Here on the Made 4 Fighters blog we will occasionally invite guest bloggers to provide their perspectives on subjects relating to MMA and BJJ – here, friend and sponsored fighter Fred Greenall describes how things are going for him in setting up a grappling club in China, and the hurdles he is having to overcome!
There’s a lot of excitement about ADCC in Nottingham this year – and rightly so. But between rushing to buy tickets and speculating about the heavily stacked categories, you might have overlooked the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup 2012. Unlike ADCC, the main event will actually be taking place in Abu Dhabi, and the Asia trials have already started.
Now, you might be thinking, Asia trials? That seems pretty far away? Well, not for Team Malevolent fighter Fred Greenall. Fred is a BJJ blue belt who has won absolute titles in UK competitions like Ground Control and Grapplemania. He recently moved to China, where he has set up his own BJJ club.
A blue belt setting up his own club? (by Fred Greenall)
Bizarre? Yes. Bizarre in China? No. China is a relatively untapped (like the pun?) BJJ market, with only a handful of clubs across the country – and most of these have only been going for a couple of years (imagine BJJ in the UK about fifteen years ago, then you’ll get an idea for what it’s like here). So, it goes without saying that, apart from in major cities, finding someone with any BJJ experience is very rare. In fact, Team Malevolent China is the only BJJ club in Nanjing, and so far – even among the westerners – there isn’t a single purple belt. And this is a city with over 3 million people!
World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup Asia Trials, Shanghai
So, it was very exciting when, this month, the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup Asia trials came to Shanghai. In preparation, fighters from Team Malevolent China have been training with Kowloon Jiu-Jitsu purple belt, Kensaku Kojima from Hong Kong. Kojima visited Team Malevolent China on his way to the trials, training with Fred and Lloyd Irvin fighter Alex Schild. All three fighters intended to enter the trials in Shanghai on the 10th and 11th of September, but unfortunately Fred and Alex found that their nationalities prevented them from competing.
Kojima Wins Purple Belt Open
Although this was a disappointment for the club, Kojima won the purple belt open and will be flying to the UAE next year to compete in the finals, all expenses paid. For those who don’t succeed in the trials (or find themselves unable to compete) there is always the option of finding your own way out to the UAE – entry to the tournament is open to anyone, not just trial winners (although they get the obvious benefit of travelling and competing for free)!
Support For Team Malevolent China
So, until the next competition, fighters at Team Malevolent China will continue with their training with support from Made4Fighters. Although the club in China is very new, it has attracted interest from brown and black belts (we could really do with even just one!) across the world, who realise the potential growth of BJJ in China. This has resulted in negotiations with local gyms who wish to provide better training facilities, and discussions with other BJJ clubs across the country who want to work together to expand the BJJ scene or affiliate with Team Malevolent. The message: if you want to do something exciting that doesn’t involve ADCC – move to China!
More About Team Malevolent China
To check out how Team Malevolent China is doing, visit www.teammalevolent.com and their China blog www.frontierasiabjj.wordpress.com. For more information about the China BJJ scene, there is a list of useful websites below:
China Jiu-Jitsu Federation
World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup
Kowloon BJJ
Shanghai BJJ
Osss,
Team Malevolent China
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