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.
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