The maxim and command: 'leave your ego at the door' is doubtless familiar to anyone who has been through the door of a Jiu-Jitsu academy. It might be considered a sacred commandment of BJJ. Ostensibly it’s very good advice, if somewhat trite, that we must free ourselves to err in order to make progress. The … Continue reading Leave your ego at the door?
What it takes – In praise of longevity
Back in 2004/2005, I lived a while in the city of Petropolis, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. In my privileged position as the one and only gringo, I had the unique right to pass freely around all of Crezio’s associated gyms in the city. One of those was the ‘Academia’ of Crezio’s father, … Continue reading What it takes – In praise of longevity
What it takes – Casca Grossa
Hand in hand with toughness, goes it's close relation - 'bottle' . Here in the North-East, that's what we call courage. The intestinal fortitude to see the job through. There are a whole load of Jiu-Jitsu slang words and expressions attributed to Carlson Gracie senior, the trainer of my teacher Crezio de Souza. One of … Continue reading What it takes – Casca Grossa
Creonte
The pejorative term 'Creonte' is constantly thrown around and discussed in Jiu-Jitsu circles, but is broadly misused and misunderstood. To comprehend the true meaning of the term one must look to it's origin. "Não sou de ficar mandando letrinhas em redes sociais, mas venho ouvindo muito o termo CREONTE, o tempo vem atribuindo significado … Continue reading Creonte
What does the belt mean?
It’s a very attractive idea to lay out a universal standard for rank promotion, as in theory that ought to both raise and maintain standards. In reality what generally happens in many martial art systems is that belt criteria gets distilled down to a syllabus- a checklist of techniques known and practiced.
FSN – Fight Store North
Fight Store North, the new name for Fight Store Newcastle is certainly the longest running dedicated Martial Arts Store in the Newcastle and Gateshead area
