It seems there is a BJJ school right near my office, so I went to have a look see.
Here are my observations:
they never switched partners ( in 45 min)
saw some tough guys who grunted and strained their way through a technique, then babbled about it doing nothing
lots of other guys standing around doing nothing, then trying out the technique, then back to nothing (like doing sets at the guym)
about 20% of the class was very serious about training..these guys were very relaxed…even the huge guys didn’t really flex their massive arms as they made their transitions.
everyone except 2 guys had very large muscles…the two skinny guys wore gis
the head instructor was super nice and seemed very patient
the techniques theselves were situational (he does this you do that), but were obviously the result of many years of experimentation…oh my god!!! bjj has kata!!!
the techniques themselves are beautiful and fascinating
there was a heavy bag in the corner and sparring gear/focus pads behind the desk
Overall, it seemed a great place to train. I look forward to training there soon.
Oh I didn’t ask the instrutor his rank, as he was sorta busy instructing… he had an austrailian sounding accent. It is Renzo’s school. I think I’ll start soon with a class a week, to get a feel for it and see how much I get out it. I’m still fascinated and having a great time with aikido, but the opportunity to study BJJ at a good school is too good to pass up I think :).
If you are training at Renzo’s it’s top notch. You’ll be doing quite well in no time.
I have heard rumors of incurable ringworm from that place. Look into something called Kenshield Skin Protection IF the ringworm rumors are true. I’m not knocking Renzo’s! I’ve just heard… and I guy I know who trains at a Renzo affiliate had Kenshield…
Wash your gi after every class, and take a good solid shower yourself
Thanks for the excellent advice about skin treatment…it is a serious concern of mine. What about wearing those ear covering head gear thingies? Do they help protect against ear infections? I fear cauliflower ear…and I’ve had battles with mat fungus I don’t even wanna mention. Guess it comes with the territory.
If you grapple long enough you will eventually pick up ringworm. It WILL happen.
The headgear will help prevent cauliflower ear, but it can be a pain in the ass. There are many different kinds. I think you’ll find the halo sort to be the most streamlined–it works if you don’t have cauli, but once you do, they’re useless and you have to go with the traditional style. They both come in harder and softer varieties. I found that taping the ear a la Sakuraba helped when the ear started to develop that “sensitive,” feeling.
Cliff Keen makes both kinds I think. Brute is also another common company.
I highly recommend asics gel knee pads–sleeve type for both knees, but I have some knee problems.
I have had my ear drained once, and I have VERY light cauliflower ear that has hardened in the other. You really can’t tell in either ear that I got it.
The headgear will NOT prevent ear infections, as far as I know. I just make sure to clean everything–or at least dry it thoroughly… although I have been guilty of the “gi funk,” a couple of times.
And wrestling is a weight class sport, as is boxing, so size isn’t an issue.
My point is only that you can frequently find good instruction in these arts at cheap prices, and they are usually easy to get to. Sometimes you have to range far to find good instruction for other things.
But like I said, if it’s a good WC school, run with it.
So my Video Game/Emulation posts are moved to the Martial Media forum but some dudes revelation to the greatness and confort of rolling on the floor with men gets to stay.
You’ll find that your kung fu is defensless against anyone ranked blue belt or above.
You won’t have any problem finding people to fight in a challenge match there if you want to go for real with strikes and no rules. There was this one kung fu guy who challenged Renzo at his school and was being rude so Renzo just triangle choked him unconcious and left him laying there on the floor unconcious. Kung fu has been slaughtered at that school many times.
SB,
you may find that the BJJ fits in real well with your Aikido. I can’t think of any other art that can fill it’s purpose like BJJ and complement just about any art. Once I get my black it’ll be time to swing by the BJJ and hit the mats again.
I have to agree with that! A little BJJ compliments other arts so well, and it’s so darn FOREIGN that it doesn’t really take anything away because it doesn’t get in the way, if you catch my meaning.
