Tuesday 30 August 2011

The man, The Myth, The Rashguard

Before I start I would like to talk a bit about “hurricane” Irene. If you saw my post from yesterday you may of gathered that this storm of apocalyptic magnitude was in fact an apocalyptic let down. From what I could tell absolutely nothing happened apart from some mild breezes and very light rain (and im NOT under exaggerating).


So the monday morning nogi class starts at 7.30. Which meant I was up at 6.30 (thats right, 6 fucking 30 !!!! believe it or not !!!). This gave me enough time to tidy up the apartment as the owner was back today, and pack all of my stuff back into my suitcase. I managed to consume all of my dooms day supplies which left me nothing for breakfast apart from some vitamins and a scoop of Jack3d. I left my bags in the apartment and would come back to get them after the class.

So I get to the gym, get changed and get on the mat. Only a few people there. One of the guys tell me that the class doesn't really start til about 8 despite what it says on the timetable and that John doesn't do a warm up so get warm now. I stretch a bit and another guy comes up and asks if I wanna roll a bit, I agree. The guy is older, probably mid 30’s. About 5’7, 80kg and solid. I assume hes a blue or purple as hes just wearing a regular T and non branded shorts (smart eh?). Anyway I intend to roll light and just move around a bit, as im still half asleep. Of course after a few mins that goes out the window as the guy tries to pull me apart. He is extremely strong with a monster base. He doesn't do much but is hard to do anything to. But does one thing really good; horrible chin strap control, he keeps reaching around my neck, clamping onto my chin and bending me around to pass. Its very uncomfortable to say the least, this leads me to believe that he is a wrestler, god damn Americans and their wrestling. Anyway we roll for a bit, no much happens apart from my guard getting passed and then me recovering. The class is about to start so we stop, once again I feel like ive been roughed up a bit but a strong wrestler low belt and im a bit pissed. I ask him what belt he is; black.... ok makes more sense. Been training 10 years. I ask if he wrestled; yes, for 9 years before starting BJJ. Ok, makes more sense now, and once again I feel slightly better about myself. I make a mental note to not judge peoples belts on what they look like anymore.


The class has filled up a bit. Probably 15 people (apparently very quiet and theres usually 30-40 people). The instructor walks on the mat, and guess who it is in his famed attire; John Danaher and his rashguard. This is great, ive always wanted to be taught by John. For those who dont know who John Danaher is (you are fools, but I shall explain anyway). John is a legend amongst the BJJ and MMA community. Despite never fighting he is widely regarded as one of, if not THE best grappling coach in the world and some of his more famous students include the likes of George Saint Peirre, the current UFC welterweight champion. Im excited to say the least to have my first class with the legend.

He starts off with some takedowns, a very nice adjustment on the single leg position (I shall not be going into details on any of the techniques I learn out here, if you wanna know you just have to come to one of my seminars when im back ;D ). Then a counter to a defense of the single leg. We then hit the ground, we do a very slick way of taking the arm from the turtle position into a kimura, then armbar. His details on the techniques are very specific and taught brilliantly. Then its time to spar. We do four six min rounds. I spar with a whole lot of guys, mostly blue belt. One of the guy im about to start rolling with I assume is a blue belt due to his rashguard (for the most part the students wear rashguards coinciding with their belt rank). But then I remember my mental note and ask him his grade, he is a black belt hahahaha. Thats one of the weird things about training here; the sheer number of black belts on the mat, that you don't even realise they are! I guess that what happens when the sport has been around in the country for so much longer, I suspect it will be similar in the UK in 5 years or so. I have a good roll with the black belt, but he is a bit smaller than me (a rare occurrence here).


Anyway we finish training and it was a good session. Afterwards I thank John for the class and introduce myself. We start talking about how blown out of proportion this “storm” was. Some yanks come over so we start to mock them about how much the city over reacted. We end up sat around in a group chatting for about an hour. The conversation topics go something like this: You guys made such a fuss about nothing, which led to talking about the Japan earthquake and how amazing the Japanese people were. That led onto how America would of acted much worse which went into talking about “when shit hits the fan”. That turned into talking about guns, that segwayed into knives and swords. Then into killing people/animals. Then into ancient battles, into cutting peoples heads off. It was a interesting discussion to say the least. (Which also made me think I need to move to America so I could buy a load of guns).



After the morning session I went to get my bags out of the apartment. The superintendents wife buzzes me in and lets me into the apartment room. I walk in a realise that the owner has already come back, and is face down a sleep in the bed (studio apartment so nowhere to hide). I switch into ninja mode, pack up my stuff, zip my suitcase up and exit swiftly and silently (my definition of silent anyway) the guy must of been a deep sleeper because he didn't move an inch. I head back to the academy, dump my stuff off, eat, go pick up some sheets and a pillow for my mat bed and get ready for the 1oclock nogi class.


Unlike the morning class this is packed. At least 40 people on the mat maybe more. I comment on this and am told that this is still small and theres normally 10-15 people more!!! There where a tonne of black belts on the mat and MMA fighters including current UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. John is taking the class again. From standing we do stuffing the single leg attempt into a forward throw, backwards throw and stomach to stomach toss. Very nice stuff, which when demonstrated by John is made to look unbelievably elegant and effortless (not so much when I did it). On the ground he explain a principle in BJJ about how when a guy goes to attack he has to extend his limbs, this means that if the attack fails there is a small moment where the limbs are at risk and can be counter attacked. We did two techniques based off of this principle. One from a arm bar defense into a counter achilles lock and one from a triangle defense to counter heel hook. Both techniques were AWESOME. And I hadn't seen either set up from those position before. Then it was onto sparring. Sparring was good, I didn't go too hard as I had already done a full sparring this morning. I did spar with one older guy called Gene, now this guy was not only a awesome black belt but he was fricking enormous!!! 110kilos and solid as hell, just one of these simply massive people. He rolled amazingly nice, it was like a grizzly bear play fighting with one of its cubs. Its all very nice, but the whole time I had the feeling he could rip me in two if he felt like it. Very nice guy.


Anyway Class was over, I stretch for a bit, and then watched some of the other guys rolling. I find the black belt fights at the mundials unbelievably boring, you wanna watch some good jiu jitsu? Come and watch the guys rolling during and after the 1pm nogi class at Renzos. Amazing to watch. Then John Danaher started rolling with a very high level black belt. Wtf..... it was amazing, he wasn't putting in ANY effort and was just mangling this guy up repeatedly, I’ve never seen anything like it. He's so smooth, so fluid, so precise in his actions. And emotionless, the whole time he's throwing this guy around it looks like he's doing tai chi.


Anyway, time for some more food. Then its chill out for the rest of the day. Try and make my room a bit more homely/comfortable. Excuse me for the long post. Also, Renzos been in Brazil and just got back today, saw him earlier and said hello. Hope to see him on the mats soon.

Ape out

Sunday 28 August 2011

Saturday 27 August 2011

Day 2: Sometimes your the hammer, sometimes your the nail.

So after a nice nights sleep in a real life bed I wake up pretty late again. 11 Oclock, and with the nogi class at 11.45 this gives me just enough time to have some edamame beans for breakfast a scope of Jack3d and head to the academy. As I step out of the building, and after all the talk of destruction yesterday, 250,000 people evacuated from parts of NY, people saying goodbye from training yesterday with “see you monday if were alive”, I expected to walk outside into something out of a post-apocalyptic movie. Buildings leveled, dead bodies decorating the streets, over turned cars and cows impaled on building tops. This was NOT the case. The only signs of “the biggest hurricane to hit NY” was some extremely light rain. I was massively let down, mainly because I was hoping that this “storm” would cool the weather down a bit. It was just as hot only much more humid! Horrible!


So I get to the gym. Apparently the nogi class on saturday is usually huge, 20-30 people. Today there was 7, apparently because of the “storm”. Mostly blue belts, one purple I think. And closer to my weight than the guys yesterday. After my beat down yesterday my instructor Nick Brooks commented “Sometimes your the hammer, sometimes the nail”. Truer words never spoken. Yesterday I was most certainly the nail, today I got to be the hammer. Its vitally important that you train both with guys who can fuck you up and guys that you fuck up. Imagine it like boxing, if your picking apart everyone with ease you never learn to take a punch and in a fight if you get hit your gonna react badly. And on the other side if your always getting knocked about, your never gonna learn how to knock out someone else. And bjj is no different. Normally you would hope that in every session you will have guys that you can mess up and guys messing you up. This was not the case, instead, yesterday I got beat up by everyone and today got to beat up everyone. I think I prefer it that way, one session as the hammer one as the nail. It allows you work on one thing in one session and another in the other. Anyway, to warm up we did some takedown entries and then got straight into sparring. Six five min rounds. It was once again insanely slippery. I didn't go insane in sparring, I rolled light and technically. Like most people who haven’t sparred with me before was often catching them in my slight twist on a guillotine.


It was a good sessions and after I spent a bit of extra time cooling down and stretching. I’ve realised that the most important thing for me on this trip is going to be recovery. The training is going to be great so no need to worry about it. All I need to do is make sure im able to carry on training, keep muscle soreness to a minimum and make sure i dont get injured. My knees felt sore today as they often do so I double up on my joint supplement. Anyway I stick around a bit and me and Roger mock the others for making such a big deal out of this little “storm”. Apparently its gonna hit tonight and tomorrow the worse and nothings gonna be open tomorrow so im strongly advised to stock up on food. The thought of being in all day without food terrifies me so I heed their advice and leave the academy in search of food.


Most places are closed so I walk around looking for open stores and eventually stock up from various different places. I get back to the apartment, we dont have the key but the owner has talked to the super and he has agreed to let me in when I need. All together my hurricane supply of food for today and tomorrow consists of:


  • 5 bottles of muscle milk.
  • 4 bowls of whole wheat pasta with grilled chicken and beef bolognese.
  • 3 portions of grilled chicken quesadillas.
  • 2 tubes of penuts
  • 1 pack of beef jerky
  • And a few bottles of water.


Im sure this shall last me fine.


Anyway I get into the apartment and im dripping with sweat just from walking around outside (thats how god damn humid it is!!!). I have a cold shower to cool down and reduce any swelling from training. Eat some food and now just chilling. I think were gonna watch the UFC tonight with Roger and some of the other guys from the gym. So that should be fun. Will be a good event and will be interesting to watch the UFC with some guys who could be fighting in it soon!


Tomorrow could be very uneventful with no training and nowhere open outside. So basically tomorrows entry could be VERY small.


Ape Out.



Needless to say, Renzos academy has some success at competitions.

Friday 26 August 2011

First Day

So I had a moderately good nights sleep. Kept on waking up but going back to sleep. Didnt get out of bed (or sofa) til about 11. Which is 4pm english time, so yes, very late. Zed left early in the morning and gave me some direction to get to the academy. Unlike the station workers from yesterday I actually kind of understood them. I left the flat at about 12 and the first thing I notice when I step outside is "fuck its hot!!!", and everyone who knows me knows how much I love the heat.... o wait..... And it wasnt even a nice heat, it was a humid, horrible sweaty heat. So I walk a few blocks down to the subway (where its even hotter !!!). One change on the subway and I come out at Penn station near the academy. Its also right in Manhatten, as I walk outside the first thing I see if the madison square gardens. And lots of people around, very busy, very much like central London. I walk a few blocks to Renzos gym.

Renzos gym is situated in the basement of what seems like a very nice office block. No signs outside or anything, very executive. I go downstairs. What a lovely gym. And its huge. Big lobby, reception area, HUGE mat space in the middle a smaller mat area on the side. And another room with strength and conditioning equipment next to that. I later find out there is another massive matted area upstairs for thai boxing and ANOTHER above that with a ring and cage next to it. HUGE gym. All very nice and clean as well.

I sit around for a bit, head off to get some food, come back and sit and wait for Roger. After a couple of hours (yep) Roger rolls in. Tells me hes not training but I should get changed, im doing nogi in a little while. I get changed and start warming up.

Eventually everyone training arrives, there are 4 of us. Me, BJJ world champion Romulo Barral and two other big guys. Heres hoping I could find some guys my weight here (77kg) but the lightest guy is Romulo at 88kgs. The other two are 95kg and 100kg (I need to put on some weight!!!). To warm up I do some take down drills with Romulo then its sparring time. We do 3 min rounds with each person without stopping, so 9 min rounds. It was VERY sweaty. I mean VERY sweaty. I was pretty much positionally dominated by everyone although rarely submitted. I put this down to the insane slipperiness we all became within a few mins. I think I tapped twice in 30 mins. Both times slightly more to sweat pouring into my eyes, nose and mouth (drowning) than from the actual chokes. Its hard to take much away from a roll when the people your sparring with are so significantly stronger and more vitally heavier. I pretty much gathered that the two big guys where ex wrestlers but only been doing grappling for a few years. I felt a bit shit that I was beat up by people with only a few years grappling experience regardless of size or wrestling ability. I was later to find out that the 95 kilo guy was BJJ black belt and UFC fighter David Branch and the 100 kilo guy was two time NCAA Div 1 all american wrestling champion, last ADCC's under99 silver medalist and BJJ black belt Gerardi "Jerry" Rinaldi. I felt slightly better with myself.

After the class Roger took me upstairs to my "room". Now yesterday I joked that Roger might of said "No bed". Well I wasnt laughing anymore. The room was hot and had a single BJJ mat on the floor with two towels on as a pillow. I pondered staying at Zeds instead, but decided to choose convenience over comfort. As my S&C coach the Kettle Goat says "Comfort makes us weak" (or something to that meaning). So there you go Andy.

Anyway after unpacking my stuff I went downstairs where one of the people working at the academy told me he had an apartment for me over the weekend while the owner was away, FANTASTIC a bed! So I pack my stuff back up and wait around a bit until someone gives me directions to the apartment and go on my way. The location is perfect. 5 mins walk from the academy. I get there and cant get the key in the door. I try for 10 mins and call the guy. He sends some people to help, they are no more successful. We walk back to the gym, grab a load more keys and head back to the apartment. After 20 mins of trying, no luck. We go talk to the superintendent but hes not in. His wife tried to help us but nothing. We wait a bit for the super to get back. He gets in with his master key. and tightens the lock up a bit. Has a look at our keys and says we dont have the right keys and therefore shouldn't be allowed in. At this after seconds ago being elated ive got a room, looks like a may not after all! After a tense moment, and luckily the guy from the gym knows him as his kids train the super allows me to stay the night as long as I bring him the keys tomorrow. Thank god. What a nightmare !!! Anyway, happy to see a bed. And speaking of which, im gonna hit it now.

Ape out.


(P.s Biggest hurricane ever gonna hit NY tomorrow so if I dont post tomorrow consider me dead.)




Comfort makes us weak.


Thursday 25 August 2011

The Journey

Plane travel is in no way glamourous or exciting thus do not expect this post to exhitbit far different attributes. 

In the car on the way to the airport this morning it was pissing down with rain, which is somewhat a odd feeling, you are miserable because its raining, but elivated that you will be far gone from this within the next few hours while everyone else you know is stuck in this shitty weather for the forseeable future. 

I had a flight to Boston then over to JFK (New york). I get on the first flight and just before we take off it seems a miricle has happened and I have 3 seats all to me !! This was of course not the case, and when moved to my actual seat I was understandably upset as I was faced with the classic american flight scenario; a fat old lady sitting next to me, invading my personal space. I sit down, and it gets worse. O you want to play THAT game do you. And before the plane had even turned on its engines the arm rest war was on. Stupid lady. Needless to say, it was a short lived battle. With my greater understanding of leverage, coupled with me superior physical attributes topped off with my ruthless attacking style she was no match for me and i quickly took control of the arm rest. But I am not evil arm rest dictator. I was merciful in victory. Until about half way through the flight she asked me to moved my leg. Well, and friendly pardoning of elbows was long gone. For the rest of the flight I made sure to place my forearm across the entire length and breadth of the arm rest and keep it there for the remainder of the flight. Even when my body positioning made it uncomfortable, I still stuck with it. Thats called determination. 

Anyway, fun over. It was a pretty easy flight. I get off at Boston. Everyone seems to know about BJJ. Immigration asks what im doing here, I say training, he asks who, I say Gracie he knows BJJ. Very different from the UK. Anyway, I catch a short uneventful flight to New York and get out of the air port. 

Now Roger (Gracie) has sorted me out with staying at a room at Renzos gym (very cool). In his text he writes the room is "Not bed". And obvious typo, this could either mean what im hoping it means: That the room is "not bad". Or equally could mean: the room has "no bed". You just dont know with these things. But as I got in too late im staying with one of Rogers friends tonight and going to the gym tomorrow. Guess I will find out then. 

Anyway I intend to get to Rogers friend Zed in Queens by public transport. I get some crap directions and go looking, luckily I meet an extremely nice man who asks where im going and after seeing were heading in the same direction gets me to follow him. I sit next to him on the "air train" and to the train station where he helps me find my way. Coming from London this sort of kindness is odd and scares me. At first I took him help, some what confused, but then I just start to think hes crazy. Anyway, he takes me as far as one of the stations at which point I kind of work out his knowledge of the train system may not be as good as previously assumed and I assure him that I can take it from here and he leaves. 

So I go over to one of the station workers and they tell me what route I need in what im sure is some sort of alien language. I can understand numbers, I can understand letter. But put them together and I dont have a clue whats going on. I needed to find platform E take the red train to jamacia (yep!!) take the 4 to 23 then the 7 to manhatten. Then something else. So I pondered it for a sec, then jumped in a cab. 

I got here and waited outside for Zed to get back from dinner. I saw him a mile off. Short, stocky, brazilian, wearing shorts and havianas. Classic bjj. He let me in and made me feel more than welcome. Said although im only here for tonight im welcome here any time while im in NY. Its one of the things ive love about this sport. You meet a guy for the first time and within seconds you feel like youve been friends for years. Anyway off to Renzos tomorrow morning. Dont know what to expect but very excited. 

One last thing. Everyone keeps saying there a hurricane coming. I think they are being a tad over dramatic. But its true: I will be training tomorrow . Ape Out.  

(P.S excuse massive spelling errors. Am on Zeds computer and its set to portuguse)

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Intro

My name is Daniel Strauss but my friends call me The Raspberry Ape.

Earlier this year I qualified for the ADCC championships (if you dont know what that is I would kindly request that you leave my blog please). And as part of my training I will be traveling from my gym in Mill Hill, north London under Nick Brooks to New York to train with the man himself, Renzo Gracie. I will be staying there for 3 weeks, returning to the UK a week before the comp.

Ive decided to keep a blog of my journey to:

A.) Keep anyone and everyone who is interested updated on what im doing (so I dont have to talk to anyone personally, its efficient (no much unlike Jiu jitsu)).

B.) Because there is a possibility that apart from training I will have nothing of interest to do, thus leaving me with a possibly large amount of free time, and this will give me something to fill it with.



I must however warn readers that it is possible that:

A.) I dont have anything interesting to say, thus making reading my blog a waste of time.

B.) Im having so much of a good time that I have no time to write this blog.

(and the most likely) C.) I cant be arsed/forget to write this blog regularly.



But none the less I shall try my hardest (I will consider it a test) to write regularly and to do enough interesting things that I have something worth writing about. I shall also try and get some pics up of all the awesome people I shall be throwing down with daily and some of the places I visit.

Currently it is 10:30 and I am leaving tomorrow at 9:30am. Needless to say I have not begun packing yet. And im thinking I can get a few rounds of Modern Warfare 2 in before I really need to think about packing.

Before I leave tomorrow I would quickly like to thank the people who have made this trip possible: Nick Brooks and Andrew Marshall. Who are not only my coaches but have paid for my flights to NY. David Onuma. Roger Gracie for sorting me out with a place to stay and training in NY. All the members of Mill Hill BJJ who have shown their support. My sponsors Scramble and Faixa Rua. And everyone else who has supported me thus far.

Thank you for reading.

Now to go a shoot some terrorists.


Ape out