Wednesday covered foot locks, toe holds and knee bars. Robert also answered questions from seminar participants covering Triangle escapes and a preface to Brabo and Darce chokes. Thursday was Brabo setups and executions which was gold. Robert once again answered questions from participants. The seminars were packed and extremely well received by everyone.

In a stunning coincidence Roberts first BJJ instructor was Steve da Silva, the same guy that gave Geoff and Ko their first taste of BJJ. Even more stunning is the image of Steve on this page was used by Robert in 2006 for an article in a Japanese magazine about his instructors!
Flickr set from the No-Gi session
Flickr set from the Gi session
Flickr set from Roberts Chopper excursion to the south coast

In the days leading up to the seminar excitement builds as students anticipate what is in store. John has an ability to translate seemingly complicated techniques into digestible chunks that get students doing moves that they may have otherwise thought beyond them; On the flipside, John also gives insight into how intricate simple techniques can be when done correctly. Students new and old alike leave his seminars enthused about the BJJ and their training.

He also left some well deserving students with new grades.

John Lamb and Jarrod Kent were both promoted to Blue Belt.

John Lamb has a technical game and the people he rolls with can find themselves in trouble quickly. He is leaving for Brazil in November for a number of months to experience training in the birthplace of BJJ. We look forward to him coming back and sharing with us what he’s learnt.

Jarrod Kent is a real competitor and his new Blue Belt is an excellent reflection of his ability on the mat.

Then came the big reward for the Ground Control and Submission Martial Arts clubs. John played the part of the Infomercial host, with a “but wait, there’s more”, and reached into his bag for some Purple Belts.
Michael Fooks and Andrew Craven from Ground Control; Mark Corkhill and Warren Lambert from Submission: were all promoted to Purple.

For all four, the promotion was a reward for significant technical improvement and recognition of the dedication required to build their clubs while being white and blue belts. The new Purples expressed thanks to those that helped them get where they are now, specifically: Glen Tarrant, from Submission Porirua, for helping start both clubs; Geoff Grant, from GSW, for his direction and guidance; their students; the rest of the Will Machado community; and of course, John Will.

Congratulations to all those promoted over the weekend.

Steve Hogg