Interview with Colby Black – Draculino’s main man

Well I have said it before but I am finally back in the game and back online.

I have been concentrating on getting my new job settled and making sure I make the right impact and that is now all going great and am enjoying myself even though it is a fair bit of travel.  I also managed to squeeze a wee break in to the south of France and all that along with settling a few other things has taken me away from the game I love and from this site.

So I thought that the opening of the new Forge and the Mendes Brothers Seminar would be a good time to kick start my ass into gear again.  Thus as of 23rd September 2011 I am have until December 30th 2011 to get from 23st 5lbs to a maximum of 21St and to prgress my BJJ in general.

I will also be tweeting from the ADCC weekend and writing an update when I get back so you can follow me @stewnorriss Here

Now to the main point of this article, I ran an interview some time ago with the legendary Draculino none of which would have been possible without both Justin and the Colby and I wanted to learn some more about Colby the man himself and also about his training.  In typically cool style he produced a video interview for me in two parts and here they are.  A genuinely interesting and certainly very good guy…

Interview Part 1
Interview Part 2

 

Did you spot the gorilla

Well it has been too long, far to sporadic and just not what I wanted but I finally feel well, healthy ish and in a couple months should be back at full silverback power.

The blog has also slowed down as it is hard to write and review about a sport that you love so much while you are not able to do it for one reason or another.

However I made a proper return to training and sparring last night and it felt great and this time I am back and pushing harder than ever, I will also be getting some Gi reviews, another couple of app reviews, Mr Samurai will be adding a review soon and even a book or two as I am a bit of a reader (don’t worry they will be BJJ/MMA/Fighter related).

I was really pleased when Jiu Jitsu style dropped through my door, it is an excellent magazine and is just what the british scene needs, also good to see Mr Yang spreading his media output even further.  I would heartily recommend a subscription you will not be disappointed http://www.bjjstyle.com

I also had a revelation when rolling with the newly promoted black belt John Goldson about 10 days ago, I was able to catch another blue belt opponent a few times in submissions but with John (while I never get close ever) it all seemed even further away than ever.  I was unable to get anywhere no small positional wins nothing.  John then asked me why I did certain things I did and I explained it was because I always did them and got away with them, in fact I had been getting away with them in the roll just before.

Then it struck me, Big Man Jiu Jitsu is a style as of course the game has to be adapted to your body style and size but do not fall into the trap that I had fallen into.  I was too reliant on the fact that I was so much bigger, heavier and a wee bit stronger than a lot of the lads I rolled with and either my size or my strength meant that I could get away with bad technique.  I could tuck my arm behind my head to defend a potential arm bar as a lot tried to rive it out and I won that battle.  However against John and others like the purple belts and some blues and especially the other hulks I compete against this does not work.  They are either strong enough to change my position which I have already made poor for myself or more often they have the technique to exploit what I do.  This was further re enforced last night while drilling a technique, I asked if the way I did something would also work as it seems too and the answer was the same yeah it does work against those who I can out power or who know less but it is not gonna work as I move on and up.

I guess then the advice is this, by all means adapt your game to play the one that works for you, John was talking to me about this, I need to play a big man game, control, control, position, control and then submission.  Careful movements, all pressured and controlled and always use technique.  It does not matter if you do not know 5 submissions from every place at first, just learn the position first and the submission will come and even if it doesn’t in competition the guy on top normally wins.  Size and strength have got me to my blue, but only technique and application will get me further and I want to go further.

John Goldson – Black Belt

Well I have to say it was a momentous day yesterday for GB Sheffield, I am so sorry I could not make it down but I am on the comeback trail and I will be back to the next Lagarto session all being well.

Why was it such a big day well there were quite a few belts handed out:

Young Jake received his Orange belt and I am pretty sure he is a black belt in the making that boy

Blue Belts went to Naz the Samurai, Adam, Dimitri and Kyle which is a great achievement and well deserved by all.

Also a number of stripes were given out, and my good friend and brother in arms Chaz got his second stripe which is fantastic and makes me feel better about the fact that he so frequently kicks my ass

However the big news of the day has to be this:

 

pic courtesy of Gregg Rodgers

 

Our coach and a man who has given me so much support and help through the last 2 and a bit years received his black belt and received it from a great in the sport Lagarto.  This is such a well deserved achievement as John has worked so hard both personally but far more so for the sport both at the gym and in the north of the UK in general.  He has done all this in a selfless and tireless manner never in it for anything other than the love of the sport.  I am so sorry I was not there to see it but will continue to train with John and will see him tonight in his first full session as a black belt.

This is the goal that we all aim for and very few will make it all the way and it is something that John I am sure and all of us at the forge are immensely proud of and we will all go from strength to strength as a family and a team.

2011

No resolutions but goals for 2011:

Lose a few stone picked up my lipotrim this morning start it Tuesday.

Work less hours.

Train more often and harder at the gym and BJJ.

Progress my stripes.

Deadlift 200kg squat 200kg bench 100kg.

Compete more starting on feb 6th.

Build http://bigstewbjj.wordpress.com more and more along with Mmad website and magazine.

Help the forge all I can continue to be the best.

Keep Kerry as happy as she makes me.

Gazzy Parman Seminar – The Forge Sheffield

Introduction

It was shame that in the run up to this seminar over a foot and half of snow fell on the UK especially the north, temperatures dropped well below freezing and roads were impassible. So the fact that 20 plus folk were on the mat some from as far away as Dewsbury, cheers Hanif nice to meet you, and Leeds, the ever reliable James, was a testament to the star power of our seminar guest.

So the turnout was very good as befits someone of the stature of Gazzy a multiple time champion and pioneering black belt. It also shows that The Forge Sheffield is a good place for these seminars as we have a team of committed individuals who will turn up no matter what for the sport they love.

Seminar

This was unlike any seminar start I have ever know, initially because Gazzy was prepared to wait for folk to turn up and delay the start to make sure that people did not miss out. This is unusual for a seminar like this as start times are normally fairly strict and for Gazzy to wait for folk was very good.

Then we had a circle up and Gazzy allowed us to ask any questions that we had for her which was genuinely interesting and covered from Las Vegas to BJ Penn and it was really interesting to hear some of the great stories. We were also warned a number of times about the infamous warm up which Gazzy kept looking at me and smiling when she stated it was going to be “hard”

Warm Up

It was a very long warm up and also very good, there were a few things I have never done before and a few movements which I can see are very good for movement. This is something we are building on in the club now and though it is tough I can see the benefit it will give me. I think the thing I suffered most with was the fact that we did not stop moving through the whole thing, there was no respite so when I got to the end and felt no too bad I was pleased.

Techniques

This was cool, and we learnt a lot, the three moves all named after Gazzy we learnt were the Gazzinator, the Gazzitron and the Gazzicon. I could go into more detail and describe how these are done and how they were taught but I think it would be better if you went along and learnt from the master not the very junior apprentice. Anyway I had not seen these moves before so may be coming back for a refresher myself when this remarkable BJJ exponent returns to the UK as I just cannot make the London seminar this year.

I will also say that to those who look at myself and Gazzy together in the picture and think she looks tiny, that she is indeed, but was also able to almost triangle me unconscious from a front on move which was phenomenally tight.

The whole thing lasted over 3 hours and there was not a point where I felt that my game was not going to benefit from what I was doing which is incredible.

Conclusions

Quite simply, if you get a chance to train with a black belt then make sure you do, if you get chance to train with Gazzy then make even more sure that you do. She is a warm and compassionate person who truly believes in passing on her skills and teachings and does so in a graceful and elegant manner. Gazzy was also great with a couple of the guys kids who turned up which was great and made their day.

You cannot go wrong then to come along, even if you just take away one move or one position you will pick something up and for the new people and intermediate rollers you will learn a lot.

It will reignite your desire to improve more than ever if you are anything like me anyway.

Oh and she wears wicked Gi’s

For another view on this visit my team mate and bro Gregg over at his blog

John Goldson Interview

Check out my interview with John on the front page of major website http://www.onthemat.com/

My first to hit like this with the Ross Pettifer one going into print soon.

Many many more to come John my thanks.

Gazzy Parman seminar official flyer

Official flyer for Gazzy Parman seminar many thanks to Karl my talented friend.

Click Here

Will insert image when I can my iPhone won’t allow me too yet

Don’t you forget about me

Well I will be away for a few days next week and probably not doing too much actively online but there is a mass of stuff all to come which I am very excited about.

I have a new logo in the works done by my very talented mate Richard see his work here

My gum shield fitting for the review is due next week which I am looking forward too and also have the same old dentist fear so let’s see how at ease I am put.

The Roy Dean No Gi app review will be up soon as will the huge Draculino subscription app and website review, I have also been asked to review a couple of other BJJ apps and will be going through these over the next few days, initial glimpse looks good so far.

The Tatami Gi review is well under way with some great photo’s done, measurements, rolling, more photo’s, washing and more measuring already having taken place and I think I might be falling in love, however I have had word from a couple of other suitors who hopefully I can come to a Gi review arrangement with so I will not commit too soon

My interview with Ross Pettifer has been completed and he is a compelling person to talk to this will be going into a newly redesigned MMAD magazine shortly so watch this space as the Ross Pettifer story has only just begun, this is a man going places.

I also have a fascinating interview with John Goldson owner of the Forge Gym where I train talking to him about everything from the future of BJJ and MMA in the North as well as the time he was a corner man to an iconic UFC fighter.

Most recently my good mate Rob from across the pond has hooked me up with Team Quest BJJ instructor Carlos Zapata read about him here which is very exciting.

Finally I have a BIG announcement (yes it is that big) about a BJJ Hall of Fame Black Belt and multiple world champion coming up in the next few days.

Watch this space and come along with me I promise an interesting journey if nothing else

If you have ideas or feedback please give me a shout on here or

mail me stewnorriss @ gmail.com
FaceBook
Twitter @stewnorriss

Just like the prodigal son

I eventually managed to return to the Forge.

Just a quick Saturday update.

So a couple of cool things happened this week with people who have read my blog, generally pointed to it by Mr Yang so thanks for that mate, asking me to write some stuff for them.

The first was On The Mat which is a big website and has a lot of cool folk contributing to them, and now me so I will bring the cool factor down

The second is MMAD Magazine who are currently online but are launching a hard copy in the new year and want me to be a north of England type guy looking at BJJ and MMA which is very cool indeed and I am looking forward to both.

So hopefully these both come off and more of my random ramblings as well as some interviews and other things will be coming soon.

Anyway back to today and I had a great session back at the forge, the place looks amazing now it is all opened out and it really is more and more becoming a fantastic place to be proud of training at.

The session today was with Lucio Sergio Dos Santos a world class black belt from Brazil and he taught us a few very cool moves from the Omaplata setup (videos and pictures to follow) and once again was a total joy to train with.

All in all things are looking up and I hope to get a full week under my belt next week, work permitting as ever.

So the goals, a slight amendment:

1) Get below 20st (22 currently)
2) Get another comp medal somewhere (UMA in dec my first target)
3) Try and earn another stripe
4) Push Gregg and I over the 400Lbs limit for a dead lift which is now the aim for Feb Gregg’s borthday (just for fun) 70Lbs to go
a. Hit 200Kg 440Lbs for my birthday in April.

That time of year again

Well it is my least favourite time of year again when it gets dark early, is wet, windy and cold not much fun. Couple this with the fact that I am working more hours than I have ever done for the same reward plus the added threat of company cuts and all in all things are not too much fun.

However looking at it I also have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to look forward too not the least of which is a week’s holiday coming week after next with my girlfriend who as ever is number 1

However one of the other main things is getting back to the newly designed and kitted out Forge which looks great in pictures and I am told is even better in reality. Though the new matting makes shrimping an even worse experience I am told as it adds quite a few on to the run

But the new cage and setup all looks awesome and I hope to get back on Saturday as rolling and the whole thing does really release those happy endorphins and adds the bruises too

My new early morning gym regime with Greggor, Rob and Damo and Ross when they can is also doing me good and means that at least when I am at work too late to get to rolling I am at least doing something. It is also nice to work out with someone who is as strong as me (nearly ) and as daft so will always just try that extra few Kg.

I am setting myself some serious goals that I am going to do a few things by I hit 34 which is April

1) get below 20st (22 currently)
2) get another comp medal somewhere (UMA in dec my first target)
3) try and earn another stripe
4) push Gregg and I over the 400Lbs limit for a dead lift (just for fun) 70Lbs to go

So these are serious and I have my mind set on them as something to focus me and to keep me thinking in the right direction. I will update them as I go on each week, next week normal service will be resumed with a post about the new forge and some other random meanderings.

“We are not content with negative obedience, nor even with the most abject submission. When finally you surrender to us, it must be of your own free will. We do not destroy the heretic because he resists us; so long as he resists us we never destroy him. We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him. We burn all evil and all illusion out of him; we bring him over to our side, not in appearance, but genuinely, heart and soul. We make him one of ourselves before we kill him. It is intolerable to us that an erroneous thought should exist anywhere in the world, however secret and powerless it may be. Even in the instance of death we cannot permit any deviation . . . we make the brain perfect before we blow it out.”