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Previously I have trained in freestyle combat karate (a mix of Kick Boxing, Boxing, Kali Escrima Arnis & "Basic" Grappling) for about 5 years from 1996 to 2001 in which I received my Black Belt in Dec 1998 at the Academy of Combative Arts in Melbourne.
Since I have been doing BJJ I have won silver on 2 occasions in WA state competitions (2005 & 2006) & Bronze on 2 occasions (2004 & 2005).
I opened the ROOTS BJJ club in Bunbury in January 2005 then Collie in May of 2005 since then the ROOTS "Southwest" guys have brought home 3 golds, 10 silvers & 5 bronze from WA comp's.
I started training Jiu Jitsu in mid 2003 with Wil Cunningham at ROOTS BJJ in Vic Park.
The reason I started training BJJ was that I had already trained in a Stand up & Basic Grappling so I new that to have a "complete" fight game you have to train Jiu Jitsu & Good Jiu Jitsu, so finding the best BJJ team was essential to the evolution of my game.
I had heard of Paulo & ROOTS in Magazines & the internet & as it turned out my brother in-law was training with Wil at ROOTS in Perth and they had already built a name for themselves on the WA BJJ circuit as the team to beat, so the choice was easy for me.
The guys there trained harder than any one I had trained with before, but they were good, damn good!
My training philosophy is much like the ROOTS motto "Sweat Saves Blood". The training is hard but the rewards are plenty!
Yet I try to emphasise technique over power; if you roll light your technique has to improve! And I believe you should train to improve yourself, not just for the belt!
The highlights of my BJJ would be training with Royce & Royler Gracie & competing at the Pan Pacific's (2004) & the Aus Submission Championships (2006).
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