Grappling Tips Newsletter

August 20, 2006

Using Instructional DVDs

Q: "How does one best utilize instructional video tapes and what are the best out there."

A: Let me preface my answer by saying that as someone who spends a lot of time producing and selling instructional grappling DVDs I am not exactly a neutral party! I definitely believe that good instructional videos can significantly improve grappling skills, especially when the viewer is prepared to put in some mat time to work the material.

This being said, I don't think that there is a single best way to use instructional videos.

Sometimes one can watch an entire video and come away with only a single useful technique (or even a single detail of a single technique). Does this make that video worthless? Not always, especially if you end up using that technique on a regular basis.

Some videos are worth watching carefully. A few times I have sat down with a willing training partner, an instructional DVD and my labtop. We then watched the techniques one-by-one, paused the video and practiced the technique several times. For the right video this is a very good way of absorbing the material and I should use this method of study more often. This method is also very useful for kinesthetic learners who need to feel a technique in order to understand it (rather than being shown it or having it explained to them).

The best videos are reference works that one can return to again and again. The first time that you watch a video like this you might come away with some techniques and/or strategies that work really well for you. Eventually, however, your training partners start countering these techniques, and then you can return to the video to find some options, counters and details that allow you to impose your game anyhow. This is I am trying to create when I plan, film and edit my own videos. With this type of video you don't need to watch it from beginning to end every time - you might only want to return to it in order to clarify some point you've forgotten.

Not surprisingly, the most crucial part of absorbing information from a DVD is the willingness to drill the techniques in question, and then try them out in live sparring.

As for which videos are the the best, I really can't answer that question without some serious conflict of interest. I recommend that you check out some DVD review sites and see what the reviewers thought. My favorite independent review sites include:

Whitebelt.org offers video reviews, book reviews and training articles
Submission Fighting UK also has news, forums and articles. To find the video reviews scroll down the right hand side "reviews" in the SFUK info section.
Jersey Shore BJJ has a video review forum with a large archive of reviews

permanent link to this article posted by Stephan @ 9:28 PM

Dealing with Ludicrous Strength

Q: "Do you have any advice on how to deal with guys who are ridiculously strong? I'm not neccessarily referring to grapplers who are bigger than you, I'm referring to guys that are so strong that when they grab you it's like a death grip."

A: I believe that I have already addressed this issue in two previous tips: How to Beat Any Opponent, Honest, and The Larger, Stronger Opponent. Hopefully these two mini-articles will give you some good ideas on what to try when faced with larger grapplers.

permanent link to this article posted by Stephan @ 9:14 PM

MMA Injuries

While I'm referring readers to interesting articles, let me also direct you to another piece which analyzes injuries and injury rate in MMA competition. It seems to confirm a suspicion I have long held that MMA competition is pretty dangerous when it comes to injuries, although your chance of dying is quite small.

Labels: Injuries

permanent link to this article posted by Stephan @ 9:05 PM

Jiu-jitsu Bodyweight Conditioning Routine

If you have ever met or trained with my BJJ coach, Marcus Soares, then you probably know that he considers physical conditioning to be very important for the BJJ fighter. In the newest Grapplearts article Marcus discusses the how, why, where and when of BJJ conditioning. He also shares a bodyweight conditioning routine you can use to get fit anywhere, without any specialized gym equipment.

Labels: conditioning

permanent link to this article posted by Stephan @ 8:28 PM

August 12, 2006

How to Safely Practice Dangerous Leglocks

Q: Given that leglocks are dangerous, how do you train them safely and still have confidence that they will work in a 'live' setting.

A: Although ANY submission is potentially dangerous, cranking someone with a heel hook or toehold can not only end the match, it can end your opponent's athletic career. Go here if you don't know what a heel hook is. . If you don't know what a toehold is, check out the second-last photo in this article about the kneebar.

These two leglocks are dangerous because they are twisting submissions and can severely damage ligaments in the knee and foot. Furthermore, for most submissions the pain starts well before there is any damage to the joint. With twisting leglocks, however, you often don't feel much initial pain: as someone is applying it to you might not feel anything at all, then you might feel a bit of discomfort, and then BANG, you feel a lot of pain because something has popped or torn.

So how do you train these dangerous locks so that you can trust in their effectiveness? My answer has 3 parts:

1 - Master the straight anklelock and the kneebar

When applying 95% of leglocks you end up either facing your opponents head, or facing his feet. The mechanics of controlling your opponent in these two positions are relatively similar whether you are doing a 'safe' straight lock or a 'dangerous' twisting lock.

The straight anklelock teaches you how to control your opponent's legs, body and bodyweight when you are facing his head. The mechanics and techniques to control your opponent in this position translate well to controlling your opponent when attacking with a heel hook (and some variations of the toehold). The kneebar is the cornerstone leglock for learning how to control your opponent when you are facing his feet: once you master the kneebar you will have a lot more confidence maintaining positions where you are facing your opponent's feet while attacking with other techniques (the toehold, for example).

I should emphasize that just because straight anklelocks and kneebars are fairly safe submissions this DOESN'T give you permission to apply them ballistically. At full power and full speed these 'safe' submissions can still screw up someone's joints pretty badly (just like any other jointlock). Apply them with control, and remember it is far better to have someone counter your submission because you were applying it too slowly, rather than injuring them and losing a training partner.

Here are a few resources to help you understand and improve your straight anklelock and kneebar:

2 - Apply dangerous leglocks with control

Most sensible people who want to include toeholds and heelhooks in their grappling practice catch-and-release sparring when it comes to these two submissions. They fight hard to get to the right body position, then hunt for the correct hand position, and then hold the submission loosely (or apply it very slowly and very gently). At this point BOTH PARTNERS STOP MOVING and acknowledge that the submission probably would probably have worked if it had been applied hard and fast.

All that is lacking in this type of sparring is the final explosion into the submission. If you understand how to control your opponent with your legs (by practicing the ankelock and kneebar), and you know how to get to the correct hand position for the heel hook and toehold (by practicing catch-and-release sparring) then you can be fairly certain that your techniques will work in a live situation.

3 - Pick your sparring partners carefully.

Obviously catch-and-release sparring doesn't work if either party is a) too caught up in their ego to stop contesting a lock once it is on, or b) too inexperienced to know that they, or their partner, are in danger. Don't do these leglocks with a newbie, or the class spaz, or the guy who won't tap out unless he hears something pop, or the guy who needs to submit everyone hard and fast.

Labels: leglocks, training

permanent link to this article posted by Stephan @ 9:24 PM

August 06, 2006

Chess and the Mat

Several years ago I posted excerpts from a Peter Gzowski book that took research conducted on chess grandmasters and extrapolated it to sports performance. This article was called The Mind of a Champion.

A recent issue of Scientific American took this analogy much further. In an article called 'The Expert Mind - Become Good at Anything', the author looks at how studies on chess grandmasters have revealed how people become experts in other fields, including music, mathematics, and sports. If you are interested in the science behind becoming an expert, check out the August 2006 issue of Scientific American.

Labels: the mental aspect

permanent link to this article posted by Stephan @ 10:26 PM

The 'Elders' Speak

My newsletter last week about grappling with an aging body generated a fair bit of feedback. Some respondents thanked me for the article (you're welcome). Others called me a candy-ass and that I should work harder and complain less (they were joking, I think).

A few shared their own experiences and lessons learned, and I think it worthwhile to share these insights with the Grapplearts readership. In particular I encourage 'younger' readers (ie under 35) to pay attention to this stuff: first of all Father Time will catch up with you too, and secondly, most of this advice will make you a better grappler regardless of how old you are.

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Jimmy Thompson had this to say:

I have been training in martial arts for over 25 years. i Started Karate at the age of 6, where they put alot of stress on static stretching, and i started BJJ in 1996. I became very flexible, too flexible...I ended up having five knee surgeries before the age of 30! I currently train BJJ 4 days a week, boxing & kickboxing 3 times a week and submission grappling 2 times a week!

The reasons that i have been able to keep up this type of schedule is because i have learned a few things over the years!

1: NO SWEATING = NO STRETCHING! Stay away from static stretching before a brisk warm up. in fact, warm up harder, stretch after class. You gain more benefits from stretching when you are warm and it speeds up your recovery!

2: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Somedays are meant to be either days off or more of a mental work out. Don\'t get caught up in being "a badass", it's counter productive. Alot of us used to be able to go hard all of the time, face the facts, your OLD!

3: STAY AWAY FROM STRONG NEW GUYS! Until they can control themselves, don\'t try to do it for them!

4: HEAL UP FIRST! Small injuries can get to be not so "small" if you don't take the time to let them heal! so many times I see people come back "half recovered", back rolling hard...only to repeat the injury again and again! I have to say that this is the most important when it comes to neck and other spine injuries!

5: BE BASIC! The fundamentals that you learned in your first year, or so, are usually your best bet. Continue to increase the amount of time that you spend in each position, merely making things tight! Make it a game of inches, take it down to halves of inches, eights of inches, etc...pressure, pressure, pressure! Not, go, go, go...take away the space and you take away the speed! One thing i remember when i was about 19 years old was the amount of pressure that Rigan Machado put on me when he was in side control, i wanted to tap! He didn't move fast or work hard, he took what i gave him, and took away all of my space with pure basics!

These are the rules that I follow & I am very rarely hurt. Well, I'm always hurt, rarely injured!

Roll safe!

Jimmy Thompson
T-Town MMA
www.ttownmma.com
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Martin W. shares 6 secrets he uses to remain competitive in his fourties:

I fight differently than I used to. New guys waste a lot of energy. I can get someone in my guard quickly and they will expend far more energy trying to pass than I will keeping them in.
I am extremely cautious in allowing myself to get in a compromised position and having to work extra hard to get out. I will scramble hard to prevent someone from getting side control or mount. I fight really hard during the scramble, then lower my rpm's at different points in the fight.
I close my eyes a lot when I fight. There are many times during a 6 minute sparring session where I am extremely relaxed and keeping my eyes closed makes me very relaxed. It is something I just shut off and on. During a fast, short and tough scramble for position, I am 110% going hard with my eyes open. But when we are tied up, and we are both fighting for minute, tiny advantages my eyes are closed. I fight kind of on and off the whole time. It is also unnerving to an opponent. They don't know if you are tired, or playing possum, or on drugs. :)
My strategy is different. I have found that a lot of guys work hard to get the mount, then they don't really know what to do once they get there. Or they can't keep it very well, or their armbar attempts are lousy. Sometimes I won't worry that much about an aggressive guy fight for the mount. He fights like the mount is the ultimate goal. I let him get it, then reverse him. The guy works really hard to get the mount and uses all hisenergy.
You are right about sleep. It is crucial. I try not to overtrain. I try to train 3 times a week, jog and lift a little once or twice a week and take off once or twice a week according to how I feel.
Stretching. I stretch every morning and every night. Many times during the day also when I am working on the computer. I find that stretching the legs and hips are the most beneficial. I am constantly working to try and do the splits, some days are really close, then other days, not so close. It's funny, all animals naturally stretch, but a lot of people don't. It helps circulation, flexibility, makes wrestling easier, and can really help prevent injury.

That's it. That's my two cents.

-Martin Walker

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Eric G. talks about preventing joint problems:

I am 43 years old and have been involved in martial arts for over 21 years - the past 10 in BJJ. I have developed arthritis in my right hip due to injuries that I didn't take care of, and until recently I sparred hard every training session (3x a week). I have lost a great deal of flexibility and comfort in my right hip, so, I am re-learning BJJ with a handicap. The hip problem not only effects my injured hip but my other hip and back. Putting my socks on in the morning is a challenge now. It's not something I wish on anyone.

I did karate for ten years which involved a lot of leg work, so, my muscles around my hip stayed strong. My only workout for the past several years has been BJJ (and I have been stuck in desk job) and I use to think that BJJ was a great workout, but it has some problems on maintaining overall muscle development. I am learning this the hard way.

For hip therapy, I am seeing a chiropractor once a week for PT and a doctor every three weeks for Prolotherapy. As result of the therapy, I have come to realize that I have allowed some muscles to atrophy to the point that the joints have become loose which in turn allowed the hip joint injury which lead to the arthritic problems.

Some things I would recommend to all martial art practitioners, of any age, to ward off joint problems are:

Warm up and stretch lightly before each practice or exercise session.
Do some kind of strength training that keeps all the muscles strongalong with your training.
Do a complete and thorough stretch immediately following practice or exercise.
Don't overtrain.
If it hurts, don't work it out and seek the advice of a trainedhealth professional.

To the young guys, I say injuries are cumulative, so, don't let being young lull you into thinking you won't have problems later if you injure something now. The neglect you show today will haunt you tomorrow.

Eric G.

Labels: Injuries, older grapplers

permanent link to this article posted by Stephan @ 8:40 PM

August 05, 2006

The Aging Grappler

The following question was submitted by a subscriber of the Grapplearts newsletter.

Q: What are your views on the 'aging grappler' who tries to keep rolling into his thirties and forties? What are some limitations and injuries to watch out for?

A: As an 'aging grappler' myself (at thirty seven years old) this is a topic near to my heart. I have found that I can work out just as hard as when I was young, but that it takes longer to recover from a tough workout. Recovery is heavily affected by hormones, and an older grappler just doesn't have as high levels of testosterone, growth hormone and other hormonal factors to recover as fast as some twenty-year-old punk.

So what is a thirty, forty or fifty-something grappler to do? As I prepare to rattle off some suggestions I am reminded of the old joke which goes: "take my advice, I'm not using it". If I followed my own advice rigorously then I'd be in bed right now preparing for tomorrow's training session rather than typing this newsletter...

1 - Don't train hard every class, especially if you are training often. If each sparring session is a battle to the death then you won't recover in time for your next class. If you are always compounding incomplete recovery with more incomplete recovery, then overtraining, injury and illness become certainties, not possibilities.

2 - Pay attention to recovery, especially after harder training sessions. One reason that pro fighters and other young whelps can train so much is that they usually have the luxury of sleeping in, as well as taking naps during the day. This added sleep is a surefire way to recovering faster from workouts.

Now I realize that people with full time jobs and/or family obligations are unlikely to be able to sleep 9+ hours a night, and take naps whenever they are tired. At the very least try to get somewhere around 8 hours of sleep when you are training hard.

Pre and post exercise nutrition is also a huge factor in muscle recovery. A sportsdrink right before you work out, and a protein-carb drink immediately afterwards, willhelp you recover faster.

3 - Accept that you are in it for the long haul, and that there will be good days and bad days, hard days and easy days. The performance of older athletes isn't determined by how hard they train on a given day, but rather by the cumulative results of years of training.

4 - Consider doing some weight training once or twice a week, IF you can do it without overtraining. Careful weightlifting can help prevent injuries by strengthening muscles, ligaments and bones, and less injuries mean faster improvement on the mat.

5 - Take inspiration from the athletes who have performed at incredibly high levels at age 40+. Randy Couture is an obvious example, becoming the UFC's Light-Heavyweight Champion at age 40. Fred Hatfield was the first man to squat a mind-boggling 1000 pounds, and he did it at fourty-five years of age!

6 - Remember that strength and endurance are finite, but that there is no end to technique. High levels of technique CAN overcome youthful energy and enthusiasm, so ask questions, analyze deeply and study hard.