It’s the 3rd 2nd of July Radio Extravaganza Mailbag Show! We talk about how much we suck, what we’re up to, who we’d fight between Tom Atenico and Dana White, our plans for another epic inter-site bet, Kimbo spoiler rumors (and I spoil Harry Potter so watch out), Wanderlei vs Anderson, Fedor’s legacy, UFC action [...]
If I had to name the best stand-up comics working today, it would be something like Louis C.K., Doug Stanhope, Jim Jefferies, Anthony Jeselnik, Jim Norton, and Joe Rogan. I find that a great way to waste my day is watching internet clips of each of those guys telling jokes. There’s something about intelligent comedy [...]
The UFC is pretty lucky that no one in the mainstream media really gives a crap about what’s going on right now between their management and fighter management. Funny enough, if the UFC really exploded and big outlets started pumping stories about the sketchy stuff that goes down to a legion of people who really [...]
Now that Limp Bizkit has been kicked off the bill, the UFC Expo will now feature 50% less douche. Plus we can start paying more attention to some of the other events that are going on, like the big grappling tournament featuring some interesting people: In the headline superfight on Friday, July 10th, mixed martial arts [...]
So three guys tried to rob Antoni Hardonk at knifepoint recently. He told them to come try it, and they ran off. Nothing too heroic about that, but here’s the part of the story I really like: Having thwarted the trio once, he was being driven home from the scene by a friend when he spotted [...]
Looks like ticket sales in Philadelphia are doing well: UFC 101 will top records set by the likes of legendary boxer Jack Dempsey. In 1926 he fought former U.S. Marine Gene Tunney in Philadelphia. The event drew a staggering live attendance of 120,557, which still stands as a combat-sports record. “We’ve sold over $3 million worth of [...]
July is here, and you know what that means. It’s time for another mailbag radio show! As usual, submit your questions in the comments section of this post and we’ll do our best to answer them all. Cutoff time is 5PM EST so do it now before it’s too late! All those of you who’ve [...]
If you were wondering how that clusterfuck in the New York Assembly was going - you know … the one that derailed MMA in New York this year - then check this out. Shortly before noon on Tuesday, as Democrats prepared to convene what they expected to be another fruitless one-party session, they saw Frank Padavan, [...]
Last night I went to check out the Bulldog Gym in Bournemouth.
If I was a good, noble jiu jitsu man, the following would have happened:
I go in. Introduce myself. Accept comments on my purple belt with quiet humility. Do my best throughout the class. During sparring, I humbly get my arse kicked, secure in my BJJ skill, knowing (but not saying) the potential reasons why, aside from the fact that they were tough guys. I thank them and leave.
What actually happened was as above, except, despite my best efforts, I had to blurt out occasionally “I only just got my purple belt,” “I haven’t trained for a month,” “The average training partner in Japan isn’t as strong as you.”
Ugh. Sometimes I’m a weak-minded idiot!
It wasn’t as bad as that though, really. It wasn’t like at the moment I was getting armbarred I was yelling out “Yeah, I’m a bit out of shape, that’s the only reason why I’m tapping right now!” During sparring I just kept going and going and kept my mouth shut. It was mostly before and after the class when I felt the need to give my ego a safety net.
The training itself was brilliant. We were lucky enough to be taught by Jeff Lawson, who was covering for the regular instructor. Jeff is the funny guy with the amazing judo on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter. Jeff took us through some old-school judo workouts where we dragged each other across the floor in various exciting ways, then showed a nice cross-arm drag to single leg technique.
Sparring was really fun, a couple of solid blue belts edged me out, and I was able to control a big white belt. After that I sparred with Jeff, which was great fun, and felt like it always does when you spar with someone of high skill… They can be soft and take it easy and see what you give them, and then bang, your arm is being twisted in front of your face or your knees have changed places. It was really good fun.
On a personal note, I’m driving myself around for the first time in my life and that felt very liberating. I passed my driving test four years ago, then went to Japan where I was unable to drive. So I am only now joining the rest of the world in that regard.
I tell you, trying to squeeze my way out of a parallel park on a hill between two expensive cars, stalling and jerking, that felt good.
I’m chatting with my contact in Japan, trying to find the best way to import the Fighting Spirits series of magazines.
The next issue of Submission Spirits, vol. 4 focuses exclusively on the 2009 Abu Dhabi trials held in Japan. Judging by the preview video, it looks pretty awesome. You’ve got K-Taro Nakamura, Pride and UFC fighter Kazuhiro Nakamura, female superstar Megumi Fuji, and loads more.
I will definitely be ordering some copies of this both for myself and, well, you, if you like!
That’s Leo Vieira’s cheeky face on the right. Wasn’t he just in Japan training Yamamoto Kid in the zoo zitsu? Now he’s training Kid’s nemesis, Urijah “vacuum-packed skull” Faber?
Looks like I will be going to the Bulldog Gym on Wednesday to do some training with the local BJJ black belt, Alex de Souza, as well as with Jeff Lawson from The Ultimate Fighter 9. Pretty sweet.
There’s also a guy who lives near me, parents are friends of the family, who wants to take some BJJ lessons off me which is good. Lucky for me, purple belts are in short supply in the English countryside.
And, congratulations to Adam Adshead, my first ever customer.
He bought the ridiculously awesome BJJ Spirits Vol. 4 through my blog and I posted it off to him today. Lucky bastard.
But don’t fret because you can get your grubby mitts on Submission Spirits Vol. 2! All the details below.
Yoroshiku.
Alongside BJJ Spirits, this is Submission Spirits, geared towards the no-gi grappling fans. Only the second issue, it already has the feel of a well-established magazine. Inside are the following athletes techniques, interviews, pictures, etc.:
Jacare (Souza)
Robert Drysdale
Shinya Aoki
Eddie Bravo
Sean Bollinger
Takumi Yano - crazy ass Japanese submission expert
G.I. (Ground Impact) Amateur Grappling Open Tournament
Eddie Bravo teaching some rubber guard techniques
Baret Yoshida’s tournament-winning techniques
Takumi Yano and Hidehiko Matsumoto techniques: not something you see every day. Old school sambo and Japanese jiu jitsu stuff
Variety: Information about the Bull Terrier shop, one of Japan’s leading suppliers of grappling goods
Kettlebell training videos
Even as I write the descriptions I can’t quite believe how awesome these mags are, and how, if you are a BJJ or grappling fan, you’ve been missing out if you haven’t got them. Absolute collectors item.
Yes, it’s been quite a ride since I left the land of the rising sun for the land of the dribbling raincloud.
I’m still looking for real work but in the meantime, trying to set up a few tings that give me pleasure that could be called work, namely writing articles for magazines, trying to sell cool Japanese BJJ DVD magazines, pushing t-shirt printing ideas around and stuff like that.
I went to Scotland to visit my sick grandma, and the sun surprised everyone by actually being visible and shining very brightly the entire time. I looked everywhere for people headbutting old ladies or stabbing schoolchildren but there was none of it. Just beautiful countryside and old castles and stuff. Although there was one time, about six in the evening, when an incredibly drunk old person nose-dived into the road directly in front of our car. That was pretty scary and reassured me that, yes, I was in Scotland. Also, the haggis I ate. That did, too.
Some castle with trees and shit.
Today, I went up to the Roger Gracie Academy in London to hang out with my good friend Alex and to do some hell damn good seminarin’. Reyson Gracie was in town, you see, and my friend Al invited me to the seminar.
Roger, Reyson and Mauricio Gomes. Legends!
I went along in my OJJ gi with my OJJ purple belt, and soon felt pretty self conscious. Everyone, without exception, wore their GRACIE BARRA and ROGER GRACIE ACADEMY logos with pride, as they should. I think I stuck out like a sore thumb. There weren’t many purples there either which didn’t help me blend in at all.
Luckily everyone there was super nice and made me feel right at home, including Roger.
We were all laughing at Hobo saying Roger was shrinking. Idiot!
The seminar was great; Master Reyson (one of only a handful of full red belts in the world) filled us in on the Gracie family history, taught some good self defence techniques and gave a couple of sneaky pointers that I will definitely put into my game. He was a very open and friendly guy.
After the seminar I introduced myself to Roger with the help of Al’s instructor, Nick, and asked him if I could interview him one day on behalf of BJJ Spirits. He just shrugged, no problem man, any time… We had a little chat about Japan and stuff. I couldn’t quite believe that just last week this man was crunching people’s faces off on the mats at the Mundials but there he was.
"So can I um like dur totally um do an interview and stuff maybe?"
Two very funny things happened which made me glad I had a chance to catch up with my good buddy Al who is a very funny guy indeed. While we were practicing the techniques Master Reyson had shown us, we had a question. The grandmaster was passing close by us and we wanted his attention but we were frozen like schoolgirls at a Beatles concert. We didn’t know how to address him.
“Master?” I ventured.
“Professor?” said Al.
“Reyson?” I suggested.
Al puts his finger up and grins.
“Senor!”
For some reason, that cracked me up big time and I laugh about it even now. Visions of Hobo (Al’s nickname) tapping Reyson Gracie on the shoulder saying “Excuse me, Senor…” Then, later as we took a picture with Roger and the gang, Hobo says to the towering beast of a man: “Roger, I think you’re shrinking.” Roger laughed and said “Me too” instead of just ripping off Hobo’s lips and feeding them to him through his nostrils, which was considerate.
I had some very enjoyable rolls with a couple of people including Meerkatsu, owner of this lovely blog. Rolling with him reminded me of training in Japan, him being a galo and all.
Meerkatsu armbarring my teeth in.
I also popped into the only gym for miles, Bulldog, and who was there but Jeff Lawson of Ultimate Fighter 9 fame. Another legend, he was just as jovial and friendly in person as he was on the show. I hope to do some training there with those guys (and maybe sell them a mag or two, arf arf.)
He was bigger than he looked on TV.
So, still of no fixed abode and living in my old bedroom in the countryside with my folks, jobless, and dojoless, but having a good time nonetheless.
This issue of BJJ Spirits was a cracker. They interviewed Sergio Morais, hot off his win over Kron Gracie, as well as techniques and interviews with the following jiu jitsu athletes:
Celso Vinicius – one of Ryan Gracie’s students
Leo Vieira
Robert Drysdale
Eduardo Telles
Ricardo De la Riva
Marco Barbosa – pioneer of BJJ in Japan
Mendes brothers – now tearing up the world black belt scene
Dai Yoshioka – one of Japan’s great hopes for a gold medal at the worlds
Roberto Gordo
Yusuke Honma – another Japanese fighter with two silvers to his name
Makoto Aramaki – now advancing BJJ in Hong Kong
The all-region, four-hour DVD features:
Copa de Hong Kong 2 (Eduardo Telles, Andre Galvao, Makoto Aramaki
Dumau International Jiu-jitsu Cup 2008, held in Tokyo, Japan
5th All Japan Shooto Grappling Open Tournament
Leo Vieira in South Japan Open – Leo toys with the local jiu jitsu talent
Techniques from Dai Yoshioka, Yusuke Honma, Ricardo de la Riva, Leo Vieira, Roberto Gordo, the Mendes brothers and Makoto Aramaki
Under the “variety” heading on the disc, there are some amateur documentary style footage of the 2008 mundials, a bit about Hong Kong BJJ dojos, and Ramon Lemos BJJ in Sau Paulo.
This is one of the most packed issues BJJ Spirits have done and comes highly recommended.
Phew, it has taken me ages to set it all up, but I am going to start importing the Fighting Spirits series of DVD magazines from Japan for sale in the UK!
See the pages at the very top of the site, or click here for details!
I have arrived in England’s green and pleasant land. If I had a compact flash drive on this computer I’d be able to share all the wild untamed countryside, and piles of animal dung, that surround me. Quite a difference from the urban sprawl of Japan.
Still early days yet with a worrying lack of jiu jitsu and a worrying abundance of drinking tea and biscuits.
When I get time I want to share with you my last minute trip to Tokyo and how nose-bendingly awesome it was.
Do check back in coming weeks for an all-new, British flavoured Martial Farts!
Despite not having a job at the moment, I never seem to have a spare moment in the day. Or I do but I can’t spend it lounging around on my mother in law’s computer.
So here is the news, in quick form!
Firstly, I finally got my official purple belt at OJJ on Sunday. Went for a spot of training at the usual giant gym in Kiyama, then got my butt whipped by about 30 people in a final obi tataki ceremony. I mumbled my way through another embarassing speech and gratefully accepted the belt. It has a few pieces of Japanese embroidery on it; on one side it says “from Tomari”, my instructor. On the other it says “presented by OJJ.” And the coup de grace, in the centre is written TAN REN. “鍛錬 = Cultivate physical strength, willpower, and the ability, etc. and make it strongly. In a word, training.”
ありがとう、いでさん！
Basically it’s the coolest belt ever.
Glad there weren't as many people as the Komlock seminar...
OJJ Labo(ratory): Explaining the rules of BJJ for maximum pointage!
That's a couple of very tough guys right there.
I picked up the latest BJJ Spirits Special, which is all about passing and the top position, from Yukinori Sasa of Paraestra. It is an amazing book and this, combined with the last one about the guard positions, basically form my BJJ bible at the moment. I love the Paraestra style; very technical, sneaky, but also, strong.
In fact I liked the books so much I reached out to the producers by email and to my surprise and delight I got an immediate response. I am going to go and meet them in Tokyo tomorrow, blowing a lot of money in the process, with the possibility of laying the groundwork for importing some copies into Europe, and doing some correspondance for them from there. Should be a good meeting.
I’m sure other things have happened but I have got to go and look busy. Ta ta!
PS Esther, I’ve been fiddling with the settings on my camera, I think the photos are coming out better, waddya reckon?
This is your brain on drugs. Actually, this is my face after being beaten up.
Still living in a kind of bizarre twilight zone of waiting and worrying. The end approaches though, should be in England by early June, which means lots of Grappling Dummies videos involving funny accents, bad teeth and baked bean eating contests.
Training has been sporadic. Going to judo tonight, teaching the quiet BJJ morning class tomorrow, training Friday night, then OJJ on Sunday, then maybe a couple of sessions next week, then it’s sayonara Japan.
I have loads of great pictures that I want to share but I just don’t have the time (or the software) to put them up. Oh wells.
Please be patient during this transitionary period, domo domo.
Hover on the menu at the very top of this page to see what is on offer. The finest in Japanese BJJ DVD magazines from the Fighting Spirits series, including BJJ Spirits and Submission Spirits.
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