The amazing around-the-world burger project: California, USA.
Before I started rolling with this burger, I could tell, that it was something unique. It’s charisma, posture and aura was different from any other burger I have trained with around the world. We slapped hands and as soon as it grabbed my wrist, I could tell, that this was a very, very skilled burger. I tried for 15 minutes, but I simply couldn’t break it’s grip. I was amazed.
It’s base consisted of a unique one-pound bison meat foundation. Every single technique it possessed in it’s arsenal was solid, fundamental and drilled to death for years and years. It was a world class competitor who made the audience cheer at it’s entrance to the mat. I worked hard to submit it, but with it’s very experienced Parmesan fries coach on the sideline gave it great instructions and made it very difficult for me to even just score an advantage.
I have kept my belt standards high, maybe too high some would say, but I have all the time known that I would recognize a black belt the day I saw it. And here it was. The first black belt burger on the trip.
Bow to your sensei.
Training in Chris’ garage
For some reason, I decided to roll a bit at Chris’ garage last night when we got back from the worlds. I was crazy tired, but really wanted to roll with Chris and when the music was playing, I found a little energy to go some rounds before showering and crashing in my sleeping bag in the corner of the mats.
Chris pimped my gi pants with a stencil he has designed, awesome!
Full circle in Los Angeles garage gym
Around 1999-2000, I bought my first ever Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructional tapes. They were a bunch of big, bulky VHS tapes, that I clearly remember came with the mail one afternoon when I got home from school. I was extremely excited to watch the tapes and see what this BJJ was all the about, so I could go to my Jeet Kune Do gym and practice it.
Chris Haueter was the guy teaching on the tapes, and I swallowed every bit of information on them. Today, more than ten years later, I am staying in his house for a round the world BJJ trip. I some way, I have come full circle. It is fun to think about how I ordered those tapes and that decision somehow shaped my life into what I am doing today and how I ended up sitting in his house right now.
Being a true BJJ Globetrotter, I have actually been a little disappointed, that I haven’t slept in a gym yet. So sleeping in Chris’ garage gym is really cool and very, very authentic. Chris has a very different and interesting approach to Jiu Jitsu than most others, and it shows in this garage. Tomorrow, I will be competing at the worlds and after that I will roll here with Chris and maybe go to Cobrinha’s school, depending on when I get a ticket to out of here.
I have spent the day relaxing. John from Kauai Kimonos and Søren, my friend from San Francisco are coming here to stay too.
The house is very close to Redondo Beach so I took a bicycle ride by the beach at a very slow pace, and I think that’s about all I want to spend my energy on today, while trying to rest my sore body before stepping on the mat tomorrow :)
