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Your individual martial arts/ combat sports journey - did you train in other martial arts systems before BJJ?
5 year(s) ago • 2504 views • 51 replies
MBrown beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
Hy guys,
i recently read Richard Bressler's book, "worth defending" around christmas holidays, where he wrote about how he was introduced to martials arts/ BJJ and how he started Jiu Jitsu with Rorion Gracie in 1979 in California.
Then i remembered, what Christian Graugart wrote about his start into martial arts in his BJJ Globetrotters book and what he trained in, before switching to BJJ.
My "Martial arts journey" somehow started with BJJ , although i didn't train it then, when i served in the military in 1998 - 2002. So i started martial arts training as an adult. In my childhood i played football (soccer) in a junior team and played badminton on regular basis - did competitions there, too, but i was never a natural athlete.
In my youth i only did skateboarding and drinking beer, but no other sports. So after i finished my apprenticeship i went to the military, totally out of shape from partying and smoking a package of cigarettes a day. But of course in 4 years of military i got in better shape than ever before and quit smoking cigarettes.
There i watched a VHS tape a unit member brought with him - it was the UFC1 where Royce Gracie won. Of course i was instantly hooked and wanted lo learn that stuff. Soi i looked for a Jiu Jitsu club in my neigborhood, but i didn't know back then, that BJJ/Gracie Jiu Jitsu was totally different from the Jiu Jitsu style (japanese style) which was offered in the town i lived. That was about 1999/2000.
Well i did some trial session and signed up, got a gi and a white belt and trained like 2-3 times a week. Of course there were throws and trips, self defense moves, and a little bit "newaza", but of course different from BJJ and not in that depth like we do.
After a year i did a belt testing and got my yellow belt. But somehow i thought that this style of Japanese Jiu Jitsu wouldn't be good self defense and in 2005 i started Krav Maga (looking back it wasn't "alive" either, but back then i thought it would be the best to learn). I literally took every seminar that was offered, trained 2 -3 times a week and did Level tests too. After military service i became an correction officer and after graduating from the academy , about 6 years later, i finished the Defensive Tactics and control tacticsTraining Instructors course for officers, too. Because i was interested im martial arts in general, i trained in Wing Chun, Wong Shun Leung/Philipp Bayer Ving Tsun and filipino Arnis too, but in the end in my opinion it didn't suit me well. So in 2010 i fortunately got involved in Luta Livre/ Submission Grappling, KAPAP Combatives (Which here was a system like MMA, but for self defense - with sparring and all distances, stand up, clinch and ground) and Kettlebell Fitness, i was certified to teach all that and taught part time after duty in a "garage group/small group" setting. In 2013 i got deeper into boxing , stand up, clinch and ground and finally BJJ in the Gi, which i fortunately still train today. In the end in BJJ i found what i always searched for and wanted to learn in the first place, when i first watched the UFC tape in 2000.
Well that was a quick overview of my "journey"since 1999/2000!
I am not an athlete or fighter and i only train BJJ on a recreational level, but i love rolling/sparring and BJJ makes me really happy. Today it is hard for me to imagine not to train or learn it on a regular basis. It helps me letting steam of after duty (and of course it helps on duty, too) and keeps me mentally and physically fit.
Well for sure there are lots of people, who started with BJJ from scratch and never trained in other systems before.
Did you guys train in other martial arts systems or combat sports before BJJ and why did you switch? Would be interesting to hear about your stories!
Stay safe and greetings from Germany,
Mirco
i recently read Richard Bressler's book, "worth defending" around christmas holidays, where he wrote about how he was introduced to martials arts/ BJJ and how he started Jiu Jitsu with Rorion Gracie in 1979 in California.
Then i remembered, what Christian Graugart wrote about his start into martial arts in his BJJ Globetrotters book and what he trained in, before switching to BJJ.
My "Martial arts journey" somehow started with BJJ , although i didn't train it then, when i served in the military in 1998 - 2002. So i started martial arts training as an adult. In my childhood i played football (soccer) in a junior team and played badminton on regular basis - did competitions there, too, but i was never a natural athlete.
In my youth i only did skateboarding and drinking beer, but no other sports. So after i finished my apprenticeship i went to the military, totally out of shape from partying and smoking a package of cigarettes a day. But of course in 4 years of military i got in better shape than ever before and quit smoking cigarettes.
There i watched a VHS tape a unit member brought with him - it was the UFC1 where Royce Gracie won. Of course i was instantly hooked and wanted lo learn that stuff. Soi i looked for a Jiu Jitsu club in my neigborhood, but i didn't know back then, that BJJ/Gracie Jiu Jitsu was totally different from the Jiu Jitsu style (japanese style) which was offered in the town i lived. That was about 1999/2000.
Well i did some trial session and signed up, got a gi and a white belt and trained like 2-3 times a week. Of course there were throws and trips, self defense moves, and a little bit "newaza", but of course different from BJJ and not in that depth like we do.
After a year i did a belt testing and got my yellow belt. But somehow i thought that this style of Japanese Jiu Jitsu wouldn't be good self defense and in 2005 i started Krav Maga (looking back it wasn't "alive" either, but back then i thought it would be the best to learn). I literally took every seminar that was offered, trained 2 -3 times a week and did Level tests too. After military service i became an correction officer and after graduating from the academy , about 6 years later, i finished the Defensive Tactics and control tacticsTraining Instructors course for officers, too. Because i was interested im martial arts in general, i trained in Wing Chun, Wong Shun Leung/Philipp Bayer Ving Tsun and filipino Arnis too, but in the end in my opinion it didn't suit me well. So in 2010 i fortunately got involved in Luta Livre/ Submission Grappling, KAPAP Combatives (Which here was a system like MMA, but for self defense - with sparring and all distances, stand up, clinch and ground) and Kettlebell Fitness, i was certified to teach all that and taught part time after duty in a "garage group/small group" setting. In 2013 i got deeper into boxing , stand up, clinch and ground and finally BJJ in the Gi, which i fortunately still train today. In the end in BJJ i found what i always searched for and wanted to learn in the first place, when i first watched the UFC tape in 2000.
Well that was a quick overview of my "journey"since 1999/2000!
I am not an athlete or fighter and i only train BJJ on a recreational level, but i love rolling/sparring and BJJ makes me really happy. Today it is hard for me to imagine not to train or learn it on a regular basis. It helps me letting steam of after duty (and of course it helps on duty, too) and keeps me mentally and physically fit.
Well for sure there are lots of people, who started with BJJ from scratch and never trained in other systems before.
Did you guys train in other martial arts systems or combat sports before BJJ and why did you switch? Would be interesting to hear about your stories!
Stay safe and greetings from Germany,
Mirco
Edited 5 year(s) ago
RBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
I always find it interesting how many parallels many of us have in our stories about our martial arts journeys. Mine isn't all that different from yours.
I've been studying martial arts in some capacity since I was twelve years old. I started at a local school that taught "Amerasian Defensive Arts," which included Aikido, Arnis, and Thai boxing. Looking back I give credit for that being my start in a lifetime of martial arts study, but the school wasn't all that legit. I moved on to wing chun ("traditional," which you'll get the joke if you've studied.) I was a long-distance student of Sifu Anthony Arnett in Jacksonville, FL. He was an incredible instructor who had a passion for competition and sparring, which led me to test my competency on a regular basis. I achieved a brown sash in wing chun from William Cheung, before moving on to boxing. I got knocked out in a sparring match with a friend who boxed, which served as an epiphany I'm sure many of us have experienced. I studied boxing in Buffalo, NY (my hometown) and eventually went into the Air Force. After my service, I landed in Eden, North Carolina and missed martial arts. I was an avid MMA fan (like many) and decided to join a local MMA studio affiliated with Team ROC. My passion still centered around striking arts, but I dabbled in jiu-jitsu and eventually became fascinated with it. I thought BJJ was the hardest thing I'd ever done, and since I never achieved black belt in any of the styles I had studied over the years, I decided I wanted to commit to that journey in BJJ. I eventually moved to a different city in NC for career purposes, and trained at a couple different schools before settling at TFTC Academy where I train and coach now. I'm now a brown belt, and spend a lot of time training law enforcement officers in addition to coaching at TFTC.
Martial arts is a significant part of my life, and there's no doubt I wouldn't be where I'm at if it weren't for my studies. It has gotten me through a lot of tough times and keeps me balanced in a profession surrounded by stress, danger, and criticism.
I've been studying martial arts in some capacity since I was twelve years old. I started at a local school that taught "Amerasian Defensive Arts," which included Aikido, Arnis, and Thai boxing. Looking back I give credit for that being my start in a lifetime of martial arts study, but the school wasn't all that legit. I moved on to wing chun ("traditional," which you'll get the joke if you've studied.) I was a long-distance student of Sifu Anthony Arnett in Jacksonville, FL. He was an incredible instructor who had a passion for competition and sparring, which led me to test my competency on a regular basis. I achieved a brown sash in wing chun from William Cheung, before moving on to boxing. I got knocked out in a sparring match with a friend who boxed, which served as an epiphany I'm sure many of us have experienced. I studied boxing in Buffalo, NY (my hometown) and eventually went into the Air Force. After my service, I landed in Eden, North Carolina and missed martial arts. I was an avid MMA fan (like many) and decided to join a local MMA studio affiliated with Team ROC. My passion still centered around striking arts, but I dabbled in jiu-jitsu and eventually became fascinated with it. I thought BJJ was the hardest thing I'd ever done, and since I never achieved black belt in any of the styles I had studied over the years, I decided I wanted to commit to that journey in BJJ. I eventually moved to a different city in NC for career purposes, and trained at a couple different schools before settling at TFTC Academy where I train and coach now. I'm now a brown belt, and spend a lot of time training law enforcement officers in addition to coaching at TFTC.
Martial arts is a significant part of my life, and there's no doubt I wouldn't be where I'm at if it weren't for my studies. It has gotten me through a lot of tough times and keeps me balanced in a profession surrounded by stress, danger, and criticism.
BJBlue beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
I wrote a blog post about this:
http://www.itsbridget.com[...]jiu_jitsu/
Basically, in college I went women's self-defense => karate => Taekwondo (2002-2004ish). They actually brought a jiu-jitsu guy into TKD once to intoduce us to the sport, but 20-year-old me was kind of horrified at the suggestion that I put men between my legs and try to choke them with my thighs. (I was a Brigham Young University student.)
I married young and dumb at age 21 in 2003 and didn't train martial arts for most of my marriage. I guarantee my first husband never would have been okay with me doing BJJ even if I'd been interested; he would have seen it as sexual.
I divorced in 2014, remarried in 2018, and found jiu-jitsu in 2019. NuHusband is supportive. (I mean, he knocked me up in fall 2019 which kind of interfered with my newfound love for the sport, but I guess I can forgive him after all the rash guards and instructionals he's plied me with. :-D)
I don't think TKD is very practical but I look back fondly on my time with the sport. I still follow my old TKD school on Instagram and admire how beautiful their kicks look.
http://www.itsbridget.com[...]jiu_jitsu/
Basically, in college I went women's self-defense => karate => Taekwondo (2002-2004ish). They actually brought a jiu-jitsu guy into TKD once to intoduce us to the sport, but 20-year-old me was kind of horrified at the suggestion that I put men between my legs and try to choke them with my thighs. (I was a Brigham Young University student.)
I married young and dumb at age 21 in 2003 and didn't train martial arts for most of my marriage. I guarantee my first husband never would have been okay with me doing BJJ even if I'd been interested; he would have seen it as sexual.
I divorced in 2014, remarried in 2018, and found jiu-jitsu in 2019. NuHusband is supportive. (I mean, he knocked me up in fall 2019 which kind of interfered with my newfound love for the sport, but I guess I can forgive him after all the rash guards and instructionals he's plied me with. :-D)
I don't think TKD is very practical but I look back fondly on my time with the sport. I still follow my old TKD school on Instagram and admire how beautiful their kicks look.
PDBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
Spent my whole life training in the The Kachin arts of northern Burma.. Lethwei, Naban, Banshay and Thaing. Had my first Pro Lethwei fight at 15 and my first Naban match shortly after
MMircoOP
Brown beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
I always find it interesting how many parallels many of us have in our stories about our martial arts journeys. Mine isn't all that different from yours. I've been studying martial arts in some capacity since I was twelve years old. I started at a local school that taught 'Amerasian Defensive Arts,' which included Aikido, Arnis, and Thai boxing. Looking back I give credit for that being my start in a lifetime of martial arts study, but the school wasn't all that legit. I moved on to wing chun ('traditional,' which you'll get the joke if you've studied.) I was a long-distance student of Sifu Anthony Arnett in Jacksonville, FL. He was an incredible instructor who had a passion for competition and sparring, which led me to test my competency on a regular basis. I achieved a brown sash in wing chun from William Cheung, before moving on to boxing. I got knocked out in a sparring match with a friend who boxed, which served as an epiphany I'm sure many of us have experienced. I studied boxing in Buffalo, NY (my hometown) and eventually went into the Air Force. After my service, I landed in Eden, North Carolina and missed martial arts. I was an avid MMA fan (like many) and decided to join a local MMA studio affiliated with Team ROC. My passion still centered around striking arts, but I dabbled in jiu-jitsu and eventually became fascinated with it. I thought BJJ was the hardest thing I'd ever done, and since I never achieved black belt in any of the styles I had studied over the years, I decided I wanted to commit to that journey in BJJ. I eventually moved to a different city in NC for career purposes, and trained at a couple different schools before settling at TFTC Academy where I train and coach now. I'm now a brown belt, and spend a lot of time training law enforcement officers in addition to coaching at TFTC. Martial arts is a significant part of my life, and there's no doubt I wouldn't be where I'm at if it weren't for my studies. It has gotten me through a lot of tough times and keeps me balanced in a profession surrounded by stress, danger, and criticism.
Hy Randy! Yes, i often hear about people having a similar experience like us, before they explore BJJ.
In relation to my Wing Chun/ Ving Tsun time: I had a time, where i almost trained 5-6 times a week plus seminars. Most of that time was "cross training"- in one school i trained Krav Maga, in another club Arnis and Wing Chun (later Ving Tsun) in another. At one time i transfered from Wing Chun (i think it was a mix, patchwork) to "authentic" Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun under Philipp Bayer, who directly learned from Wong Shun Leung in Hong Kong- that was straight forward, classical stand up.....Philipp was lightning fast and really could fight with it (you can look him up at youtube). There was, like in western boxing, only stand up fighting and sparring though.
Friend of mine back then when i trained in Ving Tsun, was really good and did a lot of sparring too. He did an MMA match and tried to fight with Ving Tsun Kung Fu. You can imagine what happened to him: was taken down and submitted.... So my Kung Fu "mystery castle" fell apart back then. It was a fun time though.
I've seen you are from NC. Friend and Coach of mine, Roy Marsh, used to live in NC before he movesd to Germany. He was in Team ROC with Greg Thompson. He was teaching at Fort Bragg, too.
Really interesting to read about other peoples martial arts journey!
In relation to my Wing Chun/ Ving Tsun time: I had a time, where i almost trained 5-6 times a week plus seminars. Most of that time was "cross training"- in one school i trained Krav Maga, in another club Arnis and Wing Chun (later Ving Tsun) in another. At one time i transfered from Wing Chun (i think it was a mix, patchwork) to "authentic" Wong Shun Leung Ving Tsun under Philipp Bayer, who directly learned from Wong Shun Leung in Hong Kong- that was straight forward, classical stand up.....Philipp was lightning fast and really could fight with it (you can look him up at youtube). There was, like in western boxing, only stand up fighting and sparring though.
Friend of mine back then when i trained in Ving Tsun, was really good and did a lot of sparring too. He did an MMA match and tried to fight with Ving Tsun Kung Fu. You can imagine what happened to him: was taken down and submitted.... So my Kung Fu "mystery castle" fell apart back then. It was a fun time though.
I've seen you are from NC. Friend and Coach of mine, Roy Marsh, used to live in NC before he movesd to Germany. He was in Team ROC with Greg Thompson. He was teaching at Fort Bragg, too.
Really interesting to read about other peoples martial arts journey!
Edited 5 year(s) ago
MMircoOP
Brown beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
I wrote a blog post about this: http://www.itsbridget.com[...]jiu_jitsu/ Basically, in college I went women's self-defense => karate => Taekwondo (2002-2004ish). They actually brought a jiu-jitsu guy into TKD once to intoduce us to the sport, but 20-year-old me was kind of horrified at the suggestion that I put men between my legs and try to choke them with my thighs. (I was a Brigham Young University student.) I married young and dumb at age 21 in 2003 and didn't train martial arts for most of my marriage. I guarantee my first husband never would have been okay with me doing BJJ even if I'd been interested; he would have seen it as sexual. I divorced in 2014, remarried in 2018, and found jiu-jitsu in 2019. NuHusband is supportive. (I mean, he knocked me up in fall 2019 which kind of interfered with my newfound love for the sport, but I guess I can forgive him after all the rash guards and instructionals he's plied me with. :-D) I don't think TKD is very practical but I look back fondly on my time with the sport. I still follow my old TKD school on Instagram and admire how beautiful their kicks look.
Glad you like BJJ now and found a supportive significant other!
MMircoOP
Brown beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
Spent my whole life training in the The Kachin arts of northern Burma.. Lethwei, Naban, Banshay and Thaing. Had my first Pro Lethwei fight at 15 and my first Naban match shortly after
Hey Phil,
you surely could write a whole book about your journey, too! I read about you, surviving cancer and also recovering from a serious neck injury in the past! Man, you are a true "fighter". Glad you are well and healthy again to share your knowledge on the mats again!
you surely could write a whole book about your journey, too! I read about you, surviving cancer and also recovering from a serious neck injury in the past! Man, you are a true "fighter". Glad you are well and healthy again to share your knowledge on the mats again!
Edited 5 year(s) ago
DBBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
In chronological order:
*judo
*jiu jitsu fighting system (under dutch judo federation)
*karate
*wing chun
*capoeira
*then found bjj
*dabbled in freestyle & greco
*dabbled in muay thai
*now I'm thinking about picking up judo, again, going full circle & whatnot.
*judo
*jiu jitsu fighting system (under dutch judo federation)
*karate
*wing chun
*capoeira
*then found bjj
*dabbled in freestyle & greco
*dabbled in muay thai
*now I'm thinking about picking up judo, again, going full circle & whatnot.
RDBlack belt 4th degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
- Boxing (no significant amount of time)
- Goju Ryu Karate (no significant amount of time)
- Aikido (about 2 years - I'll never get that time wasted back)
- Taekwondo (10 years)
- Gracie Jiu Jitsu - since 1995
- Judo while in the Azores but no significant amount of time. Plus we do throws and take downs regularly in class.
- Muay Thai (no significant amount of time)
and finally the DIM MAK Death touch. Never learned it but I wish I had. LOL
- Goju Ryu Karate (no significant amount of time)
- Aikido (about 2 years - I'll never get that time wasted back)
- Taekwondo (10 years)
- Gracie Jiu Jitsu - since 1995
- Judo while in the Azores but no significant amount of time. Plus we do throws and take downs regularly in class.
- Muay Thai (no significant amount of time)
and finally the DIM MAK Death touch. Never learned it but I wish I had. LOL
JABlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
I started with wrestling and di that for about 2 years in High Scool (secondary school).
Then didn't do anything in martial arts until it was almost too late - I was mentally ill, about 375 pounds, and not in a good place...
I started Kenpo Karate, and have trained that for about 11 years. After I saw that I enjoyed the discipline and exercise and it allowed me an outlet for the aggression and feelings I had been dealing with in a positive manner.
One of my instructors was also a Judo sensei, and I really enjoyed throwing and choking people. For me, I did it because I felt like I was too old and could never be a Pro Wrestler, but this was as close "as I could get" - funnily enough, many Pro Wrestlers have a background in Judo ;) and have been training Judo since 2010.
Once I earned my second degree BB in Kenpo I wanted to start cross-training in BJJ top become a more complete martial artist - I enjoyed throws and choking and joint locks, but I wanted to know how to deal with being on the ground efficiently.
I'm now at 210 (smallest was 165 for about 3 years but had knee surgery and the not training got the better of me) - on the way back to get to the weight I want to be at and training at home and via Zoom as much as possible.
I've also become a Yoga for BJJ instructor as I've found Yoga to help not only my BJJ & Judo, but my flexibility and knee strength as well.
Then didn't do anything in martial arts until it was almost too late - I was mentally ill, about 375 pounds, and not in a good place...
I started Kenpo Karate, and have trained that for about 11 years. After I saw that I enjoyed the discipline and exercise and it allowed me an outlet for the aggression and feelings I had been dealing with in a positive manner.
One of my instructors was also a Judo sensei, and I really enjoyed throwing and choking people. For me, I did it because I felt like I was too old and could never be a Pro Wrestler, but this was as close "as I could get" - funnily enough, many Pro Wrestlers have a background in Judo ;) and have been training Judo since 2010.
Once I earned my second degree BB in Kenpo I wanted to start cross-training in BJJ top become a more complete martial artist - I enjoyed throws and choking and joint locks, but I wanted to know how to deal with being on the ground efficiently.
I'm now at 210 (smallest was 165 for about 3 years but had knee surgery and the not training got the better of me) - on the way back to get to the weight I want to be at and training at home and via Zoom as much as possible.
I've also become a Yoga for BJJ instructor as I've found Yoga to help not only my BJJ & Judo, but my flexibility and knee strength as well.
PDBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
Hey Phil, you surely could write a whole book about your journey, too! I read about you, surviving cancer and also recovering from a serious neck injury in the past! Man, you are a true 'fighter'. Glad you are well and healthy again to share your knowledge on the mats again!
It's funny I always thought my journey was boring compared to my grandfathers ( the person who trained me ) but I have realized I have been fortunate enough to experience things people only dream of both good and bad
DBBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
It's funny I always thought my journey was boring compared to my grandfathers ( the person who trained me ) but I have realized I have been fortunate enough to experience things people only dream of both good and bad
Phil, your podcast with Ruadhan of The Hero With A Thousand Holds was fascinating! What an intense story...
MMircoOP
Brown beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
Phil, your podcast with Ruadhan of The Hero With A Thousand Holds was fascinating! What an intense story...
Where can i listen to that podcast, Daniel? Sounds really interesting!
DBBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
Where can i listen to that podcast, Daniel? Sounds really interesting!
https://thousandholds.net[...]no-speaks/
And it's on itunes and stitcher & whatnot.
Ruadhán is on this site, and an excellent wrestling historian / storyteller. The entire project is wonderful
And it's on itunes and stitcher & whatnot.
Ruadhán is on this site, and an excellent wrestling historian / storyteller. The entire project is wonderful
KLBlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
I started out when I was young doing Ninjutsu and Muay Thai before joining up at a Kempo Karate school where I ended up getting a first degree black belt and opening my own school. This was pretty cool since I was the youngest person in our organisations history to do so at the time with over 350+ schools. Then I was getting bored of not learning a lot of new stuff and not having many other black belts in the area to train with, so I went out to my first Jiujitsu class and got my ass kicked! After that day I was hooked because I knew that everyone in the room (100+ that day) could handle me on the ground so I knew I was in the right room!
MMircoOP
Brown beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
https://thousandholds.net[...]no-speaks/ And it's on itunes and stitcher & whatnot. Ruadhán is on this site, and an excellent wrestling historian / storyteller. The entire project is wonderful
Thanks for sharing! Will definitely listen to that!
JABlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
I started out when I was young doing Ninjutsu and Muay Thai before joining up at a Kempo Karate school where I ended up getting a first degree black belt and opening my own school. This was pretty cool since I was the youngest person in our organisations history to do so at the time with over 350+ schools. Then I was getting bored of not learning a lot of new stuff and not having many other black belts in the area to train with, so I went out to my first Jiujitsu class and got my ass kicked! After that day I was hooked because I knew that everyone in the room (100+ that day) could handle me on the ground so I knew I was in the right room!
Cool. I'd be interested how many folks here have a background in Kenpo Karate. My teacher was very old school so he instilled in us an attitude of "if you find something from any martial art that works for you - use it" so I always appreciated that.
between Kenpo, Judo and BJJ I believe I have all distances of "fighting" in the process of being studied, not that I'll ever be good or done :)
between Kenpo, Judo and BJJ I believe I have all distances of "fighting" in the process of being studied, not that I'll ever be good or done :)
RDBlack belt 4th degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
https://thousandholds.net[...]no-speaks/ And it's on itunes and stitcher & whatnot. Ruadhán is on this site, and an excellent wrestling historian / storyteller. The entire project is wonderful
Listening now
LHBlack beltPending
5 year(s) ago
I personally started as a high school wrestler in Eastern, NC. Took on Japanese Jiu-jitsu and Judo as a senior project in 2008. The black belt who was teaching me had recently began his own BJJ journey, so a few months later I followed suit. 12 years and 2 academies later, here I am a recently promoted brown belt. Academy changes were strictly geographical. New job, new city, new academy. All still in NC, so the verification at new academies was easier, just took a phone call.
TPBlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
No.
I didn’t do shit before jiu-jitsu. In fact I haven’t done ANY sports prior to starting BJJ in my thirties. :D
I wonder who else shares this kind of history instead? I was into arts all my childhood/youth and completely despised any kind of athletic activity.
I didn’t do shit before jiu-jitsu. In fact I haven’t done ANY sports prior to starting BJJ in my thirties. :D
I wonder who else shares this kind of history instead? I was into arts all my childhood/youth and completely despised any kind of athletic activity.
MMircoOP
Brown beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
I was into arts all my childhood/youth and completely despised any kind of athletic activity.
While I was in apprenticeship from 17-20 to become a goldsmith after school I was into arts, drawing, and no sports whatsoever, too. And drinking beer, riding Vespa and Moped.....
MMircoOP
Brown beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
https://thousandholds.net[...]no-speaks/ And it's on itunes and stitcher & whatnot. Ruadhán is on this site, and an excellent wrestling historian / storyteller. The entire project is wonderful
Well that was a great podcast. I really enjoyed it! I heard about Letwei but never about Naban...really interesting!
RDBlack belt 4th degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
The podcast was very good. Kept me engaged the whole time. Never heard of the Burmese arts before. Interesting as hell.
CBBrown beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
I was a comicbook nerd as a kid and wanted to be Batman. So I did Karate, because everyone did at that time. I went then to things like Aikido in College and finally setteled on a Ninja School near my university (again, I wanted to be batman. :D). Following that I went to less crazy traditional Martial Arts and Got a Shodan in Jissen Kobudo. Following that I went to a Japanese Koryu system, which was kind of in at the time. After playin with Swords and doing their Jujutsu system, a friend of my suggested I try BJJ. I actually thought that I was going to be one of the more advanced people there since I "had so much experience". I of course got seriously smashed for about 90 minutes. I remember not being to remember the last time training had been that difficult. That was almost 6 Years ago and I'm been at it every since. about 2 years ago I also took up Judo and have been trying to teach myself Sambo.
JCBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
After a childhood of ninja movies, I got my mom to take me to a Taekwondo school in 1991 when I was 13. I was dedicated and quickly got my black belt. I kind of grew bored with my school and found a Hapkido instructor a few years later. I trained Hapkido and received my black belt right before I graduated high school and went off to the Marines. I didn't do too much martial arts while enlisted, (wish I would have) but I did try to keep up with my Hapkido. When I got out in 2000 and returned home I got back with my Hapkido instructor and continued training.
I eventually started teaching Hapkido and partnered with a Taekwondo school. I felt a little stagnant in my training and decided to go visit some other schools to learn more. I went to a Jiu-Jitsu gym and was blown away. Guys with less than a year of training were destroying me. It really hurt the ego. I lied to myself and first and said that it was because they trained with rules and no striking, etc. I went back a few more times with the same results. Eventually in 2011 it hit just right where I didn't have many Hapkido students and I made the change to stop teaching and put a white belt back on and start BJJ.
It's been quite a journey but I always say I learned way more about controlling people with 2 years of BJJ than 20 years of Hapkido.
I eventually started teaching Hapkido and partnered with a Taekwondo school. I felt a little stagnant in my training and decided to go visit some other schools to learn more. I went to a Jiu-Jitsu gym and was blown away. Guys with less than a year of training were destroying me. It really hurt the ego. I lied to myself and first and said that it was because they trained with rules and no striking, etc. I went back a few more times with the same results. Eventually in 2011 it hit just right where I didn't have many Hapkido students and I made the change to stop teaching and put a white belt back on and start BJJ.
It's been quite a journey but I always say I learned way more about controlling people with 2 years of BJJ than 20 years of Hapkido.
PDBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
https://thousandholds.net[...]no-speaks/ And it's on itunes and stitcher & whatnot. Ruadhán is on this site, and an excellent wrestling historian / storyteller. The entire project is wonderful
You have to check out the other episodes I loved the one with Mongolian wrestling and collar and elbow is cool..
It's funny coming from what was historically and obscure martial art I love other obscure martial arts especially hearing about the history in a cultural context.. It's the geek in me..
It's funny coming from what was historically and obscure martial art I love other obscure martial arts especially hearing about the history in a cultural context.. It's the geek in me..
PDBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
After a childhood of ninja movies, I got my mom to take me to a Taekwondo school in 1991 when I was 13. I was dedicated and quickly got my black belt. I kind of grew bored with my school and found a Hapkido instructor a few years later. I trained Hapkido and received my black belt right before I graduated high school and went off to the Marines. I didn't do too much martial arts while enlisted, (wish I would have) but I did try to keep up with my Hapkido. When I got out in 2000 and returned home I got back with my Hapkido instructor and continued training. I eventually started teaching Hapkido and partnered with a Taekwondo school. I felt a little stagnant in my training and decided to go visit some other schools to learn more. I went to a Jiu-Jitsu gym and was blown away. Guys with less than a year of training were destroying me. It really hurt the ego. I lied to myself and first and said that it was because they trained with rules and no striking, etc. I went back a few more times with the same results. Eventually in 2011 it hit just right where I didn't have many Hapkido students and I made the change to stop teaching and put a white belt back on and start BJJ. It's been quite a journey but I always say I learned way more about controlling people with 2 years of BJJ than 20 years of Hapkido.
I grew up in a style that had no formal ranking system so growing up all I wanted was a belt.. Mine was student or fighter, coach, teacher,master, and lineage holder,
I actually grew up as a Bruce Lee wanna be
I actually grew up as a Bruce Lee wanna be
DBBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
You have to check out the other episodes I loved the one with Mongolian wrestling and collar and elbow is cool.. It's funny coming from what was historically and obscure martial art I love other obscure martial arts especially hearing about the history in a cultural context.. It's the geek in me..
No doubt. I've been friends with Ruadhán for years and been a cheerleader for his podcast since its inception. In my opinion it's on the same level as History on Fire and Hardcore History.
By the way, I'd love to learn more about Naban. Seems like a sort of more brutal version of pancrase. Is there a agreed upon ruleset?
By the way, I'd love to learn more about Naban. Seems like a sort of more brutal version of pancrase. Is there a agreed upon ruleset?
FFBlack belt 2nd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
Chronologically.
- Karate
- Ju-Jitsu fighting system
- wing chun & co.
- Jiu-Jitsu
The Jiu-Jitsu years have also been years of cross training since the beginning. I could summarize it like this:
- white and blue belt, cross trained a lot of judo
- blue and purple belt have been the more competitive years, with MMA in the mix therefore training regularly also striking, muay thai, wrestling
As a brown belt I started to teach and somehow mma fighters gravitated around me, keeping me more oriented to that.
Lately after a few years gap I've enjoyed and regretted at the same time some full MMA sparring.
- Karate
- Ju-Jitsu fighting system
- wing chun & co.
- Jiu-Jitsu
The Jiu-Jitsu years have also been years of cross training since the beginning. I could summarize it like this:
- white and blue belt, cross trained a lot of judo
- blue and purple belt have been the more competitive years, with MMA in the mix therefore training regularly also striking, muay thai, wrestling
As a brown belt I started to teach and somehow mma fighters gravitated around me, keeping me more oriented to that.
Lately after a few years gap I've enjoyed and regretted at the same time some full MMA sparring.
FFBlack belt 2nd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
No doubt. I've been friends with Ruadhán for years and been a cheerleader for his podcast since its inception. In my opinion it's on the same level as History on Fire and Hardcore History. By the way, I'd love to learn more about Naban. Seems like a sort of more brutal version of pancrase. Is there a agreed upon ruleset?
Glad to find another one listening to History on Fire. Really enjoyed that podcast. Also, Italian accent.
