Hallelujah brothers!!!

***battlefields*** · Posted On: 10/07/2009 12:57am

Faced with a dilemma, that of wanting to learn more and faster but not having the time nor money for lessons, I have turned to books, which can only take you so far (some would say nowhere). I bridge while watching TV and do another solo exercise the instructor taught me. But none of that can compare with live sparring, or the exchange of ideas and techniques.

I am not yet in the "in crowd" at the school, due to my sparse training, I hope. This makes it difficult to organise extracurricular rolling.

I prayed, literally, for someone, anyone, to take up an interest in BJJ with whom I could roll with when class wasn't on. I wouldn't care if I met the dude at the local mall rummaging through a bin (maybe). I wouldn't care if it was a woman, though my girlfriend might (she is not interested in BJJ).

So one evening last week I am reading one of the BJJ books when my phone rings. My good mate appears on the screen and I know we will be talking for a while (I quit drinking and he is trying to quit drinking as well), so I put down the book. To my surprise he asks about jiujitsu.

He is a free diver whose free diving mates do a variety of other sports, none that appealed to him and he was very interested in learning martial arts. He had the usual preconceived notions of mystical ability and a misconception of discipline borne of too many kung fu movies, but the more I talked about BJJ, the more it seemed to appeal. He asked a bit about my TKD/ HKD/ MuayThai but he is a small dude and his cardio would be off the charts due to the freediving, which I told him would instantly serve him well in BJJ. He also told me he wasn't interested in LARPing, though he didn't use that word.

I ended up talking 'til my voice was raspy, my enthusiasm overwhelming and I had to consciously tell myself to ease off, as I didn't want to put him off the idea before he'd stepped foot on the mat.

So my best mate, who will be the best man at my wedding (he doesn't know it yet, I gotta ask her first), whose own girlfriend is also one of my real good mates and she is becoming real good mates with my girlfriend, is seriously interested and considering doing BJJ. My prayers were answered, but I think there needs to be more power behind them.

Bullshido, would you pray/sacrifice a goat/chant/etc to have this mate of mine join my BJJ school. I'd be appreciative.

**karma2343** · Posted On: 10/07/2009 1:42am

I sacrifice goats to a different deity every Friday at midnight just for the hell of it, might as well mention your name when I do it next time.

**LonerFu** · Posted On: 10/07/2009 1:45am

What part of Australia are you in? If you're in the Melbourne area you can come roll with my friends and I for free.

**Sang** · Posted On: 10/07/2009 1:49am

I've had the majority of my friends (without me even inviting them) tell me they'd be at Muay Thai training next week and were super keen to get started. Only one of them followed through and he quit after two lessons.

It's a good dream to have your real world friends join and share the time and bonding with you but it probably won't happen. It's pretty dam hard to keep friendships alive when you work and train at the gym 3 hours a day and can't go drinking at night, thems the breaks :(.

**100xobm** · Posted On: 10/07/2009 2:01am

Originally Posted by battlefields

Faced with a dilemma, that of wanting to learn more and faster but not having the time nor money for lessons, I have turned to books, which can only take you so far (some would say nowhere). I bridge while watching TV and do another solo exercise the instructor taught me. But none of that can compare with live sparring, or the exchange of ideas and techniques.

I am not yet in the "in crowd" at the school, due to my sparse training, I hope. This makes it difficult to organise extracurricular rolling.

I prayed, literally, for someone, anyone, to take up an interest in BJJ with whom I could roll with when class wasn't on. I wouldn't care if I met the dude at the local mall rummaging through a bin (maybe). I wouldn't care if it was a woman, though my girlfriend might (she is not interested in BJJ).

So one evening last week I am reading one of the BJJ books when my phone rings. My good mate appears on the screen and I know we will be talking for a while (I quit drinking and he is trying to quit drinking as well), so I put down the book. To my surprise he asks about jiujitsu.

He is a free diver whose free diving mates do a variety of other sports, none that appealed to him and he was very interested in learning martial arts. He had the usual preconceived notions of mystical ability and a misconception of discipline borne of too many kung fu movies, but the more I talked about BJJ, the more it seemed to appeal. He asked a bit about my TKD/ HKD/ MuayThai but he is a small dude and his cardio would be off the charts due to the freediving, which I told him would instantly serve him well in BJJ. He also told me he wasn't interested in LARPing, though he didn't use that word.

I ended up talking 'til my voice was raspy, my enthusiasm overwhelming and I had to consciously tell myself to ease off, as I didn't want to put him off the idea before he'd stepped foot on the mat.

So my best mate, who will be the best man at my wedding (he doesn't know it yet, I gotta ask her first), whose own girlfriend is also one of my real good mates and she is becoming real good mates with my girlfriend, is seriously interested and considering doing BJJ. My prayers were answered, but I think there needs to be more power behind them.

Bullshido, would you pray/sacrifice a goat/chant/etc to have this mate of mine join my BJJ school. I'd be appreciative.

Nice man,

It's quite entertaining to note that the enthusiasm you've been trying to hold back from your friend has erupted all over this post.

**SaintHamish** · Posted On: 10/07/2009 3:23am

Dont worry bout trying to get your mates to join the gym and roll.......The ones already there will be more beneficial....

***battlefields*** · Posted On: 10/07/2009 3:29am

I'm in Sydney, Lonerfu, but cheers for the offer.

Sang, I understand what you are saying. Thats why I am asking for the extra positivity in the universe. I know this guy really well, he wouldn't have even approached me if he hadn't seriously considered it.

100xobm, you should have seen how much I culled from my original post. Guaranteed tl;dr material.

**Kovacs** · Posted On: 10/07/2009 4:53am

I'll sacrifice something to Khorne for you. As much as I avoid talking MA with mates I am overjoyed when one of them takes up a decent art, it's very rare though, sadly. Best of luck to you.