Mr. Harris is coming to Bend this Memorial Day weekend, May 28th, 2011. He will be conducting a 2 hour seminar at the Academy on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m. The regular 11 a.m. class will not be held.
After the seminar, Anthony Treas will be doing his purple belt demonstration, beginning at 3 p.m.
The cost of the seminar is only $40. You don’t want to miss this one. See you there!
Here is the black belt exam from this weekend performed by Justin Angelos, demonstrating the 75 self defense moves of Gracie Jiu Jitsu, plus a roll with the esteemed Professor. Enjoy.
James Malone and Professor Pedro Sauer at Keith Owen’s Academy. First class instruction, first class individuals.
James and I took a journey to Meridian, Idaho this weekend, to attend a Pedro Sauer seminar at Keith Owen’s academy. It was a long drive, but well worth it for the Professor’s top notch instruction, and the new friends we made with those in his association.
I had been to a few Pedro Sauer seminars before, but this felt particularly special. Professor Sauer enlightened the very full mat with open, spontaneous answers for the questions students presented. It was all gold. Some of the subject matter included a kimura reversal I had never seen before, secrets of maintaining the mount, an effective self defense half guard, and how to attack a fully turtled and defensive opponent.
But the Professor shared more than just techniques. He talked about jiu jitsu as a lifestyle, it’s transformative effects, how to create a friendly learning environment, the beauty of good mechanics, and plenty of stories with Helio and Rickson Gracie.
He tested ‎Justin James Angelos for the rank of black belt, requiring him to demonstrate 75 self defense moves. Professor promised the late, great Helio Gracie he would always make sure each black belt he graduated had those essential skills at the heart of Gracie Jiu Jitsu.
After the technical demonstration, he asked Justin to do a light roll. To see Professor Sauer move so fluidly, and so technically, was sublime. The spirit of the art was on display. Very high level. The way he moved to knee on belly, basing with his head on the ground, was solid and gave absolutely no space for his opponent. I loved his armlocks from sidemount, taken with his hips only inches off of the ground, in a movement obviously sculpted through thousands of repetitions. Sweeps so smooth, the crowd could not help but nod, smile, and murmer at what they were witnessing. At one point, Justin caught the Professors leg with a hook as he was taking the mount. Without moving his upper body, Professor Sauer retracted his leg, used his other foot to push off James’ hook to clear it, and then continued the attack. Calm, balanced, and masterful jiu jitsu.
Keith Owen and I finally met face to face. Ari Bolden was there, a very nice guy with has finally found a great mentor in Keith, in a superb lineage. Ari and I talked about the path of jiu jitsu, keeping your head down, and chipping away at the art for steady progress. I met so many great people who had traveled very long distances to be on the mat that day. Making the pilgrimage to attend seminars and enhance your learning is part of the jiu jitsu journey. A very fun part.
It was an honor to be on the mat with Professor Sauer, a living legend in this art.
Our friend Mike Torres transcribed the last answer I gave in the recent Fightworks Podcast interview for his own notebook, and send me a copy too. The question was the meaning of “Discover Who You Are”.
Essentially I’ve discovered that if you chip away at something, not only will you become more skilled at it but it will transform you. Jiu-jitsu is one of those rare life disciplines that can be interesting for decades… and it can stay with you in different periods of your life. So you start as a teenager, you’re at one mental space. You continue through college and your 20s… You get married, you have kids, you’re in your 30s. You know, the gym may get boring for you. You may enjoy rock climbing for a few years, you may enjoy mountain biking for a few years. You may enjoy those disciplines for an entire life. I feel that BJJ, or jiu-jitsu in general, is a dynamic form of yoga. I did not come up with that, that was Matt Thornton I originally heard that from. But I really feel it’s true. It takes you and puts you in a situation where you’re working with and against your evolutionary instincts to not be dominated.
It brings you to one pointed concentration while you are moving around on the mat and there’s something very cleansing about that, and there’s something that is kind of primal about that. And we’re able to funnel it through the techniques of jiu-jitsu; we’re able to actually transform these evolutionary instincts that we have to fight or flee. And be able to create something very rich and very complex; essentially a physical language where we can communicate with each other without exchanging words. You really can tell a person’s personality when you roll with them. So jiu-jitsu is a lifetime art [as Saulo said in the video]. And once you’re able to get on the escalator, you stick with it, you discover things about yourself.
I am much more skilled than I ever imagined I would be. Now that’s not to say that I’m the most skilled. There are plenty of guys that are way tougher but if you just stick with it. You think as a white belt, “Man, if I could only get my blue belt” then “If I could just get my purple.” And eventually you’re a black belt and you’re like “Man there’s so much more to learn”. It’s so much different. You definitely realize the high end and the low end and you discover your own limitations. And you learn to accept them. It’s OK. You know? You beat someone in a match, that’s great. You lose to someone in a match and you’re like, “Heh, that guys better”. And once you’re honest… once you’re honest with yourself, it just takes you down and squares you. There’s a certain truth and reality that the mat brings out in you that allows you to sit a little bit more comfortably in your own skin and in your own soul.
So that is “Discover Who You Are”.
Allow the discipline to transform you. A lot of people end up serving the discipline; they get injured, they give up their wife, they give up their job to chase the discipline. The discipline should enhance your life, you should never serve the discipline. And sometimes you lose perspective on that. I have certainly stepped over that line where I’ve lost perspective and overtrained. “Oh, this means so much.” Where you’re crushed after a loss, you’re elated after a victory. Hey man these are just markers, they’re milestones on your own journey. No one else is watching. It’s your own trip. Enjoy it. Craft your journey carefully and you will discover who you are.
I am proud of every RDA member that stepped on the mat this weekend. Here are a few highlights.
Congratulations to Kellyn on a superb blue belt demonstration. Thanks to Paul Moresi (brown belt under Ralph Gracie) for being the final boss. My knee is still recovering from a partial MCL tear (check my left knee at 7:05 in Bernie’s demo) and it was great to have him help out. Bravo Kellyn!
Uke: Richard Ponti-Smith
Partner 1: Brendan Bigos
Partner 2: Jeremy Loomis
Partner 3: Donald Bowerman
Partner 4: Paul Moresi
Filmed by Rachel Dunaway
Edited by Becky Creswell
Music by Roy Dean
Anthem
Crystalline
Bhodi Tree
What a match! Incredible jiu jitsu by both black belts. The kimura sequence is out of this world. Study on this.
Please help me in congratulating Bernie Bartenstein on a very crisp blue belt demo. Incredible takedowns! Bravo.
Uke: Anthony Treas
Partner 1: Paul Heatherman
Partner 2: Chris Accaregui
Partner 3: James Malone
Partner 4: Roy Dean
Filmed by Becky Creswell
Edited by Becky Creswell
Music by Roy Dean
Congratulations John on a fantastic blue belt demo! Warrior spirit and an excellent armbar. Bravo.
Uke: Daniel Macias
Partner 1: Jeff Schauland
Partner 2: Darryl Nakahira
Partner 3: Rick Ellis
Partner 4: Roy Dean
Filmed by Steve Burke
Edited by Becky Creswell
Music by Roy Dean
