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Previous Post Next Post After stuffing our faces with fresh BBQ pork, we say goodbye to Val and go our separate ways. Our plan for the rest of the day is to head back to house, scoop up some of..

Previous Post Next Post As soon as we fall asleep, the tranquility of being away from the ambient city noise of Taiwan is interrupted by the sound of my alarm. With a sudden jolt of caffeine, I’m ..

Previous Post Next Post "I am super surprised to see eleven year olds throwing knees and elbows and also taking them in return like champs. This kid is going to be something special."After learnin..

Previous Post Next Post “He said he would be out front.”“Do you know what he looks like?” Zoe asks. “I would guess like a fighter.”Looking for someone in an airport is like finding a needle i..

Previous Post Next Post New Orleans, LouisianaWhenever I get a chance to return to the home I grew up in, I get lost reflecting on things and memories I’ve acquired from my travels: Rastafarian..

Previous Post Next Post After a night of eating and chatting with different nationalities, I slam some coffee and grab a motorcycle taxi. I’m off to Lute Livre Saigon for their Sunday open mat...

Previous Post Next Post “I’ll have a sandwich and whatever he’s having,” says the man above me in a joking manner.“Please, sit down and enjoy the day with me,” I reply.It never fails when travelin..

Previous Post Next Post The construction outside my window wakes me up early. Six a.m. comes fast here. I like this area, but it’s taken a chunk out of my budget when I know I can sleep cheape..

Previous Post Next Post The rain gets heavier and the wind starts to blow harder. A mom with a family of three on a motorbike creates an A-frame wave in the middle of the street. I’m lost in t..

Previous Post Next Post Friday, 2:30PMThe elevator doors open up to a street already bustling with traffic. I throw my bags in my Uber hoping I won’t get hit in the bicycle lane. I try to cha..

Previous Post Next Post Thursday, noonThis time when I walk into the gym, the mat is alive with all different ranks: white to black belt and everything in between. The energy is electric. Before..

Previous Post Next Post Thursday, 6:30AMI wake up to what seems to be a garbage truck outside, and then some sounds of shouting. Hey Arnold! was pretty spot-on when describing a New York Cit..

Previous Post Next Post Tuesday, 10:45 PM“Not our problem. Call the airline,” said a man with an Indian accent on the other line. My eyes follow the blades on the ceiling fan as they rotate ..

"We couldn’t have been five minutes into our acquaintance before Rome and I realized we were about to take a class directly from the source."Relson Gracie BJJ:Koh Phangan is known to backpackers for i..

"The 10TH Planet system is a language unto itself. Riddled with simple names like “zombie” and “honey-hole,” the system was designed for BJJ in MMA." 10TH Planet Koh Tao:Throwing our bags in with the ..

"Andrew’s class was well-taught and reviewed an inverted leg-lock set-up, amongst sweeps and guard passes. He impressed us all with his body control and precision.."Arête BJJ:Located on the fifth floo..

"Marshall was waiting for us, prepared to access bail money if we were 30 minutes later."“What do you mean you cross-faced her?”“Chin to shoulder. Immediately,” Rome replied, never losing step with th..

Previous Post Next Post "Fierce winds shook the street signs and whipped the power lines around like a game of double-dutch jump rope...Admittedly, I was excited and thankful to be standing there ..

Previous Post Next Post "My only fear was that one of Taiwan’s famous Level-5 earthquakes would shake the building down and leave us trapped in the gym forever."Some time went by, and we began ..

Previous Post Next Post "At the start of class, where you may expect to see an organized line up or any concrete regiment, there stood only shirtless men in the tightest of spats striking funny..

Previous Post Next Post I warm up quickly and trot to the back of the mat where I find some space to start my rolls. Open mat rolls to me are always chill compared to rolling during a class. Th..

Previous Post Next Post Rolling with everyone is super fun. The first thing I notice is how everyone flowed from one position to the next. I transition into an omoplata on one purple belt, and ..

Previous Post Next Post So you want to grapple? And the gyms near the town you live in aren’t half bad. You start to improve. Then you hear about this gym...in a faraway country…What then? How ..

Previous Post Next Post So you want to grapple? And the gyms near the town you live in aren’t half bad. You start to improve. Then you hear about this gym...in a faraway country…What then? How ..

Previous Post Next Post Drop In: Okinawa, Pt.3I have to survive 4 days in Japan with only 16000 Yen ($162 USD). I can do this. Day 3 Again, I’m up early and out to enjoy the day before heading ..

Previous Post Next Post I have to survive 4 days in Japan with only 16000 Yen ($162 USD). I can do this. Day 2I wake up in my cubby-hole the following morning, climb down and get ready to start..

Previous Post Next Post I have to survive 4 days in Japan with only 16000 Yen ($162 USD). I can do this. One of my best friends whom I consider a brother got me into backpacking 10 years ago. A..

Previous Post Next Post "It is always a great idea to rent a van with some friends and travel around doing something you all enjoy while filming the process. If you can do it, then do it." At..

Previous Post Next Post "It is no secret that Taiwan BJJ is our biggest rival at Danimal BJJ, but for my part, I have always enjoyed the competition between us. A large part of this of course i..

Previous Post Next Post "The first stop on the trip was Bonsai Jiu Jitsu in Taoyuan. It has a unique set-up with red padding and mats everywhere, giving it the feeling of a champagne room in a ..