April 12, 2010
Tips for Female Grapplers
Recently I've received a flood of emails from women and smaller men, wanting to know how to deal with larger, stronger opponents.
The thing is that - at 200+ lbs myself - I'm NOT the best person to address these questions. Of course I've had to deal with a few huge steroid monsters who outweighed me by 100+ lbs, but those were the exception, not the rule.
So my solution was to draft the ever-eloquent grappler Krista Scott-Dixon from Stumptuous.com. Weighing in at a massive 113 lbs Krista deals with larger stronger opponents almost every time she steps onto the mat. And to figure out how to survive and thrive on the mats despite this inequality she's picked the brains of some of the best smaller grapplers in the business!
Over the last couple of days Krista has put together a really good piece called Tips for Female Grapplers for you. It's got tips, techniques, principles and lots of practical advice for the smaller grapplers among us. I really enjoyed it, and I'm sure you will too!
Labels: bjj, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, submission grappling, women
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April 04, 2010
BJJ Training in Brazil
Have you ever wanted to go and train in the homeland of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
An former training partner of mine recently shared his experiences of training BJJ in Brazil at the Carlson Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro, including some of the differences in training styles between typical North American schools and Brazilian schools. Check out the article - it's pretty inspiring!
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An former training partner of mine recently shared his experiences of training BJJ in Brazil at the Carlson Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro, including some of the differences in training styles between typical North American schools and Brazilian schools. Check out the article - it's pretty inspiring!
Labels: bjj, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Carlson Gracie, Rio de Janeiro
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October 09, 2009
The Chimpass, aka the Sao Paulo, Tozi, or Wilson Reis Pass
There's a relatively new, somewhat unorthodox guard pass that's become popular in the last year or so. Depending on who you talk to, it's called the "Sao Paulo Pass", the "Wilson Reis Pass", or the "Roberto Tozi pass".
The bad news is that I'm NOT an expert at this guard pass (yet). This means that I'm not the best person to break it down for you.
Heres's part 1 of the Chimpass (www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMfKdjf0A2g)
and here's part 2 (www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQxCVjyVjlQ)
The funny thing is that I actually came across a complaint on the internet about the two videos I recommended above. Specifically, the person was complaining that it took Justin 17 and a half minutes to explain a single technique.
I hope that the complainant is a beginner, because that'd be a pretty silly statement if he or she had more than a couple of months of actual training...
To master a technique you have to rip it apart. You've got to understand all the little steps, adjustments and details that makes the technique work. Then you have to be able to verbalize and articulate what you do and why you do it.
From that perspective, taking 17 and a half minutes to teach a single technique is a GREAT thing. I wish that every technique I learned was shown to me with that level of detail.
P.S. If you want a different perspective on the same guard pass, check out this post on the dutchassasinbjj blog.
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The bad news is that I'm NOT an expert at this guard pass (yet). This means that I'm not the best person to break it down for you.
The good news is that there's a great explanation of this pass online by Justin 'ChimChim' Garcia. With tongue firmly planted in cheek he calls it the "ChimPass," but it's the exact same pass, with a few of his own adjustments:
Heres's part 1 of the Chimpass (www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMfKdjf0A2g)
and here's part 2 (www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQxCVjyVjlQ)
The funny thing is that I actually came across a complaint on the internet about the two videos I recommended above. Specifically, the person was complaining that it took Justin 17 and a half minutes to explain a single technique.
I hope that the complainant is a beginner, because that'd be a pretty silly statement if he or she had more than a couple of months of actual training...
To master a technique you have to rip it apart. You've got to understand all the little steps, adjustments and details that makes the technique work. Then you have to be able to verbalize and articulate what you do and why you do it.
From that perspective, taking 17 and a half minutes to teach a single technique is a GREAT thing. I wish that every technique I learned was shown to me with that level of detail.
P.S. If you want a different perspective on the same guard pass, check out this post on the dutchassasinbjj blog.
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, ChimChim, guard passes, Sao Paulo guard pass, submission grappling
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September 28, 2009
The Most Important Thing For Improving Your Grappling
You know, I used to think that if I just learned enough ways to pass the guard, mastered enough submissions, memorized enough pin escapes, pick up enough guard sweeps, received enough tactics and just had enough techniques at my fingertips, then... someday... I would master the art of grappling.
Techniques, techniques, techniques! I was pretty sure that these were the critical things to learn. Well, guess what? When I look back on my grappling journey it's obvious that my greatest successes and most exciting breakthroughs all had one thing in common.
And it was never about learning a new technique.
Instead the biggest leaps forward were those suddent insights when, all of a sudden, you see that a whole bunch of different and seemingly unconnected techniques are just different expressions of the same underlying principle.
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Techniques, techniques, techniques! I was pretty sure that these were the critical things to learn. Well, guess what? When I look back on my grappling journey it's obvious that my greatest successes and most exciting breakthroughs all had one thing in common.
And it was never about learning a new technique.
Instead the biggest leaps forward were those suddent insights when, all of a sudden, you see that a whole bunch of different and seemingly unconnected techniques are just different expressions of the same underlying principle.
Some people call these 'ah ha' moments. The light goes on, something falls into place, and you can never look at something in quite the same way ever again.
Breakthrough moments like these have been on my mind a lot recently. (In fact this is the main reason I put together my online Grappling Concepts course. What I'm doing in that course is distilling my most important 'ah ha' moments in grappling, and passing them on to you.)
But regardless of whether you sign up for that course or not, today I want to talk to you about the power of concepts.
By the end of this email I want you to be convinced that concepts and principles are FAR more powerful than individual techniques. And that figuring out these concepts is the single best thing you can do to become a better grappler.
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If a picture is worth a thousand words, then
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then
A concept is worth a thousand techniques.
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Why is concept-based learning so great when it comes to submission grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu? Here are five good reasons:
REASON #1: There are LOTS of techniques in grappling. Hundreds and hundreds of techniques.
You've got your bread and butter techniques. Then there are the techniques that are you use once in a while. And then there are the techniques that you'll never use yourself but that your opponents will try to use on you. There's no getting around it: you've GOT to learn a lot of techniques to get good at this grappling stuff. And that can seem overwhelming at times - memorizing all this can be hard work.
But guess what? Those hundreds and hundreds of techniques I was talking about - they're made up of thousands of little steps that make the difference between success and failure for each technique
But the good news is that there are a lot fewer concepts than techniques in grappling.
And it's much easier to remember a few core concepts than it is to remember hundreds of techniques with thousands of steps and details. Techniques are just applied concepts. A single concept can be applied to many different techniques, in different situations, and using different parts of your body.
REASON #2: A concept makes you understand WHY you have to do certain things in a specific order for a given technique to work properly. Concepts make sense of a technique, and it's a million times easier to remember things that makes sense.
But the good news is that there are a lot fewer concepts than techniques in grappling.
And it's much easier to remember a few core concepts than it is to remember hundreds of techniques with thousands of steps and details. Techniques are just applied concepts. A single concept can be applied to many different techniques, in different situations, and using different parts of your body.
REASON #2: A concept makes you understand WHY you have to do certain things in a specific order for a given technique to work properly. Concepts make sense of a technique, and it's a million times easier to remember things that makes sense.
A concept also makes the techniques you already know more powerful. Once you understand the underlying principles of the armbar, for example, then you'll also know how to tweak and adjust that submission for maximum effectiveness.
REASON #3: Another limitation of technique-based learning is that a specific technique applies only to a specific situation. And it's completely unreasonable to expect to know a different technique to deal with each and every situation you might end up in on the mats.
If you've done any sparring at all, then you know that two determined grapplers can end up in some downright weird situations. In these tangled positions each grappler will be wondering what the heck they should do next.
Unfortunately the 'dial-a-friend' option ISN'T available when you're in the middle of a grappling match. But most of the time you can figure out the right thing to do by apply the correct concepts. I know this, because going back to 'first principles' has saved my butt many times in sparring.
REASON #4: You can use the same concept in many different grappling arts.
Rules can change from art to art, but the laws of physics, anatomy and psychology stay the same. That means that the concepts you'll discover when you did a little deeper are much more universal than the techniques of any given art.
The same concept can apply in Brazilian jiu-jitsu AND submission grappling, With the gi AND in no-gi. In mixed martial arts AND in self defense. In Judo AND Sambo AND wrestling
REASON #5: Understanding the concepts of grappling allows you to adapt and even invent techniques on the fly.
Just think about music for a second. Understanding the principles and underlying rules of music allows a musician to improvise and create great sounding music. In exactly the same way, knowing the principles and underlying concepts of grappling allows you to adapt and innovate new techniques as needed, and even 'on the fly.'
This approach to the martial arts also frees you up to continue learning when your instructor isn't around. The most important thing my instructors did was TEACH ME HOW TO LEARN!
REASON #4: You can use the same concept in many different grappling arts.
Rules can change from art to art, but the laws of physics, anatomy and psychology stay the same. That means that the concepts you'll discover when you did a little deeper are much more universal than the techniques of any given art.
The same concept can apply in Brazilian jiu-jitsu AND submission grappling, With the gi AND in no-gi. In mixed martial arts AND in self defense. In Judo AND Sambo AND wrestling
REASON #5: Understanding the concepts of grappling allows you to adapt and even invent techniques on the fly.
Just think about music for a second. Understanding the principles and underlying rules of music allows a musician to improvise and create great sounding music. In exactly the same way, knowing the principles and underlying concepts of grappling allows you to adapt and innovate new techniques as needed, and even 'on the fly.'
This approach to the martial arts also frees you up to continue learning when your instructor isn't around. The most important thing my instructors did was TEACH ME HOW TO LEARN!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach him HOW to fish and you feed him for his whole life.
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach him HOW to fish and you feed him for his whole life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can probably tell that I really believe the number one thing you can do to improve your overall grappling is develop a 'conceptual' game.
So take a look at the vast number of grappling techniques and get serious about finding the universal themes, the underlying principles and the most important concepts that make those techniques 'tick'.
Eventually I hope you'll agree that a concept is worth a thousand techniques.
P.S. For a few more days only, a two week free trial of the Grappling Concepts course, plus a free DVD for all signups, is available at
So take a look at the vast number of grappling techniques and get serious about finding the universal themes, the underlying principles and the most important concepts that make those techniques 'tick'.
Eventually I hope you'll agree that a concept is worth a thousand techniques.
P.S. For a few more days only, a two week free trial of the Grappling Concepts course, plus a free DVD for all signups, is available at
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, concepts, submission grappling, techniques, the mental aspect, training
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September 20, 2009
Killer Grip, and How To Get It!
Stephan's note: this post is one of over 50 lessons in the Beginning BJJ eCourse. Sign up here to get your hands on the rest of the lessons for free.
My BJJ coach Marcus Soares believes that a really strong grip is one of the most important physical attributes for a BJJ fighter. Not surprisingly, Marcus's grip is crushingly strong. In fact, this is one of the first things his old training partners remember about him. One Brazilian coach told me "Oh my God, when he grabbed you that was it! At that point you just wanted to go do something else..."
Now wouldn't that be a nice attribute to have?
Obviously a strong grip helps with gi chokes, however it's also a huge asset even if you mostly do no-gi. There's nothing like clamping a vice-like mitt onto an opponent's wrist to get his attention in a hurry! But what if you've naturally got a weak grip? Should you give up the sport and take up ping-pong?
By now you've probably already guessed what I'm going to say here. Just because you suck at something doesn't mean that you shouldn't work on it. In this specific area I speak from personal experience here, because my own grip is decidedly non-superhuman...
If you suck at something you should probably double your efforts in that area. As Marc Denny told me, often your fastest progress comes from working your weakest areas.
There's a real art and science behind serious grip training. But what if you've decided to spend your few precious hours of spare time on the mat training BJJ rather than cranking out reps of forearm twists and other exercises in a gym ?
In that case check out my Youtube video with five grip training exercises I use while I'm on-the-go. Here's to the time when YOUR opponents will fear the power of your grip!
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My BJJ coach Marcus Soares believes that a really strong grip is one of the most important physical attributes for a BJJ fighter. Not surprisingly, Marcus's grip is crushingly strong. In fact, this is one of the first things his old training partners remember about him. One Brazilian coach told me "Oh my God, when he grabbed you that was it! At that point you just wanted to go do something else..."
Now wouldn't that be a nice attribute to have?
Obviously a strong grip helps with gi chokes, however it's also a huge asset even if you mostly do no-gi. There's nothing like clamping a vice-like mitt onto an opponent's wrist to get his attention in a hurry! But what if you've naturally got a weak grip? Should you give up the sport and take up ping-pong?
By now you've probably already guessed what I'm going to say here. Just because you suck at something doesn't mean that you shouldn't work on it. In this specific area I speak from personal experience here, because my own grip is decidedly non-superhuman...
If you suck at something you should probably double your efforts in that area. As Marc Denny told me, often your fastest progress comes from working your weakest areas.
There's a real art and science behind serious grip training. But what if you've decided to spend your few precious hours of spare time on the mat training BJJ rather than cranking out reps of forearm twists and other exercises in a gym ?
In that case check out my Youtube video with five grip training exercises I use while I'm on-the-go. Here's to the time when YOUR opponents will fear the power of your grip!
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, conditioning, grip training, teachers
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September 18, 2009
The Grappling Concepts Online Course
I've been hard at work in 'the lab' cooking something up something new...
And now it's finally ready: the online 'Grappling Concepts' course.
This is a 26 week web-based course. Every week I'm sending participants a 15 minute to 30 minute video lesson tackling a fundamental grappling concept. The motto of the course is "If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a concept is worth a thousand techniques." (I toyed with the idea of calling the course '26,000 Techniques" but then came to my senses...)
The course material is very different from the regular old deluge-of-techniques type of DVD. And I'm also doing the marketing very differently as well.
In this era of over-hyped products I think the next evolution might be seeing exactly what you're getting, BEFORE you pay for it. I don't want to 'trick' anybody into joining the course - I'd much rather you try it out and see if it's for you.
If you like the material - great, I'll be glad to have you onboard! There's a very cool 'ethical bribe' waiting for you at the end of the course.
If you don't like it then that's also cool. Just let me know and I'll cancel your subscription right away. That's why the course billing doesn't start for 14 days (i.e. there's a free trial) and everybody gets a free DVD just for signing up. If you cancel, no problem, you still get to keep the DVD as my gift.
Here's the initial free DVD:
And here's the 'ethical bribe' you get if you complete the 26 weeks: the "Advanced Techniques and Tactics" 4 DVD Set.
For more information about the free DVD and the 14 day free trial please visit www.grapplearts.tv
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And now it's finally ready: the online 'Grappling Concepts' course.
This is a 26 week web-based course. Every week I'm sending participants a 15 minute to 30 minute video lesson tackling a fundamental grappling concept. The motto of the course is "If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a concept is worth a thousand techniques." (I toyed with the idea of calling the course '26,000 Techniques" but then came to my senses...)The course material is very different from the regular old deluge-of-techniques type of DVD. And I'm also doing the marketing very differently as well.
In this era of over-hyped products I think the next evolution might be seeing exactly what you're getting, BEFORE you pay for it. I don't want to 'trick' anybody into joining the course - I'd much rather you try it out and see if it's for you.
If you like the material - great, I'll be glad to have you onboard! There's a very cool 'ethical bribe' waiting for you at the end of the course.
If you don't like it then that's also cool. Just let me know and I'll cancel your subscription right away. That's why the course billing doesn't start for 14 days (i.e. there's a free trial) and everybody gets a free DVD just for signing up. If you cancel, no problem, you still get to keep the DVD as my gift.
Here's the initial free DVD:
And here's the 'ethical bribe' you get if you complete the 26 weeks: the "Advanced Techniques and Tactics" 4 DVD Set.
For more information about the free DVD and the 14 day free trial please visit www.grapplearts.tv
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, concepts, grapplearts, Grapplearts DVDs, submission grappling, the mental aspect
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September 16, 2009
A Video Tutorial on the X Guard
I'm just drowning in email right now, because my new Grappling Concepts course has just launched. I've never seen a response this intense (maybe it's because of the limited number of DVDs available).
But before I get back to taking orders and answering emails, here's a link to an online video X Guard tutorial that I'm using to promote the Grappling Concepts Course
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, butterfly guard, drills, sweeps, teaching, the guard, x guard
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September 13, 2009
The 'Fundamental Five Guard Sweeps' from the de la Riva Guard
Ricardo de la Riva is an incredibly nice and humble man, but don't let that fool you - this man is a BJJ legend. (I mean, how many people have a popular guard position named after them?)De la Riva started training with Marcus Soares, and then continued under Carlson Gracie at the legendary Carlson Gracie Academy in Rio. He taught Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira, and has had a long and illustrious competition career himself.
He is on the cutting edge of BJJ technology, and could show you fancy techniques until your brain ached and you begged for mercy.
So when I trained with him a while ago I had a seemingly strange question. I asked "what are the five most techniques techniques from the de la Riva Guard?" (I figured that this would be a great starting point for dissecting his elaborate and effective guard game.)
So he showed me his fundamental 5 moves. Then he let me photograph these techniques, step by step... And then he agreed to let me put them online for you guys.
So here are CLICK HERE for the five most important de la Riva Guard Sweeps, as taught by the man himself!
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, de la Riva, sweeps, the guard
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September 08, 2009
ESPN, I'm Sorry!
I think I owe ESPN an official apology!
2 weeks ago I released my second-ever podcast and it shot up the charts, eventually making the Grapplearts Radio podcast the number four podcast for the entire sports section of iTunes.
The only podcasts ahead of me were three ESPN shows. For a few days I'm sure that the top executives at ESPN were getting a bit worried that I was going to knock them out of top place.
I mean they probably spend tens of thousands of dollars producing these podcasts. Then along comes some little upstart, talking about pajama wrestling of all things, and threatens to upset their apple cart!
I'm very sorry, I never meant to cause the upper level management of ESPN this much stress ;-)
(If you missed it the podcast can be accessed at
www.grapplearts.com/2009/08/bjj-submission-grappling-competition.htm)
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, competition, podcasts
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August 26, 2009
BJJ & Submission Grappling Competition: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know!
"Everything you ever wanted to know about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competition but were afraid to ask!"
That's a strong statement, but it's almost even true. In my latest podcast I talk extensively with David Meyer, author of Training for Competition: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Submission Grappling.
We cover a TON of ground in this interview, ranging from why you might want to compete at all, to physical conditioning for competition, to specific strategies you can use against certain types of opponents.
This is one of the best interviews I've ever done. There is so much good information here that it'll be very useful for anyone who trains in BJJ or another grappling art, even if they don't compete.
And you can listen to the whole interview right here using the player embedded at the bottom of this post.
If you want to download future episodes of my podcasts and interviews automatically then click here to sign up for Grapplearts Radio in iTunes - it's completely free and totally simple.
Click the player below to listen to the whole 1 hour, 20 minute interview on BJJ and Submission Grappling Competition (or right click this link: http://media.libsyn.com/media/kesting/BJJ_Competition.mp3 and select "Save Link As..." to save the mp3 file to your computer)
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That's a strong statement, but it's almost even true. In my latest podcast I talk extensively with David Meyer, author of Training for Competition: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Submission Grappling.
We cover a TON of ground in this interview, ranging from why you might want to compete at all, to physical conditioning for competition, to specific strategies you can use against certain types of opponents.
This is one of the best interviews I've ever done. There is so much good information here that it'll be very useful for anyone who trains in BJJ or another grappling art, even if they don't compete.
And you can listen to the whole interview right here using the player embedded at the bottom of this post.
If you want to download future episodes of my podcasts and interviews automatically then click here to sign up for Grapplearts Radio in iTunes - it's completely free and totally simple.
Click the player below to listen to the whole 1 hour, 20 minute interview on BJJ and Submission Grappling Competition (or right click this link: http://media.libsyn.com/media/kesting/BJJ_Competition.mp3 and select "Save Link As..." to save the mp3 file to your computer)
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, competition, podcasts, self defense, submission grappling, the mental aspect, training
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August 20, 2009
I'm a BJJ Lab Rat Now!
It's been a while since I was part of the University scene. I finished up with that aspect of my life in 1992 and I've never seriously considered going back. But now I'm feeling a bit like Al Pacino in the Godfather movies: "just when I thought I was out, they DRAG me back in!"
Except I'm actually sort of enjoying it this time...
You see, I've been in touch with Dr. Bryan Hogeveen from the University of Alberta who is doing the first study on Brazilian Jiu-jitsu culture in North America. And he's picking my brain in a series of hour-long interviews, getting my views on grappling as a sport, a recreational activity and a martial art.
If I don't say anything too embarrassing I may eventually put those interviews out as a series of podcasts...
The cool thing is that Bryan (the guy who is doing the research) is not only a tenured professor of sociology, but he's also a BJJ practitioner himself. Heck, he even worked as a doorman at a bar in his undergraduate days, so he can't be all bad, right?
Well Bryan has also invited YOU to fill out a short online survey about your training and training philosophy. And it doesn't matter how long you've been training - he wants to hear from everybody.
If you're reading this then I assume that you agree that BJJ and grappling are pretty great. But compared to other combat sports like Judo, wrestling and boxing, there's been a lot LESS research into grappling. The better we understand our sport the more efficiently we can train and the faster we can improve.
I'm all about mixing physical training with a cerebral approach to grappling. If you have the time and inclination, then completing this short survey might get you thinking about aspects of your sport that you haven't thought about before.
Male grappler survey:
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/104006/bjjsurvey
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Except I'm actually sort of enjoying it this time...
You see, I've been in touch with Dr. Bryan Hogeveen from the University of Alberta who is doing the first study on Brazilian Jiu-jitsu culture in North America. And he's picking my brain in a series of hour-long interviews, getting my views on grappling as a sport, a recreational activity and a martial art.
If I don't say anything too embarrassing I may eventually put those interviews out as a series of podcasts...
The cool thing is that Bryan (the guy who is doing the research) is not only a tenured professor of sociology, but he's also a BJJ practitioner himself. Heck, he even worked as a doorman at a bar in his undergraduate days, so he can't be all bad, right?
Well Bryan has also invited YOU to fill out a short online survey about your training and training philosophy. And it doesn't matter how long you've been training - he wants to hear from everybody.
If you're reading this then I assume that you agree that BJJ and grappling are pretty great. But compared to other combat sports like Judo, wrestling and boxing, there's been a lot LESS research into grappling. The better we understand our sport the more efficiently we can train and the faster we can improve.
I'm all about mixing physical training with a cerebral approach to grappling. If you have the time and inclination, then completing this short survey might get you thinking about aspects of your sport that you haven't thought about before.
Male grappler survey:
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/104006/bjjsurvey
Female grappler survey
OK, that's enough for now. The electrodes taped to my bald head are beginning to get itchy and I've got some levers to push...
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, interviews, research, the mental aspect
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July 30, 2009
Bring 'Em Back Alive: More On Recovering From Chokes
The last blog post (Choke Recovery in Grappling) prompted some lively discussion and debate when I posted it on the Sherdog Grappling Forum and on MMA.tv. I also received a number of emails on the topic.
The most common question by far, was "what about lifting the unconscious person's legs up into the air to bring blood into their brain."
I've have seen the legs-in-the-air technique used to resuscitate unconscious grapplers. In fact, it's even been used on me (I was 12 years old and got knocked out by a Judo throw in the adult class. I awoke with my legs in the air and a whole bunch of very concerned faces looking down at me)!
But I didn't talk about it in my last newsletter for a simple reason - I've never seen any sort of research about the safety or efficacy of this resuscitation technique.
It seems fairly obvious that it 'should' bring more blood to the brain, and that it 'should' help people wake up faster. But that kind of thinking can be dangerous. Medical history is littered with techniques, procedures and drugs that 'should' have helped people, but instead caused grievous bodily harm.
A forum participant called "BJJ Medic" finally helped me out. He told me about some research on the so-called Trendelenburg postion. This head down, legs up position was used during and after World War 1 to help manage shock.
Recent research, however, indicates that this position does nothing to help with shock, and increases the risk of choking on your own tongue (which is, by the way, the most common cause for blocked airways in unconscious people). Click here to read The Myth of the Trendelenburg Position for yourself.
So until someone actually does proper research on the legs-in-the-air position, specifically with regard to waking up unconscious people, I'm NOT going to use it. The 'treatment' at this point only has risks, and no proven benefits.
BUT I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS
If someone is unconscious from a choke you should check to see if they're breathing. If they're not breathing, then either move them to the recovery position (3/4 prone) OR start rescue breathing. You should also check for a pulse, and if they don't have one, start CPR.
I think that every serious grappler or martial artist should have basic CPR and first aid training.
But even if you don't have the training to do rescue breathing and CPR, it's very important to be able to tell the 911 dispatcher "my buddy is unconscious but has a pulse and is breathing".
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The most common question by far, was "what about lifting the unconscious person's legs up into the air to bring blood into their brain."
I've have seen the legs-in-the-air technique used to resuscitate unconscious grapplers. In fact, it's even been used on me (I was 12 years old and got knocked out by a Judo throw in the adult class. I awoke with my legs in the air and a whole bunch of very concerned faces looking down at me)!
But I didn't talk about it in my last newsletter for a simple reason - I've never seen any sort of research about the safety or efficacy of this resuscitation technique.
It seems fairly obvious that it 'should' bring more blood to the brain, and that it 'should' help people wake up faster. But that kind of thinking can be dangerous. Medical history is littered with techniques, procedures and drugs that 'should' have helped people, but instead caused grievous bodily harm.
A forum participant called "BJJ Medic" finally helped me out. He told me about some research on the so-called Trendelenburg postion. This head down, legs up position was used during and after World War 1 to help manage shock.
Recent research, however, indicates that this position does nothing to help with shock, and increases the risk of choking on your own tongue (which is, by the way, the most common cause for blocked airways in unconscious people). Click here to read The Myth of the Trendelenburg Position for yourself.
So until someone actually does proper research on the legs-in-the-air position, specifically with regard to waking up unconscious people, I'm NOT going to use it. The 'treatment' at this point only has risks, and no proven benefits.
BUT I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS
If someone is unconscious from a choke you should check to see if they're breathing. If they're not breathing, then either move them to the recovery position (3/4 prone) OR start rescue breathing. You should also check for a pulse, and if they don't have one, start CPR.
I think that every serious grappler or martial artist should have basic CPR and first aid training.
But even if you don't have the training to do rescue breathing and CPR, it's very important to be able to tell the 911 dispatcher "my buddy is unconscious but has a pulse and is breathing".
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, chokes, Injuries
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July 05, 2009
How to Pick the Right Sparring Partner
A while ago I got an email asking me how to pick sparring partners. The gentleman wrote: "I am a BJJ blue belt, and I want to know how much time I should spend sparring people of my own level, vs people who are better or not as good as I am?"
On the other hand, some people only want to spar with higher ranked partners...
It's true that going against someone much better than yourself can be educational. It sure forces you to work your defense. Also getting badly schooled can be a real eye-opening experience, clarifying what high level grappling looks and feels like.
But always fighting higher level guys can also be problematical! That's because you'll get dominated a lot, and that encourages a very defensive mindset. You'll be unlikely to develop confidence in your offensive repertoire because your opponents will shut down most of your attacks before they ever get started.
So that's why, in an ideal world, at least half your sparring should be against people roughly your own level.
In this way you'll be challenged, without always getting crushed. You'll have a fighting chance that your techniques will work, and you'll get some honest feedback as to your ability to counter your opponents' attacks.
When two people are close in skill and square off against each other all the time, you can get grappling arms races. Here you plot, plan and research your training partner's weaknesses, while he kindly does the same for you. This means that both people get better FAST. (More on grappling arms races here.)
If you don't have anyone close to your level then I encourage you to try and bring the level of your sparring partners up as fast as possible. Make it challenging for yourself!
Start by showing them the counters to all your moves, because it's a terrible thing to be the best grappler at a club!
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The quick answer is that most of your sparring should be with partners just a little bit better and a little bit worse than yourself.
Sparring lower level guys can be useful if there is something specific you want to work on. Usually this is a time to refine your offensive game, but you can also work escapes and defense if you purposely start out in a bad position (click here for some suggestions on how to do this).
On the other hand, some people only want to spar with higher ranked partners...
It's true that going against someone much better than yourself can be educational. It sure forces you to work your defense. Also getting badly schooled can be a real eye-opening experience, clarifying what high level grappling looks and feels like.
But always fighting higher level guys can also be problematical! That's because you'll get dominated a lot, and that encourages a very defensive mindset. You'll be unlikely to develop confidence in your offensive repertoire because your opponents will shut down most of your attacks before they ever get started.
So that's why, in an ideal world, at least half your sparring should be against people roughly your own level.
In this way you'll be challenged, without always getting crushed. You'll have a fighting chance that your techniques will work, and you'll get some honest feedback as to your ability to counter your opponents' attacks.
When two people are close in skill and square off against each other all the time, you can get grappling arms races. Here you plot, plan and research your training partner's weaknesses, while he kindly does the same for you. This means that both people get better FAST. (More on grappling arms races here.)
If you don't have anyone close to your level then I encourage you to try and bring the level of your sparring partners up as fast as possible. Make it challenging for yourself!
Start by showing them the counters to all your moves, because it's a terrible thing to be the best grappler at a club!
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, training
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June 30, 2009
Do You Have Competition Questions?
David Meyer has a ton of credentials, but for now I'm only going to mention three of them:
- He's a BJJ Black Belt under the Machado brothers,
- He's got a very solid record in BJJ and in submission grappling competition, and
- He's the author of one of my favorite new books, "Training for Competition: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Submission Grappling."
Sometime in July of 2009 I'm hoping to interview David and pick his brain on the topic of competition. I want to get his take on the very best tournament strategies and tactics, advice on how to prepare for competition and reasons why one should compete at all.
Now I got a LOT of feedback about how informative my first podcast (the Jon Chaimberg interview) was, and how intelligent my questions were.
I had to laugh, of course, because a lot of those questions came directly from my readers - you guys! (Thanks again to everyone who sent me those questions).
So now I'm going to open up the process once again and ask does anyone has questions about any aspect of competition? If you want your competition questions answered by the man who quite literally wrote the book on the topic, then go to the contact link and send 'em in soon.
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, competition, interviews, podcasts
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June 17, 2009
Another Reason Why BJJ is Better Than Boxing
A few days ago, while traveling, I made my way down to Dartmouth's Fitplus gym. That's where I participated in a BJJ class taught by 6th degree Carlson Gracie black belt, Alexandre Penao.Despite feeling slightly under the weather that evening I really enjoyed the training session. People often talk about the sense of camaraderie in the BJJ community. This is never more in evidence than when you walk into a new club and are welcomed on the mat as a brother-in-arms.
(And then your new friends try to choke you unconscious...).
One cool thing that happened that night is that Alexandre Penao showed us a technique that none of us had ever seen before.
It was a cool rolling choke against the turtle position. Then he showed us how to use that choke to set up an entry to the mount and choke the guy out from there. This second technique was also entirely new to me.
Now I've been doing BJJ a long time. And I've been practicing other grappling arts for even longer. But I hadn't seen this stuff before. Not in person. Not on Youtube. Not in my extensive library of books and DVDs.
But the funny thing is that in BJJ this happens ALL THE TIME! Someone is always dreaming up new ways to choke somebody out, twist them into a pretzel, or flip them overhead.
No matter what belt rank you are, so long as you continue training you'll accumulate new techniques, details and insights until the day you step off the mats for good.
We're very luck that our sport is rich enough to allow this kind of continued growth.
How often do you think that an elite level boxer goes into the gym and has someone show him a completely new punch? How about two completely new punches?
This just doesn't happen in boxing. Ever!
But in jiu-jitsu and submission grappling there's always something new to learn.
Keep on rolling
Stephan Kesting
Grapplearts.com
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, chokes, inspiration
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June 13, 2009
Seven Things I Wish I'd Known...
I'm on the road this week, and tonight, on the eve of UFC 99, I find myself in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
I'm excited about tonight's UFC for number of reasons. First of all the card itself looks great. Then it's being held in mainland Europe, showing how much the sport has grown. And finally I'll be watching the events with UFC fighter TJ Grant (who recently defeated Ryo Chonan).
It's always fascinating to have insider access to the insights of a pro-fighter when you're watching one of these things...
Anyway, as you've probably figured out by now, I'm all about sharing information. I also don't think that anyone has the monopoly on truth - myself included!
That's why when I see something really good created by someone else then I want to share it with you!
I recently came across something that I thought was particularly useful: a special downloadable article called "Seven Things I Wish I Knew When I Was a Blue Belt" (right click to save it to your hard drive).
This report is written by John Will - if you don't know who he is, you should! He's one of the most senior BJJ blackbelts around, and he's not even from Brazil! He received his black belt from the Machados way back in 1998, making him one of the first twelve non-Brazilian BJJ black belts in the world!
And he's not been idle! Just a few of his accomplishements include teaching thousands of people at his acclaimed seminars, producing a series of instructional books and videos, working with law enforcement and special forces, and heading the grappling program for a series of Australasian schools.
When that much mat time meets that much teaching experience good things are bound to happen. In this article John shares some of his most important BJJ insights.
I'm sure you'll like it as much as I do
Right click here to save the pdf document to your hard drive: Seven Things I Wish I Knew When I Was a Blue Belt
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I'm excited about tonight's UFC for number of reasons. First of all the card itself looks great. Then it's being held in mainland Europe, showing how much the sport has grown. And finally I'll be watching the events with UFC fighter TJ Grant (who recently defeated Ryo Chonan).
It's always fascinating to have insider access to the insights of a pro-fighter when you're watching one of these things...
Anyway, as you've probably figured out by now, I'm all about sharing information. I also don't think that anyone has the monopoly on truth - myself included!
That's why when I see something really good created by someone else then I want to share it with you!
I recently came across something that I thought was particularly useful: a special downloadable article called "Seven Things I Wish I Knew When I Was a Blue Belt" (right click to save it to your hard drive).This report is written by John Will - if you don't know who he is, you should! He's one of the most senior BJJ blackbelts around, and he's not even from Brazil! He received his black belt from the Machados way back in 1998, making him one of the first twelve non-Brazilian BJJ black belts in the world!
And he's not been idle! Just a few of his accomplishements include teaching thousands of people at his acclaimed seminars, producing a series of instructional books and videos, working with law enforcement and special forces, and heading the grappling program for a series of Australasian schools.
When that much mat time meets that much teaching experience good things are bound to happen. In this article John shares some of his most important BJJ insights.
I'm sure you'll like it as much as I do
Right click here to save the pdf document to your hard drive: Seven Things I Wish I Knew When I Was a Blue Belt
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, MMA, UFC
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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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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.
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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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March 20, 2009
A BJJ and MMA Application for the iPhone & iPod Touch
Today I'd like to tell you about my brand new application for the iPhone and the second generation iPod Touch. It's called "Grapplearts Submissions", and it's the very first tool of it's kind for learning BJJ, submission grappling or MMA techniques.
(We're still tweaking the application to work properly with first generation iPod Touch, so if you have one of these stay tuned and I hope to have good news for you soon)
This application is designed so that you can learn grappling anywhere.
The idea is that you can learn the armbar from mount while riding the bus, or remind yourself of the key points for the triangle choke while waiting in line! Now you can bring your techniques with you to class and drill them with your friends!
Click here to see the application page on iTunes (if you have iTunes installed on your computer), or click here for the info page on Grapplearts.com.
This application is designed to be used on your iPhone or second generation iPod Touch. There are 31 different armlock, leglock and choke entries, AND we show you the details that make those submissions work. In addition, we plan to add other techniques to future updates, which you'll get free!
A quick note: this is a big application because it has LOTS of video instruction. That's why you need a wifi network if you want to download it to your iphone directly.
If you don't have a wifi network then just use iTunes to download the app (search for "Grapplearts Submissions" in the iTunes store). Then synch your phone, just like you do for your music, calenders, etc.
About the price: my co-developers begged, whined and pleaded until I agreed to initially release it at at the nominal cost $0.99 (for the first week only). I personally think that this low price is a mistake, but compromise is the soul of partnership...
After March 27th I'll raise the price for sure.
So here's how to get the application, and some links to more information about it:
- Click here to open iTunes to the application page (if you have iTunes already installed)
- Or you can open iTunes manually and search for "Grapplearts Submissions" in the iTunes store
- Download iTunes for free
- Visit the iPhone page on Grapplearts for screen shots and a detailed list of contents
- Go to the Grapplearts Submission Application on Facebook (become a Grapplearts fan!)
- Click here to see a demonstration of the application on Youtube
Labels: armlocks, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, chokes, iphone, leglocks, training
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March 13, 2009
Kesa Gatame in BJJ - An Unorthodox Position
Kesa Gatame (what the guy in the white gi is using in the photo above) is the Judo name for a position that is also known as the Scarf Hold or the Head and Arm pin.
Some people will object my calling this an 'unorthodox' position, because it's a staple pin in Judo, Sambo and Freestyle Wrestling.
That's true, but while it may be common in other grappling systems, it's underutilized and generally frowned upon in BJJ. (I think this is because of the common belief that it's too easy to have your back taken from here, but that's easy to counter if you know how).
These other arts have honed kesa gatame as a pinning position. The only problem is that they don't use or teach very many submissions from here.
In those sports the submission is redundant - if you pin your opponent for 3 seconds (wrestling) or 25 seconds (Judo) you win the match. Given these rules, why risk going for a submission?
BJJ is different - the ultimate goal is to submit, not pin, your opponent. And if submitting your opponent is your goal, then Kesa Gatame actually has a lot to offer!
I first learned about the submissions you can apply in Kesa Gatame from Shootwrestling, as taught by Dan Inosanto and Erik Paulson. It turns out that you can submit your opponent using a whole gamut of submissions, including:
- straight armlocks
- bent armlocks
- chokes
- neck cranks
- leglocks
So no matter what anybody says, I know that Kesa Gatame works in BJJ.
And it's not just my opinion. Several of my teammates - most notably Benito Segura, now a Marcus Soares brown belt - have refined this into an absolutely deadly position. And yes, I've been caught in it. And tapped...
When it comes to Kesa Gatame you don't necessarily need to make it your primary position, but you've GOT to learn a little bit about it.
This is an area of grappling that BJJ and submission grappling people could actually learn a lot from Judo, Freestyle Wrestling, Sambo, Shootwrestling and all the other styles for which Kesa Gatame is a bread and butter position.
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kesa gatame, positions, unorthodox strategies
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BJJ Positions - What About North South?
After my last tip about unorthodox BJJ positions I had some people contact me and tell me that I'd left out the North South position from my list of the 6 fundamental BJJ Positions.
I've actually addressed this issue in my Beginning BJJ Package, and so I'm just going to quote from there:
"The boundaries of the positional variations we've just discussed are a bit vague, and some people might classify certain variations as separate positions. For example, some people might consider the North-South position to be sufficiently distinct from Side Mount to deserve its own category, as opposed to what I've done in this book (i.e. calling North-South position a variant of Side Mount). The terminology isn't too important; to quote Bruce Lee, "...it's just a name, don't fuss over it."
The bottom line is that no classification system is perfect. It doesn't matter if you're dealing with biology, economics, chemistry or grappling: sometimes the things you are trying to classify will absolutely refuse to be forced neatly into a convenient niche. To deal with this problem I encourage you to eventually create your own classification system, and use this system to describe the unique subset of positions, techniques and strategies that YOU use when YOU grapple."
So that's the north-south position cleared up (I hope). I consider it to be a form of side control, but you can call it whatever you want!
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I've actually addressed this issue in my Beginning BJJ Package, and so I'm just going to quote from there:
"The boundaries of the positional variations we've just discussed are a bit vague, and some people might classify certain variations as separate positions. For example, some people might consider the North-South position to be sufficiently distinct from Side Mount to deserve its own category, as opposed to what I've done in this book (i.e. calling North-South position a variant of Side Mount). The terminology isn't too important; to quote Bruce Lee, "...it's just a name, don't fuss over it."
The bottom line is that no classification system is perfect. It doesn't matter if you're dealing with biology, economics, chemistry or grappling: sometimes the things you are trying to classify will absolutely refuse to be forced neatly into a convenient niche. To deal with this problem I encourage you to eventually create your own classification system, and use this system to describe the unique subset of positions, techniques and strategies that YOU use when YOU grapple."
So that's the north-south position cleared up (I hope). I consider it to be a form of side control, but you can call it whatever you want!
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, positions
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February 25, 2009
Combining Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Wrestling and Striking in MMA Training
A few days ago I foolishly did a strength and conditioning workout late at night. I ALWAYS find it impossible to get to sleep right after strenuous training, so to relax I sat down on a treadmill and talked to a video camera.
I wanted to share something I've noticed that many of the top MMA fighters, coaches and schools have in common (and also how it applies to submission grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu training).
Here's an overview of the main points I discuss in the video.
Mixed martial art (MMA) training has three main areas:
Some people training in MMA just want to do full MMA sparring every time – but I think that’s a big mistake.
It’s my observation that most good MMA fighters, coaches and gyms combine everything all together (i.e. full MMA sparring) only a couple of times a week. Most of the time they SEPARATE the sparring into the different component areas.
By training the disciplines separately you:
Grappling and BJJ are the same, in the sense that they require you to get good at different techniques, positions and strategies (e.g. guard passes, submission, pin escapes, submission defense, sidemount control, etc.).
Following the examples of mixed martial artists and other athletes, you should train each of these areas with targeted sparring, AND also mix everything together into free-form sparring sessions.
P.S. If you want to know the Youtube url for this video it's www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XBI6SnLwH8
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I wanted to share something I've noticed that many of the top MMA fighters, coaches and schools have in common (and also how it applies to submission grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu training).
Here's an overview of the main points I discuss in the video.
Mixed martial art (MMA) training has three main areas:
- Striking (typically boxing or kickboxing).
- Takedowns and clinching (typically freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman or judo).
- Groundfighting (typically Brazilian jiu-jitsu).
Some people training in MMA just want to do full MMA sparring every time – but I think that’s a big mistake.
It’s my observation that most good MMA fighters, coaches and gyms combine everything all together (i.e. full MMA sparring) only a couple of times a week. Most of the time they SEPARATE the sparring into the different component areas.
By training the disciplines separately you:
- Work on each discipline separately and find your weaknesses.
- Improve the quality of your sparring partners.
- Lessen the chance of injury.
Grappling and BJJ are the same, in the sense that they require you to get good at different techniques, positions and strategies (e.g. guard passes, submission, pin escapes, submission defense, sidemount control, etc.).
Following the examples of mixed martial artists and other athletes, you should train each of these areas with targeted sparring, AND also mix everything together into free-form sparring sessions.
P.S. If you want to know the Youtube url for this video it's www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XBI6SnLwH8
Labels: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, MMA, training
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