Kacper Sawicki on sacrifice, injury and coaching in Irish BJJ

In this episode of the Emerald Grappling Podcast, Aaron Murphy sits down with Kacper Sawicki, a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and black belt in Kickboxing who coaches striking at Lakeland Jiu Jitsu and competes regularly on the Irish grappling scene.

Kacper traces his route into BJJ through boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai, explaining how he originally took up jiu jitsu with MMA in mind before it grew into a pursuit in its own right. He and Aaron discuss how his striking background still shapes the way he grapples, and the point at which BJJ stopped being preparation for something else and became the main focus.

A significant part of the conversation covers an ACL injury and how it tested Kacper's mindset, along with the discipline needed to juggle multiple training sessions, coaching duties and work. He also talks about his development as a coach, his calmer teaching approach, and what he took from training trips to Thailand, Poland and Scramble camps.

The episode closes on the value of good training partners, competing through setbacks, and what Kacper hopes to build as both a competitor and coach within Irish jiu jitsu.

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