I first saw Kenny Brown compete at a tournament in Baltimore when he was still a purple belt. He was fighting the guy that would eventually become my professor, Songura Kini Cole. They had a good match and I was impressed with Kenny’s methodical approach to the whole fight. I could see there was a Continue Reading
Lately, I’ve been busy with schoolwork and finishing up the book I’ve been writing and just haven’t been able to hit the mats as much as I would have liked. Im almost dreading getting back on the mats because I know my mental and physical response times will be a little off and rolling will Continue Reading
My first BJJ professor would always yell at me to not be greedy while rolling by reaching for submission attempts without first finishing the original order of moves/techniques as he had instructed me. I would always go for the submission as soon as I saw an opportunity. Most of the time I realized that the Continue Reading
All my BJJ students know that I don’t start rolling until my Pandora “Pete Rock Radio Station” is properly streaming. They say music soothes the savage beast. I say music can bring the beast out of a person as well. This past weekend I was at the New York International Open Championships and as Continue Reading
When I first started BJJ one of my favorite sparring partners, Rob (Stonewall BJJ), told me that I needed to setup a game plan for BJJ, like in chess. However, at the time I didn’t know enough Jiu Jitsu to understand what I could and couldn’t do yet, to which he would respond “precisely.” Still Continue Reading
One of my BJJ students asked me, “what do you do for pain in the shoulders, hands and toes?” I told him, “I usually just shut up about it but if it’s unbearable, then I’ll tape up the toes and finger or maybe take an ibuprofen before bed and up my water intake” He laughed Continue Reading
I went to work the other day with a cut under my eye that I received while sparring with some over-enthusiastic white-belts at BJJ the night before. I teach middle school and I don’t like to let these kids into too much of my personal life but I have to explain this or nothing will Continue Reading