Training, Part I

So I wanted to get a few training sessions under my belt before I posted anything about what is going on down here.  And I don't know where to start.  I guess first off I'll tell you about day to day life down here for me.  I have been trying to make two training sessions a day, however there are far more training opportunities than just twice.  



I usually get up and make it to training at 8:00am and train till 9:30.  This is a class for all levels and it is taught by Gordo.  There are usually a few black belts on the mat, a few brown belts, four to seven purple belts and a handful of blue and white belts.  This is usually the hardest training in the day for me.  The black and brown belts definitely don't take it easy, but they let you work a  little and then lay the smack down.  The purple belts are terrors.  It is ridiculous the level these guys are at.  The purple belts are the most difficult people to roll with and give you nothing, it is just straight up competition style as soon as you slap hands and they put a hurt on.  I'm pretty sure that my belt belongs here...

That's a trash can if you didn't get it.  Basically I just try to survive until they are done raping me.  It has been a frustrating first week of training, and extremely eye opening.  



After class I go back to the house, thirty seconds walk away, shower and try to not move until we train again.  This is usually at about 1:00pm and will last until we want to leave.  This is usually just the guys from the house and a few other guys that are staying in the area but are from elsewhere in the world.  Dennis (connectionrio.com) will lead this workout, and that's what it is.  Let me start by saying that I am 99% sure that Dennis is not human.  The man does not get tired.  We'll start with drills to get our movements down  and then go into positional sparring.  We usually do that for about and half and hour and then train.  This is a good time because I get to work things I need to work on.  Now I say Dennis isn't human because by this point we are all beat tired dragging ourselves across the mat and he is spry and fresh.  Then after rolling we I go back to the house shower again and try not to move until we go get some dinner.  Dennis will stay at the club and roll with some higher belts for a while longer...disgusting.  


There are two night classes starting at 6:30pm and 8:00pm.  Ive gone to the 6:30 a few times, but I only go if I missed the 8:00am class.  There is no way I could do three trainings in one day and be able to move the next.  Or the rest of the week for that matter.  


There are two main instructors at the academy and they are co-owners, Gordo and Rommel (pronounced Homeo).  They have completely opposite personalities but are both very nice and welcoming.  Gordo has won just about every competition Jiujitsu has to offer and told me that his first instructor was Carlos Machado at Gracie Barra.  Now I don't know the whole story and don't claim this as fact but I heard that he split from Gracie Barra because he was basically teaching all the classes for Carlos Gracie Jr. but wasn't getting paid as head instructor which is what he was.  I am not sure the relationship he has with Gracie Barra now, but when he left a lot of top level students came with him.  Gordo is a fourth degree blackbelt.  Rommel is very out going and funny and is a total badass as well.  He has a neat view on jiujitsu.  He says that everyone is born with jiujitsu.  Boxing, kickboxing, karate are all learned and practiced, but jiujitsu he says is innate and he wants to help everyone find their jiujitsu.  Pretty cool I think.  Rommel is a third degree blackbelt.


More specifically about the training and style of jiujitsu down here.  Gordo's academy seems to be very competition oriented.  Everything that we get all touchy feely back about back home is fair game.  You wanna grind your chin into someone's ribs, or put your forearm on someone's jaw line and pressure down till it feels like your face will break in two, go for it.  They train to win and many of the students are champions down here.  Once you slap hands there might be a second of feeling each other out, but as soon as someone establishes the first grip it is on.  There is a huge difference between the blue belts and the purple belts.  I haven't seen a low level purple.  Also, I know back home we stress not using strength and wearing yourself out.  Here, everything is strength they just have the cardio to be able to back it up.  One thing that they are huge on here is the crossface.  It is the worst thing ever and everyone uses it constantly.  It's a very competition oriented jiujitsu.  And watching the blackbelts roll together is amazing.  


Let me leave you with this...insist on a move, if it is going 50/50,  insist.  Don't back off.