This journey has taught me consistency, discipline, and self-control.
In the making for over 14 years.
I am so proud of myself for making it this far.
The people you meet along the way!
My journey started out around mid-2008 in a kickboxing gym run by Jason Suttie. I had previously trained boxing (for fitness) for quite a number of years, and I had signed up to a kickboxing class (also for fitness), to learn something new – and for some variety.
After a solid kickboxing session, some of the guys stayed to do another class. I was interested to see what it was, and so I also stayed. It was some kind of wrestling, looked very cool – grappling (nogi). I asked if I could join that same class, and do the moves. I remember it clearly, you put this person’s arm like this, then you throw your leg over their shoulder, like this, and then you put the one leg over the other, and then just squeeze – next they’re choking and coughing – I had learnt the triangle from closed guard. Wow, where have I been all this time? Why had I not joined sooner? It was like love at first sight.
I joined that grappling class a few more times, and then made the decision to move to a pure MMA gym.
I had spoken to a few friends, that had similar interests and recommended a very small (but tough) outfit based in Auckland being run by John Olesen. The coach was then a very young Pro MMA fighter (originally from Denmark). I joined up without much hesitation.
The classes weren’t much bigger than a small number of guys, maybe 4 or 5 at a time, and the coach. I remember one of the first sessions with John, he asked me some questions to see what I know, and don’t know. I told him I had some boxing experience, and he asked me if I wanted to do some sparring with him, and so I agreed.
Within about 10 seconds, I remember seeing a bright white flash, and I was seated on the floor with a bloody nose – ‘so you wanna be an MMA fighter’.
Well, I don’t think I had such aspirations. Perhaps, I just wanted to learn grappling.
I stayed with this team for a few months. One of JohnI met a very young Dan Hooker (now a superstar in the UFC).
I understood, this outfit was looking to train and make professional MMA fighters – perhaps too rough for my green beginnings.
I found myself changing gyms again, I had a recommendation from a friend for another MMA gym – Maai Hyoshi Dojos, with Steve Cockell and Karl Norton.
At the time Steve was Karl were both purple belts in BJJ, under John Will.
The MMA & BJJ classes were great! I could learn grappling moves alongside other beginners. There was a class particularly for grappling, and a class for MMA. This was starting to feel better. I was learning stuff.
Coach Steve had created a small group of guys that did extra training days usually Sundays, that provided extra training for the amateur MMA fighters; The legendary Neroni Mack and Tristan Watson.
It was at these MMA & BJJ classes that I had met with Taekwondo legend – Carl van Roon. We got along well, we trained hard together – these guys all helped to push me along.
I had almost a year worth of some nogi grappling experience, and decided I was going to invest my time purely in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
I did not own a gi, or a belt.
I signed-up to Douglas Santos at CityKickboxing – a pure BJJ gym.
A friend had been training with Coach Douglas for about 2 years, and had then been awarded his blue belt. So I asked him to give me his white belt. He did, but asked me to take off the stripes. Not reading too much into it, I had forgotten about the stripes and didn’t take much notice.
I started my first gi class, with my brand new gi and white belt with 4 stripes on it.
Coach Douglas, and Assistant Coach Danilo were taking this class, we were asked to do forward rolls, I felt like my forward rolls were good,
I had many training partners, different sizes, different skill-level – and
This journey has not been without its challenges.
It must have been around 2009/ 2010, I had signed up for some kickboxing classes mostly for fitness.
I received my Black belt from Roberto Atalla and Rico Hattingh – Rio Grappling Club, Bellville Western Cape in 2012
