Choque, Vol. 2

zimmerman-academy-logo

With Choque, Vol. 2 (Amazon affiliate link), Roberto Pedreira picks up the story of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in what he considers its heyday in Brazil, 1950 – 1960.  Besides Carlos and Helio Gracie, several other academies, such as Oswaldo Fadda’s, were also thriving.  Judo was gaining in popularity but had not overcome Jiu-Jitsu in popularity. Vale Tudo matches were at the height

Share
» Read more

Choque, Volume 1

japanese-jujitsu-agricultural-school

I recently read Choque: The Untold Story of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil, Volume 1 by Roberto Pedreira (Amazon affiliate link), which tells an alternate story of BJJ’s beginnings than we have been told by in various interviews with members of the Gracie Family.  “Choque” translates to “shocking” in Brazilian Portuguese.  While Pedreira exhaustively researches and cites primary sources, mostly Brazilian newspapers,

Share
» Read more

Passing the Torch

trey-me-rolling

This week my oldest son Kenneth turns 20 years old.  Besides finishing school, Kenneth’s biggest focus is the martial arts.  He is particularly passionate about teaching self-defense. Over the years, I have trained 14 nieces and nephews plus all three of my children in the martial arts.  Last week, the first member of the third generation started with us.  To

Share
» Read more
1 2 3 4 8