The seminar was for me an incredible experience. Not only is Nicolas a very knowledgeable BJJ player, he's also a really nice guy. Very laid back and chill, with a super smooth game. He talked us through some concepts and how we could apply them to our Jiu-Jitsu. A lot of what he said was particularly - is the word "reassuring"? - for me, as it reinforced much of how I already approached my training.
He also shared some great bodyweight exercises with us: awesome variations on Fizfit exercises, which are currently making the rounds and becoming very popular in the studio. Very popular indeed, particularly the leopards. I have yet to unleash the maggots but I'm looking forward to it.
When we got done, as soon as we got done actually, I had to run to catch my taxi back to the airport, but Nicolas was cool enough to roll with me before anyone else. Like I said, super smooth game. Some photos and hugs later, I was back on the highway out of the city.
This trip definitely ranks among my favourite experiences in martial arts. It was a total blast hanging out with Adam and Jem. As usual it was worth the trip to Thailand just to catch up, and as usual, I didn't stay half as long as I would have liked to.
I also really enjoyed meeting some more of the regulars at the gym. Three in particular, Lorne, Peter and Martin were excellent training partners. Thanks also to Amps, who was cool enough to bring me around town while I was searching for boxing gear - and also help me look for Thai hip hop cds.
I'm really looking forward to the next time I get to roll at Bangkok BJJ, it's a totally beautiful place. I can really see the love that went into planning the gym out and it has a very cool atmosphere. I was sitting there just trying to soak up as much as I could in the time I had.
If I have any regrets, they would be not getting to roll with Sebastien and Luke, as they weren't able to be there. Ah well. Next time!
