I’ve been doing jiu-jitsu for about 4 years now, though over the last 9 months I’ve probably been to training a half-dozen times. In all that time I’ve never had an interest in trying out any of the stand-up arts, like boxing, kick-boxing or Muay Thai. Considering that The Academy has classes covering these arts, and my membership facilitates unmetered access to them, I thought it might be good to expand my horizons and check them out.

I decided to check out the shoot class, which is a mixture of striking and grappling - it’s more commonly known as mixed martial arts, or MMA. I figured that my BJJ would count for something and that it’d be a nicer transition.

Aaron and I went to the club on Monday night and got to train with a bunch of new people (and a bunch of familiar faces). The class is more cardio-intensive than a straight-up grappling class. The mixture of striking, takedowns and grappling was a welcome change. It’s a different head-space to punch or knee someone, even if you’re only going light. I picked the guys to spar with a bit more carefully that Aaron did, and he wound up with an accidental knee to the groin. Ouch!

I think that I’ll hit the beginner class once a month for a bit of variety, but BJJ is still my preferred art. I will probably throw in a few shoot classes when I have my week of intensive training… stay tuned for more information on that experiment.