Terra Luta BJJ

On the 21st January three years ago, I started travelling a two hour round trip from Gympie to Caloundra 2-3 times a week to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Ryan Dunstan. I knew back then that BJJ was going to be a part of my life and I'd have to organize a way to train closer to home.

So earlier this year, with the blessing of my coach and the purchase of quality mats, I started doing some training at my business here in Gympie after hours.

In the beginning it was very low key with just a couple of my mates 2 times a week. One of my mates is another Blue belt who was also looking for a place to train. So i've been able to get some good training in for myself and start bringing some of my mates up to a level so they can have some fun on the mat and learn some fundamentals of BJJ.

Once the word got out we were doing true Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu here in Gympie, people have been super keen to try it out and I've got about 10 peeps now that train with me consistently. I haven't been charging them anything to train.

I didn't feel right charging people to get coached by a blue belt, but as of 1st January I will be affiliated with  IgniteSC and with the help and support from Coach Ryan Dunstan, I feel confident to start up my own little club..

Terra Luta Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Gympie's first 100% BJJ club.

My mission as a club is....

• To create a safe, friendly and motivating place to learn the beautiful art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
• To strive to make a difference in the community by providing an affordable, safe and fun non striking form of self defense.
• To promote respect, courtesy, gratitude, mate-ship and a healthy lifestyle.
• To offer a family friendly environment which promotes Jiu-Jitsu for everyone.
• To give students the option to train hard to compete at a high level, or just train to have fun and learn.
• To have a positive affect on the lives of all the team mates that step on to the Terra Luta mat.

 

We will be training BJJ at the Gympie Feed Barn Wednesday and Friday nights at 6pm and Sunday afternoons at 4pm. Anyone interested in training contact me and please follow our facebook page at Terra Luta BJJ for all the latest info on the club.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has given me a new found passion and focus. By competing at least 2-3 times a year, not only has my jiu-jitsu game improved but I feel that I have grown and continue to grow as an individual. I truly believe BJJ has helped me become a better person in all areas of my life. It has provided me with a healthy activity that continually gives me so many new and exciting experiences. I'm extremely grateful to the team mates and coaches that I have trained with since I started my jits journey. I love introducing people to the art and watching them fall in love with it, like I have. I hope to be a positive influence on anyone who trains with me and help spread the awesomeness that is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu within Australia.

C u on the mat,
Rex.

Comp, Training, Grading

Been very busy lately, with work training and family so my blogging has taken a back seat. But i'm bludging at work right now in the air con so I'll take the chance to drop a blog...

Since the Pan Pacs i've let my fitness slip a little bit and I've put some weight back on but I'm still training at least 3 times a week so i haven't blown right out. 

A few weeks ago I attended a Carlos Português Vieira and Alexandre Santos seminar at IgniteSC in Caloundra on a Friday night and then competed the next day in a comp in Brisbane. The Seminar was excellent. Português is an amazing teacher, every time I'm on the mat with him I always learn something rad that i can add to my game immediately. He is also an amazing competitor. He took out the $1000 dollar brown and black belt open at the comp the next day.

One of my young team mates that i coach in Gympie competed in the under16 division. He did extremely well, losing to the eventual winner of his division and winning another match by a kimura. He never gave up and showed lots of technique and heart. I was extremely proud and it reminded me of how much of a positive effect Jiu-Jitsu can have on people.

I faced off against a massive dude in my Blue Belt division, the weight division was a bit odd, it was 91kg and over. So i weighed in at 95kg my opponent was 145kg. (Usually i would be in a division of dudes 93-99kg.)

But I wasn't too worried i thought I'll just go at it and see what happens. I pulled open guard and tried to work for a sweep. I tried to go to closed guard at one stage but i couldn't get my legs around him haha.... I got a couple of near sweeps but he based out and was way to big to force over. I even had an armbar at one stage but his arm was more like a leg and i had no chance. I ended up losing the match on points 2-0. I was a bit angry. I'm getting a bit sick of losing. But i took it as a good experience and i think if i faced a big guy like that again i could play a bit different game and maybe be more successful.

Overall the Cia Paulista team did extremely well in the comp. The guys and girls were all using some nice techniques and nearly all team members took home a medal. The highlight was Carlos taking out the cash, beating a big Gracie Barra Black belt from the GoldCoast. He is an inspirational leader and an excellent role model to all his students.

On the home front, my little gym has started to grow. I have about 7 regular students now and they are all learning so fast. I'm really enjoying teaching them the techniques and helping them feel comfortable in the different positions. The vibe on the mat is super cool. They are all excellent students and team mates. 

At the last grading night at IgniteSC, 3 of my students travelled down with me and were involved in the grading night. I had the honor of giving them there first stripe on there white belts.

It was a great grading night. Lots of white belts were showing some nice techniques and I think a lot of them will be changing belt colours real soon.

Next year will be a huge year for Cia Paulista Qld team. I will be training hard and competing at my best so I represent correct for the Cia Paulista team!!

C u on the mat!

Rex.

Melbourne Pan Pacs 2011

Once again Jiu-Jitsu has provided me with more than just some kick arse moves. This time it got me too Melbourne to compete at the Pan Pacs for the first time. This is the second time i've been south of the boarders where the mexicans live. But this time i really got to see and do a lot of what the city has to offer. Like really great coffee, great food, rad street art, tasty beverages, super cool people and bad ass jiu-jitsu!!

I got to catch up with one of my best friends from boarding school. He's been living in Melbs for many years and really has his ear to the ground for all that is totally radical. Myself and a team mate from the gym crashed at his joint in Fitzroy for the first few days of our trip. He and his super cool girlfriend were excellent hosts. My friend is quiet the cook. His home made pizzas were amazing after a hard nights training.

He took us on a guided tour of Melbourne on the trams and also convinced me to get on a push bike for the first time in about 20yrs. Yes i did have a couple of stacks... nothing to bad but my family jewels got a good whack at one stage.
The city it self has so much to offer. I really dug the vibe in Fitzroy and over in St Kilda where my friend informed me that everything was just a little bit trippy.

The training was excellent. The level of the guys on the mat was very high and the intensity of the training for the first couple of nights we were there was full on. My body didn't hold up to well. Next comp I will emulate what they are doing down there and really push myself much more. I think the colder weather and the intensity of the training combined to cause me to strain my lower back which kind of made things a bit hard on the mat. I need to work harder on my core stength and hip flexibility.

The competion was by far the biggest i've been to. I was a touch over whelmed by the occasion but i really liked the atmosphere. The quality of the BJJ being played was of a very high standard even the white belt divisions were stacked with very strong technical guys and girls. My team mates from IgniteSC all competed very well. I think nearly everyone picked up a medal. One of my coaches from Ignite did extremely well winning his weight in the Purple belts and 3rd in the absolute. Also the Melbourne Cia Paulista guys kicked arse picking up a swag of gold medals in all the divisions. Head coachs Carlos Vieira and Alexandre Santos where stand outs for me. They had some epic battles and both won there weight divisions. Carlos Faced off against Big Mick Wilson in the absolute final. Where he lost by points in a great match. Cia Paulista team came in 3rd overall. which was a top effort and the Mestre was extremely happy.

When it was my turn to compete, i'd be lying if i said i wasn't shitting myself. My lack of comp experience really showed and my no-gi match did not go to plan. I shot for a double got sprawled on and spent most of the round scrabbling between turtle and half guard. He even had my back at one stage but I pulled off an escape and got a pass. I popped up to knee ride a bit fast and was granby rolled to half guard where he caught me in a darce choke which really gave the old neck a tweak. He went on to win the division which meant i got 3rd by default. 

I was looking forward to some redemption in my gi match. I tried to pull guard but missed my grips and didn't pull properly so my opponent got a near pass. In the scramble i found my self with a nice grip on his sleeve and my leg in a position i thought i knew a sweep for but it turned out i had the wrong grip and needed to change hands. I held this position for a while but gave up on it and tried to get to my knees but he took my back. Once again i escaped and attacked a straight leg lock. I need to watch the fight again to see what actually happened but i think i got a sweep and an advantage out of that, because with about 30 sec left i needed a pass to win but I had nothing left and time ran out. I was pissed off at myself, i let a chance go by to get a win. My cardio is what let me down in this fight and some poorly executed technique. But it has given me lots to work on and i'm going to compete a lot more from now on. I'm going to get my weight down even more, and build up my cardio and strength. 

One of the most inspiring things a bout the comp was my team mate and friend 'Timeless' Tom Taylor competing against guys half his age. He showed some true heart and never gave up in both his fights. He deservedly picked up 3rd. I hope that i can stay as positive, healthy and courageous as Tom as I move through life. I had a great time getting to know Tom better and really enjoyed the experience we had together. From competing to partying with the Brazilians. 


So I had a great time in Melbourne but I was disappointed in my performance on the mat. I learnt a lot out of the whole experience. Most of all I am truly grateful to my beautiful wife for all her support in allowing me to pursue my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu addiction. I missed her and my two kids so much. It was great to get home and give them all a big hug. I love them!
C u on the mat!
Rex.

Hard Training.

I've been training hard down here for 2 days now with my Cia Paulista team mates. Bit sore, but the next 2 days will b a lot less intense leading up to the comp. The guys r training very hard. I'm struggling to keep up. My body is not in good enough condition. Last night there were 2 black belts on the mat, both of them pushing the pace and training hard. Having a rad time, meeting some cool cats and getting my arsed kicked. Good times!!

Fitzroy Street Art!

Today i fly out to melbourne to train with the team from Cia Paulista in preparation for the Pan Pacs this weekend. I'm currently sitting in the airport waiting for my flight.  Training up to this point has been a bit stop start. I had a bit of trouble with my knee which kept me off the mat for a few days and then a chest infection that has been hanging on for a couple of weeks. But I'm not trying to make excuses. I will definitely put everything into the training this week and perform at my best this weekend.
I'm probably more nervous about the training this week than the comp its self.... I've felt what it's like to roll with head coach Carlos Viera and it's not very comfortable to say the least and i can only imagine what it will be like when he is in comp mode. hahaha
C u on the mat,
Rex

Melbourne Bound!