The BJJBrick podcast requested submissions answering the question “What has Jiu Jitsu done for you?” for their 100th episode. I submitted an MP3 the transcript of which appears below. Not sure it totally answers the question, but … what the hell. Check them out – they have great episodes with David Meyer and Carlos Machado,…
Category: Personal
Define Jiu Jitsu in a single sentence for non participants
Jiu Jitsu is four dimensional chess crossed with combat yoga. For a challenge on the Old Man Jiu Jitsu Facebook page.
Encounter with a little dragon
I try to get down to Pennant Hills Park several times a week. It’s a huge area of sporting fields and bushland, backing onto Lane Cove National Park which goes further still. The bush goes all the way to the Commenara Parkway at Thornleigh in the north, to the M2 at North Ryde in the…
Yes, I really am a Black Belt
My IBJJF ID, good thru end 2015. After that, not sure what happens …<>p>
Holiday listening/reading 2014
If you are taking time off to let the chronic injuries heal over Christmas, but looking for some brain food as well as the usual heart-attack-producing fare, may I suggest: Daniele Bolelli’s Lectures on Taoism Daniele Bolelli is a university professor ,teaching comparative religion and a number of other subjects. He also trains in jiu…
Perce the Pelican
The mind and memory never cease to amaze me. Just occasionally, a fragment of something bubbles up from the depths, years ago, and somehow dovetails into your current interests or obsessions. In my case, this was a vague memory of a magazine or newspaper article mentioning someone – I couldn’t even remember the person’s name…
BJJ Black Belt 4th December 2013
I am nearly fifty-nine. About to start my sixtieth trip around the sun on this pale blue dot. My goal was to achieve a Jiu Jitsu black belt before I was sixty. I have been fortunate beyond all expectation to have achieved that goal ahead of time. In realising my good fortune, I also realise…
50/50 Guard
While the 50/50 guard has been out there for a while and I’m usually pretty technique-inquisitive, Anthony has been encouraging me to work various other open guards: butterfly (hooks-in), half guard, quarter guard, De La Riva, X guard and I figured that was more than enough to keep me occupied. He introduced it to most…
A nice vacation, and reassessment
I’m just coming to the end of a couple of weeks vacation. During this time I only went to Jiu Jitsu once, the Monday night class with Anthony. The first week Pat and I spent on Daydream Island in the Whitsundays. We felt a bit locked in on a small resort island and there were…
Poor Judgement
A recent training session found me as part of a class practising some intermediate level setups for double leg takedowns, and for the fireman’s carry. The fireman’s carry is a throw where- one way – you overhook the guy’s arm, wizzer to make him step with his outside leg, dive underneath him, and roll him…