GJJR! EP 134. Jim Kelly

Gracie Jiu Jitsu Rocks! podcast

Jim Kelly, Pedro Sauer Black Belt, and owner and head instructor of Cincinnati Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, discusses his life growing up, his time in the Marine Corps (forced recon), his martial arts journey, including discovering BJJ while looking for Tae Kwon Do, stick fighting at The Gathering with the Dog Brothers, training with Paul Vunak, The “martial arts bum community,” Mark Denny, Shawn Owens; “Challenging” Jake Johnston; competing at the Mundials in Brazil; The magical early days with Pedro Sauer and the crew (where he met Alan Hopkins, Jeff Curran, Rockson Gracie, Flavio and Silva Bhering, Matt Strack, Jorge Jiminez, Ricky Lindell); Learning to be broad minded, finding your own style and understanding the “why” things work from Pedro Sauer; What he learned from Rickson; training with Scott Smith; most important aspects of self defense; bringing realistic methodologies in training; keeping emotion out of fighting; His girlfriend and the wonderful story of how they met and their story over time….