To Playa del Carmen Mexico… from Mississauga is literally the other side of the world (almost)
an ecological paradise with some of the most unreal nature you are ever going to run across & between the Ocean, Hotels and Ancient relics there are a ton to see here but as always,
To Playa del Carmen Mexico… from Mississauga is literally the other side of the world (almost)
an ecological paradise with some of the most unreal nature you are ever going to run across & between the Ocean, Hotels and Ancient relics there are a ton to see here but as always, my fixation with the gentle art was at full blast
Lucky for me and anyone travelling to this part of the world the Carlson Gracie Team Mexico has a strong base in the area being run under the steady hand of my part-time friend and long-time rival Mark Stables.
By North American Jiu-Jitsu standards I’m pretty old school starting in 1997, but a guy like Mark takes it back much further than that so a veritable treasure trove of knowledge for all aspects of the art.
My timing on the trip was especially excellent this time around as none other than Ontario BJJ original, Omar Salvosa head coach of Salvosa Bjj was also on deck for a family vacation. So it was a great chance to hit the mats with two gentlemen on a very small list of Toronto locals that I can say were training Jiu-Jitsu before I was and are still active in the art.
A testament to the growth and Mark’s dedication to the art… We were greeted by a packed house of 35 + students. The session pretty much had the three of us freestyling the lesson building off the Back attacks Professor Salvosa has always been famous for.
I’m sitting there soaking it up, looking for any small detail I can add to my toolbox and it really hit me… While all three of us have different styles and approaches to getting the job done “It is all Jiu-jitsu” and everything taught made sense to all skill levels and could be put to good use in a fight tournament or free rolling session if it came to that.
Whoa
Now this was trippy because it is the whole basis of what the Core Jiu-Jitsu program is about…
Not MMA, Sport Jiu-jitsu or street fighting per say… just real solid no nonsense skill that can work Gi , No Gi, in a Snow coat or multi coloured tank top… REAL JIU-JITSU
It wasn’t exactly the same as the core classes as we didn’t get into any strike based concepts but without saying a word the three of us taught a 1.5 hour session that boiled down to the same principals that the martial arts of Jiu-jitsu is all about.
” Jiu-Jitsu in its entirety is complete martial art readily applicable in any type of situation”
Don’t get carried away think I am talking down competitive endeavours. I think tournaments are a great way to test yourself vs a skilled prepared opponent ” both professors Salvosa and Stables have won at the World level in international BJJ competition.
I took things a different route, dabbling time to time in area tournaments but always basing my training towards the application of the art in Vale tudo \ Mixed Martial Arts competitions (UFC, IFL, King of the Cage)“
What people forget is the real beauty of the art is that it effectively covers all the space between those two extremes, all the Shootboxing or Berimbolo training means things to the average person coming to learn BJJ if they skip the foundations of the art to get faster results.
BJJ while some call it the fastest growing art in the world is still very small compared to say… Basketball, Football or Hockey so we have a long way to go.
And the most important past as teachers is to ensure that keep the art alive teaching what is really important and not just what’s hot working in the UFC or local BJJ Tournaments.
Jiu-jitsu hit the Martial Arts world like a tidal wave in the the mid 1990’s because it covered all the bases as an art fighting system and lifestyle. It was great to see even as far away as Mexico we have great instructors still on track and keeping the ART alive…
