It’s no secret that I’m not into working out in traditional gyms and health clubs, and I’m constantly looking for enjoyable activities that I can do to exercise and stay fit.
About three years ago (November 2006) I started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) but I quit after less than two months because I found the instructor to be inattentive and completely uninterested in the class. It was very difficult to learn from an instructor that didn’t seem like he wanted to be there, I constantly felt like I was going to get injured, and frankly it was a miserable experience.
Roughly a year later (January 2008), I made another attempt at learning BJJ at a different martial arts academy with a different instructor. Again, I quit after less than two months, this time because the program wasn’t remotely tailored towards beginners like me. I was being taught complicated sweeps and transitions to submissions from positions I had no prior experience with, and this was before I had a basic understanding of the fundamentals BJJ. The result was that I was overwhelmed, constantly discouraged, and I quickly lost interest and quit again.
Roughly two years later (October 2009), still interested in learning BJJ if I could find the right instructor, I became aware of a very highly regarded BJJ instructor named Shane Rice who had recently moved to Vancouver from Los Angeles where he had been the head instructor at the Rickson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Rickson Gracie is widely regarded as the greatest BJJ fighter who ever lived, so I felt it was a very unique opportunity to learn from Shane Rice, who earned his BJJ black belt from training directly under the great Rickson Gracie.
I figured surely if I was ever going to safely and effectively learn BJJ, it would be from Shane Rice, and if I quit this time, I would be certain that BJJ just isn’t for me.
After three months of training with Shane Rice at Universal Mixed Martial Arts, I have only positive things to say about the quality of instruction I’ve received from Shane. I’ve been doing a combination of private lessons and group classes, and I finally feel like I am making real progress towards learning the complicated martial art of BJJ.
Injuries are still frequently on the front of my mind, particularly when learning throws (which I have a very hard time with), but I am slowly but surely getting more comfortable in these areas, and Shane’s instruction has been instrumental for me in making progress in these areas.
I finally feel like I have gotten past the initial period of being overwhelmed and discouraged trying to learn something as complicated as BJJ, and as I start to better understand the basics, BJJ is finally starting to become fun and I am excited to continue training and learning.
If you are in Vancouver, BC, and are interested in learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I recommend Shane Rice at Universal Mixed Martial Arts.
