lunch, grabbed a coconut and had them chop off the top and I drank the milk inside as Dennis told me it's a good natural way to replenish my electrolytes - kinda like gatorade but with out all the sugar. Which is good because the gatorade down here tastes odd as heck.
I hope to do a few more privates - not as many as I had hoped and initially thought I'd be able to take but a few is better than none.
6. My money situation is still up in the air. I'm waiting on some funding sources as well as the sale of my jeep. Neither of which have come through for me as of yet. I hope that I can get this resolved soon.
7. I'm glad that we are free to roam and leave the house without much trouble. There is a certain individual that is just an annoying, complaining baby. thank god he does not stay here much.
8. I've met a couple of gals but nothing went anywhere. not sure why - just not giving out the right vibe i guess. But hey things will happen when they happen.
9. my dad got put back in the Emergency earlier this week so once again I'm having a hard time dealing with the stress and thoughts that arise from this situation. I'm praying and trying to stay focused and hope that when I return he is back to full health.
i wanted to write more but most days I'm just so tired after evening training - its shower, eat, watch a movie till i fall asleep.
just added a few pics for viewing pleasure..ha ha...
so anyhow, if you read this thanx for taking the time and all the best to you. Will try to keep up as much as possible.
A.
p.s. the reason i named this blog is because a couple of bats made their way into the arena during the fights and during some of the more boring fights - they were the biggest excitement.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
If you never let me go I will never let you down.
Another week has come and gone. Time is flying here but at the same time the down time in between training sessions can seem like forever. Lately I've just been so groggy and tired that going out and taking pictures and trying to find new places in Barra da Tijuca has been out of the question.
I think that this is partially due to the fact that I cannot sleep the whole nigh through. Most nights i fall asleep about 1am local time and awake any time in between 3am and 5am - stay away for a few hours then either fall back asleep or stay awake and do the morning training session. Although I must confess that I've been going back to sleep the past week or so. I'm not sure why I'm not getting a full night's sleep. I guess there is still alot on my mind.
This past week has been a bit of a bummer in terms of training. I thought I was making progress but I'm once again finding that I'm getting my butt kicked by pretty much everyone in the gym again. Not sure if it's due to my lack of sleep and general lack of energy or just a down slide or the other guys are improving that much more and I'm stagnating at my current level. I'll try to take in stride and just hope that it's a minor downslide.
the new guys in the house are great to have around and the house seem to be alot more mellow - for the most part at least. So this is totally agreeing with me and my personality.
I was thinking about something one of my house mates said to me last week - he told me something about my jiu jitsu. I had suprised him with a move that i caught him with. He was helping me with my guard passing and then fed me an arm bar but started to roll out of the arm bar and with out thinking in immediately transitioned to the Kimura. This suprised him as he told me he had not seen anyone do this transition. He said something along that "my technique and knowledge is there but that I need to be more confident and believe in myself more." I believe this to be true. That i do lack the killer instinct and that certain "self-centered" quality that alot of jiu jitsu guys (or fighters) have. I'm working on this and it's a day to day thing. I'm pretty mellow by nature so it is a big step for me. Although I do believe quitting my job and coming here to Brazil to pursue one of my passions required alot of confidence and bravery on my part. I do believe that my confidence was shattered last year and throughout most of this year but I'm feeling it coming back - little by little.
I talked to my mom the other day and my dad is back home. He cannot do much and pretty much has to take things easy and rest. But this is a huge relief on my part. One week ago I was ready to go back home to be with my family and my dad. But he is getting better and it's only a matter of time before he's back up and going strong.
One thing i do miss is the fact that I can jump in my vehicle and just drive and go where i want to and not be limited like I am here. I think this is the most I've ever walked as an "Adult". I'm either walking or busing it around. I hope that I can afford to buy a bike so I can do some more exploring around Barra - there is still so much more to see.
I was thinking about when I will be coming home - I'll be here till December 15 and arrive back in Canada December 16 (sometime in the afternoon.) It's going to be blazing hot here in Brazil when I leave but if the past years are any indication - it will be cold and crappy back home in Canada. I'll also be having to live with my parents for awhile. I'm not sure what my plans are when I get back home. I've been thinking that substitute teaching may have to be my job for a while - to make some quick money.
There is a cute gal that sometimes shows up for Jiu Jitsu classes and I got to train with her tonight which was super cool. I also think she lives around my neighborhood. I think I will start showing more interest in her and hopefully things can blossom from there. If not - no biggie - but I would love to get to know this gal. I was too busy trying to focus on the moves that we were shown I did not think to ask her name like I usually do for new training partners. Next time - I will go up and say hi and talk to her. I don't foresee her changing my life but it would be nice to finally move on and take that plunge. You never know till you take that leap!
my sisters where to have come down during the long weekend in October for a quick trip. But with my dad's current health concerns and my mother's health concerns they decided it would be best to stay close to home - just in case. I'm fine with that - Ill survive. It will be comforting to know that they are there for my parents.
I'm going to a big MMA fight card this weekend. so that will be fun and an great experience. I'll definitely post pictures and give a re-cap of the fight night!
I miss going to starbucks and having my usual medium coffee and watching all the pretty girls. then again - Rio is filled to the brim with pretty girls.
I still find myself thinking about things that could have been and what "we" missed out on. But everyday is another day of moving on and healing the wounds that seemed to never heal. One day, One day I'll be something and someone that she will regret letting slip through her hands.
well that's it for now - try to write more - will definitely put up some pics from the fights this weekend.
Peace, love and thong bikinis ;)
I think that this is partially due to the fact that I cannot sleep the whole nigh through. Most nights i fall asleep about 1am local time and awake any time in between 3am and 5am - stay away for a few hours then either fall back asleep or stay awake and do the morning training session. Although I must confess that I've been going back to sleep the past week or so. I'm not sure why I'm not getting a full night's sleep. I guess there is still alot on my mind.
This past week has been a bit of a bummer in terms of training. I thought I was making progress but I'm once again finding that I'm getting my butt kicked by pretty much everyone in the gym again. Not sure if it's due to my lack of sleep and general lack of energy or just a down slide or the other guys are improving that much more and I'm stagnating at my current level. I'll try to take in stride and just hope that it's a minor downslide.
the new guys in the house are great to have around and the house seem to be alot more mellow - for the most part at least. So this is totally agreeing with me and my personality.
I was thinking about something one of my house mates said to me last week - he told me something about my jiu jitsu. I had suprised him with a move that i caught him with. He was helping me with my guard passing and then fed me an arm bar but started to roll out of the arm bar and with out thinking in immediately transitioned to the Kimura. This suprised him as he told me he had not seen anyone do this transition. He said something along that "my technique and knowledge is there but that I need to be more confident and believe in myself more." I believe this to be true. That i do lack the killer instinct and that certain "self-centered" quality that alot of jiu jitsu guys (or fighters) have. I'm working on this and it's a day to day thing. I'm pretty mellow by nature so it is a big step for me. Although I do believe quitting my job and coming here to Brazil to pursue one of my passions required alot of confidence and bravery on my part. I do believe that my confidence was shattered last year and throughout most of this year but I'm feeling it coming back - little by little.
I talked to my mom the other day and my dad is back home. He cannot do much and pretty much has to take things easy and rest. But this is a huge relief on my part. One week ago I was ready to go back home to be with my family and my dad. But he is getting better and it's only a matter of time before he's back up and going strong.
One thing i do miss is the fact that I can jump in my vehicle and just drive and go where i want to and not be limited like I am here. I think this is the most I've ever walked as an "Adult". I'm either walking or busing it around. I hope that I can afford to buy a bike so I can do some more exploring around Barra - there is still so much more to see.
I was thinking about when I will be coming home - I'll be here till December 15 and arrive back in Canada December 16 (sometime in the afternoon.) It's going to be blazing hot here in Brazil when I leave but if the past years are any indication - it will be cold and crappy back home in Canada. I'll also be having to live with my parents for awhile. I'm not sure what my plans are when I get back home. I've been thinking that substitute teaching may have to be my job for a while - to make some quick money.
There is a cute gal that sometimes shows up for Jiu Jitsu classes and I got to train with her tonight which was super cool. I also think she lives around my neighborhood. I think I will start showing more interest in her and hopefully things can blossom from there. If not - no biggie - but I would love to get to know this gal. I was too busy trying to focus on the moves that we were shown I did not think to ask her name like I usually do for new training partners. Next time - I will go up and say hi and talk to her. I don't foresee her changing my life but it would be nice to finally move on and take that plunge. You never know till you take that leap!
my sisters where to have come down during the long weekend in October for a quick trip. But with my dad's current health concerns and my mother's health concerns they decided it would be best to stay close to home - just in case. I'm fine with that - Ill survive. It will be comforting to know that they are there for my parents.
I'm going to a big MMA fight card this weekend. so that will be fun and an great experience. I'll definitely post pictures and give a re-cap of the fight night!
I miss going to starbucks and having my usual medium coffee and watching all the pretty girls. then again - Rio is filled to the brim with pretty girls.
I still find myself thinking about things that could have been and what "we" missed out on. But everyday is another day of moving on and healing the wounds that seemed to never heal. One day, One day I'll be something and someone that she will regret letting slip through her hands.
well that's it for now - try to write more - will definitely put up some pics from the fights this weekend.
Peace, love and thong bikinis ;)
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