5/30 - squats, calf press, neck n/r/harness, shadowbox, heavy bag, rnc/grappling dummy
Just when you thought Anthony Bourdain couldn't get more bad-ass, he takes up BJJ at age 57. Outstanding. Meet the Bourdains: Anthony and Ottavia on MMA, radioactive monkey colons, In-N-Out vs. Five Guys, the world's best beef, and 'bro-food' - SBNation.com: "At the age of 57, Bourdain has already earned the first stripe on his white belt under the tutelage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Renzo Gracie. It's actually a very impressive accomplishment considering his hectic travel schedule. His wife, Ottavia, has been an avid jiu-jitsu practitioner for several years under Gracie and maintains a highly active schedule on the competition circuit. It was her passion that inspired Anthony to pick up the discipline seriously, and he too hopes to take part in an age appropriate division competitively...
How often do you two roll together now?
Ottavia: I let him use me as his grappling dummy, and we drill. We don't really roll because we had a bad experience [laughs]. Anthony: No, we had two, and both rolling experiences have ended really, really badly. I caught an elbow to the face the first time, and I did something to her shoulder the second time. I'm too clumsy and large, and she's too dangerous. It's just a bad mix. Ottavia: We can drill techniques, but we learned our lesson with trying to roll...
When I spoke to you last year, you told me jiu-jitsu wasn't for you, that you weren't youthful enough physically to take up such a challenging activity on a regular basis. What changed your mind from then to now?
Anthony: Ottavia bribed me and a few friends into doing...I don't know, it was some knuckleheaded article [laughs]. Whatever it was, she bribed me—I won't say with what exactly—but it was fair compensation for what I thought was going to be a pretty unpleasant experience. I went in, and I did an hour private, and I guess this happens to a lot of people. I came out of it thinking, ‘I suck, but I didn't suck that horribly.' I started thinking about it a lot afterward. I was proud of myself, and other than the pain part initially, I felt pretty good. I just kept thinking, ‘How could I do that better?' I figured, ‘Okay, let me try another one.' I enjoyed that one and it went a little bit easier for me. I just kept doing it, and now I'm hooked. Today was the hardest session I've had by far, but there's a big difference as far as cardio goes. I had to take minimal breaks today, and they were short ones at that. I'm pretty happy with it. It's weird, I find myself in bed falling asleep, thinking about kimuras. I certainly didn't see that coming.
Ottavia: He used to complain about me watching the instructionals for hours on end, and now he's right there with me, mesmerized.
Anthony: Nobody has been more surprised than me. I've really been enjoying it. I try not to be annoying about it at home, because everybody else is obsessed with it, but the fact is, I'm thinking about it a lot more than I ever could have anticipated...
Who do you want having your back in a dark alley fight, Ottavia or hired security?
Anthony: Gee, I don't know. In a bar fight, I'd definitely like my wife around, because no one would see it coming, and all she would have to do is get within arm's reach, and it's pretty much over. A woman in seven inch heels slipping up behind you...yeah, definitely in a bar fight, if someone takes a swing at me, I'd like to have Ottavia around [laughs]. In a back alley, I'm a big believer in bringing a bazooka to a gun fight...
Are you feeling and seeing the results of your training physically, aside from not coughing up a lung?
Anthony: Absolutely. It feels good, and I'm having fun. It's a family affair, a togetherness thing. I'm liking it, but I'm trying to be reasonable about it. My wife is serious about it. She's a competitor. I'm not. I'm a dilettante. I want to bring honor to my clan, but I have reasonable expectations. Let's put it that way."
And of course, since it's Bourdain, you get this --
"Tell me about the time you took Alton Brown to the strip club.
Anthony: That was one of my prouder moments. I managed to convince Alton to come out to the Clermont Lounge in Atlanta. It's not just a strip club, it's the lost luggage department of strip clubs. It is truly an amazing place, so I'm really proud of that moment [laughs]. I think the average stripper's age was like 55 or something. His discomfort was exquisite."
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