Ecuador aint Brazil....I have lived in Brazil for almost my entire life, I was a bank manager in Rio for 8 yrs...guess what, all the vilolence I ever saw was in the news.. does it exist? Fuck yes!!! But, the midia catches hold of it and blows it up, because it sells.... is Rio perfect? No. Is it dangerous? Yes, It can be very, if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time...but, where is it any diferent?
^^ hawaii is mad expensive.. brazil is the opposite. not everyone has money to move and train in hawaii
You will not need a watch. All times are approximate. Sometimes, even the day is approximate.
start hearing all the stories.
Forget hearing the stories, you'll be living them. When corruption is prevelant in all aspects of life, eventually it will catch up with you.
One example is I have lost 3 dogs while here, people will poison your dogs to make it easier to come back and rob you later on.
It's ok to shoot someone on your property after dark if they where not invited.
My suggestion is if you want to come down here to train, is to find one of the dozens of awesome instructors who have moved out and train with them.
If your coming anyways besides the warnings, try and do everything with your club and stay at home when not training. Or at least travel in packs, even to the awesome beaches.
There is a reason why most the awesome BJJ people now live in the States or elsewhere.
I grew up a military brat and lived in the Philippines, Japan, Thailand, England, Belguim, Switzerland and was born in Germany. I've traveled all over the world and pretty much seen it all. I would highly recommend world travel to anyone and everyone as the best education you can get. Not to mention the great times to be had.
It's no more dangerous in Brazil than it is in South Beach or NYC if you aren't looking for trouble, are aware, and use common sense. I've been mugged/robbed on the streets four times in my life and three times it was right here in the USA.
AJ, EC is certainly not Brasil.
From what I see of Brasil on TV here, it is beautiful with great food, sandy beaches and middle class people enjoying their lives.
the most talented BJJ guys are moving becuase they can make more $ in the states, not because they are afraid to live in BR. Ask most Brazilians living ouside the country, and they will tell you that they would rather live in Brazil...
Actually Woe I have travelled the world also and the only time I have ever been robbed, beaten and mugged was in the USA. Go figure..
AJ, I'm not bashing on Brasil, I'd move there in a second over EC. Most people I know here from Brasil would gladly move back also.
What I'm trying to say is that Latin America has come a far ways in the last 20 years and hopefully will continue to change.
Overall besides the greenback for the BJJ people I know, the reasons for moving are education, money, better housing and things like that. When asked they say violence is just "A" part of the reasons.
I'd suggest everyone travel down to Brasil and make up their own minds on the place. Just try and be aware that your visiting a new place and be smart about things.
Thats my point, WOE says it the way I see it. You know, the average American sees the world through a tv screen , sees what the camera man, the reporter and whoever wants him to see, not what is really there..makes for a very narrow world. I was living in the US untill 4 yrs ago...one day I realized that my kids were getting to be like that, so I lefta very good jop ( ATT manager) and came back...it was the best thing I could have ever done....my kids now can see both sides, have learned tha the world is way bigger and more full of wonders than they could ever imagine...made them more alive
ttt
You can take 2 cities in the U.S. and other countries and compare them and say every area has bad areas, neighborhoods, etc. etc. and it's true. New York or Chicago has it's share of ghettos, and shit areas. But when you go to a lot of other countries, the difference is the law. Yeah I am sure many cops here in the States are corrupt as hell, but out in other countries that shit is on another whole level. People are walking around with machine guns, guns, knives and no one blinks, people don't go to court over a fist fight, sometimes probably even a stabbing or shooting. They don't investigate for months or years about a rape or murder. For them, life goes on. That's the difference in the level of danger. You can't just run to or call the cops for help and get it.
Now you have a point..
Reports from myself and other UG's at my blog.
www.gringojiujitsu.com
more to come...ehem....Steele....still waiting on yours bro....lol....
onthemat has some good archived stuff too.
AJDavis, can I come visit in 08 and see your Brasil?
I'll be in Curritaba (sp) for the month of May I think.
Curitiba is a great town, you will be fine there...I live about 2 hrs away from Rio, in a place called Nova Friburgo..nice peacefull place. I own 5500.000 sq feet of virgin rain forest, if you want to see my Brazil, shoot me an e mail, ajdavis20@hotmail.com
reeakshun, yeah, very good point.
I live in Chicago, and I have seen my fair share of crazy shit. But honestly I don't think I have ever really felt unsafe, in terms of getting robbed/killed.
Anything could happen of course, but I do have a pretty solid sense of security when I am here, and anywhere else in America for that matter.
I am by no means a world traveler, and have been out of the country only once. Which was the Bahamas. Found myself in a pretty strange situation away from the resort that was quite scary, but we got out of there and avoided trouble. Still an eye opener.
Good informative thread.
TBidness
Brazil has a very high population and a high rate of poverty, therefore the crime rate is very high. Just follow the recommendations the people give you and what streets and places to avoid. Don't generalize about the whole country.
girls
I think I good way to round out this thread would be some Brasil women pics, would it not?
I second that notion Hessian.