May 29, 2009
Beginning BJJ Tips and Behind-the-Scenes at a DVD Shoot
In case you missed it, the videos created and sent in by readers with their best advice for BJJ beginners are now all available on Grapplearts.com.
And just for fun I put some behind-the-scenes pics from a recent DVD filming sessions up on Facebook. Click here to see those pictures.
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, grapplearts
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Two Interviews
The Michael Jen InterviewWhether it's because of following his posts on mma.tv, or being influenced by his trend-setting instructional videos early in my BJJ career, I feel like I've known Michael Jen for a long time even though I've never actually met him!
Michael combines a meticulous approach to technique with iconoclastic thinking, and I've now got a short interview with him up on Grapplearts.com.
The Jon Chaimberg Interview
Late last night I finally managed to interview Jon Chaimberg who is GSP's conditioning coach. I quizzed him mercilessly about the techniques, details and philosophy of MMA conditioning; in fact I don't think I've ever done such an in-depth interview!
As you may recall, before I did this interview I asked you guys what you wanted me to ask him. Thanks to everyone who contributed - I think I managed to sneak about 80 to 90% of your questions.
Give me a little while to get it transcribed and/or posted as a podcast. I'll keep you posted!
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, conditioning, interviews
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Upcoming Seminars
Although I really enjoy teaching seminars, I don't teach very many of them. And when I do, they're usually small and close to home. Well in the next couple of months I'm turning that all on it's head.
On June 3rd 2009 I'll be teaching a leglock workshop in Toronto Ontario. It's a small space, so it will be limited to twenty participants. Register by emailing classes@openmat.ca or call Billy @ 647 269-8466.
And on July 11th and 12th 2009 I'm hosting the first Grapplearts Summer Seminar in Vancouver BC. I'm still putting the curriculum together for this one, but I want to cover a lot of the new material I'm using on the mats and have never taught on any of my DVDs. More about this one soon.
Labels: grapplearts, seminars
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May 25, 2009
Why You MUST Sometimes Kick It Into High Gear
One of the best, and worst, things about grappling is that the feedback is quick, direct and brutally honest.
Take ANY technique - be it an armbar, a guard pass or a pin escape - it's easy to find out if you're doing it right: just go out and try it in sparring! If your new killer technique is a big flop and you get crushed, then you've got some additional work to do, don't you?
This process is a great motivator, but it can also be hard on the old ego sometimes. So, as we get more experienced as grapplers, we often start using little tricks to save our egos from the ravages of all this brutally honest feedback.
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Take ANY technique - be it an armbar, a guard pass or a pin escape - it's easy to find out if you're doing it right: just go out and try it in sparring! If your new killer technique is a big flop and you get crushed, then you've got some additional work to do, don't you?
This process is a great motivator, but it can also be hard on the old ego sometimes. So, as we get more experienced as grapplers, we often start using little tricks to save our egos from the ravages of all this brutally honest feedback.
One of these tricks is to ALWAYS go easy when you're sparring. If you're never really trying your best then it gives you wiggle room to make excuses.
"Sure he passed my guard, but I was only going at 50%..."
Well what if you go 100% and your opponent STILL passes your guard. Wouldn't that tell you something about the state of your guard game?
Now I'm the last person to say that you should go full throttle every time you spar. In fact, if you go hard every time then you're going to overtrain and get injured. But the reverse is also bad: if you go easy every time then you're never exposing your skills to the harsh light of reality...
"Sure he passed my guard, but I was only going at 50%..."
Well what if you go 100% and your opponent STILL passes your guard. Wouldn't that tell you something about the state of your guard game?
Now I'm the last person to say that you should go full throttle every time you spar. In fact, if you go hard every time then you're going to overtrain and get injured. But the reverse is also bad: if you go easy every time then you're never exposing your skills to the harsh light of reality...
So, on some days you just have to grit your teeth and tell yourself that NO-ONE is going to pass your guard today, or that you WILL tap someone out with your new technique. Making this commitment ahead of time focuses the mind wonderfully.
Always going easy with your students is a common trap that coaches fall into. When someone is sparring in coaching mode then they usually give their student/opponent room to escape their pins and submissions, and maybe even feed them the opportunity to apply their own submissions.
This is very kind and considerate. I do this myself some of the time.
But...
Once in a while put the coaching to one side and concentrate on your own training.
I have a friend Ritchie who teaches BJJ and MMA. He has a tongue-in-cheek way of describing this mindset. On days when he's going to spar with intention he calls it being "Ritchie the a$$hole." Of course this doesn't mean that he uses full power heel hooks, or malicious techniques like driving his chin into his opponent's eye socket.
But still, on those days he's out to pin and submit everybody!
Always going easy with your students is a common trap that coaches fall into. When someone is sparring in coaching mode then they usually give their student/opponent room to escape their pins and submissions, and maybe even feed them the opportunity to apply their own submissions.
This is very kind and considerate. I do this myself some of the time.
But...
Once in a while put the coaching to one side and concentrate on your own training.
I have a friend Ritchie who teaches BJJ and MMA. He has a tongue-in-cheek way of describing this mindset. On days when he's going to spar with intention he calls it being "Ritchie the a$$hole." Of course this doesn't mean that he uses full power heel hooks, or malicious techniques like driving his chin into his opponent's eye socket.
But still, on those days he's out to pin and submit everybody!
By never going into high gear you always have an excuse for your technique failing. That might make it easier on your ego, but it's also going to hold you back from making progress.
Labels: teaching, the mental aspect, training
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May 17, 2009
Gi? No-Gi? Self Defense? MMA? No Problem!
There's a long-standing debate in the grappling community whether training with the gi helps your no-gi skills.
My personal preference is to train both with and without the gi.
And for what it's worth, MMA super-coach Ricardo Liborio believes that anyone just starting out should train with the gi, even if their ultimate goal is to fight in MMA. (This is discussed further in BJJ Secrets for MMA, a resource available to Grappling Tips newsletter subscribers).
But today I actually want to focus on something slightly different...
Let's assume that you're interested in BOTH gi and no-gi. Or that you're planning on doing some MMA sparring at some point. Or that you'd like your BJJ skills transfer well in a self defense situation
In this case you should be aware that some styles of BJJ translate much better to no-gi than others.
For example, the traditional sleeve and collar grip from closed guard works great in gi-based BJJ, but translates very poorly to no-gi. You just don't have the same handles available to you when you're wearing a rashguard and board shorts.
A good set of grips, but only WITH the gi...
A lot of great BJJ players have gotten pounded in MMA, because they were so reliant on the gi. Without their familiar handles were unable to control their opponent's posture in guard, and if you can't control posture and distance in the guard then you're to get smoked in the head for sure!
Now there's nothing wrong with gi-dependent moves, so long as
1. You're focussing on gi grappling or gi-based competition, or
2. you have enough time to develop a no-gi game that looks entirely different from your gi game
If you don't have the time to develop two entirely different games then what you want is a game that works both in gi and no-gi contexts. For example, maybe specializing in a double-sleeve grip spider guard might not be the best idea...
Instead using grips like the underhook, the overhook and head control would much better. That's because these grips work great both with AND without the gi.
The point is to make most of your game as transferable as possible!
So here's your homework.
If you train with the gi more than 50% of the time, then go through your best offensive and defensive moves for each of the fundamental BJJ positions. Now ask yourself whether those moves are gi-dependent or gi-independent.
If more than half of your moves are reliant on the gi then I predict that making the jump to no-gi grappling could be a rough and difficult process.
In the end, of course, it's entirely YOUR decision how reliant you want to be on the gi. Just be conscious about the consequences of your decision, that's all...
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My personal preference is to train both with and without the gi.
And for what it's worth, MMA super-coach Ricardo Liborio believes that anyone just starting out should train with the gi, even if their ultimate goal is to fight in MMA. (This is discussed further in BJJ Secrets for MMA, a resource available to Grappling Tips newsletter subscribers).
But today I actually want to focus on something slightly different...
Let's assume that you're interested in BOTH gi and no-gi. Or that you're planning on doing some MMA sparring at some point. Or that you'd like your BJJ skills transfer well in a self defense situation
In this case you should be aware that some styles of BJJ translate much better to no-gi than others.
For example, the traditional sleeve and collar grip from closed guard works great in gi-based BJJ, but translates very poorly to no-gi. You just don't have the same handles available to you when you're wearing a rashguard and board shorts.
A good set of grips, but only WITH the gi...A lot of great BJJ players have gotten pounded in MMA, because they were so reliant on the gi. Without their familiar handles were unable to control their opponent's posture in guard, and if you can't control posture and distance in the guard then you're to get smoked in the head for sure!
Now there's nothing wrong with gi-dependent moves, so long as
1. You're focussing on gi grappling or gi-based competition, or
2. you have enough time to develop a no-gi game that looks entirely different from your gi game
If you don't have the time to develop two entirely different games then what you want is a game that works both in gi and no-gi contexts. For example, maybe specializing in a double-sleeve grip spider guard might not be the best idea...
Instead using grips like the underhook, the overhook and head control would much better. That's because these grips work great both with AND without the gi.
The point is to make most of your game as transferable as possible!
So here's your homework.
If you train with the gi more than 50% of the time, then go through your best offensive and defensive moves for each of the fundamental BJJ positions. Now ask yourself whether those moves are gi-dependent or gi-independent.
If more than half of your moves are reliant on the gi then I predict that making the jump to no-gi grappling could be a rough and difficult process.
In the end, of course, it's entirely YOUR decision how reliant you want to be on the gi. Just be conscious about the consequences of your decision, that's all...
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May 16, 2009
Box a fighter, fight a boxer
"Box a fighter, and fight a boxer." This old saying isn't only limited to boxing - you can use the very same principle in grappling, jiu-jitsu and MMA.
In a competition, or a 'serious' match you DON'T want to play the other guy's game. His game is what he's good at.
Your goal, instead, should be to change the rules of the duel.
Here are some concrete examples and suggestions to illustrate what I'm talking about:
Usually this will also be a technique or strategy that he doesn't expect, or a situation that he isn't faced with in training very often.
Hit 'em where they least expect it. And where they leastdefend it!
In a competition, or a 'serious' match you DON'T want to play the other guy's game. His game is what he's good at.
Your goal, instead, should be to change the rules of the duel.
Here are some concrete examples and suggestions to illustrate what I'm talking about:
- Does your opponent have a killer guard game? If so, then maybe YOU should pull guard on HIM, even if that's not your normal gameplan. Alternately you could start setting up a leglock attack.
- Is your opponent super strong and powerful? Maybe it's time to switch to a mobility-based game.
- Does he come from a 'traditional' BJJ school? Well then leglock him silly, or use positions that come from other grappling arts.
- Maybe your opponent is known for his powerful grips and collar choke attacks - if so, I would strongly recommend standing guard passes.
- Etc.
Usually this will also be a technique or strategy that he doesn't expect, or a situation that he isn't faced with in training very often.
Hit 'em where they least expect it. And where they leastdefend it!
Labels: leglocks, the guard, unorthodox strategies
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May 08, 2009
breath, breath, BRIDGE!!
One of the things I talk about in my Beginning BJJ eCourse is the importance of not telegraphing your moves, particularly your explosive escapes, by holding your breath.
Now this lesson led to many interesting conversations, including one with Mr. Will Wood, who trains with Garrett Erickson.
Here's what Will said:
"Something I find common is guys bridge and start their escape on the third big breath. One big breath, second big breath, third breath - BRIDGE!!!!!
I have gotten into the habit of slightly shifting my position after the second breath. In most cases their bridge escape could have worked but it breaks their concentration long enough to make them hesitate and restart.
Talk about burning some energy!
As a 41 year old little guy (5'7 and 165 lbs) I have to use the biggest muscle - the brain."
Much as a 'tell' in poker gives other experienced players at the table an advantage, picking up on subtle clues like this can help you dominate larger and stronger opponents on the mat.
Getting good at BJJ requires you to become a bit of a mind-reader. There's nothing mystical about it. You just have to consistently work at developing the sensitivity that allows you to notice, and then take advantage of, the subtle clues that your opponent is giving you all the time.
So first work on your subtlety and sensitivity. Then, as Conan might say, use those refined attributes and "crush your enemies, see them driven before you..."
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Now this lesson led to many interesting conversations, including one with Mr. Will Wood, who trains with Garrett Erickson.
Here's what Will said:
"Something I find common is guys bridge and start their escape on the third big breath. One big breath, second big breath, third breath - BRIDGE!!!!!
I have gotten into the habit of slightly shifting my position after the second breath. In most cases their bridge escape could have worked but it breaks their concentration long enough to make them hesitate and restart.
Talk about burning some energy!
As a 41 year old little guy (5'7 and 165 lbs) I have to use the biggest muscle - the brain."
Much as a 'tell' in poker gives other experienced players at the table an advantage, picking up on subtle clues like this can help you dominate larger and stronger opponents on the mat.
Getting good at BJJ requires you to become a bit of a mind-reader. There's nothing mystical about it. You just have to consistently work at developing the sensitivity that allows you to notice, and then take advantage of, the subtle clues that your opponent is giving you all the time.
So first work on your subtlety and sensitivity. Then, as Conan might say, use those refined attributes and "crush your enemies, see them driven before you..."
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May 06, 2009
Study Time
Today I want to talk about a very useful tool for intermediate and advanced-level grapplers.
The idea is to create study blocks where you focus on a single topic. During this time you basically take one aspect of grappling, and beat it to death with a large stick!
How long you do this for can vary, but typically it will range anywhere from one week to two months. It depends on a number of factors, including
Maintaining and attacking from the mount position - for example - is a pretty big topic. Two months of focussing on this this would be a pretty good start, but in some ways it would only be scratching the surface.
On the other hand, if your goal was to get better at finishing the armbar when your opponent is clasping his hands together, then that's not a huge project. (It would, however, require you to find people to train this with you over and over).
For purposes of discussion, let's pick a big topic. For example, let's say that your goal is to get better at escaping from side mount.
So now what do you actually do during your side-mount-escape study block?
The most important change would be starting most, or all, of your sparring sessions trapped in side mount. When a new round begins, or if someone taps out, then you go back to the bottom of side mount and suffer some more.
On top of this you should also dedicate some time to repetition and drilling of the core techniques that you use to escape sidemount. Twenty, thirty, fifty repetitions per technique, per class. (But I'll be the first to admit that finding a training partner to do this with isn't easy...).
Additionally you should also be researching different techniques, concepts and details for the topic in question. You can acquire this information in many different ways, including:
Give it a try!
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The idea is to create study blocks where you focus on a single topic. During this time you basically take one aspect of grappling, and beat it to death with a large stick!
How long you do this for can vary, but typically it will range anywhere from one week to two months. It depends on a number of factors, including
- How narrow or focussed your topic is
- How many times a week you train
- How fast you learn
- Whether you have the self-discipline to focus on a topic for a lengthy time
- etc.
Maintaining and attacking from the mount position - for example - is a pretty big topic. Two months of focussing on this this would be a pretty good start, but in some ways it would only be scratching the surface.
On the other hand, if your goal was to get better at finishing the armbar when your opponent is clasping his hands together, then that's not a huge project. (It would, however, require you to find people to train this with you over and over).
For purposes of discussion, let's pick a big topic. For example, let's say that your goal is to get better at escaping from side mount.
So now what do you actually do during your side-mount-escape study block?
The most important change would be starting most, or all, of your sparring sessions trapped in side mount. When a new round begins, or if someone taps out, then you go back to the bottom of side mount and suffer some more.
On top of this you should also dedicate some time to repetition and drilling of the core techniques that you use to escape sidemount. Twenty, thirty, fifty repetitions per technique, per class. (But I'll be the first to admit that finding a training partner to do this with isn't easy...).
Additionally you should also be researching different techniques, concepts and details for the topic in question. You can acquire this information in many different ways, including:
- Asking your instructor what you're doing wrong in that subject area, and suggest some techniques for you to use.
- Asking your sparring partners for feedback and suggestions
- Reading books on the topic (there's been an explosion of good BJJ books recently).
- Watching instructional DVDs - there's probably several on the topic you're working on.
- Searching Youtube for instructional clips and/or footage of matches where your specific techniques were actually used by high level competitors.
- Posting your questions on internet forums, or just reading what other people have written on the topic.
Give it a try!
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May 01, 2009
MMA and BJJ Podcasts
Getting stuck in traffic is a fact of life when you live in a big city, and usually it's a giant waste of time. For the last couple of years, though, I've been using a secret weapon that makes my time in the car much more enjoyable - downloadable podcasts.
Podcasts and portable mp3 players have totally changed my commute and significantly increased my quality of life. Certain time slots, which used to be mind-numbing and boring, are now interesting and intellectually stimulating.
I listen to a wide variety of podcasts covering topics from MMA to history to science to current events shows.
You can listen to all these shows on your computer, but if you have an iPod or other mp3 player then you can upload these files to it and listen to the the shows at any point.
Here are some podcasts to get you started. You can check out hundreds of thousands of categorized episodes using iTunes or other podcast aggregators.
SHERDOG RADIO
Grapplearts was featured last weekend on the Sherdog Radio Network (which consists of several different shows).
In the MMA Sunday School segment I chatted to Scott Holmes and Rodney Dean about the genesis and inspiration for the Grapplearts iPhone application. If you're interested, my segment is at about the 31 minute mark.
FIGHTWORKS PODCAST
I also have a soft spot in my heart for the Fightworks Podcast, at least partially because they've had me on the show a couple of times.
The first time was a Stephan Kesting feature interview, and the second interview was specifically about leglocks in BJJ, MMA and submission grappling.
MMA RING REPORT
Arnold Lim from MMA Ring Report has conducted some great interviews with MMA fighters, promoters and trainers.
TVO BIG IDEAS
I don't only listen to MMA podcasts. In fact, I'd say the majority of what I listen to is only indirectly related to MMA. One of my favorites is TVO's Big Ideas program, which broadcasts some really good lectures too on a variety of topics.
In a recent Big Ideas podcast, for example, I really learned a lot about the science of stretching, stuff that's directly applicable to improving my grappling skills and remaining injury-free.
As we've discussed before, it turns out that the benefits of stretching aren't exactly as cut and dried as your High school football coach would've liked you to believe.
Stretching probably only improves performance in sports that require flexibility; the classic example being gymnastics or figure skating. However our sport - grappling - also requires a lot of flexibility and thus stretching is probably a very good thing.
HARDCORE HISTORY
I've also got to mention Hardcore History by Dan Carlin. This podcast has nothing at all to do with grappling or MMA (other than having a strong focus on military history).
I like it so much that I've been trying to think of a clever angle to talk about this show in my newsletter, but I couldn't come up with a plausible connection. For now I'm just going to tell you that it's really good.
My favorite episode in that series is Episode 12 - Steppe Stories, which takes a look at the long and bloody history of the Scythians, Mongols, Huns, Turks and other peoples who came rampaging out of the Central Asian steppe
ONE MORE
Do yourself a favor and check out some TED Talks on a topic that interests you (they include science, arts and design, politics, education, culture, business, global issues, technology and development, and entertainment).
You can download TED Talks either in video or audio-only format.
YOUR TURN!
I'm interested in finding out what you guys are listening to - maybe I'll discover something new.
So if you have a favorite MMA, BJJ or submission grappling podcast then send me then link. I'll post reader favorites in a future newsletter.
bookmark this! del.icio.us | Digg it | reddit | Yahoo MyWeb | Google | StumbleUpon
Podcasts and portable mp3 players have totally changed my commute and significantly increased my quality of life. Certain time slots, which used to be mind-numbing and boring, are now interesting and intellectually stimulating.
I listen to a wide variety of podcasts covering topics from MMA to history to science to current events shows.
You can listen to all these shows on your computer, but if you have an iPod or other mp3 player then you can upload these files to it and listen to the the shows at any point.
Here are some podcasts to get you started. You can check out hundreds of thousands of categorized episodes using iTunes or other podcast aggregators.
SHERDOG RADIO
Grapplearts was featured last weekend on the Sherdog Radio Network (which consists of several different shows).
In the MMA Sunday School segment I chatted to Scott Holmes and Rodney Dean about the genesis and inspiration for the Grapplearts iPhone application. If you're interested, my segment is at about the 31 minute mark.
FIGHTWORKS PODCAST
I also have a soft spot in my heart for the Fightworks Podcast, at least partially because they've had me on the show a couple of times.
The first time was a Stephan Kesting feature interview, and the second interview was specifically about leglocks in BJJ, MMA and submission grappling.
MMA RING REPORT
Arnold Lim from MMA Ring Report has conducted some great interviews with MMA fighters, promoters and trainers.
TVO BIG IDEAS
I don't only listen to MMA podcasts. In fact, I'd say the majority of what I listen to is only indirectly related to MMA. One of my favorites is TVO's Big Ideas program, which broadcasts some really good lectures too on a variety of topics.
In a recent Big Ideas podcast, for example, I really learned a lot about the science of stretching, stuff that's directly applicable to improving my grappling skills and remaining injury-free.
As we've discussed before, it turns out that the benefits of stretching aren't exactly as cut and dried as your High school football coach would've liked you to believe.
Stretching probably only improves performance in sports that require flexibility; the classic example being gymnastics or figure skating. However our sport - grappling - also requires a lot of flexibility and thus stretching is probably a very good thing.
HARDCORE HISTORY
I've also got to mention Hardcore History by Dan Carlin. This podcast has nothing at all to do with grappling or MMA (other than having a strong focus on military history).
I like it so much that I've been trying to think of a clever angle to talk about this show in my newsletter, but I couldn't come up with a plausible connection. For now I'm just going to tell you that it's really good.
My favorite episode in that series is Episode 12 - Steppe Stories, which takes a look at the long and bloody history of the Scythians, Mongols, Huns, Turks and other peoples who came rampaging out of the Central Asian steppe
ONE MORE
Do yourself a favor and check out some TED Talks on a topic that interests you (they include science, arts and design, politics, education, culture, business, global issues, technology and development, and entertainment).
You can download TED Talks either in video or audio-only format.
YOUR TURN!
I'm interested in finding out what you guys are listening to - maybe I'll discover something new.
So if you have a favorite MMA, BJJ or submission grappling podcast then send me then link. I'll post reader favorites in a future newsletter.
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, MMA, podcasts
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