My Personal BJJ Training Update April 2015

As you may have read this April 2015 I decided to make my return to cross training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to learn and understand more about the ground game when it comes to close quarter fighting methods.
My interest in BJJ was sparked initially by watching Royce Gracie in the early UFC events (mid 1990's) choke and arm bar all comers from all styles of martial arts, this led to an interest in the Pride Fighting Championships held in Japan where Rickson Gracie dominated all using his skills in Gracie Jiu Jitsu.

Royce Gracie persuading his opponent to give up




                                                                Rickson Gracie undefeated in over 500 fights





At that time my Wing Chun Sifu, Kevin Chan who is heavily into cross training, had been training in Jiu Jitsu for a year or two under Chen Moraes and later Mauricio Gomes....and pretty much was the only UK BJJ club that started around 1996/1997.... when I attended one of his classes in Portsmouth (1999) and before class Kevin and one of his senior students were grappling in a boxing ring, I watched mesmerised while he transitioned with apparent ease to totally control his training partner and set him up into a variety of chokes and submissions.

Kevin Chan of Kamon Martial Art Federation (Wing Chun/BJJ)
now a 2nd degree Black Belt under Mauricio Gomes/Roger Gracie
Details of his classes at KamonBJJ.com and Kamonwingchun.com





Following this initial insight Kevin then held a Groundfighting workshop I attended based on the basics of BJJ as well as a Stand Up Grappling Seminar (1999/2000) based around the Gracie Combative Self Defence Programme addressing bearhugs, headlocks, takedown defence and basic chokes.

I then continued training/teaching Wing Chun until 2009 when I initially began cross training in BJJ with Blue Wave Martial Arts/Carlson Gracie in Bury St Edmunds with head Carlsons UK coach Wilson Junior for around 9 months until a groin injury while sparring forced me to take time away from the mats.

Worth a definite read to understand the unique Carlsons training mentality....
http://www.bjjee.com/interview/carlson-gracie-uks-wilson-junior-on-the-old-days-in-rio-his-journey-to-europe-carlson-gracie-mentality/

So here I am again back 5 years later with the Carlson Gracie Team only this time at the full time Essex HQ in Colchester under my new coach Black Belt Alain Guerra Pozo (pictured below) who has won a host of competitions in Gi and No-Gi Jiu Jitsu and fought in MMA as well as being a Brown Belt in Judo as well as training in Sambo and Wrestling.

In my first class with them and around 25 training on the mats, we covered details of grip fighting and tips to make the guillotine choke more effective before sparring non stop for over 45 minutes with higher levels than ourself where possible..I was well and truly destroyed by all and tapped out many times but again my fitness outlasted some I trained with and will only improve with time on the mats. Relaxation from Wing Chun certainly helped with this also. There is no losing in Jiu Jitsu..you either win or you learn.

 To be a lion you must train with lions - Carlson Gracie

Carlson Gracie BJJ are very well known for their tough, no nonsense training approach and they are pure fighters through and through with many champions and connections with professional fighting and MMA/UFC with their fighting spirit to training unparalleled with an open mindedness to focus on anything that works well under pressure..be it from Wrestling, Sambo, Judo etc... and I feel as long as I can stay relatively injury free and commit to regular lessons and additional home training I can develop some solid jiu jitsu in time to compliment my Wing Chun training and teaching journey.

In line with this anybody wishing to cover the basics of BJJ is more than welcome to contact me about meeting up for some free practice sessions to at least develop an insight of ground-fighting/grappling (GI and white belt (bjj uniform) will be required).
I am in the process of trying to obtain some mats or during the summer months its even possible to drill the basics on the grass.

My main passion as always is Wing Chun Kung Fu but I strongly feel at least some cursory knowledge and experience of the clinch, takedown boxing and groundwork martial arts is common sense for street level self protection as well as better understanding human body mechanics through pressure training and tactile feel on top of providing unrivalled control and submission options instead of or as well as striking.

(Update; I was awarded my first degree stripe on Tuesday 12th April 2015 - a small step up the very long ladder of progress - white belt in BJJ is all about survival and gradually learning to avoid/escape from bad positions and in turn submission attempts often by higher level students..there are usually 4 stripes awarded before the next belt which for me if i get there is Blue belt..many of today's top BJJ black belts were initially taught by blue belts and this in itself would be a great achievement and something to strive for as it shows you have a good grasp of Jiu Jitsu by this stage and a good foundation to build upon, much like the black belt in other arts)