New for 2010, the Jiujitsu Universe ezine will be available quaterly in PDF format.
Annual subscription will be $10.00 for 4 issues.
I'm currently accepting articles, interviews, etc,... for the first issue, anyone interested just email me as the deadline is January 4th, 2010.
As a perk all blog subscribers get the first issue free.
Lookout for it in your email in late January.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Grappler Paralyzed At Tournament...
Some of you may have heard about this but for those who haven't, this past Saturday the 12th of December, a fellow grappler was seriously injured at a tournament in New Zealand.
You can read more about it and make a donation if you want to at the link below.
http://www.gsw.co.nz/haydn.html
BJJ is a relatively safe martial art to practice and compete in but rarely freak accidents occur and sometimes as in this situation, they are serious.
I just thought I would let everyone know about this incase anyone would like to help this guy out.
You can read more about it and make a donation if you want to at the link below.
http://www.gsw.co.nz/haydn.html
BJJ is a relatively safe martial art to practice and compete in but rarely freak accidents occur and sometimes as in this situation, they are serious.
I just thought I would let everyone know about this incase anyone would like to help this guy out.
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Success Of Solo Drilling...
It never amazes me how many people still ask, "does doing drills on your own actually make a difference in your performance?"
The reason why it amazes me is that if you ask almost any top name bjj player they'll quickly tell you that they incorporate solo drills as a crucial part of their practice.
You would think that it would have caught on to everyone by now but it hasn't and I believe I know why,... laziness and fear.
Why else would anyone ignore a simple solution that they can practice anywhere, anytime without any excuse if not because they want excuses to why they are stuck in their comfort zone?
Think about it, if you can practice drills on your own that you can adapt to your evolving game to keep you not only in shape but instilling your movement as second nature and DON'T, isn't it most likely because you are afraid of putting in the effort to break out of your comfort zone.
You and you alone are responsible for improving, and this is one area that places the responsibility completely on you.
The many comments I get concerning the BJJ Drills DVD and the difference people have seen in their abilities is proof positive that this is an important aspect of your game and if you are ignoring it, then you should ask yourself why, I believe you know the answer.
The reason why it amazes me is that if you ask almost any top name bjj player they'll quickly tell you that they incorporate solo drills as a crucial part of their practice.
You would think that it would have caught on to everyone by now but it hasn't and I believe I know why,... laziness and fear.
Why else would anyone ignore a simple solution that they can practice anywhere, anytime without any excuse if not because they want excuses to why they are stuck in their comfort zone?
Think about it, if you can practice drills on your own that you can adapt to your evolving game to keep you not only in shape but instilling your movement as second nature and DON'T, isn't it most likely because you are afraid of putting in the effort to break out of your comfort zone.
You and you alone are responsible for improving, and this is one area that places the responsibility completely on you.
The many comments I get concerning the BJJ Drills DVD and the difference people have seen in their abilities is proof positive that this is an important aspect of your game and if you are ignoring it, then you should ask yourself why, I believe you know the answer.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The Transitional Guard...
This week I would like to discuss a concept that many beginners and intermediate players will find very useful, IF they are open to it.
This post is inspired by a recent discussion I've had on a forum concerning the guard that I've had in person with many grapplers in the past and it's only cemented my belief more and more based both on what I've personally experienced and seen.
Some of you might see my take on the guard as controversial, many other people do.
For a long time now, I have seen the guard as a TRANSITIONAL POSITION.
What I mean by this is that on a basic level I think it's a bad habit to hang out in the guard, instead it's best thought of as a position to transition to something else out of.
Now this doesn't mean that I don't believe in the guard as an effective position.
It is DEFINITELY critical to solidify your basics from all positions and build a guard you can be confident with.
This is especially true for beginners but applies to everyone, the guard is an important position for defense when you are on the bottom.
It's use from the bottom for attacking is what I feel is overestimated, especially at higher levels of practice and competition.
Too many people train themselves to go to guard as their bread and butter as well as get too comfortable going there and rely way too much on it.
Once you're there it helps to focus on keeping your opponent off balance to prevent their attack but always have in mind that you should attack or transition to something where you can attack. The latter being most effective.
This is especially true for self defense AND for competition.
For any beginners or intermediate competitors, build this habit early and you'll be ahead of the pack.
Think of the guard as a transitioning position and do your best not to go there on purpose.
Read this AGAIN. It's so important I'm going to repeat it.
Think of the guard as a transitioning position and do your best not to go there on purpose.
This is even more important in self defense and MMA application, where strikes come into play, (and various other factors in self defense).
Most experienced BJJ and MMA guys will be able to negate most attacks from the guard, (I can comfortably attack while in my opponents guard with the only exception being top level guys) this is true for both BJJ and MMA.
Even guys who are more experienced than me avoid getting guard on me.
This is the further evolution of BJJ.
My point being, yes develop your guard, just make sure you aren't inadvertently focusing on taking your game there.
Watch the best top level guys for clues on their strategy.
You'll see positional control, cross side and mount to be their primary arsenal for setting up submissions.
Obviously the difference between the top level guys is the subtleties in their game, but as I've said before focusing on their winning strategies early in your training will set you ahead of the pack.
This post is inspired by a recent discussion I've had on a forum concerning the guard that I've had in person with many grapplers in the past and it's only cemented my belief more and more based both on what I've personally experienced and seen.
Some of you might see my take on the guard as controversial, many other people do.
For a long time now, I have seen the guard as a TRANSITIONAL POSITION.
What I mean by this is that on a basic level I think it's a bad habit to hang out in the guard, instead it's best thought of as a position to transition to something else out of.
Now this doesn't mean that I don't believe in the guard as an effective position.
It is DEFINITELY critical to solidify your basics from all positions and build a guard you can be confident with.
This is especially true for beginners but applies to everyone, the guard is an important position for defense when you are on the bottom.
It's use from the bottom for attacking is what I feel is overestimated, especially at higher levels of practice and competition.
Too many people train themselves to go to guard as their bread and butter as well as get too comfortable going there and rely way too much on it.
Once you're there it helps to focus on keeping your opponent off balance to prevent their attack but always have in mind that you should attack or transition to something where you can attack. The latter being most effective.
This is especially true for self defense AND for competition.
For any beginners or intermediate competitors, build this habit early and you'll be ahead of the pack.
Think of the guard as a transitioning position and do your best not to go there on purpose.
Read this AGAIN. It's so important I'm going to repeat it.
Think of the guard as a transitioning position and do your best not to go there on purpose.
This is even more important in self defense and MMA application, where strikes come into play, (and various other factors in self defense).
Most experienced BJJ and MMA guys will be able to negate most attacks from the guard, (I can comfortably attack while in my opponents guard with the only exception being top level guys) this is true for both BJJ and MMA.
Even guys who are more experienced than me avoid getting guard on me.
This is the further evolution of BJJ.
My point being, yes develop your guard, just make sure you aren't inadvertently focusing on taking your game there.
Watch the best top level guys for clues on their strategy.
You'll see positional control, cross side and mount to be their primary arsenal for setting up submissions.
Obviously the difference between the top level guys is the subtleties in their game, but as I've said before focusing on their winning strategies early in your training will set you ahead of the pack.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Let's Try Something New...
I would like to thank all the subscribers who write in to let me know how they have improved over the months and years because of my DVDs and blog posts.
As many subscribers to my blog are actively involved in competition, I'd like to invite everyone to write me with questions or comments about their matches as well as their training and sparring.
I'd like to help more people to improve their skills and as I do get questions that I answer through my blog posts I'd like to encourage more participation so we can help more subscribers with their training.
So whether it's a training question you have or you would like to share some ideas, feel free to send them in.
As many subscribers to my blog are actively involved in competition, I'd like to invite everyone to write me with questions or comments about their matches as well as their training and sparring.
I'd like to help more people to improve their skills and as I do get questions that I answer through my blog posts I'd like to encourage more participation so we can help more subscribers with their training.
So whether it's a training question you have or you would like to share some ideas, feel free to send them in.
What Can We learn From Jake Shields The New Strikeforce Champion?
I just finished watching the latest Strikeforce event and although it was a good MMA event as well as a great step forward for MMA being featured on prime time TV again.
(Remember EliteXC?)
There was one thing that bothered me.
Jake Shields' match against Jason Miller.
Although the match was at times exciting and Shields did demonstrate some great skill and earn his win, the problem was that his approach to applying his skills was "too safe" and shed a lame light on grappling.
I say this in light of Shields' incredible grappling abilities not despite them.
It's safe to say that he earned his victory over Miller by controlling him for the majority of the match.
The problematic part comes in that although controlling him and taking a few chances, he rarely did much else and did not display finishing skills. Especially when it comes to ground and pound or setting up submissions, two critical aspects of grappling and Jiujitsu in MMA.
I think this demonstrates an important lesson that needs to be learned from MMA, that is that superior grappling skills are only a part of the equation.
Without the essential set ups for submissions as well as powerful ground and pound, what you're left with is an incomplete fighter that I find very hard to call a champion in MMA.
Now everyone knows that I am primarily a grappler, but this is also why I find it important to point out the limitations involved in our approach especially when it comes to being a complete fighter.
If Jake Shields hopes to defend his title successfully and keep being a champion for the long haul, then rounding out his game in necessary.
If he doesn't do this, then I predict that he will lose his title within his next 2-3 fights.
Now although this depends on your goals as a grappler, ask yourself how "complete" your game is especialy if your goals include MMA.
(Remember EliteXC?)
There was one thing that bothered me.
Jake Shields' match against Jason Miller.
Although the match was at times exciting and Shields did demonstrate some great skill and earn his win, the problem was that his approach to applying his skills was "too safe" and shed a lame light on grappling.
I say this in light of Shields' incredible grappling abilities not despite them.
It's safe to say that he earned his victory over Miller by controlling him for the majority of the match.
The problematic part comes in that although controlling him and taking a few chances, he rarely did much else and did not display finishing skills. Especially when it comes to ground and pound or setting up submissions, two critical aspects of grappling and Jiujitsu in MMA.
I think this demonstrates an important lesson that needs to be learned from MMA, that is that superior grappling skills are only a part of the equation.
Without the essential set ups for submissions as well as powerful ground and pound, what you're left with is an incomplete fighter that I find very hard to call a champion in MMA.
Now everyone knows that I am primarily a grappler, but this is also why I find it important to point out the limitations involved in our approach especially when it comes to being a complete fighter.
If Jake Shields hopes to defend his title successfully and keep being a champion for the long haul, then rounding out his game in necessary.
If he doesn't do this, then I predict that he will lose his title within his next 2-3 fights.
Now although this depends on your goals as a grappler, ask yourself how "complete" your game is especialy if your goals include MMA.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue to Purple Curriculum DVD series
In the past few months many subscribers have wondered about advanced level training DVDs that can help them improve their game.
Now although there are several DVD sets that move past the basics and are excellent supplements to help add more advanced concepts and ideas to a blue belt's game, I would like to suggest Marcello Monteiro's The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue to Purple Curriculum DVD series as the first DVD set to help you in moving past the blue belt level.
This set of four DVDs takes you into a VERY complete overview of the techniques and concepts necessary to move beyond the basics once you have a solid grasp of them.
I would say it is THE most complete overview of the Blue to Purple level techniques available today.
Like it's predecessor, this series breaks down all the techniques by top, bottom, submissions, escapes and takedowns, and each DVD progresses into more complex techniques.
Just some of what is covered includes, control positions from the bottom, transitions, sweeps and reversals, counters and set ups.
The De La Riva guard is looked at in great detail as well as many concepts and strategies from the open and half guard to the spider, butterfly and X-guard.
The triple attack from the mount and side control, as well as the advanced counters and set ups are sure to make your game more dangerous.
Mr. Monteiro's attention to detail on the series stands out, making this a great series for going over precise details to solidify your competency with the moves.
The DVDs are also easy to navigate through and find specific moves for viewing over and over again as well as helping you focus on the specific move you are viewing.
Check out www.bjjcoach.com for more info on the series and to order.
Now although there are several DVD sets that move past the basics and are excellent supplements to help add more advanced concepts and ideas to a blue belt's game, I would like to suggest Marcello Monteiro's The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue to Purple Curriculum DVD series as the first DVD set to help you in moving past the blue belt level.
This set of four DVDs takes you into a VERY complete overview of the techniques and concepts necessary to move beyond the basics once you have a solid grasp of them.
I would say it is THE most complete overview of the Blue to Purple level techniques available today.
Like it's predecessor, this series breaks down all the techniques by top, bottom, submissions, escapes and takedowns, and each DVD progresses into more complex techniques.
Just some of what is covered includes, control positions from the bottom, transitions, sweeps and reversals, counters and set ups.
The De La Riva guard is looked at in great detail as well as many concepts and strategies from the open and half guard to the spider, butterfly and X-guard.
The triple attack from the mount and side control, as well as the advanced counters and set ups are sure to make your game more dangerous.
Mr. Monteiro's attention to detail on the series stands out, making this a great series for going over precise details to solidify your competency with the moves.
The DVDs are also easy to navigate through and find specific moves for viewing over and over again as well as helping you focus on the specific move you are viewing.
Check out www.bjjcoach.com for more info on the series and to order.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
NEW DVD SAMPLER AVAILABLE FREE!
My newest DVD is now available and I'm offering it to all my subscribers for free.
Just be aware that this is for a VERY limited time as I only have 200 copies available.
When they're gone this offer will be over. (Which should be in a couple of days.)
If you are interested in receiving a copy you just have to send $6.00 for shipping and handling, through paypal to info@jiujitsuuniverse.com
and include a note stating that it's for the Free BJJ DVD offer.
If you'd like some more info on the DVD you can check it out here:
http://www.jujitsuuniverse.com/13.html
Also let me know what you think.
Next week I'll be back with an awesome review that should interest everyone.
Just be aware that this is for a VERY limited time as I only have 200 copies available.
When they're gone this offer will be over. (Which should be in a couple of days.)
If you are interested in receiving a copy you just have to send $6.00 for shipping and handling, through paypal to info@jiujitsuuniverse.com
and include a note stating that it's for the Free BJJ DVD offer.
If you'd like some more info on the DVD you can check it out here:
http://www.jujitsuuniverse.com/13.html
Also let me know what you think.
Next week I'll be back with an awesome review that should interest everyone.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
New DVD to be released! (FREE for subscribers)
Hey everyone, I've been hard at work on my latest DVD and will be offering it FREE to all my subscribers for their feedback before I release it publicly.
I'll be posting more info on that next week so be on the lookout as I have a very limited amount of copies and will likely run out fast.
In the meantime, Stephan's Free DVD offer is still up for grabs but ends this Thursday so if anyone is still interested and hasn't gotten it yet, you'd better hurry!
It's available at:
13 Techniques You Can Use On The Mat Today
Keep a lookout for next week's post.
I'll be posting more info on that next week so be on the lookout as I have a very limited amount of copies and will likely run out fast.
In the meantime, Stephan's Free DVD offer is still up for grabs but ends this Thursday so if anyone is still interested and hasn't gotten it yet, you'd better hurry!
It's available at:
13 Techniques You Can Use On The Mat Today
Keep a lookout for next week's post.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
UPDATES ON FREE OFFERS!
Hi everybody,
I've been busy at work on some new projects that I know everyone is going to absolutely love including my FREE DVD offer, which I will be letting everyone know about within the next few weeks.
Before that I want to let you all know about an amazing and FREE video tutorial on the X guard position, that my friend and BJJ Black Belt Stephan Kesting just released.
The 'X Guard' is a hybrid position that combines aspects of both the open guard and the half guard. It's a VERY powerful sweeping position (as proved by Marcelo Garcia who has used it to cut larger and stronger opponents down to size at the very highest levels of competition).
Stephan is an amazing BJJ instructor and his free tutorial even includes a whole bunch of tweaks to make the X Guard MUCH more powerful.
Learning how to use the X Guard position is critical if you intend to develop your grappling skills to the best they can be and applying the info in this free tutorial is sure to make a HUGE difference in your game fast.
And you can check it out just by going to the link below:
Even better Stephan is also offering a FREE DVD Entitled:
13 Techniques You Can Use On The Mat Today
This phenomenal DVD is sure to make a huge difference in your game!
Just click on the DVD title to check out his amazing offer.
PS: If you do want to order his FREE DVD I would suggest you do it quick as quantities are very limited.
You'll hear from me soon with some more great news and some more FREEBIES.
I've been busy at work on some new projects that I know everyone is going to absolutely love including my FREE DVD offer, which I will be letting everyone know about within the next few weeks.
Before that I want to let you all know about an amazing and FREE video tutorial on the X guard position, that my friend and BJJ Black Belt Stephan Kesting just released.
The 'X Guard' is a hybrid position that combines aspects of both the open guard and the half guard. It's a VERY powerful sweeping position (as proved by Marcelo Garcia who has used it to cut larger and stronger opponents down to size at the very highest levels of competition).
Stephan is an amazing BJJ instructor and his free tutorial even includes a whole bunch of tweaks to make the X Guard MUCH more powerful.
Learning how to use the X Guard position is critical if you intend to develop your grappling skills to the best they can be and applying the info in this free tutorial is sure to make a HUGE difference in your game fast.
And you can check it out just by going to the link below:
Even better Stephan is also offering a FREE DVD Entitled:
13 Techniques You Can Use On The Mat Today
This phenomenal DVD is sure to make a huge difference in your game!
Just click on the DVD title to check out his amazing offer.
PS: If you do want to order his FREE DVD I would suggest you do it quick as quantities are very limited.
You'll hear from me soon with some more great news and some more FREEBIES.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Subscriber ONLY Offers!!!
Over the next couple of weeks I'll be making several offers available ONLY to subscribers of the Jiujitsu Universe Blog.
One of these offers will be for a FREE DVD that I will be releasing for subscribers only!
There will be limited quantities only available for my subscribers and the offer will only be available for a limited time.
I will then be releasing the public version of the DVD for $14.99.
Subscribers will have it FREE (only a small shipping and handling charge will apply).
All I ask is you let me know what you thought of the techniques demonstrated on the DVD.
Also a friend of mine is putting out a phenomenal offer that I will also let you in on. The only reason I would share this with my subscribers is because of the incredible value I know it will bring to all BJJ athletes.
Keep an eye out for the next few posts which will feature more details, I know you'll be thrilled and amazed with what I have in store for you!
One of these offers will be for a FREE DVD that I will be releasing for subscribers only!
There will be limited quantities only available for my subscribers and the offer will only be available for a limited time.
I will then be releasing the public version of the DVD for $14.99.
Subscribers will have it FREE (only a small shipping and handling charge will apply).
All I ask is you let me know what you thought of the techniques demonstrated on the DVD.
Also a friend of mine is putting out a phenomenal offer that I will also let you in on. The only reason I would share this with my subscribers is because of the incredible value I know it will bring to all BJJ athletes.
Keep an eye out for the next few posts which will feature more details, I know you'll be thrilled and amazed with what I have in store for you!
Monday, August 31, 2009
The 2 Technique Principle Revisited.
Since we're on the topic of strategy I'll be revisiting an invaluable strategy for developing your game efficiently and effectively.
Keep in mind that although this is an efficient learning approach it is not and shouldn't be considered a short cut.
For the simple reason that it takes work, focus and time. Yet it is faster than training haphazardly hoping for results, the key here is staying focused and organized.
OK, with that out of the way here is the gist of this principle.
The 2 technique principle allows for a more efficient and organized approach to training and developing your BJJ skills simply because you focus the techniques you learn around 2 responses to a position or situation.
So you start by writing down the most likely positions you will find yourself.
For instance let's take a look at positions.
Simply:
-In your opponents guard
-With your opponent in your guard
-In opponent's half guard
-Half guard on your opponent
-Mounted
-Mounted on your opponent
-Side control bottom
-Side control top.
Now there are many more positions and variations of them (such as turtle, open guard, etc,...,) but beginners should start with the most basic and build from there.
So you focus exclusively on 2 guard passes, 2 attacks or sweeps from your guard, half guard passes, half guard attacks, 2 mount escapes, 2 attacks from the mount, 2 side control escapes and 2 side control attacks or transitions and work to make those techniques and their combinations second nature.
You then apply this principle to other positions and situations.
Now by no means does this mean that your game should never evolve past this point.
You will never develop a complete understanding of the grappling game by limiting yourself, BUT, this is the optimal way to begin as well as develop a working knowledge and ability in sparring.
It is an ideal way to develop your foundation and I feel all white belts should use this principle in their training.
Now this is just a basic overview of the 2 technique principle as it has several different approaches, strategies and specific ways that you can implement it in your game.
After much thought, I decided that putting together a DVD on this approach wouldn't do it or the people watching it justice.
Why?
Because I have always felt that it is important to be cautious when introducing techniques through DVDs. I decided against putting out a DVD demoing the principle while showing techniques.
I have always been of the belief that martial arts are best taught by a live instructor. Scratch that, it's more than a belief I'm convinced that it is a fact as I've seen the results of people who tried to learn martial arts skills from DVDs too many times.
DVDs are great for introducing techniques, refreshing your memory and reviewing but trying to learn from them will develop holes and bad habits in your training that will take longer to correct.
That's why I only released a coaching CD where I cover all the necessary aspects of applying the 2 Technique Principle to your game.
As for the techniques themselves, you'll have to get those from your instructor. ;)
Next week I'll be back with more on strategy.
Keep in mind that although this is an efficient learning approach it is not and shouldn't be considered a short cut.
For the simple reason that it takes work, focus and time. Yet it is faster than training haphazardly hoping for results, the key here is staying focused and organized.
OK, with that out of the way here is the gist of this principle.
The 2 technique principle allows for a more efficient and organized approach to training and developing your BJJ skills simply because you focus the techniques you learn around 2 responses to a position or situation.
So you start by writing down the most likely positions you will find yourself.
For instance let's take a look at positions.
Simply:
-In your opponents guard
-With your opponent in your guard
-In opponent's half guard
-Half guard on your opponent
-Mounted
-Mounted on your opponent
-Side control bottom
-Side control top.
Now there are many more positions and variations of them (such as turtle, open guard, etc,...,) but beginners should start with the most basic and build from there.
So you focus exclusively on 2 guard passes, 2 attacks or sweeps from your guard, half guard passes, half guard attacks, 2 mount escapes, 2 attacks from the mount, 2 side control escapes and 2 side control attacks or transitions and work to make those techniques and their combinations second nature.
You then apply this principle to other positions and situations.
Now by no means does this mean that your game should never evolve past this point.
You will never develop a complete understanding of the grappling game by limiting yourself, BUT, this is the optimal way to begin as well as develop a working knowledge and ability in sparring.
It is an ideal way to develop your foundation and I feel all white belts should use this principle in their training.
Now this is just a basic overview of the 2 technique principle as it has several different approaches, strategies and specific ways that you can implement it in your game.
After much thought, I decided that putting together a DVD on this approach wouldn't do it or the people watching it justice.
Why?
Because I have always felt that it is important to be cautious when introducing techniques through DVDs. I decided against putting out a DVD demoing the principle while showing techniques.
I have always been of the belief that martial arts are best taught by a live instructor. Scratch that, it's more than a belief I'm convinced that it is a fact as I've seen the results of people who tried to learn martial arts skills from DVDs too many times.
DVDs are great for introducing techniques, refreshing your memory and reviewing but trying to learn from them will develop holes and bad habits in your training that will take longer to correct.
That's why I only released a coaching CD where I cover all the necessary aspects of applying the 2 Technique Principle to your game.
As for the techniques themselves, you'll have to get those from your instructor. ;)
Next week I'll be back with more on strategy.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Why It's Critical To Develop Strategy In Your BJJ Training...
Regardless of how many techniques you know or how well you know them, the biggest factor in your using them successfully is your application of them and this ties in directly to strategy.
This is probably one of the most important areas of your training.
Yes the physical side is critical as well but the mental side really seperates the great from the average.
As a matter of fact this is what seperates the top acheivers from the average in almost any field.
So how do you go about working on your strategy?
You begin by knowing your strengths and weaknesses and also by studying the strategies of the top fighters.
By becoming aware of your strengths you can maximize your use of them. As for your weaknesses, you can prioritize your training on them to minimize them and develop those areas further.
Also by studying the best, you can learn how they implement the same techniques to outperform their competition.
The faster you focus on this area of your training the faster you will see progress in your ability to implement the techniques you learn into your game.
Over the next few weeks I'll be going deeper into strategy and the development of a solid game.
This is probably one of the most important areas of your training.
Yes the physical side is critical as well but the mental side really seperates the great from the average.
As a matter of fact this is what seperates the top acheivers from the average in almost any field.
So how do you go about working on your strategy?
You begin by knowing your strengths and weaknesses and also by studying the strategies of the top fighters.
By becoming aware of your strengths you can maximize your use of them. As for your weaknesses, you can prioritize your training on them to minimize them and develop those areas further.
Also by studying the best, you can learn how they implement the same techniques to outperform their competition.
The faster you focus on this area of your training the faster you will see progress in your ability to implement the techniques you learn into your game.
Over the next few weeks I'll be going deeper into strategy and the development of a solid game.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A Complete Overview Of The Blue Belt Curriculum
This week I will feature a review of yet another Blue Belt curriculum series that is incredibly detailed and complete in it's scope of the basics involved in developing a solid BJJ game.
This DVD series is by Marcello Monteiro and is called Brazilian Jiujitsu Curriculum: White To Blue.
As expected all the main areas for developing into a solid Blue Belt are covered;
positional skills, attacking and defending, counters, escapes, guard passes, sweeps, set-ups and submissions.
Most impressively Mr. Monteiro leaves no stone unturned as he covers all the secret tricks, movements and crucial details to allow for the optimal performance of the techniques.
To say that Marcello Monteiro merely teaches techniques would be an understatement as his approach delves much deeper than the learning of a technique into fully understanding and mastering the full scope of the skills presented.
The first of the DVDs is seperated into the four sections of Bottom Game, Top Game, Submissions and Takedowns. It is very easy to navigate through the selections to view each of them individually or you can view them all together consecutively.
The second DVD introduces Escapes as well.
The third and fourth DVDs further build on these five sections and take the student into the more complex techniques required for Blue Belt proficiency.
The approach is seemless as the first DVD introduces the fundamental basics and the following DVDs progress logically into more difficult skills to ensure the development of a solid Blue Belt game.
One aspect of the 4 DVD series that some viewers may question is the way that techniques are seperated. Personally I find that this helps with focusing on the individual material being taught without overwhelming the student. Also, it makes it easier for finding footage you want to review over again without having to search through an extended part of the DVD.
Finally I would like to add that the techniques on the DVD are very current and up to date featuring a thorough introduction to open guard techniques as well as the Butterfly Guard and De La Riva Guard.
I believe the information presented in this series more than justifies the price and makes it well worth it as a well presented and complete encyclopedia of techniques for developing a rock solid foundation for your BJJ game.
For more info go to www.bjjcoach.com
This DVD series is by Marcello Monteiro and is called Brazilian Jiujitsu Curriculum: White To Blue.
As expected all the main areas for developing into a solid Blue Belt are covered;
positional skills, attacking and defending, counters, escapes, guard passes, sweeps, set-ups and submissions.
Most impressively Mr. Monteiro leaves no stone unturned as he covers all the secret tricks, movements and crucial details to allow for the optimal performance of the techniques.
To say that Marcello Monteiro merely teaches techniques would be an understatement as his approach delves much deeper than the learning of a technique into fully understanding and mastering the full scope of the skills presented.
The first of the DVDs is seperated into the four sections of Bottom Game, Top Game, Submissions and Takedowns. It is very easy to navigate through the selections to view each of them individually or you can view them all together consecutively.
The second DVD introduces Escapes as well.
The third and fourth DVDs further build on these five sections and take the student into the more complex techniques required for Blue Belt proficiency.
The approach is seemless as the first DVD introduces the fundamental basics and the following DVDs progress logically into more difficult skills to ensure the development of a solid Blue Belt game.
One aspect of the 4 DVD series that some viewers may question is the way that techniques are seperated. Personally I find that this helps with focusing on the individual material being taught without overwhelming the student. Also, it makes it easier for finding footage you want to review over again without having to search through an extended part of the DVD.
Finally I would like to add that the techniques on the DVD are very current and up to date featuring a thorough introduction to open guard techniques as well as the Butterfly Guard and De La Riva Guard.
I believe the information presented in this series more than justifies the price and makes it well worth it as a well presented and complete encyclopedia of techniques for developing a rock solid foundation for your BJJ game.
For more info go to www.bjjcoach.com
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Brock Lesnar, Grappling, The UFC And The State Of Combat Sports...
It's Saturday night and I've just finished watching UFC 100.
Overall a great show with some impressive performances by GSP and Dan Henderson.
The one thing about the whole event though that compelled me to come home and write this blog post was Brock Lesnar's attitude and antics after his match against Frank Mir.
Brock Lesnar, besides being a phenomenal athlete who has great wrestling and overall grappling skills on top of his huge stature, (He probably fights at around 280-290lbs.) perfomed well and kept Mir trapped on the ground by controlling his head as he rained punches on him. Simply put, he did a great job of negating Mir's skills and keeping him from gaining momentum and control during the fight.
The one thing I feel forced to write about though was the inexcusable anctics of Lesnar after the match.
Yes some people might say that he is just basking in his glory and trying to gain notoriety as a fighter but he should be doing that with his skills in the cage not by belittling his opponent or giving the finger to the crowd.
Maybe someone should quickly remind Lesnar that those very fans who he was flipping off were collectively responsible for paying his earnings that night and without whom he would not have the opportunity he presently does.
The sport of MMA as a whole is worse off from this type of attitude and behaviour and I honestly believe that he should come to his senses and apologize for taking a great sport and degrading it the way he did.
Combat sports in general have been tied in to a culture that ends with respect and integrity for the most part.
It's what seperates these athletes from the majority of the sports world and propels them to an epic status. The fact that so much dedication and sacrifice goes into performing on the level that these guys do engenders and deserves more respect than what Brcok Lesnar demonstrated on this historic night of the 100th event of the UFC and the largest MMA show around today.
Let's hope that this stays as an exception and doesn't drag the UFC down to the level that professional wrestling fell to.
Maybe we should just treat it as an opportunity to remember how important a role mutual respect plays in our training in the grappling arts.
Overall a great show with some impressive performances by GSP and Dan Henderson.
The one thing about the whole event though that compelled me to come home and write this blog post was Brock Lesnar's attitude and antics after his match against Frank Mir.
Brock Lesnar, besides being a phenomenal athlete who has great wrestling and overall grappling skills on top of his huge stature, (He probably fights at around 280-290lbs.) perfomed well and kept Mir trapped on the ground by controlling his head as he rained punches on him. Simply put, he did a great job of negating Mir's skills and keeping him from gaining momentum and control during the fight.
The one thing I feel forced to write about though was the inexcusable anctics of Lesnar after the match.
Yes some people might say that he is just basking in his glory and trying to gain notoriety as a fighter but he should be doing that with his skills in the cage not by belittling his opponent or giving the finger to the crowd.
Maybe someone should quickly remind Lesnar that those very fans who he was flipping off were collectively responsible for paying his earnings that night and without whom he would not have the opportunity he presently does.
The sport of MMA as a whole is worse off from this type of attitude and behaviour and I honestly believe that he should come to his senses and apologize for taking a great sport and degrading it the way he did.
Combat sports in general have been tied in to a culture that ends with respect and integrity for the most part.
It's what seperates these athletes from the majority of the sports world and propels them to an epic status. The fact that so much dedication and sacrifice goes into performing on the level that these guys do engenders and deserves more respect than what Brcok Lesnar demonstrated on this historic night of the 100th event of the UFC and the largest MMA show around today.
Let's hope that this stays as an exception and doesn't drag the UFC down to the level that professional wrestling fell to.
Maybe we should just treat it as an opportunity to remember how important a role mutual respect plays in our training in the grappling arts.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Thinking Outside the Box...
For those of you looking for different tactics you can use for catching your opponents off guard, I've got a recommendation that will interest you.
Hopefully you are thinking outside the box when it comes to strategies you can implement in your game.
The recommendation I'd like to make is a DVD called The Art Of The Wristlock, by BJJ Black Belt, Roy Dean.
What's so different about this 2 DVD set is that it incorporates wrist locks taken from Japanese Jujitsu and Aikido and demonstrates their effectiveness against resisting opponents in a BJJ setting.
It gives a clear framework for adapting and using these wristlocks to surprise your opponents and take them off guard.
The beauty of these techniques is that many grapplers don't expect them therefore they aren't usually prepared to defend them.
There is also an excellent segment on footlocks and lower body submissions on the second DVD.
I can highly recommend this DVD set to all Grapplers who are constantly seeking to improve their game as well as add unconventional approaches to their skills.
Hopefully you are thinking outside the box when it comes to strategies you can implement in your game.
The recommendation I'd like to make is a DVD called The Art Of The Wristlock, by BJJ Black Belt, Roy Dean.
What's so different about this 2 DVD set is that it incorporates wrist locks taken from Japanese Jujitsu and Aikido and demonstrates their effectiveness against resisting opponents in a BJJ setting.
It gives a clear framework for adapting and using these wristlocks to surprise your opponents and take them off guard.
The beauty of these techniques is that many grapplers don't expect them therefore they aren't usually prepared to defend them.
There is also an excellent segment on footlocks and lower body submissions on the second DVD.
I can highly recommend this DVD set to all Grapplers who are constantly seeking to improve their game as well as add unconventional approaches to their skills.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
The BJJ Notebook Coming Soon... FREE For Subscribers
Hi, just a quick note to let everyone know I'll be sending out my newest product called the BJJ Notebook to all my subscribers for FREE in PDF. format.
So keep a lookout in your email over the next week.
It will features several interviews including such BJJ greats like Dave Camarillo and more, a biographical article on Rickson Gracie, called The Flowing Wave Of Jiujitsu, and many other articles.
Also, feel free to send in any questions or comments.
So keep a lookout in your email over the next week.
It will features several interviews including such BJJ greats like Dave Camarillo and more, a biographical article on Rickson Gracie, called The Flowing Wave Of Jiujitsu, and many other articles.
Also, feel free to send in any questions or comments.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
To Gi Or Not To Gi?
This seems to be the age old question in Jiujitsu.
The funny thing is that there are proponents of either method that are often very convinced that their way is the ONLY way.
The truth is that both methods have their pros and cons.
For the record I train in BOTH methods and although I do train primarily in no-gi Jiujitsu, I feel that the gi is VERY important to training.
The pros to no-gi training are that the lack of a gi forces you to use grips that don't depend on clothing.
Underhooks, overhooks, and neck/head control allow you to control your opponent regardless of what he's wearing.
To me this is a little more realistic in terms of habits and skills to develop.
Now yes it is true that people often wear jackets and that developing gripping skills with the jacket allows for more chokes and points of control than training without the gi does. This is why I feel that Jiujitsu practitioners should at least have some gi experience if they choose to train without the gi.
The cons to training only with the gi are that if the gi is taken out of the equation, the gi fighter will have to adapt his skills on the fly to the lack of grips he has available and if he has no experience at all without the gi he could have serious problems adapting.
In the end, regardless of what method you choose to train in, I can sincerely advise you to train in the other side as well. This can only be beneficial for you in the long run and will make your game more complete.
The funny thing is that there are proponents of either method that are often very convinced that their way is the ONLY way.
The truth is that both methods have their pros and cons.
For the record I train in BOTH methods and although I do train primarily in no-gi Jiujitsu, I feel that the gi is VERY important to training.
The pros to no-gi training are that the lack of a gi forces you to use grips that don't depend on clothing.
Underhooks, overhooks, and neck/head control allow you to control your opponent regardless of what he's wearing.
To me this is a little more realistic in terms of habits and skills to develop.
Now yes it is true that people often wear jackets and that developing gripping skills with the jacket allows for more chokes and points of control than training without the gi does. This is why I feel that Jiujitsu practitioners should at least have some gi experience if they choose to train without the gi.
The cons to training only with the gi are that if the gi is taken out of the equation, the gi fighter will have to adapt his skills on the fly to the lack of grips he has available and if he has no experience at all without the gi he could have serious problems adapting.
In the end, regardless of what method you choose to train in, I can sincerely advise you to train in the other side as well. This can only be beneficial for you in the long run and will make your game more complete.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Your Reason For Training...
I would like to address something that I feel is critical to your success in BJJ, it is so important, it's probably the one thing the makes the biggest impact on your training in the long term.
Quite simply, it's your reason for training.
In general, most people train in Jiujitsu for either sport, self defense, or to stay fit and have fun.
Some train for a combination of these reasons.
The point is that by understanding the deeper reason for your training you can tailor the focus of your training to better acheive your goals.
If you're training exclusively for self defense then the focus of your game will look very differently than someone who is training for competition.
Sport competiton training will be the most grueling not to mention the most prone to your getting injured.
Self defense training will have you focus your game on a more practical high percentage move strategy that takes into account variables you can encounter on the street as well as harder surfaces and different tactics.
The faster you can identify and tie your training into your goals then the faster and more effectively you will reach those goals.
Quite simply, it's your reason for training.
In general, most people train in Jiujitsu for either sport, self defense, or to stay fit and have fun.
Some train for a combination of these reasons.
The point is that by understanding the deeper reason for your training you can tailor the focus of your training to better acheive your goals.
If you're training exclusively for self defense then the focus of your game will look very differently than someone who is training for competition.
Sport competiton training will be the most grueling not to mention the most prone to your getting injured.
Self defense training will have you focus your game on a more practical high percentage move strategy that takes into account variables you can encounter on the street as well as harder surfaces and different tactics.
The faster you can identify and tie your training into your goals then the faster and more effectively you will reach those goals.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
A Solid Training Aid For Beginners?
I get asked all the time by beginners on what I can recommend as a training supplement to accelerate their development.
Over the next few weeks I'll be covering a few of the best DVDs out there for beginners to develop their game at a faster pace.
On a side note I just want to address the topic of DVDs and state that although I do not feel that a person can adequately learn a martial art, especially one as sophisticated as Jiujitsu from DVDs. I DO feel that in proper perspective, they are an excellent training aid and supplement that can definetely help improve ones skills at a faster rate.
That said the first DVD set I would like to discuss is by BJJ Black Belt Roy Dean, called The Blue Belt Requirements.
One of the greatest things about this set is the precise detail that Mr. Dean goes into in explaining the techniques.
The demonstrations of techniques are so detailed that I can easily recommend anyone at the White Belt level to those testing for their Blue Belt to view these DVDs first as they are sure to help you focus on the details of each required technique.
Furthermore the organized approach of the DVDs helps beginners keep track of and build upon the skills they develop, further increasing their understanding of Jiujitsu and preventing confusion. Mr. Dean's skills as an instructor really shine through here as well, as he clearly and concisely articulates all the main points and keeps the viewer's focus on the important steps involved in each technique.
This two DVD set goes over all the basic positions, submissions and strategies that will allow those beginning in BJJ to help clarify all the information they get in class, helping them not only memorise but also implement the techniques and their precise details to develop a solid base in BJJ.
Roy Dean's Blue Belt Requirements should be required viewing for White Belts at all BJJ Academies.
The two DVD set can be purchased here:
http://www.roydeanacademy.com/dvds
Over the next few weeks I'll be covering a few of the best DVDs out there for beginners to develop their game at a faster pace.
On a side note I just want to address the topic of DVDs and state that although I do not feel that a person can adequately learn a martial art, especially one as sophisticated as Jiujitsu from DVDs. I DO feel that in proper perspective, they are an excellent training aid and supplement that can definetely help improve ones skills at a faster rate.
That said the first DVD set I would like to discuss is by BJJ Black Belt Roy Dean, called The Blue Belt Requirements.
One of the greatest things about this set is the precise detail that Mr. Dean goes into in explaining the techniques.
The demonstrations of techniques are so detailed that I can easily recommend anyone at the White Belt level to those testing for their Blue Belt to view these DVDs first as they are sure to help you focus on the details of each required technique.
Furthermore the organized approach of the DVDs helps beginners keep track of and build upon the skills they develop, further increasing their understanding of Jiujitsu and preventing confusion. Mr. Dean's skills as an instructor really shine through here as well, as he clearly and concisely articulates all the main points and keeps the viewer's focus on the important steps involved in each technique.
This two DVD set goes over all the basic positions, submissions and strategies that will allow those beginning in BJJ to help clarify all the information they get in class, helping them not only memorise but also implement the techniques and their precise details to develop a solid base in BJJ.
Roy Dean's Blue Belt Requirements should be required viewing for White Belts at all BJJ Academies.
The two DVD set can be purchased here:
http://www.roydeanacademy.com/dvds
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
What's Going On In The Back Of Your Mind?
This is a very important question I want you to ask yourself.
When you're training and sparring, what's going on in the back of your mind?
I mean, more than just what you're thinking, how are you thinking about it?
Are you telling yourself that you're just trying to survive?
Are you telling yourself to force through your techniques because you're not sure about them?
These two examples will tell you alot about flaws in your approach.
Whatever it is you're thinking, it's a great idea to be aware of it and write it down after your training.
This is one of the fastest ways that you can get out of whatever problems you have in your training.
For example, let's say you keep getting caught in a certain submission and can't figure out what you're doing wrong or what to do to counter or escape.
I can guarantee you that if you're telling yourself, "I always get stuck here." or "what am I doing wrong?" then you will keep doing that same thing and repeating the same pattern and getting the same results.
By becoming aware of this and writing it down you can start to get out of that habit and answer the question.
If you always get caught in a certain submission and say I always get stuck here, then obviously the next step is to find out why and what you should be doing to prevent or counter it.
If you find yourself repeatedly asking what you are doing wrong, then you are uncertain about something that you are doing before getting caught and need to figure out what that is.
Asking your instructor or training partner for help here in finding the solution is very useful.
You'll also want to change what you are saying to yourself.
Again with the two above examples, if you're "always getting stuck" or asking "what are you doing wrong?" Then you need to replace those with "I'll never get stuck here again" or "what am I going to do instead?"
By finding out what you are doing wrong and replacing that with what you should be doing and replacing what you're saying to yourself in those moments, you'll be changing your thinking and actions and getting new results instead.
There is a reason why Jiujitsu is called the thinking man's martial art.
When you're training and sparring, what's going on in the back of your mind?
I mean, more than just what you're thinking, how are you thinking about it?
Are you telling yourself that you're just trying to survive?
Are you telling yourself to force through your techniques because you're not sure about them?
These two examples will tell you alot about flaws in your approach.
Whatever it is you're thinking, it's a great idea to be aware of it and write it down after your training.
This is one of the fastest ways that you can get out of whatever problems you have in your training.
For example, let's say you keep getting caught in a certain submission and can't figure out what you're doing wrong or what to do to counter or escape.
I can guarantee you that if you're telling yourself, "I always get stuck here." or "what am I doing wrong?" then you will keep doing that same thing and repeating the same pattern and getting the same results.
By becoming aware of this and writing it down you can start to get out of that habit and answer the question.
If you always get caught in a certain submission and say I always get stuck here, then obviously the next step is to find out why and what you should be doing to prevent or counter it.
If you find yourself repeatedly asking what you are doing wrong, then you are uncertain about something that you are doing before getting caught and need to figure out what that is.
Asking your instructor or training partner for help here in finding the solution is very useful.
You'll also want to change what you are saying to yourself.
Again with the two above examples, if you're "always getting stuck" or asking "what are you doing wrong?" Then you need to replace those with "I'll never get stuck here again" or "what am I going to do instead?"
By finding out what you are doing wrong and replacing that with what you should be doing and replacing what you're saying to yourself in those moments, you'll be changing your thinking and actions and getting new results instead.
There is a reason why Jiujitsu is called the thinking man's martial art.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Match Analysis; Blue Belts
This week let's take things down a notch and look at these blue belts in competition.
Pay specific attention to the attempted Guard Pass by white and how blue maintains his composure and uses the open guard (more specifically his feet and grips) to keep control of white and eventually set up the submission.
I'll be discussing the open guard further in an upcoming post.
Pay specific attention to the attempted Guard Pass by white and how blue maintains his composure and uses the open guard (more specifically his feet and grips) to keep control of white and eventually set up the submission.
I'll be discussing the open guard further in an upcoming post.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Schwan's Foodservice for Grapplers?
Later this week, I'll be back with more match analysis but today I'd like to address a growing trend that all grappling athletes should steer clear of!
As an athlete who's always on the go, I look for ways to get my meals and workouts in even if it means cutting corners sometimes.
My philosophy is a few minutes of productive training is better than none at all. Even if that training consists of going over strategies or technical points because I don't have the time or there are too many other things to do to train physically.
My point is that as life can sometimes get in the way of training, it helps to have backup plans to get as much as you can in when there just isn't enough time.
So for many people this extends into getting less sleep or sacrificing on their nutrition and meals.
I decided to mention this today because there are some common trends that initially might seem like good ideas but in the longrun will only hurt your training.
Most people can clearly see that cutting down on sleep is a bad idea as sleep is one of the most important factors in recuperation not to mention how important it is for keeping you sharp, quick-thinking and helping to prevent and heal injuries.
But when it comes to nutrition, I've seen many athletes neglect their nutritious intake only to later see it seriously affect their performance. The thing is that because diet plays mostly a longterm role on your performance as opposed to a short term. Many don't realize it's negative effects before they've occured.
I once knew of someone who ate 5 chocolate bars after training just because they didn't have time to eat a quality meal. We'll you can just imagine the crash they later felt when the sugar rush wore out.
The real trend that I want to address today is actually frozen food.
More and more, we see people eating frozen food because of the convenience. But if you are a regularly training athlete then you'll want to stay away from this as much as possible. Why?
Regardless of what many companies say, frozen food does lack important nutrients that are vital for athletes, especially hard training athletes like grapplers.
The antioxidants in fresh fruits and vegetables are VITAL for recovery and will make a difference in your fitness and health in the long run. Nothing beats fresh fruit and vegetables for the antioxidants that you need, especially after hard training.
Although frozen foods still contain antioxidants the truth is that athletes need ALOT of these nutrients to fight off the damage that free radicals cause after hard training. These free radicals can damage your health and 6-10 servings of FRESH fruits and vegetables (more like 10 for hard training athletes) are the best way to prevent the damage these free radicals can do and help improve your recuperation after training.
Right now there is a huge marketing campaign being put out by companies like Schwan's Foodservice for frozen food. They claim that their food is frozen quickly and the nutrients are intact. The best advice you can get is to stay away from marketing hype and stick to common sense.
Think about it.
Science has only discovered phytonutrients and bioflavinoids that are in fruits and vegetables in the past 20 years. There are millions of these nutrients in fresh foods and most of them haven't even been identified yet, not to mention that scientists still aren't sure how they work together for added benefits.
Use common sense and stick to nature. Our ancestors have been eating fresh foods for hundreds of thousands if not millions of years. This is the way we've been eating for the longest time.
My point is simply to make sure you're not neglecting the fuel you put in your body to ensure you're getting the most out of your training and optimizing your performance.
Eat a balanced diet that includes at least 10 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables. Don't forget the general guidelines for nutritional servings are not for hard training athletes but for the general population.
Which we all know we aren't a part of!
As an athlete who's always on the go, I look for ways to get my meals and workouts in even if it means cutting corners sometimes.
My philosophy is a few minutes of productive training is better than none at all. Even if that training consists of going over strategies or technical points because I don't have the time or there are too many other things to do to train physically.
My point is that as life can sometimes get in the way of training, it helps to have backup plans to get as much as you can in when there just isn't enough time.
So for many people this extends into getting less sleep or sacrificing on their nutrition and meals.
I decided to mention this today because there are some common trends that initially might seem like good ideas but in the longrun will only hurt your training.
Most people can clearly see that cutting down on sleep is a bad idea as sleep is one of the most important factors in recuperation not to mention how important it is for keeping you sharp, quick-thinking and helping to prevent and heal injuries.
But when it comes to nutrition, I've seen many athletes neglect their nutritious intake only to later see it seriously affect their performance. The thing is that because diet plays mostly a longterm role on your performance as opposed to a short term. Many don't realize it's negative effects before they've occured.
I once knew of someone who ate 5 chocolate bars after training just because they didn't have time to eat a quality meal. We'll you can just imagine the crash they later felt when the sugar rush wore out.
The real trend that I want to address today is actually frozen food.
More and more, we see people eating frozen food because of the convenience. But if you are a regularly training athlete then you'll want to stay away from this as much as possible. Why?
Regardless of what many companies say, frozen food does lack important nutrients that are vital for athletes, especially hard training athletes like grapplers.
The antioxidants in fresh fruits and vegetables are VITAL for recovery and will make a difference in your fitness and health in the long run. Nothing beats fresh fruit and vegetables for the antioxidants that you need, especially after hard training.
Although frozen foods still contain antioxidants the truth is that athletes need ALOT of these nutrients to fight off the damage that free radicals cause after hard training. These free radicals can damage your health and 6-10 servings of FRESH fruits and vegetables (more like 10 for hard training athletes) are the best way to prevent the damage these free radicals can do and help improve your recuperation after training.
Right now there is a huge marketing campaign being put out by companies like Schwan's Foodservice for frozen food. They claim that their food is frozen quickly and the nutrients are intact. The best advice you can get is to stay away from marketing hype and stick to common sense.
Think about it.
Science has only discovered phytonutrients and bioflavinoids that are in fruits and vegetables in the past 20 years. There are millions of these nutrients in fresh foods and most of them haven't even been identified yet, not to mention that scientists still aren't sure how they work together for added benefits.
Use common sense and stick to nature. Our ancestors have been eating fresh foods for hundreds of thousands if not millions of years. This is the way we've been eating for the longest time.
My point is simply to make sure you're not neglecting the fuel you put in your body to ensure you're getting the most out of your training and optimizing your performance.
Eat a balanced diet that includes at least 10 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables. Don't forget the general guidelines for nutritional servings are not for hard training athletes but for the general population.
Which we all know we aren't a part of!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Match Analysis
Let's take a look at this match from the Naga competition.
After working for grip we see Rodrigo execute a beautiful set up as he drops like he's going to pull guard and using that to outpace his opponent to side control after that his opponent manages to get half guard though Rodrigo escapes and regains side control.
After using an excellent combination to escape at 1:22, his opponent reverses the position and almost ends up with side control yet Rodrigo does a great job of thinking ahead and escaping and eventually regaining side control this time calmly working and gaining the mount position and maintaining it despite his opponents escape attempt.
From there we see Rodrigo set up a choke at 2:52 by forcing his opponent to turn and then taking the back.
He then attempts to set up an armlock and though he loses that, attempts an omoplata from the guard right near the end of the match.
Now, before watching this match several times ask yourself, what can you learn from this match?
You'll notice there are two main reasons why Rodrigo dominates this match.
First off, he always attempts to set his opponent up using a combination of moves.
From the beginning attempt at dropping into guard to attempting to control his opponents side/back to gaining side control.
Then when he gets reversed he doesn't panic but immediately goes for an escape to his opponent getting side control on him by thinking ahead and escaping to his half guard where he reverses his opponent.
This is the second reason, he stays focused, doesn't panic and thinks ahead of his opponent.
For beginners, this is a great demonstration of the two technique principle, although Rodrigo is obviously more advanced and uses three or more technique combinations at times.
You can easily see the effectiveness of combining techniques and using them to set up other techniques.
Furthermore, developing the ability to think ahead of your opponent by developing immediate responses and escapes to positions that you can perform in the moment as they are occurring is a critical skill to develop.
Now, go back and study this match several times looking for the details discussed.
Again focus on the question, what can you learn from this match and apply to your game?
After working for grip we see Rodrigo execute a beautiful set up as he drops like he's going to pull guard and using that to outpace his opponent to side control after that his opponent manages to get half guard though Rodrigo escapes and regains side control.
After using an excellent combination to escape at 1:22, his opponent reverses the position and almost ends up with side control yet Rodrigo does a great job of thinking ahead and escaping and eventually regaining side control this time calmly working and gaining the mount position and maintaining it despite his opponents escape attempt.
From there we see Rodrigo set up a choke at 2:52 by forcing his opponent to turn and then taking the back.
He then attempts to set up an armlock and though he loses that, attempts an omoplata from the guard right near the end of the match.
Now, before watching this match several times ask yourself, what can you learn from this match?
You'll notice there are two main reasons why Rodrigo dominates this match.
First off, he always attempts to set his opponent up using a combination of moves.
From the beginning attempt at dropping into guard to attempting to control his opponents side/back to gaining side control.
Then when he gets reversed he doesn't panic but immediately goes for an escape to his opponent getting side control on him by thinking ahead and escaping to his half guard where he reverses his opponent.
This is the second reason, he stays focused, doesn't panic and thinks ahead of his opponent.
For beginners, this is a great demonstration of the two technique principle, although Rodrigo is obviously more advanced and uses three or more technique combinations at times.
You can easily see the effectiveness of combining techniques and using them to set up other techniques.
Furthermore, developing the ability to think ahead of your opponent by developing immediate responses and escapes to positions that you can perform in the moment as they are occurring is a critical skill to develop.
Now, go back and study this match several times looking for the details discussed.
Again focus on the question, what can you learn from this match and apply to your game?
Monday, March 23, 2009
Finding Pool Leaks and Jiujitsu
This week I want to tell you about a friend of mine's problem and how it relates to BJJ and all martial arts for that matter.
My friend was having a problem with his pool since the end of last summer. He figured he would wait until this year to fix it.
His inground pool had a leak in it and he couldn't find it.
He brought over some other friends to check it out and no one could find a crack, but as soon as he put some water in the pool it would slowly empty out.
Finally he did some digging and found a pool cleaning company who said they guaranteed they could find and seal all cracks and leaks.
So my friend called them up, a guy came over and sure enough within 10 minutes he found the leak and sealed it.
My friend couldn't believe it when he saw the crack.
He never would have noticed it in a million years if someone hadn't told him and he was shocked that such a small little inconspicuous crack could leak out so much water.
Ok.
So what does this have to do with BJJ???
Everything.
You see many times what we aren't trained to see will get right past us without us realizing it. It can seem like it's invisible.
My friend had surely looked over the crack many times but never really "noticed" it.
That is his eye wasn't trained to look for it and so it passed him by.
The exact same thing is true of BJJ.
The difference between many skilled players and unskilled ones is often down to what they "notice".
So if you want to be better you must learn to notice more subtleties during your rolling as well as when watching others roll.
The best way to do this is to study grappling matches and pay close attention to what's happening.
This is why I'm going to be featuring analysis of several classic grappling matches in the upcoming weeks.
Another thing you can do if you're a beginner is to pick up The Brazilian Jiujitsu Formula DVD.
You can get it by clicking the link or visiting the products page at www.jiujitsuuniverse.com
Until next week.
My friend was having a problem with his pool since the end of last summer. He figured he would wait until this year to fix it.
His inground pool had a leak in it and he couldn't find it.
He brought over some other friends to check it out and no one could find a crack, but as soon as he put some water in the pool it would slowly empty out.
Finally he did some digging and found a pool cleaning company who said they guaranteed they could find and seal all cracks and leaks.
So my friend called them up, a guy came over and sure enough within 10 minutes he found the leak and sealed it.
My friend couldn't believe it when he saw the crack.
He never would have noticed it in a million years if someone hadn't told him and he was shocked that such a small little inconspicuous crack could leak out so much water.
Ok.
So what does this have to do with BJJ???
Everything.
You see many times what we aren't trained to see will get right past us without us realizing it. It can seem like it's invisible.
My friend had surely looked over the crack many times but never really "noticed" it.
That is his eye wasn't trained to look for it and so it passed him by.
The exact same thing is true of BJJ.
The difference between many skilled players and unskilled ones is often down to what they "notice".
So if you want to be better you must learn to notice more subtleties during your rolling as well as when watching others roll.
The best way to do this is to study grappling matches and pay close attention to what's happening.
This is why I'm going to be featuring analysis of several classic grappling matches in the upcoming weeks.
Another thing you can do if you're a beginner is to pick up The Brazilian Jiujitsu Formula DVD.
You can get it by clicking the link or visiting the products page at www.jiujitsuuniverse.com
Until next week.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Andre Galvao
Thanks to all the emails I've been getting on the book recommendation I made for Saulo Ribeiro's book I will continue to offer occasional reviews and recommendations when I find a must-have product that will be a huge benefit to my subscribers.
This week i've included a clip of Andre Galvao commenting on the imporance of conditioning drills. Check it out for some great ideas on training drills.
And if you want to take conditioning drills to another level in your training then check out my BJJ Drills DVD it's sure to help take your game to a higher level.
Here's Andre's clip, just click on the link to view.
This week i've included a clip of Andre Galvao commenting on the imporance of conditioning drills. Check it out for some great ideas on training drills.
And if you want to take conditioning drills to another level in your training then check out my BJJ Drills DVD it's sure to help take your game to a higher level.
Here's Andre's clip, just click on the link to view.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Saulo Ribeiro Side Mount Escape
It's great to hear about all of you who took my advice and picked up the
Jiujitsu University book and sent an email or left me a comment to tell me how great you found the book and the immediate impact it's having on your training.
That's the only book you'll need for a long time.
In that spirit, this week I'm including a video of Saulo Ribeiro demonstrating his superior instructional skills and BJJ skills in this demo of an extremely effective side mount escape.
Enjoy and keep the emails and comments coming.
Jiujitsu University book and sent an email or left me a comment to tell me how great you found the book and the immediate impact it's having on your training.
That's the only book you'll need for a long time.
In that spirit, this week I'm including a video of Saulo Ribeiro demonstrating his superior instructional skills and BJJ skills in this demo of an extremely effective side mount escape.
Enjoy and keep the emails and comments coming.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
A MUST HAVE BOOK!
This week I'd like to discuss a book that will make a huge difference in your game.
If you only buy one book on BJJ then this is it!
If someone offered me every book on BJJ or this one, I would pick this one and give up all my other BJJ books if I had to choose.
Trust me it is that good.
You've probably already heard talk about it and probably also heard how great it is. What you might not have heard is that this is easily the most complete book on BJJ ever put out, not only that but it's a book you will actually learn from.
The book is aptly named Jiu-Jitsu University
by Saulo Ribeiro with kevin Howell.
We definitely see an evolution in BJJ books here and they've set the bar pretty high.
Saulo has definitely gone the extra distance with this book.
I would easily pay $50.00 for it, it lists for $39.95 but you can get it for only $26.37 from amazon.
It would be great if a DVD set would follow.
The description says that this book will change the way Jiujitsu is taught around the world and I believe it!
Many people have said that this is the best book on BJJ out there and once you check it out you'll agree.
One thing I really like is how it breaks down the basics of each belt level and gives a super clear and concise view of the game.
With a lifetime worth of BJJ theory and applicable knowledge, featuring 368 pages with full colour incredibly detailed photos.
Do yourself a huge favour and click on the link to buy this book, it's very rare that I make recommendations to my readers but when I see something this valuable I have to share it.
As a matter of fact, I challenge you to get this book and write me if it doesn't improve your game. I'm willing to bet everyone who writes me will be to thank me for helping them improve.
Just buy it now, you'll thank me for this.
If you only buy one book on BJJ then this is it!
If someone offered me every book on BJJ or this one, I would pick this one and give up all my other BJJ books if I had to choose.
Trust me it is that good.
You've probably already heard talk about it and probably also heard how great it is. What you might not have heard is that this is easily the most complete book on BJJ ever put out, not only that but it's a book you will actually learn from.
The book is aptly named Jiu-Jitsu University
by Saulo Ribeiro with kevin Howell.
We definitely see an evolution in BJJ books here and they've set the bar pretty high.
Saulo has definitely gone the extra distance with this book.
I would easily pay $50.00 for it, it lists for $39.95 but you can get it for only $26.37 from amazon.
It would be great if a DVD set would follow.
The description says that this book will change the way Jiujitsu is taught around the world and I believe it!
Many people have said that this is the best book on BJJ out there and once you check it out you'll agree.
One thing I really like is how it breaks down the basics of each belt level and gives a super clear and concise view of the game.
With a lifetime worth of BJJ theory and applicable knowledge, featuring 368 pages with full colour incredibly detailed photos.
Do yourself a huge favour and click on the link to buy this book, it's very rare that I make recommendations to my readers but when I see something this valuable I have to share it.
As a matter of fact, I challenge you to get this book and write me if it doesn't improve your game. I'm willing to bet everyone who writes me will be to thank me for helping them improve.
Just buy it now, you'll thank me for this.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Dave Camarillo
This week, I'd like to discuss one of the most important grapplers around today.
Dave Camarillo.
If you're not familiar with him then you'll want to read this week's post carefully because in it I'll go over one of the key strategies he uses,(among many) to develop a well rounded game.
Mr. Camarillo calls this The hybrid game or ‘A” game
He has identified three types of training where many people are only interested in one of two.
The first is Controlled Training where you control your opponent through technique, using technique to control the position and the opponents movement.
This is also known as the Positional Approach.
The next type is the Mobility Approach, this is where your strategy is based on using technique through constant movement.
Basically, don't stop moving until you can set up a submission and tap your opponent out or until you get submitted.
This approach is favored by younger, more athletic grapplers.
This is where Dave Camarillo's approach comes in.
He calls this the hybrid game or ‘A” game.
Basically, this is a mixture of both the Positional Approach and the Mobility Approach.
What's great about this idea is that you can develop the best of both world's and remove the limitations involved by focusing on one approach.
The focus is to develop proper Positional Control and skill in the positions of Jiujitsu and also develop the athleticism involved to use speed, strength and endurance to both counter and dominate the scrambles for position that can happen when you lose control of the position, enabling you to use the Mobility Approach when needed and giving you a more well rounded and complete game.
He calls this the Hybrid Game or the "A" game for the simple reasons that it is a combination of both approaches and results in a higher level of performance.
Mr. Camarillo has taken this approach to an Elite level and I believe this approach will become more and more popular.
I believe that the earlier in your training you take this approach the better off your performance will be for it. That is the best time to get into the habit of developing your game to a higher level.
So if you concentrate your game on one of these areas, start making it a habit right now to work not only positional skills but also mobility skills and vice versa.
You'll end up a more complete grappler with your "A" game and you'll have Dave Camarillo to thank.
Dave Camarillo.
If you're not familiar with him then you'll want to read this week's post carefully because in it I'll go over one of the key strategies he uses,(among many) to develop a well rounded game.
Mr. Camarillo calls this The hybrid game or ‘A” game
He has identified three types of training where many people are only interested in one of two.
The first is Controlled Training where you control your opponent through technique, using technique to control the position and the opponents movement.
This is also known as the Positional Approach.
The next type is the Mobility Approach, this is where your strategy is based on using technique through constant movement.
Basically, don't stop moving until you can set up a submission and tap your opponent out or until you get submitted.
This approach is favored by younger, more athletic grapplers.
This is where Dave Camarillo's approach comes in.
He calls this the hybrid game or ‘A” game.
Basically, this is a mixture of both the Positional Approach and the Mobility Approach.
What's great about this idea is that you can develop the best of both world's and remove the limitations involved by focusing on one approach.
The focus is to develop proper Positional Control and skill in the positions of Jiujitsu and also develop the athleticism involved to use speed, strength and endurance to both counter and dominate the scrambles for position that can happen when you lose control of the position, enabling you to use the Mobility Approach when needed and giving you a more well rounded and complete game.
He calls this the Hybrid Game or the "A" game for the simple reasons that it is a combination of both approaches and results in a higher level of performance.
Mr. Camarillo has taken this approach to an Elite level and I believe this approach will become more and more popular.
I believe that the earlier in your training you take this approach the better off your performance will be for it. That is the best time to get into the habit of developing your game to a higher level.
So if you concentrate your game on one of these areas, start making it a habit right now to work not only positional skills but also mobility skills and vice versa.
You'll end up a more complete grappler with your "A" game and you'll have Dave Camarillo to thank.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Demian Maia
In a continuing look at some of the best BJJ players around today, this week, I'd like to discuss this video by Demian Maia.
Demian has made a huge impact on MMA with his BJJ style that he has very well adapted to MMA competition.
One look at his dominant performance against Nate Quarry in their UFC match, and it's obvious how skilled Maia is.
One definite focus of his excellent Instructional series The Science of Jiujitsu, is on the biomechanical details that enable him to fully control and dominate his opponents.
In this excellent short clip on counters, he goes over great detail on techniques on setting up counters your opponent doesn't expect.
Check it out!
As usual just click on the link to view.
Demian has made a huge impact on MMA with his BJJ style that he has very well adapted to MMA competition.
One look at his dominant performance against Nate Quarry in their UFC match, and it's obvious how skilled Maia is.
One definite focus of his excellent Instructional series The Science of Jiujitsu, is on the biomechanical details that enable him to fully control and dominate his opponents.
In this excellent short clip on counters, he goes over great detail on techniques on setting up counters your opponent doesn't expect.
Check it out!
As usual just click on the link to view.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Marcelo Garcia's Arm Drag
Over the next few weeks I'll be looking at some of the top grapplers in the world and examining a key part of their game.
This week we'll be looking at Marcelo Garcia.
The following video demonstrates a key technique that Marcelo has popularized; the arm drag. He shows how to use the arm drag to smoothly take your opponents back.
Pay special attention to how he applies the grip to use the arm drag effectively and take his opponent off balance.
Just click on the link to view the video.
This week we'll be looking at Marcelo Garcia.
The following video demonstrates a key technique that Marcelo has popularized; the arm drag. He shows how to use the arm drag to smoothly take your opponents back.
Pay special attention to how he applies the grip to use the arm drag effectively and take his opponent off balance.
Just click on the link to view the video.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
10 Things Every Grappler Should Know; Part 10
In this last installment of this 10 part article I want to address an extremely important part of effective grappling training, that is making sure you are continually improving.
After so many years training it still amazes me to see how so many people still think there instructor is solely responsible for their improvement just because they pay him.
The truth is that if you want to continuously improve then it is completely up to you.
Do yourself a huge favor and write that last sentence in your training logbook, and if you don't keep one then do us both a favor and unsubscribe to and stop reading my posts because you won't be doing any good and my posts here will be wasted.
That's right, you have to take complete responsibility for your efforts and your results.
If you don't then you will always find someone else to blame when you fail.
So what is the final piece of advice in this 10 part article?
Make a decision to continually improve and take complete responsibility for your improvement and training! It's really that simple.
What are some of the steps you can take?
-Keep a training log! This will eventually become worth it's weight in gold to you and your development.
-Ask questions! Whenever you aren't sure of something or what to do ask. Ask your instructor or your training partners, just make sure you get the answer and act on it. Implement it in your training. For example, let's say you always get caught in armlocks. Find out exactly where you are going wrong, learn the counters and implement them in your training. Make an effort to turn your failures into points of improvement.
-Take notes on all the training info you can find and continually implement it into your training.
-Never accept that you will remain at the same level and ALWAYS look to learn from your mistakes. If you never accept mediocrity from yourself and your performance and always strive for improvement, then I can guarantee you one thing, you will eventually arrive at your goal!
-Buy supplemental instructional material. There are tons of phenomenal instructors putting material out. If I could make just a few suggestions, Demian Maia, Marcelo Garcia, and Saulo Ribiero offer some great instructionals. If you can't afford them, then pool together with some training partners to share the material.
Continual improvement is up to you. Know this and act on it!
Well, I hope you enjoyed this article and feel free to send in your comments, results and thoughts, I'd love to hear from you.
Next week we'll be looking at more video footage.
After so many years training it still amazes me to see how so many people still think there instructor is solely responsible for their improvement just because they pay him.
The truth is that if you want to continuously improve then it is completely up to you.
Do yourself a huge favor and write that last sentence in your training logbook, and if you don't keep one then do us both a favor and unsubscribe to and stop reading my posts because you won't be doing any good and my posts here will be wasted.
That's right, you have to take complete responsibility for your efforts and your results.
If you don't then you will always find someone else to blame when you fail.
So what is the final piece of advice in this 10 part article?
Make a decision to continually improve and take complete responsibility for your improvement and training! It's really that simple.
What are some of the steps you can take?
-Keep a training log! This will eventually become worth it's weight in gold to you and your development.
-Ask questions! Whenever you aren't sure of something or what to do ask. Ask your instructor or your training partners, just make sure you get the answer and act on it. Implement it in your training. For example, let's say you always get caught in armlocks. Find out exactly where you are going wrong, learn the counters and implement them in your training. Make an effort to turn your failures into points of improvement.
-Take notes on all the training info you can find and continually implement it into your training.
-Never accept that you will remain at the same level and ALWAYS look to learn from your mistakes. If you never accept mediocrity from yourself and your performance and always strive for improvement, then I can guarantee you one thing, you will eventually arrive at your goal!
-Buy supplemental instructional material. There are tons of phenomenal instructors putting material out. If I could make just a few suggestions, Demian Maia, Marcelo Garcia, and Saulo Ribiero offer some great instructionals. If you can't afford them, then pool together with some training partners to share the material.
Continual improvement is up to you. Know this and act on it!
Well, I hope you enjoyed this article and feel free to send in your comments, results and thoughts, I'd love to hear from you.
Next week we'll be looking at more video footage.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
10 Things Every Grappler Should Know; Part 9
This week I'll discuss a very difficult topic for some people to grasp, that topic is sensitivity.
Because it is impossible to watch someone demonstrate sensitivity and "feel", it is very difficult to teach.
The only way to truly "learn" it, is through practice and awareness.
Let me begin by first describing what sensitivity is. Quite simply it is the ability to feel what your opponent is doing by physically reading the pressure they are applying through either pushing and pulling motions. On a more complex level it is not only physically reading your opponent but "sensing" what options they might be attempting and reacting to that through previous experience brought on by years of rolling.
If you find this more complex definition confusing, that's ok, it is a more advanced aspect of sensitivity that can only be learned through the experience of sparring against opponents repeatedly.
There are several ways to help develop this skill.
The simplest is to pay close attention to how things feel while doing repetitions of the techniques. Don't just try to memorize the technique, try to feel it.
Another is staying focused while sparring.
Early on in your training, you might find it frustrating while sparring with more advanced practitionners, but try to stay focused on what's happening. It will help you develop sensitivity if you focus on specific cues while your opponents apply techniques on you or while they transition from position to position. Basically you should be aware of what it feels like to have your opponents attempt these techniques, that way you learn to recognize what they are attempting and can possibly prevent it next time by learning the proper counter.
Another tip you can use early on in your training is to close your eyes while doing reps of techniques and while others are repetitioning techniques on you.
While doing this pay close attention to the feel of the technique, again this will help you become familiar with what moves feel like.
This is probably one of the most overlooked aspects of training, especially by beginners. So if you are fairly new to grappling and BJJ pay very special attention to this in your training and it will make a noticeable difference in your game.
Because it is impossible to watch someone demonstrate sensitivity and "feel", it is very difficult to teach.
The only way to truly "learn" it, is through practice and awareness.
Let me begin by first describing what sensitivity is. Quite simply it is the ability to feel what your opponent is doing by physically reading the pressure they are applying through either pushing and pulling motions. On a more complex level it is not only physically reading your opponent but "sensing" what options they might be attempting and reacting to that through previous experience brought on by years of rolling.
If you find this more complex definition confusing, that's ok, it is a more advanced aspect of sensitivity that can only be learned through the experience of sparring against opponents repeatedly.
There are several ways to help develop this skill.
The simplest is to pay close attention to how things feel while doing repetitions of the techniques. Don't just try to memorize the technique, try to feel it.
Another is staying focused while sparring.
Early on in your training, you might find it frustrating while sparring with more advanced practitionners, but try to stay focused on what's happening. It will help you develop sensitivity if you focus on specific cues while your opponents apply techniques on you or while they transition from position to position. Basically you should be aware of what it feels like to have your opponents attempt these techniques, that way you learn to recognize what they are attempting and can possibly prevent it next time by learning the proper counter.
Another tip you can use early on in your training is to close your eyes while doing reps of techniques and while others are repetitioning techniques on you.
While doing this pay close attention to the feel of the technique, again this will help you become familiar with what moves feel like.
This is probably one of the most overlooked aspects of training, especially by beginners. So if you are fairly new to grappling and BJJ pay very special attention to this in your training and it will make a noticeable difference in your game.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The 10 Things Every Grappler Should Know; Part 8
How to Control The Position:
This is probably one of the most important skills you will learn in grappling and Brazilian Jiujitsu in particular.
Knowing how to control the position is the first thing you should be concerned with.
As I've said before in this blog, Position is everything.
Without the ability to control the position, all the submission skills in the world are almost useless.
Controlling the position is paramount if you are to succeed at setting submissions up as well as tiring your opponent out and if practicing MMA, then even more important at using or avoiding strikes and ground and pound.
I remember when I started out, my instructor used to spar with all the students and put us in bad positions like Mount or Knee on Stomach, then would let us squirm to get out and when we were exhausted would give up the position only to regain a superior position over us again and not let us out. He would do this without attemping any submissions to finish us.
Now, although this sounds cruel, the point was quite simply to make us understand the huge importance of controlling the position and escaping the position.
Quite simply with the ability to control the position came the ability to have your opponents at your mercy.
The fact is that most advanced grapplers only use a few basic submissions most of the time. Their skill in combining them is one thing that makes them more effective then those who aren't as advanced but the biggest difference is their ability to control the position better than those less skilled.
Focus your training on this and remember, the speed at which you can apply a submission, the strength you can use to force your opponent or any other factor is great but without position control and dominance, you will never be your best.
This is probably one of the most important skills you will learn in grappling and Brazilian Jiujitsu in particular.
Knowing how to control the position is the first thing you should be concerned with.
As I've said before in this blog, Position is everything.
Without the ability to control the position, all the submission skills in the world are almost useless.
Controlling the position is paramount if you are to succeed at setting submissions up as well as tiring your opponent out and if practicing MMA, then even more important at using or avoiding strikes and ground and pound.
I remember when I started out, my instructor used to spar with all the students and put us in bad positions like Mount or Knee on Stomach, then would let us squirm to get out and when we were exhausted would give up the position only to regain a superior position over us again and not let us out. He would do this without attemping any submissions to finish us.
Now, although this sounds cruel, the point was quite simply to make us understand the huge importance of controlling the position and escaping the position.
Quite simply with the ability to control the position came the ability to have your opponents at your mercy.
The fact is that most advanced grapplers only use a few basic submissions most of the time. Their skill in combining them is one thing that makes them more effective then those who aren't as advanced but the biggest difference is their ability to control the position better than those less skilled.
Focus your training on this and remember, the speed at which you can apply a submission, the strength you can use to force your opponent or any other factor is great but without position control and dominance, you will never be your best.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
10 Things Every Grappler Should Know; Part 7
7) The Importance and Limits of Repetition.
This week let's look at Repetition of Techniques.
Many people will tell you that repetition will lead to the perfection of your techniques. This is only a half-truth.
Yes, repetition IS necessary to develop proper technique however it has it's limits.
I would say that perfect and focused repetition is more productive than repetition alone.
Think about it.
Do you think 1000 reps of the same move will develop your skill as much as 100 reps where there is an effort to get all the details down perfectly as well as stay focused on the details as you're performing them?
I would go with the 100 anyday.
My point here is that although repetition is critical, you can fall into a trap where you waste time and do little for your advancement by aimlessly performing reps.
Stay focused on proper execution, pay attention to the details and make every rep count.
This will take your skills further then doing 10 times the reps poorly.
This week let's look at Repetition of Techniques.
Many people will tell you that repetition will lead to the perfection of your techniques. This is only a half-truth.
Yes, repetition IS necessary to develop proper technique however it has it's limits.
I would say that perfect and focused repetition is more productive than repetition alone.
Think about it.
Do you think 1000 reps of the same move will develop your skill as much as 100 reps where there is an effort to get all the details down perfectly as well as stay focused on the details as you're performing them?
I would go with the 100 anyday.
My point here is that although repetition is critical, you can fall into a trap where you waste time and do little for your advancement by aimlessly performing reps.
Stay focused on proper execution, pay attention to the details and make every rep count.
This will take your skills further then doing 10 times the reps poorly.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
10 Things Every Grappler Should Know; Part 6
How to combine techniques:
Combinations are critical to mounting an advanced and dangerous offense.
By combining several techniques and alternating through them, it becomes very difficult for your opponent to defend against your attacks.
There are several submissions that work very well together, the armlock and triangle choke are two great examples of submissions that can be combined effectively.
In August 2008, I covered Combinations and put up an excellent video of Roy Dean demonstrating effective combinations and how to train them.
If you haven't already seen it, I suggest you check it out.
So to apply this to your training, find two submissions that work well together off of the same position. Make sure you have them down pat and start drilling them in combination.
Then once you're very comfortable with them start using them while sparring.
This will definetely take your game to a higher level.
Combinations are critical to mounting an advanced and dangerous offense.
By combining several techniques and alternating through them, it becomes very difficult for your opponent to defend against your attacks.
There are several submissions that work very well together, the armlock and triangle choke are two great examples of submissions that can be combined effectively.
In August 2008, I covered Combinations and put up an excellent video of Roy Dean demonstrating effective combinations and how to train them.
If you haven't already seen it, I suggest you check it out.
So to apply this to your training, find two submissions that work well together off of the same position. Make sure you have them down pat and start drilling them in combination.
Then once you're very comfortable with them start using them while sparring.
This will definetely take your game to a higher level.
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