Intervju med Henri Lindroos

Henri Lindroos kommer att hålla i BJJ träningen på Fighter Centre från och med nu i januari. Nedan kan du ta del av en omfattande intervju (på engelska) med denna duktiga instruktör som började sin brazilian jiu-jitsu-karriär på centret.

First off welcome to Sweden and Gladius. It’s really good to have you back here to train and teach. Please tell us a little about your history in Sweden and Gothenburg.

Thank you Anders, August Wallén and all you people who make up Gladius for this opportunity. I am equally excited about being re-united with everyone that I know from my last time here, as I am about getting to know the new people in the community. As some of you know, I started learning jiu jitsu here at the Fighter Centre after I had moved from Helsinki to study in Gothenburg. A year ago I finished my Master’s degree in Behavioural Economics, and since then I have been in Helsinki, teaching at an academy called Barreto Jiu Jitsu. Now I am back here to train and coach, and have also been given a chance to study psychology on the side.

Before JJ you played basketball and probably other sports. Why did you start with JJ and what motivates you to stick with JJ.

Before starting with jiu jitsu I played basketball on a competitive level since I was 10 years old and until I was 23. Literally on my 23th birthday my team in division one here in Gothenburg went bankrupt. For over a half a year I was just studying, lifting weights and doing fitness boxing once a week. At first it was hard to let go of something like basketball that I thought was a permanent part of myself. On the other hand, I was also feeling a sense of relief and a lot of space and energy opened up. Basically it was like having a bad relationship you finally come to an end. It is hard sometimes to see situations like that before you are out of them. In retrospect, I was so lucky to find a new partner in jiu jitsu, a healthier and more balanced situation for my development as a human being.

I had started watching some UFC, listening to JRE podcast, reading books like the Book of Five Rings and the Art of Learning. Seeing GSP’s way of conducting himself outside and inside the octagon was also inspirational. I thought like, “Heck, maybe I should give my childhood dreams of Karate Kid or Rocky some legs.” I almost signed up for ninjutsu, but after I rolled with a few friends who had some submission wrestling experience I knew jiu jitsu was something for me. Looking back at it all, I think the decision to start had been accumulating already for some time in my unconsciousness.

I signed up for Gladius’ MMA beginner’s class and started competing in all the submission wrestling tournaments I could find, the first one, SGL, after two months of training. I did all the grappling I could find. I had watched some matches on Youtube on guys like Marcelo Garcia and Charles Cobrinha, and I basically was doing bad copies of their moves as I had done with Kobe Bryant when playing basketball. But it was enough to help me to do well against other beginners. Then in January, on my second term start, I joined for the first BJJ class. Frank Barman, the main coach at the time advised me to skip the beginner’s program and join the advanced group directly. I had just won the Westside 19, all four matches by submission. I was feeling good about myself.

For the first couple of weeks I got my butt handed to me by all the colored belts. I had walked into the practice naively thinking that I would be as good in the gi as I was without it. Suddenly in training everyone was grabbing my pants and passing me, doing all kind of weird chokes. I had a loose Vulkan gi, which for sure didn’t make the experience any easier. For the first two weeks I told Frank after the trainings in the locker room that I couldn’t understand why someone would like to train in pajamas. To be honest, I wanted to burn the kimono and flush the ashes down the toilet. “This gi stuff is so unrealistic! It’s like larping! How can you like this?” Frank told me to have some patience. Give the kimono some time.

Everyone was being supportive. I got to know a lot of people in the group by hanging out after class and going to eat together. So I waited, drilled extra when I could, and just like Frank had said, after a few weeks I started to get a hold of how to use the kimono for my advantage. Despite the rocky start, I had found my new home. I am glad I listened to you Frank. Now the gi is my katana.

I think those are the same reasons I love jiu jitsu so much, and more and more, to this day. It is because of the supportive people in the community, the need to face my weaknesses and to keep learning. The feedback in jiu jitsu is ruthless. By sparring with everyone I know my place quite well in the skill hierarchy, and when I forget I am reminded quickly. That motivates me to work hard towards improvement. I am happy doing jiu jitsu. I become more habitual about setting goals and living with less expectation for things. With jiu jitsu I can learn to express myself, my creativity, my art. I can then share what I learn with others, as many have shared with me to help advance in my skill-level. In the end I think I am a philosopher, a lover of learning, and jiu jitsu gives me an opportunity to learn about it.

You have also been expressing your JJ in a lot of competitions. What are your goals in 2016 as a practitioner and competitor?

My goal of 2016 for competing is to enjoy competing more. I believe I have a realistic potential to do good in both the Europeans next week and Worlds this summer. It’s just about making better choices one (if-then) situation at a time. In concrete that means more quality in film study, strength and conditioning, positional problem de-bugging, nutrition and mental training, As a practitioner I will focus more this year on building conceptual knowledge of pressure, posture and strategy. I want to also become a better athlete.

And one final question. What can we expect of you as an instructor this spring. What will you bring to the table?

My goal for me in terms of coaching is to focus on three things: fundamentals, efficiency of training and care and customization.

By fundamentals I mean focus on things that allow one to establish and maintain the initiative of the fight in standing, guard and top positions. That means awareness of optimal grips, hip and limb positioning, push/pull patterns, pressure, and distance control. Good posture on top, good posture on the bottom and good posture standing up are the result of applying those details correctly. Also strategy and conditioning, for me, are among fundamentals.

By efficiency I mean taking the maximum potential of the 90 minutes we have for a class. That is what the principle of “gentleness”, “jiu” in the Japanese “jiu jitsu” means. We take the maximum leverage of every situation and use our energy where it gives the highest benefit. We waste minimal energy by having good structure in training and staying alert and present one moment at a time.

By care and customization I mean that I want to know where everyone is in their individual jiu jitsu development. I want to give as much as I can by being there to support you, so we can all improve together. I also want that we have a lot of fun doing this. Sometimes my care will show as pushing, sometimes as pulling; whatever it takes so we can work through our creative blocks. I will make an effort of being kind of a midwife who helps you to develop tools for problem solving positional “if-then” situations that work best for your body type and psychology. “Jitsu” means “art”, and everyone has their own masterpiece to be discovered.

My vision is that we have an atmosphere where we all help each other to get better. Out of that sense of unity comes respect. And it is cool to be curious. So you can ask me anything that comes to mind. I’m here for you. Would it be about jiu jitsu things like film study, learning or competition, or non- jiu jitsu related things, like favourite cat videos, or where to eat a burger. Let’s enjoy this fascinating journey together.