March 2, 2011 / 1079 reads
JiuJitsuSweep.com recently conducted an interview with Rikki Rockett, a few excerpts from the chat below:
JiuJitsuSweep.com:
Being a world famous drummer and member of Poison, and to all of your fans,where did you first learn about Jiu Jitsu?
Rikki Rockett:
I was getting pushed around in the playground when I was a kid and so I told my Dad. He showed me a Osota Gari that he learned in the Marine Corp. I used it and it worked! It wasn?t for many, many years later that I saw the UFC and Royce Gracie and that rekindled my interest in Jiu-Jitsu. Finally I met J.J. and Rigan Machado at a rally and they invited me to train at their school. I went a few days later and got tapped at least 12 times! There I met my coach now, (Renato Magno) and my now longtime friend Eddie Bravo. I signed up the next day!
JiuJitsuSweep.com:
With your years of training in the sport under Renato Magno, do you have any plans to participate in BJJ competitions ?
Rikki Rockett:
I have done one so far, The Pan American Games last year (2010). I lost by points advantage to Joao Crus. I doubt I?ll do this year?s Pan Ams as I have a tour to do very close to that competition. I have a ton on my mind preparing for a tour. If my mind isn?t going to be there, my body won?t be either. There are more competitions around the corner. I get one tour with Poison and Motley Crue! However, I will diet and do the preparation like I?m going there to compete. What I will do is help my fellow students who will be competing with whatever they need and I WILL attend.
JiuJitsuSweep.com:
Well, we are proud to have you as one of the high profile practitioners representing the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and having the mental preparation for competition is one of the keys to success , we look forward to seeing you compete more often , Rikki. Also being an active member of our close knit community has it?s rewards, in terms of raising awareness ,Rikki ,what are you doing to promote Jiu Jitsu to a broader/mainstream audience?
Rikki Rockett:
Ya know, last year I thought to myself, I said, ?Self, you have been training the amount of time equivalent to that of a guy who has his PHD in something, now what are you going to do with it, old man?? Fact is, I am not going to be a high level Jiu-Jitsu competitor at my age. I am not going to switch over to MMA and compete. Teaching is obviously the next logical step for me. Even though I have had only one competition in Jiu-Jitsu, I have had several when I wrestled in school. Being in front of crowds is natural to me as well. Still, with my wild schedule, how would that work? Well, I have decided that I will start with making people who are in professions like mine feel comfortable on the mat and to realize that you can train regularly without injury. Help them advance themselves in their body, mind and spirit. Direct them to the right coaches for consistent training. Bruce Lee said, ?To find your true spiritual self, you must first step through the physical door.? For me, the more I train, the more balanced I feel. I know that the bizarre pressure that exists in the acting world, music world, etc need to be balanced with an activity like Jiu-Jitsu.
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