p82
Nutrition, Condition, Technique, Submit
! N
EW
ARE YOU READY FOR KETTLE-JITSU?
Be Prepared, We Show You How
Technique
overload: Work The Clinch Fireman’s Carry Takedown Chokes from Closed Guard Finish From The Back
Us to s e k a T o v tsu! Eddie Bra
Take and Finish From the Back with Reylan Gracie Cover 2.indd 1
Drill Baby Drill!
Andre Galvao Shows You How to Drill Like a Champion
$6.99 US/CAN
Are You Getting Enough Protein?
june/july 2011 / Issue 02 • jiujitsumag.com
i J u i J t th Plane 10
4/26/11 6:21:11 PM
FullCombat_PromoGiveAwaySprd.indd 1
4/22/11 4:01:25 PM
FullCombat_PromoGiveAwaySprd.indd 2
4/22/11 4:01:42 PM
Suzuki_JordanSuzuki.indd 1
4/22/11 3:58:20 PM
Suzuki_JordanSuzuki.indd 2
4/22/11 3:58:38 PM
contents June-July 2011 // Issue 02 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
008 Editorial 010 News and More 018 Quick Tips 032 Diet 026 Drill It 036 Supplements 096 mind games What I’ve learned
More “more” than news
Prepare to avoid relief
040 Fireman’s Carry and finish 048 Take from back
With or without the legs
Raylen Gracie shows us how
from 070 Chokes the gaurd
82
082 Kettle-Jitsu 092 Shoulder Injury
the love 058 For of jiu-jitsu
Collar optional
Protein, why you want more
Attacks from the guard
What do you need before
Kettlebells with a purpose
Avoid injury and heal
Use stats
020 024 Wrist stretches Jumping rope
For warm-up or conditioning
Don’t get caught
Eddie Bravo takes us to 10th Planet
first 076 Your tournement
Be prepared to win
to do 088 What with a new gi
Please don’t shrink, please don’t shrink
Ready for Issue 2?
76
88 6 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Contents 2.indd 1
70 4/26/11 6:23:14 PM
We smoke out the truth about Eddie Bravo and his 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system. He gives us the blunt truth about working the clinch.
For the Love
of Jiu-Jitsu
58
Eddie sets the record straight, and shows you how to work the clinch.
FIR E MAN’S
CARRY
40
DRILL IT Check Yourself Are you getting all the protein you need?
86 Too late, you bought it.
Reylan Gracie is the latest generation of the family to show you how to get it done.
New Column: Andre shows you how to drill and improve your game
48
Contents 2.indd 2
June/July 2011 | 7
4/26/11 6:23:48 PM
What I’ve
Learned So Far ell, we made it – made it to Issue 2. Thanks to everyone who picked up the first issue, and – obviously – thank you for picking up this one. In my 16-year publishing career, I’ve never had more fun putting together a magazine – thank you for helping to make that possible. One thing that you’ll find out is that my editorials are more like random blog posts. Once in a while, I’ll have a concise thought with some sort of overwhelming theme, but for the most part, they’re more of a stream of consciousness type deal. With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of things I’ve learned in the last few months while putting this magazine together. I went to the Pan Ams as more than just a spectator this year. For me, being there for most of the competition was different from my previous experience of the high-level matches I’ve been to. This year, I was thinking in my “magazine idea” mode and I made some observations. First, at that level of competition, there aren’t too many people that I would say were not in “great” shape. If you’re going to compete at that level, you really need to have strong conditioning and a low percentage of body fat. The exception might be the ultra heavy weight categories. There are more than a few ways to skin a cat. In just a few months, I’ve had the pleasure of going over techniques with some of the best in the sport. One thing that is perfectly clear is that each has their own way of doing things. Just like chocolate chip cookies, where there are a countless number of recipes that, in the end, will give you a chocolate chip cookie, there are also countless ways to hit a particular technique. Each one may have a different ingredient or combination of ingredients, but, in the end, it’s an armbar or a triangle choke. It’s good to try all the different recipes you’re exposed to. Eventually, you’ll pick a recipe that you like best and customize it for your tastes. There’s a lot of politics in this sport. You’ve got to drill things. You can read all the techniques in this magazine, or from any
source, and if you think that you’ll understand and master them simply from attempting them during a sparring session, you’re not going to get it. You need to drill the techniques and practice with varying degrees of resistance with a partner. Ask your professor if you and a friend can come in to practice the techniques in this issue, apart from your normal classes or sparring sessions. If you do this, you will see great gains in your jiu-jitsu. You can also pick up a Zebra Home Mat advertised in this issue and drill at home (end shamless advertiser plug). Along the lines of my previous point: If you read this magazine, and only employ even a fraction of the information in each issue, you’re going to improve at a greater rate than the guy who isn’t reading it. Yeah, I know – that’s a bold statement, but I truly believe it. After the first issue, I’ve been using a handful of my favorite techniques and getting comfortable with them. I can honestly say my game has improved by leaps and bounds in a relatively short time.
Doesn’t look like Mike’s learned very much.
Well, that’s all for now. I hope you enjoy this issue – we had a lot of fun putting it together. Thanks for picking it up. I do have a favor to ask of you. One thing that helps to keep us in business is advertising sales. The magazine business is a tough one and a key aspect of the business is solid advertising sales. Do us a favor and do business with the companies that advertise in the magazine. We appreciate their business and yours, and bringing the two of you together would make us very happy and maybe might even get us to the point some day where we can be monthly. If you see a discount code, web address, email, phone number, or QR code in the magazine, use it! Let the companies in the jiu-jitsu world know that you read the magazine and enjoy it.
Thanks for reading!
Mike Velez Editor & Publisher mikev@jiujitsumag.com
Editor & Publisher Mike Velez Associate Editor Andrew Nguyen Contributing Authors Seymour Yang, Jeremy Reid, Dr. John Park, Lucas Taber Dan Faggella, Andre Galvao Kenny Johnson Art Directors Dave Palacios, Mike McMahon Photographers Carl Hyndman Jason Boulanger John Cooper Production Director Paula Fountain Advertising Sales Mike Velez Circulation Manager Tom Ferruggia
Phone: 1.877.834.3522 ext. 227 Web: jiujitsumag.com
Available upon request, Contact: Jiu-Jitsu Magazine PO Box 2405 Chino Hills, CA 91709 ph: 909.517.3497 ext. 221 fax: 909.517.1601
The Curtis Circulation Company Jiu-Jitsu Magazine (ISSN 2157-6173) is a publication of Recon Media Inc., PO Box 2405 Chino Hills, CA 91709; Phone: 909.517.3497; Fax: 909.517.1601email: info@jiujitsumag.com. Subscription rates are $27.99 for 6 issues (1 year), $42.99 per year Canada, and $67.99 per year for foreign airmail. All rights reserved, The entire contents are copyright 2011 Recon Media Inc, and may not be reproduced in any manner in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. The views and the opinions of the writers and advertisers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Recon Media Inc., the Publisher, or the editorial staff. The Publisher assumes no responsibilities for advertising claims, errors, and omissions. Some of the techniques described in this magazine can be dangerous. Always practice safe procedures and use common sense. Recon Media Inc., and the Publisher can not be held responsible from any injuries or damage caused by these techniques. Perform at your own risk. Jiu-Jitsu Magazine is published bi-monthly.
100% Recyclable. Save the Planet. Roll Frequently, Read Jiu-Jitsu Magazine Printed in the U.S.A
8 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Editorial.indd 1
4/26/11 6:26:11 PM
Gameness.indd 1
4/22/11 4:02:17 PM
Don’t Wait
To Cut
recent study conducted by California State University Fullerton was published in the April issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The study examined the mental and physical effects of “weight cutting” among 16 collegiate wrestlers. The wrestlers were weighted, and underwent strength and psychological examinations ten days before competing. The subjects then conducted their different weight cutting regimens, including exercise, calorie restriction, and fluid deprivation. Some of the wrestlers lost up to 8% of their body mass and the average weight loss was 6 pounds. Even though they had 10 days to lose the weight, nearly all of them waited until the two days before the match and the preceding weigh in to cut the weight. The study concluded that wrestlers who lost 4% or more of their body mass had significantly higher levels of confusion on the day of the match. There was no increased confusion among the wrestlers that lost less than 4%. Regardless of the amount of mass loss, there was no measured loss on the other psychological functions, grip strength, or lower body power. The researchers stated, “In a sport which requires split-second decision making, a higher state of confusion and tension can detrimentally affect the wrestler’s performance.” This should hold true for jiujitsu. The moral of the story here is—don’t cut more than 4% of your body mass just prior to a match. Of course we all knew that, right?
Jounals.lww.com/nsca-jscr
Tastes Great, More Filling I don’t know if “great” is the proper term, but it’s not that bad.
Have you ever tried drinking BCAAs? If you have, you know that, for the most part, they’re not very tasty and have a waxy film that isn’t too pleasant. But, if you want a beneficial dose, this is the way to do it without popping horse pills for days. Ultimate Nutrition has come up with a new blend and formula, which is much, much better than what is out there. It’s called BCAA 12,000 and two scoops deliver 12,000 mg of branch chain amino acids. They don’t dissolve completely in water, but more so than any we’ve tried, and they’re available in eight flavors. Read the article in this issue by Jeremy Reid on the benefits of BCAAs in your daily routine. One scoop before your workout and one after is more than enough to satisfy anyone’s requirements for amino acid supplementation.
Ultimatenutrition.com 10 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
News 2.indd 1
4/27/11 1:18:24 PM
Berry, Berry Good
What’s the Brazilian secret? Some say it’s Acai. Acai is the famous berry from the Brazilian rainforest that’s said to have a long list of benefits. To pay homage to this powerful gift of nature, Break Point is offering a limited edition “Acai” gi that’s built from a single piece of ultra-light, all cotton 350 gsm single weave fabric. The lapels are covered in a very light ripstop cotton. The branding includes beautiful embroidery of “Acai Addiction” and “Energia Pura” (pure energy). Fewer than 400 are being produced, and each is numbered. All that, and the price is less than $160. If you want one, better order now before they’re all gone.
Breakpointfc.com
bac k that
thang u p
F
Tomas Moreno I’m a high school teacher. I had to use jiu-jitsu to break up a fight and restrain a kid under hooks to a takedown to knee on belly. Dion McDowell Yes, I have. I was attacked, and I trapped the guy’s arm with my left arm, then knocked him out with a right elbow and hip tossed him. Ross Takata Used the “Rickson” mount on an icehead, and he powered right out of it. Transitioned to a Kimura and cranked a little until cops handcuffed him. Shannon Best It wasn’t the street but in the mall. I got tackled from behind but scrambled and managed to pull guard. Punches started raining down on me. I could feel my eye swelling. Blood ran from my nose. It felt like forever, weathering the barrage of punches until security pulled her off me. Moral of the story is don’t cut in line at a Mac store, especially if it’s in front of an inpatient 14-year-old girl. Mark Kulick nope—and let’s hope it stays that way.
Matt is in need of some weight gainer.
riends at class making fun of you because of that shopping bag you use to keep your gi and belt in? It’s sad really. But you should know better. You’ve got to look good in order to feel good—it all translates to better jiu-jitsu, right? Of course it does. So look good heading to and from class with this Atama Backpack. We’re fond of the black one shown here. It’s made of 100% cotton gi material and features three pockets: a big one with vents on the side so your stuff can air out, a second on the front for your phone, keys, mouth guard, etc., and at the bottom is a third pocket for your sweaty rash guard or unmentionables. It will set you back $73 and is available in blue, green, and pink.
Feedback
Atama-kimonos.com
News 2.indd 2
June/July 2011 | 11
4/27/11 1:25:26 PM
Royce Gracie
Fighting Again? ell, the rumor buzzing around the Internet recently was that the legendary Royce Gracie would once again fight in the octagon at UFC 134 later this year in Brazil. However, UFC’s Don Dana White tried to control the rumors by indicating that the UFC had no interest in offering a fight to Gracie. The legend has not competed since May 2006 when he was taken out early by then welterweight champ Matt Hughes. Let’s hope that Gracie gets at least one more shot in the octagon that he helped to make so famous.
Pan Ams
Look for pics from the Worlds in our next issue.
One of the world’s biggest and most respected tournaments is the Pan American, held in Irvine California at the UCI campus. This year’s tournament brought in many of the world’s best jiujitsu athletes. Over 2700 competitors duked it out over four days in late March. Thanks to its calendar date and location in southern California, it is regarded as an excellent warm-up for the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship coming in June to Long Beach, California. All weekend, the fighting was fierce. Here are some photo highlights:
12 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
News 2.indd 3
4/27/11 1:19:36 PM
Jitz_NewJitzFor2011.indd 1
4/22/11 4:02:52 PM
Free Stuff ou’re all about free stuff, and we know it. Check out the offer from Full Combat for a FREE t-shirt and training guide. The shirt looks good, and the training guide is very easy to use and will help keep track of weight, reps, sets, etc. on those conditioning and training days. All you need to do to get both is to pick up any of their supplements, which you were going to do anyway. The only catch is that you HAVE TO visit this very important web address: www.full-combat. com/jiujitsu . Don’t use any other, you’ve got to use that one—remember it!
Full-combat.com/jiujitsu
It’s not A rash
You should be wearing a rash guard underneath you gi, and which better to wear than this new Premium Cage Rash Guard #341 from Gameness. It’s got cage graphics, the Gameness logo and is cut to fit any build. Available in six different sizes from S to 2XL, the Cage Rage Rash Guard sells for $55. Plan on doing some no-gi? Well then, deck yourself out in the total Gameness package with these Board Shorts, available in either black or white. They feature a seamless crotch for flexibility and comfort, and are made from a stretchable and durable material that won’t ride up when training. These range in waist size from 30 to 40 inches and are available for just $49. Check them out, you probably won’t look as good as she does in them, but you’ll definitely have some game.
It’s nawt a tumma! It’s nawt.
Gameness.com
14 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
News 2.indd 4
4/27/11 1:20:23 PM
G etting
st o m e touh t
Jiua-zJinietsu
of
Mag
Videos We’ve shot video of many of the techniques covered. In future issues, we will have a QR code for each article, but until then, you can find a link to instructional videos on our website, jiujitsumag.com
Drill and Practice We cover quite a few techniques in this issue and we hope that we give you plenty of detail for each. You have two months before the next issue comes out (we’re bi-monthly), so take your time and drill the techniques we discuss with your partners and practice, practice, practice! If you get a solid understanding of just six techniques we cover in this issue you’ll have a huge advantage over those who don’t read JJM.
News 2.indd 5
The Skills Triangle You’ll see these scattered throughout the magazine in the technique articles. These give you an indicator of what qualities will help you perform the technique with greater ease. This doesn’t mean that you must possess these qualities; it simply means that you will be able to perform the maneuver with greater ease if the rating is higher in a quality you possess. For example:
Flexibility – A low rating means additional flexibility won’t really aide you. A high rating means that you’ll find this technique easier if you’re very flexible.
Strength – A low rating means that very little physical strength is necessary to perform. A high rating means that using greater strength will be beneficial in performing this technique.
Agility – A low rating means that this technique can be performed slowly, a high rating means that the ability to perform quickly will be an advantage. This is a simple guide to aid you. Having the greatest flexibility, strength, and agility will not outweigh solid technical skill and paying attention to the fine points of a technique. This system is a work in progress, and we hope to perfect it soon with feedback from our readers.
4/27/11 1:20:51 PM
AcaiAddition_bp_graciemag_acai5.indd 1
4/22/11 3:59:48 PM
AcaiAddition_bp_graciemag_acai5.indd 2
4/22/11 3:59:57 PM
Here’s the Church and Here’s the Steeple…
Unless you’re about tell a nursery rhyme, there’s NEVER a reason to interlace your fingers during a jiu-jitsu roll. Interlaced fingers can easily be crushed or dislocated as you try to apply a technique. Instead, the most common grip when bringing your hands together is the Gable grip, named after legendary wrestling coach Dan Gable. Don’t be fooled—keep your thumb together with your fingers. Interlacing your thumbs actually gives you less holding strength than the Gable grip. If you need more slack in your grip, try an S-grip where your fingers hook together.
fig hting m usc le c ra
Somebody needs to mix in some calf raises.
You’re on your back, you’ve got a nice tight closed guard on your opponent and he can’t get out, you’re just about to put him out with a triangle and—#$%@#@! Charlie horse! Muscle cramps can happen anytime, especially in your calves, but they’re more common during vigorous activity like jiu-jitsu. A muscle cramp is an involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscle that doesn’t want to relax. If it happens during a tournament match, well, you’re just going to have to suffer through it. But if it happens any other time, stop and take a break. Gentle message of the muscle and a quick walkaround will help. Stretch your calves out, get about a foot or two away from a wall, and lean forward so that you stretch out your calf muscle. Hold for thirty seconds on each side. Muscle cramps can happen to anyone, anytime, but there are some steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of them happening during
m ps
training. First thing is to make sure you’re taking a multivitamin so there are no holes in your diet. Muscle cramps could be caused by a vitamin deficiency. B1 (thiamine), B5 (panthothenic acid), and B6 (pyridoxine) have all been shown to increase the likelihood of muscle cramps when deficient in your diet. Properly stretch and warm up before training, and be sure to drink plenty of fluids, especially water, before, during, and after training. If you’re training for an excessively long time, try a sports drink that will replace electrolytes during these long training sessions. If the cramps persist or are severe, consult your physician; they could be a sign of an underlying and more serious condition.
How Embarrassing his is a topic that you’re probably not asking your instructor about or sharing with the other guys (or girls) in the locker room, but hemorrhoids are a common ailment among beginning jiu-jitsu practitioners. No, you can’t catch them—that would be disgusting—but they develop when you strain your muscles too hard or are aren’t breathing correctly. As you get more experience in jiu-jitsu, you’ll learn when to use strength and when not to—but when you’re starting out it’s common practice to “think” that you can just overpower yourself into a submission. Holding your breath during a strenuous move forces the air in your lungs downward, putting pressure on your internal organs and the veins in your rectum. Hemorrhoids are caused when veins near your anus become swollen. If you’ve developed a hemorrhoid from rolling or weight lifting,do a few things differently. Check out your breathing first, as this is the most common cause. Make sure you’re not holding your breath. Remember to exhale as you’re using power for a submission or sweep; that’s really the only time you should be really exerting full power. Also, rely more on positioning and technique; you don’t need to fight every movement. With proper breathing and not overstraining, they should go away within a week. If they’re really bad, take a break from rolling and strenuous exercise and consult your physician.
18 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Quick Tips2.indd 1
4/25/11 3:14:07 PM
Subscribe NOW @
JiuJitsumag.com
Don’t miss the next issue
Free T- S hirt with paid 2 year s ubscript ion* *For a lim ite
d time.
JiuJitsu 1pg_T-Shirt_Sub ad.indd 1
4/25/11 2:38:42 PM
Jump
rope
ne of the first athletic endeavors you ever took growing up as a kid was probably jumping rope in the school yard. Did you know that one day you’d be reading an article on how that “old school” past time can actually be very valuable in your jiu-jitsu training? When you picture an athlete jumping rope, the first thing that comes to mind is most likely a boxer. However, jumping rope can help with your jiu-jitsu game both in the short term and in the longer term. words: Mike Velez
| photos: Jason Boulanger
Double-Dutch isn’t one of the variations discussed here.
Benefits Getting Started
umping rope can be used for conditioning and can help increase your cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle endurance, and muscle strength; help you lose fat; and help increase flexibility. It can also help your nervous system by working on your overall coordination, agility, speed, power, timing, rhythm, and balance. Along with all of these benefits, jiu-jitsu competitors will also benefit from increased grip strength, wrist strength, and ankle stability. The benefits won’t be so glaring if you’re already a finely tuned athlete, but if your conditioning is just average you’ll definitely see benefits from adding rope jumping to your routine.
Picking a Rope
Jumping rope is easy and can be done anywhere. The one thing you’ll need to invest in is a good jump rope. Prices range from $2 to $60, and there are myriad types. Speed ropes are lightweight and made for fast jumpers. Woven cloth ropes or leather ropes work well but are a little more expensive. Beaded ropes are becoming more popular, are easy to find, and work well for most people. Overall, it is best to start with something simple. Most jump ropes at sporting goods stores are 8 to 10 feet long, with 9 feet being most common. These are perfect for those of you under 6 feet tall, but if you’re taller than 6 feet, you may want to try a 10-foot rope. You can adjust the length by shortening and retying it. One way to find the ideal length is to step one foot in the middle of the rope and lift both handles. They should reach the height of your armpits.
20 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Warm Up_Jump Rope.indd 1
4/22/11 4:43:26 PM
Where to Jump
Contrary to common belief, jumping rope is very low impact. You’re jumping on the balls of your feet as opposed to the heel-to-toe action from running. It’s best to jump on a shock-absorbing surface like the mats at your academy. However, a hard surface like concrete will work, too. Jumping on the mats barefoot is fine, but if you’re jumping rope anywhere else you should be wearing some good-quality cross-training or running shoes.
Starting Off Step 1
Hold both handles close together and begin to circle the rope from behind you overhead to the opposite side, then cross over to the alternate side of your body and so on until the rope has good momentum and flow.
The Routine
As a war m-u
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the use of jumping rope as an excellent warm-up for activating your muscles and nerves and to get the blood flowing as part of your warm-up routine prior to jiu-jitsu training. If you’re going to add rope jumping to part of a larger warm-up routine, start with 150 jumps at a brisk pace or 2 minutes straight. To warm up exclusively with jumping rope, go with three 2-minute rounds of rope jumping with a 1-minute break between. Do some simple ab crunches during that break.
As a Con dit
Exe rc ise
! HeINT ier heav he
th ope t r o the r it is t . e d i e s t a r e sta get
Many of the benefits from jumping rope aren’t going to be seen until you mix in a full routine of jumping rope into your weekly training. It can easily take the place of a cardio session with much more benefit than from just simple jogging. For conditioning, think of your tournament match lengths. Depending on your rank and age, your match lengths can range between 5 and 10 minutes— whatever it is, train for that length. Let’s say you’re a Masters Blue Belt, which means you want to think about a 5-minute match. Work your way up to 5 minutes non-stop of jumping rope. Start with 30 seconds on with 30 seconds of rest for five rounds to equal your 5-minute match. Increase that to 1 minute on with 15 seconds of rest for four rounds to equal 5 minutes. Then increase the duration to 2 minutes 15 seconds of jumping with 30 seconds of rest and then 2 minutes 15 seconds of jumping to finish. Lastly, skip the resting period in between and go 5 minutes straight with 2 minutes of rest, then get back to it to do a total of three to four 5-minute matches. Do this for a month and your cardio will be at a new level.
Step 3
Once you’re in, start jumping. Start off slow with a basic jump that has your feet slightly apart and jumping over the rope at the same time. This should be your basic technique to master before moving on to the other techniques described.
Warm Up_Jump Rope.indd 2
ion ing
Joey’s eyes aren’t closed, he just has beady eyes.
Step 2
Once the rope has good momentum, pull your hands apart and jump into the rope as it’s coming from behind overhead.
p
June/July 2011 | 21
4/22/11 4:43:57 PM
Variations Speed Step
This style of jumping calls for you to alternate your feet as you jump off the ground. This will effectively double the number of jumps per minute from the previous basic technique.
Double Step
Running Man
Want to challenge your cardio? Go for the running man, which is running in place while jumping. Time your rhythm so that the rope is hitting the ground on each lift of your leg.
This one’s similar to the speed step except you jump twice on each foot before alternating, that is, two jumps on your left foot, two jumps on your right foot, and so on.
Double Under
Think of Rocky when you see this one. The double under is pretty intense; you have to lift your knees up high so that the rope goes underneath you twice between jumps.
g thetheSroppee,ed Contrwon llthin e speed of
If you want intense go for the Double Under.
ms. To slow do ith your ar er circles w hter, tig go with bigg ith w the rope, go ping To speed up u star t jum s. Once yo le rc ci r me a co smalle be d an it e hang of you’ll get th sy; it just It’s really ea e. tim no pro in tice. takes prac
22 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Warm Up_Jump Rope.indd 3
4/22/11 4:44:20 PM
VersaClimber.indd 1
4/25/11 2:44:43 PM
WRIST
STRETCHS
words: Staff
| photos: Jason Boulanger
hen I think of wrist stretches, there is that famous sequence in every Bruce Lee movie where he laces his fingers together, bends them back and holds, just before he’s about to destroy twenty or so unknown henchmen. Bruce knew the need for flexible wrists and wrist mobility. In jiu-jitsu, having flexible and mobile wrists will help both your offence and defense. When you’re in a clinch, being able to get your hands free can make all the difference. All of the stretches outlined in this article can be performed daily to help increase flexibility in your wrists, prevent injury, and help increase the mobility in your wrist joints.
Static 1.
Extend your right arm out in front of you at the shoulder and grab your right hand with your left.
3.
Feel the stretch in your wrist; don’t go to the point where you feel pain in the joint.
4.
Stretch in the opposite direction by extending your right arm outward at shoulder height, fingers extended.
5.
Use your left hand to grasp your fingers, and pull your right hand backward toward you. Feel the stretch in your wrist; don’t pull to the point where you feel pain.
2.
Using your left hand, bend and put pressure on your right hand, so that you’re turning your right palm into your wrist, bending at the right wrist.
Stretch each wrist for 30 seconds in each direction.
Variation Supination and Pronation
1.
Many of us started working on wrist stretches in Jr. High School.
Stand with your arms at your side, and bend your right elbow to 90º.
To get an even better stretch, use your free hand to apply pressure to the direction of the rotation. Once you reach your limit in step 2, use your free hand to take the movement slightly further until you feel a moderate pain-free stretch; hold for 10 seconds in each direction, and repeat three times.
2.
Rotate your palm up and down as far as possible without pain.
Count a full rotation, top to bottom, as one, and repeat 10 times for each arm.
24 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Wrist.indd 1
4/22/11 4:50:08 PM
2.
Bend your wrist from side to side until you feel a moderate pain-free stretch.
3.
Hold for three seconds at the end of each stretch.
1.
Start with your forearm supported on top of the edge of a table or bench, with your fingers and wrist over the edge of the table.
Repeat in each direction 10 times for each wrist.
Dynamic Roll in all directions for thirty seconds.
This is a great exercise that uses repetitive motion and stretching to increase flexibility in your wrist flexors.
These can be performed whenever you like. Start out with two sets up and down, and increase as mobility increases.
1.
Stand facing a firm wall, extending your fingers upward, palms facing the wall.
2.
Walk to the wall until your palms are on the wall with your arms extended at your shoulders.
3.
Walk your hands down towards the floor, a few inches at a time with each hand, until you can’t go any further.
5.
Walk your hands back up as far as you can go.
1. 2.
Stand with your arms at your sides, and bend your elbows to 90° in front of you. Clinch your fists with both hands, and roll your wrists up and down, side to side, and around in circles.
The Prescription
The beauty of these stretches is that you can perform them any time of day. Most of us work full-time jobs and don’t live at the academy, so this is important to note. Work at least two of these stretches into your daily routine to increase wrist mobility and flexibility, not only in your jiu-jitsu but also in your everyday life.
Wrist.indd 2
“Mom, I’m working on my wrist mobility! Why are you crying?”
4.
Once you reach the bottom and can’t go down any further, rotate your palms so that your fingers are facing the ground.
June/July 2011 | 25
4/22/11 4:50:22 PM
attack drills
From C los e d guar d with
Andre Galvao
Words: mike velez Photos: carl hyndman
Andre is not the type of guy you want to mess with.
e’re really pleased to welcome multi-time jiu-jitsu world champion Andre Galvao on board as a regular contributor. Andre is the co-founder of Atos Jiu-Jitsu in San Diego, California and has recently returned to jiu-jitsu after competing with a winning record in Strikeforce MMA. In each issue of Jiu-Jitsu Mag, Andre will go over some is his most useful drills, which you can use in your routine to improve your overall game. Now keep in mind, these are drills and not necessarily technique sequences as you might find in the rest of the magazine. The intent here is to drill into your memory the movements and flow rather than the finer points that might be necessary to execute a submission or move. Future issues will deal with drills that are more true to the term, but for this first issue, Andre was anxious to show you all some killer drills to finish from closed guard.
26 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Drill it.indd 1
4/25/11 2:00:15 Pm
Knee Inside Omoplata A
drill that Andre’s entire team works often, even the black and purple belts, is the Knee Inside Omoplata. It’s a great drill to get comfortable with because you can surprise an unsuspecting opponent very quickly with this one once you have the movements committed to muscle memory.
From closed guard, Andre reaches up with his right hand to grab the inside of his partner’s collar, high on the side of the neck. No need to go higher since you’re not going for a choke.
With his left hand, he grabs the outside of his partner’s right sleeve just below the elbow.
Andre moves his left hand grip down to his partner’s wrist and simultaneously kicks out his left leg.
Andre opens his guard and puts both knees inside, with feet on his partner’s hips.
With his left leg outstretched, Andre brings it around and wraps it over his partner’s right shoulder, at the same time pulling his partner’s right arm down. While he’s doing this, Andre is more perpendicular to his partner than he was before.
In the final step, in the drill itself, Andre sits up, lets go of his partner’s sleeve, and grabs his partner’s belt or back, as if he were going to continue the motion to finish. But rather than finish, he scoots back to his starting position at Step 3 and never lets go of that inside collar grip.
Andre recommends performing this drill 10 times on each side.
Drill It.indd 2
Drill these a few hundred times and you’ll be hitting them in your sleep.
Once the left leg is all the way over, he locks his right leg over his left ankle. The entire time Andre never releases his right hand on his partner’s collar.
June/July 2011 | 27
4/25/11 2:00:36 PM
No Hand Triangle Choke T
his is a very simple drill that anyone can do and will greatly improve your abilities to get the triangle from closed guard. The unique thing about this one is that Andre doesn’t use his hands. The intent here is to really work the hips and legs so that the movements become second nature, and to use the power in your legs and hips to help force the position when the time comes.
From closed guard, Andre pulls his hands away to his sides so he’s not tempted to use them.
Andre open’s his guard and bases one foot on the floor with his knee bent; in this case, it’s his right foot. As he bases that foot, he hips out to the same side.
As soon as his right leg is inside and bent, he drags it up over his partner’s left arm and up to his neck.
Once he reaches his partner’s neck with his leg, he bends his right knee, pulling his partner down and into him while bringing his hips to the other side of his partner.
Andre bends his right knee and pops it over his partner’s left arm.
Now it’s time to bring the left leg up high, lifting his butt off the mat so that he can lock his left leg over his right leg using the back of his left knee. He’s cinching down right above his right ankle.
For more drills like these, and a ton you’ve never seen before, check out Andre’s book
“Look Ma! No Hands!”
After he closes the triangle, he releases, brings his hips back to center, and repeats on the opposite side.
“Drill To Win: 12 Months to Better Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,” on-sale now through book stores like Amazon.com or victorybelt.com
Andre recommends performing this drill 10 times on each side, alternating each time.
28 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Drill It.indd 3
4/25/11 2:01:06 PM
FullCombat_FatBurner25.indd 1
4/22/11 3:59:11 PM
Triangle with Hands
A
fter doing the recommended number of drills without hands, Andre changes it up a bit and introduces his hands to the mix. The hip and leg movement is slightly different when using hands.
With his partner in his closed guard, Andre grabs the right side collar with his right hand and his partner’s right sleeve just below the elbow.
Andre suggests performing this drill 10 times on each side, alternating each time.
Release the guard, base the right foot on the mat, and escape your hips to the right.
Andre brings his right knee inside and bends it over his partner’s left arm.
This next motion is slightly different from the previous drill. Rather than drag his right leg over his partner’s arm, Andre stretches out his right leg while pulling his partner down into him.
Andre brings his right leg around the back of his partner’s neck and brings his butt up off the mat to get his left leg up high to lock the back of his left knee over his right leg just above the ankle. Andre uses his hand to pull his ankle in if needed. To finish the choke, pull your partner’s head down, then release. Come back to closed guard, and repeat on the opposite side.
Armbar Drill
avoid injury. Instead release after you have your second leg up over his head and you hip up.
From closed guard, Andre reaches up with his right hand to grab the inside of his partner’s collar high on the side of the neck. With his left hand, he grabs the outside of his partner’s right sleeve at the elbow.
For the drill articles they’re “partners” rather than “opponents.”
You guessed it—10 times on each side at a moderate pace. Don’t finish to a tap from your partner each time to
Next Andre pops his hip up to bridge and brings his right leg up over his partner’s shoulder to “bite” his body. Andre uses that term to describe the tightness of his right leg against his partner’s left shoulder and torso. Andre lets go of the closed guard and brings his left foot to his partner’s right hip, keeping his knee against his partner’s right shoulder to help keep that right arm under control.
Just before the finish, Andre brings his left leg up and in front of his partner’s head and pushes his hips up to finish while holding on to his partner’s right arm. At this point, Andre releases, gets back to closed guard, and repeats the drill.
30 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Drill It.indd 4
4/25/11 2:01:36 PM
Zebra_HomeMat.indd 1
4/22/11 3:57:39 PM
All About
Protein
The jiu-jitsu fighter’s practical guide ’m sure by now everyone has heard about protein supplements and high-protein diets, but very few know the reason or the science behind them. Unless we understand the science or simply the “why” behind protein, we will never get the full benefits of protein or even our diets in general. I’ll start off by explaining exactly what proteins are. Proteins are made up of amino acids and are essential in human nutrition so the body can use the amino acids to synthesize its own proteins. The body synthesizes these proteins to serve as enzymes, transporters and other critical roles inside the human body. However, the main role of dietary proteins and amino acids in the body is protein synthesis, or simply building and repairing muscle. Protein synthesis is necessary for recovery between workouts and increasing muscle mass, strength, power, and endurance. It also prevents loss of muscle mass, strength, power, and endurance during weight cutting. For this reason it is critical for us to stimulate protein synthesis as much as possible. The way to do this is by ingesting the right amount and right quality of protein at the right times to maintain positive nitrogen balance.
Photo by John Cooper
Words: jeremy reid m.s.eD, CSCS, CISSN
Nitrogen Balance
It takes protein if you’re going for a six-pack.
Ok, bear with me for a little more science. Since protein is the only macronutrient containing nitrogen, adequate dietary intake of protein can be determined by an individual’s nitrogen balance. When proteins in the body are broken down, this nitrogen is then excreted. So when nitrogen intake (protein intake) is equal to nitrogen excretion (protein breakdown), the body is said to be in nitrogen balance. However, when protein intake is greater than protein breakdown, we are in positive nitrogen balance and vice versa. A negative nitrogen balance leads to decreases in muscle mass, incomplete recovery, muscle wasting, training intolerance, and major decreases in performance, while a positive nitrogen balance stimulates protein synthesis and all of its aforementioned benefits. Simply put, if you want to get the most out of your training and optimize performance, you need to start paying attention to your protein intake.
32 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Diet.indd 1
4/25/11 1:27:20 Pm
Prote i n s t n e m e r R equ i The RDA or recommended daily allowance for adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day, or 0.8g/kg/day. For those of us who fell asleep in science class, a kilogram or kg is equal to 2.2 pounds. So this comes out to 55-91 grams per day for a 150-250-pound athlete, respectively. But wait, we’ve all heard about bodybuilders and high protein diets calling for 300+ grams of protein a day! So who’s right? Neither. The RDA was created for the general population and does not take into account exercising individuals or athletes, especially those engaged in intense activities. There has been an abundance of scientific research over the last decade showing that the RDA is not sufficient for maintaining protein balance, repairing muscle damage caused by exercise, or building muscle mass in athletes and exercising individuals. This led to suggestions that athletes and exercising individuals should increase their protein consumption for complete recovery, maintenance or increase in muscle mass, and improved performance. Due to the different demands imposed on the body by various activities, protein requirements differ among different types of athletes and activities. The current recommendation for endurance athletes is 1.01.6g/kg/day, depending on intensity and duration of activity. Obviously, as intensity
and duration goes up, so do protein requirements. Recommendations for strength/power athletes are greater at 1.6-2.0g/kg/day due to higher muscular damage from workouts. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Which is jiu-jitsu?! In one word, both. Jiu-jitsu, like other combat sports, is hard to classify since it has strong components of both endurance and strength/power. In a tournament or training session you will have multiple matches of 5-10 minutes of straight movement and work, which would fall under the endurance realm; however, as we all know, during matches, there are numerous and repeated strength/power movements along with bursts of maximum effort. So how exactly do
Diet.indd 2
That’s the famous “food pyramid.” Looks good.
we classify jiu-jitsu then? I classify Jiujitsu as what I call a “power endurance” sport, or what others refer to as an “intermittent” sport. Due to the strong muscular involvement and therefore, muscular damage associated with jiu-jitsu training, the recommended protein intake for jiu-jitsu athletes is 1.5-1.8g/kg/day. So whip out the calculator and do some math. Your weight in pounds divided by 2.2, times 1.5 to 1.8, will equal the range of protein for you. Remember: These are general recommendations, and factors including intensity of training sessions, duration of sessions, sessions per week/ day, total caloric intake, performance goals, and other modes of exercise can affect your individual protein requirements. So if you engage in regular weight training, train multiple sessions per day, or want to increase muscle mass, you should stick toward the higher end of the range. With the keyword being “range,” bodybuilders and proponents of high-protein diets took these suggestions and applied the common “more is better” approach, increasing protein intake to enormous levels in hopes of greater gains. Research demonstrates no significant changes in performance or muscle mass gains with extremely high-protein intake as compared to the upper end of the above ranges. The extra protein can equate to excess calories and extra weight gain. Give your body the proper amount of protein and start reaping the benefits.
June/July 2011 | 33
4/25/11 1:27:41 PM
quality of
n i e t o r p Now that you know how much protein you need, it’s important that we understand that not all proteins are created the same. The quality of the protein also plays a critical role in ensuring optimal protein intake. There are complete and incomplete proteins. Like I said before, protein is made up of amino acids, and once ingested, the body breaks down protein into these amino acids to use for building the specific proteins needed by the body. Simply, amino acids are the “building blocks” of proteins and, ultimately, muscle. There are over 20 total amino acids, with nine being the essential amino acids. An essential amino acid is an amino acid the body cannot synthesize on its own and therefore, must be ingested. A protein is considered a complete protein when it contains all 9 of the essential amino acids. Every
source of protein has its own amino acid profile and this profile, along with digestibility, determines the biological value (BV). The BV of a protein is the most common method of determining protein quality. The BV measures the amino acid content and variety that are digested and absorbed into the bloodstream. In basic terms, the higher the BV, the better the protein. The food sources with the highest BV of protein are egg (chicken), milk, poultry, fish, and beef, all scoring 80 or above. Egg, with a score of 100 and milk, with a score of 91, are the two best food sources of protein and should be a staple in your diets, plus they’re both cheap! Now, don’t get too excited and think you’re gonna be eating burgers, fried chicken, and steaks all day. It is important to keep your protein sources lean, without extra fat. Sorry, but you should stick to chicken/turkey breast, lean beef, and egg whites. One or two yolks are ok due to some healthy fat (we will cover fats in a latter issue), but after that you should opt for egg whites. Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t have steak; just stick to leaner cuts such as sirloin or flank. Excess fat will not only slow digestion of protein, but the extra calories will likely turn into an extra weight class!
What about protein supplements, you ask?! Well, that can be a whole separate article (and will be in a future issue). But I will cover the main “need to knows” here. Now, there is no shortage of protein powders out there all claiming to be the latest and greatest, but really there are only four common types of proteins these products use: whey, casein, soy, and egg. The rest are usually blends of two or more of these. Whey and casein are two of the best and by far the most common used today. Both are derived from milk. Milk protein is roughly 80 percent casein and 20 percent whey. Starting to see why milk should be a staple in your diet? The main difference between whey and casein is the speed at which they are digested and absorbed, with whey being digested fast and casein digesting slower. So therefore, whey protein provides a rapid, sharp rise in blood amino acids, making it a great choice post-workout and first thing in the morning, while casein provides a moderate prolonged rise in blood amino acids, making it a great choice for bedtime or between sessions. We will cover everything else, including concentrate vs. isolate, mixtures, and other protein types, in a future issue.
Protein Timing That guy loves protein, can’t get enough.
Now that you know how much protein we need and what sources you should get them from, you should be well on your way. But there’s still a little more to the protein puzzle you need to take advantage of. While you should be consuming regular amounts of protein throughout the day, there are a few times when protein intake is critical. The most important of those times is immediately post-workout. During a training session you are damaging your muscles, causing protein breakdown. Immediately after your training session, your body is primed to start rebuilding and recovering, but the body cannot shift from a catabolic (breaking down) state to an anabolic (building) state without the proper building blocks. The faster you can make this shift, the faster and greater your recovery. There is a 30-minute window immediately following exercise that you need to take advantage of by ingesting 20-30 grams of high-quality, fast-digesting protein (whey protein is very handy here). It should also be noted that during this time you should ingest
34 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Diet.indd 3
4/25/11 1:28:05 PM
simple carbohydrates (sugars) with your protein. The simple carbohydrates not only will help with refueling muscle glycogen, but cause an insulin spike that essentially will help “pull” the amino acids into your muscles for protein synthesis. Numerous studies have shown carbohydrate + protein has the greatest increases in muscle recovery and protein synthesis when compared to carbohydrate or protein alone. There are two other times that protein intake is especially important: first thing in morning and before bed. First thing in the morning, our bodies are coming out of six-plus hours of starvation and is in a catabolic (breaking down) state. By ingesting protein, preferably a faster-digesting protein, we can shift our body back into an anabolic (rebuilding) state and continue recovery. So don’t wait to eat breakfast—or worse, skip breakfast! Sleep is when the majority of recovery happens, and therefore, our bodies need protein to repair and rebuild muscles. By providing the body with protein before bed, preferably a slower-digesting protein, you give your body the building blocks for optimal recovery. Now, I am sure we have all heard that high protein intake is bad for you and will damage your kidneys. Let me just say that this claim is theoretical and unfounded, with no substantial evidence that protein intake in the ranges suggested above has any adverse effects on healthy, exercising individuals. Feel better now? Good. The premise behind this is that habitual increased protein consumption may raise glomerular pressure and hyperfiltration inside the kidneys. All these big words mean is that it may cause increased strain on the kidneys, yet all of the data supporting this possibility came from animal studies or studies on participants with existing renal (kidney) disease. Trying to extend this to humans with healthy kidneys is out of place. On the other hand, studies with normal, healthy individuals with high protein intake have shown no increases in kidney deterioration as opposed to low protein intake. Furthermore, high-protein diets have been associated with reducing major risk factors of kidney disease. However, if you do have a preexisting kidney condition, you should consult with your physician before starting a high-protein diet.
rotein and amino acids are the “building blocks” for your muscles. Maintaining nitrogen balance and stimulating protein synthesis is necessary for recovery between sessions and optimum performance. Certain times, especially immediately after exercise when the body is primed for recovery, are crucial for protein consumption. Remember not all proteins are created the same, ingesting complete proteins with a high biological value will ensure full benefits of protein. Now that you understand the science behind protein and why you need it, start putting that knowledge to use. Start meeting your protein requirements with high quality protein at the right times and start reaping the benefits.
Jeremy
reid
Jeremy is a nutritionist and strength coach that has worked with pro MMA fighters and jiu-jitsu champions. He obtained his master’s degree in exercise physiology from Baylor University. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and a certified sports nutritionist through the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN). While at Baylor University, Jeremy was a research assistant and aided in numerous scientific studies. He has worked extensively with athletes of all ages and skill levels. Although he works with athletes in all sports, he specializes in combat sport athletes. He has been training jiu-jitsu for 6 years and has competed in both jiu-jitsu and MMA. Jeremy currently resides in the Las Vegas area.
Diet.indd 4
I don’t know about you, but I’m craving a steak right about now.
Conc lusion
About
June/July 2011 | 35
4/25/11 1:28:20 PM
Pre-workout
ingredients Words: jeremy reid m.s.eD, CSCS, CISSN
re-workout formulas are the latest craze in the supplement industry. Everywhere you look, there are supplements claiming to have the formula that gives you the greatest gains. But with each one having its own proprietary blend of ingredients, how do we know which ones are for real and which ones are scams? Instead of trying to go through and evaluate each one, I am going to let you know which ingredients are the most effective and scientifically proven. This way you will know what to look for when shopping.
BCAAs/ EAAs
That’s a lot of initials.
Branched chain amino acid (BCAA) and essential amino acid (EAA) supplements have been growing in popularity, and therefore, many pre-workout supplements have begun adding BCAAs, and/ or EAAs to their “proprietary blends.” Protein is comprised of amino acids, and they are the building blocks for muscles. The nine amino acids that the body can’t produce on its own are considered the essential amino acids, or EAAs. Branched chain amino acids, or BCAAs, are three of the essential amino acids that are often considered the most important. Ok, so now you know what they are; but how can they help your pre-workout? Research has demonstrated that EAA (especially BCAA) ingestion prior to exercise effectively stimulates protein synthesis and reduces exercise-induced protein degradation. This means less damage to your muscles during your training sessions and ultimately faster recovery and greater muscular gains. Reduced muscle damage also means you will be able to maintain higher intensities for longer durations during your training sessions. But wait! There’s more! BCAAs also play an important role in amino acid metabolism for use as fuel for energy. Although amino acids usually only account for a small portion of energy production, during times of intense, prolonged exercise or hypocalorism (weight cutting), muscle glycogen levels are low and cannot maintain energy demands; therefore, amino acids, specifically BCAAs, are degraded and oxidized, and also used in a process called gluconeogenesis to make up energy deficits. In case your head is spinning, what this means is that during long, intense training sessions, especially if you’re cutting weight or doing multiple sessions, your body will begin using BCAAs for fuel. BCAA supplementation can lead to increased energy production and maintenance of performance through long intense training sessions. Since BCAAs are part of the EAAs, ingesting either will be beneficial; however, I would suggest pure BCAA supplementation. Dosages of as low as 2 g have shown improvements; however, dosages of 6-9 g are optimal.
Beta-alanine
Beta-alanine is relatively new when it comes to supplements, and therefore, you might not have heard about it. However, it has been shown to be very effective, especially for jiu-jitsu athletes, and should become a staple in your supplement regimen. Beta-alanine works due to its relationship with carnosine in skeletal muscles. Carnosine is one of the primary buffering substances available in skeletal muscles. For those of you who don’t know, fatigue occurs as a result of a buildup of lactic acid or hydrogen ions. The greater your buffering capacity, the longer it will take for this buildup to occur and the sooner you can recover. Where does beta-alanine fit into this? Betaalanine is considered the rate-limiting substance for carnosine production in skeletal muscles; meaning an increase in beta-alanine leads to an increase in carnosine production and thus your buffering capacity. Research has demonstrated that betaalanine supplementation is effective in increasing muscle carnosine levels, increasing work capacity, and decreasing time to fatigue. So now that you’re onboard, how much do you take? Research has shown improvements with as little as 2-3 g of beta-alanine per day; however, optimum results are seen with dosages of 4-6 g per day.
36 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
supplements2.indd 1
4/25/11 2:04:25 pm
AAKG anned (NO) L-argini
Arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, or AAKG, along with other forms of arginine are very popular in nutritional supplements. They are the main ingredients in almost all nitric oxide, or NO, products, including the majority of pre-workout supplements. The theory behind AAKG supplementation is that arginine is supposed to increase nitric oxide synthase, or NOS, which is responsible for synthesizing NO. Since NO is responsible for dilating blood vessels, increased NO will result in increased blood flow, allowing for more nutrients to flow to muscles. This, in turn, will allow for greater muscle recovery and gains in size and strength. In theory, it’s a great idea. However—and I know I’m going to upset and anger a lot of people—it doesn’t work. A study by Dr. Darryn Willoughby (a leading supplement researcher), Jeremy Reid (yeah, that’s me), Garson Skelton, and Mandy Clark, showed that AAKG supplementation does not increase NOS levels, NO levels, or blood flow. Subjects were given above the recommended dosage and despite a large increase in blood arginine levels, there were no other significant changes. So, sorry to say, AAKG supplements, despite their popularity, do not increase nitric oxide or blood flow. However, many supplement blends that contain NO contain other supplements that are beneficial.
Creatine
long-term health concerns. In fact, the only documented proven side effect of creatine supplementation is weight gain, due to increases in muscle mass. Now for the fine print. It should be noted that people react differently to creatine, as with most other supplements. While creatine does not cause dehydration, it can cause a fluid shift in the body. This shift can be more extreme in some individuals, especially if they are not properly hydrated, which may result in dehydration-like symptoms. Also, since creatine can cause weight gain—and it varies from individual to individual—creatine may not be best choice while cutting weight. However, during times of normal training, creatine supplementation can be very beneficial. My personal recommendation for
Despite the “post” workout marketing creatine is a great “pre” workout supplement as well.
Yes, creatine. Probably the most controversial, talked about, and researched supplement to date. Is it good? Is it bad? Does it work? Is it safe? I am going to attempt to answer all your questions about creatine. I guess the most important question is whether it works or not. Yes, creatine works—very well actually. Ok, a quick science lesson. Our bodies require energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, for muscle contraction. As the muscle contracts, ATP loses one of its phosphates to create the energy necessary for contraction, leaving ADP, or adenosine diphosphate. This ADP needs to undergo a process called phoshorylation to add a phosphate, thus resynthesizing ATP. ADP gets this phosphate from phosphocreatine, or PCr, in the muscle. The ability to maintain high intensity muscle contraction is dependent on this process, and therefore PCr levels. By ingesting creatine, we can increase our levels of free creatine in the muscles, leading to increased PCr. Because of this, creatine supplementation has been shown to clearly increase muscle mass and strength, and increase exercise capacity in high-intensity, intermittent activities, such as repeated sprints, resistance training, and interval training. Since jiu-jitsu involves strong muscle contractions and repeated high-intensity bursts, creatine supplementation appears to be highly beneficial. Yea, Yea, but is it safe? There have been anecdotal reports of side effects and safety concerns of creatine supplementation; and while some athletes have reported gastrointestinal distress, dehydration, and cramping, the scientific research shows that they are at no greater risk for these symptoms than those not supplementing with creatine. Research has demonstrated creatine supplementation to be safe with no
Supplements2.indd 2
June/July 2011 | 37
4/25/11 2:04:38 PM
A cup of joe can contain between 90 and 150 mg of caffeine.
caffeine
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that can be derived from gaurana, yerba mate, bissey nut, kola, coffee, tea, and chocolate. It is also found in soft drinks, energy drinks, energy pills, and many popular pre-workout supplements. Caffeine has been shown to have a positive effect on energy expenditure, weight loss, and body fat (we will cover weight loss supplements in a later issue). However, research has also shown caffeine to have a positive impact on performance. To understand caffeine’s effect on performance, first we must understand the mechanisms by which caffeine works. Following absorption, caffeine crosses the membranes of both nerve cells and muscle cells, thus impacting both systems. Caffeine acts on the central nervous system (CNS) as an adenosine antagonist. It does this by inhibiting or blocking the adenosine receptors in the brain. So what does this mean? Simply, caffeine stimulates the CNS, resulting in increased alertness, faster and clearer flow of thought, increased focus, and better general body coordination. Caffeine also affects substrate utilization during exercise, in a glycogen sparring capacity. It does this by increasing lipolysis and free fatty acid utilization. Again, what does this mean? During exercise caffeine increases energy production from stored fat; therefore, the body uses less muscle glycogen (think fuel in the tank). The results are greater time to fatigue, or longer matches/more matches, ability to maintain higher intensity during matches, and increased power production during matches. Sound good? I agree. So how much caffeine should we take? Well that depends. Everyone has their own tolerance and reactions to caffeine, and therefore you should start with lower doses and work your way up. Research has found dosages of 3-6 mg/kg, 15-60 min prior to exercise, to be effective in increasing performance. Therefore, start with a dosage of around 3 mg/kg, or 200-275 mg for a 150-200 lb person, and work up to 6 mg/kg, or 400-550 mg for a 150-200 lb person, if your body tolerates it. It should also be noted that caffeine in an anhydrous state has been shown to be far more effective then coffee. So, try to get your caffeine in an anhydrous state.
Conclusion
With new ingredients coming out daily, there are more that may be effective; however, these have proven to be the best ones to date. You can use this knowledge to create your own proprietary blend with the correct dosages, or you can use it as a guide for determining which pre-workout product is right for you.
Y
Carbohydrates
creatine is to try it and see how you respond, and then make your decision. Creatine monohydrate is the most studied and so far the best form of creatine supplementation. Now, here is the other huge debate—creatine dosages. To load or not to load? While loading (ingesting 15-20 g per day for 4-5 days, followed by 3-5 g per day thereafter) is most common and possibly the most effective method, it is generally for pure strength athletes. Dosages of 5 g per day have been shown to be as effective over time, although effects may not be noticed as quickly as with loading. My suggestion is that if you know you are not sensitive to creatine and/or you incorporate a lot of weight training in your training, include the loading phase. If you are unsure of your tolerance, are sensitive to creatine, or engage in multiple training sessions per day, start with 3-5 g per day.
es, just simple carbohydrates—and literally simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates, or sugars, are often overlooked and have a very bad reputation. You see “sugar free” and “low carb” everywhere nowadays, especially with supplements. Now, I am not going to get into the “low carb,” “sugar free” debate here or get into a whole carbohydrate rant (I will cover carbohydrates in detail in a future article). However, when it comes to performance, carbohydrates are a must, especially when talking about peri-nutrition (before, during, and after workouts). Research has clearly identified carbohydrates as one of the best ergogenic aids available to athletes. Simple carbohydrate ingestion prior to and during exercise increases carbohydrate availability, prolongs exercise, and improves exercise performance. Simple carbohydrates also cause an insulin spike in the body. Insulin causes the muscles and liver to pull nutrients from the bloodstream. Therefore, this insulin spike will help the absorption of carbohydrates, amino acids, creatine, beta-alanine, and most other nutrients into the muscles. This, in turn, will help maintain energy production and increase the effects of other supplements during your training session. Simple carbohydrates, even if it’s a small dose, should be a constant in your pre-workout regimen. If you’re not cutting weight and focused purely on performance, 30-60 g of simple carbohydrates is recommended. If trying to decrease body fat, or during a short less intense workout, try 10-30 g.
38 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Supplements2.indd 3
4/25/11 2:04:52 PM
CaioTerra_DVD.indd 1
4/22/11 3:56:17 PM
TAKEDOWN
Well I hope the fireman wouldn’t dump you down on the ground like Kenny does.
Words: mike velez with kenny johnson | Photos: carl hyndman
he Fireman’s Carry is a stalwart in any high school wrestler’s arsenal. It has some very practical uses as a jiu-jitsu take down. It’s difficult to counter, relatively easy to learn, has multiple variations depending on the circumstances, and puts the aggressor in a good position when completed. We got together with our number one wrestling coach Kenny Johnson along with Clay Guida, to go over all the basics when it comes to putting this potent takedown into your bag of tricks. These sequences are very similar in their form and mechanics. We felt it important to go over each entirely, so that you have a very clear understanding of each and of the subtle differences. Take downs are vitally important. During a match, they can make a huge difference between being ahead or down. Take downs are something that many schools don’t cover as regularly as they should and commonly cause injury. For these reasons, we want to show each variation in detail.
40 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Fireman carry.indd 1
4/26/11 6:30:44 Pm
fireman’s carry with penetration step Step 1
Kenny controls Clay with the wrist and head tie, or wrist and arm. Kenny grabs the gi in line with Clay’s arm at the wrist; no inside sleeve grab, just a simple curl for the fingers along the bottom of the sleeve. With his left arm, he grabs the gi at the bicep.
Step 3
Kenny’s trail leg (his left leg) steps up keeping Clay’s arm and leg tight.
Step 2
Step 4
Kenny lowers his level, and penetrates hard to Clay’s leg. Note Kenny’s grip on Clay’s arm; it is important to keep a tight hold of the arm throughout the move. It’s your LIFELINE!
Step 5
Kenny continues driving forward.
Kenny starts another penetration step by driving his left knee forward to the mat while keeping the arm and leg tight. Notice Clay’s body starts to rotate.
Step 7
Continuing to hold Clay’s arm and pull it down, Kenny throws Clay’s legs off his shoulders. Note the grip on the arm.
Step 8
Step 6
We call him Kenny “Powers” Johnson around here.
Kenny pulls Clay’s arm to the mat while lifting Clay’s legs to the ceiling.
Kenny controls Clay’s arm and pivots to side control, or hip heists through to head and arm, looking for the submission.
Note the grip on the arm.
Fireman Carry.indd 2
June/July 2011 | 41
4/26/11 6:31:38 PM
Double Knee Drop Fireman’s Carry with Arm Step 1
Kenny controls Clay with the wrist and head tie, or wrist and arm. During the struggle, Kenny pushes into Clay in order to get him to push back.
Step 2
As soon as Kenny feels Clay push back, he lowers his level and penetrates, dropping to both knees and securing Clay’s right leg. As in the previous example, the arm is critical— don’t let go. At this point, it’s also vitally important that you continue moving; if you stall in this position you’re screwed, and you’ll feel all of your opponent’s weight on top of you.
Step 3
Thanks to Clay Guida for doing this photo shoot with us, he’s the Man!
Kenny pulls Clay’s arm to the mat while lifting Clay’s legs to the ceiling.
Step 4
Continuing to hold Clay’s arm and pull it down towards the mat, Kenny throws Clays legs off his shoulders.
Step 5
Kenny controls Clay’s arm all the way through until Clay is on his back. Then Kenny quickly pivots to side control or hip heists through to head and arm.
42 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Fireman Carry.indd 3
4/26/11 6:32:26 PM
Double Knee Drop Fireman’s Carry with Collar Step 1
Kenny controls Clay with wrist and gi collar instead of his arm. Kenny pushes into Clay, waiting for him to push back.
Step 2
Kenny lowers his level and penetrates, dropping to both knees and securing Clay’s leg. Note Kenny’s grip on Clay’s gi; it is important to keep a tight hold of the gi collar throughout the move. It’s your LIFELINE!
Step 3
Kenny pulls Clay’s gi collar to the mat while lifting Clay’s legs to the ceiling.
Step 5
Step 4
Kenny controls Clay’s gi collar and looks to transition, to control and submission, while he screams “WHAT NOW FOOL?!”
What you don’t see is Clay’s payback.
Continuing to hold Clay’s gi collar and pull it down, Kenny throws Clays legs off his shoulders.
Fireman Carry.indd 4
June/July 2011 | 43
4/26/11 6:32:55 PM
Fireman’s Carry with no leg
his one comes from Greco style wrestling, where you’re not allowed to grab the legs. This is good information to know because sometimes your opponent may sprawl out just far enough to where you can’t get that leg but have committed to the move.
Step 2
Kenny lowers his level and penetrates, dropping to both knees, and purposely shoots his arm in front of Clay’s leg, clearing the shoulder. Note Kenny’s grip on Clay’s arm; it is important to keep a tight hold of the arm throughout the move. It is your LIFELINE!
Step 5
Step 3
Kenny pulls Clay’s arm to the mat while bowing down on a 45-degree angle to Cay’s hips.
Step 4
Continuing to hold Clay’s arm TIGHT, Kenny bows hard and begins to post his right arm for balance.
Step 6
Kenny controls Clay’s arm and will look to transition to a control position.
That Gameness Gi Clay is wearing looks really good on him.
Kenny continues bowing with the arm TIGHT and extends his body, so Clay will be thrown on his back.
Step 1
Kenny controls Clay with the wrist and head tie, as in the previous examples.
44 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Fireman Carry.indd 5
4/26/11 6:33:26 PM
Pedro.indd 1
4/22/11 3:55:32 PM
Fireman’s Carry Off Opponent’s Sprawl with No Leg Step 1
Kenny lowers his level and shoots to Clay’s leg, but Clay sprawls on Kenny. Kenny recognizes he is beat and holds his good position. Note Kenny’s grip on Clay’s arm; it is important to keep a tight hold of the arm throughout the move. It is your LIFELINE! Can’t repeat that one enough, arm, arm, arm!
Step 2
Kenny holds Clay’s arm tight and pulls his arm to the mat while bowing down on a 45 degree angle to Cay’s head.
Key points I can’t stress enough how important
it is to hold on to that arm or collar; you can lose the leg, as we showed you, but you have to keep that arm.
Step 3
Continuing to hold Clay’s arm TIGHT, Kenny bows hard and begins to post his right arm for balance.
Step 5
Kenny controls Clay’s arm and will look to transition to a control position.
Step 4
Kenny continues bowing with the arm TIGHT and extends his body, so Clay will be thrown on his back.
If you find yourself on the
wrong side of the Fireman’s Carry, remember the previous point: Don’t let him have your arm, pull it away. If you do lose the
arm ditch the Fireman’s Carry, go for a single leg. When you’re on your knees and
“Look Ma, no legs!”
pulling your opponent to the mat by his arm, imagine you’re doing a Kareem Abdul Jabar Skyhook with that other arm to help get him off of you and onto the mat.
46 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Fireman Carry.indd 6
4/26/11 6:34:53 PM
Kaizen.indd 1
4/26/11 6:39:05 PM
BACK
ATTACK with Reylan Gracie Words: mike velez | Photos: jason boulanger
Yeah, that’s a pretty big family.
Bueller… Bueller….” “Gracie… Gracie…” How’d you like to go through your high school years being the grandson of legendary Helio Gracie? Imagine the expectations, the challenges from some punk trying to make a name for himself. Well, one man who grew up a Gracie here in Southern California and has done his family name proud is Rorion Gracie’s seventh child out of ten, Reylan Gracie. Reylan has been learning jiu-jitsu since before he could remember, and now, at the age of 21, is an instructor at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy Headquarters in Torrance, CA. Reylan focuses his time on his instruction, and is only a few stripes from achieving his blackbelt. See got the opportunity to talk with the young brown belt and his assistant Jarrod Kwity to go over some of the dynamics of taking your opponent’s back— and then what to do with that dominant position.
48 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Back attack.indd 1
4/25/11 3:58:21 Pm
Taking the back from Mount R
aylon showed us a great transition from mount to taking your opponent’s back. It’s simple, effective, and maintains your dominant position throughout the transition. But why would you want to give up the mount? Isn’t that like splitting 10s? Well, as dominant as the mount is, the back is the most dominant position in jiu-jitsu, and is the focus of this article.
Starting from a mounted position on top of your opponent, be mindful of your base, don’t posture up, stay low and try going for an Americana. If you get it then great, if not go to Step 2.
When your opponent reaches under your arm to defend his vulnerable arm, in this case his left, reach under his head to grab his now exposed right arm near the wrist and pull it to his neck. Keep your chest heavy on him and his right arm.
The skilled guy’s probably not going to give you his back this easy.
Base your right hand to the mat, pull right arm that you have a hold of to your left and jump up shifting your weight to your left side towards his back. Keep your right foot on the mat and pull your leg to trap his body. Your left leg and thigh should be against his back, coupled with the pulling of his right arm should disallow him from turning to his right; his only option is to turn to his left.
Once he turns to his left you’ve already got your right heel there to hook onto his right thigh. Sink your left heel to hook his left thigh. Reach under his arms to control his gi or go for a rear naked choke.
Back Attack.indd 2
June/July 2011 | 49
4/25/11 3:58:35 PM
Going to high back L
et’s say that your opponent’s not having any part of your game plan and is not turning to his left like you want him to, but is instead stalling. You can take his back in another way from here.
You have a hold of his right arm with your left hand, and his right arm is wrapped around the front of his neck. With your free right arm reach it under his right arm and across his neck to find your left wrist.
Throw your weight back and force your opponent to come with you. Keep your right leg biting across his stomach and bring your left foot to his hip. Don’t cross your feet.
Armbar Option 1
It’s good to have options.
T
here are two options to finish with an armbar from here. The first one is to keep your hands in the same position, tight on his right arm, bring your arms and his over his head towards you while at the same time releasing your left leg from his hip and over and across his head. Extend your legs out forcing his body away from you and pull back on that trapped right arm, thumb up, and hip up to finish.
50 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Back Attack.indd 3
4/25/11 3:59:00 PM
Armbar Option 2 Lift your left leg off of his hip and up to his left shoulder, trapping his left arm, and bring your right foot off his torso and hook with your left leg. In a position like this it’s important the foot that traps is the bottom foot in the hook. If it isn’t you’ll leave a gap that your opponent can slip his hand and arm through.
When you don’t have the near leg tight to the body you’re giving your opponent enough room to slip his hand through and breaking past your hold.
To finish Reylan can use his left foot to pluck away his opponent’s left arm to pry his right arm to finish, or use a nice tweak that we’ll show you. Reylan brings his left arm deep under his opponent’s right arm and curls his left arm up a bit. At the same time pushes down on his opponent’s right elbow and joins his hands together. This forms a triangle that when Reylan continues to curl that left arm up will force Jarrod to give it up.
In this example Jarrod isn’t giving it up that easy, he’s got a good S-grip of his arm. So Reylan forces his opponent to his back with is legs and begins to work on that arm.
Key points It’s like Raylan Givens from Justified, but pronounced with an “H” sound.
The point of Step 3 is to put pressure on your
opponent’s wrist so he must let go of his other hand, arm, gi, or what ever he’s grabbing on to defend the armbar. As soon as he lets go hug the arm and go for the finish, don’t waist time and allow him to regrip. When you have your opponent’s back keep
Once the grip is broken Reylan hugs the freed right arm and pulls back, hipping up, and legs together to finish.
your legs tight to your opponent to keep control and avoid giving him too much room to rotate to face you.
Back Attack.indd 4
June/July 2011 | 51
4/25/11 3:59:19 PM
s. weak s ide v
e strong si d
Well I guess I’ll go with weak side now. Still no weak sauce.
o you’ve managed to get your opponent’s back soundly. You have one arm under his arm, one arm over, and both hooks in. Now from this point there are two ways to go—the weak side or the strong side. When you go to your weak side, you’re dropping to the side that you’re under hooking. Yes, that does mean that the other side is your strong side. Now here’s where it gets a little strange. Which side do you think Reylan suggests going to? If you said the strong side, then actually you’re wrong. The strong side is called the strong side because it’s got the most dangerous choke available to you, the rear naked choke. But, aside from that you’re fairly limited in how many other options you have to finish if you don’t get that rear naked choke. Instead, Reylan prefers rolling to his weak side—that gives him more options to finish, and therefore greater odds.
Triangle From Weak Side So you’ve got his back, rolled to your weak side. Unhook your hooks, bite his torso with your left leg and place your right foot on his hip. Release your left leg from his hip and bring it over to trap his left arm as you did earlier in one of the armbar variations. Sit up quickly.
Reach across your opponent with your right hand to grab your left ankle. At the same time step your right leg back over his body to your side, his right side.
Pull your left leg tight into you and at the same rotating your body slightly so that the blade of your left leg is going across the side of your opponent’s neck with his arm trapped up high.
Bring your right leg up to trap your left ankle under the crook of your right knee with the front of your right leg against his body. Make sure your opponent is looking towards the heel of your foot, this ensures his neck is positioned so that when you squeeze your shutting down blood flow to finish. At this point that’s exactly what you can do, squeeze left leg against his neck to finish. If it’s not taking go to step 6.
Key points This technique lends itself well to no-
gi with no variation from how it’s described.
It’s important that you’re not in-line with your opponent, the more perpendicular you are to him the easier it will be to finish the triangle choke.
Sit up and reach for your opponent’s right leg with your right arm and hook the leg. Bring your left arm around and grip your hands together. Pull back and arch your hips at the same time to definitely finish!
52 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Back Attack.indd 5
4/25/11 3:59:46 PM
Atama.indd 1
4/26/11 6:43:40 PM
De fe n ding
th e bac k aving an opponent on your back with a hook or two in is not a good thing, and not a position you want to be in for very long. So here are some quick pointers you can use the next time you find yourself in this undesirable position, and that’ll help you spot when the other guy is trying to get you off his back. Don’t let your strong side arm get hooked. Bring your arm up to your head, and don’t allow that leg to trap your arm. If your opponent has taken to you to his weak side, grab his over hooked arm and bridge up to his strong side. Keep a hold of his over hooked arm; the moment you feel a lapse in pressure, bring it up and to the other side of your head so that he can’t choke.
rear naked choke T
he rear naked choke (RNC) is the granddaddy of all chokes. When you have somebody’s back and you end up taking them to your strong side it’s your first.
You’ve got your opponent’s back, hooks in, your left arm over his left shoulder, your right arm under his right arm.
With your right arm find his right arm to control it close to his body.
Slide your left arm deep across your opponent’s neck, if you can go deep enough so that you can cup the back of his shoulder with your left hand. If you obtain this position with your arm deep enough you can finish from here squeeze your left arm to you and if you need a little help use your head to push his away, compressing his chin to you arm. This final touch will finish.
If you weren’t able to get your left arm deep enough release his right arm and bring your right hand over to grab your left arm and squeeze toward you to finish, or do a completed RNC grab your right bicep with your left hand, bend your right elbow and sneak your right hand behind his neck. Squeeze the blade of your right hand against the back of his neck while your pulling your left arm towards you to finish.
Jarrod’s about to get some payback there.
Once your head is free, hip out away from your opponent and look to regain guard.
54 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Back Attack.indd 6
4/25/11 4:00:16 PM
rear naked choke from weak side J
ust because you’ve landed on your weak side doesn’t mean you can’t get the RNC.
From the same setup as above, but on your weak side grab his gi at the shoulder.
In one move pull his gi across to your left lifting him off the mat slightly while at the same time using your right hook to pull his left leg outward.
Escape your right arm from under your opponent and bring under your left arm to transfer control of his neck from your left arm, to your right arm. Do it quickly and tightly so that you put your right arm tightly under his chin and against his neck. Push his head with your left arm so that he’s looking forward. Otherwise he can avoid the choke.
Yup, that’s a choke.
After you’ve transferred control to your right arm and it’s deep under his chin and against his throat apply the standard RNC finish by grabbing your left bicep and sinking your left hand in behind his head. Apply pressure to finish.
Back Attack.indd 7
June/July 2011 | 55
4/25/11 4:00:33 PM
NAGA.indd 1
4/26/11 6:49:38 PM
NA.indd 1
4/26/11 6:47:38 PM
No relation to Johnny Bravo?
58 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Eddie Bravo.indd 1
4/25/11 1:45:38 PM
Photos: lucas taber | Photos: Carl Hyndman
any people in the jiu-jitsu community should recognize Eddie Bravo. He is probably best known for his surprising submission victory over jiu-jitsu legend, Royler Gracie, at the 2003 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships. Some people may recognize Eddie from his days as an MMA commentator. Eddie Bravo has been involved in television as a writer, in MMA as a coach and commentator, in the music industry as a musician, and he has experienced success at the highest levels of submission grappling. Eddie is the founder of his own innovative brand of jiu-jitsu, and he is the patriarch of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu (an association of jiu-jitsu academies that teach his style at more than 28 locations worldwide).
Don’t hate.
Eddie Bravo.indd 2
June/July 2011 | 59
4/25/11 1:45:54 PM
making attempts at submissions or sweeps. Eddie started seeing this over and over. Eddie recalls, “I started thinking that the gi was the problem.” He began developing his 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, “because I wanted jiu-jitsu to comeback and succeed… not because I wanted to start this other branch of jiu-jitsu, separate myself, and flip the bjj community off.” Eddie doesn’t despise the gi or training in it. Eddie simply believes that the two styles are completely separate. He acknowledges that training for years in the gi will make someone great in jiu-jitsu, but in MMA, many of the gi techniques are no longer usable when the gi comes off. Eddie sees his 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system working in conjunction with traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academies, and many of his 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu school locations train both. Even some of the very specialized 10th Planet techniques work tremendously well with the gi, as is evidenced by the many 10th Planet students, who train primarily without the gi, who are doing very well in gi tournaments. Eddie describes 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu as being almost like a constantly evolving think tank. He has 29 schools around the world that all come together through his website, 10thplanetjj.com. He talks about his instructors, who are constantly developing and studying new techniques that work at a high level, to incorporate them into the 10th Planet system. Every technique is accessible through the website. Eddie states, “What we develop is… we try to take our clinch to the ultimate levels. So, first and
foremost, we’re defending from strikes, whether it’s on the street or in the cage… 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu is all about clinching, moving in the clinch, setting up your sweeps in the clinch, and setting up your submissions in the clinch. Mastering the clinch is what it’s all about.” Many people talk about the uniqueness of the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu style. The thing that stands out the most to people is Eddie Bravo’s Rubber Guard. The Rubber Guard is a system of intricate control positions and clinches that lead to various sweeps and submissions from the bottom position. Some people have criticized the Rubber Guard system by saying that only very flexible individuals can perform and use the Rubber Guard. Eddie says this about flexibility, “It is something that everyone can work on, and everyone can achieve.” As in any sport, flexibility is important in jiu-jitsu. In 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, flexibility is extremely important. When asked how much time someone should spend working on flexibility and stretching every day, Eddie Bravo responds, “The goal is to make it a habit where you’re always [working on it].” Eddie suggests two main stretching exercises to help improve your maximum flexibility. The first exercise is the Butterfly Stretch. To perform the Butterfly Stretch, Eddie brings the bottom of his feet together and pulls them in to his groin as tight as he can. From here the main goal is to be able to get both knees to the ground. The second exercise is the Double Lotus. While sitting, he pulls his right leg onto his lap and places the heel of his foot on his hip. He then pulls his left leg over his right
Do you know what “10th Planet” stands for?
Eddie Bravo is no stranger to controversy, though. He has also drawn a lot of criticism from the jiujitsu community for his disregard for traditional gi training, his unusual and often outlandish choice of names for his techniques, and his outspoken stance on marijuana advocacy. Whether you are a fan of Eddie Bravo or a critic, whether you like him or hate him, one thing is certain—Eddie Bravo does it all for the love of jiu-jitsu. Eddie is a jiu-jitsu black belt under the very highly decorated jiu-jitsu legend, Jean Jacques Machado. Like many people in the 1990s, Eddie got “addicted” to jiu-jitsu because of what he saw Royce Gracie do in the early Ultimate Fighting Championships. After being exposed to the UFC, Eddie became an instant jiu-jitsu fanatic and took up training jiu-jitsu. As MMA began to develop and evolve, jiujitsu fighters started to get overwhelmed in the cage. Wrestlers began taking over the sport, and many jiu-jitsu stylists were unable to work their submission and sweep oriented strategies in MMA. At the time, most jiu-jitsu fighters weren’t accustomed to fighting or training without the gi. Most jiu-jitsu fighters at that point were used to training in the gi and utilizing the various grips and types of controls of the traditional jiujitsu uniform. Consequently, when they would take the gi off to fight in MMA, their games and opportunities of attack would be greatly diminished. Eddie noted that many highly skilled, legitimate black belts were being taken down in MMA fights and dominated, often without even
60 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Eddie Bravo.indd 3
4/25/11 1:46:24 PM
leg and does the same on the opposite side. Eddie has a requirement that all of his students must be able to get into the Double Lotus position before he will promote them to black belt. Because of the complexity of the Rubber Guard, there are many different positions and clinches to learn. Each position has many slight variations and counters to almost any possible scenario presented by an opponent while grappling. Eddie Bravo gives each position, submission, transition, and variation a unique name. “You gotta name everything,” he says. “I can be with my top students on the phone, and we can go over a whole lesson just because everything has a name. Not just for the submission, but the actual position—every movement has to have a name. Most of the names are stupid. Some are ridiculous, but it doesn’t matter what the name is, as long as you remember it.” As Eddie demonstrates several of his techniques and control positions, it is obvious that he has a very deep understanding of the technical aspect of jiu-jitsu. He takes the time to explain each intricate detail and the many possible combinations of techniques that can be chained together using his Rubber Guard. Every one of Eddie’s words radiates with passion when he speaks about his love for jiujitsu, “My main focus is finishing the fight on the ground. The main focus of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu,
and what’s most important to me, is that I’m such a jiu-jitsu fanatic… I love jiu-jitsu so much… the most important thing to me is how jiu-jitsu looks to the world.” In this article, I’m going to go over the basic control, transitional controls, and go over the different submissions and sweeps that you can work from the various controls. Let’s begin…
H C T E R T S Y L F R BUTTE
DOUBLE LOTUS Google: Nibiru
Eddie Bravo.indd 4
June/July 2011 | 61
4/25/11 1:46:38 PM
Basic Control Positions of the Rubber Guard Mission Control
From the closed guard, Eddie must break down his opponent’s posture. From the guard, Eddie unlocks his legs and opens his guard so that he can sit all the way completely up, he is nearly chest-to-chest with his opponent. He then reaches his left arm around his opponent’s head.
Eddie uses the arm around his opponent’s head and neck to grip his other arm at the wrist. Eddie squeezes tightly and makes sure to keep his elbow in. Eddie returns to guard, pulling his opponent back down with him. He has now broken the posture and can begin to work to a control position.
Houston, we have a problem.
Once the posture is broken, Eddie immediately begins to his transition into Mission Control. Eddie’s right foot goes to the hip of his opponent. At the same time he brings his left leg up and across his opponent’s shoulders. This will be the Mission Control Leg.
Immediately Eddie reaches his right arm under his own ankle left ankle, palm facing toward himself. It is very important that Eddie does NOT use his hand to grip his ankle. Instead he uses his wrist to hook the ankle. It is also important that Eddie’s forearm is snug against the neck and clavicle of his opponent and Eddie’s elbow is tucked in. This is Mission Control.
In this position of Mission Control Eddie’s right foot is still on the hip of his opponent and Eddie’s knee is against his opponent’s shoulder. The foot on the hip helps to prevent the opponent from stacking into Eddie. The leg can also be curled over his opponent’s back. This will help prevent his opponent from backing out of Eddie’s guard. Everything Eddie is going to show us in this article happens from Mission Control.
62 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Eddie Bravo.indd 5
4/25/11 1:47:07 PM
Crack Head Control
Transitioning from Mission Control to Crack Head Control From Mission Control, Eddie pushes his right foot off of his opponent’s left hip.
Eddie brings his right foot up and hooks it on top of his left foot, similar to having ankles crossed in a closed guard position. Notice that Eddie’s right wrist is still securely hooked around his left ankle. This is Crack Head Control. Crack Head Control prevents Eddie’s opponent from posturing up.
New York
Transitioning from Mission Control to New York
Key points nt is This position is crucial when your oppone
doing trying to stand up or posture straight up. Focusing on If your double leg curls in a downward angle is paramount. go opponent is stacking you then uncross your ankles and . to mission control
Eddie wants to isolate the arm of his opponent on the same side of Eddie’s Mission Control Leg. Eddie blades his hand, all five fingers extended, and slides it up and under his opponent’s right elbow. Eddie’s hand and wrist is now between his opponent’s hand and body.
The purpose of the New York position is to isolate and control the opponent’s hand on the mat to further minimize his ability to move, and begin setting up attacks. The technique Eddie uses here to transition from Mission Control to New York is called The Zombie. The Zombie is the method Eddie uses to trap his opponent’s arm on the mat.
Eddie then continues to drive his hand upwards. This gives Eddie’s arm the inside position and allows him to over hook his opponents arm.
Do you know how to Escape from New York?
Eddie now wraps the arm around his own left knee and hugs it tightly to his chest. It is very important to crunch tightly and hug the knee in from this position so that the opponent is unable to move his arm.
Key points and his hand is If when you break your opponent down
he puts his hand already on the mat, quickly hug your knee tightly before don’t always s Zombie York.” New “free that get and chest back on your closed. So always work, especially if your opponent keeps his arms tightly look for “free New Yorks.”
Eddie Bravo.indd 6
June/July 2011 | 63
4/25/11 1:53:03 PM
The Invisible Collar Transitioning from New York to the Invisible Collar
Once Eddie has obtained the New York position and has already trapped his opponent’s arm on the mat either by forcing it to the mat with The Zombie or trapping it when his opponent placed it there, Eddie’s next objective is to clear his opponent’s neck and advance to the Invisible Collar. Starting in the New York position, Eddie releases his right hand from his ankle. Eddie’s left arm is still wrapped around and tightly clinching his own knee.
Eddie then brings his right elbow to the opposite side of his opponent’s head.
Eddie uses his right forearm to clear his opponent’s head by pushing it away.
Finally, some 5’s around here.
To transition from Chill Dog to the Invisible Collar, Eddie brings his right foot off of his opponent’s hip and crosses it over his left foot. This is the Invisible Collar position. The Invisible Collar is Eddie’s “Ultimate Control” position. From the Invisible Collar, his opponent cannot posture up, back out, or stack into Eddie. In a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) scenario, Eddie’s opponent is unable to effectively strike him from the Invisible Collar.
Having cleared his opponent’s head, Eddie now reaches his right arm under his own left leg just above the ankle. As in the previous positions, Eddie uses his wrist and NOT his hand to hook the ankle. Eddie’s forearm and elbow are tight against his opponent’s neck and clavicle, respectively. This position is called, Chill Dog.
Key points When in full guard my goal
is to always try to get to Invisible collar because it is the ultimate control position from the guard. Your opponent can’t stack you, he can’t posture up, and he can’t back out of your guard, he is completely subdued. The invisible collar is where I decide how I’m gonna attack.
64 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Eddie Bravo.indd 7
4/25/11 1:53:52 PM
Omoplata from the Invisible Collar
Eddie uncrosses his feet. His right foot goes to his opponent’s left hip. Next, Eddie must bring his foot in front of his opponent’s face. He does this with his right palm open and facing himself. Eddie pulls his leg over his opponent’s shoulder. This move requires some flexibility.
From the Invisible Collar Eddie decides to attack his opponent with an Omoplata.
Eddie maneuvers his elbow over and around his own toes. It is important that Eddie’s right hand never loses contact with his leg. With his right hand still on his leg, Eddie rotates his palm away from his body in one fluid motion and uses it against his left leg to push his opponent’s head away. Simultaneously, this motion allows Eddie to slide his right leg out.
Now Eddie’s body is parallel to his opponent’s body, and Eddie is nearly hip-to-hip with him. Eddie must now immediately transition his grips. Eddie’s right hand grabs his opponent’s right wrist and he quickly pulls it in to his left hip. At the same time, he reaches his left arm around and behind both of his opponent’s legs. Eddie grabs around the outside of his opponent’s far leg. It is very important that he never reaches in between his opponent’s legs with his left hand from this position.
Eddie pinches both his feet and his knees tightly together, and extends his legs so that his opponent’s arm is caught and unable to escape. This position is called Jiu-Claw.
As Eddie continues to sit up, he opens his legs and tries and folds his left leg in tight to his body. His opponent’s arm is trapped.
He then folds his right leg behind himself. This flattens his opponent out.
Eddie Bravo.indd 8
Great movie.
Eddie transitions his left arm from around his opponent’s legs to over and across his opponent’s lower back as Eddie sits up completely.
June/July 2011 | 65
4/25/11 1:54:13 PM
Next he leans across the back of his opponent and Eddie reaches his left arm under the far arm of his opponent. Eddie then Gable Grips his hands together, palm to palm and thumbs opposite each other.
To finish the Omoplata, Eddie leans forward, pulling his hips up to create pressure against his opponent’s shoulder.
Key points Constantly squeezing
your knees together and constant downward leg pressure is crucial when controlling your opponent from the “jiu-claw” position. You can’t get the submission if your opponent’s face isn’t smashed against the mat.
Sweep from a failed Omoplata Starting from Jiu-Claw, Eddie is attempting an Omoplata. To avoid the Omoplata, Eddie’s opponent will try to execute a forward roll to escape. When Eddie’s Omoplata attempt fails, he transitions into a sweep. This is a popular sweep.
Some use an “A,” we use an “O.”
Eddie is already at Jiu-Claw. Before he has an opportunity to sit up completely, his opponent begins a forward roll in defense of the Omaplata.
Eddie maintains his grips with his left arm wrapped around both legs of his opponent.
As Eddie holds onto his opponent’s legs, the momentum from his opponent’s attempted roll brings Eddie to an upright sitting position. Eddie still has control of his opponent’s legs.
At this point Eddie release his arm from around the legs of his opponent. He is careful not to leave his left arm extended, where it could possibly be captured or attacked by his opponent. He keeps his left elbow very tight to his body like a baby T-Rex arm.
Using both hands to aid his opponent’s momentum through the roll, Eddie pushes his opponent’s leg away toward the mat.
With his opponent now flat on his back, Eddie can establish a side control position. From this failed Omaplata attempt, Eddie has now performed a successful sweep and a pass.
Just as if Eddie were trying to finish the Omaplata, he folds his left leg in tight to his body and he flares his right leg behind him.
Key points Anticipation of your opponent’s roll to
escape is vital. If you let him get a good fast roll without reacting immediately to it, his roll to escape will be successful. Your left arm must be clinched onto his body to slow his roll at all times.
66 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Eddie Bravo.indd 9
4/25/11 1:54:45 PM
The Invisible Croc from the Invisible Collar The Invisible Croc is an arm bar that Eddie will execute from the Invisible Collar when his opponent’s free arm is inside and across Eddie’s body. From the Invisible Collar, Eddie will be attacking his opponent’s free arm, which in this case is his opponent’s left arm. Eddie reaches up with his left hand and grabs the top of his right foot with all five fingers on top of the foot.
Eddie uses his left hand to pull his right foot over his opponent’s head.
Eddie brings his entire right leg in front of his opponent’s face.
Letting go of his foot with his left hand, Eddie grabs the wrist of the arm he will be attacking.
Eddie releases his right hand from its grip hooking underneath his left leg and uses it to grab his opponent’s wrist as he brings his knees together. Eddie now has his two hands on his opponent’s wrist for control.
Eddie continues to bring his feet together, with his right foot clamping down over his opponent’s head to control the opponent’s posture. Eddie now has his feet together, his knees together, two hands on wrist control, and his body is perpendicular to his opponent’s. Eddie is now in a position to finish the Invisible Croc. By keeping his opponent’s wrist tight to his chest, Eddie creates pressure on his opponent’s elbow by pushing his hips upwards, forcing his opponent to submit.
Key points Keeping your opponent’s right hand trapped on the mat during
the execution of this technique is crucial. You let go of the knee hug so you must keep his hand trapped with your left elbow.
Eddie Bravo.indd 10
Ever hear that joke about Wonderwoman, Superman and the Invisibleman?
In order to move his hips into proper position, Eddie must open his right knee slightly. His right leg never loses contact with his opponents face.
June/July 2011 | 67
4/25/11 1:55:06 PM
The Sorcerer from the Invisible Collar
The Sorcerer is a slightly more difficult move that requires some flexibility. The Sorcerer is a double arm bar that also chokes the opponent at the same time. Eddie Bravo will perform this technique from the Invisible Collar. This time from the Invisible Collar, the opponent is trying to posture up and is keeping his free hand on top of Eddie’s arm. Eddie uncrosses his feet and brings his left foot over his right foot. With his left hand, he then grabs his right foot with all five fingers on top. Eddie’s right wrist is still curled around his left ankle. Now Eddie’s left hand is holding his right foot in tightly. He is using both legs to control his opponent’s posture. This is what Eddie Bravo calls, Double Bagging.
Pull this one off at your next sparring session and they’ll be asking you for autographs.
The opponent uses his left hand to grab the top of Eddies left foot.
Eddie uses his right wrist to bring his leg over and in front of his opponent’s face.
Now Eddie uses his right hand to Zombie underneath the left elbow of his opponent. Now Eddie has both of his opponent’s arms trapped on the mat.
With both of Eddie’s feet crossed in front of his opponent’s face and both of the opponent’s arms trapped on the mat, Eddie extends his legs away. This creates a tremendous amount of pressure on both of the opponent’s elbows at the same time. The ankles across the front of the victim’s neck are also creating pressure, choking him at the same time. He is forced to verbally submit.
Key points You must do a sit up and do a
powerful crunch when hugging both your knees at the end of the submission. Do not lay flat on your back or your opponent will be able to pull his arm or arms out.
While his right arm is now hugging over his right knee tightly, Eddie flips his left leg over his opponent’s face.
i or no-gi having a good understanding of Rubber Guard is a great way to expand your knowledge of jiu-jitsu. Drill these techniques often and get a firm grasp of each control and focus in your most probable finishes. This will expand your game and give your opponents a headache especially if they’ve never seen the Rubber Guard before. Thanks Eddie for helping us out with this article.
68 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Eddie Bravo.indd 11
4/28/11 9:35:05 AM
Zebra_1.indd 1
4/22/11 3:56:57 PM
| photos: Carl Hyndman
CHOKES words: Mike Velez
With
Marcelo Carvalho
“me and my Adidas do the illest things!”
Having your opponent in your guard is often a position of comfort. If the pace isn’t too fast, both of you are feeling each other out. There are a lot of attacks from your back, but many of them can expose you if you’re not successful. Some of you might be a little gun shy of going for a triangle or omoplata because you don’t want to give up what you feel is a safe position; so instead you think about a choke. We got together with Professor Marcelo Carvalho to go over some of his favorite chokes from closed guard along with some pointers to increase your execution rate for the old standard collar choke.
70 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Chokes from closed Guard.indd 1
4/22/11 4:18:40 PM
Lapel Choke
As a rule, Professor Marcelo likes to loosen up his opponents’ gi by pulling the gi out from under his opponents’ belt. He starts this process as soon as he can. So when he finds himself on his back and an opponent in his guard, there isn’t much left for him to loosen up. So for this break down, we’ll start with the lapel out of his opponent’s belt, and if it’s not there yet, pull it out.
Step 2: Once you’ve
secured your right hand on his lapel, you can use this to control his posture for a bit. If he wants to posture up, pull down and use your legs to bring him towards you. As you’re doing this, work your left hand underneath your right arm. You have a few different options on finishing from this position.
Step 1: Marcelo
chooses a side, in this case it’s his right side (opponent’s left), feeds the lapel behind his opponent’s neck, then grasps the end of the lapel with his right hand with a pistol-type grip, with the base of his hand and wrist against the right side of his opponent’s neck. Now this can be done easily if your opponent gives it to you or can take some time and effort if you’ve really got to work for it.
Option A
is to get your left hand, palm towards you, inside his gi, grabbing his left lapel (the higher the better). Sneak that hand underneath your right arm. Make sure that the bottom of your right fist and wrist are against his neck. Now pull your right hand towards your belly and curl your left wrist towards you while pulling the left hand into your belly. The choke here is against his created arteries with his collar on his left side, and your wrist and fist on his right side.
Option B becomes very attractive when your
opponent’s gi is opened up too much and you can’t really grab it, or he’s doing too good of a job defending you from sneaking that hand in. Instead of taking your left hand in below your right arm, go above and reach for the gi fabric above his left trapezius muscle (shoulder). Once you have a firm grip, spread your elbows apart, so that you’re pulling down and in on both of your hands, applying pressure to his neck. The key to getting this one on the first try is to have both of your arms low on his neck. If you’re hitting his jaw with either arm, you’re not going to get it. Have your left arm under his chin and your right arm down low to make space for your left.
Option C is my personal favorite; it makes this relatively simple technique seem so
much more “high level.” With your right hand firmly grasping his lapel and down low against his neck, feed your left arm in underneath your arm and his right tricep. Grab his left arm above the elbow, and pull it in towards you, at the same time keeping his left arm captured with your right elbow. Squeeze his left arm into your hip while pulling down on the secured collar. This is a nice finish that can sometimes catch your opponent by surprise.
Key points
Chokes from closed Guard.indd 2
It’s like an ear x-ray.
In step 1, distract your opponent if you have to get his lapel around behind him. If your opponent is maintaining a good posture and not leaning into you while in your guard (see Issue 1, Breaking & Passing Closed Guard with David Dunn) don’t force the issue. In order to get that lapel around his neck, you’re going to expose way too much. Wait for the right moment, pull him into you to clinch, and get that lapel around the back of his neck. For option B, pivot your hips, so that your opponent is more perpendicular to you before grabbing his gi above the shoulder. When you go to finish, pivot back to a position in line with your opponent.
June/July 2011 | 71
4/22/11 4:18:58 PM
Step 1:
Ezekiel with Lapel
From your closed guard and with your opponent’s lapel behind his neck as shown earlier, switch grips. Pass the lapel from your right hand to your left, with your thumb towards your opponent’s neck. For this one, it’s okay to grab at the very bottom of the lapel—just make sure you have a firm grip.
The Ezekiel is one of the first sneaky chokes you learn, and should recognize coming, but we get caught with more than we should because it’s so easy and effective.
Step 3:
To set this finish up, you’ll need your opponent to posture up. A good way to do this is to pull him towards you with both arms. His natural tendency will be to resist and pull back. When he does, let go of your wrist with your right hand and pivot the right arm around, so that the blade of your right hand clears his face and is against his throat.
Lapel toont the Fr
Step 2:
Bring your right hand over behind his neck and pull him into you. Loop your right hand behind his lapel and through to grab your own wrist. It’s as if you’re performing an Americana on his lapel.
Step 4:
Finish the choke by pulling on his lapel with your right hand and pushing your left hand against his throat. Your arm will be anchored against his throat, thanks to the fact that you looped your right arm through his lapel in step 2. Maintain the pressure until he taps—which he will.
Step 1:
With your opponent’s lapel nice and loose, work the lapel under his left arm (the same side of the lapel you’re working on) and over to the front of his neck.
Key points After you’ve got the Americana on his gi, go ahead and give him some slack. The looser you and the lapel are, the easier it will be to slip your hand in front of his throat and to execute the choke.
Step 2:
Of course he’s probably not going to let you just have your way; so don’t give an indication that you’re working on the choke. Pass the lapel over from your right hand to your left hand and bide your time.
Step 4: Pull the lapel back to execute
the choke.
Step 3:
Don’t you with they were all this easy?
When you find your opponent not paying attention to his posture, that’s when you strike. Pull him into you with your legs. Also, reach up to his neck with your free right arm and pull him into you. Again, hand the lapel from your left hand to your right.
72 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Chokes from closed Guard.indd 3
4/22/11 4:19:32 PM
When He Doesn’t Want to Cooperate
Step 2: The
When his opponent is starting to work out of your guard (maybe he digs an elbow into your knee) Marcelo helps him out by tucking that elbow in and releasing his closed guard.
Routine
Sometimes the other guy just doesn’t do what he’s supposed to. Who knows, maybe he didn’t read this article and doesn’t know his role. In that case, you need to have an answer. Here’s a technique Professor Marcelo uses when the chokes aren’t presenting themselves or his opponent starts to post and wants to break your guard.
Step 1:
Marcelo gets hold of a cross collar grip— nice and deep—or as deep as he can.
Step 3:
Quickly Marcelo brings his leg (in this case his left) up high above his opponent’s shoulder while keeping his opponents arm tucked in against his (Marcelo’s) thigh.
Herseof options: armbars, om are es frthe Finithish lot re ion sit po s From e are a few. ngles, and chokes, her arm locks, sweeps, tria
Sweep:
Armbar: It is possible to secure an armbar from this position.
Pull his left arm into you tight. Hip up, bring your knees together and make sure his thumb is up until he taps. The challenge here will be to keep your knees tight enough so that he can’t just break through, and to pull the arm far enough to you so that his elbow passes your groin.
Armbar 2: A second
variation of an arm bar is open to you if you can’t get the first. Let go of your guard and quickly bring your left leg over his head. Let go of the collar and secure his right arm. Extened your legs down against his neck and torso, knees together and thumb up until you execute.
Shoulder Lock: This one sneaks in there real easy sometimes. Your opponent will work hard
to make sure that his elbow is below your groin so that he’s safe from an armbar. As long as you have your left leg up high on his shoulder you’ve still got him in position for a shoulder lock. Grab his right arm at the wrist with both hands and push to his outside, your left in this example, as if his arm is pivoting on his elbow. Keep pressure on his shoulder with your left leg and keep the guard closed. Continue to your left until he taps from pressure on his shoulder and elbow.
Chokes from closed Guard.indd 4
I was wondering how small we could get these photos. Now I know.
To control your opponent in this position you can use your core as an accordian. Straighten out your core pushing your opponent away from you, as he counters pull him into you as if you’re doing a crunch. Use his energy to sweep him to his left. Keep your legs tight so that his right arm is unable to post. When you feel the momentum going the direction you want it to, to your left, let go of the gi and grab his exposed right arm. From there you can go to a basic armbar, go for mount, or move to a better position.
Step 4:
Just as quickly as he released the closed guard and brought his leg up, he again closes the guard back up with the right leg below his opponent’s left arm and his left leg above his opponent’s shoulder, trapping his right arm. Note that this is not a triangle; it’s a very high guard.
June/July 2011 | 73
4/22/11 4:19:48 PM
Tips to Increase Collar Choke Success
From the first days of your first month as a white belt, you were probably shown the basic collar choke with someone in your guard. Sometimes a simple collar choke might present itself to you, but maybe you think it’s too elementary, or you think it’s too easy for your opponent to defend, so you move onto something else. Marcelo shared with us some simple tips to help improve your execution rate on a collar choke from your guard.
If your opponent’s posture is good, he’s looking up, not leaning into you, and not in a vulnerable spot, don’t reach too high trying to grab his collar. You’ll expose too much and give him an opportunity to attack. Instead, wait for him to give you something when he leans into you with his shoulders beyond his knees or you feel his butt come off his feet.
This tip accompanies the previous tip. If your opponent is looking at you when he’s in your guard, his posture can be broken. If he’s looking at you, his spine is “unlocked,” and you can successfully pull him into you if you get a good grip of his collar or his neck. If he’s not looking down at you, and he’s looking towards the ceiling, then his spine is “locked.” In this case you’re going to have a hell of a time trying to break his posture and will simply expend energy towards a lost cause.
Always get your first grip as high as possible beyond his neck. Aim for the gi label at the very back of his gi. Have your four fingers inside under the collar and your thumb out. As soon as you have a grip of the collar, curl your wrist in—don’t wait until you’re finishing the choke.
I vote for the big pictures.
Don’t sink the other hand under the other collar when you’re flat on your back. Instead, hip out a bit to the opposite side of your first grip. So if you’re gripping his right collar with your right arm, hip out to your right side. This will give you some space to get your left hand deep on his collar under your right hand.
As you get ready to finish the choke, bring your hips back to center as you’re curling your wrists towards you and pulling your opponent into you. Bringing your hips back to center will help to finish the choke sooner.
If you can’t get that second hand underneath and into your opponent’s other collar, you can go for the shoulder instead. In that case, pivot your body to your right, use your right leg to push your opponent to his right a bit, and get in a position where you’re now looking at his shoulder. Then grab the gi above his right shoulder blade, come back to center, and finish the choke. 74 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Chokes from closed Guard.indd 5
4/22/11 4:20:11 PM
s u k c che
n o t u o
st e t a l e h t l l a Get als, e d , n o i t a t inform h g i a r t s s n and going o ource! from the s
www.facebook.com/jiujitsumag
JJM-FBad.indd 1
4/26/11 6:52:09 PM
Competing in
Your First tourney Photos: Daniel faggella | Photos: jason boulanger
h, so now you’ve set the date in your calendar and really committed to your first competitive grappling experience. Without a doubt, this is going to be an awesome learning experience for you, and a great time to meet other competitors and get exposed to styles and strategies you’ve never seen before. There are, however, many factors to consider when you’re “green” in the competition scene—and many first-timers make the same mistakes that take away from the tournament experience. In this article, we’re going to take a comprehensive look at the factors to consider to increase your chances of having a blast, performing at your best, and learning as much as possible from your first Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition.
Before the Competition
Hey look, AT&T and full bars, wow!
Training Considerations – Competition Simulation
If you’re going to compete, you must train the way you’ll be competing. Have you ever started live matches from the feet? Most people don’t do this until their first competition—which is a bad time to feel out of your element. Ideally, you want to get used to everything about competing before you compete. Learning the rules of the tournament is a good start, but the best preparation is competition simulation. Get a few serious grapplers together before or after a class and do some mock tournament matches. If you can, determine out-of-bounds lines, have a round timer set to the time limit for your upcoming matches, and have other players play the role of coach during these matches. This preparation will get your mind and body ready for what a tournament is like—and will give you a sense of the kind of urgency and adrenaline experience that you’ll have when you compete. The more of this kind of training you do, the more prepared you’ll be come tournament time. The week before the tournament probably shouldn’t be too intense. My instructor Alexandre Soca (ADCC
World Champion, Brazilian National Champion) likes to roll light in the week before a big competition, focusing on not getting hurt and on getting in reps of the particular techniques he plans to use at the tournament itself. These are good guidelines to work with.
76 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
First Tourney.indd 1
4/22/11 3:30:20 PM
Technical Considerations – Moves and Strategies Do you know what takedown you like to use? Do you have any takedowns at all? Do you know how to pull closed guard or open guard? Do you know what submission(s) you’re most likely to hit at this event? Having a baseline of a game plan is tremendously useful—there’s nothing more paralyzing than the thought “what am I going to do?” while in the middle of a competitive match. That probably won’t do you much good. So, determine if you want to work takedowns, and if so, which specific takedowns. Make sure to get in hundreds of reps in practice before you use this on the competition mat. Similarly, if pulling guard is a real possibility (which it likely will be; there are usually at least a few people with better takedowns than you in any given division, especially if takedowns aren’t your forte), then determine the best guard pull strategies that you can use to set up sweeps and submissions. It might even be useful to lay out your favorite guard pass, your best side mount escape, etc. and rep these techniques out, so that when you land in a specific position, you know exactly where to go from there and your muscle memory kicks in to launch your most potent moves in real time.
Routine s Consideratiotanl
Nutritional Considerations –
(warm-up/men rehearsal)
Pre-competition Nutrition
Serious athletes have routines. Routines for warming up, routines for mental rehearsal, and routines for training and preparation in general. Do you have a favorite warm-up? Develop something that you can use not only before training sessions but also before competitions. You want full body movements and enough effort to break a light sweat—with the aim to loosen up and get your body ready for combat.
Look to eat simple sugars and carbs, not too heavy on the protein. Power bars are fine, but a roast beef sandwich is probably a bit much. Think about some dried fruit, granola bars, or bananas. Eat every 60 to 90 minutes. Don’t aim to load your stomach with 4 bananas in half an hour. Simply eat to keep your metabolism going and to stay energized during your wait.
First Tourney.indd 2
What’s the plan Stan?
If you choose to, it might be advantageous to get yourself used to visualizing your grappling performance. Though imagery is a much more intense topic than can be covered in this article, the gist of the practice is to be able to see and feel your grappling matches in your mind—to imagine yourself performing techniques in competition and winning matches. Many of the great fighters and grapplers I’ve interviewed—probably most notably Ben Askren—have had mental rehearsal routines.
When it comes to pre-competition nutrition, it’s probably best to start with breakfast. First, aim to eat a breakfast high in carbs— with some protein as well. Maybe a protein shake or eggs and a bowl of good oatmeal with dried fruit. Be sure that you give yourself two hours to digest before stepping on the mat. If for some reason you think you’ll be grappling at 11:00 AM, then get breakfast in around 8:30 AM or so. Eating at the venue is an issue for many first-time competitors. People don’t know what to pack, or they just figure they’ll buy food at the venue (usually overpriced greasy pizza). Because the wait time at grappling tournaments is often so unpredictable, being overly precise about snacking is unrealistic, so here are two more general guidelines to follow:
June/July 2011 | 77
4/22/11 3:30:34 PM
Other Considerations – Coaches, Cameramen, Food, and Gear
I’ve made a few big-time mistakes in tournaments, some of which led to getting armbarred from top side mount, setting myself up for footlocks—and even worse, not having food and not having footage of my matches. Logistics are a part of the tournament game people often don’t consider. The last thing you want to be doing is handling these details 10 minutes before you step onto the mat—not only is it stressful and annoying for you and the people around you, but it is such an easy fix.
Here are some basic tips and pointers for tournament preparation that for some reason almost nobody follows through on well: Pack your food the day before. Many people either open up the pantry the morning of the tournament and fill their bag with whatever’s in there, or they count on concession food—usually not a good call. Use our nutritional guidelines here to get an idea of what to pack. Go shopping the week before the tournament to stock up. Determine your cameraman and coach beforehand. Keep these two people separate whenever possible. I learned this the hard way by having people coach me and try to film at the same time—generally a bad idea unless you love wobbly footage—or better—footage of the floor as your coach forgets he’s holding a camera and yells to you. The coach is more important in the event, so find someone experienced and preferably someone who knows your game. The footage is more important after the competition so that you can learn from the experience. You just need someone reliable here. Pack everything well in advance. You don’t want to be the guy wearing basketball shorts to your first NAGA because your only pair of Sprawl shorts are in the wash. Set aside the gear (best gi, best shorts, lucky shirt, whatever) you’re going to wear to compete about a week or so in advance so that you don’t end up with it dirty when tournament day comes.
During the Competition
Am iPod comes in handy during the wait. Just have the right tunes.
Prepare for the Wait
The fact of the matter is, grappling tournaments are usually very hectic, and because it’s impossible to know exactly who will grapple where—and when—and how long matches will last, things get unpredictable. I’ve been at grappling competitions until well after midnight watching my guys compete. If you plan on competing a lot, you must accept this reality. Hopefully, your first tournament won’t be wildly off schedule, but it does happen. Most of the time, guessing when I’m going to grapple is about as reliably accurate as timing the stock market—but getting a gist of how fast the divisions are going through can be very useful. If you’ve never been to a BJJ tournament, being around a few people who really know the ropes— preferably people who either aren’t competing or aren’t competing anytime near when you are—is very useful. That way, they’ll be able to calmly help explain the process, direct you to the right table, and even coach you or help with filming.
78 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
First Tourney.indd 3
4/22/11 3:30:52 PM
Use Your Routines
Everyone has different ways to prepare directly before a match. We went over some solid basics for a routine in the Before the Competition section. That’ the stuff you want to keep exactly the same on competition day. Go through your calisthenics, stretches, and warm-up techniques, and the same kind of mental rehearsal (if you’ve decided to go that route) you’ve been getting yourself used to. Your body and mind need to be tuned in, recognizing as they have in all of your practices that this is the time to be ready to fight. You can try all sorts of strategies here. If you have a favorite soundtrack and you think it will do you good, then by all means put on the headphones. Be sure not to do too much or too little warming up. If you bring yourself to break a sweat three or four times, you might not be doing yourself any good. Similarly, it’s usually not best to sit in the corner taking a nap until your division is called.
Excitement,
not Ne rvousn ess
Relax, don’t do it!
In the sport psychology world, we use the terms “telic” and “paratelic” to describe the mental state of an athlete. The “telic” state involves a more careful, tentative mindset, where a low level of arousal (mental energy level, readiness to react to stimuli) feels pleasant, while a high level of arousal feels anxious. Hence, in the telic state, intensity brings about anxious feelings, and a higher energy level—like the kind you’d experience at a tournament—feels uncomfortable. The “paratelic” state, on the other hand, is a more “in the moment” kind of mindset where a low level of arousal feels boring, and a high level of arousal (again, read: mental energy) feels exciting. The telic grappler is often the person who shuts down during tournaments and can’t maintain aggression, remember techniques, or perform well under “pressure.” The paratelic grappler is the person who gets more and more pumped as he gets closer to being called up to fight. These people are happy and excited during the drive to the tournament and seem like there’s nowhere they’d rather be than where they are now. As much of the sport psychology literature notes, however, these two people are not all that different at all. In fact, the main difference between telic and paratelic individuals is the way in which they interpret a higher level of mental energy. Even seasoned competitors will tell you that you’ll always feel at least some kind of boost in your reactivity and heightening of your energy before tournaments—so this isn’t something we should aim to avoid. Instead, aim to interpret that energy level as excitement—and use it as fuel to perform in competition.
First Tourney.indd 4
June/July 2011 | 79
4/22/11 3:31:15 PM
After the Competition Healthy Competition Mindset
Check the tape.
Great, so you went out there and competed in your first-ever tournament. Awesome. Whether you won or lost, your first competition is a benchmark in and of itself, and undoubtedly, there’s a lot you can learn either way. If you lost, then it’s time to focus on what you can learn from this experience (about the way you trained and prepared, as well as about your game itself and how you might become a better grappler), and for the moment accept the loss. Losing happens to everybody, trust me, and to a healthy-minded competitor, there’s nothing more frustrating than feeling like you didn’t perform to your personal potential. Regardless, this moment is a time to mold yourself into a good competitor, to build yourself to become the kind of person who moves on and grows stronger after these experiences. If you won, awesome! There’s no reason not to celebrate, so go ahead—we all like the feeling of a good win. However, don’t let the win take your mind away from scrutinizing your matches in the coming week to learn absolutely everything you can. People say you learn more from losses, but this doesn’t have to be the case. I believe this is mostly the case because when we lose we ruminate and break things down and get cognitive, while when we win we generally don’t feel like analyzing our matches critically. I’m not saying to stop your celebration and break down your footage right away. Instead, I’m suggesting you have a blast, but later on when your mind feels sharp and capable of being critical, you run through your footage exactly as you would after a loss. In this way, you can get the most out of your matches regardless of the outcomes.
POST-FIG HT B R EAKDOWN
ournaments are good for many things. They make for great stories and cool highlight videos, but most importantly, they serve to teach us something about our game. What worked well for you? What didn’t seem to work at all? Did your cardio and strength seem to last? What seemed like the strongest and weakest muscle groups during the competition? Sit down and watch your competition footage, preferably with an experienced coach or competitor who can show you the moments to pay attention to and learn from. In the last issue of JiuJitsu Mag, I described the process of creating a “Strengths Map.” It might be useful to create one. Something I also like to do after a tournament is write down a list of all the particular little situations that I feel like I need clarification on. Then before or after class in the following week, I tinker around on the mats and figure out all of those little details. Maybe it was a footlock I wasn’t able to finish and I need to figure out why, or a sweep that I did that I’d never seen before. Anything that seems critical for learning, I revise and tweak. With the right preparation, the right action steps in the venue, and the right learning mindset regardless of a win or a loss, you’ll be a mile ahead of most grapplers when they first step out onto the mat to compete. This experience can be not only a great time but also a gateway to a better jiu-jitsu game and a solid career as a competitor.
80 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
First Tourney.indd 5
4/22/11 3:32:17 PM
Andre.indd 1
4/26/11 6:50:35 PM
KETTLE
JITSU
words: Staff
| photos: Jason Boulanger
ecently, we got our hands on a DVD copy of Combat Kettlebell Systems, Volume 1. This first volume focuses on MMA strength conditioning and power. Much of the video is focused on MMA in general; however, much is dedicated specifically to jiu-jitsu, including an entire section called Kettle Jitsu. We got in touch with the developer of the system, Joe Alvarado, and went over with him his six most beneficial kettlebell exercises and the core of his Kettle Jitsu system. Working with kettlebells is quite different than lifting dumbbells or barbells. Most kettlebell exercises, including all of the ones in this article, require the use of multiple muscle groups that not only build strength and power, but also help your coordination, and work your anaerobic conditioning. Another great benefit for jiu-jitsu from using kettlebells is increased grip strength, thanks to the thickness of the handle and the movement that insists that you keep a strong grip the entire time.
Good mornings: These are great for By: XXXXXXXXXXXX Any time you’re about to put a load on your body, it’s best to do some type of warm-up first. Warming up helps get blood flowing to your muscles and tendons, and activates your nervous system. For the workout we’re going to describe in this article, Joey recommends a quick warm-up that can be performed in a few minutes and that gets your body ready for the good stuff.
You do like to sweat right?
Perform each of the following warm up exercises to a count of twenty, then move on to the next:
Jumping Jacks: Nothing special here, just the regular jumping jacks that you did as a kid. Fully extend and keep your core tight.
activating and stretching your hamstrings, which, when loose, greatly improve your abilities at jiu-jitsu. On this one, bring your hands up to your head, bend at the hip, and extend your butt past your heels. Try not to bend the knees much. Squeeze your abs at the top.
Knee to Elbows: Put your hands on your head, at the ears; elbows out. Rotate at your hips, bringing the opposite knee and elbow together; touch if you can, but it’s not important—just go high with the knees. Crunch your abs at the top of the movement. Do ten reps to each side.
82 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Kettle Jitsu.indd 1
4/25/11 2:32:52 PM
Lunge and Twist: On this one, pretend you have a little medicine ball in your hands that you’re holding together. Step forward with one leg and twist to that side as you come down on that back knee. So, if you’re bringing your right leg forward, twist to the right. As soon as that back knee hits the mat, pop back up to the beginning position and repeat to the opposite side. Do ten reps each side.
High Plank: Get in a pushup position, at the top, and hold to a count of twenty. Keep your abs and back muscles tight the entire time.
Super Man Pose: Kettlebells deal with your
Scorpion Twist: Lying flat on your stomach, extend your arms at your sides. Twist your body to bring your leg back to the opposite arm, as far as you can. The goal is to touch your hands with your toes. Perform ten to each side.
core a lot, especially your back and butt. It’s important that you warm up those areas. Lie flat on your stomach, with your arms extended out in front and legs outstretched. Lift both off the mat, tightening your back and butt to create the biggest arch you can. Don’t bend your knees too much. Hold to a count of twenty.
Rocking Chair: This is a total jiu-jitsu warm-up. Rickson and Roger Gracie are seen in videos performing these all the time. Start seated, legs in front of you, and roll back on your back. Bend one leg at the knee and twist it inside. Roll back forward, putting that bent knee to the ground. Push off on that knee and bring your body forward; then thrust your knees at the top. If you want to make it a little more difficult, don’t rock back starting from seated to thrust up. Perform ten to each side.
Snake Move: Aka hip escapes. On your back, hands close, elbows in, knees bent, push out with both legs, hipping out to one side. Repeat ten times to each side.
Burpees: Covered in
Kettle Jitsu.indd 2
Rocking chairs rule!
our last issue. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, bend at the knees and hips, put your hands on the ground. Extend the feet out, perform a pushup. When done with the pushup, bring your feet back to your hands, stand up, and repeat.
Kettlebell injuries happen when you use a weight that’s too heavy for you. Don’t be in a hurry; start with a weight that’s easily manageable and work your way up. If you haven’t worked out with kettlebells before, start with one that you can single arm curl without cheating (using momentum to get it up). This is a good starting point and should be manageable, while providing benefit, for the exercises described in this article.
June/July 2011 | 83
4/25/11 2:33:19 PM
PREP
The Routine
Joey likes to perform his routine barefoot, in comfortable fight shorts and a t-shirt, but you could also perform in a Gi. The only thing needed for this routine is the right kettlebell, a few square feet of space, and a simple timer. The reason he does the routine barefoot is because he wants to simulate the demands being put on your body when you roll in jiu-jitsu. Without shoes, your body will call upon your nervous system and use every bit of your feet to maintain balance during the execution of many of these exercises. As for dropping the kettlebell on bare feet, it’s going to hurt whether you have shoes on or not, so just don’t drop the kettlebell! Have enough space so that you can do all of the exercises. As for the timer, there are a lot of good smartphone apps available for a few dollars that will alert you to the round length and rest length that you set.
Once you’ve warmed up, you’re ready to start the routine. Kettlebell workouts typically aren’t made up of any set number of reps and sets, like most resistance workouts. Instead, kettlebellers go for a brisk pace that simulates the desired application for a set amount of time. To start, Joey recommends setting your round time to 30 seconds of performing the exercise, then 30 seconds of rest. Then move on to the next exercise. Run through each exercise five times total to complete the workout. When you’re ready to move on, go for 45 seconds of “on” time, with 15 seconds of rest between exercises. You can also increase the weight, and increase the pace, to make it more challenging. Or, to change it up, try going at a very slow pace to provide a different type of muscle fatigue. If, after a complete round, you’re not breathing heavy, you need to go up in weight or speed up the pace. Use this routine at least once or twice a week as part of your strength and conditioning routine.
The Kettlebell Swing
This is a great “practical” workout.
Through most of these exercises, you want to remember to keep breathing and to use your breathing to help you explode when needed. Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many of us unknowingly hold our breath during strenuous movements, especially when rolling. Typically, you want to exhale as your exerting power. For many of these exercises, this means you’re ready to take a breath at the top of the movement and you’re breathing in on the downside.
All of these movements are intended to simulate and condition muscles commonly used in jiujitsu. To get the most out of each movement, stay tight, contact the muscles described, and “explode” or “pop” at the bottom of the movement to build up that ability for when you need it in a match.
This is the granddaddy or all kettlebell exercises. It works almost every muscle in your body and works your nervous system. There’s a special emphasis on the hips and core.
1.
Start with your feet shoulder width apart and have the kettlebell in front of you, by about a foot, with the handle going crosswise.
2.
Bend down like you were for the good mornings, knees bent slightly, butt out past your heels. Grab the kettlebell and bring the kettlebell backward, butt out.
4.
At the top of the movement, your hips should be thrust forward and your abs tight. During the movement, breathe out on the way up, so that at the top, you’re ready to breathe in.
5. 3.
Use momentum and your core to pop your hips out and bring the kettlebell out in front of you, just below 90º, with your arms out straight.
Let the kettlebell drop, under control, back between your legs, while you bend at your hips and poke your butt back out behind your heels to repeat.
84 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Kettle Jitsu.indd 3
4/25/11 2:33:40 PM
2.
Roll back so that your back is on the mat and you’re holding the kettlebell nice and tight; close to, but not resting on, your chest.
Snake Move
This is the same exercise done during the warm up, but this time with the kettlebell. This will strengthen your core, arms, chest, shoulders, grip, hips, and legs.
1.
Start seated, with your legs spread, holding the kettlebell in what Joey calls the “goblet position.” Imagine you’re King Arthur about to drink from the golden goblet. Your palms are on the outside of the kettlebell, with your thumbs hooked under the handle.
4.
Bring your hips back to center and pull the kettlebell back in.
Rocking Chair Get Up
The rocking chair get up is very similar to the warm up you did, but with a kettlebell. It’s a great way to get to your feet in jiu-jitsu and it will allow you to transition from your back to being in a position to take down your opponent. It also works from the clinch if you’re on your back.
1.
Start in the same goblet position from before, rolling back to your back on the mat, kettlebell nice and tight, close to your chest.
2.
On the way back, use momentum to bring yourself forward, bending one knee and crossing your foot under the other knee, so you can use this leg as a base.
3.
Push your hips out to one side, extend your arms out half way, keeping your elbows off the mat. Just like in jiu-jitsu, you really don’t want to fully extend your arms out in to armbar territory. If you do that during this exercise, the weight of the kettlebell will bring you over.
5.
Rotate your hips out to the opposite direction and repeat the process, alternating sides. Your breathing should have you exhaling completely at the top of step 3, and breathing in during step 4.
3.
On the way up, base up with the bent knee, the other foot flat on the mat. Thrust your hips up so that you’re sitting up completely on one knee and one foot.
5. Stand up to your feet, maintaining control of the kettlebell close to your chest. Your breathing should have you completely extending at the top, with your core tightened.
Kettle Jitsu.indd 4
Wait until you do the Get Ups. Good stuff right there.
4.
Bend at your knees and hips to come back down and roll to your back to repeat the process. When you’re going back down, your arms should be in between your knees.
June/July 2011 | 85
4/25/11 2:33:57 PM
3.
Pull the kettlebell up and rotate your arm so that you twist the handle of the kettlebell 90º at the top of the movement from when you started. Go up as high as you can, bending your elbow and flexing your lats (Latimus Dorsi). As you’re rowing upward, bring your other hand down, as if you’re controlling your opponent.
Alternating Rows
In jiu-jitsu, there’s a lot of pulling and pushing at the same time. Imagine that when someone is guard battling for position, pushing and pulling happens all the time. This exercise stimulates the back, core, and hips and works on your balance.
1.
Star with your feet a little further than shoulder width apart, with the kettlebell directly in front of you, so that the handle is going crosswise with your body.
4.
From the top of the movement, bring the kettlebell back down, rotating in the opposition position so that, at the bottom, you put the kettlebell down on the mat in the same crosswise position it started in.
2.
Bend at the knees, keep your spine erect, reach down, and grab the kettlebell.
Upa
This is a great exercise to work your core, neck, and hips, and it will bring your bridging to the next level.
5.
Bring the opposite hand back down to grab the kettlebell and repeat the process with this arm.
2.
Swing your right leg across your body to your left side, rotating your hips.
1.
Imagine you’re in spider guard trying to break out on the Alternating Rows.
Start on your back, holding the kettlebell at your chest, with your elbows in.
4.
Sit up onto both knees, keeping the kettlebell under control, tight to your chest, elbows in.
5.
Put the kettlebell down on the mat.
3.
Let your body follow your leg and hips, so that that right knee plants on the mat.
6.
Bend the left elbow and roll to that side, rolling over the kettlebell and returning to your starting position. Perform the exercise to the opposite side and repeat the steps.
86 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Kettle Jitsu.indd 5
4/25/11 2:34:27 PM
3.
Sprawl, Clean, and Press
This is a full body exercise that Joey likes to save for the end of the routine. He equates this to the last moments of a jiu-jitsu match, where you have to leave everything out there. Doing this exercise regularly will take your conditioning to the next level.
1.
Start with the kettlebell in front of you, with the handle in-line with your body.
5.
Clean the kettlebell up, while you stand rotating your arm 180Âş so that your thumb is once again pointed towards you (this time your arm is up; this will make sense when you perform the action). Keep your elbows in tight; the kettlebell will be resting on your forearm and in front of your shoulder.
7.
Bring the kettlebell back down to the position in step 5.
Let go of the kettlebell, bring your arms to your sides, sprawl out, and repeat, alternating your arms each time.
Drop down to the ground, with your hands to the outside of the kettlebell and your feet out back, as if you’re sprawling to defend a takedown.
4.
When your feet are back where your hands were, pick a side and grip the kettlebell with your thumb pointed towards you, palms out, hands twisted in.
6.
Press the kettlebell up over your head and rotate the arm once again, so that this time your palm is facing out to your side and your thumb is pointed in front of you. Completely exhale at the top.
8.
Bend your knees, and hips, and bring the kettlebell back down to the mat.
About
Joey Alvarado
Joey has been training jiu-jitsu for over fifteen years. He is a former professional MMA fighter and boxer, and has been involved in martial arts for over thirty years. Joey trains MMA, jiu-jitsu, and Muay Thai at SoCal Martial Arts in Los Angeles, CA which he owns. You can order a copy of his Combat Kettlebell Systems DVD at: www.combatkettlebellsystems.com
Kettle Jitsu.indd 6
Kettle Jitsu sounds much better than Jiu Bells.
9.
2.
In one movement, pop your feet back to where your hands are, lift your hands off the mat simultaneously, but stay low, with your knees and hips bent.
June/July 2011 | 87
4/25/11 2:34:44 PM
Photos: seymour yang | Photos: jason boulanger
I
t is quite possibly the worst scenario that any jiu-jitsu enthusiast can experience—the justbought gi that shrank too much. There can be no worse feeling than after spending hours of research time and possibly hundreds of dollars on a new uniform it ends up being too small or the opposite—a gi that refuses to shrink and is still too large after you wash it. Most gi companies will not return or exchange your gi after you have used it if there is nothing faulty with it. So, how should you look after a gi after you’ve bought it?
S IZ E and
FAB R IC Looks like Mike didn’t follow directions on that gi.
As discussed in Issue 1 of Jiu-Jitsu Magazine, the type of fabric or weave that a BJJ gi is composed of can affect the amount the gi can shrink. Gis made of fabric that has been pre-treated (see the side bar on various treatments) suffer the least shrinkage. Most gis labeled “pearl weave” are pre-treated and experience minimal shrinkage regardless of the washing and drying temperature. Other gis, such as many brands of gold-weave cotton and judo-style single-weave cotton, experience a slightly greater degree of shrinkage. Many experienced gi buyers talk about “shrinking to fit” and often advise buying a “size up” from your normal size. This advice is useful for some gi brands, less so with others. This area is pretty difficult to judge because brands differ markedly from each other (the way the gi is cut, the material used, and the way it is pre-treated).
88 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
gi care.indd 1
4/25/11 3:11:39 Pm
Honey, I Shrank
TH E G I
I Like It the Way It Is Bleaching allowed (chlorine and oxygen)
Bleaching with oxygen allowed
Do Not Bleach
Do Not Bleach
For most jiu-jitsu students, buying a gi in the correct size as stated on the gi maker’s charts seems the most logical thing to do. In general, assuming your body shape is not hugely outside the normal range for limb, torso, and height sizes, you will get a gi that fits well, even after many washes. However, to ensure that the gi stays that way, you should wash your gi in 86 degrees Fahrenheit water and then air-dry it (not in boiling hot weather). In fact, if you observe the care label on the actual gi, you’ll very rarely see a washing temperature higher than 86 degrees, and you most certainly will hardly ever see a recommendation to tumble dry. The main reason, as manufacturers often state, is the increased risk of fabric damage when their products are washed and dried at high temperatures. The longevity of most gis, it seems, is cut short when they are washed frequently at higher temperatures. Iron, Any Temperature Steam or Dry
Iron, Low
Iron, Medium
Iron, High
Do Not Steam
Do Not Iron
Tumble Dry, Norm.
Tumble Dry, Norm.
Tumble Dry, Norm. Med. Heat
Tumble Dry, Norm. High Heat
Washing Symbol
Tumble Dry Gentle
Do Not Tumble Dry
Wash 60˚C
Wash 70˚C
Wash 95˚C
Do Not Dry
Line Dry
Drip Dry
Dry Flat
Do Not Wash
Machine Wash Perm. Press
Machine Wash Gentle or Delicate
Dry in Shade
Do Not Wring
Tumble Dry, Norm.
Tumble Dry, Norm.
Tumble Dry, Norm. Med. Heat
Tumble Dry, Norm. High Heat
Washing Symbol
Wash 30˚C
Wash 40˚C
Wash 50˚C
Tumble Dry, Norm. No Heat
Tumble Dry Perm. Press
Tumble Dry Gentle
Do Not Tumble Dry
Wash 60˚C
Wash 70˚C
Wash 95˚C
Hand Wash
Do Not Dry
Line Dry
Drip Dry
Dry Flat
Do Not Wash
Machine Wash Perm. Press
Machine Wash Gentle or Delicate
Bleaching allowed (chlorine and oxygen)
Bleaching with oxygen allowed
Do Not Bleach
Iron, Low
Do Not Bleach
Iron, Medium
Do Not Steam
Do Not Iron
Y
Iron, Any Temperature Steam or Dry
Iron, High
Iron, Low
Do Not Bleach
Tumble Dry, Norm.
Tumble Dry, Norm.
Tumble Dry, Norm. Med. Heat
Tumble Dry, Norm. High Heat
Washing Symbol
Wash 30˚C
Wash 40˚C
Wash 50˚C
Tumble Dry, Norm. No Heat
Tumble Dry Perm. Press
Tumble Dry Gentle
Do Not Tumble Dry
Wash 60˚C
Wash 70˚C
Wash 95˚C
Hand Wash
Do Not Dry
Line Dry
Drip Dry
Dry Flat
Do Not Wash
Machine Wash Perm. Press
Machine Wash Gentle or Delicate
Iron, Medium
Do Not Steam
Hand Wash
our brand-new gi has undergone many treatment processes to ensure it looks good and is tough yet comfortable enough for the job. Here is a brief summary of pretreatment techniques.
Dry in Shade
Do Not Bleach
Wash 50˚C
Tumble Dry Perm. Press
Iron, High
Bleaching with oxygen allowed
Wash 40˚C
any years ago, the majority of BJJ uniforms on the market were not pre-treated, so users were often advised to buy a size up in the hope that it would shrink over time (under regular washing temperatures) to end up being the right size. Most users preferred to speed up the process by first washing at a high temperature and then tumble-drying the item at the highest setting— checking every five minutes or so until the uniform shrank to the desired size. Uniforms that are not pre-treated can be shrunk this way, and you can shrink your gi quite a bit. Be aware, however, that most gi makers do not recommend high temperatures for their products, so you shrink to fit at your own risk.
Tumble Dry, Norm. No Heat
Iron, Any Temperature Steam or Dry
Bleaching allowed (chlorine and oxygen)
Wash 30˚C
Do Not Wring
Bleaching – Natural cotton is actually a rather unattractive grey color. Bleaching makes cotton white, ready to be dyed another color, or kept as a white gi.
Do Not Iron
Monkeying Around Dry in Shade
Do Not Wring
Mercerization – In this a process, cotton is treated in caustic soda. The process makes cotton more easily absorb dye molecules and strengthens its fibers. Interestingly, the process also gives the garment a slight sheen, hence the name “pearl weave” on many gi brands. Sanforization – This physical process tugs, pulls, and stretches the cotton fabric before washing and drying. The process prevents shrinkage in the final garment, with some gi makers claiming as little as 1% or even less!
Gi Care.indd 2
Mike needs to go big next time.
If only gis would shrink equally in all directions, then most people’s lives would be simpler. However, owing to the direction of the weave, most gis shrink much more along the width (known as the weft) than along the length (known as the warp). So, after washing, you often notice that the gi has shrunk much more horizontally along the sleeve lengths and torso width than vertically down the jacket length. The potential problem here is that people with long arms may end up with a gi that fits well everywhere except the sleeve lengths. If the space between the ends of the sleeve cuffs and the beginning of your wrist bone extends further than three fingers widths, your gi may fall afoul of the gi-checker at a major BJJ tournament. To avoid a new gi suffering from oddly-proportioned shrinkage patterns, washing the gi several times at a cold temperature and monitoring the shrinkage pattern is a good idea. You can use the high-heat drying method at a later stage to shrink the garment more. However, the cold wash method, although slower in obtaining decent shrinkage, helps you to avoid making a costly error. Other options to consider are tailoring services. When you buy a gi size up from your standard size, even after high-heat washing and drying, the body and leg lengths are often too long (due to the warp and weft differences described above). In such cases, as long as the sleeve cuffs are an acceptable length, you could take the gi to a tailor to have the body or trouser length shortened. Do inform the tailor that the folds must be stitched to withstand rigorous pulling and, if possible, reinforce these seams with extra tape.
Dyeing – Ever dye your own clothes? It’s a laborious process consisting of mixing, stirring, waiting, stirring, etc. Well, imagine the same process but on an industrial scale!
June/July 2011 | 89
4/25/11 3:11:58 PM
Odor Control
Man! What’s that funky smell? Oh, it’s my gi, sorry. Seriously though guys, there’s really no need to wear a smelly gi to class. That smell is a by-product from the millions of microbes that love to munch on the fluids exuding from your sweat pores. The key to eliminating those odors is to eliminate the bugs.
Use fragranced washing detergent and fabric softeners along with products that release oxygen to ‘bleach’ out stains as these also act as disinfectants. Do not use chlorine bleach as this will weaken the gi fabric. Pop a fragranced tumble dryer sheet into your gear bag.
Add some vinegar to your wash. A little acetic acid upsets microbes and helps neutralise hard to get rid of odors.
There’s always that one guy that didn’t seem to follow any of the 10 tips.
Toast the gi—you could try an oven but I suggest a few minutes at high heat (when the gi is dry) in the tumble dryer might do the trick. Careful not to melt the rubber lapel core.
BAD
T
Wash after every training session and dry your gi properly before folding it away. Seems obvious but packing a damp gi into your gear bag or folded up in your wardrobe is creating a haven for bugs to cultivate.
Every now and again, give the gi a hot wash (140 degrees), assuming you are confident it will not shrink further than it has done already. Most bugs are killed in hot water, although it is useful to know that 150 degrees is the hospital standard for clean laundry.
Color Me
Spray it with a little fabric deodorant.
Freeze your gi—rinse the gi after training, seal it in an air tight bag, store it in a freezer then wash it the next day. Weird I know, but some say it really does work!
he dyes of most new colored gis run when you first wash them so, obviously, don’t put your squeaky clean white underwear in with your ruby-red gi! Most gis these days retain their dye quite well and fade slowly over time with each subsequent wash. Some gi brands recommend using a color fixative or soaking the gi in a tub of vinegar and other household agents. These methods might help lock in some of the excess dye, but the effect is probably negligible over time. Some folks even like wearing a heavily distressed and faded gi to class to possibly evoke the air of someone who has been training a long, long time. Of course, wearing a white gi avoids all the problems associated with dyed gis, but a white gi does pick up dirt easily and looks extremely grey over time, no matter how much you wash it. Applying bleach to whiten up a tired old gi is definitely not the solution. The bleach will weaken the cotton fibers and soon turn your old faithful into a shredded mess. Dyeing your gi a new color could bring new life to an old uniform, but if it really has outlasted its lifespan, then it’s time to retire that gi . . .
Add some Borax—this handy household product is a miracle cleaning agent and will kill the bugs lurking in your gi. It’s a bit toxic though so handle with care. Baking soda—another handy household item, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) is an effective cleaner and is non-toxic.
When Gi’s Die
Brazilian jiu-jitsu, by its very nature, is an activity that places huge demands on the uniform. A good gi should last several years of hard and frequent usage. In Brazil, many hardcore practitioners train three times a day—with only just one or two gis in their possession! Luckily, the hot weather (on most days) helps dry out their gis fast, and the hot sun, many believe, helps sterilize their gi against bacterial and fungal colonization. The fact that such gis end up parched and rough like sandpaper is often seen as a beneficial side effect! Sadly, not everywhere in the world is blessed with Brazilian sunshine so the rest of us must rely on a washing machine, a dryer, and copious use of detergents and softeners. Over time, however, some gis just simply die. They either get ripped up or shrink too much or even just smell too funky. When that time comes, it is probably best to lay your gi to rest and get a new one. The only question is—which gi? 90 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
gi Care.indd 3
4/25/11 3:12:19 PM
KNOWING YOUR OWN HEALTH IS JUST AS IMPORTANT. Eric Lindros Concussion Jerome Bettis Asthma
Mario Lemieux Hodgkin’s Disease Ray Lewis Torn Triceps
Brett Favre Concussion
Gary Sheffield Torn Rotator Cuff
Steve McNair Torn Biceps
Alonzo Mourning Kidney Disease Francisco Liriano Torn UCL
Willis McGahee Broken Ribs
Sean Elliot Kidney Disease
Adam Morrison Type 1 Diabetes Lance Armstrong Testicular Cancer
Mike Lowell Testicular Cancer
Philip Rivers Torn ACL
Hideki Matsui Broken Wrist
Eric Davis Colon Cancer Nenê Testicular Cancer
Shaun Livingston Torn ACL, MCL, PCL
Michael Peca Fractured Tibia Deuce McAllister Torn ACL LaMarcus Aldridge Plantar Fasciitis
All sports fans follow their favorite players’ health. However, not all fans pay enough attention to their own. For a complete list of the tests you need, and when you need them, go to www.AHRQ.gov/realmen
Health.indd 1
4/26/11 6:54:55 PM
I NJU R I ES in
jiu-jitsu
Words: Dr. John park
ew things are more aggravating for the BJJ enthusiast than having to train with shoulder pain. Whether it’s a mild pinch in front of the shoulder after rolling a few rounds or a sharp stabbing pain that takes your breath away, shoulder pain is not only uncomfortable but can also be disabling if you aren’t careful. Of all the major joints in the body, the shoulder has the widest range of motion through the most planes. This range of motion is achieved by the unique way the arm articulates with the shoulder blade. The primary joint in the shoulder is a ball and socket joint that looks similar to a golf ball sitting on a tee. The socket that holds the head of the humerus is made a little deeper by cartilage that lines the cup and extends over the rim called the glenoid labrum. This arrangement allows the widest range of motion but also makes the shoulder susceptible to many different injuries.
Shoulder
Not looking forward to the illustration for the groin injury article.
clavicle
Supraspinatus infraspinatus acromioclavicular scapula
teres minor deltoids
scapulothoracic
Humerus
ANATOMY Bones: humerus, scapula, clavicle Muscles: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis, deltoids Joints: glenohumeral joint, acromioclavicular joint, sternoclavicular joint, and scapulothoracic joint Cartilage: glenoid labrum The most common injuries in the shoulder from BJJ are rotator cuff injuries, separated shoulders, shoulder dislocations, clavicle fractures, and labral tears. These injuries can result from traumas, but some can also develop over time from overuse and natural wear and tear.
92 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
shoulder injuries.indd 1
4/27/11 1:15:10 pm
Common Shoulder Injuries Rotator Cuff Tendinitis, Tears, and Impingement Syndrome Separated Shoulder Dislocated Shoulder Collarbone Fractures Labrum Tears
1.
Reach directly overhead with your arm and the affected shoulder and pull backwards and down on your elbow with the other hand as if you were trying to do a triceps stretch.
2.
Reach across your chest as if you were going to hug yourself with one arm. If either of these methods causes shoulder pain, chances are you have rotator cuff impingement syndrome and possible tendinitis in the shoulder.
1
B
2
Give yourself a hug, you deserve it.
y far the most common injuries to the shoulder are rotator cuff injuries. The rotator cuff consists of four muscles surrounding the head of the humerus and stabilizing the “ball in the socket.” The four rotator cuff muscles are the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. These muscles work together to move the arm in abduction, external rotation, internal rotation, adduction, and circumduction. Although the rotator cuff muscles are subject to injuries caused by acute traumas like a fall on an outstretched arm, the muscles are more often injured by repetitive motions. Elevated arm positions along with arm-across-thechest positions can pinch and irritate the rotator cuff tendons. This usually feels like a sharp pain localized to the front and inside of the shoulder – think of the pain felt on the inside shoulder of a triangle. Repeatedly performing these arm positions may develop into tendinitis, which may eventually become a rotator cuff tear. Partial tears can be treated conservatively while full thickness tears usually require surgery.
Shoulder Injuries.indd 2
June/July 2011 | 93
4/27/11 1:15:54 PM
Test for Rotator Cuff Tear 1.
Stand with your arm at your side and your thumb pointing at your thigh. Keeping your arm straight, bring it upward with the thumb pointed down. If this action is especially painful and weak, and you have trouble doing this without hiking up your shoulder, you may have a rotator cuff tear.
2.
Separated shoulders, dislocated shoulders, and collarbone fractures all result from direct falls on the shoulder. A separated shoulder primarily involves the acromioclavicular joint (AC joint). The AC joint is where the collarbone meets the front of the shoulder blade at the acromion. You can find the AC joint by following your collarbone from the inside and working your way outwards. The point where the joint and your collarbone meet is often very tender to the touch if your shoulder has separated. The clavicle and acromion are connected by several other ligaments, and depending on
HOW TO FIX A
the severity of the injury, you may see a step defect in the shoulder, which appears to hang lower if there are more ligaments in the shoulder that are damaged.
3.
A dislocated shoulder occurs when the head of the humerus actually falls “out of the socket.” Most shoulder dislocations are anterior dislocations, where the arm becomes displaced in front of the shoulder blade. These injuries result in severe pain with limited range of motion. A person with a dislocated shoulder often has intense pain, is unable to move the arm in any direction, and has to support the dislocated shoulder with the other hand. However, the individual feels almost instant pain when the shoulder is reduced, or put back into place. This should always be done by a health care provider whenever possible, but there are a few simple procedures that work well you can do yourself if you dislocate your shoulder.
DISLOCATE D SHOU LD
Mike’s dislocated both shoulders.
3
ER
Method 1: Sit with one knee flexed. Reach out with both hands and grab the front of the flexed knee. Slowly lean back so your arms are pulled forward and the shoulder goes back into place.
1
Method 2: Lay facedown on a table or bench that is high enough for your arm to hang off the edge without touching the floor. If you can relax enough, the weight of the arm will put traction through the arm and put your shoulder back to where it needs to be. *These methods are for anterior shoulder dislocations only. After fixing your dislocated shoulder, you should always follow up with a health care provider to rule out other injuries.
outstretched hand. A fracture can also result from a direct blow to the collarbone. Clavicle injuries can easily be identified with a physical examination and are confirmed with x-rays. The good news is that most collarbone fractures heal without any surgical intervention, and usually respond well with rest and the use of a figure-8 brace or sling. With each of these injuries, the cartilage that lines the inside of the shoulder socket is often damaged or torn. This cartilage is the glenoid labrum and can become torn when a dislocation occurs. A torn labrum in the shoulder feels like a sharp pain that occurs during rotational movements, and is often accompanied by popping sensations and locking. Significant tears to the labrum along with instability in the shoulder can be managed with arthroscopic surgery.
A fractured clavicle or collarbone is another injury commonly caused by a direct fall on the shoulder or a fall on an
94 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
Shoulder Injuries.indd 3
4/27/11 1:16:22 PM
S IG NS of a tor n lab u r n
B
Tip for Preventing Injuries
P
erform rotator cuff exercises using light resistance a few times per week as part of a regular maintenance program. Do three sets of 10-15 reps for each exercise:
end your elbow 90 degrees and elevate your arm to 90 degrees. Rotate your arms upwards and downwards from this position. If you have sharp pain accompanied by locking and clicking, you may have a labral tear.
Conclusion
bio: Dr. Park Dr. Park
is a chiropractic physician and physical therapist who specializes in treating sports injuries. He is also a BJJ enthusiast and continues to train and compete. For more information, you can reach him on the web at:
www.ProSpineRehab.com www.YourMMAdoctor.com
Shoulder Injuries.indd 4
But don’t ask him how.
While we can’t do anything to avoid shoulder injuries altogether, we can do a few things to keep our shoulders strong and minimize the chance of injury. Rotator cuff exercises should be a regular part of a strength training routine. Most of us have done countless reps of chest presses, shoulder presses, pec flyes, and the like in the gym, but we seldom do exercises to work the small muscles that stabilize the shoulder. This leads to muscle imbalances, making us more susceptible to injury. The key is to include exercises and movements that pull our shoulder backwards and open up the chest. Always throw scapular retractions, reverse flyes, and abduction with external rotation exercises into the mix. A BJJ-specific alternative for strength training when performing these exercises is to use a gi instead of the traditional cable grips tied around the cables. Not only will using a gi improve your shoulder and rotator cuff strength, but you’ll also have the added benefit of increasing your grip strength. Working the entire kinetic chain in the shoulder is critical for strong shoulders and, ultimately, success on the mat.
June/July 2011 | 95
4/27/11 1:17:03 PM
Using Stats Jiu-Jitsu Statistics, and How They Change the Game Photos: daniel faggella | Photos: STAFF
or the most part, we learn the same moves in the same way. The instructor teaches a technique, and then the students pair up and practice the technique. The big students and the small students all learn the same move, and often get to practice it on each other. Thus, we might imagine we’d see similar moves being displayed by large players and smaller players – and in many cases, we do! Armbars, triangles, rear naked chokes, cross chokes – these are all techniques you’ll see in any weight class. The thing is, if you really look at the numbers in jiu-jitsu competition (I mean the real statistical trends), you start to see some huge differences. The insights I’m going to discuss stem from a lot of number crunching while watching competition footage over the last two years, and some interesting conversations (and a private lesson) with multi-time World Champion (and genuinely nice guy) Caio Terra, who competes in the super featherweight and bantam weight classes. The differences seen in the trends of competition footage (or that many people can intuitively notice after watching a lot of high-level jiu-jitsu) between different weight classes in techniques and position frequency.
Initial Research: Black Belt-Level Gi Matched and the ADCC World Championships
The numbers don’t lie.
A
bout two years ago, I carefully watched 40 black belt–level Gi matches. Some matches I had to find online (X-Combat has many great videos available to anyone on the web), and some I watched on DVDs. Twenty of these matches were in the
bantam and super feather weight class (the lightest end of the competitive weights), and 20 were at the heavyweight and super heavyweight class (the heaviest end). After breaking down the numbers, here’s what I noticed in this initial inquiry:
96 | Jiu-Jitsu Magazine
mind games_Issue2.indd 1
4/26/11 6:28:00 Pm
Glance at The Numbers Initial standup at the start of match– 16 Guard pulls, 4 Takedowns
Initial standup at the start of match– 19 Guard Pull, 1 Takedowns
Takedowns (total)– 8
Takedowns (total)– 8
Guard pulls (total)– 25
Takedowns (total)– 36
Knee on Belly– 4
Knee on Belly– 1
Sidemounts consolidated– 13
Sidemounts consolidated– 2
Mounts consolidated– 7
Mounts consolidated– 2
Backmounts consolidated (including 1 hook backmount)– 9
Backmounts consolidated (including 1 hook backmount)– 10
Back to the feet (scrambles/ref calls)– 17
Back to the feet (scrambles/ref calls)– 22
Sweeps– 11
Sweeps– 41
Submissions (12/20) –
Submissions (10/20) –
1 Gi Choke from Knee on Belly
RNC Crank from Backmount
1 Gi Choke from Guard
1 Inverted Armbar from Mount
2 Gi Choke from Mount
4 Armbar Bar from Guard
3 Triangle Choke from Guard
1 Armbar from Knee on Belly
3 Gi Choke from Backmount
1 Armbar from Mount (before actually settling to mount)
2 Armbar from Mount
1 Triangle from the Guard (rolled to mount to finish) 1 Flying Triangle (when opponent has sat to guard)
The trends here are very clear, and several common threads appear:
SUBMISSIONS:
POSITIONS:
-4 RNCs
-1 Mount
First, at the lightest weights, grapplers are overwhelmingly more likely -2 Armbars -3 Sidemount to sweep than to pass in almost all contexts, and if a “pass” does occur, -2 Guillotines -6 Closed guard it is likely to be a forced backmount rather than a sidemount or mount -1 Triangle -10 Sweeps (not counting – which is almost never seen in this light division. In fact, heavyweight -1 Anaconda finals [too many]) grapplers are nearly five times more likely to settle into a dominant -1 Kimura -9 Backmount position like mount or sidemount than the lightest fighters – a trend that I suspect is consistent well beyond the small scope of this research. In addition, sweeps were almost four times as prevalent for the lightest grapplers compared to the heavyweights. Again, this is significant, as it seems as though the bottom man has a significant advantage (in addition to taking into account our last trend) in terms of scoring potential, and top and bottom are much shorter lived at these lighter weights. Recently, I also crunched the numbers for the 60 kg division (around 145 lbs) at the 2009 Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) tournament. For those who don’t know, the bi-annual ADCC tournament is one of the most prestigious grappling events in the world, and it is the absolute pinnacle of no-gi grappling. This is a breakdown of the 17 matches. However, I could not analyze every minute of every match due to the ADCC DVD footage I had access to was incomplete – but I venture that it is safe to say that the numbers presented here indicate the trends within this division:
TRENDS: More than twice the number of guard pulls as takedowns There were more than twice the backmounts as there were all other dominant positions added together More backmounts than closed guards! With these fighters about 145 lbs, we’d expect to see slightly more side mounts and mounts but still a heavy emphasis on sweeping and back takes. As the available ADCC footage shows, these trends did in fact hold for this 145 lb division.
Websites like Budovidos.com are a great resource to view or purchase videos of previous events to check out high-level competitions in your
Or do they?
This positional trend between the lighter and larger grapplers will likely hold for gi and no-gi, and with more research, it will be interesting to see if it does.
S
o why is it that these particular trends seem to have arisen? Why can’t smaller grapplers seem to get to traditionally dominant positions like side mount and mount? We could suppose that smaller grapplers (a) are stronger pound for pound and so are able to push opponents away with their limbs from these positions, (b) have more practice defending passes from huge opponents, and so are not as susceptible to a pass from a smaller opponent, etc. Developing these theories will also be useful in developing a more grounded view of where the BJJ world is and where it’s going. The most important thing to know now is that these trends are real, and that with more research, the trends can be more clearly shown.
weight class to see what techniques are employed most often.
Mind Games_Issue2.indd 2
Jun/July 2011 | 97
4/26/11 6:28:33 pM
How Statistics Change the Game
S
tatistics provide an accurate and reliable source for interpreting data – and are useful in almost every conceivable domain.
Let’s take finance, for example. If you are deciding on mutual funds and had to make your decision based merely on what fund came to mind first or what fund looked best in the moment, your chances of selecting the right fund wouldn’t be as high as if you knew the performance of these relative funds over time.
only assume that this kind of data will become more and more available, and that statisticstracking companies might come into the BJJ game as they have in such a huge way in sports like baseball, and as they are beginning to in the MMA world (www.fightmetric.com). If nothing else, the statistics and discussion ought to serve as food for thought for serious
competitors out there who are looking to smash their particular division. For me, this means watching all of the black belt level under 140 lb no-gi matches I can get my hands on and figuring out trends and how to use them to my advantage. For you, this might involve looking at the matches at your skill level and weight class, and determining what’s happening and what it means for you.
Statistics don’t dictate the decisions we make but help us make better decisions. In the BJJ world, this means determining the highest percentage submissions or techniques to focus on, finding defenses to the most common attacks within your weight class, and/or finding potential loopholes in the trends that you might be able to take advantage of. In past decades, we’ve seen an increasing use of statistics in sports like baseball and football – which have allowed teams to determine better strategies for specific situations and to focus on the offensive and defensive strategies that work. As jiu-jitsu’s popularity increases, we can
Mind Games_Issue2.indd 3
4/26/11 6:29:24 PM
Vulkan.indd 1
4/26/11 6:55:42 PM
Atama_Kimono.indd 1
4/26/11 6:58:31 PM