BudoBelly Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

When I first started training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I was in my mid-40’s. While I lacked the athleticism and explosiveness of my younger teammates, I generally could keep up with the physicality needed for the demands of the sport, and I would often pride myself on doing so. As I approached my late 40’s and early 50’s, there was no denying that my body and mind were different than that of someone…

We all know the toll that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can take on the body, and the natural aging process will continue to add restrictions on what we can and can’t do on the mats. I didn’t start training Jiu Jitsu until I was close to my mid-40’s. While ego prevented me from seeing the differences between my physicality and those 20 years my junior, once I reached my 50’s it became more apparent, and I…

Since my hernia surgery in 2023 and my subsequent recovery from my hip flexor strain, I’ve had to rethink how to train my core for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Not wanting to strain the area where I had my surgery, yet realizing the need for a solid core to support the needs of BJJ, I took stock of the various available exercises so that I could have a list of “go to” core exercises to use to better…

One thing I learned from my hernia surgery recovery journey is that, at least in the United States, surgeons are entirely unequipped to provide their patients with any meaningful recovery advice beyond the usual “don’t lift anything above ten pounds for six weeks”, or something similar. I went into my recovery process thinking I could take my surgeon’s advice and I’d be all set, but I was…

While it was quite difficult to find a surgeon who had availability and who accepted my insurance, mostly due to the insurance company and the surgeons not keeping updated records, I eventually found a match with Dr Hideo Takahashi, who practices general surgery, surgical oncology, and hernia surgery with Mount Sinai South Nassau. I found him to be communicative, experienced, and knowledgeable.…

I had a bilateral inguinal hernia repair performed open, with mesh, a little over 30 years ago. It held up extremely well over the years and I nearly forgot I had ever had it done. Over the years, my activity level varied, ranging from very active to fairly sedentary. I was even a cigarette smoker for a brief period of time, and at one point had gained about 50 pounds.  Once I embarked on my…

In the fall of 2023, I began noticing a small lump on the right side of my lower abdominal area. I had noticed it before, but whenever I brought it up to my doctor, I was always told that it was just scar tissue from my hernia repair that was done 30 years ago. Eventually, it began to grow so obvious that it could no longer be ignored, so I brought it up to my doctor again. This time, it was…

In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, we’re conditioned to remain loyal to our home academies with many instructors flat out refusing to allow students to train at other schools unless they’re traveling out of town. I began my Jiu Jitsu journey under Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro in NYC. Until very recently, I often had to travel extensively for work, so the only way I could train sometimes was to visit other…

By now, many Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners are struggling with how to maintain fitness and continue progressing in their BJJ training while facing extended social distancing and quarantine measures due to COVID-19. While the current situation is unfortunate (to put it mildly), we can still use this time to be productive in our fitness and Jiu Jitsu development.

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I’ve seen a lot of writings on social media about the novel coronavirus COVID-19 with respect to whether or not to continue training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and other combat sports. I’ve been training right up until last week, and this week I was traveling on business and didn’t have time to get to the academy near where I am, but that’s okay because I’ve decided to forgo training until this pandemic…

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Anxiety: How I Used BJJ to Treat Depression and Discontinue SSRIs

How I Used BJJ to Treat Depression and Discontinue SSRIs

I’ve always had an inclination toward depression and anxiety. It’s come and gone over the years, but thankfully it never overtook my life. I always knew that it would go away eventually, so whenever I would experience a depressive episode, I would just wait it out.

I’ve been in and out of cognitive behavioral therapy since I was a…

Training Krav Maga at Caliber-3 in Israel

I recently returned from another visit to Israel during which I had the pleasure of experiencing my second visit to the Caliber-3 Academy for Counter Terror and Security. During a previous visit, I took one of their tourist programs with my father. On this most recent visit, I was bringing my girlfriend as well, so I decided to sign us up for something a bit more customized to our interests.

What…

Is BJJ the Best Martial Art For Self-Defense?

I read and hear many discussions debating whether BJJ is the best martial art for self defense and if not, which martial art is the best? Everyone seems to have a different take on this and my position on this is that it’s just not so clear. In short, it depends.

My Experience With Self Defense

During my youth, I got into my share of street fights. Nothing major, and just a few here and…

How to Build a Home Gym on a Budget

Let’s face it – training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu isn’t cheap, and adding a gym membership on top of that makes it even more expensive, especially in New York City, where gym memberships can sometimes cost over $200 per month.

Realizing that my workouts primarily focus on functional movements designed for injury prevention, I realized that I could get in an excellent workout in the convenience of…