The Ground Never Misses

John Machado

2012-01-25T16:31:00.000-08:00

John Machado, far right.

John Machado is the youngest of the five Machado brothers, and has been putting up some great tutorial's on Youtube as of late. I have had the privilege of training with John on a couple of different occasion's and I must say he is a very articulate and detailed teacher (really staple trademarks of all the Machado brothers), and offers very innovative and interesting perspectives on various positions such as attacking the turtle position.

So when you get a few minutes check out these video tutorials from 6th degree black belt John Machado and make sure to check out his website as well!

Cheers,
Jake

With brother Rigan:

Lockdown escape:

Great details on Kouchi gari:

At his new Torrance location:

This next clip epitomizes the Machado attitude and approach to the art of BJJ, as a family! GREAT clip of John, brother Jean Jacques, Renato Magno, and Johns son Jean training on a Sunday afternoon in the family living room mat. PRICELESS footage:

2012 Olympic Wrestling Training

2012-01-23T07:26:00.000-08:00

Hope you enjoy the new look of The Ground Never Misses! Make sure you participate in the poll (look to your right), and by all means let me know what you think: three_harmonies@hotmail.com

In the meantime check out this great clip of wrestlers preparing for the Olympic trials coming up in April in Iowa City, Iowa. Going to be a great summer of grappling kids!

Ithaka Teaser from Zach Smart on Vimeo.

Sub League Update

2012-01-22T08:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a pic and video update. Really proud of all of you, though I must admit a sigh of disappointment that I did not see a single wrist lock. So much work still to do young padawan.

The 206 Represents at Sub League Open

2012-01-21T17:33:00.000-08:00

A huge congrats to all the NWJJA fighters who traveled down to Oregon to fight in the first Sub League Open of 2012! From what I have heard you all fought your asses off and did very, very well. The official, unofficial stats are as follows:

Bret 'Dutchess' Smith / Silver (no gi)
Scotty Stillwell / Bronze (gi) & Gold (no gi)
Chris 'Spider' Webb / Silver (no gi)

Word on the street is Mr. Joshua is bringing his So Cal leg attack game tearing up knee's! Nicely done Mr. Joshua! Nicely done!

Cheers brothers! Proud of all of you. Enjoy the victory tonight!

Jake

Best of Luck NWJJA This Weekend

2012-01-20T10:06:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a moment and tell all the NWJJA fighters heading south to the Subleague (as in submission, not sub par!) tournament in Oregon best of luck! Be safe traveling and fight your fight. You guys have already won with the hard work and dedication you have put into your preparation and training. Go have fun and kick some ass; Spider / Dutchess / Josh / Scotty and anyone else I do not know about.

Somebody hit me up Saturday and let me know the results so I can post them on my blog please!

Cheers
Jake

G SUB X - Feb. 4th Seattle, WA.

2012-01-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

Ivan's second no gi submission event. Check it out!

ATTN: Three Harmonies Students

2012-01-19T12:37:00.000-08:00

Big surprise I know.... no class tonight (Thursday January 19th, 2012)!
Stay safe. We should be back to normal on Saturday.

Cheers
Jake

ATTN: NWJJA Students

2012-01-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

No classes tonight for NWJJA students!

ATTN: Three Harmonies Students (NO CLASS Jan.18)

2012-01-18T07:14:00.000-08:00

Sorry to break the internet blackout (tell big brother to keep their grubby little hands off internet censorship. Seriously.... didn't anyone read 1984??) but I wanted to announce NO CLASS TONIGHT (January 18, 2012). We are getting dumped on up here and the roads are not looking too clear. Stay safe, warm, and jolly.

Any questions hit me up,
Jake

As demonstrated below.... the weather is not so much the problem here in Seattle, as it is the moronic drivers! Seriously... for being one of the most "educated" cities, Seattle hosts some of the worst and most assholish (is that a word) drivers in the world! And I come from the state just below Michigan!!!!!

Lowdown on Leg Locks

2012-01-17T16:39:00.000-08:00

For those watching the UFC this past weekend we once again were treated to a Rousimar Palhares' infamous knee destructions:

Stephan Kesting wrote a nice article on Leglocks in MMA for his awesome Grapplearts Blog. Stephan is a big advocate of leglocks for both sport and self defense and includes some solid insight.

Check out his blog post by clicking here!

I am glad he mentions one of my favorites; Imanari who is a beast when it comes to leg attacks along with his training partner Shinya Aoki. If we look at the grappling end of the competition spectrum we have folks like Dean Lister, and Reilly Bodycomb (whom Stephan has a picture of on the bottom of the his blog post) both known and feared for their leg locking abilities:

For those of you thinking about competing in the advanced divisions of Ivan's submission wrestling tournament, GSUBX, make sure you are savvy on your leglock defense for all submissions are legal including heel hooks!

Enjoy,
Jake

Mitt Romney w/ Wheelchair Bound Patient

2012-01-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

I do not voluntarily jump into political conversations and agendas. Like religion... most people have their minds made up and cannot argue intelligently to save their lives... so I avoid it. But every now and then you have to show something like this.

Shame, shame, shame on you governor. I would never wish anything harmful against anyone... but as a bit o' karma goes I hope you, or your loved ones Mitt get wasting disease like this gentleman has. And then I would love to see you ignore your family when they ask the same questions this 80 pound grown man did when you ignored him.

Republican or democrat... I do not care. But have some dignity and quit voting for douche waffles like this:

Frank Mir has a Christian Bale Moment! CLASSIC!

2012-01-12T16:36:00.000-08:00

I have never trained with Frank Mir, but my coach Brian has. Said he was one of the nicest and gentlest grapplers on and off the mat.

DVD Review - "Sword and Impact Weapons" w/ Tim Waid

2012-01-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

Hot on the coat tails of their first release, "Strategic Knife Defense" the Pekiti Tirsia Kali Global Production crew has released "Sword and Impact Weapons" with Tim Waid presenting the first DVD in a series on the authentic Pekiti Tirsia Kali system. The goal of Tuhon Tim Waid and his teacher Leo Gaje Jr. with releasing these DVDs is to present the authentic art of PTK as it was handed down within the Gaje family, and provide a clear training progression and curriculum to follow.

The foundation of PTK is found within the Doce Methodos, or Twelve Methods, and Waid presents the first 6 methods in some of the best instructional material I have ever seen representing the Filipino Martial Arts, not to mention Pekiti Tirsia Kali! Contrary to what many may assume, it is not the bevy of techniques nor the complexity of flashy movement that makes this DVD stand out. Rather it is the approach and method in which Tim Waid has organized and presented the 50 minutes of material.

Here is a great 5 minute preview of the DVD:

When I first started training the FMA it was the early 90's with Prof. Remy Presas who was a pioneer in Arnis, as well as being one of the first to produce a series of instructional VHS tapes ("Google" it kids!). I mention this for a couple of reasons; one being how far the technology of recording equipment and organizing content has come in the past 20 years. Tim Waid and the PTKGO has set a new precedence with these DVDs!

Content:
Tim starts off the DVD offering the definition and philosophy of Pekiti Tirsia Kali. He does not delve too deeply into the origins and technical meaning of the literal translation Close Thirds, but stresses the foundation of PTK: life / success / good health, throughout the instructional.

Lessons 1-2:

Abecedario's (12 Attacks Instruction)
Target Areas
Principle of three angles of attack
Abecedario solo form

Lessons 3-4:

Payong (Umbrella)
Dakup y Punyo (grab and hit with the punyo)
Quatro Cantos (Four Walls)

Lessons 5-6:

Tirsia Corto
Ranging and striking drills
Five fluid attacks

Advanced Combat Methods:

Technically there is no instruction in this section, but Tim showcases free flow and technical sparring as well as live blade sparring.

Extras:

Arguably the gem of the DVD in regards to historical footage. Here we have about 10-15 minutes of Abecedario instruction from Leo Gaje Jr. circa 1981! Considering it is over 30 years old the footage is fantastic and the instruction is clear where Gaje demo's the Abecedario target areas on a student and then has the student do a basic set of calisthenics.

Breakdown:

Filmed in an all white room with dark clothing on the participants makes movements and weapon arc's very clear and easy to follow even with full speed sparring. During the instructional segments Tim Waid is exceptionally clear and concise with his verbage, offering definitions where needed and not wasting time nor opportunity to regale the viewer with stories (which I am sure he has, but that is not the context of an instructional DVD. A pitfall MANY teachers fall into when they find themselves on camera!).

Tim's approach to training and demonstrating is second to none from what I see (caveat; never personally met nor trained with Mr. Waid) on this DVD. Tim is a man of slight nature but purposefully choose his biggest and strongest opponents to demonstrate on with this instructional. Lets face it... this is not often the case, where instructors "show off" on a smaller / weaker / very willing partner. Demonstrating that proper application of angles and execution of technique will trump strength and size every time!

Along the same line I liked how all instructionals and much of the free sparring is repeated in slow motion. This is crucial when teaching ANY weapon, as the angle and application are often lost in the speed and suddenness of the attack. And lets not overlook the fact that they are free sparring on this DVD! A standard in Pekiti Tirsia Kali is unrehearsed levels of uncooperative drilling including full contact sparring. Waid offers the basic foundation to safely and intelligently drill your techniques with partners.

2012 is looking very positive for practitioners of Pekiti, as well as all FMA fighters, as Leo Gaje and Tim Waid (PTKGO) are on tract to release some of the best instructional DVDs you will ever own. Essential viewing by practitioners of Pekiti Tirsia worldwide, these instructionals (look for the solo knife DVD review in the future here on The Ground Never Misses) are a steal at $40 each and can be ordered here:

PTKGO safe online store!

Ricardo Almeida on Fraudulent Teachers

2012-01-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

Just like his teacher, Renzo Gracie, I have a ton of admiration and respect for Ricardo Almeida. For those of you unaware, Ricardo is a 3rd degree black belt under Renzo Gracie and former MMA fighter:

Here are some words of wisdom he shared on his site the other day and I couldn't agree more!

"Instructors who don’t train with their students are a fraud.

A lot of the time it’s because they’re scared of getting subbed in front of the group.

The day I get scared of getting subbed I’ll stop teaching.

(L-R) John Danaher, Gene Dunn, Renzo Gracie,
Ricardo Almeida, Matt Serra

And I hate tapping out!

It’s not because I’ll think I’m worse if I lose a match or sparring session.

It’s because I’m a perfectionist, and I’m really bothered by technical blunders.

Being a black belt has nothing to do with invincibility; it has to do with the art of improving on what we do and persevering in the midst of adversity."

Wheelchair Bound Jiu Jitsu Stylist Foils Robbery

2012-01-09T07:26:00.000-08:00

He may not have use of his legs, but this Canadian cat has balls bigger then most Americans! Seeing a young lady getting robbed in the local convenience store, this gentlemen grabs the assailant and attempts to choke him with a rear naked choke. Unfortunately he obviously cannot control the assailants hips with his legs, so he slips out. Thankfully the women that works the store has bigger balls then the other THREE MEN standing around (though spanking with a wet floor sign is hard core thug jitsu shit!

Mad props for homie stepping up, and mad shame for the other three idiots who could not get their thumbs out of their asses to help!

Yet another reason to go train Jits! What's your excuse today??

Wrestling / Grappling: A Cultural Treasure, A Modern Necessity

2012-01-08T09:32:00.000-08:00

Regular followers to my blog know that "Wrestling Roots" is a relatively new blog added to my blog-roll on the bar to your left. Just recently I have read two gems linked on both the main website and via Wrestling Roots Facebook page as well.

The first is a piece on Mark L.'s experience with wrestling Tigel in Ethiopia. Tigel is an ancient form of grappling remarkably similar to Greco-Roman wrestling. Mark's account of learning the rules, and other interesting quirks about Ethiopian culture make for a great read:

Click here to read the entire article!

"In the West, when you greet someone, you shake hands. In the Far East, the custom is to give a bow when greeting. Living at the in-between point of the East and the West, Ethiopia, the greeting is sort of a hybrid of the two: You reach to shake hands, but both people then lean forward to touch their shoulders together. A handshake is not complete until the shoulders sort of embrace each other. I have wondered where that tradition had started. This past weekend I found out."

The second article, actually... paper, is lengthy but VERY, VERY well written and researched. Again thanks to Wrestling Roots for this excellent paper written just a couple of months ago by the Coreeda Association of Australia, who have an amazing site as well! Lots of interesting grappling and wrestling articles that I need to catch up on. Though this paper is primarily focused on the history of wrestling in central asia, check out this excerpt from page 17 which summarizes my thoughts and feelings of our society to a "T":

"... the ancients obviously knew that by encoding morality into a sport that is hyper masculine by its very nature, it would attract young men and a process of indoctrination could then take place. Through training, initiations and simply by association with experienced elders, they would learn about the correct behaviour expected of mature adult men and then certainly entails the protection of the most vulnerable in society. These heroic obligations are denied to males in the modern Western world who are facing an emasculation process like never before in history, as the state aggressively takes these responsibilities from them. Contemporary writers refer to this as a crisis in masculinity especially in this era of mass divorce, which is seeing a whole generation of youth raised in single parent families, all too often with little or no positive contact with their own fathers, never mind other male role models. Mass media then provides the de facto definition of manhood that boys aspire towards and due to teen angst this inevitably comes from [the mass media]. In their most impressionable years boys are given no guidance on how to proceed into adulthood and instead are propagandized by unrealistic fantasies that are impossible to attain without negative social consequences, ultimately leading to esteem destruction and nihilistic pessimism."

Click here to read the entire article!

This should be motivation to get your kids, your friends, and yourself on the mat and train! So regardless of what you call it: BJJ / Sambo / Greco Roman / Folk / Kuresh / Kushti / Sumo / Glima.... lets roll!

Enjoy,

Jake

Journal of Chinese Martial Arts

2012-01-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

It has been over a decade since Nick Scrima's landmark publication, "Journal of Chinese Martial Arts" (prior to that it was also known as the "Wu Gong Journal") folded. With a fresh start and a new year I am happy to see that the Journal has made a comeback in a eco friendly digital edition, or more expensive hard copy subscription.

Scrima hopes to offer a comprehensive approach to the Chinese arts, and with the varied instructors and subject matter it seems he has hit his mark:

Wang Rengang's student Zhenshen Wang offers an article on the fundamentals of Hao Jia Taiji Meihua Tanglangquan (Hao Family Grand Ultimate Plum Blossom Mantis)
Alex Kwok offers the "24 Martial Standards"
Origins and history of Wuzuquan
A very interesting interview with Liu Xiaoling (renowned teacher of Bagua / Taiji / Xing Yi)
Jason Tsou offers some deeper training with his article on developing the sixth sense
Nick Masi offers a great piece on Shuai Chiao's tearing practice

Crisp, clear, color pictures adorn the digital version. I had no problem logging in and the magazine loaded uber fast (I do have a high speed connection). A full 56 pages of articles, including media reviews, and almost no advertising at all make this a steal of a deal!

The Journal of Chinese Martial Arts looks to be a promising addition to the martial arts mass media blitz that has been dominated by MMA magazines offering terrible writing and insight. The Chinese arts have certainly been experiencing poor representation, with Inside Kung Fu tanking last year, and overall interest waning. I am happy to see Nick Scrima and his crew stepping up and offering something of a bit more substance and style.

Please subscribe (click here) and support such a worthy venture. Plus you never know who you might see writing in future editions;)

Cheers

Jake

Why EVERY Girl Should Be Training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

2012-01-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

This is an EXCELLENT posting by a BJJ mom speaking of her daughters journey through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I have included a short snippet from the piece, but make sure to click here to read the rest! And please pass this along to every women (and man) you know!

"At school, my daughter has been a victim of aggressive and sexually deviant behavior; this is the unfortunate reality of the world. The knowledge she gains in Jiu Jitsu class, where she is safe and supervised, will help her in coping with real-life bullying scenarios which, by their nature, often occur when a smaller, weaker victim is alone and unsupervised by adults.

In her practice of Jiu Jitsu, she learns that being beautiful is only one aspect of who she is. Another aspect is that she is STRONG, physically and mentally. She learns that she is capable of defending herself rather than requiring a man to defend her. That she doesn't have to say YES to every offer made to her, whether that offer is sex, drugs, alcohol, or anything else. My daughter will stand strong, when others succumb to peer pressure. She will know that being a girl is NOT being the "weaker sex," but rather that being a girl means overcoming her own challenges and knowing she is strong enough to reach her goals."

Kickboxing - Combatives - Kali Classes Seattle, WA.

2012-01-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

Kick 2011 in the head and start 2012 off with a right lead, stop by Three Harmonies Martial Arts and start training today! We offer both group and private lessons in various disciplines such as kickboxing, Shen Wu Combatives, Pekiti Tirsia Kali, and a number of traditional Chinese martial and healing arts as well.

Our group classes are comprised of a combination of both striking and basic grappling that is self defense based, not stylistically based. Students can expect to learn basic striking and covering, mitt work and sparring drills, stand up wrestling and grappling, as well as ground proofing to ensure students are well versed and skilled in all ranges of combat.

We also offer Pekiti Tirsia Kali training for those interested in the Filipino bladed arts.

We have fun while we train and work hard! If this sounds like the place for you, stop by and say "Hi" and we can set you up with some training. You can also drop me a line at 206-941-3232 or email me at three_harmonies@hotmail.com

Click here to check out our 2012 schedule!

To set up a private lesson with Jake contact him via phone or email.

JANUARY SPECIAL FOR NEW STUDENTS: NO REGISTRATION FEE ($40 SAVINGS) WHEN YOU SIGN UP!

Rory Miller Seminar - Port Townsend, WA.

2012-01-04T09:34:00.000-08:00

For those interested in reality based training regarding real world violence and conflict resolution, Rory Miller will be in Port Townsend, WA. Feb. 18-19, 2012 for a weekend seminar and lecture series.

Click Here for more info or to register!

90 Year Old Recounts WWII Experience

2012-01-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

Click here to see this amazing video!!!

Sorry I could not embed this video. But I think it is important to watch for a couple of reasons. One; music truly is healing & positive (remember that when you wish to save tax money by cutting certain school activities and programs).
Two; when we will stop fighting each other and realize we are all just humans trying to get through another day called life!?

Powerful stuff, I will warn you!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2012 ya'll! I wanted to take a moment and thank all of you whom have supported me over the past year, from my family, to my training partners, to the dozen folks that read this blog. I really appreciate the support and hopefully can make the next orbit of the sun a much more fruitful experience for all!

Cheers
Jake

DVD Review - "Strategic Knife Defense w/ Leo T. Gaje Jr."

2011-12-28T16:53:00.000-08:00

The Pekiti Tirsia Kali community at large has been patiently waiting for lineage holder Leo T. Gaje Jr. to produce a series of instructional DVDs to accompany his already crazy busy seminar teachings. Well my steel wielding carvers your wait is up as Tim Waid in conjunction with his teacher Leo T. Gaje Jr. have released the first DVDs to be produced by the Pekiti Tirsia Kali Global Organization. Volume one in the classic series is "Strategic Knife Defense: Defensive Tactics for Law Enforcement"

With the goal of presenting the authentic Pekiti Tirsia Kali system of combat blade fighting, this "classic" DVD is an absolute must have for anyone interested in not only blade fighting, but just the historical footage of Leo Gaje teaching back in 1987 is priceless! I have heard there is tons of footage of Gaje teaching seminars, private lessons, etc. throughout the decades he has been teaching the world over. Waid and Gaje have decided to release these teachings and footage for practitioners to see the authentic system of Kali as it was handed down to Gaje, whom in turn hands it down to his senior most students.

TECHNICAL REVIEW:
As stated above this video footage was taken over 25 years ago where it seems this was to be the first in a series of instructionals geared towards the law enforcement community, so though the quality is not the HD crystal clear image we all have grown accustomed to, the producers and editors did an amazing job of restoring the footage and transferring it to DVD.

Again basic editing was involved in this recording back in the day, but there are a few moments where camera angles change or they zoom in where needed. Overall the quality of the instructional is not affected by any of the video technology. Sound quality is excellent as well, as I never found myself straining to hear anything explained.

Beginning to end the disc runs an hour long and has an easy to navigate menu where the DVD is broken into six basic categories:

Intro / Knife Attacks
Counter Knife Attacks
Knife Jabbing Attacks
Knife Tapping
Baton Tactics
Empty Hand Tactics

INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT:

Aimed as a basic introduction to the knife and bladed combatives for law enforcement personnel, "Strategic Knife Defense" is a great starting block for anyone new to bladed weapon arts, or situations where one may encounter a bladed aggressor (security / LEO / military / bouncers etc.). To quote Gaje:

"The purpose of this video is to get the officer acquainted with edged weapons, and to understand principle movements and strategy of knife fighting."

Drawn from the fundamental principles of PTK, Gaje takes viewers through the common attacks someone wielding a knife would use, as well as the fundamental counter movements to these most common slashes and thrusts. These angles of attack are common movements we use in everyday life, yet when we look at them in a martial context we see the reason why our predecessors created the art the way they did.

By no means is this a collection of techniques thrown into an hour long video, actually quite the contrary. Gaje takes the time to explain exactly why someone will attack in this manner, and why you respond the way you do. Throughout the video he shows a number of various counter strikes, joint locks (some seem a bit flashy as I doubt they would be very high percentage on a fully resisting opponent), and a couple of take downs. Overall the message is clear... a large repertoire of techniques is useless without the fundamental building blocks to execute said techniques.

The "Knife Tapping" chapter, though only a few minutes long, offers some very interesting insight into Leo Gaje's teaching methodology. In this chapter he emphasizes acceptance of the blade being the primary focus of knife tapping drills. Though just touched upon it is interesting to note the wisdom in the young Gaje's experience where he was talking about combat psychology and blade psychology way before it was a cool subject on internet chat rooms.

If the purpose of this DVD was to inform LEO about the dangers and benefits of edged weapon defense, and lay down the foundation for future training volumes then Gaje succeeded in his endeavor. I am not sure if this series will continue on with his teachings of strategic knife defense, but in the baton chapter Gaje mentions future volumes.

Historians, teachers, or practitioners of Pekiti Tirsia Kali will not want to miss this volume simply to see there grand teacher moving and training 25 years ago. A classic by all means and at $40 it is a hell of a steal!

Click here to go directly to the PTKGO secure online store!

Train Hard. Train Smart.

Jake

Tim Waid (L) alongside his teacher Leo Gaje.

Combat Network Magazine Issue 9

2011-12-28T13:52:00.000-08:00

This is not the
current cover!

I was recently asked to be the contributing "Internal Chinese Martial Arts" editor of Britain's very own online martial magazine Combat Network Magazine.

This was a bit of a last minute thing so I scrambled to get a piece out on the move "Step Up to the Seven Stars" from Taijiquan, a classic entry technique. Let me know what you think!

Check out the article and pics here!

Thanks to the Shadow and DKB Images for assistance with the article. Thanks
to NWJJA and Brian Johnson for use of the dojo for photos.

Cheers
Jake

Great Training Today!

2011-12-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

While the majority of you were laying on the couch recouping, a handful of dedicated grapplers had some great training today! Wanted to send a big thanks to the four who actually read this blog; Karliss the Latvian Destroyer / Motorcycle Matt / The Baconater / and Kelland "The Rape Dummy" (BTW for once I had nothing to do with that nickname!). Great training partners and a solid workout the day after mucho gluttony and self abuse!

I thought I would leave you with some solid quotes I recently found in the Nov-Dec. issue of Europe's awesome new Jits rag, "Jiu Jitsu Style." JJS is hard to find on the newsstands over here (seen it once or twice at the downtown B&N, but nothing consistent), so I suggest subscribing to their electronic version (available on i Phones and pads). It is not only cheaper, but you get the mag immediately, and it is packed full of interesting interviews, techniques, and product reviews. Their interviewers actually ask some interesting and engaging questions (for instance this issue has Fabio Gurgel talking about the ugly break-up of the original Alliance troop in 2001).

JJS is a step up from the similar Jiu Jitsu Magazine found stateside, with both of them blowing Gracie magazine out of the water (Gracie has become a mere shell of its former self, which was never that great!).

Anyways... some interesting meditation material here. Enjoy!

Fabio Gurgel on Alliance's success through the years at major competitions:

"When we went to competition Jacare never put any pressure on us, it was always fun. He taught me how to enjoy the moment of the fight, not before or after, but when you are on the mat.... we just learned how to enjoy the competition. I think this lesson is what gave me success in the competitions and is the backbone of Alliance's success at the moment."

"You cannot build a successful team if you are only looking at your top students... The basics need to be very solid."

Asked if one needs to compete to teach:

"Of course, you must know the feeling of competition, this is important. If you compete you may not be the best competitor, but you know the feeling and can help your students to prepare."

Nicolai Holt on competition:

"If you want to test your BJJ, you have to do it in competition."

Nicolai Holt on the sport vs. self defense debate:

"I do not perceive a debate. If you train sport jiu jitsu, you will be better able to handle a self defense situation."