TAKEN BACK:
The Transition from Wrestling to BJJ

When I was sixteen, after a night of "Quarters" with some friends in the beach town where I spent my school vacations, I found myself near the dunes with a pretty girl I'd been pining for all summer. After bearing with my fumbling for a half hour or so, she took control of the situation and pushed me to my back, smiling as she closed in.

"I, uh, can't do this..." I said.
"It's okay," she insisted, thinking that I was politely deferring to her honor.
"It's not that," I couldn't spell honor at that moment, "I just can never be on my back...I'm a wrestler."

True story. Sad story. A story that might raise suspicions in suspicious minds.

Besides the fact that this kinda thing didn't come my way often (and certainly the opportunity with this girl never presented itself again), I was not a top recruit for the University of Iowa or anything.

What the hell was I doing to my life? ... READ NOW >

Rashguard Review - Custom Print from Takedown Outfitters

In my travels for BJJ Weekly I've noticed that there are 3 kinds of guys. Gi only guys, Gi and rashguard guys, and Gi and tshirt guys. I've been planted firmly in the Gi and tshirt catagory since I started training. If I had more disclipline with my diet I'd probably be a Gi only guy, but I respect my training partners too much to subject them to the sweaty belly choke, and so I always wear a tshirt.

I spent many years wrestling and coaching before I began BJJ and I always wore a tshirt so it was a natural choice. (In case you didn't know, most wrestlers generally don't practice in those nasty looking singlets, those are usually just for competition.) I never really understood why anyone would spend all that money on rashguard when: .... READ NOW >