Panda's Odyssey has officially started and I am currently hanging out in my first stop on the Canadian Odyssey list: Gibsons BC Canada!
All my gear I'm bringing. yeah, it's a lot.
The bags I'm using. Everything actually fits too!
Let me first fill you in on my last week preparations before telling you all about my great experiences hanging out with my good friends at the Sadohana Dojo in Gibsons. Last week (7-11 November) was my last week in Victoria BC Canada. I had the moving company coming in to pack my place, little time to clean the apartment for the landlords inspection, the last paperwork to finish for release from the military and also the last few days to say goodbye to all my friends on the island, and especially with the club. Amazingly, it all went off without any problems. The moving company was quick to pack and load all my belongings, giving extra time to clean the apartment, enough for the landlord to approve my vacating the apartment without any extra costs for repair. The paperwork for my release was promptly finished and as of Wednesday morning I was a civilian again. Continuing from the weekend I had more board game and movie nights with friends, where all sorts of great times were had. And I had my last classes at the club, with both Tuesday and Wednesday ending with me running the gauntlet and rolling with every member on the mats. Tuesday it was only for 20 or so seconds with each person but with almost 30 people showing up, Wednesday it was about a minute with each of the dozen or so people, mostly the bigger and more advanced students showing up this time. Both nights I was exhausted and sore and also extremely happy to roll with everyone one last time. Coach filmed it live on Facebook and a lot of people watched me get my beatings, good times!
The very last selfie taken at the club, my last walk out.
But all good times come to an end and I finally had to say my farewells, it was tough. With every hug and good-bye it felt like I was leaving a part of me behind. The club, Fierce Studio, has become my family. I have found a place where I am truly accepted and finally feel like I belong. I have become the person I am, doing what I'm about to do, because of them. I will miss each and every one while on this journey. But also, I can't wait to see them all again at the end, after my travels and learning what I pick up on the way, to bringing it back to them and seeing how they've all grown as well. Like a year long training camp before the tournament between friends.
All the Fierce Family I could get pics with, there's tons I missed. I miss you all!
During my final weeks of rolling and saying good-bye to everyone I received some very heart felt gifts. A card full of well wishes and farewells from all my friends and co-workers in the military. A photo album of me and friends over the time we spent together training and hanging out...with each picture being captioned with a threat or being of me getting beat up by them, as was our usually way spending time together. A farewell card with a very touching story of my influence helping them feel comfortable when first joining our classes. A hand fan with a cool inspiring quote for my journey. And the most recent one, figurine of a panda to bring along on with me. These mementos I will cherish always. It really hit home, they amplified the praises and well wishes I was receiving from everyone and as I look at them now I'm reminded of the love back the club. It's overwhelming at times to be honest. Thinking of the people who have told me how much they love following me on any of my social media outlets (look up Panda's Odyssey practically anywhere and you're find me) and how my actions effect them is a weird feeling. I'm sure I've said it before but I never thought this journey would impact anyone else but myself. I am deeply touched.
The photo album Angel and Geoff made for me, reminding me of all the good times we had.
A very cool fan I received, I believe the quote reads "when walking in snow make sure to not make a messy path, as you are creating the trail for those behind you" awesome.
Some gifts from Gibsons, a panda figurine and their new club patch, thanks guys!
So with so many people watching me and me now without a home or a job there's no turning back.
First stop: Gibsons!
Everything packed and on my way out of the hotel i was staying at while my apartment got packed up.
A sunny day on the waters, good sign to a the start of this journey!
Although the trek over to Gibsons from the island took a while everything went off without any problem and I was once again welcomed with open arms by the Sunshine Coast, staying with my good friend and Jiu-Jitsu brother Yoshi. camping out again in Yoshi's 'Man cave' in the garage is quite the treat and a great first stop and place to relax from all the action of last week. I made the joke later in the stay that I've set the bar too high starting at his place. The Sadohana Dojo is a smaller club but very close knit with highly driven students who together have pushed each other to develop their games very well. It's always a pleasure to train with them, whether it be me visiting them in Gibsons or them coming to visit us in Victoria. I have tried to roll with each one, and with most, more than once, and it's great to see how our games have progressed. In the always growing and changing sport of Jiu-Jitsu it's never the same roll twice, especially when there are months in between each roll. In the end it's still the same outcome: Fun!
Getting crushed during the Gibsons gauntlet.
Another gauntlet match with a Jiu-Jitsu brother.
Saturday morning there is a unique class run by Yoshi that has the first half of it as a conditioning class for BJJ. It's a non-stop workout of short time intervals of all different kinds of movement drills. In the end you have a good sweat on, or, if you're like me and not used to the class, you're pretty tired by the end of it. It's a great workout and I don't know where Yoshi got the sets of drills or how he came across them all but two things are certain: 1. I'm glad they don't do it every class or I'd be dead before the week was out, and 2. After 6 weeks of doing these Saturday classes I'm sure anyone would see an improvement in their Jiu-Jitsu game.
Yoshi, crushing me, I'm pretty sure I survived, but there's no pic of that...of course, haha!
Saturday night we got together and watched history unfold in the tremendously stacked UFC 205 event that saw Connor McGregor become the first ever world champion in two weight classes at the same time. It was a night filled with stories, laughs and excitement, reminding how great a bunch of guys they were and how perfect this was for the first stop of Panda's Odyssey.
The Viking VS The Panda...you win this time Marcel...this time.
Monday saw my last class with the Sunshine Coast guys who all decided to follow suit with the good-byes Fierce Studio did and have their own gauntlet with me. They're all a bunch of savvy beasts and I wish I could say I held them off but I'd be lying. Great times were had rolling with them all nonetheless, I will miss these guys.
Group shot with Sadohana Dojo Gibsons, love these guys!
Yoshi, I owe him so much for taking care of me!
Marcel the Viking, going to miss you!
Jason, the BJJ coach, glad we got to catch up, next timeI'll see you on the mats!
Kyoshi Michael Seamark, always a blast!
Kokodo Jujutsu
There was a Kokodo Jujutsu class Monday night as well. If you're unfamiliar with Kokodo it's a style of Japanese Jujutsu that excels in controlling techniques, primarily wrist locks. I've heard it described before as the art of manipulating the spine through the wrists. I just call it Black Magic. There is also a pressure point aspect to it all and in the higher ranks the syllabus includes Shiatsu as well.
A proper Kokodo picture with Kyoshi, again, his teachings are amazing!
The Kokodo classes are taught by the head instructor Kyoshi Michael Seamark, who runs the Sadohana Dojo Gibsons as well as the Sadohana Dojo in Vancouver, my next stop. Kyoshi is a very high rank, in fact Mr. Seamark holds the highest rank directly under the founder Soke Irie Yasuhiro and is the head representitive for North and South America. To better explain Kokodo, I sat down with Kyoshi Seamark after class Monday, here's the interview:
Here's the link to my YouTube channel (subscribe to it!) in case the video doesn't work: Kyoshi Seamark Interview
Some Kokodo with Yoshi
More Kokodo
Yoshi's turn at applying the technique, or rather, my turn to feel it.
After Monday's classes it was time to pack up my gear and get ready for traveling to my next stop, just next door in Vancouver BC Canada! I said my good-byes to the guys at the club, thanked Yoshi and his family for all their hospitality in letting me stay with them and looking after me again and then I was off, spending day in city traffic.
One last picture together, thank you for everything my Jiu-Jitsu brother!
Good luck, and enjoy!
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