The Benefits of Long Distance Training Partners

Myself, Brad and Chad after an awesome training session

There are a lot of benefits to traveling and training at new schools. Among them, one of the coolest things is getting to meet new people and make new friends who share the same love of Jiu-Jitsu. Some of these people might even become long distance training partners! They can share a completely new style of Jiu-Jitsu with you, share a different perspective on techniques or maybe give you the inside info on a badass, in-house seminar that you otherwise couldn't get access to.

One of those people that I want to highlight is Brad Edmondson. Brad and I actually trained together at Fusion Fitness MMA so long ago I can't even remember when it actually was anymore. We were both white belts at the time, and after I relocated to North Carolina, we have been running parallel lives in our training. We both got promoted to blue belt at about the same time, and would then receive our purple belts within months of each other as well. Every time I travel home to visit my family in Chicago, I make it a point to stop in and train with Brad. He has also helped to plug me in with other schools in the area, or fill me in when there's is a must attend seminar happening close by.

Brad and I after a training session as Blue Belts

It has been a really rewarding friendship over the years, even though we train in completely different states and in a completely different Jiu-Jitsu system. The interesting thing I've discovered about Jiu-Jitsu, is that we all go through the same highs and lows, triumphs and challenges, and sometimes even a little drama, no matter where it is you train. It has been really encouraging to be able to reach out at times to him and get reassured from someone who's at the same place as you are in another school. It has also been really fun to catch up every once and a while and swap what are now purple belt stories.

From a technical stand point it has been very beneficial as well. Everyone knows I love my gi and my bow and arrow chokes. Well Brad is a big no gi guy with a game that includes some phenomenal leg attacks. When we do get to meet up, we share new techniques that we have learned and I have been able to add quite a few of those techniques to my game from those training sessions. We also take the chance to roll and compare our progress over the time that has lapsed. This has allowed me to get more exposure to another style of Jiu-Jitsu, and I would even say was one of the reasons that I was successful in my recent NAGA competition in the expert no gi division.

Jiu-Jitsu is a journey and any journey is much more fun when traveled with friends. If you do get the chance to travel to a new place, try and make friends! You never know what adventures it will contribute along your way.

About the Author:

Steven McMahon earned his Kyuki-Do Black Belt in 2011 from Grand Master Kim at Kim's Black Belt Academy and his  BJJ Purple Belt in January 2017 under Professor Charles Nunley. He trains out of Cornerstone BJJ in Fayetteville, NC. He is an active competitor at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Army Combatives tournaments.