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I thought it was pretty cool that Rafel has decided to teach a class on Saturday even though he was flying out that day and had taught 6 days in a row so I jumped over to the academy to take in the lesson and to grab the group picture of course!
We reviewed some of the drills and had a Q&A session about the positions we had been taught this week. The class ran for just over and hour and then it was open mat and when I looked around people where already working on the knee through guard pass or playing around with Spider Guard
I caught up with Rafael before he took off I asked him about his week at the academy and he replied "I had a great week - I got to teach alot and try to give everyone an idea of my perspective on some positions and let them see what my Jiu Jitsu is like - the response was great I think eveyone had a good time and I got to train Muay Thai with mauricio and I really really enjoyed that. I love exchanging technique with him. He would show me Muay Thai and I would show him some Jiu Jitsu I learned alot and I just had a great time. I got some good training in with you guys here and I think I got to leave my mark here so I'm happy about that"
He again reminded me about the importance of drilling - one of his main messages of the week: "They are important for everyone whether beginner of advanced whether it is drillig a technique or just movements ...hip movements to help you be more fluid and be able to control your body more to make it easier to learn technique later or just actually drilling specific techniqes that you use alot whether it is from the bottom or the top or taking the back...just all your main techniques and as you get more and more advanced you can turn technique drill into flow drills where your doing 1 move combined with another combined with the next so it helps your transitions and your reaction speed so i am just a huge fan or drills - I like to drill... alot of people don't like to drill... they would rather roll or learn something new but you know ..repition is very very important for learning - the more you do it the more times that your body is immediatly reacting in that certain way it means it is gonna be easier to perform that certain move when it matters"
There's no denying how fortunate we are at Toronto BJJ to get to train and learn Jiu Jitsu with such exceptional teachers... Xande and Rafael and Saulo and Jorge and Eduardo...Paulo, Leo, Regis...These guys come and really train with us and don't just go through the motions. They leave something of themselves here - some of their energy and essence when they leave and I truly believe that. At Toronto BJJ - There is always 'Just something in the air..." - something legit.
I will be taking this last piece of advice from Rafael with me on the next stage of my journey and it's a message to us all...
"Drill, review - work on eveything you learned - stay consistant - take it 1 day at a time and just try to be a little better this week than you were last week. Be a little better next month than you were this month - keep pregressing, take it day by day and have fun."
I thought it was pretty cool that Rafael had decided to teach a class on Saturday even though he was flying out that day and had taught 6 days in a row so I jumped over to the academy..
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Felipe Costa from BRASA
Master Royler Gracie spent 2 weeks in Canada in April with the first week being in Ontario. As well as visiting RGDA schools, the legendary Black Belt was guest at 
Multiple World Champion, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend and Co-Head of the University of Jiu Jitsu in San Diego, Xande Ribeiro sits down for a pow wow with me and shares many philosophies, theories and personal insights into not own his game of Jiu Jitsu and MMA career, but of his students, family and friends.
ScottOnTheNet