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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Waiting for the train to arrive.

Train just get here already!

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

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

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

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

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

Deep Fried Pickles!

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

Pabst - beer of hipsters the world over!

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



So that was my long day.

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

Andre.

Training,Clothes, and That Lost Feeling (rolling with Ryan Hall)

So when I left off last I had been without clothes going on my 3rd day.  I ended up going to Target to get some clothes so that I could train and have something to change into.  I also managed to find my way to the 50/50 academy via the bus system in Arlington/Alexandria, VA.

I opened the door and relief hit me as it was definitely cooler inside than it was (recall that I had mentioned that the heat and humidity were unreal).  I was pleased about this and made my way  up the stairs and through another door that lead to the 2nd floor of the building in which Ryan's academy was located.  The actual academy is right through the first door on the left; you'll see a door with a window and the 50/50 logo on there.  You'll also hear alot of voices and music playing.

Anyhow, I made my way into the academy saw Seph and had a conversation with Jen (I do believe she is Ryan's Girl friend and works at the front desk; she is also a purple belt.)  I paid the 75$ for one week of training (unlimited).  Now in my haste I had looked at the schedule for the academy and had looked at Tuesday's class schedule and was under the impression that I had arrived in time for the 7:30 BJJ class.  But it being Wednesday I had arrived in time for the wrestling class.  Not really being a wrestler (my take down options are Judo based).  Jen asked me if I'd like to take part in the wrestling class and I declined (not really wanting to risk getting hurt or hurting anyone).  She then informed me that after the wrestling class, at 8:30pm,  the Advanced No-Gi class was going to take place.

She then called Ryan over and asked him if it would be okay if I took part in the advanced class and Ryan replied, "Sure, why not!"  So I was set to go but also pretty nervous as I was going to be rolling with guys who were in all likelihood far above my skill level.  I ended up watching the wrestling class then getting ready a few minutes before the class started.  Now being that I that that it was going to be a Gi training day I only brought my Gi so I ended up having to just wear my gi pants and a rashguard.

Sidenote; while I was waiting for the wrestling class to finish.  My phone went off and low and behold it was the airport baggage guy informing me that my luggage was in and that he would be delivering it to me.  Finally!  I would have some clothes to change in to and after some back and forth it was decided that he would deliver my baggage to the academy (it worked out better for him as he mentioned that he was closer to Arlington than Alexandria.

Class started and we got right into it.  Ryan and Seph started off by showing an arm-drag to back technique.  I got paired with a younger, larger (as in athletic) guy.  We drilled that technique and then a couple more; at this point I knew that this particular class was going to fly by me as I was not familiar with the techniques and too be honest I had not trained much back home and as a result I was completely off.  After about 20-30 minutes or so we got down to some rolling (sparring).  I rolled with my sparring partner first, then another one of the guys in class.  I was able to somewhat hold my own with the first sparring partner.  But my 2nd rolling partner (again I'm bad with names) pretty much had his way with me.  After my 2nd rolling session we stopped and everyone sat around waiting for the next round to start.  Just before the round began everyone partnered up and I sat there waiting; being the visitor I was unsure of the gym etiquette.

As I sat there I heard someone say "hey,Andre would you like to roll?"  I looked to my left and it was Ryan Hall himself.  The round started off and I was under no impression that I was even going to remotely be competitive.  Any time that I've rolled with a black belt in Brazil I always got this feeling that I lost in a dream; you know that dream when every corner is a dead end and no matter what you do it's always the wrong choice. Well I got that alot both times that I was I Brazil and I was experiencing it as I rolled with Ryan.

It was quite obvious that Ryan was going very easy on me; nonetheless he did whatever he wanted with me.  If you're unfamiliar with Ryan he is well known for the deep half guard position; and I have only really heard of the deep half guard position (I have played around with it but in all honesty I don't know much about the deep half guard).  And I must say I felt very helpless. As the round progressed Ryan would occasionally stop and correct me if I was doing something wrong or he saw an opportunity to help me get to where I was going to go (in terms of Jiu Jitsu position).  The round ended and Ryan began to chat me up; the usual.  Where was I from?  Who did I train with?  How did I like it thus far?  Etc.  But how lucky was I? On my first night I got to roll with Ryan Hall himself.  Back home I don't think I've rolled with my instructor at all - at least in the past year and half or so.  So felt pretty lucky.

I forgot to mention that while I was drilling at the beginning of the class the airport guy dropped by.  I signed the little waiver thing and hooray! I had clothes.


I ended up rolling with Seph and a few other guys that stayed (it was a smaller class). After class I thanked Ryan and he told me that he was thankful and happy that I chose his academy out of all the other places I could have trained at.  But lets be honest the honour was all mine.


So I hopped into Seph's car and we drove back to the house.  I showered and then took pleasure in the fact that I could change in to some clean clothes. Then took a walk to 7-11 as it was the only thing open at that time within decent walking range; grabbed a hot dog and some snacks.  Walked back home and retired to my room.

My first training session went well and I was looking forward to the next day's training session.  On my first night I got to train with one of the worlds best grappler's.  How luck I am to have found jiu jitsu and all the places it has taken me.  If it all ended right now; it would not be such a bad ride.

Here is the website for the 50/50 academy with pictures so that you can get the idea of where I was training.  Please do not hesitate to contact them if you would like to drop by and train with them.

http://5050bjj.com/multimedia


Here is a photo of Ryan teaching and answering questions; notice Seph to the right.

Stay tuned for the next installment - You hear more about the up's and downs of the hopeless romantic grappler...ha ha!!!!

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.