Moving to Brazil on 05/06/2009

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So, I'm guessing Monica's available then? I'm kidding bro.

But seriously, what ever happened with that... Do you guys still keep in touch?

Monica is indeed single LoL. We talk from time to time but after I told her things werent going to work out between us she kind of went off the deep end.

When I returned to Brazil we hung out a couple of times but she started being super flakey. I havent talked to her in two months, maybe more and I'm ok with that.
 
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I am proud to report that this has been a productive week of training. Although I did not get in the weekly goal of 10 training sessions, the nine that I got in were very good. This week I tried to focus more on my roll time (the time that I spend live grappling with partners) and less on drilling my techniques.

Over the last couple of months I have been going to class, pushing the pace during the warm-ups, and then drilling the moves five or six times as much as the other brown and black belts. I have had a really hard time understanding how my peers can roll five rounds straight and I'm absolutely toast after three 7 minute rounds. Well the answer is, they don't really push themselves on the cardio, they get their cardio through live grappling.

After thinking about it all week I decided to give it a try, just to see how I match up with some of the guys that normally give me a hard time. Low and behold, I performed much better than I typically do. Not only did I have the energy to pass, push the pace and attempt quite a few more submissions, I found myself out-working my opponents while still having gas in the tank to do things technically...it was kind of nice.

Although being able to perform well is nice, I realize the truth about this, I will not gain nearly as much in the long term by doing this on a daily basis. Maybe I can figure out a hard day/easy day schedule that will allow me to get my intense cardio in while still being able to see how I compare when I'm fresh. I will play with my training schedule and see what kind of results I can get, and as usual, I will keep everyone informed.

This weeks technique is from the same Leg Weave series. This provides you with an option once your opponent has effectively passed to side control and you do not feel like you can move his body weight back over top of you. It is best used before your opponent has the settled into the position. Remember to lift with you foot/leg when you leg go to widen the pocket for your hand to go through. Also notice that if you meet any resistance you should start moving in a circular motion away and to the back, do not, and I repeat, DO NOT, try to belly down into your opponent to drive into his legs. He will beat you in that every time because you are not in a position to scramble with your back angled towards the mat. Like any other move, this works best if you have had an opportunity to rep it out.



This week I went to Downtown Shopping (again, not the center of the city, just the name of an area of stores) to see a movie. While I was there I decided to try and experience a new restaurant and after walking around for a few minutes I picked out an all you can eat Mexican place. I have passed this restaurant at least two or three dozen times and I almost never see anyone in there but recently I've been craving some good Mexican food so I thought
 
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Whereas my dining experience was a giant failure my time spent sitting on the bench was a lot of fun. There was live music, the weather was great and of course the people watching is always fun. It wasn't until I was sitting on the bench for 15 minutes that I realized the band was covering Dave Matthews Band. Not that I am a huge DMB fan, but I have heard them play that music frequently in Brazil and apparently the Brazilians like it because it translates to Portuguese rather well.

After listening to the band play their whole set, they packed up and started to leave and I heard more live music from just around the corner. The funny thing is they were playing the same DMB songs, I thought for a moment that the band had finished at one bar and just moved around the corner to play at another but upon investigating further I found that it was just another band altogether, playing the same songs in English.

The bar around the corner is one that I have been to a couple of times and I had taken Megan and her friends there when they visited. If you have never seen the “beer towers” you might want to check it out. Back home we have a bar that uses them and they are a pretty cool novelty in addition to be a pretty good deal economically. The group that we took to the bar (called Barrel 8000) had a little competition to see who could guess how many beers were in one of these towers. Here is a picture of the tower, take your guess and I'll post the answer after the picture.

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In case you were wondering, this tower contains sixteen eight ounce glasses (number written to avoid cheaters) and I think it was R$55 if I recall correctly. When we did out the math everyone was satisfied with the deal. I'm not sure that it's better than the “all you can drink” beer but you have the bonus of never having to wait for your next one, you just grab your glass and pour it yourself at the table.

Having cool things like beer towers, all you can eat Mexican food, awesome movie theaters and live bands can sometimes make you forget that Brazil is still a developing country. Even in a city like Rio De Janeiro sometimes you see things that just blow your mind. There was a group of us walking to the beach when we saw this.

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Seeing a horse is not something that would typically make me balk, as I've seen them in other big cities around the world (including NYC). But to see a horse, pulling a crude wagon stacked to the top with cardboard boxes makes me double take. I have actually seen this particular horse/wagon combo on a number of occasions. Typically it is driving directly down the middle of the road with a man standing on top of the boxes and holding the reigns in his hands. He doesn’t even sit down, he is in an almost surfing stance and the horse plods along like nothing is out of the ordinary. I cant think that collecting cardboard boxes is a lucrative business, but then again he is riding around in a wagon so my guess is he's beyond reasoning.

If you know me, then you know I don't particularly care for the beach. In all honesty I detest sand but while Megan was here I made an exception. Between this trip and my last trip I've been living in Brazil for about 10 months and I think I've been to the beach four times (including with Megan). Seeing I don't really care for the beach, I had not truly experienced it until Megan's trip. It was while I was there this time that I noticed a few things about the beach.

The experience is totally different than any other beach that I've been too. In addition to the weather being awesome and the bathing suits skimpier, you have every need being catered too. If you go to the beach on a weekend when there is nice weather there are people waiting on you hand and foot from the moment you step foot on the beach.

When Megan and I stepped off the sidewalk there was a young man waiting with chairs for us. All I had to do was point and he plopped down the chairs. Then he asked if I wanted an umbrella (which I did) and he went and got that and set that up. Then just as we were sitting down I started to say to Megan that I was bummed out that I had lost my sunglasses the day before. Before I could finish my statement a vendor with sunglasses is standing right there. I look over his wares from my beach chair and pick out a pair and then another man comes up and takes Megan's drink order.

The stay on the beach was pretty amazing as far as I was concerned. After I sat down everything was brought to us. After the rest of our friends showed up they were given chairs and everything was kept on a tab (chairs are R$2 or R$3). Hell, the beers even had beer cozies to keep them cold and another man comes by to collect the cans.

While having everything that you could possibly want brought to you I saw one vendor that I found very cool. There were multiple people trying to sell kites on the beach. I wasn’t interested in what the kites actually looked like, nor was I interested in owning a kite. What set these guys apart from the others was the way that they displayed their wares.

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In this photo you can see that the kite salesmen have long strings with a bunch of kites (usually 8 or more) on one long string. They walk up and down the beach selling them to children. I thought this was not only very cool, but also very effective.

I have talked on a number of occasions about the “agua de coco” which is typically a whole coconut with the top chopped off and a straw inserted so that you can drink it. Not only does it make for a great picture, but the process by which they prepare these is often worth the R$3 it costs to purchase one. From what I can tell (and I've seen this done probably 20 times) you are in fact buying a lottery ticket for the chance to see a Brazilian laborer chop off his hand, fingers, or both.

The coconut is held in the hand at which point they pull out an old and rusty hatchet and swing it at the coconut. This is repeated between 3 and 5 times and every time I see it, I hold my breath and turn my head slightly. You know what I'm talking about, when you act like you don't want to see what's going to happen, but you ultimately really do want to see. The last time that Megan ordered one she was ready with the camera. I think she secretly wanted to catch it on film and sell it to faces of death or something. Here is the photo of what I'm talking about.

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As you can see in this picture, the worker actually placed it on the stone cutting slab in front of him which is NOT normal. I'll try and get a video of someone doing it the normal way...when I have the spare R$3 for the lottery ticket that is.

That will bring this weeks blog to a close. I know that was a long read, and again, there was more content to write about but I guess it will have to wait until next week. Also, if you have any requests for techniques to be taped let me know and I will try and make it happen.

Thanks for reading.

The Gerbil
 
gerbil a request, I have skimmed thru your youtube page but can't seem to find the technique I am looking for.

You had a video about doing a sweep from halfguard, you get the kimura grip and let them pass and spin around ending up in north south. it is a technique I use pretty often, just wanted to see if you had more options from there and some finer points on the technique

If I am remembering all wrong it probably because I have been choked too much:p

Does it ring a bell?

everything with kimuras is of interest to btw
 
gerbil a request, I have skimmed thru your youtube page but can't seem to find the technique I am looking for.

You had a video about doing a sweep from halfguard, you get the kimura grip and let them pass and spin around ending up in north south. it is a technique I use pretty often, just wanted to see if you had more options from there and some finer points on the technique

If I am remembering all wrong it probably because I have been choked too much:p

Does it ring a bell?

everything with kimuras is of interest to btw

I love that technique, especially in no gi.

I have a whole series from the kimura grip, often led into from that kimura grip. here is the series (I didnt embed on purpose, I dont want to clutter the page with so many reposts)

The first is a sneaky option from the kimura grip. It has a high success rate and not a whole lot of risk.
YouTube - Kimura feed the belt from north south.MP4

The second video show's how to take the scissor lock on the neck in a not "dirty Jiujitsu" way. Meaning if you set it up by dropping your knee over the bicep then it's very difficult to "accidentally" crush their face. It also covers how to belly back down and use that kimura grip to get back to your knees.
YouTube - North South Kimura Grip to Scissor Lock and then Belly Down.MP4

The last video is a badass shoulder lock that I have had a lot of success with, even at higher levels. When you do this move if your partner feels pressure on his bicep then you are doing it wrong. Make sure to cross your feet and while practicing this in training turn your hips very slowly. Your opponent wont feel any pressure at first but when it comes on, it comes on very quickly.
YouTube - North South Kimura Grip to Step Over Shoulder Lock.MP4

I hope that helps you out :D
 
very much so tnx. as I was watching the last I was like hmm wonder if there is a bicep slicer there and then you point out that it shouldn't be:p

is it feasible to attack with one to get them to release?
 
btw you mean that you like to step into this position after doing the halfguard/kimura sweep?

You think it is too risky to do same side northsouth kimuras?, too little control/position?

maybe I can just get them because I am bigger then everybody else
 
You tried the infamous empty mexican place! Sounds like it was exactly as we anticipated.

-Jesse
 
very much so tnx. as I was watching the last I was like hmm wonder if there is a bicep slicer there and then you point out that it shouldn't be:p

is it feasible to attack with one to get them to release?

You dont need to do anything to get them to release, turning your hips is WAY more power than you need to break that grip.

btw you mean that you like to step into this position after doing the halfguard/kimura sweep?

You think it is too risky to do same side northsouth kimuras?, too little control/position?

maybe I can just get them because I am bigger then everybody else

I use this position all the time and yes even after the kimura sweep. In combat Jiujitsu we called that kimura grip the T-wrap (because your hands form a T when you grip at the wrist) and once you have that grip you usually dont let go of it unless something better comes along, which isnt very often.

No it's not to risky to do the same side kimura from north/south. That particular technique should be the first attempted submission from this position. Make sure that you squeeze your knees and pull your opponent up on his side. Once you break the grip (if he has one) you push his hand to his spine and then rotate. I should have taped that technique already so I'll look for it and try to post it next week.
 
Gerbil,

I wanted to thank you for showing this position. The leg weave with the spider guard is one of my main games. I like to do a lot of transitions (sweeps, submissions, moving to various guards) from this position.

I watched your video just once before training yesterday and instantly was able to pull this off.

The sweep prior to your position is ony my favorites and your back take is an excellent option to add to that situation.

thanks again!




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This weeks technique is from the same Leg Weave series. This provides you with an option once your opponent has effectively passed to side control and you do not feel like you can move his body weight back over top of you. It is best used before your opponent has the settled into the position. Remember to lift with you foot/leg when you leg go to widen the pocket for your hand to go through. Also notice that if you meet any resistance you should start moving in a circular motion away and to the back, do not, and I repeat, DO NOT, try to belly down into your opponent to drive into his legs. He will beat you in that every time because you are not in a position to scramble with your back angled towards the mat. Like any other move, this works best if you have had an opportunity to rep it out.

 
So I'm nearly half way through reading this blog and have been awesomely informed.

The only thing I wonder and hope someone can help with is ...


Using the Connection Rio HQ as a reference point, if Gordo's is 3/4 of a block form the HQ, is Gracie Barra - Barra da Tijuca the next closest and how far from the HQ is it ? Not walking distance Im guessing ?

Im figuring from a safety perspective going to Gordos for its closeness would be best ?

My Google Map skills arent to flash I'm having trouble put everything into perspective
 
So I'm nearly half way through reading this blog and have been awesomely informed.

The only thing I wonder and hope someone can help with is ...


Using the Connection Rio HQ as a reference point, if Gordo's is 3/4 of a block form the HQ, is Gracie Barra - Barra da Tijuca the next closest and how far from the HQ is it ? Not walking distance Im guessing ?

Im figuring from a safety perspective going to Gordos for its closeness would be best ?

My Google Map skills arent to flash I'm having trouble put everything into perspective

It's about a 30 minute walk. If you wanted to take a cab to the Gracie Barra HQ then you could, but honestly most people just walk when they go there.

I do agree that one of the best things about the Connectionrio HQ is that its literally a 1 minute walk to the academy.
 
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Have you ever been so drunk that you forgot your house key the front door? Have you ever been so drunk that you argued with the taxi cab driver about the cost of the ride after having him drive around the neighborhood because you forgot where you lived? Have you ever been so drunk that
 
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I had the pleasure of teaching class again this week because Gordo was running late. I ran though a typical warm up and then moved into some butterfly guard passes. This in itself is not abnormal but the fact that Kyra Gracie was in the class and passed the opportunity to instruct onto me was an even bigger honor.

I would have expected Kyra to warm up on her own and watch the class because she's a World Champion but much to my surprise she participated in the class with another one of the brown belts. In addition to practicing the techniques she asked me about some of the conceptual theories behind my passes and asked some questions based on problems that she'd been having passing Butterfly Guard. After spending half an hour repping out a couple different half guard passes, Gordo arrived and took over the class.

As I waited for my turn to get paired up I started to think about the situation. Why would a world champion black belt take a class from a gringo brown belt? The answer? Because she's a champion and she's not beyond thinking outside the box, or going outside her comfort zone to actually learn, adapt and apply new techniques to her game, even after she's been to the top. I am absolutely positive that it was a training mentality like this that got her to where she is today. After class I asked for a photo with Kyra to post in my blog, here it is!

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There was a very important change to the Gordo Jiujitsu training schedule. This week started the new brown belt and black belt class. This class replaces the 8pm class and I must say it was a great change for a couple of reasons. The first and most important reason is that the 6:30pm class (typically the biggest class of the day) will be able to focus on more basic techniques which will be awesome for the white and blue belts while also allowing the advanced class time for more rolling and cardio. On Thursday I rolled five 10 minute rounds with black belts...talk about a rough work out. I wanted to throw up. It will take some adjusting but I'm sure by the end of next month I'll be up to par.

This week I decided to move away from the passing, submissions, and escapes to focus on a very basic transition, but one that is rarely taught. There are four or five very solid ways to go from the mounted position to an alternate positive position, but this week I chose a beginner level Mount to Side Control transition. Please take the time to read the descriptions that I write on the youtube video, they usually involve important information and conceptual knowledge.



Changing subjects,

Seeing this blog is also about Brazil, as well as training, I feel it is important to talk about rush hour. If you have kept up with my blog then you will remember the shenanigans that I encountered trying to take the metro during rush hour. You will also be reminded of how crowded the bus can get and as you can imagine if those two modes of transportation are crowded, then the whole transit infrastructure is overwhelmed (much like most large cities).

Megan, Robin, Beth and myself (her friends that came to Rio with her) decided to go to the mall around 4pm. We arrived in enough time to truly explore the massive Barra Shopping mall. As we moved about the mall it started getting more and more crowded as people got off of work and took refuge from rush hour.

We had bought tickets for a movie at another shopping complex earlier in the day, and the other shopping complex was about two miles down the road. I knew how crowded the busses would be so I suggested that we take a taxi, but seeing our movie wasn't until 8:30 I didn
 
you met kyra ..... god dam u lucky sob

btw <3 the blog been stalking for ages ^^
 
I have observed a similar experience with Marcio Feitosa and Carol Gracie, both have attended classes at my school and have trained in the classes like any other students, while another black belt teaches. Marcio is also always the first guy to start cleaning the mats, which I think shows his humble character.
 
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