Traveling man: Part of the process of improvement is traveling to test your skills, just as a thousand years ago the shaolin monks had to leave the monastery upon graduation and walk the land with their skills, so too, the modern jiu jitsu player must travel to compete and deepen his learning and demonstrate his craft. Up and coming kohai (apprentice) student , Jason Rau, did exactly that this weekend, going all the way to Iowa for The Submission Spectrum event at 185 pounds (Mr Rau normally competes at 170). Mr Rau fought five times, winning all five by submission in regulation time, one by sankaku (triangle strangle) and four via his rapidly improving leg lock arsenal. Here he displays a nicely controlled entry into cross ashi garami from underneath his opponent into a fine heel hook variation victory on the way to first place and and a thousand shekels for the piggy bank
