Hey ‘Taters. I’ve been working on a new MMA podcast called “The Conversation” over the past few months, and we’re finally ready to debut it. The concept is simple — in depth, retrospective conversations with the most fascinating people in the fight world.
The production is basic and it’s something that I’ll be working to improve over time. What I hope shines through are the incredible stories that the remarkable people we speak with share during these honest and intimate conversations.
For this episode I traveled to New York to visit with everyone’s favorite Gracie, Renzo. In fact, it was just about a week or two before his now famous mugger smackdown tweet-a-thon. In my own head, I like to think that Renzo discussing self-defense and street fights during this podcast recording got his old-school juices flowing again. That, of course, is nonsense.
Renzo is always Renzo. He has deeply held convictions and stories that would make the fictional “World’s Most Interesting Man,” look like a mail room clerk in comparison.
And if you thought you’ve heard all the crazy stories Renzo had to tell before, I guarantee you have not before now. Renzo details a very independent childhood that had him fighting drug dealers on beaches to living in an Amazon brothel, experiencing lots of firsts. He goes on to talk about his pioneering family and a bit about his own time in Pride and the UFC.
He also opens up about the direction his careers have gone, possible regrets, and looking towards the future. If you love fight stories, life philosophy, and laughing your ass off, join us after the jump for this informal conversation with Renzo Gracie. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.
Hey ‘Taters. I’ve been working on a new MMA podcast called “The Conversation” over the past few months, and we’re finally ready to debut it. The concept is simple — in depth, retrospective conversations with the most fascinating people in the fight world.
The production is basic and it’s something that I’ll be working to improve over time. What I hope shines through are the incredible stories that the remarkable people we speak with share during these honest and intimate conversations.
For this episode I traveled to New York to visit with everyone’s favorite Gracie, Renzo. In fact, it was just about a week or two before his now famous mugger smackdown tweet-a-thon. In my own head, I like to think that Renzo discussing self-defense and street fights during this podcast recording got his old-school juices flowing again. That, of course, is nonsense.
Renzo is always Renzo. He has deeply held convictions and stories that would make the fictional “World’s Most Interesting Man,” look like a mail room clerk in comparison.
And if you thought you’ve heard all the crazy stories Renzo had to tell before, I guarantee you have not before now. Renzo details a very independent childhood that had him fighting drug dealers on beaches to living in an Amazon brothel, experiencing lots of firsts. He goes on to talk about his pioneering family and a bit about his own time in Pride and the UFC.
He also opens up about the direction his careers have gone, possible regrets, and looking towards the future. If you love fight stories, life philosophy, and laughing your ass off, join us after the jump for this informal conversation with Renzo Gracie. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.
For the past few years, the MMA world has been anxiously awaiting the debut of a certain Brazilian grappling phenom with a list of credentials that reads like “been there, done that” of the BJJ landscape. No, not Braulio Estima, although seeing him pick up his first MMA win was pretty outstanding. We’re talking about none other than Kyra Gracie, who has been honing her boxing skills with Claudio Coelho for the past two years in preparation for her MMA debut, which she promises will happen by the end of 2012.
Recently, Brazilian fight site BJJPix.com did a photoshoot with Kyra during one such training session, so we’ve decided to compile a collection of those photos, along with some generally enticing photos of Kyra, for your enjoyment. Because like we said, you could use a distraction. Check out the gallery after the jump, and make sure to follow Kyra on Twitter. Who knows, if she gets enough followers, maybe they’ll book her against Ronda Rousey just for the hell of it. One can only fap…I mean dream!
For the past few years, the MMA world has been anxiously awaiting the debut of a certain Brazilian grappling phenom with a list of credentials that reads like “been there, done that” of the BJJ landscape. No, not Braulio Estima, although seeing him pick up his first MMA win was pretty outstanding. We’re talking about none other than Kyra Gracie, who has been honing her boxing skills with Claudio Coelho for the past two years in preparation for her MMA debut, which she promises will happen by the end of 2012.
Recently, Brazilian fight site BJJPix.com did a photoshoot with Kyra during one such training session, so we’ve decided to compile a collection of those photos, along with some generally enticing photos of Kyra, for your enjoyment. Because like we said, you could use a distraction. Check out the gallery after the jump, and make sure to follow Kyra on Twitter. Who knows, if she gets enough followers, maybe they’ll book her against Ronda Rousey just for the hell of it. One can only fap…I mean dream!
Of course 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu founder and instructor Eddie Bravo couldn’t do an old-fashioned belt ceremony when he awarded his long-time friend and student Joe Rogan his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu earlier this week. As you’ll see in the video above, Bravo plays all coy before making a surprise announcement that our favorite stand-up comic, UFC commentator, and donkey semen drinking cheerleader has been promoted to black belt after class on Tuesday night.
Rogan — rocking a rash-guard and grappling tights because he’s that serious — is moved to tears by the promotion. Rogan has done more for promoting Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts than he is usually given credit for, and Bravo speaks to this. But the teacher also says that he waited so long to give him a black belt (Rogan had been a brown belt for eight years) because he wanted to make sure Joe was legit and had gotten his mat time in. Besides, Joe already had another black belt to hold his pants up.
The video is sweet and heartwarming, for those into that kind of thing, but it turns straight poetic and slow-clap-worthy once Rogan is given the floor and addresses his teammates. “This is seriously one of the proudest moments of my life,” Rogan said.
“Out of all the shit I’ve done in my life…becoming really good at jiu jitsu is probably one of the most difficult things a person can do and I think it helps me with everything I do. I think the more I train and the more I meet people who are in jiu jitsu…people who are in jiu jitsu and train on a regular basis, they’re healthier people. Their egos are healthier. Especially men. They’re easier to talk to. They’re easier to hang out with. Because they’re facing reality on a regular basis.
Of course 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu founder and instructor Eddie Bravo couldn’t do an old-fashioned belt ceremony when he awarded his long-time friend and student Joe Rogan his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu earlier this week. As you’ll see in the video above, Bravo plays all coy before making a surprise announcement that our favorite stand-up comic, UFC commentator, and donkey semen drinking cheerleader has been promoted to black belt after class on Tuesday night.
Rogan — rocking a rash-guard and grappling tights because he’s that serious — is moved to tears by the promotion. Rogan has done more for promoting Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts than he is usually given credit for, and Bravo speaks to this. But the teacher also says that he waited so long to give him a black belt (Rogan had been a brown belt for eight years) because he wanted to make sure Joe was legit and had gotten his mat time in. Besides, Joe already had another black belt to hold his pants up.
The video is sweet and heartwarming, for those into that kind of thing, but it turns straight poetic and slow-clap-worthy once Rogan is given the floor and addresses his teammates. “This is seriously one of the proudest moments of my life,” Rogan said.
“Out of all the shit I’ve done in my life…becoming really good at jiu jitsu is probably one of the most difficult things a person can do and I think it helps me with everything I do. I think the more I train and the more I meet people who are in jiu jitsu…people who are in jiu jitsu and train on a regular basis, they’re healthier people. Their egos are healthier. Especially men. They’re easier to talk to. They’re easier to hang out with. Because they’re facing reality on a regular basis.
Something that my tae kwon do teacher told me when I was a little kid that I never forgot was that martial arts are a vehicle for developing your human potential. And nothing in my life has ever put me in face with reality better than jiu jitsu. In life, we can all distort our perception of things in order to make ourselves more comfortable, in order to make ourselves accept where we are. And there’s a lot of people out there that are running around in life full of shit. You can’t be full of shit when you do jiu jitsu. When you do jiu jitsu, its impossible to be full of shit because reality comes at you in the purest form possible: A life or death struggle, using your determination, your focus, your techniques, your mind, and your training, over and over and over again.
“And its reality. And if you fuck up and you get caught in a triangle, you’ve gotta tap. That is the end of story. It’s as real as it can get and that has made me a better person. It has made me a better man, it’s made me understand myself, my weaknesses, my strengths, the shit I need to work on. Jiu jitsu has been one of the most valuable tools that I’ve ever had in my life.”
In a way, the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo got everything they asked for last night. When you contract Nick Diaz for a bout, you sign on for a fair amount of trials and tribulations; the Nick Diaz package extends well beyond his formidable fighting skills. The very behavior that spikes a promoter’s blood pressure draws media attention and fan speculation—added interest that may not exist were it not for the Stockton native’s puzzling behavior. It’s a trade off, a roll of the dice that you make in hopes that you get the best of both worlds–the amazing prize fighter and the polarizing figure. But there’s a problem with counting on a tortured soul unable to cope with the most mundane aspects of life: you can’t count on him.
If you haven’t gotten the sense that all did not go well for Nick Diaz’s BJJ superfight with Braulio Estima last night, let me spell it out for you: the bout didn’t happen.
The details, as far as anyone knows, are after the jump.
In a way, the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo got everything they asked for last night. When you contract Nick Diaz for a bout, you sign on for a fair amount of trials and tribulations; the Nick Diaz package extends well beyond his formidable fighting skills. The very behavior that spikes a promoter’s blood pressure draws media attention and fan speculation—added interest that may not exist were it not for the Stockton native’s puzzling behavior. It’s a trade off, a roll of the dice that you make in hopes that you get the best of both worlds–the amazing prize fighter and the polarizing figure. But there’s a problem with counting on a tortured soul unable to cope with the most mundane aspects of life: you can’t count on him.
If you haven’t gotten the sense that all did not go well for Nick Diaz’s BJJ superfight with Braulio Estima last night, let me spell it out for you: the bout didn’t happen.
It’s almost an exercise in futility to try and figure out why, but we can certainly try. Things seem to have started unraveling when Estima failed to make the contracted weight the evening before the bout. Though it’s clear that he wasn’t prepared to make 180 lbs on Friday night, the decorated BJJ champion claims that the weigh-in time was never clearly outlined. Rumors have Estima hitting the scales at 189 lbs, then renegotiating a catch weight of 185 lbs, though both the man himself and Diaz’s coach Cesar Gracie claim he hit the contracted mark on Saturday morning.
As for why Diaz no-showed, Gracie was less certain. “I don’t know,” Cesar told MMAFighting.com. “I know he was mad when he was told Braulio would not make weight last night. No one has seen him today. Braulio ended up making weight this morning.”
Making this turn of events a bit more glum is that Diaz had volunteered to donate his purse to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, but let’s go ahead and wipe that look of shock off of our mugs. This is par for the course with the elder Diaz, and if he didn’t play hooky for drug tests and press conferences and bouts, we wouldn’t be as interested when he actually does bother to show up. Fans were looking forward to a BJJ match that–on paper at least–was incredibly lopsided simply to see what sort of crazy antics Nick Diaz would get into; I’d say we weren’t disappointed.
Stay tuned in the days ahead for the Diaz chronicles to unfold. Something tells me he’s charging up his camera, fueling up his ride, and preparing a statement as I type.
(OK Nate, once the ballad starts, you’re gonna grab her hips and just kinda sway like this…)
Perhaps you recall that Jiu-Jitsu superfight Nick Diaz was scheduled to participate in while stepping out for a smoke break from his UFC career. It was to be held at the first annual World Jiu-Jitsu Expo in Long Beach, California on May 12th, against an opponent TBD. Though we had no clue as to who this “TBD” fellow would turn out to be, we already assumed that the match would be rife with Stockton Heybuddies, relentless taunting, and at least one insistence by Diaz that they both “stand up and settle this like men.”
How wrong we were, because it turns out that Diaz will be too busy trying not to get submitted to do much trash talking, as his opponent was announced earlier this morning, and it’s Braulio f*cking Estima. That’s 2009 ADCC double gold medalist, three time European champion, three time CBJJ champion, and five time Pan American champion Braulio Estima. If you consider yourself a fan of the ground game and live withing driving distance of Long Beach, you best be in attendance for this one.
Though Diaz earned his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Cesar Gracie back in 2007, you gotta imagine he’ll be the underdog heading into this one, as Estima’s list of BJJ credentials ranks him among the legends of the sport. The fact that Estima also took home a Superfight Championship at last year’s ADCC trials by defeating former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza only furthers this theory.
Familiarize yourself with Estima’s skills after the jump.
(OK Nate, once the ballad starts, you’re gonna grab her hips and just kinda sway like this…)
Perhaps you recall that Jiu-Jitsu superfight Nick Diaz was scheduled to participate in while stepping out for a smoke break from his UFC career. It was to be held at the first annual World Jiu-Jitsu Expo in Long Beach, California on May 12th, against an opponent TBD. Though we had no clue as to who this “TBD” fellow would turn out to be, we already assumed that the match would be rife with Stockton Heybuddies, relentless taunting, and at least one insistence by Diaz that they both “stand up and settle this like men.”
How wrong we were, because it turns out that Diaz will be too busy trying not to get submitted to do much trash talking, as his opponent was announced earlier this morning, and it’s Braulio f*cking Estima. That’s 2009 ADCC double gold medalist, three time European champion, three time CBJJ champion, and five time Pan American champion Braulio Estima. If you consider yourself a fan of the ground game and live withing driving distance of Long Beach, you best be in attendance for this one.
Though Diaz earned his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Cesar Gracie back in 2007, you gotta imagine he’ll be the underdog heading into this one, as Estima’s list of BJJ credentials ranks him among the legends of the sport. The fact that Estima also took home a Superfight Championship at last year’s ADCC trials by defeating former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza only furthers this theory.
If you aren’t familiar with Estima’s ridiculous skill set, just check out the following highlight video.
As we all know, Diaz has never been submitted in professional competition. If you were to ask him, he’d probably tell you that he has never been submitted by anyone…ever, be it in practice, Jiu-Jitsu competition, or an alcohol fueled grappling match with one of his friends.
Could we witness the first known footage of Nick tapping, or more likely going to sleep, come May 12th?
(It was at that moment Ryan Hall knew he would have to defend the integrity of both his hoagie and the Denny’s establishment he had chosen to accomodate.)
William Shakespeare once said, “Justice oft comes on swift legs, and if thou happen to bear witness, make surest thou placeth thine proof on thine Internet for all to see.” Luckily, we managed to stumble across this video of BJJ savant and 2009 ADCC Bronze medalist Ryan Hall choking out a drunken, self proclaimed “psychopath” at a restaurant, and in William’s honor, have placed it below for you all to see.
(It was at that moment Ryan Hall knew he would have to defend the integrity of both his hoagie and the Denny’s establishment he had chosen to accomodate.)
William Shakespeare once said, “Justice oft comes on swift legs, and if thou happen to bear witness, make surest thou placeth thine proof on thine Internet for all to see.” Luckily, we managed to stumble across this video of BJJ savant and 2009 ADCC Bronze medalist Ryan Hall choking out a drunken, self proclaimed “psychopath” at a restaurant, and in William’s honor, have placed it below for you all to see.
As the Paranormal Activity style text informs us, the night was December 11th, 2011. Why it took so long for this video to come to fruition is beyond us, but that’s not the point. Along with the company a few friends, Ryan Hall was enjoying what appears to be chicken sandwich when the anonymous drunken a-hole approached him and asked for a lighter. Ryan informed the patron, who we will now refer to as “Shitshow,” that he didn’t have one, at which point the man became enraged, launching into a tirade and threatening everyone within seeing distance. Because, you know, that’s a reasonable reaction.
Anyway, after getting all up in Hall’s grill, claiming that he’s been locked in a mental institution on multiple occasions, which calls into question both the effectiveness and security of institutions nationwide, Shitshow challenges Hall to a fight. He takes a second to inform Ryan that he has “no idea of what I’m capable of,” a notion so steeped in irony that Hall can simply not resist.
Hall opts for the double leg and smoothly transitions to mount, where he just kind of hangs out and waits for the authorities to be called. His top control, though smothering, is ultimately ineffective. After allowing Shitshow to get back to his feet, Ryan backs off, giving him one last chance to hit the road. Shitshow does not get the message, at which point the restaurant owner gets involved, begging him to “please stop.” Playing on this dickhead’s sense of honor proves pointless. Hall remains calm, even as Shitshow continues to goad him. “I wanna see you kill me,” he cries. This is stage one of Shitshow’s ultimate demise: the call out.
The moment Hall steps outside, however, stage two quickly sets in: realization. Yes, Shitshow quickly begins to reconsider, opting to start up with one of Hall’s crew instead. Typical bitch boy behavior, folks. At this point, Hall has had enough, and seizes Shitshow by his shoulders. Smashing Shitshow’s head off the metal framed door on the way out, Hall proceeds to promptly choke him unconscious. Stage three: acceptance, and untimely hibernation.
And as in every movie ever made, the police show up when the action is over, their criminal already subdued, and begin to question everyone as to what exactly went down. Our boys in blue later inform Hall that Shitshow is looking to press charges. Stage four: grief and backtracking.
Thankfully, this video will likely serve as evidence in this whack job’s future civil suit, granted he ever fully recovers from the embarrassment of shitting his pants in front of nearly 30 people.
