Thought Vault
Category: Practice
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Composure Under Pressure
Years of working security in Berlin and many more on the mat taught me the same thing from two angles: the person who stays composed usually controls the situation. What happens under…
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Moving Well: Why the Floor Matters
Most adults move through a narrow range: sit, stand, walk, repeat. Moving well is wider than that. It is getting down to the floor and up again without thinking about it, rolling,…
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How to Choose a BJJ School: What to Check, What to Avoid
Picking a Jiu-Jitsu school by price or distance is understandable, and it is how many people end up in the wrong room. Here is what I would check, and what would make…
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Where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Comes From
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has a short, well-documented history and a long tail of legends. This is the version I trust, with the caveat that parts of it are still argued about. From Japan…
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Pranayama: What It Is and How to Start
Pranayama is the yogic practice of breath regulation. The word is usually split into prana, life force or vital energy, and ayama, extension or regulation. You can take the Sanskrit as a…
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A Class at BJJ DOJO Berlin
Play the video A class at BJJ DOJO Berlin. The video loads from YouTube only when you click. See the privacy policy, or watch it on YouTube. This is what a typical…
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What Jiu-Jitsu Shows You About Yourself
“You do not truly know someone until you fight them.” That line from The Matrix Reloaded stayed with me because it describes something I see every day: the body does not lie.…
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Jiu-Jitsu for Children: What to Expect
Parents often ask whether Jiu-Jitsu is a good fit for their child. It can be, if the class is run well. Here is what it tends to offer, and what I would…
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Yoga and Jiu-Jitsu: How They Train the Same Thing
I came to yoga and Jiu-Jitsu years apart and thought of them as opposites: one slow and inward, the other fast, in contact with someone who wants to win. It took me…