Axel Kristinsson
Axel Kristinsson brought a judo foundation and a taste for technical problems to BJJ, developing play-based youth teaching at Mjölnir.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Icelandic Judo Federation, Nordic Judo Championship2015 entry list(opens in a new tab)
Axel Kristinsson was born in1988.
Where in the source: 2015 Nordic judo entry list, first Men–60kg row, Born year column.
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Icelandic BJJ Federation,2011 European ADCC qualifier report, May22,2011(opens in a new tab)
He is an Icelandic grappler.
Where in the source: Report identifies the five Icelandic athletes at the Finnish qualifier, including Axel.
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InMay2011 he competed at the European ADCC qualifier inFinland at–66kg and lost his opening match.
Where in the source: Qualifier entrants and outcomes paragraphs.
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Kjartan Guðmundsson, own Axel Kristinsson interview, Fréttablaðið, August14,2010, p26(opens in a new tab)
He grew up in Seltjarnarnes and began judo at eleven.
Where in the source: Page26, hometown and judo-start sections.
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In2008 he was diagnosed with lymphoma soon after finishing secondary school and underwent treatment that ended inJanuary2009.
Where in the source: Page26, opening life-story paragraphs.
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During that period he began university engineering studies and credited friends and family with helping him continue.
Where in the source: Page26, support section.
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By2010 he was studying environmental and civil engineering and working a related summer job in Seltjarnarnes’s technical department.
Where in the source: Page26, mathematics/physics and summer-work section.
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He connected his attraction to engineering and grappling with enjoying technical problems that demand thought and concentration.
Where in the source: Page26, mathematics/physics and grappling explanation.
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Initially sceptical of ground grappling, he reconsidered after seeing Þráinn perform effectively at judo practice.
Where in the source: Page26, Þráinn’s introduction and change of mind.
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He described the experience of illness as changing his outlook toward greater calm and focus.
Where in the source: Page26, opening personal reflection.
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BySeptember2010 he was preparing to teach Mjölnir’s children’s classes through games that introduce essential technique.
Where in the source: Page26, final section on upcoming children’s programme.
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Both his parents worked as childminders, and he felt comfortable entering youth coaching after growing up around children.
Where in the source: Page26, final paragraph and children’s-work caption.
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Seltjarnarnes municipality,2015 sports awards, February3,2016(opens in a new tab)
His judo development took place at Ármann, and he won Icelandic adult judo titles during2008–2013.
Where in the source: Axel’s award citation, opening paragraph.
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He became the2015 Nordic judo champion and was named Seltjarnarnes’s male sportsman of the year.
Where in the source: Axel award citation and selection heading.
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The award citation also recognised his children’s and youth coaching, organised through play with an emphasis on the responsibility that accompanies martial skills.
Where in the source: Axel award citation, final coaching paragraph.
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Pétur Marinó Jónsson, own Axel Kristinsson interview, MMA Fréttir, December29,2016(opens in a new tab)
His friend and judo training partner Þráinn Kolbeinsson encouraged him to try Mjölnir, where he began BJJ in early2009 after finishing treatment.
Where in the source: First question, BJJ beginning.
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ByDecember2016 he was one of Mjölnir’s senior grappling coaches, overseeing children, teenagers and women’s classes.
Where in the source: Interview introduction.
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He credited his judo foundation and Mjölnir’s relaxed training atmosphere with accelerating his learning.
Where in the source: Question about improvement.
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Being smaller than many partners pushed him to develop technique, while consistency and time on the mat remained central to his progress.
Where in the source: Question about improvement, size and patience.
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He usually grappled four or five times weekly and adjusted intensity downward when tired.
Where in the source: Frequency and preferred training questions.
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He valued drilling but said limited time often kept him from doing as much as he wanted.
Where in the source: Question about drilling versus free sparring.
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When reflecting on his best performance, he remembered a judo tournament during treatment for the unusual absence of pressure and the focus it brought.
Where in the source: Question about his best performance.
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Ómar Yamak was a frequent training partner, and he also valued opportunities to train with Gunnar Nelson, Bjarni Baldursson, Sighvatur Magnús Helgason and Þráinn Kolbeinsson.
Where in the source: Question about favourite training partners.
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Rafael Mendes and Marcelo Garcia were among the international grapplers whose styles he admired.
Where in the source: Final question on foreign grapplers.
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IBJJF, European Championship2015 official results(opens in a new tab)
At the2015 IBJJF Europeans, he took adult male brown-belt light-featherweight bronze for Mjölnir.
Where in the source: Male / Adult / Brown / Light Feather(64kg) podium.
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Pétur Marinó Jónsson, Mjölnir black-belt ceremony report, MMA Fréttir, May13,2016(opens in a new tab)
Gunnar Nelson awarded Axel his BJJ black belt at Mjölnir onMay13,2016.
Where in the source: Opening same-evening report and named recipients.
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Bjarni Baldursson, Sighvatur Magnús Helgason and Þráinn Kolbeinsson received black belts in the same ceremony, Gunnar Nelson’s first black-belt promotions.
Where in the source: Opening promotion paragraphs.
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Lineage
No teaching connections are shown on this page.
Open lineage