Introduce Yourself

Discussion in 'Brazilian Jiu Jitsu' started by Ghost Frog, Oct 12, 2006.

  1. Errrm

    Errrm Valued Member

    Hi all,

    I've just started BJJ and I'm loving it, although it's really tiring even though I'm fairly fit (3 nights kickboxing, 2 nights gym). I train at a Gracie Barra club in Derby and so far I have been submitted by everyone including a 15 year old girl (although it turns out she won gold medal in her category at the world championships!).

    I currently also do kickboxing and I did Judo when I was a kid for a year or so, still haven't figured out why BJJ isn't called Brazilian Judo because to me it resembles Judo more than a art with striking in it :).

    Anyway I'll apologise now for any stupid questions I ask, please humor me or ridicule me depending on how you are feeling :)

    Errrm
     
  2. slideyfoot

    slideyfoot Co-Founder of Artemis BJJ

    Judo is the root of BJJ, but at the time Mitsuyo Maeda (a judoka) came over to Brazil (early 20th century), 'judo' wasn't an entrenched term. You still had people calling it things like 'Kano jiu jitsu', and 'jiu jitsu' is the term that caught on in Brazil. It has been used ever since: in Brazil, unsurprisingly, BJJ is simply referred to as 'jiu jitsu'. That spelling used to be common in the West, but 'jujitsu' or 'jujutsu' is apparently more correct, and has therefore supplanted the previous spelling. Had the Gracies developed their style later in the century, it most likely would have been called 'Gracie Judo', but due to historical circumstance, they went with 'Gracie jiu jitsu' instead.

    I'd recommend Mastering Jujitsu if you're looking for a decent summary of BJJ's early history, which is where I'm getting most of my information from. In that, Danaher also writes:

     
  3. Glimmer

    Glimmer New Member

    Hello All

    Hello,

    A lurker here who accidentally posted without thinking it through and will thus, now end up throwing in my ill-thought out opinions whenever possible. ;)

    Not long into BJJ - started at RGA in London last Dec and enjoying it a great deal. No previous grappling experience, so always an eye-opener to be entirely controlled by someone smaller and with less strength. Achievements so far include a smallish but skillful girl getting her first arm-bar on me, i've never seen someone so happy. :p

    Before BJJ I trained in kung fu (Chow gar spm) for 4 years (as a very slack student) and still do so informally. Before then...Karate, WSK, the usual stuffs. Oh and I used to post over at Tung-fu, back when it was ALL THE RAGE, so recognise a few peeps here...from there. Ditto for other spm guys who post on Nish's forum.

    Looking forward to getting some excellent tips and tricks.

    Rich
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2008
  4. slideyfoot

    slideyfoot Co-Founder of Artemis BJJ

    And I STILL haven't managed to train with you: hurry up and get your third stripe! :p
     
  5. Stalkachu

    Stalkachu resU deretsigeR

    Or you could pay me £50 and I could arrange for a special grading session, which may or may not end up with you getting your third stripe. ^_^

    ...that ended up sounding way more sordid than I intended. @_@

    Take care,

    Stalks
     
  6. Tartovski

    Tartovski Valued Member

    Word up my BJJ brothers...

    This is probably a pointless post as I think I've said this before in the other threads but anyway:

    I've just started BJJ with Andy Roberts, who is a brown belt under Roger Gracie. I've had a grand total of 6 lessons so far, and am really enjoying it. I've done a bit of JJJ in my time, but mainly my background is striking arts (Lau Gar and Kickboxing) so it's nice to do something completely different for a change!
     
  7. Glimmer

    Glimmer New Member

    Slidey - I am still a single stripe, so a little way to go yet! Although in the past few weeks I'm slowly noticing little things start to click. So I'll try and catch you after/before class for an informal roll sometime.

    Stalks - thanks for the offer but no personal instruction for me just yet, I shall take the hard road of defeating everyone in my class before moving up. ;)

    I think I may have had a class where Andy Roberts helped out the instructor once - northern accent? The brown belts all look quite hardcore at RGA. In fact, most people above white do. Definitely good to see more kung-fu/stand-up peeps learning proper grappling - it is great fun, clearly effective and a crazy balance of strength and flexibility. Oh yeah, technique is in there somewhere too. Ahem.
     
  8. slideyfoot

    slideyfoot Co-Founder of Artemis BJJ

    Hmm - difficult, as if I'm early, its for the 18:30 advanced, and I can never hang around after as I have to rush for a train. There is the proposed London Throwdown? Not sure when/if that's going to happen, though: you might well be a third stripe before then. ;)

    How often are you training these days? Should be able to get up to third stripe in about 6 to 8 months if you can manage twice a week (going by how long it took me).
     
  9. Tartovski

    Tartovski Valued Member

    Umm... he has AN accent, not sure how northern it is. Photo's are on his website here: http://www.andyrobertsbjj.com/ That the guy??

    I'm really enjoying the change from striking actually, so cool to be doing something totally alien to me - especially as it seems to work rather well! Maybe one day i'll try to combine it into a crazy MMA stylee, but I think that's a way off yet.
     
  10. Glimmer

    Glimmer New Member

    Slidey - just got back after missing three weeks of training, but otherwise hitting the two class a week minimum (mostly! :p). Funnily enough, I just got my second stripe during the wed class, so if I pick things up a bit, might catch you in the advanced class sometime before 2010.

    Tartovski - Yeah, think that's the guy. Now you mention it, I'm not entirely sure he had a northern accent either. ;)

    The majority of the lessons I've had at RGA have been under a different brown belt (daytime class) and have always been very well instructed. So yep, I'm enjoying it too, finally learn't a few open-guard moves a few lessons ago and it means i'm not necessarily going to get passed into side control everytime my guard is broken.
     
  11. Rhea

    Rhea Laser tag = NOT MA... Supporter

    Welcome Rich.
    I got my first sub on one of the big guys on Monday, I was so happy too. A sweet guillotine.
     
  12. dbowles

    dbowles New Member

    Hola,

    I started BJJ in February at gracie barra miami affiliate. Combative Sports Center Manhattan, KS. Under Joe Wilk (brown belt) and Dave Durnil (also brown belt). the school is also responsible for the fort riley combatives team and teaching the K-State Combatives programs.
    No previous MA experience.
     
  13. Sackett

    Sackett Valued Member

    Since I've already posted with a gi question, and folk were so kind as to answer, I thought it only polite to take a minute and introduce myself. I've been studying TKD for 4 1/2 years now. I'm experimenting with BJJ now in order to have some kind of ground game and, more honestly, because wrestling is fun.

    I've just gone to a couple classes and plan to do more. It will likely stay a fairly casual thing for me, once a week, and I don't intend to compete.

    Errm: I believe I must have met you at the Derby school in the last couple of weeks. Feels like a lovely club so far, very friendly and a good work out.

    I look forward to learning from all of you. :)
     
  14. gimley

    gimley New Member

    Newbie - BJJ

    :woo:
    Hey u guys

    Thought i would introduce myself.

    I am living in wellington and studying BJJ at GSW, which is great never thought i would like it as much as i do.

    Got my GI a couple of weeks ago.

    Learning loads, can only go to two classes a week at the moment but doing a beginners class for a hour and now getting to roll around after for another hour, it some workout and would recommend it to anyone.

    My goal is to eventually compete (in bjj not mma) but that is some way down the road, just keep working hard and i am sure it will come.
     
  15. rumbavladi

    rumbavladi New Member

    new to BJJ

    Ok long story short i signed up with a JJJ school and after only attending a couple of classes I noticed things that turned me off so without disrespecting anyone or any school publicly i am bowing out. I had the opportunity to visit a BJJ school and spend part of the afternoon there and i was very impressed with the way they organize and structure their curriculum and i am joining next week. My father taught Shorin Ryu and i was priviledged to get some informal training at home when i was a kid. I also spent about a year in JJJ when i was in my early teens. I will be training with the Pablo Popovitch BJJ center in FT Lauderdale and look foward to starting up.
     
  16. beeran1

    beeran1 Valued Member

    Hey guys-

    Been on the forums for about a year now, mostly posting on the Muay Thai forum, but I just started at Zingano BJJ here in Denver. BJJ is...harder than it looks. Ok talk to you all later
     
  17. rumbavladi

    rumbavladi New Member

    welcome I just started as well and yes it is very tough but fun. Enjoy and work hard.
     
  18. wujibu

    wujibu Valued Member

    My name is James, and I've only done maybe like 1.5 months of bjj spread out over a couple years. I really like it though and I'm totally planning on going more often as soon as I get the chance. :)
     
  19. i11umin8ted

    i11umin8ted Valued Member

    Howdy. I recently started BJJ and I love it. I wish there were more hours in the week so I could train more.
     
  20. Megami

    Megami New Member

    I'm an instructor at a local martial arts studio in my area. I teach kids classes but I started learning BJJ about two months ago. I'm still getting used to the whole groundfighting thing though since my background is in Shotokan.
     

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