What Bruce Lee and Malcolm Gladwell Taught Me About Mushin (or the Art of No-Mind and Executing the Perfect Technique), Bruce Lee and Malcom Gladwell agree with Mark Mullen. Sometimes things just happen too quickly to use conscious thought. Sometimes you just need to forget about thought and simply react to the situation. … [Read more...]
MMA
What’s the Best Conditioning for BJJ?
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...]
How to Not Get Slammed in Your Closed Guard or Triangle Choke
Getting picked up and slammed when you've got your opponent in the closed guard is one of the most dangerous things that can happen to you in grappling. It's definitely a legitimate technique for big and strong guys to use. And in MMA and self defense slamming an opponent is one of the best ways to open the guard, or to escape a tight triangle choke. Getting power-bombed and then and having … [Read more...]
Podcast EP22: Adam Singer on Modern MMA Training and Competition
Stephan: I’m here today with my friend, Adam Singer, who runs The HardCore Gym in Athens, Georgia. He is probably best known for being Forrest Griffin’s MMA coach during the formative years of Forrest’s career. He’s also a jiu-jitsu black belt and has trained tons of fighters. I’m really looking forward to picking his brain about MMA and jiu-jitsu and the relationship between these things. … [Read more...]
How to Do the Head and Arm Choke (aka ‘Kata Gatame’)
The Head and Arm choke is a super-powerful submission that works with and without the gi, with and without strikes, in BJJ, Judo, Submission Grappling and Judo. It's ended a lot of matches and even put a few people to sleep. The Head and Arm choke comes from Judo (where it's known as Kata Gatame) and if you grapple then it's a technique that you need to know! This choke cuts off the blood … [Read more...]
A Sakuraba Highlight Video Worth Watching
I came across the video below and thought it was a poignant tribute to the arc of Sakuraba's career in Pride. It combines Sakuraba's beautiful grappling with the extreme violence of Japanese Pride, along with a melancholy undertone that reminded me of the movie 'The Wrestler' starring Mickey Rourke from a few years ago. For those of you not familiar with his career it's hard to convey the shock … [Read more...]
The Most Dangerous Throw in Judo & BJJ
There's a good reason that the extremely effective throw Kani Basami has been banned in all Judo and most BJJ competitions: it's super dangerous! Kani Basami has inflicted severe lower body injuries in dojos and competitions all over the world. I myself used it extensively until I was sparring with a wrestler, misjudged the distances, and landed on his ankle severely twisting it. He was out of … [Read more...]
The Most Distinctive MMA Fighter
Man, nobody else fights like Masakazu Imanari. Such a distinctive (and scary) style… Imanari is a man on a mission: if there's a leg in the room somewhere then he's going to find it and tear it off. Every moment of every fight he's looking to wrap up that leg: it doesn't matter if you're punching, kicking, clinching or on the ground. Even the former UFC fighter (and infamous heel hooker) … [Read more...]
How to Defeat The Judo-Style Rolling Armbar
Love her or hate her, Ronda Rousey is an armbar machine. At UFC 168 she defeated Meisha Tate with her eighth armbar in eight MMA fights. This armbar streak is an amazing achievement, and a lot of people (including a lot of people who don't actually train) have been asking me how to counter this attack. I was thinking about doing this but it turns out that someone beat me to it. Ronda got … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Close the Distance in a Streetfight
BJJ is a great fitness activity and a wonderful sport. But at it's core Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is still a martial art. The word 'martial' is defined as "being related to fighting or war". And that means you have to be ready throw down should the s**t hit the fan out there in the cold, cruel world. Sometimes in a street confrontation you should run away, sometimes you should look for improvised … [Read more...]
Podcast EP18: John Perretti, MMA Matchmaker
I recently talked to John Perretti, the former matchmaker for both the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the Extreme Fighting Championship. In our fifty minute interview John and I discussed the early days of the sport, how he found and selected fighters, brain trauma in the combat sports, his disdain for the current state of the UFC, and much more. So if you're a fan of early MMA there's a … [Read more...]
More On Concussions in MMA
Last week I published my contentious, 'Does MMA Make You Stupid' article. Since then there have been a few more developments on the concussion controversy, so I figured it was worth sharing the updates so as to keep you in the loop. UPDATE 1: STEPHAN KESTING ON THE NHB NEWS PODCAST Over the weekend I was contacted by Eddie Goldman, the Godfather of MMA, from the NHB News website and podcast. … [Read more...]
Grapplearts T Shirt Contest
Hey, we're having another Grapplearts T Shirt Giveaway! This time three lucky readers are going to get a coveted Grapplearts T shirt shipped directly to their home! What you need to do to be eligible is to submit a Grappling, BJJ or MMA picture for the Grapplearts Featured Photo Page in the next 7 days. … [Read more...]
Podcast EP16: Interview with Philip Gelinas
This is an interview with one of my most influential teachers - 9th degree Kajukenbo Karate black belt Philip Gelinas. Philip is also a high-ranking instructor in several different Filipino martial art systems, a BJJ brown belt, an instructor in Combat Submission Wrestling, and was recently inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame. Topics include the evolution of Georges St Pierre, the … [Read more...]
Podcast EP15: Burton Richardson on Training and Performing under Pressure
Stephan's note: today I interview Burton Richardson who has spent decades researching the training methods that make martial arts techniques practical, reliable, and functional. His approach is very applicable to street self defence, but is equally valid for anyone wanting to compete. Click Play Below to Listen to My Conversation with Burton … [Read more...]
Three Keys to Escaping Any Submission
Some people might not be the greatest grapplers but are still notoriously hard to submit. Obviously technique is important, but there's more to slipping out of submission than just knowing the escape techniques. In fact the most important thing is knowing WHEN to apply your techniques. If you use the right technique at the wrong time then it won't work. For example I remember rolling with a … [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...]
Sumo Wrestling: Practical Techniques for the Martial Artist
Written by: Andrew Zerling Originally published in the Journal of Asian Martial Arts - Volume 21 Number 1 - 2012 All photos courtesy of Aikido Centers of New Jersey - Manasquan Dojo, except where noted. Abstract The study and appreciation of sumo wrestling, Japan’s ancient and popular martial art, is greatly overlooked in the West. This article focuses on sumo’s winning techniques, with … [Read more...]
Ronda Rousey and the Power of Gameplans
In case you were hiding under a rock, Ronda Rousey fought Liz Carmouche last night at UFC 157. She both validated her UFC Women's Bantamweight title, and made history by being in the first-ever women's match in the the UFC. And just in case you were under that aforementioned rock, despite a very spirited fight by Liz Carmouche, Ronda won the match with an armbar at 4:49 of the first … [Read more...]
BJJ in Singapore, a White Belt’s View
When I first faced BJJ black-belt, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Mundial and regional champion Zorobabel Moreira on the mat in Singapore last year, I thought I had signed up for a personal self-defence trial. I had no idea what BJJ was and had never worn a “gi”. … [Read more...]