| Rickard
Andersson 
Pan
Am 2003 winner and grappling superstar Rickard Anderssen!
Rickard Anderssen is the best grappler in Europe in his weight division, period;
no one can come close to Rickard’s awesome strength and skills on the mats
and when he enters competitions in Europe, the gold medal already has his name
on it. A brown belt under Murilo Bustamante, Rickard heads the Hilti BJJ academy
in downtown Stockholm and passes his skills on to one of the best grappling teams
in Europe, always dominating the winner’s podium wherever they go. Leading
by example and after a long injury lay off, Rickard took a team to the Pan Ams
this year and walked away with the gold medal in the master’s division, with
hardly any preparation; now back on track and almost back at full strength, Rickard
has big plans both for himself and his students…
Interview
by Carl Fisher 25 June 2003 CF
: First things first, we have to start with the Pan Ams this year, quite an amazing
result for you? Rickard
Anderssen : I don’t k now what to say, I had two fights, it was
heavy for me as I have not been training for a while and my stamina has been real
bad; I fought a JJ Machado student in the first round and a guy from Alliance
in the second, winning both on points and only giving away two points in both
my fights. What
next competition wise? Rickard
Anderssen : I’m thinking maybe the Mundials in the Masters, but
I will have to get my cardio in better condition (laughs) Who
else came out with you? Rickard
Anderssen : David Bielkheden, Altan Celik, Matt Svenson, David Lejenas
the smallest guy of the lot and Veija Nyman and Jason Brudvik came out as well,
he competed under Rodrigo Mendeiro as he’s studying out here in Sweden; he
did very well and took second place in his division, he has a nice style and a
strong base. You’re
guys are improving all the time and I have noticed some belt promotions since
I last came here? Rickard
Anderssen : Yes, I have three purple belts at the moment I gave two
of them and Murilo gave David his belt when we out in Brazil and Murilo gave me
my brown in September 2002, I was fighting against some brown belts in his academy
and had to show my skills. How
did it feel? Rickard
Anderssen : Nice (laughs) There
are 6 brown belts now in Scandinavia I believe? Rickard
Anderssen : Yes that’s right; the growth of BJJ here is improving
all the time, I like the development and it has to be like that. How
often do you go to Brazil? Rickard
Anderssen : Once or twice a year and the rest of the time I train with
the guys here and go against them all the time. One
thing I have noticed about the classes are that they are very competition based;
how did you develop this approach? Rickard
Anderssen : It’s because I compete a lot and I want the guys to
compete and they love to compete so all the training is based around the positions
you find in actual competition, it’s the only way to train and it works well
at the events we enter as we always come back with medals (laughs) Your
team were very dominant in the Exhale event earlier last month? Rickard
Anderssen : Yes I was very pleased with the result as I have been away
for the last six months with other things and I was pleased that the guys have
been continuing to train hard; now I am back I have other students who help me
out at the academy and we are back on track. I am still not fully fit so am training
hard myself as well. You
still interested in the NHB side? Rickard
Anderssen : Oh yes but I need to get fully fit first. Would
you fight in the UK again? Rickard
Anderssen : Oh yes, I love the place I mean the people are good and
they like to fight and I’d like to come out with a proper team and have good
fights, the English are nice people and like to fight. How
did you get involved with BTT? Rickard
Anderssen : I went to Brazil the first time in 1996 with Richard Bohlenius….. Yeah
I remember, you went down with the Sambo gear? Rickard
Anderssen : (Laughs) Oh yes we did after watching the UFC tapes, we
went to Gracie Barra for two months and we got bashed up a lot, a lot (laughs)
it was a new experience like being reborn — we went on the mats in our Sambo
gear and they ended up fooling around and beating us up (laughs) and then I returned
to Sweden and bought many tapes and spent hours in the front room learning in
front of the TV and then went to Brazil and the States each year and in 98 went
to the BTT academy and I will never change academies. What
is it you like about the place? Rickard
Anderssen : All the guys there are very nice and polite to my students
and I like my teacher a lot. Have
you had Murilo over here yet? Rickard
Anderssen : Not yet, but we are planning to do so in October this year;
we had Pedro Duarte here a while ago, a good black belt and that’s been about
it really. Who
do you think will get the black belt first in Scandinavia? Rickard
Anderssen : Who knows, who cares (laughs) I think Jon Einemo should
get one. Yes,
he’s been pretty awesome since ADCC 2001? Rickard
Anderssen : Yes and he’s still a purple belt, crazy (laughs) I
mean he should get the black belt right now, no doubt about that after 2003 event. Would
you have like to have been in the event? Rickard
Anderssen : Oh yes, but I was unable to through my knee injury; they
offered me the chance to fight there, but to fight when you are not fully fit,
I don’t like to do that. What
does the future hold now you are back on track? Rickard
Anderssen : Just build the club up and make it stronger and enter as
many competitions as possible; I am not going to do seminars this year, just like
to concentrate on the club mainly. Rickard
thanks for the interview Rickard
Anderssen : Thank you For
more info visit www.hiltibjj.com
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