Last month I had the opportunity to enjoy some time with my family, celebrating all of our birthdays on the amazing island of Oahu. Although plenty of time was spent in the sand and sun, there’s always time for Jiu-Jitsu!
On our second day in Hawaii, I noticed that ADCC Legend Yuri Simoes was teaching a seminar in at Tako Jiu-Jitsu in Honolulu and I knew I couldn’t miss it. It was a crazy coincidence for both of us to be there at the same time, so when I saw that things lined up, I made sure to be there to catch up with an old friend & meet some new ones. We covered several wrestling-based techniques to begin the event, reviewing what he had taught the previous day and making sure that everyone understood the material. After that, we launched into an intense Q&A session with the champ – everyone getting the opportunity to ask him a specific question about a move, his mentality, developing a strategy, and so much more. Thank you again to Shel and everyone at Tako Jiu-Jitsu for your hospitality and to Yuri for the instruction! See you again soon my friend!
The next evening I had the opportunity to train with Professor Jeremy Nitta and his team at TRXTR Studio, our CTA Affiliate on Oahu. The energy was amazing inside his academy, with everyone in attendance immediately making me feel welcome and at home on their mats. We covered several different guard passing options, working a system based on opponent reactions that has already been incredibly useful for me in training (thank you Jeremy!!). Class concluded with a few rounds based on passing concepts and with me smiling and absolutely exhausted.
Vacations are meant to rest, relax and recharge. I may not have rested, but certainly left relaxed and recharged. Because of Jiu-Jitsu.