Jiu Jitsu In Review

Facility / Location : Let's be honest, I absolutely hate the Theater District. It's congested, tourist-filled, and there's something putrid in the air. However, Vitor Shaolin's school is a safe-haven from the ruckus. Though the studio itself is smaller the bigger NYC schools, it's not off-putting. It fashions a modern theme with deep-slate gray mats, complimented by air-con, art-work, a large-reception desk, clean lockers with two showers, and open-factory windows that make the gym feel like a New York loft.  It's truly immaculate. Instruction:   One of the brown-belt instructor warms us up with standard plyometrics. However, the warm ups are eerily quiet with no music and just shy of fifteen students for today's class. After we're done, Shaolin takes the stage. He's the consummate 'brazillian jiu-jitsu professor': short-and-stocky, cauli-eared, a Rio de Janerio brown complexion,  and still with a noticeable Portuguese accent as he ext

Facility / Location:   Today, I am scanning the street for "Babs BJJ" on the corner of Broadway and Reade in the heart of Tribeca. However, what I find instead is  "Martial Arts - The Wat" and an arrow directing me down a flight of stairs. The studio is simple.  Rustic, furnished with plants, small trinkets, and candles. I am also greeted by a faint smell of incense and the sound of Sarama, traditional Thai music that is performed before fighters clash. You can tell there's a sense of tradition and pride embedded in "The Wat". More than anything, however,  I become nostalgic for my travels throughout Northern Thailand. But let's get into the meat-and-bones ... where the martial arts occurs... through the next door. Unlike the first partition, there's a roaring cadence. Pads are being smashed, sparring is commencing, mutiple timers are buzzing down, and there's hollering. One voice that sticks out is emerging from the back of the stu