Moving to Brazil on 05/06/2009

[anaconda]

touche sir! 28, 29 in two weeks

Nice, happy birthday!

 

[odra]

(Post 2/2)

Changing Subjects:

It is election time here in Brazil and although I do not totally understand what is going on, there are some really interesting observations to be made. Besides all the typical propaganda that is associated with any political campaign, I have noticed that there are a lot of commercials that appear to be sponsored by the government. What strikes me as odd about these commercials is they have a lot of people running for the same position giving 5-10 seconds blurbs about themselves running in succession. I am not sure what they are saying on the commercial, but it is weird to have half an hour segments of television filled with micro commercials by political candidates.

In addition to the odd commercials, there are signs everywhere. Each political candidate is assigned a number. The length of the number seems to correspond to the position they are running for. I do not know how many different positions there are, but the numbers are plastered all over everything...it is very odd.

I can easily see how the signs would get out of hand with this many people running for office. There appears to be one thing that keeps the sign placement in check, at least on the main roads. I do not know if it is a law, or just the candidates protecting their investments, but each sign has an attendant. I know that labor here is very cheap, but it blows my mind how every 50 or 100 feet there is a large sign on the side of the road and then someone standing, sitting or laying right next to it. Here is a photo of what I am talking about

As you can see from the photo, the attendant does not need to hold the sign, nor do they really have to pay attention to who is looking at the sign. In most cases the attendant is sleeping behind the sign, or between two signs. It is very common for the attendant to have two signs in which case they will lean them against each other, making a little tent to block the sun, and then fall asleep inside the tent. It is very odd and I can only imagine how much money is spent on sign attendants. There are literally a hundred of these signs between Barra and Recrio (a couple miles). Can you imagine if this was common practice in America and does minimum wage apply to this?

Man, first of all I have to say that I'm amazed with your depoiments about living in Rio. I'm carioca, born and raised and most of the things you have talked about are just normal for me (like our behavior in some situations, our suicidal bus drivers without any love to their lives, the metro in rush time - by the way, why any carioca would think it was a good idea is something I can't figure out). I didn't have time to read it all, of course, but I thought it very interesting.

Now, about our election... the commercials in TV to politicians is something that the brazilian TV channels are obligated by law to do. It's free propaganda to the politicians to expose what they plan to do if elected. Now, some of them don't have barely 1 minute to talk. It's because the time is short for each party (and even shorter to minor parties) and they have too much candidates. I usually change channel and see american TV when the political propaganda is going on.

And about the people who take care of the advertisement in the streets. It's simple: if there isn't anyone to take care of the advertisement, the opposition of the candidate will just destroy everything up.

Well, I got to say, this all maybe strange for you, but it's much better than years ago. In time of election in the past, the city would be VERY VERY dirty and screwed up with fliers, papers and propaganda all over the streets. The all thing was a mess. Now it is much better than it was.

And about the smell you talked about. You may be thinking that it's sewer or something. Well, it might be, in fact. But maybe it's not. I got to remember you that Brazil is a tropical country and Rio, to be more especific, used to be a swamp. Yes, that's right. Rio was built above a swamp. So it's not uncommon for the many lagoons here to have smells sometimes, as it's not uncommon if you see some alligators in Barra either.

And, well, I suppose you were here last summer. You should have noticed the GREAT amount of rain that falls here in that period. And you probably also noticed that the city goes under water when it happens. Well, that's the price you pay when you build a city in a tropical environment and, even worse, in a place that used to be a very umid swamp between mountains.

Anyway, I hope you're liking living here. I've lived in other places besides Rio here in Brazil (I lived in Rio Grande do Sul and Amazonas) and I've lived in Europe for a while and that being, I think I can say that Rio is one of the best place to live in this world!

I will follow your topic for now on and I wish you good luck!!

By the way, one question: since you are training to Abu Dhabi and you are a grappling coach (and so I think you are willing to train other grappling disciplines besides Jiu Jitsu), have you trained some Luta Livre here in Brazil already? You know Luta Livre?

 

[david5]

gerbil isn't going to ADCC anymore. odra, are you from barra?

 

[odra]

gerbil isn't going to ADCC anymore. odra, are you from barra?

No, I live in Botafogo (very near to Humait

 

[Gerbiljiujitsu]

Man, first of all I have to say that I'm amazed with your depoiments about living in Rio. I'm carioca, born and raised and most of the things you have talked about are just normal for me (like our behavior in some situations, our suicidal bus drivers without any love to their lives, the metro in rush time - by the way, why any carioca would think it was a good idea is something I can't figure out). I didn't have time to read it all, of course, but I thought it very interesting.

Now, about our election... the commercials in TV to politicians is something that the brazilian TV channels are obligated by law to do. It's free propaganda to the politicians to expose what they plan to do if elected. Now, some of them don't have barely 1 minute to talk. It's because the time is short for each party (and even shorter to minor parties) and they have too much candidates. I usually change channel and see american TV when the political propaganda is going on.

And about the people who take care of the advertisement in the streets. It's simple: if there isn't anyone to take care of the advertisement, the opposition of the candidate will just destroy everything up.

Well, I got to say, this all maybe strange for you, but it's much better than years ago. In time of election in the past, the city would be VERY VERY dirty and screwed up with fliers, papers and propaganda all over the streets. The all thing was a mess. Now it is much better than it was.

And about the smell you talked about. You may be thinking that it's sewer or something. Well, it might be, in fact. But maybe it's not. I got to remember you that Brazil is a tropical country and Rio, to be more especific, used to be a swamp. Yes, that's right. Rio was built above a swamp. So it's not uncommon for the many lagoons here to have smells sometimes, as it's not uncommon if you see some alligators in Barra either.

And, well, I suppose you were here last summer. You should have noticed the GREAT amount of rain that falls here in that period. And you probably also noticed that the city goes under water when it happens. Well, that's the price you pay when you build a city in a tropical environment and, even worse, in a place that used to be a very umid swamp between mountains.

Anyway, I hope you're liking living here. I've lived in other places besides Rio here in Brazil (I lived in Rio Grande do Sul and Amazonas) and I've lived in Europe for a while and that being, I think I can say that Rio is one of the best place to live in this world!

I will follow your topic for now on and I wish you good luck!!

By the way, one question: since you are training to Abu Dhabi and you are a grappling coach (and so I think you are willing to train other grappling disciplines besides Jiu Jitsu), have you trained some Luta Livre here in Brazil already? You know Luta Livre?

Thanks for the feedback Odra, it's always nice to get an insiders view of why things are happening instead of relying on my speculation.

I am 100% sure that the problem was sewage, you could see it as well as smell it. It was fucking terrible. Uggh, just thinking about it is rough.

As far as the ADCC as David pointed out I've put that goal on the back burner for now. Right now I'm just focusing on training and getting to that next level. I am however totally open to training all types of grappling and although I have not trained Luta Livre in Brazil I have done something very similar in the States. Perhaps I will go to one of those classes before I return home. It would help if I knew someone personally in the class so that I can break the ice and I'm not just that BJJ guy that's coming to prove something (which I'm not).

Thanks for reading, I look forward to your views on my blogs.

 

[leftovercrack]

well it took me a whole week of nightshifts but I read it all. Very awesome read and entertaining. I wanna go train in Brazil so bad now.

 

[Hellboy31]

500,000 Views! Congrats, Gerbil!

To Odra...

How long does it take to get from Zona Sul to Barra. I have some friends in Zona Sul but really want to train in Barra when I get there... Is it commutable on a daily basis?

 

[Gerbiljiujitsu]

500,000 Views! Congrats, Gerbil!

To Odra...

How long does it take to get from Zona Sul to Barra. I have some friends in Zona Sul but really want to train in Barra when I get there... Is it commutable on a daily basis?

Depends on the time of day, traffic and mode of transportation. It can be as quick as 10 minutes or as long as an hour (maybe more with ridiculous rush hour traffic). My suggestion would be to stay in Barra to train and commute to party (considering it is not possible to be late for a party in Brazil)

 

[esum80]

man i forgot about this thread, got busy doing other stuff and stopped somewhere between page 160 -180 and now it's at 229. i got a lot of catching up to do.

 

[Hellboy31]

Depends on the time of day, traffic and mode of transportation. It can be as quick as 10 minutes or as long as an hour (maybe more with ridiculous rush hour traffic). My suggestion would be to stay in Barra to train and commute to party (considering it is not possible to be late for a party in Brazil)

Thanks Gerbil. Are you doing another six month trip out there or are you staying out there permanently?

 

[odra]

500,000 Views! Congrats, Gerbil!

To Odra...

How long does it take to get from Zona Sul to Barra. I have some friends in Zona Sul but really want to train in Barra when I get there... Is it commutable on a daily basis?

It depends of the horary. Barra is like another city and from Zona Sul to Barra there's just a couple of paths. So, early in the morning, from 7 AM to 9 AM, you can spend a hour or two in traffic to go from Barra for Zona Sul, because everybody is going to work in downtown and they have to pass through Zona Sul to get there. And late in the afternoon (like 17 PM to 19 PM) you will spend several hours in traffic trying to go to Barra, because everybody is returning home.

So, my advice is: if you want to train in Barra, plan your life in Barra. Rent an apartment there and make sure you will have everything you want there. If you want to train in Zona Sul (wich has several good gyms too, like Nova Uni

 

[Gerbiljiujitsu]

Thanks Gerbil. Are you doing another six month trip out there or are you staying out there permanently?

I'm staying until I get my black belt, whenever that might be (at this point your guess is as good as mine)

 

[Mike Wilson Jr.]

man i forgot about this thread, got busy doing other stuff and stopped somewhere between page 160 -180 and now it's at 229. i got a lot of catching up to do.

You still have your pages set to 10 posts a page. Lol...

N00b. :icon_twis

 

[Hellboy31]

It depends of the horary. Barra is like another city and from Zona Sul to Barra there's just a couple of paths. So, early in the morning, from 7 AM to 9 AM, you can spend a hour or two in traffic to go from Barra for Zona Sul, because everybody is going to work in downtown and they have to pass through Zona Sul to get there. And late in the afternoon (like 17 PM to 19 PM) you will spend several hours in traffic trying to go to Barra, because everybody is returning home.

So, my advice is: if you want to train in Barra, plan your life in Barra. Rent an apartment there and make sure you will have everything you want there. If you want to train in Zona Sul (wich has several good gyms too, like Nova Uni

 

[david5]

hey odra, yes i know botafogo, i trained at RFT last time i was in rio, i'd recommend that place to anyone

i'll be back in rio in january.

lol @ zona sul to barra in 10 minutes....maybe in the dead of night or if you drive like a crazy person

 

[odra]

Thanks for the advice man... I've got sometime before my trip so I'll think it over. My second choice would be Nova Uniao (not bad for a second choice ) Have you trained there before? Isn't Gracie Humaita close to Botafogo as well?

Gracie Humait

 

[littleone]

Hoping to go in the next six months if I can save up ^_^

 

[Gerbiljiujitsu]

(Post 1/2)

Monday's are great days for training. I always feel refreshed from two days of rest and by the end of the weekend my brain is going crazy to get back on the mat. I usually have my best results towards the beginning of the week and it tapers off towards Thursday and Friday. This Monday started promising, and then turned ugly quite quickly.

I am not sure what I did to anger Dennis, or maybe someone offered him a large sum of money to try and murder me, whatever his motives on Monday he brought the pain. The workout started off typically: 200 guard passes, 5 minutes of grip breaks, 3 minutes of take down entries and then some posture drills from guard. Everything up to this point was just fine, then for some odd reason he thought it would be a great idea if everyone rolled with everyone.

As he voiced this thought I started looking around the room counting the people in class...ok, there were only eight of us, could be pretty easy. Then I do some mental math, realize we're going to do 6 minute rounds with no breaks and I'm still thinking

 

[Gerbiljiujitsu]

(Post 2/2)

Language can be a very funny subject, both it's accents and it's slang are a constant source of conversation at the ConnectionRio house. It is so common because we have people from all over the world and even between England, Ireland and the United States there are a lot of different slang terms used. We make it a goal to teach (or corrupt depending on how you look at it) people from other countries who speak English as their second language.

Not only is it amusing for us to hear it in a thick Russian, Jordanian or French accent, but it is hilarious to see the intensity that these foreigners put forth to learn slang, particularly dirty slang or cuss words. Occasionally there will be an attempt by someone to communicate that goes terribly wrong, not because they mispronounce the words, but because they choose the wrong word or name.

For example, there was a group of us talking about females who train, how good some of them are, and the varying levels of success of some of the top level competitors. At this point Haider chimes in and says (in his deep Jordanian accent)

“Hillary Duff taps lots of women, she is reeeaaally goood”.
We stopped for a moment, looked at him perplexed and someone offered him a little help
“Do you mean Hillary Williams?
” and he said “no, Hillary Duff”
I said “You mean the girl from the Disney Channel? The singer?”
Haider replies “yes”.

We all laughed so hard, mainly because when I got to a computer I checked it on Wikipedia and when I didn’t see that she practiced Jiu Jitsu I seriously considered updating the page to say “Hillary Duff taps out lots of women” and then use Haider's name as the reference to add legitimacy. I would also love to see the threads all over the forums screaming for “Hillary vs. Hillary”.

For those of you who dont know the differences

Hillary Williams (world champion and accomplished grappler)

Hilary Duff (actress and singer)

Small subject change

I never quite understood what was so appealing about learning the cuss words, or the bad words of another language. People always seem to want to know those words first, even before simple words like “food, water, bathroom” or even something even more important like “help”.

The practicality of a word like “fuck” or being able to call someone an “asshole” just seems really low. I can totally understand learning the important body parts, that has important implications but for me it comes down to priorities. I learn the things that will make my life better first and then go from there. With that being said, I have recently started taking more interest in learning the bad words (after nine months of learning Portuguese), not because I want to say them, but because I want to understand when someone else is saying them.

I never had the intent to use these bad words, but I thought maybe it might be a good idea, you know, just in case, if I practiced using them alone, in my room, and then just ease it into a conversation, maybe at the academy, so that I can make sure that I'm using it right. Apparently, there are fewer things funnier than a gringo trying to cuss, saying the word wrong, and having to repeat it 7 or 8 times in order to get the point across. Picture stubbing your toe and yelling “froosh” only to have everyone look at you. Then you stop thinking about the pain, gently tilt your head and say “Frusc, fuk, frak, fuc fook? And then someone returns your look of puzzlement and says “fuck”. “yes, yes that's the word I was looking for “fuck”. You see how that could deflate the whole power of the word? Now imagine trying to cuss someone out and yelling nonsense at them, they wouldn’t even get it. When that happens I go with ole faithful “I do not like you, you are not nice”. At least when I say that people understand.

Changing Subjects

The buses in Rio continue to be crazy, but I have come to accept it. I used to be scared for my life riding on a bus, but I realized that we're pretty much the biggest thing on the road and if we were to get in an accident, as long as I'm in a seat, I think I'll be ok. I've even come to the point of choosing the safest seats and trying to get in them. Typically they are half way between the front and back of the bus, near one of the exit windows. I'm telling you this, because last week I was forced to sit in one of the “unsafe” seats close to the turnstile at the front of the bus. As I contemplated how a vicious crash would play out (I know, I worry to much) I saw a sign that made me laugh.

The way the bus drives I am pretty certain they do not need a sticker on the window telling people this type of commons sense. In fact, I would even be willing to place a sticker that says the complete opposite with an easy access window (at the back of the bus of course) to prevent the reproduction of someone that thinks sticking your head and or arms out the window is a good idea. We can call it natural selection, pruning, or hell, entertainment.

Changing subjects

This weeks technique is a low guard pass. This is one of the first techniques that is taught to incoming white belts. Not because it is simple (because it is not) and not because it is basic (because it is not). It is taught because it uses a lot of very important concepts and transitions that will be revisited throughout their grappling career and having them practice it at an early stage is what get's their mind ready to do it from all sorts of positions.

Make sure to focus on the dominating the hip, keeping your arms straight with the elbows turned out, stacking, strong lapel grips, the pressure forward and the elbow in to avoid getting armbarred and triangled. These are all important tips that if missed can lead to a being submitted or being swept. Watch the video and let me know what you think.



That will bring this weeks blog to a close. I hope you enjoyed reading.

See you next week

The Gerbil

 

[david5]

one of hillary williams nicknames is duff, can see how he could get confused.

technique: before you secure a grip on the collar i think it's better to secure the grip on the hips and just float with your other hand to block the situp. the rear hand is the key hand. (source: braulio and victor estima)