I often get asked about the best kind of conditioning for BJJ and MMA. People want to know what’s better: running vs swimming, circuit training vs powerlifting, crossfit vs bodybuilding, sprints vs extended cardio, kettlebells vs dumbbells, bodyweight exercises vs barbells.. Having done quite a bit of strength and conditioning over the last 20 years I actually do have some definite opinions … [Read more...]
Conditioning
How to Survive a Training Layoff
If you've trained BJJ for any length of time then you've probably come to the conclusion that mastering this art is more of a marathon than a short sprint. And you're right! There's a LOT to learn and a LOT to get good at in this sport. That's why a black belt takes so bloody long! … [Read more...]
Should I Do Extra Conditioning for BJJ?
To condition or not to condition, that is the question… Whether ’tis smarter for your body to strain under barbells and long distance runs, or ignore all that stuff and just focus on getting more mat time. This is NOT an article about general fitness, or about achieving a goal in another sport. If you want to run a half-marathon for the challenge, the endorphins, or the sense of achievement … [Read more...]
Podcast EP19: Clark Gracie on Training, Competing, and Growing up Gracie
This is a great interview with 2013 Pan Am BJJ Champion Clark Gracie. He shares a ton of cool info. You can listen to, read, or download this interview in several different ways… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWxI1oKzpV4 To listen to this conversation you could press play on the video above, but then you might miss out on future episodes, wouldn’t you? So the best thing to do is to … [Read more...]
Home Drilling for BJJ Skill Development
I often get questions from BJJ and submission grappling practitioners about whether they can benefit from doing additional drills at home. Often the people asking these questions are either extremely time-constrained and can't make it to the class as often as they would like. Or they are just very serious students of the art and want to improve as fast as humanly possible. My answer is that … [Read more...]
Podcast EP17: Rafael Lovato Jr. on Training and Competing in BJJ
This is a great interview with BJJ competition legend Rafael Lovato Jr. This podcast episode, along with all my others, are available on my Strenuous Life Podcast, which you can subscribe to with a few easy clicks! Choose your audio player below and click on it to open up The Strenuous Life Podcast and from there, you can click to subscribe, or simply search for this episode which is episode # … [Read more...]
How Hard Should You Go During Sparring?
Serious training requires focus and intent when you're on the mat. Those precious few hours of training every week deserve your complete attention so you can get good faster; life is too short for half-ass mediocrity. Ask any black belt you like: they'll agree that making an effort, staying focused, and paying attention is critical to your training. But this is MENTAL effort. MENTAL focus. … [Read more...]
Why Martial Artist (and Grapplers in Particular) Should Do Yoga
There are a lot of reasons why martial artists should do Yoga. And that goes DOUBLE for the grappling kind of martial artists, including BJJ'ers, submission grapplers, Judoka, Sambo practioners, and people training in MMA. Yoga brings a lot to the table. … [Read more...]
My Digital Reading List, May 23, 2013
I always say that this jiu-jitsu stuff is a marathon, not a sprint. Partially this is because it takes time to remodel your body so that it can do the things you want it to do. It's also because you need to find and incorporate hundreds of little tricks, tweaks and techniques that work with your body and your ever-evolving style on the mats. … [Read more...]
20,000 lbs of snow and the true meaning of self defense…
This is a rather rambling post; in the words of Mark Twain, "I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead." First, and most importantly, I really hope that you had a great Christmas (or alternate celebration of your choice). And that you got to spend time with friends, family and loved ones. Next, congratulations on surviving the Mayan Calendar Apocalypse! … [Read more...]
What Champion Bodybuilder Kai Greene Can Teach You About BJJ
An old training partner sent me a short email yesterday. Here's what it said: "I know you have a paucity of spare time - but this video of pro bodybuilder Kai Greene is GREAT! His plain speaking talk about self discipline and mastering fundamentals to achieve excellence is probably the best I have heard. I think you will enjoy this." … [Read more...]
‘Cardio’ For the Martial Arts
Cardiovascular training can be a confusing topic and there are many different and divergent views on the subject. Different reputable sources inform us that you don't need to do cardio - just spar really long rounds (for grappling), or that you should spar twice as many rounds as you are going to fight (boxing), or that you should do sprints, or do long runs, or lift weights for muscular … [Read more...]
PERFECT PEAKING PART 2: Tapering and Peaking for MMA and Grappling Competition
By Stephan Kesting Originally published in Ultimate Athlete, June 2003 Introduction "Proper planning and preparation prevents piss-poor performance" - the 7 "P's" of the British SAS … [Read more...]
19 Tips on Lifting Weights for Martial Arts
In the not-so-distant past weight training was discouraged for martial artists. "It will make you slow", "it will make you muscle-bound", and "all you need is technique" were common opinions from the 'experts'. Times have changed! Athletes in almost every sport lift weights now. Coaches and trainers recognize that it will make their athletes stronger, faster, and more resilient to injury. It is … [Read more...]
Sport Specific Training for MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)
An article by Ryan Pratt (www.royharris.com) The whole MMA game has evolved quite a bit from the early days. It is now a distinct sport with its on style, tactics and strategies. To think and train as though it is merely a combination of several arts would, in my opinion, be a mistake. … [Read more...]
Tips for training when training partners are hard to find
Maybe you travel a lot. Maybe you live in a really small town. Maybe the club you used to train at closed down. Maybe it’s just too far to go to train regularly. In any case, training partners or good training environments are sometimes hard to find. So what do you do? … [Read more...]
Kettlebell Training for MMA
By: Mike Mahler Mike Mahler is a strength coach and a certified kettlebell instructor based in Santa Monica, California. For more information go to www.mikemahler.com. … [Read more...]
Four Reasons You Might Be Getting Tired in BJJ
by Guest Author, Mark Mullen (BJJ Brown Belt, Judo Brown Belt) I've been grappling for many years, and here's a situation that comes up all the time... I often spar younger, heavier, beginners. At the end of the round they're usually fighting for breath, arms trembling from fatigue. … [Read more...]
Podcast EP9: Best Interview Ever? Ryan Hall Speaks his Mind
The Ryan Hall interview is ready, and it might be my best interrogation ever! With more than 200 tournaments, countless superfights, and solid performances in the Mundials and ADCC Ryan is one of North America's most successful and prolific grapplers. As such he's uniquely positioned to give a ton insight into the world of BJJ and submission grappling. Click Play Below to Listen to My … [Read more...]
Don’t make this classic training error!
About 10 years ago I was talking to a pioneer of early MMA. This fighter trained all the time, even between fights. But whenever he had a fight coming up he'd go absolutely mental and grind himself down into an exhausted mess. … [Read more...]