Hello AGPMA Friends and Family,
While Thailand is known as the “Land of Smiles”, Brazil is known as the “Land of Happiness.” Everyone is very kicked back and relaxed and I think that it may have something to do with all the holidays that they celebrate here. But, to just say that Brazil celebrates a lot of holidays would be an understatement! It seems that they recognize national holidays, regional holidays, and local holidays as well as holidays dedicated to certain events, people, and festivities. I have witnessed this during my short three week stay in which at least 4-5 holidays have been observed! I would attempt to schedule my workouts with my trainers and each week they would say “Oh no!” not this Saturday or next Monday or the following Tuesday, “It’s a holiday!” I could sense a little concern with making a consistent cash flow, but the up side is that they get lots of R&R and plenty of time on the beach! What a deal!!
I have really enjoyed the beauty of the different cultures that I have experienced thus far in my Great Grandmaster Adventure. For example, in Thailand people greet you with a slight bow (their hands in a prayer position) and a huge smile. In Brazil, you are greeted with a thumbs up and just as big of a smile. I was also introduced to the kiss on each cheek greeting when I met Professor Hermanny’s wife, Sandra. What a cool way to say hello! One of the first things that I noticed at the Brazilian Top Team was how everyone took the time to go around the room to personally shake hands and say “Bon Dia” (Good Morning), when arriving, and “Tchau” (Good Bye), when departing. One day, when Claudio, my BTT trainer, was leaving he gave me a kiss on the top of my head. You just have to love their compassion and personal touch! I pray that I have caught it so that I can bring it home and pass it on!!
Another thing that I must mention is Brazil’s amazing fruit drinks! I was encouraged by Bea to try the natural energy drinks that can be purchased at fruit stands on every corner for a very reasonable price. I had the privilege of trying several kinds of fruit that are unique to Brazil and I must say, there is nowhere better to get fruit juices and smoothies. Tasty and healthy (makes for a great combination) and great after a hard workout, which I had my share of. Thanks Bea, for the great recommendation!
One more thing before I get to my final days of training…I would like to announce that I am now “officially” fluent in Tex-Mex-uguese and it has not failed me yet, muto obrigado (thank you very much)! “Fale ingles?” (Do you speak English?) was my first question upon entering each cab and, 99% of the time, the reply was “Nao fale ingles!” (No!). But not to worry, I would just turn on the Tex-Mex-uguese and it got me where I was going 100% of the time. That’s how I know that I am fluent J! I gotta tell you though, there is no better language than the language of love. This is the language that I tried to speak the most. As God’s Word says, “Love will conquer all.” It was amazing to see how it just brings down the walls of difference and finds common ground to build on. I am happy to say that I left my trainers with nine English words – the “Fruits of the Spirit” found in Galatians 5:22-23 (And what do you know? The first one is “Love”!)
How about this “bonus”? Sunday, I went with Professor Hermanny to some Vale Tudo fights held in Rio. Great fights! It was great to see many of the techniques that I have been learning being applied by the fighters. But, here is the “bonus” I was referring to…I got to sit next to UFC Champion Anderson Silva (and I got to take a picture with him)! If you are a UFC fan, you probably watched Anderson Silva win the title from Rich Franklin (quite decisively, I might add). What a humble and respectful man…A great role model for the sport!
I don’t want to scare anyone away from training in Jui-Jitsu, but one of the consequences of being a lifelong Jui-Jitsu fighter is “orelha estourada” (also known as “cauliflower ears”). They appear to be kind of like a trophy to those who have them as they sport them with a sense of pride in what they have earned. I asked Mario Sperry about it and he basically said that it meant that “they got their *** kicked too many times!” Of course, his ears show no sign of orelha estourada. I’ll leave it to you to decide what the reality is…I just know that I wouldn’t want to mess with any of those guys! To avoid orelha estourada, fighters can wear ear protection like you see wrestlers wear. I will be ordering my ear protectors first thing when I get home. May not be the coolest look…but my ears are already big enough!
Monday was the day before Brazil’s Labor Day, so BTT took the day off. It worked out as a blessing though because I was able to train in BJJ and “Gi” with Professor Hermanny. Today’s Jui-Jitsu fighters are trained in what is referred to as “Gi” or “No Gi” or they are trained in “Gi AND No Gi.” I was fortunate enough to receive training in BOTH, which is what I had hoped and prepared for. For a while in the Mixed Martial Arts world, training in “No Gi” was the popular thing to do and only traditionalists trained in “Gi.” From what I have gathered, however, the trend now seems to be more of an “AND” thing. Both methods of training have lessons to be learned and applied. To explain the difference, I will quote Sam Sheridan from his book “A Fighter’s Heart”:
“The gi is a mystery; it chokes and pulls and twists around your body. It controls you. By controlling the gi, you control the man inside it. Gi grappling is all about the gi, you grab it at every turn, pulling pant legs, twisting sleeves, gripping and pulling the belt, the lapels, un-tucking your opponent’s gi and twisting the loose ends around his body to turn him, to choke him. The cloth controls the body underneath, and the body controls the cloth and breaks grips.
If you’re grappling no gi, the sweat and slipperiness of your hands give you a decent chance to escape with a strong whipping pull; there is a lot less to hold on to. So the pace with gi seems slower, more deliberate, more thoughtful—punctuated by seconds of desperate movement, muscle straining, attempts to surprise your opponent. In no-gi the movements and straining and changing positions are endless.”
So, as you can see, each has its own skills and techniques and I seek to experience and understand them both. Thanks to Professor Hermanny and Sensei Cardoso, I received training in “Gi”; and thanks to Brazilian Top Team, I received training in “No Gi.” I’d say I got to experience the best of both worlds!
After my lesson with Professor Hermanny, I met Jefferson Teixeira at Centro de Lutas Nova Geracao’s facility for my final private lesson in wrestling. Jefferson focused on seven basic techniques that will help to bring together my MMA training – from the Muay Thai stand up to the wrestling take-downs to the BJJ ground control. What an awesome teacher and what a great way to finish!
Since today (Tuesday) is a holiday, I failed in setting up a final lesson, but this has allowed me the time to write my final update. I came here “ready for anything” – with an open mind and a notebook full of questions – and I have received more than I ever imagined. There were so many “bonuses” and I know that God had his hand in each one of them. Professor Hermanny, a living legend…what a blessing to have him as my personal companion and guide during much of my stay. Thank you, Professor, for the training opportunities, for the personal guided tours, and for the home cooked meals (prepared by Cida who has been his cook since 1963). (And, thank you Bea for making all that possible!) Mario Sperry, the general of BTT…how awesome to see him in person and watch him in action. I look forward to keeping in touch with him and returning for future training. The best part is that I enjoyed all this while my team at home had a great month and made things happen for the students and for the business. Thank you to my team…YOU ROCK! And thank you to Mr. Silva and Mr. Van Over for your excellence in leadership! Victories like these are exactly why I became part of Premier Martial Arts.
I can’t help but think of Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” That’s why, as I close the door to Brazil, I can walk by faith and know that He is already making arrangements for the next step in my Great Grandmaster Adventure.
I am excited to return and begin passing on the lessons that I have learned to my AGPMA team.
This week, I will be passing them on privately to my instructors and, during the next month, I will be making my rounds to teach in all the classes. I am also looking forward to the start of my “Beach Body Boot Camp” on May 12, which will run for seven weeks. I plan to use many of the conditioning drills that I have learned while in Thailand and in Brazil along with some of the awesome PMA curriculum and more. I will pass the training on to all my Black Belt Candidates in their last few months of training, and I will be reaching as many kids as possible in this year’s Summer Camp. I will also be seeking to give back to my fellow Premier Martial Arts school owners as the opportunity presents itself.
As I leave Brazil today, I pray that God be glorified in all I have said and done here and in all that I will do as I return to share my experience with my family, students, and friends. Also, I am in prayer as I await my marching orders from above and wait to see where the Lord will lead me next. I pray that God will inspire others to follow as I attempt to make the “Leap from Good to Great in God’s Eyes”!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
http://www.algarza.com/
While Thailand is known as the “Land of Smiles”, Brazil is known as the “Land of Happiness.” Everyone is very kicked back and relaxed and I think that it may have something to do with all the holidays that they celebrate here. But, to just say that Brazil celebrates a lot of holidays would be an understatement! It seems that they recognize national holidays, regional holidays, and local holidays as well as holidays dedicated to certain events, people, and festivities. I have witnessed this during my short three week stay in which at least 4-5 holidays have been observed! I would attempt to schedule my workouts with my trainers and each week they would say “Oh no!” not this Saturday or next Monday or the following Tuesday, “It’s a holiday!” I could sense a little concern with making a consistent cash flow, but the up side is that they get lots of R&R and plenty of time on the beach! What a deal!!
I have really enjoyed the beauty of the different cultures that I have experienced thus far in my Great Grandmaster Adventure. For example, in Thailand people greet you with a slight bow (their hands in a prayer position) and a huge smile. In Brazil, you are greeted with a thumbs up and just as big of a smile. I was also introduced to the kiss on each cheek greeting when I met Professor Hermanny’s wife, Sandra. What a cool way to say hello! One of the first things that I noticed at the Brazilian Top Team was how everyone took the time to go around the room to personally shake hands and say “Bon Dia” (Good Morning), when arriving, and “Tchau” (Good Bye), when departing. One day, when Claudio, my BTT trainer, was leaving he gave me a kiss on the top of my head. You just have to love their compassion and personal touch! I pray that I have caught it so that I can bring it home and pass it on!!
Another thing that I must mention is Brazil’s amazing fruit drinks! I was encouraged by Bea to try the natural energy drinks that can be purchased at fruit stands on every corner for a very reasonable price. I had the privilege of trying several kinds of fruit that are unique to Brazil and I must say, there is nowhere better to get fruit juices and smoothies. Tasty and healthy (makes for a great combination) and great after a hard workout, which I had my share of. Thanks Bea, for the great recommendation!
One more thing before I get to my final days of training…I would like to announce that I am now “officially” fluent in Tex-Mex-uguese and it has not failed me yet, muto obrigado (thank you very much)! “Fale ingles?” (Do you speak English?) was my first question upon entering each cab and, 99% of the time, the reply was “Nao fale ingles!” (No!). But not to worry, I would just turn on the Tex-Mex-uguese and it got me where I was going 100% of the time. That’s how I know that I am fluent J! I gotta tell you though, there is no better language than the language of love. This is the language that I tried to speak the most. As God’s Word says, “Love will conquer all.” It was amazing to see how it just brings down the walls of difference and finds common ground to build on. I am happy to say that I left my trainers with nine English words – the “Fruits of the Spirit” found in Galatians 5:22-23 (And what do you know? The first one is “Love”!)
How about this “bonus”? Sunday, I went with Professor Hermanny to some Vale Tudo fights held in Rio. Great fights! It was great to see many of the techniques that I have been learning being applied by the fighters. But, here is the “bonus” I was referring to…I got to sit next to UFC Champion Anderson Silva (and I got to take a picture with him)! If you are a UFC fan, you probably watched Anderson Silva win the title from Rich Franklin (quite decisively, I might add). What a humble and respectful man…A great role model for the sport!
I don’t want to scare anyone away from training in Jui-Jitsu, but one of the consequences of being a lifelong Jui-Jitsu fighter is “orelha estourada” (also known as “cauliflower ears”). They appear to be kind of like a trophy to those who have them as they sport them with a sense of pride in what they have earned. I asked Mario Sperry about it and he basically said that it meant that “they got their *** kicked too many times!” Of course, his ears show no sign of orelha estourada. I’ll leave it to you to decide what the reality is…I just know that I wouldn’t want to mess with any of those guys! To avoid orelha estourada, fighters can wear ear protection like you see wrestlers wear. I will be ordering my ear protectors first thing when I get home. May not be the coolest look…but my ears are already big enough!
Monday was the day before Brazil’s Labor Day, so BTT took the day off. It worked out as a blessing though because I was able to train in BJJ and “Gi” with Professor Hermanny. Today’s Jui-Jitsu fighters are trained in what is referred to as “Gi” or “No Gi” or they are trained in “Gi AND No Gi.” I was fortunate enough to receive training in BOTH, which is what I had hoped and prepared for. For a while in the Mixed Martial Arts world, training in “No Gi” was the popular thing to do and only traditionalists trained in “Gi.” From what I have gathered, however, the trend now seems to be more of an “AND” thing. Both methods of training have lessons to be learned and applied. To explain the difference, I will quote Sam Sheridan from his book “A Fighter’s Heart”:
“The gi is a mystery; it chokes and pulls and twists around your body. It controls you. By controlling the gi, you control the man inside it. Gi grappling is all about the gi, you grab it at every turn, pulling pant legs, twisting sleeves, gripping and pulling the belt, the lapels, un-tucking your opponent’s gi and twisting the loose ends around his body to turn him, to choke him. The cloth controls the body underneath, and the body controls the cloth and breaks grips.
If you’re grappling no gi, the sweat and slipperiness of your hands give you a decent chance to escape with a strong whipping pull; there is a lot less to hold on to. So the pace with gi seems slower, more deliberate, more thoughtful—punctuated by seconds of desperate movement, muscle straining, attempts to surprise your opponent. In no-gi the movements and straining and changing positions are endless.”
So, as you can see, each has its own skills and techniques and I seek to experience and understand them both. Thanks to Professor Hermanny and Sensei Cardoso, I received training in “Gi”; and thanks to Brazilian Top Team, I received training in “No Gi.” I’d say I got to experience the best of both worlds!
After my lesson with Professor Hermanny, I met Jefferson Teixeira at Centro de Lutas Nova Geracao’s facility for my final private lesson in wrestling. Jefferson focused on seven basic techniques that will help to bring together my MMA training – from the Muay Thai stand up to the wrestling take-downs to the BJJ ground control. What an awesome teacher and what a great way to finish!
Since today (Tuesday) is a holiday, I failed in setting up a final lesson, but this has allowed me the time to write my final update. I came here “ready for anything” – with an open mind and a notebook full of questions – and I have received more than I ever imagined. There were so many “bonuses” and I know that God had his hand in each one of them. Professor Hermanny, a living legend…what a blessing to have him as my personal companion and guide during much of my stay. Thank you, Professor, for the training opportunities, for the personal guided tours, and for the home cooked meals (prepared by Cida who has been his cook since 1963). (And, thank you Bea for making all that possible!) Mario Sperry, the general of BTT…how awesome to see him in person and watch him in action. I look forward to keeping in touch with him and returning for future training. The best part is that I enjoyed all this while my team at home had a great month and made things happen for the students and for the business. Thank you to my team…YOU ROCK! And thank you to Mr. Silva and Mr. Van Over for your excellence in leadership! Victories like these are exactly why I became part of Premier Martial Arts.
I can’t help but think of Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” That’s why, as I close the door to Brazil, I can walk by faith and know that He is already making arrangements for the next step in my Great Grandmaster Adventure.
I am excited to return and begin passing on the lessons that I have learned to my AGPMA team.
This week, I will be passing them on privately to my instructors and, during the next month, I will be making my rounds to teach in all the classes. I am also looking forward to the start of my “Beach Body Boot Camp” on May 12, which will run for seven weeks. I plan to use many of the conditioning drills that I have learned while in Thailand and in Brazil along with some of the awesome PMA curriculum and more. I will pass the training on to all my Black Belt Candidates in their last few months of training, and I will be reaching as many kids as possible in this year’s Summer Camp. I will also be seeking to give back to my fellow Premier Martial Arts school owners as the opportunity presents itself.
As I leave Brazil today, I pray that God be glorified in all I have said and done here and in all that I will do as I return to share my experience with my family, students, and friends. Also, I am in prayer as I await my marching orders from above and wait to see where the Lord will lead me next. I pray that God will inspire others to follow as I attempt to make the “Leap from Good to Great in God’s Eyes”!
God’s Love and Peace,
Al Garza
http://www.algarza.com/
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