Obviously I've been building up content on Grapplearts for quite some time now. Nevertheless I was recently surprised to see that there are now more than 500 articles, tips and blog posts on here now! Not all of them are by me - some are articles by guest authors - but that's still a heck of a lot of content! … [Read more...]
Inspiration
How bad do you want it?
I found this short Youtube video and voice-over really inspiring and wanted to pass it on. It has nothing to do with martial arts. But in a way it has EVERYTHING to do with martial arts! Plus the sports-specific training footage is pretty cool too, and might give you some good ideas for your own conditioning!! … [Read more...]
How Marcelo Garcia Defeats Larger, Stronger Opponents
There's nothing quite like watching a smaller, lighter, weaker person use their technique to defeat a bigger, heavier, stronger opponent. And when it comes to tapping out bigger, stronger, heavier opponents there's nobody quite like Marcelo Garcia. Not only is he a four time world BJJ champion and three time ADCC champion in his weight class, but he's often fought in the absolute division … [Read more...]
What Getting Better is Really All About!
I just got in from an awesome training session, but before I head out and enjoy the sun for a couple of hours I've just got to share this with you. You see, a couple of days ago I heard a great quote that's been rattling around in my brain ever since because it's totally applicable to BJJ, MMA and submission grappling. … [Read more...]
Podcast EP3: Erik Paulson; an MMA Master Coach Shares His Secrets
Erik Paulson is an MMA Master Coach. He's trained tons of fighters competing at the highest levels of Mixed Martial Arts. And he held the Shooto light-heavyweight title in Japan for 5 years. He's also my friend and a mentor. Click Play Below to Listen to My Conversation with Erik Paulson... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx7gT-EXohM Recently I asked my newsletter readers if there was … [Read more...]
Confessions of a Reformed ‘Unco’
I got some good feedback on the last post (Advice for a Frustrated, Clumsy and Uncoordinated Grappler) and want to share a couple of tidbits with you today. Here's what one anonymous Australian BJJ student in his thirties had to say … [Read more...]
Belugas, Bears and an Offshore Tide on Hudson Bay
Fair warning: what I’m talking about today has absolutely nothing to do with martial arts training. But – in keeping with a previous theme – it has everything to do with deliberately facing self-imposed challenges, whatever they may be. This article is really a continuation of a previous one discussing why martial arts training provides some of the few ‘real’ rites of passage in today’s society … [Read more...]
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. … [Read more...]
Incorporating Other Martial Arts into BJJ
One of the tenets of JKD is that one should keep an open mind with regard to other styles. After all, "absorb what is useful, reject what is useless" is a classic Bruce Lee quote. In general, I find that most BJJ practitioners are relatively open minded when it comes to learning from other styles. … [Read more...]
Harsh Quote of the Week
Well here we are, roughly 5 weeks after New Year's Eve and resolution-making season. Have you made progress on your goals? If not, then here is a harsh but great quote by Merlin Mann on getting your ass in gear: … [Read more...]
The Amazing Dan Inosanto doing BJJ
I have to share this footage of one of my instructors, Dan Inosanto, doing some BJJ sparring. This incredible man is now in his 70's, and I hope I learn to move that smoothly some day... … [Read more...]
Just Get Dressed
Last week I talked about how you sometimes have to bail out of a planned training session. Well let's turn the situation around and talk about motivating you to get your butt back on the mat. … [Read more...]
Favorite Grappling Quotes
Here are some of my favorite grappling quotes with some relevance to the sport and science of grappling “No plan of action survives contact with the enemy” – Military Proverb "I am a shark, the ground is my ocean, and most people can't even swim." - Rickson Gracie "A good plan executed violently today is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite point in the future." - George … [Read more...]