Beach at Itacoatiara - Beautiful
From August 21 through August 31 five Five Rings' athletes traveled to Brazil with Head Coach Tom Oberhue to experience a Jiu Jitsu Retreat at Professor Rodrigo Pagani's Academy and home in Niteroi, Brazil (Right across the bay from Rio de Janiero. The trip, the training, and the people were nothing short of FANTASTIC.
Professor Rodrigo Pagani - the Ambassador
The typical day went as follows:
9am Breakfast prepared by Fernanda Pagani (Rodrigo's wife and a graduate of culinary school)
10 am Morning training session - less formal than in the evening - lots of drilling, sharing of technique and sparring. This was a prime time for folks to take
12:30 Lunch - this was typically the biggest meal of the day and Fernanda always made something that was delicious. We were spoiled by her culinary skills. Great homemade food!
The Five Rings Brazil Crew 2014
Nick Childs, Tim Hull, Tom Oberhue, Casey Vann, Professor Pagani, Sara Childs, Leonard Jones
2 - 5 pm This was an opportunity for folks to explore the local beaches, wilderness, and surroundings. It was also the perfect time to nap and rest up for the evening training.
5 - 7 pm This was a prime time for folks to take a private or semi-private with Professor Pagani or a coach on his staff. This was invaluable to get personal, one-on-one, attention and address unique questions that each individual athlete had.
Typical Breakfast in Paradise
8 pm Evening class. This was the formal training at Professor Pagani's dojo and was a super opportunity for us to feel the vibe and energy of training in Brazil. Professor Pagani is a world-class athlete and coach who's profoundly passionate about sharing the sport and the life style with others.
Ribeiro Niteroi - Pagani's Dojo
A room of 17 black belts and tons of tough athletes
10 pm - Sometimes we'd hang out at the house and relax, sometimes we'd go to a nearby BBQ, and sometimes we'd go out to a restaurant, be we's always wind down the day with conversation, music, and having a good time with friends.
The Jiu Jitsu was great, of course, but meeting the people who training with Professor Pagani and experiencing Brazilian life was particularly special. This is Head Coach Tom's third trip to Brazilian and he's committed to helping other Five Rings' members experience training Jiu Jitsu in Brazilian and experience Brazilian culture and people. It's hard to explain, but it's simply a fantastic experience ... one that is life changing and changes one's perspective forever. Thank you Professor Pagani and all of your wonderful students. It was a mind blowing experience!
Tons of GREAT training and learning. OSS!!!
See the entire FaceBook album of the trip HERE
