Hillary's Page

I’m hurt, I can’t train hard, and I’m enjoying a mildly-normal vacation for once. So, that night I spent with a friend from college who had since moved from Arkansas back home to Brazil. We ate more sushi than two humans should ever attempt to ingest and I introduced him to the greatest series ever, Jersey Shore. He wasn’t quite as moved as I was. I was exited to get a good night’s sleep on my

Tuesday it was back to training. Andrei Andrezzo is another Cia Paulista black belt that I met at Pan Ams. A lawyer by day and great black belt by night, he runs a projeto social called Project Brazil, and he asked me to stop by and teach class. It was a good mat space inside a gym in São Paulo. I got started by teaching my coach Roli’s details on the basic mount choke that make it a fre

The only reason I didn’t catch an early flight home was because I’d marked three seminars in Brazil. I was depressed, hurt, and sick, but I don’t go back on my word. But things were getting better. After Larry the Furúnculo’s untimely death, I’d never quite appreciated the ability to walk. I could sit up without blood rushing to my now-not-swollen foot, and I could step on the ground without ex

Wednesday I caught a ride with the Koral truck and headed early to Rio de Janeiro. Thanks to great friends, I rarely find myself without a place to crash, and in this case I was staying with my friends Neto, Leo, and Zé. The boys treated me like an angel, including the brown belt (set to compete in the Rio Open the next day) forcing me to sleep in his bed while he crashed on the floor. All being Gordo brown/black belts and just a five minute walk from the gym, I was sure to get