Andre is a second-degree black belt under Cia Paulista and a referee for the IBJJF. I met him at the 2012 No-Gi Pans after watching him compete and win. Later while we were standing around the podium, I asked him a few questions mostly about his wrestling shoed right foot.

BJJL: What is wrong with your foot?
Andre Glodzinski: My right leg is slightly shorter and has less muscle mass than my left. And I lost all mobility of my right foot.

BJJL: Does it cause you any pain / discomfort?
AG: Yes, my right leg has permanent nerve injury. I have hypersensitivity on the sole of my right foot. I've been learning how to deal with daily pain and discomfort for the past 17 years.

BJJL: How did you hurt your foot?
AG: When I was 17, I was in a severe motorcycle accident in Brazil. The motorcycle accident almost severed my right leg below the knee from my body. I was hit at a high speed by an oncoming car two blocks from my house in the early evening. I was not speeding.

BJJL: Are you still undergoing treatment?
AG: I am no longer receiving treatment for my foot. I would hope that as medical science advances, there will be some treatment available to me. The main problem with my injury is nerve damage as my leg was smashed; the nerves could not be reconnected. At this time, as far as I know, there is still nothing in science that can help. My hope is that in the future there will be some chance for genetic reconstruction.

Read more->