JitsCast #39 features UK BJJ legend and ADCC veteran Dan Strauss. He was a pioneer of the competitive side of the sport in the UK at a very young age, and actually became the first British man to win ADCC Trials back in 2011. Strauss was just a teenage purple belt at the time and although he was a force go be reckoned with in local events, that win booked him a place on the biggest stage in the world at ADCC 2011. He has become a popular figure in the years since that appearance and has competed regularly for major promotions like Polaris and Quintet.
Jits Magazine spoke to Strauss about his experience at ADCC and what it was like for him to start Jiu-Jitsu as a 15 year-old at a time when classes for kids and teenagers didn’t really exist. Strauss also reflected on one of the most unusual aspects of his ADCC run, that he was actually able to compete on home-soil in Nottingham. That was the first and, to date, the last time that ADCC have staged the world championship in the UK, giving Strauss a unique place in the history of the sport. He also spoke about his decision to move up in weight from the under 77kg division back then to over 90kg right now.
Strauss also discussed one of the most unique elements of his approach to Jiu-Jitsu, that he has always had a heavy focus on strength and conditioning. He explained where that came from and what sparked his fascination with traditional strongman training, or what some might call ‘unorthodox’ methods. He made a convincing argument for why this might actually be a more orthodox approach to building strength, and how certain tools he uses have a huge amount of crossover with grappling. He also shared some exciting news about what will he has coming up next in this realm, for both grapplers and non-grapplers alike.
JitsCast #39 with Dan Strauss is now available to watch on the official Jits Magazine YouTube channel, click here to subscribe for more or check out the interview below:
