I have heard some say its dangerous, some say its no worse than new york, chicago etc.. how would you compare brazil with those places, chicago, detroit, nyc.. and how exactly is brazil dangerous??
I was told to go to bahia or porto seguro... anybody been to those places? how are they for training??
and what is the std situation down there??
how do brazilian guys react to americans?? I heard the women love us and the guys hate us, can anybody confirm that? thanks
Someone answer this guy's question about vegetarian food...
theres not so much training in bahia, from what i know. guys and girls are cool towards americans. brazilians are hella cool about most stuff.
"Do I need to get any shots?"
The only thing that was recomended to me was Hep A & B.
"Does anyone know of a good place to stay near Gracie Humaita?"
I stayed in Ipanema and took a 40 minute bus ride to Humaita. Instead of being really close to the school, I was two blocks from the beach and in a REALLY nice neighborhood.
"How many times a day are classes taught at Humaita? Who teaches privates there, and how much?"
They have a morning class (starts at noon I think) and an evening class. You can schedule privates any time. Royler and Rolker were doing privates when I was there.
"I'm a vegetarian. Do Brazilian restaurants serve any veggie food?"
BIG selection of veg foods. Several buffet-style places near where I stayed, so I didn't have to read a menu. Just load up your plate like it was Old Country Buffet.
"What's the weather like this time of year?"
August? Probably in the 70's. How old are you? The International Masters & Seniors tourney is Aug. 30-31st.
Hope this helps,
Patrick
Gracie Humaita is in Botafogo. The hotels in Copacabana are cheap and about 5 minutes cab ride to Botafogo. Ipanema and Barra are too far from Gracie Humaita. August is in the winter which is like spring in the US.
Thanks much guys. And actually, the veggie question was also answered in my e-mails, so I'm cool there. Sounds as if I'll have plenty to choose from. I'm almost 21. I won't be going to compete, just because this is a conveniet time for me.
Greg
Ive trained atHumaita its perfect, youll love it,plus the women are great especially at the clubs. Ill be going to Brasil in may for the abu dahbi in sao paulo. Get to be buddies with a jiujitsu player, to show you around, to clubs , meet girls, etc.......but when you train, be ready to give it your all because they are rough. good luck...
Greggie, I returned from Rio in November, so I don't know if the war has changed attitudes or not. But while I was down there, everyone was extremely friendly. And other jiu-jitsu guys will go out of there way to help you out.
I am also a vegetarian. There are a lot of good choices, but you just have to be a little more observant. A lot of the corner eateries have these pastry things with some sort of filling. Usually it is chicken or beef. But sometimes they are filled with cheese. Learn the words for chicken, meat, beef, etc. and you should be okay. The churascos (spelling is probably way off) are pretty cool. They serve a lot of meat, but also have salad bars and they do bring non-meat items to the table. Oh yeah, if you supplement with protein, bring your own. Protein powders are really expensive, even in reals. The markets also have these yogurt like drinks that are good for protein. That should get you through.
I thought Rio was really safe. The only thing I would recommend is just to be aware of what buses or subway line you take. I had a couple of situations where I got on the wrong bus and wound up in a bad area. One time I went the wrong way on the subway and stepped out of the station at the foot of some flavelas. Scary, but I still didn't feal threatened.
Good luck and good training.
where do all of you guys stay down there??
i stayed in copacabana at a hostel that was recommended to me by andreh. called copacabana praia. i paid like $12US per night for a pretty decent room by myself with a kitchen and everything.
Do Brazillian restaurants here in the US tend to have much vegetarian food? Are the buffets worthwhile? I'm a vegetarian, and when I hear people talking about them, they only mention the meat.
usurper, 12 a night?? damn, you could stay in a decent hotel for like 3 grand or so a year. wow
wheres copacabana??
Choke Em Out- I ate there too. Its amazing. Right down the street from the Gracie Academy, and right across from a brazilian store. They sell gis and stuff, cool area in general!
where exactly is Gracie Humaita? is it in rio?? who trains there??
and who trains at gracie barra?? who do the two compare?? gregor, how does gracie barra compare to btt??
just look at a map of rio and you'll see places in rio.. ipanema, copacanaba, barra, leblon, etc.
carlos gracie jr is the head professor at barra gracie.. pe de pano trains there i think.. gordo.. a bunch of other fools. i think roger gracie trains there as well.
also be VERY careful crossing the street.. fools dont care over there.
ttt
I go to Rio next year, has anybody trained at Saulos Academy in Copacabana? I need some info about this academy.
ttt
ttt...anybody?