Featured traveller: Taherul Khan – BJJ Globetrotters
Taherul Khan – BJJ Globetrotters
Age: 38
Belt: Brown
Profession: Software Test Automation (I basically piss off software engineers)
How many years in BJJ: 11, I guess officially, but I’ve been doing some form of shit grappling since 2005.
Other martial arts: Boxing, Muay Thai, and ages ago Kung Fu
Where do you live: Zurich, Switzerland
Where are you from: London, England… the bit that wanted to stay in the EU
Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I recently took up acting a couple of years ago. It’s fun and super challenging.
Taherul Khan – BJJ Globetrotters Camp in Heidelberg
Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
Midlife crisis… kidding… maybe not, but a curiosity like most other people I guess.
Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
Aside from the recent Globetrotters camp in Heidelberg, I kind of consider moving to Zurich as a bit of a vacation, as I’m still in the honeymoon phase due to Covid. Am going to Sardinia in September though, which I’ve never been to, so I’m looking forward to that and Sardinian white wine: contini karmis bianco tharros. Get this bottle of white from there, it’s a good one.
Taherul Khan – BJJ Globetrotters
What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
It varies. I like to travel alone a lot, as I get to just pick and choose what I do, who I meet etc. But food is definitely one of my favourite things. I started a habit a few years back of visiting Michelin star restaurants where I can in other countries, and I love sampling this from different cultures.
Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
Ok, so Globetrotters is an obvious but very real reason to do so. I’ve made a whole bunch of friends and fun experiences.
Outside of Globetrotters, it depends on what you want to get from travelling. For me, I go with the flow and see what happens. In New York, I love the fact that I can go to a bar by myself and once ended up at a rock gig with a bunch of random student doctors. I’ve tasted some amazing food. NOA Chef Hall in Tallinn, Estonia was mind-blowing – it had some of the best wine pairing I’ve had to date.
In Cuba, I randomly found a Newaza judo club on Varadero beach and they invited me to train. It was a great way to meet locals in a more real way as, without getting into it much, generally the behaviour towards tourists can be understandably superficial, so having a sport in common to train with for a few days in a row lifts some of those barriers.
What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
I can’t say I’ve had any surprises. Maybe I didn’t expect to fall in love with New York as much as I did and seeing how friendly people were, given what you hear about NYC people. But coming from London and having visited Paris, I guess anywhere after that seems friendly! Make what you will of that answer. P.S. I love France, don’t hate me mes amis Francais…
Taherul Khan – BJJ Globetrotters
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
Not gonna lie, I’m too old for budget travelling and I like travelling and sleeping in comfort. The days of sleeping on people’s kitchen floors a la age 20-somethings are long gone. So I’m the worst to give that advice.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
I think a lot of people feel a pressure to travel in a way that other people would like to see them travel. Don’t. Do the things you want to do and travel how you want. Even if you’re on a budget, travelling is still expensive in the form of time – don’t waste it visiting the places or doing the things you think would look good on Instagram or please other people. If you want to stay in just one place for a week without seeing much, and you enjoy that, then do exactly that. If you want to see 8 million things in a day, do that. It’s your time and your experience, nobody else’s.
Having said that, if you’re not too shy, try to get to know locals somehow. We have a superpower in BJJ in that it makes it so much easier to meet people from a local region, so if you want, it’s worth using that to connect with locals and get a glimpse of their culture.
Finally, if some dude on a street corner is staring at you and rubbing his knees, probably don’t strike up a conversation with him. Or do. YOLO.
Thank you to Taherul Khan – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!
