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 – 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
What it takes – the coffin nail, king of qualities
I've had a few folks ask me what the qualities are that make a champion. Every trainer is going to have a different take on what they value most, but for me there's one quality that I value over all others. When I was a kid my old man told me a great story. I … Continue reading What it takes – the coffin nail, king of qualities
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.
Creating a Good Boxing Hand Wrap
Creating a good wrap for Boxing, MMA or Muay Thai is an essential skill for the combat sports practitioner but also one that takes a little time to learn
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
