November 21, 2007
Grapplearts Winter Sale
I'm hearing Christmas music in the stores and seeing Christmas lights starting to appear on the houses, and that means it's time to start up the annual winter sale at Grapplearts.com. The Grapplearts Video Catalog includes DVDs on sweeps, submissions, MMA training, conditioning videos, etc.
All Grapplearts DVDs have been reduced by at least 20%. In addition, the 'multiple item discount' still applies, so you can save 10% more if you order two DVDs, 15% more if you order three DVDs or 20% more (for a total of 40%) if you order four DVDs or more.
To cap things off, you only pay one flat fee for shipping, regardless of how many DVDs you order. Shipping in the mainland US and Canada is via UPS. For shipping to Alaska and Hawaii and PO boxes I use expedited mail, and internationally I use airmail.
So please check out the sale by clicking here!
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The Twister Vs. The Toehold
Q: You've previously discussed dangerous submissions. Do you think that the twister spine lock is a dangerous submission? How dangerous is the twister compared to other submissions, say something like a toehold.
Stephan's note: Just in case readers aren't familiar with these techniques you can see the twister used by Eddie Bravo many times here and the toehold taught by Chris Leben here.
A: The quick answer is that both submissions (the toehold and the twister) are dangerous.
If you were to collect injury statistics, you would probably find that more people have been hurt by toeholds than by the twister, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the twister is safer. The twister is a great submission - I use it myself whenever I get the chance - but it hasn't really hit the grappling mainstream yet. As such it is less commonly used and it's not surprising that injuries from this submission are still fairly rare.
The thing to remember about a twister is that it is a spine lock, just like other neck cranks, and that the spine, particularly the cervical spine which is targeted by this lock, is a delicate and unforgiving-once-injured body part.
One significant difference between the two techniques is the level of control necessary to apply the submission. The twister requires the victim to be pretty much immobilized and controlled, whereas the toehold can be applied with widely varying amounts of control (depending on the exact entry).
A common toehold injury scenario goes like this: one person applies a toehold on another person, but refrains from cranking it on because he knows that it can be a dangerous submission. The guy caught in the toehold decides to spin out - which is one of the correct counters - but spins in the wrong direction. Before the first person can let go something in the second person's leg goes snap, crackle, pop, and the toehold has claimed another victim.
When caught in the twister, on the other hand, it's very hard for your opponent to move this spastically. People still have egos, and it is very common for people to try and tough their way through a neck crank, only tapping after injury occurs.
I speak from personal and collective experience - neck injuries are no joke! I know a number of grapplers who have had their competitive careers cut short by neck injuries, and others who have quit the sport altogether. Severe neck injuries (or a series of less severe ones) can lead to herniated cervical disks, osteoarthritis, spondylosis, spondylitis, spondylolysis and many other nasty multi-syllabic conditions.
I use both submissions, but I treat them both with a lot of respect. If a person starts thrashing or refusing to tap I try to let go and move on to something else before they injure themselves and deprive me of a training partner.
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Stephan's note: Just in case readers aren't familiar with these techniques you can see the twister used by Eddie Bravo many times here and the toehold taught by Chris Leben here.
A: The quick answer is that both submissions (the toehold and the twister) are dangerous.
If you were to collect injury statistics, you would probably find that more people have been hurt by toeholds than by the twister, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the twister is safer. The twister is a great submission - I use it myself whenever I get the chance - but it hasn't really hit the grappling mainstream yet. As such it is less commonly used and it's not surprising that injuries from this submission are still fairly rare.
The thing to remember about a twister is that it is a spine lock, just like other neck cranks, and that the spine, particularly the cervical spine which is targeted by this lock, is a delicate and unforgiving-once-injured body part.
One significant difference between the two techniques is the level of control necessary to apply the submission. The twister requires the victim to be pretty much immobilized and controlled, whereas the toehold can be applied with widely varying amounts of control (depending on the exact entry).
A common toehold injury scenario goes like this: one person applies a toehold on another person, but refrains from cranking it on because he knows that it can be a dangerous submission. The guy caught in the toehold decides to spin out - which is one of the correct counters - but spins in the wrong direction. Before the first person can let go something in the second person's leg goes snap, crackle, pop, and the toehold has claimed another victim.
When caught in the twister, on the other hand, it's very hard for your opponent to move this spastically. People still have egos, and it is very common for people to try and tough their way through a neck crank, only tapping after injury occurs.
I speak from personal and collective experience - neck injuries are no joke! I know a number of grapplers who have had their competitive careers cut short by neck injuries, and others who have quit the sport altogether. Severe neck injuries (or a series of less severe ones) can lead to herniated cervical disks, osteoarthritis, spondylosis, spondylitis, spondylolysis and many other nasty multi-syllabic conditions.
I use both submissions, but I treat them both with a lot of respect. If a person starts thrashing or refusing to tap I try to let go and move on to something else before they injure themselves and deprive me of a training partner.
Labels: Injuries, leglocks, unorthodox strategies
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Dealing with Daddy Long Legs
Q: Do you have any advice for handling opponents who are tall, long-legged and very flexible?
A: I have had several training partners who were built like daddy long leg spiders and had very good open guards, so yes I do have a strategy to deal with them.
Typically in the open guard his feet (or 'hooks') will be controlling you by pushing on your hips and/or biceps and/or shoulders and/or hooking behind your knees. To pass you need to remove or nullify these hooks - this is often the biggest part of the guard passing battle, but it is a critical step and you can't really continue without it.
Once I've dealt with his hooks I often try to drive his feet up and over his head - I try to plant his knees beside his ears and his feet, folding him in half.
In this folded position most opponents will either: 1) stay there and attempt to reguard, or 2) do a backwards somersault to the turtle position.
If he stays in the folded over position (option 1) I try to control his hips with my body weight by dropping my chest onto his buttocks. This buys me a bit of time to think about my next move, and keeps his long, flexible legs far away from me. There are multiple guard passes and even a few submissions from this position.
If he flips over into the turtle (option 2) I don't mind: at the very least I've managed to change the game from one of passing his guard to one of attacking his turtle. I either try to stabilize him in head-to-head turtle position or spin to his side and attack him from there. On all fours his long, flexible legs are now tucked under him supporting his body, and not entangling me like some amorous octopus. Hopefully your turtle attacks can take it from here...
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A: I have had several training partners who were built like daddy long leg spiders and had very good open guards, so yes I do have a strategy to deal with them.
Typically in the open guard his feet (or 'hooks') will be controlling you by pushing on your hips and/or biceps and/or shoulders and/or hooking behind your knees. To pass you need to remove or nullify these hooks - this is often the biggest part of the guard passing battle, but it is a critical step and you can't really continue without it.
Once I've dealt with his hooks I often try to drive his feet up and over his head - I try to plant his knees beside his ears and his feet, folding him in half.
In this folded position most opponents will either: 1) stay there and attempt to reguard, or 2) do a backwards somersault to the turtle position.
If he stays in the folded over position (option 1) I try to control his hips with my body weight by dropping my chest onto his buttocks. This buys me a bit of time to think about my next move, and keeps his long, flexible legs far away from me. There are multiple guard passes and even a few submissions from this position.
If he flips over into the turtle (option 2) I don't mind: at the very least I've managed to change the game from one of passing his guard to one of attacking his turtle. I either try to stabilize him in head-to-head turtle position or spin to his side and attack him from there. On all fours his long, flexible legs are now tucked under him supporting his body, and not entangling me like some amorous octopus. Hopefully your turtle attacks can take it from here...
Labels: the guard
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November 12, 2007
Keeping the Will to Fight
As is so often the case, Mark Twain said it best: "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." This applies to dogs, grapplers, MMA fighters and jiu-jitsu players alike.
Obviously a grappling match is a physical and technical battle, but having a strong will to win gives you the edge when technical and physical attributes are closely matched. The size of fight in the dog (or the will to fight of the jiu-jitsu practitioner) is not constant however, and sometimes it can disappear altogether. When you're sparring you can sometimes feel the exact moment when your opponent's will to fight slips away. All of a sudden he doesn't want to be there anymore, his movements and techniques lack conviction, and often he offers you easy submissions just to bring the match to an end.
The ebb and flow of your will to fight can be influenced by many things, but the two huge negative factors are 1) exhaustion, and 2) frustration. Both of these factors can absolutely sap your will to fight. In this article we're going to take a look at preventing these fight killers.
1) EXHAUSTION
The most obvious reason for getting exhausted is that you might be out of shape. You don't have to be fat to be out of shape: you might be skinny but if you're not challenging your lungs and muscles at regular intervals then it is unlikely that you're going to be in grappling shape.
What can you do about it? Check out these resources (all are previous articles and tips on Grapplearts.com):
You might be holding your breath while grappling.
and/or
Someone might be blocking you from breathing with their weight - choking your diaphragm. Escaping this often requires bridging, but not really to escape the position. Initially at least your bridging will be more about creating room to shift your body slightly and get his weight off your diaphragm.
and/or
You might be getting smothered, making it hard to breath, leading to exhaustion, leading to your will to fight vanishing.
and/or
You might be freaking out and wasting all your energy due to claustrophobia, a condition often undiagnosed among grapplers. Learn how other grapplers recognized and dealt with this condition.
2) FRUSTRATION
Frustration on the mats is very disheartening: it's hard to keep your spirits up if nothing works, no matter what you do. Severe frustration can be enough to make most of us start doubting our own abilities, and can even make some people throw in the towel altogether.
If you're feeling frustrated because opponent is bigger and stronger than you and nothing you try is working, then check out what I've previously written about this topic:
If you frustrated by your opponent's technique then it might be time to change the rules and confront him on another playing field. Is he an open guard player? How about attacking with leglocks? Does he open your closed guard with ease? Maybe it's time to baffle him with the half guard. You can read more about the concept of using your strengths against his weaknesses here.
Sometimes all you need is to make a little adjustment and your frustration vanishes. A good illustration comes from my own sparring: recently I was trying to escape my training partner's sidemount and things just weren't working at all. I started getting very frustrated with myself and my technique, but then I realized that I was only trying to escape by using lateral hip movements to put him back into my guard. I had been completely ignoring escapes involving bridging and/or coming onto my knees.
On that day I had a uni-dimensional side mount escape game, and this meant meant that my opponent could anticipate and shut down all my escape attempts, resulting in a very frustrated and disheartened Stephan Kesting. As soon as I realized what was going on I faked with lateral hip movement, bridged, turned and turtled. From there I spun and put him in the guard, and immediately started feeling a lot better.
Sometimes (albeit rarely) you will be outclassed on every front: your opponent is bigger, stronger, faster, more conditioned, more flexible and more technical than you. In this case you're allowed to feel frustrated, so long as you take this frustration back to class with you and resolve to develop an unstoppable level of technique.
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Obviously a grappling match is a physical and technical battle, but having a strong will to win gives you the edge when technical and physical attributes are closely matched. The size of fight in the dog (or the will to fight of the jiu-jitsu practitioner) is not constant however, and sometimes it can disappear altogether. When you're sparring you can sometimes feel the exact moment when your opponent's will to fight slips away. All of a sudden he doesn't want to be there anymore, his movements and techniques lack conviction, and often he offers you easy submissions just to bring the match to an end.
The ebb and flow of your will to fight can be influenced by many things, but the two huge negative factors are 1) exhaustion, and 2) frustration. Both of these factors can absolutely sap your will to fight. In this article we're going to take a look at preventing these fight killers.
1) EXHAUSTION
The most obvious reason for getting exhausted is that you might be out of shape. You don't have to be fat to be out of shape: you might be skinny but if you're not challenging your lungs and muscles at regular intervals then it is unlikely that you're going to be in grappling shape.
What can you do about it? Check out these resources (all are previous articles and tips on Grapplearts.com):
- All else being equal, work on your endurance
- 'Cardio' for martial artists
- My default cardio workout
- Going anaerobic, part 1
- Going anaerobic, part 2
- Going anaerobic, part 3
You might be holding your breath while grappling.
and/or
Someone might be blocking you from breathing with their weight - choking your diaphragm. Escaping this often requires bridging, but not really to escape the position. Initially at least your bridging will be more about creating room to shift your body slightly and get his weight off your diaphragm.
and/or
You might be getting smothered, making it hard to breath, leading to exhaustion, leading to your will to fight vanishing.
and/or
You might be freaking out and wasting all your energy due to claustrophobia, a condition often undiagnosed among grapplers. Learn how other grapplers recognized and dealt with this condition.
2) FRUSTRATION
Frustration on the mats is very disheartening: it's hard to keep your spirits up if nothing works, no matter what you do. Severe frustration can be enough to make most of us start doubting our own abilities, and can even make some people throw in the towel altogether.
If you're feeling frustrated because opponent is bigger and stronger than you and nothing you try is working, then check out what I've previously written about this topic:
If you frustrated by your opponent's technique then it might be time to change the rules and confront him on another playing field. Is he an open guard player? How about attacking with leglocks? Does he open your closed guard with ease? Maybe it's time to baffle him with the half guard. You can read more about the concept of using your strengths against his weaknesses here.
Sometimes all you need is to make a little adjustment and your frustration vanishes. A good illustration comes from my own sparring: recently I was trying to escape my training partner's sidemount and things just weren't working at all. I started getting very frustrated with myself and my technique, but then I realized that I was only trying to escape by using lateral hip movements to put him back into my guard. I had been completely ignoring escapes involving bridging and/or coming onto my knees.
On that day I had a uni-dimensional side mount escape game, and this meant meant that my opponent could anticipate and shut down all my escape attempts, resulting in a very frustrated and disheartened Stephan Kesting. As soon as I realized what was going on I faked with lateral hip movement, bridged, turned and turtled. From there I spun and put him in the guard, and immediately started feeling a lot better.
Sometimes (albeit rarely) you will be outclassed on every front: your opponent is bigger, stronger, faster, more conditioned, more flexible and more technical than you. In this case you're allowed to feel frustrated, so long as you take this frustration back to class with you and resolve to develop an unstoppable level of technique.
Labels: conditioning
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The Amazing Dan Inosanto
I have to share this footage of one of my instructors, Dan Inosanto, doing some BJJ sparring. This incredible man is now in his 70's, and I hope I learn to move that smoothly some day... He continues to train, teach and inspire at a pace that would kill most men half his age.
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Labels: teachers
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Stability Ball Training for BJJ
Several months ago I wrote a piece about online grappling drill videos. I recently came across a few other videos that are relevant to that list.
The first features Renato Tavares, a third degree BJJ black belt, and the second features Hywel Teague, the editor of Fighter's Only Magazine
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The first features Renato Tavares, a third degree BJJ black belt, and the second features Hywel Teague, the editor of Fighter's Only Magazine
Labels: conditioning
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