The Way of Gracie Jiu Jitsu: An Interview with Daniel Gracie

The following is the first of a guest blog series by John Bettencourt on his first of many Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Classes.

I hope you will join me on my journey, as I share my thoughts and experiences of being a brand new Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. There is a vast world of BJJ and I just stuck my toes into the shallow end. Please keep your elbows and knees in; this is going to be a bumpy ride.

I’m an out of shape, married, 38 year old with an 15 month old terror of a loving daughter.

I live a normal life, work a full day and get pulled into a hundred directions just like everyone else. But one day I decided to make a change. Not just any change but a life transforming change.

How It All Started

It all started when I drove by the sign in the middle of the summer. “Coming soon” it stated, “Renzo Gracie BJJ.” I felt guilty, as I made the left going past the sign, knowing what I was doing to my body as I just pulled out of the fast food restaurant a minute before. I was stuffing my face with a double patty and fries.

Even though I had dropped about 60 pounds by cutting out what I was currently eating and maintaining a mostly Paleo diet, I was stuck and needed help.

I Knew I Needed to Make a Change

My entire life I’ve always been a bigger guy. When I was a freshman in high school I weighed around 220 and I had a stocky build. I was the big clumsy kid in gym class that used excuses on rope day and track day.

I wanted a change. I didn’t want to be the big funny guy that I was known for. I wanted to be in shape and taken seriously. But I didn’t know how to get there.

I knew deep down I needed to push myself to make changes so I could become the person I knew I could be. I researched for months, looking at videos online and reading about BJJ in magazines.

Worry and Doubt Stalked Me

I worried about looking like an MMA fighter at work with black and blue eyes and a bloody nose. I worried about joining a belt factory. I worried about wasting my time on a defense system that wouldn’t help me reach my goals.

My worry and doubt kept me in the do-nothing cycle for months.

The more research I did, the more I desperately wanted to jump on the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu train. My wife gave me the OK to sign up and I contacted Renzo Gracie NH.

I got a response almost immediately with a warm welcome to come down and try a class to see if I liked it. I decided to attend class that same night.

If you were around me that day, you would have seen me Googling “First BJJ class,” “How to not be a newbie at BJJ,” “tips for new BJJ student,” etc. I read the limited information I found, and absorbed it all.

Jiu Jitsu Jitters

Now…remember…I’m 38, burly and tough. By noon that day, I developed a sinking feeling in my stomach as if it was my first day at a new school…and I knew no one.

I tried to keep myself busy and talk myself up. I wondered how the class would go as my feet hit that mat. An hour before I had to be at the school, I began to get ready.

I read on a forum about how stinky jui jitsu partners are a big no-no, so I took a shower and cut my nails so short that they were bleeding in a few spots.

I packed my bag, filling it with water and a towel. I didn’t have a Gi yet so I wore work out shorts and an Under Amour T shirt. I drank a protein shake and walked out the door. I kissed my wife goodbye as if the next time she heard from me was going to be from the back of the ambulance.

I arrived early. Professor Landry  gave me a warm greeting,  a tour of the school, and he explained what Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes were like.

I was ecstatic that it was like a mental and physical chess game. At the same time I was scared as hell.

Was I going to be able to keep up with the class? I didn’t want to hurt anyone and I didn’t want to get hurt either. I signed a basic contract and headed to the mats. I knew I needed this and didn’t need the free class to prove it was worth it to me.

I bow in when I stepped on the mats. I saw Bloodsport and Karate Kid 1 and 2, that’s what you’re supposed to do, right?

Day 1 of a Future of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Classes

As soon as I end my bow, a guy walks over and extends his hand out to me. He introduces himself and welcomes me to the school. I start to feel a bit better and try to gracefully sit down to warm up my legs. Everyone at this point is in small groups talking about their week and I am in the corner trying to stay out of the way. That’s when another guy walks up offers a hand and he introduces himself as well. I get invited to the closest small circle and I have a huge grin on my face.

After a few minutes of light chatting and pretending to know what stretches I should do, we start a line up. I am out of place but figure out that it’s in the order of belts, and I am behind the 9 year old. I crack a smile and get in line.

Class begins with a light jog and I am told to just go at the pace I can handle and if I need to stop there is no shame in it because this is going to get me into shape. After about 30 seconds I realize this is the most I’ve ran in a long, long time. My face, I am sure, looked like a bright red pop tart. I survived the warm up and I heard myself wheezing. I composed myself as best I could and sit down for instructions with the rest of the class.

Professor Landry began showing us an arm lock and goes over it  few times at different angles so everyone catches the technique right. We then separated into rolling partners. I got paired up with an awesome gentleman slightly older than me and we started to work on what we were shown. A blue belt guides us to the right placement of how to do it correctly. Once we got the right movements, things started to flow. We each took a few turns slowly trying the move.

I began to feel more at ease, knowing that my partner was looking out for my safety and I his. We laughed and encouraged each other as we tried the arm lock out. Before I knew it, class was over and I was covered in sweat. My partner and I high-fived each other. Everyone was around in a big circle, talking and laughing. My mind was hoping I didn’t make a fool of myself on my first day.

I arrived home, slightly sore and tried to steal a kiss from the misses, who abruptly pointed to the shower and held her nose with her thumb and index finger high into the air. We both laughed and I did as she instructed.

I crawled into bed and my wife asked me how the class went. I explained to her that it felt like I was steam rolled and each muscle ached like a tiki torch was lit underneath me.

“Big baby,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “I thought you were in pain.”

“I am,” I replied. “And I can’t wait to go back.”

Until next time folks, remember to clean your gi, trim your nails, and leave the attitude at the door.