Hi all,
I am a BJJ black belt, and I will be moving to Rochester, MN, sometime next year. I was wondering what the situation is around that area, as far as BJJ goes. Is it popular? Are there many schools?
I am definitely considering opening up a school once I move, and/or teaching at local schools and setting up seminars.
If any of you would like to get in touch, feel free to e-mail me at mariorobertojj@hotmail.com
All the best,
Mario Roberto
Mario,
You should be able to have a successful school in Rochester. High income, diverse population and NO COMPETITION. NO BJJ THERE!
There are only two BJJ schools in MN. One with a Black Belt (Minnesota Martial Arts Academy).
I would be happy to talk to you about BJJ in MN.
email me if you'd like @ shogun2001@hotmail.com
Thanks a lot for the information!
I really look forward to moving to MN -- although it will definitely be a major change from Brazil lol.
- Mario
At least the climates are similar...
At least today, that is - an unusually toasty 60 deg! What am I doing at work?
THANK GOD! My wife is from Lake City (About 30 minutes North of Rochester) and I have been wanting a BJJ school in Rochester for years now. We go to Lake City about 10 times a year and I would love a place to roll when we head up there. TTT for Rochester BJJ! There is one guy in rochester that runs a akido or something school that has 1 "grappling" class a week.
Good luck with everything setting up your school. If I could be of any help along the way let me know. My wife loves to go and see her parents.
ghalsor@lsiowa.org
Hey all,
Once again, thanks a lot for all the support and information.
I am brazilian, and I have lived in Rio de Janeiro all my life. I have visited the US several times before, though. Still, I realize moving to MN is going to be a radical change, especially as far as weather. Wish me luck!
- Mario
mariorobertojj@hotmail.com
My old homepage (not updated since 1998): http://geocities.com/Colosseum/Sideline/4548
Mario,
Glad to hear that you'll be moving up to the states. We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta again. Good luck with everything and hope you are doing well.
Herb
mario,hurry the hell up and move here!!!!
by the way don't listen to any of these guys about the weather,summer here is quite nice and both weeks are beautiful!
ps thanks for responding to the e-mail and look forward to training with you.good luck again. gryan
Please keep us posted as far as when you will be getting established.
Tips for MN:
A few things you may not know:
Beer freezes.
A constipated dog is a good dog.
Ice fishing is a form of mental illness.
Sunrise and sunset are roughly an hour a part.
Jumper cables make an excellent wedding gift.
You will look forward to slush.
Kleenex is covered by your medical insurance.
There is no Minnesota cuisine. If it's dead, eat it.
When you pack to come to Minnesota, you need only to bring one short-sleeved shirt (and that's only in case you want to fly back home for vacation). Minnesotans pass short-sleeved shirts from generation to generation. The short-sleeved shirt season here begins July 26 and is pretty much wrapped up by 3:30 on the 28th.
Minnesota has more than 10,000 lakes, hundreds of thousands of miles of rivers and streams, millions of acres of forest, and one Krispy Kreme. Guess where everybody wants to go.
1. Enjoy the forests and lakes. It's a beautiful area that and very different from urban sprawl of big cities.
2. Get a good heating system for winter.
3. Get a good AC system for summer
4. Get a lot of misquito repellant for summer.
5. Yes, it is possible to see a misquito in winter. I don't know how it works.
6. Don't go ice fishing on thin ice.
7. The mall of America is too big.
That should do it.
Hey guys,
I just had to jump on here and compliment Mario (my instructor) a little. I have been training with Mario since '99 and I can tell you that he is the real deal. He is seriously the best grappler I have ever rolled with. He is also a very good teacher. Don't let him sell himself short. The man is only 25 years old. He speaks 4 languages (his English is better than yours). He is an M.D. The guy plays like 10 musical instruments and reads almost non-stop. The funny thing is I am not even doing him justice on this thread. Mario is seriously one of my closest friends and he lives in another country! Maybe I just don't have that many friends, but anyhow, even being 6,500 miles away, he makes himself available to his friends and students. Great guy and when he moves to MN I will be up there hopefully one weekend a month and maybe he can see his way down here about the same.
Anyone who trains with Mario will not be sorry.
Seriously though, regarding Minnesota, it's a great place. I moved up here from VA to attend the U of Minnesota, and have made a home here - winters can be harsh, but it really is nice. I just didn't want Mario to get distraught about MN from all the jokes that we make... :)
Good luck Mario, I hope you get everything going there man.
Mario is one SERIOUS groud fighter, fast, strong, technical, AND flexible.
You guys will like it!!!
Travis
Any idea when you will be moving to Rochester?
Greg Nelson is a Pedro Sauer blackbelt and Sean Sherk's trainer.
I have links to 2 Minnesota schools on SLCBJJ.COM :
http://www.slcbjj.com/machadoslc/index.cfm?pageID=8
You have a link to one legit BJJ school in Minnesota.
Great addition to the States, as well as MN!
I also agree on the " promote James " idea.