Whoop Terere!

Last week I had the absolute pleasure to visit the academy of world renowned Jiu-Jitsu legend Fernando Terere. His academy is absolutely incredible. Not so much because of the size but the energy you feel stepping into the door. The moment you step in you feel an almost automatic feeling of joy and excitement.

Greeted at the door by the man himself. Truly an amazing guy, so humble and caring it almost does not seem real. Unlike a lot of other academies Terere actaully rolls with his students. We started off with a simple, typical warmup and then proceeded to technique. He showed two very slick guard passes that were definitely something that I can add to my arsenal.

Eventually we headed to sparring in which my first roll of the night was the man himself, Terere. It was great and I truly was humbled. I learned a lot. I am really grateful to have had the opportunity.

Terere's academy is minutes from one of the most beautiful beaches. Not only that but also some very good acai, anyone in the ipanema area should definitely check it out! osss

The gym has a ton of great students. There a lot of very good training partners including world champions. It is a great place for someone who is on the lighter side or someone who is very big. This academy is great for all! osss

GFTeam in Meir, Rio de Janeiro

Let's just say this had to be the most incredible little trip into Rio that I have ever taken. It all starts with the first bus. Usually going to GFTeam it will be a whole day trip due to how far it actually is. With 0 traffic you can get there in about an hour and a half. The first bus ride is fairly short, being around a 20 minute ride to barra shopping center.

Once you get off there, you catch your second bus. This bus is about an hour ride and drops you off directly in front of the academy. 

There is training from 2-4 and it is just straight rolling. It was definitely one of the toughest/greatest training sessions that I have ever had. Every guy on the mat is an animal. Today I was on the mats rolling with Jake Mackenzie, Jaime Canuto and Rodolfo Vieira. All killers in jiu-jitsu. After training Jake and 2 of our friends when down the street to get some Acai. Probably some of the best Acai in Rio, they have protein in most of them and it feels you up perfectly after training.

After all that we went back to the gym to relax. An hour later we went over to Jake Mackenzie's gym which happens to be around 10 minutes from the headquarters. Jake showed some very cool technique details and led a very great class. He is one of the coolest guys I know, so helpful and friendly and an overall beast. This was definitely a life changing journey down to Meir. I will be figuring out how I will start training there for good, only time will tell. Osss 

The Carioca Lifestyle

I arrived into Rio de Janeiro around 9:00 AM. It was a very long flight and I happened to get no sleep. Luckily when I arrived at the airport none of that mattered. My senses were firing in every direction. The airport process in Rio was one of the fastest that I have ever been through in my life. With that being said, eventually after a pretty short drive I arrived at the Connection Rio house and was greeted by unfamiliar faces. Everyone was super friendly and helpful and the view from the CR house is breathtaking.

CULTURE:

So far one of the biggest differences for me is the culture. Coming from LA you are used to everyone being either grumpy or upset at the world. In Brazil there might not be the same thing, everyone is so helpful and friendly it is crazy. Smiles everywhere and very warm feelings. Everyone is so genuine here that it truly rubs off on you. 

I truly love how the beach is incorporated into the brazilian lifestyle. The beaches here are incredible and have the most breathtaking views. Clean white sands and beautifully clear water. This is surfing heaven for sure. 

TRAINING:

So far I have had the pleasure to train with the innovator of the half guard, Professor Gordo. His academy is less than one minute from the house and it is a beautiful academy. Nice and simple. Each class is great and is started off with a very solid warm up, then we go on to a technique. After the first one he shows a follow up to the move we just drilled. Then its time to roll. Every class there are at least 5-6 black belts on the mat, all rolling. So it is very good training. Within the next few weeks I will check out Checkmat, Alliance and GFTeam. Training everyday with high level black belts. What more could you ask for?

FOOD: 

So far this may be the best part of the trip, experiencing all the different types of food and the different ways they eat are so awesome. I may need to go to rehab for my açaí addiction but whatever. We are located near many great restaraunts and markets. The main market being the Mundial, which has your every day needs and the Camacha which is a restaraunt/bakery. When you come you should make sure to limit your açaí consumption, because you will need to go to rehab. 

OSS, Valeu!

1 WEEK LEFT UNTIL DEPARTURE

Hello everyone, the days are flying by and I have around one week left until I land in the beautiful Rio de Janeiro. Ever since I was a kid my friends and family have traveled to Brazil to train and compete and it has always been a dream of mine to go. Thankfully I have been blessed with an opportunity.

I have not been too far out of the country so Brazil will be the farthest. I have just seen mesmerizing pictures and videos of the beautiful country. I will be staying in Rio, one of the very popular and well known cities in Brazil. I am not sure what to expect. I am thinking loud and beautiful that's it. To be honest I am tired of LA and can't wait to experience new people and lifestyles. I am very excited to start learning the amazing culture and language. I can not wait to train in the birthplace of jiu-jitsu and experience all of the different styles of the gentle art. It is honestly a dream come true.

My coaches have been watching and helping me train hard as we always do. I am ready, my body is in great shape and my mind is ready. A couple of my friends train in Brazil frequently and have been coming to train with me and make sure that I am ready. My family is 100% supporting me and I can not wait to make this the greatest experience of my life. Thank you to everyone and keep up to date as I will be blogging frequently with videos and pictures!

OSS, valeu!

THE START

My name is André Khabbazi. I am 18 years old and a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I started training around the age of 7 years old when my dad and uncle introduced me. From that day I fell in love and have not stopped since. I started training with Kron Gracie and have trained with Cobrinha and Giva Santana since. The Gentle Art has truly molded my life and helped shape me into the person I am today. I have traveled all over competing and training with people because of this amazing martial art. 

Going to Brazil has been a dream of mine since I was very little. I told myself that no matter what it takes I will find a way to go there and live the truly amazing lifestyle. I have received an amazing opportunity that I can't thank him enough for. Dennis Asche the founder of Connection Rio has given me the opportunity to become one of their sponsored athletes in Rio. I truly am grateful for this, he has changed many people's lives and I cannot wait for the opportunities that lie ahead. 

Check out his whole website at http://www.connectionrio.com/ and another man who is creating incredible videos and documentaries about jiu-jitsu http://bjjhacks.com/.

I am leaving for Brazil on October 31st, and will be blogging my stay and life as a carioca every Wednesday!

Make sure to stay tuned for photos and videos and check out their websites! Até logo!

OSS

L to R: Tim Peterson, André  Khabbazi, Jimmy Tang (noon training)