One World Jiu-Jitsu Academy

Does Size Matter?

In jiu-jitsu it does… to an extent. Like most physical sports in the world, size and skill make a big difference in performance. You can have a guy that is 7 ft tall, with not much basketball experience, beat someone smaller that plays daily. Put another 7 ft tall guy in there that has never touched a basketball before and he won’t have a chance against the smaller guy. In MMA, we’ve all seen Frank Mir knee bar big a%$ Brock Lesnar in their first fight. The second time around, with a good game plan, Brock Lesnar destroyed Mir’s face on the ground!

 
 
Same applies in jiu-jitsu. You must cater to your opponent. If I’m rolling with someone a lot heavier than me, I’m going to try to keep them on their back to limit their movement as I know I will be faster on top. I also won’t have to worry about their weight (+gravity) on top of me, which will cause me to use more energy. I believe it was in Felipe Costa’s documentary where he explained about passing with different sized opponents. He said if he is trying to pass guard on a bigger and stronger opponent, he will pass on the outside of the legs (i.e. toreando pass), using his speed and agility. On smaller opponents, he can smash through using knee slicing passes and such. This made a lot of sense as I noticed I could never do the knee slicing pass on D-Bo because he would just lift me up with his thighs and sweep me easily.

If you are rolling against someone who is bigger and stronger than you, you can only rely on speed and technique. This is where things like “push and pull” and being one step ahead really comes into play. Even against smaller opponents like Aki, I will try to use push and pull to sharpen technique, instead of using strength. There are a lot of people in the gym that are bigger than let’s say PJ and Jimmy, but they can prevail by using their superior technique acquired by a few years of experience.

Kyra Gracie (black belt) said in an interview after her match with Lana Stefanac (brown belt), “If you get someone that doesn’t know jiu-jitsu, you can beat anyone no matter the weight. But once you get someone that knows the techniques, it gets harder.” Always look to improve your technique! There is always space you can tighten and weight you can balance better.

disclaimer: I'm just a blue belt bloggin' - f00k

Stretching and Flexibility

Stretching and Flexibility

by f00k

 

A lot of people ask me about my flexibility and how I am able to do moves that require a lot of flexibility with my legs. I myself, don’t believe I’m that flexible (BJ Penn and Eddie Bravo are flexible), but back when I first started JJ in Jan 08, I was pretty damn stiff! Standing up I couldn’t touch my toes or sit Indian style with both my feet off the ground.

Soon I learned that the more flexibility you have, the more diverse your game can be.  I noticed people like PJ, whose legs were impossible to pass, always doing stretches like the s-mount stretch. Mikee has crazy (linear?) flexibility with his legs from about 20 years of kickboxing. I decided to incorporate stretches from everyone’s routines that I believed were fairly flexible. I stretched before class, after class, at work, watching TV, etc… Month after month, I slowly started to see an improvement with my flexibility.

The key is simple. Stretch!! After our warm ups, when Mike stays “get water and stretch out,” a lot of people sit around talking, which I do too, but they aren’t taking advantage of the time to stretch. Even when you are at home reading a book or playing video games, stretch! You don’t need anything  to stretch, except the ground underneath you and gravity. What are you doing in your spare time?

BJ Penn: "Every day I stretch about half an hour before going to bed. I don't stretch before practice; I just warm up to get the blood going. If I'm not too exhausted, I stretch after training. But often I'll go home, eat, relax, take a shower and then stretch before going to sleep. A good routine is to start from your head and go down to your feet, stretching everything you want to stretch. Flexibility is essential. That's why so many people have such a hard time taking me down, passing my guard and reversing me when I'm on top. It's important to have strength with your flexibility. At the gym, you often see strong, stiff guys and weak, flexible guys. To become a force in fighting, you need to combine those." (From: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2678267/mma_techniques_and_exercises_eddie.html)

Be the LOTUS!

Injuries Are A Pain

Injuries Are A Pain

by Meaty

You’ve all probably heard about Tom’s injury last night. If you haven’t: Atsushi went for a basic foot sweep, Tom’s foot for some inexplicable reason stayed planted on the mat. Something had to give; unfortunately it was the bone(s) in Tom’s foot.

We all try to avoid injuries as much as we can but they are always a possibility whenever you step onto the mat. It’s a risk we all gladly take in our pursuit of Jiu-Jitsu and Judo proficiency. Some injuries are caused by inexperience; others like Tom’s are just freak accidents. In either case they both suck because you are sidelined for what will feel like an eternity.  We can all minimize these dangers by elevating our awareness and expanding our experience on the mat which one can only achieve with more training.

I definitely suffered more injuries when I first started training Jiu-Jitsu, and primarily it was because I didn’t know what I was doing, didn’t realize what situations were dangerous, or was just too stupid and/or stubborn to tap.  I definitely feel that I roll “safer” now with more experience under my belt. I also feel that rolling with beginners is a more dangerous endeavor than rolling with experienced individuals.

But no matter how “safe” you roll, some things just happen and all you can do is heal up and get back on the mat. You can also catch up on all the video games and movies you’ve neglected because of training.

Tom, take care of that foot. We’ll all be here waiting for you to get back on the mat.

 ---

“Tonight I hurt one of my students on accident. I've never felt so bad. I haven't been teaching long, but since I started, I've always put safety first when teaching techniques; mostly because the safety and effectiveness of a throw go hand in hand. I'm not going to lie about Judo and say that it is a completely safe sport/art. Although it is designed to subdue an opponent without harming them, it is very dynamic and in my opinion, it has the highest potential for injury of almost any sport/art, especially if it isn't taught right. It most definitely is not for the faint of heart. Since I started teaching at One World I think I've done a fairly good job of enforcing the safety of Judo, but things happen as in anything else. I pride myself on being a safe and effective technician, and if you ask anyone who I've trained with/under, they will agree. But I still feel incredibly guilty and responsible for my student's injury. I'm just writing this partially to vent, but to also let my other students (or others that are interested in starting) that I hope they aren't discouraged from continuing/starting Judo at One World. I think Judo is a beautiful sport/martial art and I'd like to continue sharing it with other people, because the past year has been very rewarding. “-- Atsushi Yoshinaga

 

"Hey Bro, we all know the dangers of training and we as teachers do the best we can to do it safely! You and the whole Judo crew are awesome! We've all been hurt, are hurting or are going to get hurt again! I say it's better to have an incidental injury from a training partner than some random person! And you can't help that your big ass Flinstone Feet are lethal weapons!"-- Mike Imperial

 

"Atsushi, you're a big part of the One World family not just as the head judo sensei but as a Jiu-Jitsu student and CrossFit athlete. You have a great work ethic, are good spirited and humble... the makings of a master. Tom's in good spirits and I think he's already planning how he is going to train while his foot heals."-- Mike Prudencio

Hitting the Wall

Hitting the Wall

by Meaty

There were days when I felt like I absorbed techniques like a sponge, now it seems like I’m a bucket with holes and I’m losing it left and right.  I’ve hit a mental wall and it feels like everybody around me is getting better while my Jiu-Jitsu becomes stagnant.  I am frustrated by my lack of progress and unfortunately that frustration leads to a decrease in motivation and a lack of focus.  It’s a downward spiral that’s hard to pull out of.  

But I’ve been here before.  It usually happens after an extended period of time without training, usually anything beyond two weeks.  Jiu-Jitsu is a skill that needs to be practiced in order to maintain and progress one’s proficiency in it (like playing the guitar or piano). Your technique is a finely honed sword that dulls and deteriorates without the proper maintenance and attention.

There is no “easy way” to get myself back to where I want to be.  I just need to suck it up, get my butt off the couch and train. There has been some training days lately when I felt like I was completely beaten down and I have those moments on the mat where I know exactly what I want to do but my body just won’t let me do it. Brain says to Body: “FORWARD ROLL!”  Body says to Brain: “Screw you Brain, I’m tired. I’m going to stay turtled up and think about how Hawaii is nice this time of year.”

Nothing feels better than a hot shower and a hot meal after a hard training session, the day after might not be too much fun but I know that it’ll get better the more I train.  At least that’s what I say to myself whenever I hit the wall. The only way to get better is to train hard and to train often.  So don’t let the “bad days” get you down because if you really think hard about it… any day on the mat is a good day.

See you on the mat.

The Path to Blue

The Path to Blue

by Meaty

This is my take on what it takes to get from a white belt to a blue belt. Keep in mind that this is based purely on my perspective and experience and it is NOT a recommendation or rule. I could totally be full of it. I'm just writing this for those who have asked: "How do I get a blue belt?" and have just gotten the reply: "Don't worry about it, just train." I think it is the proper response; I'm just expanding on what that means to me.

Each individual's path to blue is different; especially here at our academy because we don't necessarily "test" to get to the next level. You don't have to win 10 tournaments in a row or be able to submit every guy in class. There is no set time frame or set amount of knowledge that a person has to have to get promoted. You are "tested" everyday you come to class. It's not just about what you know. It's about how well you use that knowledge. It's not just about showing up to class. It's about what you do when you get there. It's not just about how many times you drill a technique. It's about the proper way to perform and use that technique. It's about how you interact with your teammates and instructors on and off the mat. Every moment is a test and you should treat it as such. 

There is no set number of movements or forms in Jiu-Jitsu. It is fluid, dynamic, always evolving, and each individual's skill level depends on his or her own knowledge, technique, strength, size, flexibility, stamina, and will. We all have to adapt to what our bodies will "let" us do and we train so we can do more.  Some movements work better than others, and some are just impossible depending on your opponent. For example, you'll learn quickly that pulling guard when you can't lock your ankles on an opponent 3 times your size is a bad strategy. There are many variables in the course of a match that you will have to learn to adapt to in order to survive and/or submit.

If you look at all the blue belts that we have in class right now, you'll see that each of us has a different "style". We come from different backgrounds and all have different amounts of strength, flexibility, size, experience, and we all use what we have differently. Techniques that work well for Fookie doesn't necessarily mean they'll work well for me or you... etc. 

PJ uses his B-Boy skills to dance around his opponents. Mikee uses his legs like vice grips to control and crush his opponents like a boa constrictor. Dan is quite stealthy in his ability to sneak in that submission when you least expect it. Fookie will dazzle you with his acrobatic skills then get you in an omnoplata or guillotine. Zvi has the top game of a seasoned wrestler and crushes his opponents if they stay down on their backs.

Tom is new to the crew and I think that whenever you come from another school sporting a belt it pretty much acts as a bull's-eye and most guys will work a little harder against you. He took and gave some punishment but more importantly he keeps coming back for more and that I respect more than belt color. There's Rich, who doesn't let a little grey hair and father time get in the way training. There's a lesson to be learned there.

Jimmy uses his speed, tenacity, and constant movement to catch you the moment you make the smallest mistake. Huge demonstrates the meaning of the word adaptation by utilizing an excellent x-guard game that he has developed primarily in response to his recovery from knee surgery. I don't even know where to start with Kyle, I just try to watch out when he's coming my way.

D-Bo has the size and strength of a big man but hardly uses that fact to muscle or smash his opponents. His is a technician, and when you watch or roll with him, you can see and feel that his every movement has a purpose. He is one of the most humble of guys on and off the mat. He is there consistently, he listens and learns intently, and I have never heard him ask how or when would he get his blue belt. Anyone who has known him knows that he's got heart. I think D-Bo epitomizes what Dave lists in his Criteria for Promotion.

It took me about 2 years to get from white to blue. Others in our class have done it in much less time, and others even more. If time is your criteria, then know that it's not about how much time passes, but how much time you put into the mat. Notice that I didn't say "spend time on the mat", I can sit on the mat for hours and not learn a thing. You have to "put time into the mat", listen, learn, roll, drill, train, and sweat. Mike can't gauge your progress if your not there.

There are no "secret" techniques among us here. If there is anything you want to know more about, then just ask. You will learn that flying armbars and fancy techniques will seldom get you the submission. Looking back... as a white belt I should have asked more questions about gaining position and getting escapes. Submissions come easier if you have control of your opponent.

I liked being a white belt because I felt I had more freedom to explore techniques and because I cared less about being submitted. I also felt that you had the element of surprise because most of the time your skill is being underestimated. I don't do that here at One World, when I roll with our white belts I have the mindset of believing that each and every one them has the ability to tap me out. It only takes one mistake and thinking that our white belts are pushovers is one BIG mistake. I know what they've been taught and I know what that they are all capable of.

I think a big part of training that often gets forgotten about is the mental part of the game. If you are in a match regardless of differences in belt color and are thinking to yourself "this guy is better than me", then you've already lost. You have to go into any match thinking "I can do this, I can get this guy". There is nothing like a tournament to test yourself. I have lost matches I should not have because my mind was weak. It's disappointing, but it's also a wake up call. I've noticed that I perform better right after tournaments, because that hunger to do better, to make up for my mistakes, lingers and drives me to eliminate the weaknesses in my game.

Ideally one should approach techniques as a white belt, with as open a mind as possible. I think sometimes the belt gets in the way of training. White belts will use you as a gauge of their progress and sometimes forget about technique when going for a submission or hurt themselves trying to escape using improper technique. Sometimes blue belts will try too hard to fight a submission from a white belt and end up either hurting themselves or the other guy. Personally, unless it's a tournament, if my opponent has a superior position and an imminent submission, regardless of belt color, I will tap out long before there is a potential of being injured. It's not worth it. Tap, reset, and go again.

I'm afraid I may have just gone off on different tangents. So what does it take to get to blue?

Don't worry about it. Just train.

See you on the mat.