White belts are special people. Their enthusiasm has an intense innocence. They have just stepped into a world full of possibilities and rich with history. They want to experience it all right away and they really si...
Posted on January 26, 2016
Marshal Carper
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Many years ago, I trained with a grappler whose plan seemed to be stalling in every position (and I mean every position), turtling up at all costs. He kept his arms glued to his side and his head tucked down at all t...
Posted on January 21, 2016
Matt Kirtley
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Jiu-jitsu is a strange journey, and while I’ve had that thought before, I usually let it pass. Recently, I was on a flight back from a Globetrotter camp and had far too much time on my hands (which is dangerous, as ...
Posted on January 14, 2016
Nelson Puentes
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Traveling and training can be tough. Finding welcoming places to train can sometimes be challenging, but the real stress can come from trying work out the rest of your logistics: transportation, lodging, and ideas fo...
Posted on January 07, 2016
Nelson Puentes
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When you’re a kid, it doesn’t take much to determine your favorite time of year. For me, it was December. And since I’m still just a big kid, it still is. There’s Christmas, of course, but there’s also my birthday. I...
Posted on December 30, 2015
Nelson Puentes
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“Tienes que ser persistente,” my mom always said. “You have to be persistent.” She drilled this phrase into my head while I was growing up. Little Nelson having trouble tying his shoes? Keep trying. Math is hard? ...
Posted on December 21, 2015
Nelson Puentes
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Last Sunday, one of my best friends was promoted to black belt. I was the one to tie the belt around his waist (you can see that here). Dave and I have been friends for over 15 years. He is the first kid I met when I...
Posted on December 17, 2015
Nelson Puentes
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With Tobey Maguire doing the podcast rounds for his new movie Pawn Sacrifice, Bobby Fischer is reentering the public conversation. Well, maybe not the general public conversation. Chess isn’t the sexy Cold War sport...
Posted on December 10, 2015
Marshal Carper
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I have been competing for a long time. I actually signed up for my first tournament before I started training. Yes, you read that correctly. That, in itself, is a story worth reading if you haven’t heard it yet alre...
Posted on December 03, 2015
Nelson Puentes
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The Panda Pin Escapes Instructional is exclusive to newsletter subscribers.
Posted on December 01, 2015
Nelson Puentes
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I have been running a turkey roll since my first teaching gig as a purple belt—all the way back in 2011. The original school I taught at was a whopping 3 blocks from my parents’ house. Talk about an easy commute, so ...
Posted on November 25, 2015
Nelson Puentes
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I have a confession: I was obsessed with Sherlock Holmes growing up. I told my Mom that I wanted to be a detective when I grew up, and I trotted around the house with a magnifying glass looking for mysteries to solv...
Posted on November 19, 2015
Nelson Puentes
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