Occasionally I might post something here that isn’t related to Jiu Jitsu, but I’ll always make it clear at the start for those of you not interested in my life off the mats!
Here is a review of an East London street art bike tour I wrote for The Working Holiday Club– it’s the company I used when I moved to London as a bit of a safeguard because let’s face it, moving to the other side of the world indefinitely is damn scary!
Hope you like, I can’t recommend the tour highly enough.
** And for the record, TWHC shouted my ticket but the review was otherwise unpaid, and neither they nor Alt. Ldn influence my opinions.
Phew – stinky gis unpacked from suitcase, hair is washed… annnnd I am way too tired to write about my EPIC weekend at the ladies BJJ Autumn Bonanza in the stunning city of Copenhagen.
Hopefully I’ll get something posted later this week, until then… here are a few humorous snaps of a black belt feeding cake to a white belt.
I made my big, scary, indefinite move overseas knowing that if the UK BJJ community was anything like Australia’s – it would provide a great deal of support, friendship and maybe even a surrogate family.
I’m still getting to know my ‘pommy jitsu’ crew, but back home the Australian Elite team and Girls In Giare making me feel so damn proud.
We all have that special connection to our home club. It’s the place where solid friendships and even relationships are forged, and where we record so many milestones in our Jiu Jitsu (and overall fitness) journeys…
I can only imagine how heartbreaking this fire has been for Legacy Martial Arts.
“On the 7th September, our gym in Chippendale was destroyed by a criminal act of arson. It was our home. As a show of support and family spirit we continued our training in the park the following day.”
“Even if you’re 20 minutes late to class, I’ll know you have work, just get here.”
My new instructor puts it simply.
We all have those nights, weeks sometimes even MONTHS when we struggle to drag ourselves to the gym – right now my 40 minute tube ride home from the office poses a mental challenge.
I sit (if I get a seat) calculating my ETA back in East London and how long it will then take to power walk .. will I make BJJ class? The kickboxing session after that? Did I even pack a sports bra with my gear this morning? Maybe it’s all too hard and easier to head home, eat, and collapse into bed with episodes of The Walking Dead.
Back in Melbourne I had my drive home from work to debate turning right at the roundabout toward the gym, or continuing straight ahead to my dinner waiting in the fridge. I’m ashamed to admit the indicator frequently remained off.
It’s the best feeling being on the mat – punching a bag, sweating it out in a circuit – but what keeps you away sometimes? Is it just the end-of-the-day exhaustion feeling like me?
Or do you have more pressing obligations, like little humans to take care of before you can indulge in your love of BJJ?
Ok, at 72 kgs I’m not ‘little’ – but right now I’m happy being a noob on the mat … mostly because I’m just happy to be rolling!
Yay nooby me!
One month after arriving in London, I finally got my big butt to an MMA gym. Why the delay? A few stressy ‘life’ set up things I had to prioritise – but I have also been enjoying the slight break that packing up and moving overseas has afforded me.
It’s this irresponsible, inconsequential feeling akin to the first little moment you have as a grown up, when you realise you don’t need to ask for permission to go somewhere or to eat dessert before dinner … just being away from home again is so freeing.
It was actually the second time I ate a whole tub of ice cream for tea that I decided I’d better get back to BJJ. Judging by the tightness of my gi pants, it’s lucky I didn’t leave it much longer.
I know, clean eating FAIL.
I walked in, then straight back out of one MMA gym I found quite close to where I’m living. There’s something about a big dog lounging around on a visibly dirty (black in parts) mat, that’s just not very appealing.
I had much better luck at my second stop – Fight Zone London in Bethnal Green.
Marco Canha(Checkmat) is head instructor, with beginner and intermediate/advanced BJJ classes on offer.
There’s also the all-important S&C along with Muay Thai, Boxing and MMA.
You get the family vibe as soon as you walk into this gym, kids classes obviously help amplify the feeling – as does the sight of adorable gi-clad littlies burning off post-class energy, running about inside the cage!
There were a good 30 people on the mat in my first beginner lesson including four ladies, which was fab.
I’m told white belts regularly stay in the mix for the intermediate/advanced class that follows, but I’m happy hanging in the newbie sessions for now. While not ‘new’ I’m inconsistent, so have a lot of basics to work on along with overall fitness.
Friday night I hit class then stayed back for the open mat – just music, me and a bunch of guys who were pulling moves all over the place while I did something hopefully resembling defending!
I was a red faced, sweaty, crazy-haired, blissed-out mess by the end.
I have a new-found appreciation for hostels that sell ear plugs and eye masks.
For cost effectiveness and the social aspect, I chose to base myself in backpacker accommodation when I first moved to London. I’ve never been a fussy traveler, and have previously only had really great experiences staying in hostels. Girls dorms, mixed six, eight, sixteen bed – they’ve been fine. Rowdy on party nights sure, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
After this past fortnight though .. I may be putting conditions on my future bunk bed stays.
From randoms crashing – to dorm mates screwing randoms in bunks at night, in the middle of the day, in shared bathrooms.. I thought I was finally free of the shenanigans when I switched hostels after the first week. But the final straw came (heh) on my first night in the second hostel … when half asleep I automatically handed up a dress that had fallen from the top bunk onto mine.
I later realised the girl above me had a friend, and wasn’t just changing into her pyjamas.
Really, I should have seen it coming when I saw this in the ladies loos.
‘Stiky’ Boob, anyone?
And this in the stairwell.
“Wanna come back to my bunk bed?”
Though this message was on the dorm room door – “We have a strict one person per bunk policy.”
Just a tad hypocritical, you know.
** On the jits front – I am FINALLY getting to trying out a few clubs this week! Finding a share house and starting some kind of work has been the priority, then I picked up a cold .. but now I’m kinda settled it’s time to roll – and find me a new home club. *rubs hands together in anticipation*
I scheduled my flight to London via the Thai capital to see the lovely Marissa, who has moved there for work. I can honestly say Bangkok would not have been on my radar otherwise.
Rather than rush around doing the touristy thing I made no plans, there more to hang out with my friend and relax. In hindsight a few things I should have pre planned, like an empty suitcase for all the cheap shopping and tailor made clothes!
But I had a great time getting to know Marissa’s bustling neighbourhood in the embassy district, window shopping in Siam, having a spa treatment, riding the incredibly efficient BTS (skytrain) – mustering the courage to take a short ride on the back of a scooter (yes I’m a scaredy cat) and of course a spin in a tuk tuk, which I thought was definitely going to tip over the way we were screaming around corners at 1am!
Watching Muay Thai fights at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is a great experience, not just for what’s going on in the ring but it’s one of the few places in Thailand where gambling and betting is allowed – so there’s a lot of action in the stands.
Being driven from the airport by a drunk cabbie – not such a great experience, truly I don’t know how we weren’t involved in a crash with another car – or the concrete freeway barriers.
There are many hilarious, sober tuk tuk and taxi drivers in Bangkok though … like “Mr Big” who earnestly revealed he’s gay while showing us posters, physical photos and snaps on a digital camera, all while navigating Friday night traffic and trying to pitch himself as our personal city guide. (For the record, checked out Khao San Road but no ping pong shows!)
I hadn’t even planned to do a BJJ class during my extended stopover, but on a whim I hit google and found Bangkok Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy was only one BTS stop from where I was staying.
Located in the Trendy Building on Sukhumvit Soy 13, the hardest part was finding the Soi (street) as it wasn’t signed. A few extremely friendly locals pointed me in the right direction.
Pat Aphaisuwan took the 7am class – a small turnout that Friday (I think other regulars had a late one the night before) of mostly western dudes, but I’m told a few women also train at the club.
Warm ups, live takedowns, Pat demonstrated some handy back escapes before ending the one and a half hour session with comp rounds.
Thanks for having me guys!
He says they get travellers passing through quite regularly – my one-off class cost 500 Baht (about $17 Australian) and I believe they have pricing plans for short term training periods.
No shower inside the Academy, though Pat says they’re building one – and there are ladies and men’s toilets on the same floor, so somewhere to go to change/freshen up after training.
A really friendly academy that is worth a visit, if you ever find yourself in Bangkok.
Three months. That’s how much notice I had to give work when I decided to quit my job.
Three months to work out my travel ‘game plan’ (oops, don’t really have one of those!) and pack up my life nice and neatly into plastic storage tubs, for an indefinite period overseas.
I even gave myself a whole week between my last day at work and boarding the plane – and do you think I was organised?
Ummm no.
I mean, I wasn’t completely disorganised – my car selling, phone plan cancelling, farewell party timeline was perfect .. but the kind of important packing part I left to the night before.
Big mistake when you have way more clothes than you realised, a smaller suitcase than you realised and a ‘heatwave’ in London that messes with your “I’m only taking warm things” plan.
One of the shortlists…
The Gi simply had to go in first – but it needed a couple of patches sewn on, cue mum painstakingly doing the honours the day before.
“I don’t have a thimble! This is terrible for my carpal tunnel you know.”
I think I packed, unpacked and packed again about ten times. I begrudgingly filled the suitcase space bags that were meant to be saved for later (post Thailand shopping spree).
The MMA gloves got left behind. =(
And even now as I sit by a rooftop pool eating cherries in the middle of bustling Bangkok, I’m not happy with my effort.
But – what can you do?! I made the plane, and I made it to Bangers where I’m staying a few days with the lovely Marissa before I continue the hellishly long flight to the UK.
Obligatory leaving snap – mum still working on the iPhone photo-taking skills.
gypsy girl in gi 