Shinbukan Dojo Amsterdam

Growing up in a Jewish family in Western Europe (Amsterdam) this story hits me really hard. The reality is, that even after two generations my family was still about half the size it was before the war. Jiu-Jitsu in many ways is my safe space. The one place where I don't need to worry about antisemitism, where we can leave our backgrounds off the mat. Kyle's comments just changed that for me. Being ignorant on the holocaust is a privilege. It means that you never had to face the harsh realities of that time in your life. I hope Kyle has friends who actually care about him and educate him. source, 2022 ↗

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Classic Irish attitude. The reason I got sick of Ireland overall is that so many people are unwilling to look at its faults. Irish people do this for everything from housing (and yes, Ireland is much worse than Amsterdam or London), healthcare, transport, etc. You can't improve a country if you deny the faults, and Irish people live in denial. Sure, I could be wrong, but why do you take such offense to somebody saying "my experience is that there are more options for sports outside of Ireland"? Of course there are sports clubs in Ireland. But that doesn't mean they are active, convenient, ne source, 2022 ↗

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Beetje dom om dit onder je eigen naam te schrijven. Zeker met je publieke functie als viceadmiraal bjj de Admiraliteit van Amsterdam. source, 2021 ↗

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According to Danaher’s story in the JiuJitsu Times he was teaching at Columbia as his day job: https://www.jiujitsutimes.com/be-thankful-for-that-time-john-danaher-put-his-philosphy-student-in-a-headlock/ In an interview with BJJ Fanatics, Danaher detailed how he went from checking IDs at bar doors in New Zealand, to teaching at Columbia University, to becoming one of the most sought after teachers in an artform previously dominated by Brazilians: “I was walking down Amsterdam Avenue [in New York City] one night when I saw an older gentleman being rather soundly beaten up by a much younger source, 2021 ↗

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I have a clear memory of walking through the Amsterdam airport and seeing a large man coming at me with an expression like he was ready to start shit at the very first opportunity. I got ready to react in case if things got crazy before realizing Iwas walking towards a fucking mirror. It’s exhausting. 6’2, 220, deep voice and muscular build. The tendons on my arms are always tight but I try and keep them loose for jiu jitsu, this means I recently realized the hand exercises I unconsciously do while walking look a lot like me clenching and unclenching my fists over and over again. Being able source, 2021 ↗

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Not sure if you guys have heard of this kid yet but 14 year old J.R. Caballero is the future of BJJ. He trains under Donny Blue in Pleasanton, Texas and has submitted numerous black belts in competition. This past weekend he won AGF’s Pro Challenger Series by submitting three legit black belts, two of them in under a minute (heel hook, arm bar and flying triangle). He earned a trip to Amsterdam sometime in 2021 to compete for AGF’s Pro Challenger Series World Championships. Kid has only been training 4 years and is a monster. source, 2020 ↗

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I was at the BJJ gym talking to one of the guys and I said something like “yeah my buddy Mark is moving to Amsterdam... he’s thrilled, he’s getting healthcare, education and his job is four days a week. Isn’t that awesome!?” The gentleman replied “fucking socialists!” We never spoke again after that. This is America. This guy was working more than 40 hours a week, struggling to pay for childcare. The most messed up thing is he could tell you that European nations are capitalist. It’s only when you bring up the benefits they seemed utterly programmed in fighting against their interests. source, 2020 ↗

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Do you think it is a coincidence that the yearly 10th planet jiu jitsu camp takes place in Amsterdam? source, 2019 ↗

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