February 12, 2010
A Drill to Rescue the Armbar from Guard
At a seminar I attended, martial arts legend Dan Inosanto once distinguished between
OK, OK, so there are techniques and teaching methods. How does this apply to you? Well recently I was able to guest teach a class at the school of my friend Ritchie Yip.
Here is part of that class
One of the techniques I wanted the group to work on was the armbar spin-out from guard. This is a very useful move when a bigger and stronger opponent tries to stack and crush you in an attempt to get out of your armbar attack.
But my secret hidden agenda that night was to field-test a different method of teaching and training this technique. I had just come up with a new solo drill. I wanted to see if it would make the spin-out, a fairly complicated technique, easier to learn.
So I made the class do the solo drill, and then we moved on to the technique itself. Within a few minutes everyone - even the new guy with only 3 classes under his whitebelt - was spinning out of the armbar like a seasoned pro.
Not bad for a move that considered by many to be 'advanced.' I've taught this technique before and adding the solo drill to the teaching progression really accelerated the success that everyone experienced. The students learned something that night, but so did I! A big 'thank you' to the boys and girls who were my guinea pigs!
Regardless of whether you're teaching or just training, sometimes the best way to learn a move is to isolate the crux of the move - the most difficult part - and drill it on it's own. A bad workman blames his tools, and a poor teacher blames his students. Finding, creating, and using the correct drills is part of good teaching. The right drill at the right time can work wonders.
If you have something against embedded video, here's a direct link to the solo drill and the actual armbar spin-out on Youtube.
Also, for more ideas about solo and partner drills check out my Grappling Drills DVD, available on this very site!
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- the techniques used in a martial art, and
- the training methods used to develop those techniques.
OK, OK, so there are techniques and teaching methods. How does this apply to you? Well recently I was able to guest teach a class at the school of my friend Ritchie Yip.
Here is part of that class
One of the techniques I wanted the group to work on was the armbar spin-out from guard. This is a very useful move when a bigger and stronger opponent tries to stack and crush you in an attempt to get out of your armbar attack.
But my secret hidden agenda that night was to field-test a different method of teaching and training this technique. I had just come up with a new solo drill. I wanted to see if it would make the spin-out, a fairly complicated technique, easier to learn.
So I made the class do the solo drill, and then we moved on to the technique itself. Within a few minutes everyone - even the new guy with only 3 classes under his whitebelt - was spinning out of the armbar like a seasoned pro.
Not bad for a move that considered by many to be 'advanced.' I've taught this technique before and adding the solo drill to the teaching progression really accelerated the success that everyone experienced. The students learned something that night, but so did I! A big 'thank you' to the boys and girls who were my guinea pigs!
Regardless of whether you're teaching or just training, sometimes the best way to learn a move is to isolate the crux of the move - the most difficult part - and drill it on it's own. A bad workman blames his tools, and a poor teacher blames his students. Finding, creating, and using the correct drills is part of good teaching. The right drill at the right time can work wonders.
If you have something against embedded video, here's a direct link to the solo drill and the actual armbar spin-out on Youtube.
Also, for more ideas about solo and partner drills check out my Grappling Drills DVD, available on this very site!
Labels: armbar from guard, drills, teaching, training
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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 08, 2009
A Great Half Guard Resource!
If you haven't seen this video yet then you're in for a treat!
Here Indrek Reiland and Jorgen Matsi take you through the Half Guard Position, covering the basics of both the top and the bottom position.
Not only do they show techniques, but they also share drills and, most importantly the underlying concepts of the half guard. Once you understand these concepts it will put the techniques into perspective and also make it much easier to remember them.
Production values aren't quite up to 'Speilbergian' standards, but the information they show you is top notch.
By the end of this video you should have a real solid head start on the Half Guard.
Since it's on Google Video, you can either watch the video on the site or download it to your computer for free. In fact, I'd recommend that you go and download it right away, just because you never know when a gem like this is going to disappear from the internet forever!
(If you want to download it to your computer first click here to go to the page on Google video, and then click on the "download video - iPod/PSP" link to the right of the video.)
Till later!
Stephan Kesting
P.S. Word's gotten out that I'm working on something new. I don't want to jinx things by talking about too early, but it's a BIG thing with some very exciting give-aways. Hopefully I'll be able to make a big announcement soon, and then things are going to get VERY interesting around here...
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Here Indrek Reiland and Jorgen Matsi take you through the Half Guard Position, covering the basics of both the top and the bottom position.
Not only do they show techniques, but they also share drills and, most importantly the underlying concepts of the half guard. Once you understand these concepts it will put the techniques into perspective and also make it much easier to remember them.
Production values aren't quite up to 'Speilbergian' standards, but the information they show you is top notch.
By the end of this video you should have a real solid head start on the Half Guard.
Since it's on Google Video, you can either watch the video on the site or download it to your computer for free. In fact, I'd recommend that you go and download it right away, just because you never know when a gem like this is going to disappear from the internet forever!
(If you want to download it to your computer first click here to go to the page on Google video, and then click on the "download video - iPod/PSP" link to the right of the video.)
Till later!
Stephan Kesting
P.S. Word's gotten out that I'm working on something new. I don't want to jinx things by talking about too early, but it's a BIG thing with some very exciting give-aways. Hopefully I'll be able to make a big announcement soon, and then things are going to get VERY interesting around here...
Labels: drills, half guard
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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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February 18, 2009
Coming Back from a Training Layoff
Coming back to training after a layoff is a tricky thing. There is a real danger that you jump back into full intensity training and re-injure yourself right off the bat (especially if you've been gone for a while and/or are coming back from an injury).
No, you need to ease back into training. Give your body some time to 'remember' what it used to do and ramp up your intensity slowly.
I actually have some authority to dispense advice here, because I'm coming back from a training layoff myself.
Three months ago, in November, I was working like crazy on some new grappling instructional products. Filming, producing, editing, writing and quality control took up almost all my time. I trained, but not very much.
Two months ago I injured my chest. This interfered with most aspects of my training, and so I was only on the mats once or twice a week in December.
One and a half months ago - on New Year's Day no less - I was shocked to find out that I had a hernia (a direct inguinal hernia, to be precise). It didn't hurt, but I really didn't want to make it worse, and so I stopped ALL training and ALL conditioning until my surgery.
Three weeks ago I had surgery, during which they lined my abdominal wall with a prolene mesh. The recovery has gone well, and I've just been cleared to get back to strenuous physical actiivity
So I didn't train much for a couple of months, and then not at all for the last 6 weeks. I'm recovering from two injuries and one surgery. Should I just jump back into class and start training, hell bent for leather?
Obviously not.
I really, really want to get back to training, but I'll have to make haste slowly. It would really suck to have my repaired hernia explode again (or to injure myself somewhere else).
My back-to-the-mats program has consisted of two things so far:
For once I'm taking my own advice, and it feels weird!
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No, you need to ease back into training. Give your body some time to 'remember' what it used to do and ramp up your intensity slowly.
I actually have some authority to dispense advice here, because I'm coming back from a training layoff myself.
Three months ago, in November, I was working like crazy on some new grappling instructional products. Filming, producing, editing, writing and quality control took up almost all my time. I trained, but not very much.
Two months ago I injured my chest. This interfered with most aspects of my training, and so I was only on the mats once or twice a week in December.
One and a half months ago - on New Year's Day no less - I was shocked to find out that I had a hernia (a direct inguinal hernia, to be precise). It didn't hurt, but I really didn't want to make it worse, and so I stopped ALL training and ALL conditioning until my surgery.
Three weeks ago I had surgery, during which they lined my abdominal wall with a prolene mesh. The recovery has gone well, and I've just been cleared to get back to strenuous physical actiivity
So I didn't train much for a couple of months, and then not at all for the last 6 weeks. I'm recovering from two injuries and one surgery. Should I just jump back into class and start training, hell bent for leather?
Obviously not.
I really, really want to get back to training, but I'll have to make haste slowly. It would really suck to have my repaired hernia explode again (or to injure myself somewhere else).
My back-to-the-mats program has consisted of two things so far:
- Easy bodyweight exercises: pushups, pullups, squats, shrimping, hip heists, etc. Nothing too strenuous and certainly nothing to failure.
- Non-competitive partner flow drills for repetition of basic grappling techniques. And I'm only using sane, in-control, and relatively light partners for this drilling.
- Get my body used to the physical strain of exercising again.
- To recover a bit of timing and help my body to remember how to move like a grappler.
- To test things out in a nice controlled environment. If either injury flares up again, I want that to happen in a controlled setting, and not with some bozo doing a flying knee-on-belly technique on me in sparring.
For once I'm taking my own advice, and it feels weird!
Labels: drills, Injuries, overtraining, training
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