2002: Roger Gracie v. Demian Maia

Two of my favorite jiu-jitsu artists going head-to-head!

What to Do When You Can't Do Anything

The irony of being forced off the mat one week after announcing my triumphant return is not lost on me.

Credit to Bernardo Faria and John Danaher for putting this out there for those of us who will be seriously sidelined for the next few weeks - at least.

“If you can get strong in these three areas: body movement skills, strength and conditioning, and increasing your knowledge, you’re gonna find that when it’s time to come back you do very, very well on the mats, You’ll find there’s no drop off whatsoever. In fact, you may actually do better in some regards because you’re moving better, your physical body is as good as it ever was, and you know things you didn’t know before. And because you’ve got better movement skills, you can embody that knowledge into skill in a much faster rate than you could previously.”

"... And baby, you better believe it!"

A lot to like about my first time back on the mat in more than a month. The off-mat cardio and TONS of jiu-jitsu film study (BJJ Scout's analysis of Demian Maia's and Murilo Santana's passing game) deserve a lot of credit for making tonight feel like such a successful return in terms of my performance during Live Training with a pair of tough purple belt partners.

The other thing to like is the reception from the students. It's subtler - and more direct at the same time. Most importantly, it's appreciated. And it's a big reason why I keep coming back to help and train week after week, month after month, year after year.