The last weekend of tournament prep at GB Seattle. Honestly, there were fewer folks training than I expected - there are Saturdays when the entire academy is packed with people ready to train all day long. I wonder if it's the season, with many folks headed back to school (including some of my favorite training partners in 2011) or on vacation (I feel like I haven't seen guys like Glenn in years).
That said, it was great training, working with a new blue belt during the drills (Prof Rodrigo's Punch Pass to side control to mount to the tripartite choke, armbar, choke combination finish). Again, anything that gets us moving, gets us thinking about transitions and finishes is a good thing and it was very good to get more of this work under my belt.
We also did some 5 minute Shark tank training - ground and standup. It was great getting to train some standup and I wasn't quite as rusty as I thought I'd be (I do need to remember my grip breaks). I felt a little winded late in the standup, but I think a lot of that had to do with getting used to fighting from standing and not being as automatic with my decision-making.
158.0 on the scale post-train. There was some nice post-class conversation going on with both Prof Rodrigo and Prof Carlos. I couldn't hear what Prof Rodrigo was talking about. But Prof Carlos was giving us a nice tip on how to deal with the standard defense to the armbar from the mount by pulling on the guy's far elbow (or far sleeve if he's hiding the elbow). It's classic jiu jitsu. By pulling the far elbow toward you, it totally kills the ability of the far arm to pull on the attacked arm.
Looking forward to next week's training. The deadline for registering for the Revolution is Wednesday one minute before midnight. My attitude at this point is that I'm a trainer, not a fighter (more on my Teddy Atlas reincarnation in a later post). But I won't pretend that there isn't a temptation, with my sixth anniversary in the gi coming up on Thursday.
One thing I have definitely decided is that I'm going to be more active in the smaller, tournaments, like the in-houses we run every now and then. Years ago, when I first started training I thought might be cool to become good enough to be one of the top training partners for someone else who was really trying to make a move in the sport. It wasn't my primary reason for training jiu jitsu, of course. That was all UFC 1-3 and Royce Gracie. But after training for a little while, I figured that if I wasn't going to be the next Pan Am champ, maybe I could play a role in helping train the next one.
That's why one of the greatest moments in my nearly six years of jiu jitsu was the time when Cindy asked me to be one of her training partners when she was preparing for her ADCC run back in 2007. I don't know how much help I could have been, a blue belt with about two years of BJJ under my belt. But there have been few times when I've felt more "integrated" into the jiu jitsu world that I love so much.
So there's always that kind of thing. And over time, that kind of thing will necessarily be my kind of thing. But between now and then, there will probably be a few more opportunities to go for the hardware. And some of those opportunities may prove difficult to recognize until they are all but here.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Training Day: Friday
I'd been thinking about local muscle endurance, why I have a hard time playing a very active open guard or attacking with armbars or triangles from the guard. Today's training led by Prof Carlos was a reminder of just what muscles are involved and hinted at what I need to do to improve my agility in this area.
We did mostly drilling, which is always nice, more of a focused drilling where we pretty much remained in one technical area (i.e., triangles and armbars from the guard). It's a nice compliment to the flow training we're doing on Monday and Wednesday evenings.
We started with step-by-step armbars, then double wrist control stuff triangles, then triangles with a transition to the armbar. I got to work with Prof Abel today and it was very hard work on the core (abs and hips) with all of this guard work. I did find my triangles working especially fluidly (surprisingly fluidy) - which I credit to the triangle drills that are a part of my matwork(TM) conditioning routine.
Live training with Abel and Chaim. Definitely a good workout, as always - though I didn't really get to work on anything special. Maybe during tomorrow's training, which should be intense as the final Saturday training before the Revolution.
160.2 on the scale. One more roll and I probably would have been in the 158s. That's what I'm hoping for after tomorrow's session.
We did mostly drilling, which is always nice, more of a focused drilling where we pretty much remained in one technical area (i.e., triangles and armbars from the guard). It's a nice compliment to the flow training we're doing on Monday and Wednesday evenings.
We started with step-by-step armbars, then double wrist control stuff triangles, then triangles with a transition to the armbar. I got to work with Prof Abel today and it was very hard work on the core (abs and hips) with all of this guard work. I did find my triangles working especially fluidly (surprisingly fluidy) - which I credit to the triangle drills that are a part of my matwork(TM) conditioning routine.
Live training with Abel and Chaim. Definitely a good workout, as always - though I didn't really get to work on anything special. Maybe during tomorrow's training, which should be intense as the final Saturday training before the Revolution.
160.2 on the scale. One more roll and I probably would have been in the 158s. That's what I'm hoping for after tomorrow's session.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Training Day: Wednesday
More good training tonight at GB Seattle - and it was very nice to see Professor Carlos, who I thought I might not see very much now that my training schedule has changed. Having him walking around as we were training as well as Prof Rodrigo was a big plus for a pretty diverse class of white belts to brown.
More flow training - about which I cannot say enough good things. For me, personally, it is allowing me to open up and "move" in ways that I frankly never do when learning purely new techniques or in sparring. Part of that is my problem, especially when it comes to sparring and being generally risk averse. But part of it is in the nature of learning and sparring. That's just how it is. It is impossible to do a completely new move with any fluidity or agility and sparring is too conflictual for a certain type a otherwise critical skill development.
It is as if the standard "class"/seminar exists on one end of a spectrum, and sparring and Live Training are at the end of the other. What the flow training does is allow us to participate in the middle, making the familiar more familiar, but at the same time demanding more fluidity, more agility, more speed in the transitions of what we know (or think we know, in the case of my weak side tripod sweep).
If it isn't completely obvious, I really enjoy this kind of training. One thing that was especially nice about tonight, training with Angela for the first time in awhile, was that we called out the specific guards, for example, we wanted to deal with or situations the guard passer should set up. This was exactly what I was thinking about a few days ago in terms of what would make this flow training even better and it was very, very nice to add this element in so that you were able to turn the drill into a sort of custom-made, self-directed, flow-specific from move to move.
Add in the conditioning element with a good hard pace (including the mental conditioning of thinking of new situations per above) ...
A very good way to spend a Wednesday. And it's a reminder of why I've said that I want to train for the competition cycles and help train those who are competing regardless of whether I am competing at any given upcoming event or not. On that score, special thanks to Prof Carlos for calling me out to that third round of Live Training and to Chris for a great, tough roll to end the training.
157.6 on the scale post-train, which I did not expect but more than gladly accept.
More flow training - about which I cannot say enough good things. For me, personally, it is allowing me to open up and "move" in ways that I frankly never do when learning purely new techniques or in sparring. Part of that is my problem, especially when it comes to sparring and being generally risk averse. But part of it is in the nature of learning and sparring. That's just how it is. It is impossible to do a completely new move with any fluidity or agility and sparring is too conflictual for a certain type a otherwise critical skill development.
It is as if the standard "class"/seminar exists on one end of a spectrum, and sparring and Live Training are at the end of the other. What the flow training does is allow us to participate in the middle, making the familiar more familiar, but at the same time demanding more fluidity, more agility, more speed in the transitions of what we know (or think we know, in the case of my weak side tripod sweep).
If it isn't completely obvious, I really enjoy this kind of training. One thing that was especially nice about tonight, training with Angela for the first time in awhile, was that we called out the specific guards, for example, we wanted to deal with or situations the guard passer should set up. This was exactly what I was thinking about a few days ago in terms of what would make this flow training even better and it was very, very nice to add this element in so that you were able to turn the drill into a sort of custom-made, self-directed, flow-specific from move to move.
Add in the conditioning element with a good hard pace (including the mental conditioning of thinking of new situations per above) ...
A very good way to spend a Wednesday. And it's a reminder of why I've said that I want to train for the competition cycles and help train those who are competing regardless of whether I am competing at any given upcoming event or not. On that score, special thanks to Prof Carlos for calling me out to that third round of Live Training and to Chris for a great, tough roll to end the training.
157.6 on the scale post-train, which I did not expect but more than gladly accept.
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Thinking about Training: Frequency versus Duration
I posted something a little while ago that preached the effectiveness of frequency when it comes to training. The idea was that training six days a week for 30 minutes was better than training four times a week for 45 minutes or three times a week for an hour.
The guy making this point was Christian Thibaudeau, a performance-oriented bodybuilder. And while I'm inclined to agree with his prescription, the reality of the matter for me is that every time I've tried to chase frequency, I've been disappointed.
So right now, the idea is just to make more out of the times that I do train. This is part of why I've switched to mostly evening training. But the goal now is to really enlarge that to the point that on Mondays and Wednesdays I'm spending 3-4 hours at the academy in a stretch.
What's all this extra time for? I've been doing a pre-warmup warmup in the evenings that's allowed me to break a sweat before we even begin, and I like what that has done for my training so far. Now, I'll extend that a little bit (maybe even doing my matwork rounds) into more of a real conditioning opportunity.
Also, and most importantly, I'm going to be trolling for drilling partners like never before. I've got a mental list of less than 10 critical areas that I need to fix before I even think about competing again, and there's no better way to work on them than in drilling sessions before and after training.
Tomorrow will be a good opportunity to get this whole project up and running. I've gone after it in fits and starts before, but the key I think is to just spend a lot of time at the Academy. And if I can't do it by the day, I can at least do it by the hour.
The guy making this point was Christian Thibaudeau, a performance-oriented bodybuilder. And while I'm inclined to agree with his prescription, the reality of the matter for me is that every time I've tried to chase frequency, I've been disappointed.
So right now, the idea is just to make more out of the times that I do train. This is part of why I've switched to mostly evening training. But the goal now is to really enlarge that to the point that on Mondays and Wednesdays I'm spending 3-4 hours at the academy in a stretch.
What's all this extra time for? I've been doing a pre-warmup warmup in the evenings that's allowed me to break a sweat before we even begin, and I like what that has done for my training so far. Now, I'll extend that a little bit (maybe even doing my matwork rounds) into more of a real conditioning opportunity.
Also, and most importantly, I'm going to be trolling for drilling partners like never before. I've got a mental list of less than 10 critical areas that I need to fix before I even think about competing again, and there's no better way to work on them than in drilling sessions before and after training.
Tomorrow will be a good opportunity to get this whole project up and running. I've gone after it in fits and starts before, but the key I think is to just spend a lot of time at the Academy. And if I can't do it by the day, I can at least do it by the hour.
Monday, August 08, 2011
Training Day: Monday
Plenty to like about tonight's training. Prof Kyle, who runs the judo class at the beginning of training on Monday nights, complimented me on my ko uchi gari, encouraging me to work on it more (and to check out a guy named Keiji Suzuki, who is a two-time Olympic medalist in judo and master of the footsweeps).
I've always thought that you needed long legs to effectively footsweep. The truth of the matter is, like everything else in the judo/jiu jitsu complex, that movement and angles are the real one-two that makes all the footsweeps (and all the throws for that matter) possible.
That, and more "flow" training were the highlights of the class tonight. Prof Rodrigo had us focusing on two sets of transitions. The first was a guard pass from standing with double inside control at the knee. The details were the initial grips and controls, and then using the elbow to help open up and lift the leg as you come around to the side. Keep tight, dropping your pass side knee against your opponent's back - especially as he tries to roll away into a turtle (i.e., running escape).
The second transition set was armbar from the guard, transitioning into an omoplata as he defends and then transitioning into a triangle as he postures up to avoid the omoplata shoulder pressure.
Good stuff, and it was good to work with Zee, who I don't think I've got to drill with before. I especially appreciated the guard pass work, the emphasis on securing the right grips, keeping the elbows tight and maintaining the control all the way through.
So that's The Good. The Bad and the Ugly were to be found, unsurprisingly, in the Live Training session.
I'm starting to make an unfortunate habit of being caught in bad situations, very bad situations that, without getting into specifics, I don't feel I should be getting caught in. So far, none of these crack-ups has resulted in a tap out, and there is a part of me that suspect that Friday's reverse triangle and tonights Barataplata (1) would have gotten the tap a year ago. So perhaps I should be happy for that. But the fact of the matter is that I can't keep finding myself in situations like this and feel as if I am accomplishing what I want to accomplish at a decent rate.
I know that there is nothing linear about progress - especially in jiu jitsu. But I'm starting to feel as if having finally got things back on track after a pretty scattered spring, I'm still making up for half a year of lost time.
In and of itself, that's no big deal. There is no destination toward which I am hurrying. But to train and feel as if my guard game, for example, has the same holes in it that it has had for months if not years, to still feel incapable of pulling off submissions consistently after all this time ...
I'll confess that there have been a few instances over the past week or two when I've entertained the idea of "coming out of retirement" and competing at the Revolution in a couple of weeks. Then you have a few training sessions that, to be blunt, remind you that you were likely correct in your initial assessment, that you have no business whatsoever on a competition mat against anyone, let alone the sort of competitors you have encountered and lost to at this level in Revolution's past.
Got in some conditioning work this morning. 10 count threshhold training. 5 sets with long 5 minute breaks, which is a good routine to do every other day or so leading up to a tournament. I think I was overtraining a little a few weeks ago and that last week's decision to largely skip conditioning work and focus on training was probably a good idea. It's still a matter of tuning and fine-tuning, figuring out what works.
160.5 on the scale, post-train. Not a bad Monday number all things considered (i.e., the SeaFair dinner party on Saturday).
I've always thought that you needed long legs to effectively footsweep. The truth of the matter is, like everything else in the judo/jiu jitsu complex, that movement and angles are the real one-two that makes all the footsweeps (and all the throws for that matter) possible.
That, and more "flow" training were the highlights of the class tonight. Prof Rodrigo had us focusing on two sets of transitions. The first was a guard pass from standing with double inside control at the knee. The details were the initial grips and controls, and then using the elbow to help open up and lift the leg as you come around to the side. Keep tight, dropping your pass side knee against your opponent's back - especially as he tries to roll away into a turtle (i.e., running escape).
The second transition set was armbar from the guard, transitioning into an omoplata as he defends and then transitioning into a triangle as he postures up to avoid the omoplata shoulder pressure.
Good stuff, and it was good to work with Zee, who I don't think I've got to drill with before. I especially appreciated the guard pass work, the emphasis on securing the right grips, keeping the elbows tight and maintaining the control all the way through.
So that's The Good. The Bad and the Ugly were to be found, unsurprisingly, in the Live Training session.
I'm starting to make an unfortunate habit of being caught in bad situations, very bad situations that, without getting into specifics, I don't feel I should be getting caught in. So far, none of these crack-ups has resulted in a tap out, and there is a part of me that suspect that Friday's reverse triangle and tonights Barataplata (1) would have gotten the tap a year ago. So perhaps I should be happy for that. But the fact of the matter is that I can't keep finding myself in situations like this and feel as if I am accomplishing what I want to accomplish at a decent rate.
I know that there is nothing linear about progress - especially in jiu jitsu. But I'm starting to feel as if having finally got things back on track after a pretty scattered spring, I'm still making up for half a year of lost time.
In and of itself, that's no big deal. There is no destination toward which I am hurrying. But to train and feel as if my guard game, for example, has the same holes in it that it has had for months if not years, to still feel incapable of pulling off submissions consistently after all this time ...
I'll confess that there have been a few instances over the past week or two when I've entertained the idea of "coming out of retirement" and competing at the Revolution in a couple of weeks. Then you have a few training sessions that, to be blunt, remind you that you were likely correct in your initial assessment, that you have no business whatsoever on a competition mat against anyone, let alone the sort of competitors you have encountered and lost to at this level in Revolution's past.
Got in some conditioning work this morning. 10 count threshhold training. 5 sets with long 5 minute breaks, which is a good routine to do every other day or so leading up to a tournament. I think I was overtraining a little a few weeks ago and that last week's decision to largely skip conditioning work and focus on training was probably a good idea. It's still a matter of tuning and fine-tuning, figuring out what works.
160.5 on the scale, post-train. Not a bad Monday number all things considered (i.e., the SeaFair dinner party on Saturday).
Saturday, August 06, 2011
Lagarto and Guard Passing Pressure
I posted this over at the Gracie Barra Seattle Facebook Page earlier. The story of Lagarto is an incredible story of challenge and perseverance - you can read about it in the August issue of GracieMag. What is so impressive here is his guard passing pressure against one of the top jiu jitsu guys in the "tour" - Rafael Lovato Jr.
This is what I think about when I think about Prof Rodrigo's point about watching competition footage. Not so much the move-for-move, but the overall feeling of the attack, the variety of direction.
This is what I think about when I think about Prof Rodrigo's point about watching competition footage. Not so much the move-for-move, but the overall feeling of the attack, the variety of direction.
Friday, August 05, 2011
Training Day: Friday
Prof Carlos led Friday's class. He had us working an omoplata and back take off of the "arm DLR guard". The big key in this move, one I might actually end up making a part of my guard game, is opening up on the free side so as to provide room for the turn of the omoplata on the ADLR. Prof Carlos kept double sleeve control, and pulled the outside grip in to the middle as he planted the free foot on the mat and began to open up into the omoplata. Another key detail was making sure to have your ADRL deeply hooked so that you get a good control on the shoulder lock.
Prof Carlos argued against triangling the legs as you finish the omoplata, saying that you've got more strength if your legs remain straight first, before tucking them away (hip split style). What was more key for me was the idea of scooting away from the guy and pulling him by the hip toward you. In this way, he almost omoplata's himself.
The detail on the back take was to make sure that you push down on the trapped elbow as you make the move over the top (Bibiano-style).
Some good training in the Live Training session. I got to work the Feitosa and got caught in a very tight reverse triangle when I was working the middle pass and didn't fully secure the position as I moved to the side. I knew this was a danger in the pass, so it was good to see what happens when I'm not careful. More than a little patience got me out of the bad spot. But, again, the issue was an error in the pass (specifically not making the elbow/knee connection to trap and pin the hips).
158.7 on the scale post-train.
Prof Carlos argued against triangling the legs as you finish the omoplata, saying that you've got more strength if your legs remain straight first, before tucking them away (hip split style). What was more key for me was the idea of scooting away from the guy and pulling him by the hip toward you. In this way, he almost omoplata's himself.
The detail on the back take was to make sure that you push down on the trapped elbow as you make the move over the top (Bibiano-style).
Some good training in the Live Training session. I got to work the Feitosa and got caught in a very tight reverse triangle when I was working the middle pass and didn't fully secure the position as I moved to the side. I knew this was a danger in the pass, so it was good to see what happens when I'm not careful. More than a little patience got me out of the bad spot. But, again, the issue was an error in the pass (specifically not making the elbow/knee connection to trap and pin the hips).
158.7 on the scale post-train.
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Training Day: Wednesday
157.0 on the scale, post-train. The calories are light these days, if not always clean.
Good training tonight, focusing mostly on what I called "flow" training elsewhere. Prof Rodrigo has us work guard passes, guard submissions, mount submissions, etc. against a partner who is really doing less than 25%, just giving enough movement for the other person to be able to effectively spot a particular opportunity and attack.
Rodrigo talked about doing more of this kind of training, and I couldn't be more happy to hear it. And not just as tournament prep, but as a regular component of the curriculum at GB Seattle.
One of the concerns I had was that the adoption of the official GB Seattle curriculum would stifle the ability of our professors to really share the wealth of what they knew (and maybe more importantly, what they were themselves learning and working on).
In many ways, this has turned out to not be the case. Whether it's the informal public/privates that sometimes happen an hour after the training is done or adjustments like the new Thursday classes for all levels, there's a nice balance between deliberate learning and focusing on individual techniques (much like the example of the violin players in the book, The Talent Code) and more wide-ranging, creativity/spontaneity/speed oriented training such as tonight (the example of the soccer players in The Talent Code.)
What was especially nice was getting to work on the Feitosa (formerly the unwieldly-named "Rodolfigo"). Mostly the middle and low passes, but I can't tell you how nice it was to pass the guard - even in a flow drill - and feel more solid, more leveraged, more in control than I've felt in years.
I'm not kidding. My jiu jitsu soul is so desperate for a coherent guard passing game that tonight's success at working on the Feitosa in drilling is probably going to help keep me up watching the rest of the DVR'd Sounders FC San Francisco match.
There were some red flags. My submission game from on top has stalled and started to succumb to entropy. But what's worse is that the holes in my rear mount escape are really starting to become an issue. Obviously the focus should be on not giving up my back in the first place. But to the extent that I've made the mistake, I need to do a better job of fixing the problem.
But again, the flow training was just great. I got to drill my weak side Flat Pass a little bit. Drilled the hell out of the Feitosa (the low and middle mostly). My sweeping was a little sloppier than it should have been. Some good flow work on my weak side (the old one-two), but my deep half could have been much smoother.
Tempted to roll out to the first "new" Thursday session tomorrow night. But it may not be until Friday when I'm back on the mat.
Good training tonight, focusing mostly on what I called "flow" training elsewhere. Prof Rodrigo has us work guard passes, guard submissions, mount submissions, etc. against a partner who is really doing less than 25%, just giving enough movement for the other person to be able to effectively spot a particular opportunity and attack.
Rodrigo talked about doing more of this kind of training, and I couldn't be more happy to hear it. And not just as tournament prep, but as a regular component of the curriculum at GB Seattle.
One of the concerns I had was that the adoption of the official GB Seattle curriculum would stifle the ability of our professors to really share the wealth of what they knew (and maybe more importantly, what they were themselves learning and working on).
In many ways, this has turned out to not be the case. Whether it's the informal public/privates that sometimes happen an hour after the training is done or adjustments like the new Thursday classes for all levels, there's a nice balance between deliberate learning and focusing on individual techniques (much like the example of the violin players in the book, The Talent Code) and more wide-ranging, creativity/spontaneity/speed oriented training such as tonight (the example of the soccer players in The Talent Code.)
What was especially nice was getting to work on the Feitosa (formerly the unwieldly-named "Rodolfigo"). Mostly the middle and low passes, but I can't tell you how nice it was to pass the guard - even in a flow drill - and feel more solid, more leveraged, more in control than I've felt in years.
I'm not kidding. My jiu jitsu soul is so desperate for a coherent guard passing game that tonight's success at working on the Feitosa in drilling is probably going to help keep me up watching the rest of the DVR'd Sounders FC San Francisco match.
There were some red flags. My submission game from on top has stalled and started to succumb to entropy. But what's worse is that the holes in my rear mount escape are really starting to become an issue. Obviously the focus should be on not giving up my back in the first place. But to the extent that I've made the mistake, I need to do a better job of fixing the problem.
But again, the flow training was just great. I got to drill my weak side Flat Pass a little bit. Drilled the hell out of the Feitosa (the low and middle mostly). My sweeping was a little sloppier than it should have been. Some good flow work on my weak side (the old one-two), but my deep half could have been much smoother.
Tempted to roll out to the first "new" Thursday session tomorrow night. But it may not be until Friday when I'm back on the mat.
Jacare in Tatame magazine
Jacare Ready for Strikeforce, ADCC battles in September
While on a challenges marathon, Jacare spoke with TATAME and, among many other subjects, talked about his return to Strikeforce.
“I’m looking forwards to return, it’s been a while since I last fought, so I’m glad. I’m training hard, I’m in a good shape, I’m just waiting for the time to come and I step on that cage and do my job”, said Jacare, ready for anything. “He has a strong punch, he has many KOs on the first round, but my trainings are focused in everything”.
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Robson Moura!
Z was talking Monday night about his admiration for Robson Moura. I've heard and seen some of Robson in action. But never really stopped to pay a lot of attention to his game (so much jiu jitsu, so little time ...). Here's a little of what I found looking around the Tubes.
Filmwork for Jiu Jitsu
Again I am reminded of why it pays to train on days and at times when I've got plenty of time to spare.
Almost an hour after class, Prof Rodrigo is talking with a couple of folks about some of the techniques he and others are working on. He makes the point that I've heard him and other black belts make before: you can learn more about what is really working and what guys are really counting on by watching tournaments more than instructional videos.
This time, though, Rodrigo goes beyond that to talk about how he watches tournament footage.
The idea was to watch the whole tournament through. Beginning to end. See the whole thing first before you decide what to pay attention to.
Then go back and start focusing on the sweep or the pass or submission or takedown that really caught your eye, that made sense to you and looked like something you'd be able to add to your game.
Sometimes others will catch on. Rodrigo talked about seeing one move show up a few months later in Graciemag - a move that had been a big deal in a tournament earlier in the season. That's where you start experimenting with the move, really taking it apart and getting to know it from the ground up.
The main point is that out of an entire tournament, you may only find two moves that you are (a) really interested in, (b) can truly fit into your game after practicing and drilling.
But those two moves are likely to be pretty potent moves. As Prof Rodrigo said, "Now I use it on everybody."
Almost an hour after class, Prof Rodrigo is talking with a couple of folks about some of the techniques he and others are working on. He makes the point that I've heard him and other black belts make before: you can learn more about what is really working and what guys are really counting on by watching tournaments more than instructional videos.
This time, though, Rodrigo goes beyond that to talk about how he watches tournament footage.
The idea was to watch the whole tournament through. Beginning to end. See the whole thing first before you decide what to pay attention to.
Then go back and start focusing on the sweep or the pass or submission or takedown that really caught your eye, that made sense to you and looked like something you'd be able to add to your game.
Sometimes others will catch on. Rodrigo talked about seeing one move show up a few months later in Graciemag - a move that had been a big deal in a tournament earlier in the season. That's where you start experimenting with the move, really taking it apart and getting to know it from the ground up.
The main point is that out of an entire tournament, you may only find two moves that you are (a) really interested in, (b) can truly fit into your game after practicing and drilling.
But those two moves are likely to be pretty potent moves. As Prof Rodrigo said, "Now I use it on everybody."
People Get Ready: Kid Peligro Previews the ADCC on Fightworks
Kid Peligro on The Fightworks Podcast
To help set the stage, we sat down with Royler Gracie black belt Kid Peligro. Kid’s got a long list of accomplishments in contributing to great jiu-jitsu content for enthusiasts like you and me. However he has been associated with the ADCC event in one form or another since its inception in 1999 and has been a consistent contributor to ADCC news portal adcombat.com for years. We will review how ADCC started and Kid shares some of his most vivid memories of ADCC clashes.
Monday, August 01, 2011
Training Day: Monday
A focus session for the evening class, working on sweeps from the de la Riva position. The sweep is one of Prof Rodrigo's favorites and, at least in two of its variations, doesn't require much in the way of agility.
Essentially, you are treating the DLR hook as you would a sitting guard position, getting control of the far sleeve and pushing against the far leg at the knee with your free/far leg. Lift the hook, pull the sleeve and roll, after basing on your elbow, toward the sleeve-side, looking away as if you were doing an alt upa.
The other variations were based on the guy's reaction to the #1. If he sits back, you spin under and use your hook leg to kick him over as you roll over your shoulder. I've never had a good time with this move, from the sitting guard either, and tonight was no exception. It's similar to the Shaolin sweep from half guard, which I'm able to do a little better. But I really couldn't nail this one down.
The #3 had you scissor your legs if you couldn't get to the top, and turn back into the guy instead, keeping your grips all the while. In the end, you are in a sort of "Rodolfigo" pass position, with control on the collar and control the the pants low.
Live training was good hard work with Casey and Alex, who I think I trained with for the first time. Trying to focus on guard passing, I'm moving better into the right positions, though there are some gaps I really need to fill (like the Flat Pass to my weak side). Got caught, for example, in a slingshot sweep because I didn't properly secure the leg in the low version of the Rodolfigo (tighter, elbow in). That's fixable.
157.3 on the scale post train. Down, down we go.
Essentially, you are treating the DLR hook as you would a sitting guard position, getting control of the far sleeve and pushing against the far leg at the knee with your free/far leg. Lift the hook, pull the sleeve and roll, after basing on your elbow, toward the sleeve-side, looking away as if you were doing an alt upa.
The other variations were based on the guy's reaction to the #1. If he sits back, you spin under and use your hook leg to kick him over as you roll over your shoulder. I've never had a good time with this move, from the sitting guard either, and tonight was no exception. It's similar to the Shaolin sweep from half guard, which I'm able to do a little better. But I really couldn't nail this one down.
The #3 had you scissor your legs if you couldn't get to the top, and turn back into the guy instead, keeping your grips all the while. In the end, you are in a sort of "Rodolfigo" pass position, with control on the collar and control the the pants low.
Live training was good hard work with Casey and Alex, who I think I trained with for the first time. Trying to focus on guard passing, I'm moving better into the right positions, though there are some gaps I really need to fill (like the Flat Pass to my weak side). Got caught, for example, in a slingshot sweep because I didn't properly secure the leg in the low version of the Rodolfigo (tighter, elbow in). That's fixable.
157.3 on the scale post train. Down, down we go.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Sunday Scripture: Christian Thibaudeau
I can't help but find a lot of inspiration in listening to some of my favorite strength and conditioning folks, among them Christian Thibaudeau of T-Nation. A lot of what he has to say about weight-training in this passage reminds me of what I think to be true when it comes to jiu-jitsu training.
In the simplest terms, the key to maximum gains lies with increased training frequency and volume. Frequency and volume are obviously tied together, but of the two, frequency is by far the most important factor.
I can accomplish everything I need to maximize gains through increased frequency, which in effect equates to also increasing volume. It's far more effective, at the extreme level, to perform three 30-minute workouts per day than to do the same volume in one 90-minute workout.
Likewise, it's more effective to spread the amount of time per week you devote to training over more days than fewer. For example, let's say that you're currently training four days per week for an hour each workout, a total of four hours per week.
I'm telling you, from my experience, you'd make a lot better progress performing six 40-minute workouts per week. You'd make even greater progress training 35 minutes per day, seven days a week.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Training Day: Friday
If the class size of Friday's early session was any indication, then the turn out at Saturday's GB Seattle Interschool "Friendly" should be massive.
Prof. Rodrigo had us working on more attacks from the back and, more importantly, transitions in the attack from the back. The technique was the bow and arrow choke transition to armbar that we worked on earlier in the week, so it was a great opportunity to review many of the key details, from the scissoring of the legs to free your lower leg after you drop to your side, to keeping your form sharp as you roll over into the armbar.
I've always been a big fan of "less is more." I could spend a month working on the same transition series, getting faster and sharper and more efficient day after day after week after week. It would probably bore a lot of folks to tears. But I bet you we would be finishing people with bow and arrow chokes as if they were on sale.
So the focus is working for me. It's really the only way to ingrain the muscle memory. To do it over and over again until you feel the move before you even begin to do it. It was especially nice to get in a little post-Live Training drilling in with Mark, the blue belt I've been able to do some quality drilling with before. I was able to work on the backstep pass v.s. half guard, the folding pass with leg pin, and a few other things I've been desperate to try and polish. I can't emphasize enough how important this is going to be in order for me to make the kind of gains I know I can make over the next few months and years.
158.0 on the scale post train. Not a bad number going into the weekend.
Prof. Rodrigo had us working on more attacks from the back and, more importantly, transitions in the attack from the back. The technique was the bow and arrow choke transition to armbar that we worked on earlier in the week, so it was a great opportunity to review many of the key details, from the scissoring of the legs to free your lower leg after you drop to your side, to keeping your form sharp as you roll over into the armbar.
I've always been a big fan of "less is more." I could spend a month working on the same transition series, getting faster and sharper and more efficient day after day after week after week. It would probably bore a lot of folks to tears. But I bet you we would be finishing people with bow and arrow chokes as if they were on sale.
So the focus is working for me. It's really the only way to ingrain the muscle memory. To do it over and over again until you feel the move before you even begin to do it. It was especially nice to get in a little post-Live Training drilling in with Mark, the blue belt I've been able to do some quality drilling with before. I was able to work on the backstep pass v.s. half guard, the folding pass with leg pin, and a few other things I've been desperate to try and polish. I can't emphasize enough how important this is going to be in order for me to make the kind of gains I know I can make over the next few months and years.
158.0 on the scale post train. Not a bad number going into the weekend.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Training Days: Tuesday and Wednesday
Three training sessions in three days. That may be arroz e feijao for many of you, but it's been awhile since I put in that kind of pace.
The spacing is good: training Monday early, Tuesday late, Wednesday late and Friday early. I felt as exhausted at the end of tonight's training as I did on Tuesday, which included a conditioning session earlier in the day. So I may be able to get away with conditioning Tuesdays and Saturdays (Sundays if I train on Saturday).
As much as I like the conditioning, I think a lot of what is causing so much fatigue is an extreme amount of extra movement, movement that doesn't lead to anything. It's not that I'm flying around all over the place - hardly. It's just that I'm not being as efficient as I need to be to keep up, and instead finding myself relying on athleticism.
Relying on athleticism is never a good way to improve in jiu-jitsu. And at the age of 44, it's a really bad way to train.
My guard is coherent. It's not seamless and it's not consistent, but I do have a pretty good idea of how to turn the pattern into a garment worth wearing. I'd argue that at least two-thirds of what I'm trying to do from the guard is less than a year old, and I need to keep that in mind when things aren't working like I wish they would.
About passing the guard. My strategy has been to turn everything into a battle of half guards. So when it comes to passing the guard, my goal has been to get the guy on the bottom to commit to defending with the half guard instead of whatever other guard they might have been planning (read: preferring) to use. The theory was that at least 51% of the time, my half guard (which represents 75% of my game) is better than their half guard.
Whatever sense this may or may not make, the problem is that I haven't focused explicitly enough on passing the half guard. Watching Bruno and Felipe from the 2009 Worlds reminded me that passing the half guard is no walk in the park at any level. But if that's where I'm going to make my stand, then I need to be as comprehensive from that position as possible.
I'm taking Thursday off from training and conditioning (back at it on Friday). But I do want to do some movement tomorrow on the home mat. While it is expressed most obviously in the fatigue/athleticism thoughts above, I've just not felt like I've been moving with any fluidity whatsoever. I've never had anything that could be described as beautiful jiu-jitsu. But feeling the "ugly" from the inside out is a little distressing.
Again, that may just be the inefficient movement I'm seeing and feeling expressing itself. Part of my determination to drop 10 pounds comes from feeling awkward and immobile too often when training. And while there's nothing lost by getting a little leaner (a walk-around between 150 and 155), there is the possibility that it is "extra-movement-induced fatigue" that is more to blame than the lbs.
What I could use is a diet of white belts - at least in the absence of drilling on these specific areas with advanced guys. At root, my jiu-jitsu is lacking in flow outside of my Gordo/Plan B series from half guard, Flat Pass and, bit by bit, my cross guard omoplata vs. ground and push pull vs. standing. And maybe that's plenty at "this level" against other folks who've been at this game for years and aren't likely to fall for something you've only been noodling with for a couple of weeks.
Some great details in the bow and arrow choke in training tonight. It's a must-know choke, as far as I'm concerned, so it was very nice to work on it tonight. Tuesday night we worked some basic standing guard passing with an emphasis on getting inside control. More good stuff.
157.2 on the scale Tuesday night. 157.0 tonight. I'm icing a knee, unwrapping a finger and thinking about the in-house tourney on Saturday. Thinking.
The spacing is good: training Monday early, Tuesday late, Wednesday late and Friday early. I felt as exhausted at the end of tonight's training as I did on Tuesday, which included a conditioning session earlier in the day. So I may be able to get away with conditioning Tuesdays and Saturdays (Sundays if I train on Saturday).
As much as I like the conditioning, I think a lot of what is causing so much fatigue is an extreme amount of extra movement, movement that doesn't lead to anything. It's not that I'm flying around all over the place - hardly. It's just that I'm not being as efficient as I need to be to keep up, and instead finding myself relying on athleticism.
Relying on athleticism is never a good way to improve in jiu-jitsu. And at the age of 44, it's a really bad way to train.
My guard is coherent. It's not seamless and it's not consistent, but I do have a pretty good idea of how to turn the pattern into a garment worth wearing. I'd argue that at least two-thirds of what I'm trying to do from the guard is less than a year old, and I need to keep that in mind when things aren't working like I wish they would.
About passing the guard. My strategy has been to turn everything into a battle of half guards. So when it comes to passing the guard, my goal has been to get the guy on the bottom to commit to defending with the half guard instead of whatever other guard they might have been planning (read: preferring) to use. The theory was that at least 51% of the time, my half guard (which represents 75% of my game) is better than their half guard.
Whatever sense this may or may not make, the problem is that I haven't focused explicitly enough on passing the half guard. Watching Bruno and Felipe from the 2009 Worlds reminded me that passing the half guard is no walk in the park at any level. But if that's where I'm going to make my stand, then I need to be as comprehensive from that position as possible.
I'm taking Thursday off from training and conditioning (back at it on Friday). But I do want to do some movement tomorrow on the home mat. While it is expressed most obviously in the fatigue/athleticism thoughts above, I've just not felt like I've been moving with any fluidity whatsoever. I've never had anything that could be described as beautiful jiu-jitsu. But feeling the "ugly" from the inside out is a little distressing.
Again, that may just be the inefficient movement I'm seeing and feeling expressing itself. Part of my determination to drop 10 pounds comes from feeling awkward and immobile too often when training. And while there's nothing lost by getting a little leaner (a walk-around between 150 and 155), there is the possibility that it is "extra-movement-induced fatigue" that is more to blame than the lbs.
What I could use is a diet of white belts - at least in the absence of drilling on these specific areas with advanced guys. At root, my jiu-jitsu is lacking in flow outside of my Gordo/Plan B series from half guard, Flat Pass and, bit by bit, my cross guard omoplata vs. ground and push pull vs. standing. And maybe that's plenty at "this level" against other folks who've been at this game for years and aren't likely to fall for something you've only been noodling with for a couple of weeks.
Some great details in the bow and arrow choke in training tonight. It's a must-know choke, as far as I'm concerned, so it was very nice to work on it tonight. Tuesday night we worked some basic standing guard passing with an emphasis on getting inside control. More good stuff.
157.2 on the scale Tuesday night. 157.0 tonight. I'm icing a knee, unwrapping a finger and thinking about the in-house tourney on Saturday. Thinking.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Training Day: Monday
More than average eagerness to train got me to the Academy for the early session. Right now, this is the latest version of my strategy to get in to train more consistently in the 4x/week range.
I figure that by training early on Monday and then late on Tuessday, I'll have enough time between the two sessions to make the most of the latter. Essentially, I'm giving myself another five hours between the sessions, which I'm hoping will make it easier to add a third consecutive training session Wednesday night.
Thursday off and then back at it on Friday for the early class.
Back during the last run-up for the last tournament, Rodrigo suggested something similar as an optimal training schedule, especially when preparing for a tournament: train Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, take Thursday off, then train again on Friday (or Saturday, I suspect, for those who can't train during the early class).
We'll see how it works out for me over the next month between now and then tournament I'm not competing in. As much as I want to keep on the conditioning, the difference makers for me far more often than not are technical ones, and the place to make the technical changes are at the academy, not the home gym (however jiu-jitsu-ized).
159.1 on the scale post train. A lot of good fundamental work in today's session, including jab and jab counter to body lock clinch. The gem of the training, though, was probably the guard opener from the ground with two very nice details that I haven't paid as much attention to. As with a seminar, you should never expect to be able to use everything you learn in class. But if you can at least learn one complete move and may two or three fundamental principles that you might have been lacking, then you'll be ahead of the game over time.
Didn't get to work on as much out of the half as I'd hoped. I'm trying to isolate some of my main issues from the top and bottom so that I can better recognize the opportunities to attack with them. I'll see what I can get accomplished on that score over the balance of the week.
I figure that by training early on Monday and then late on Tuessday, I'll have enough time between the two sessions to make the most of the latter. Essentially, I'm giving myself another five hours between the sessions, which I'm hoping will make it easier to add a third consecutive training session Wednesday night.
Thursday off and then back at it on Friday for the early class.
Back during the last run-up for the last tournament, Rodrigo suggested something similar as an optimal training schedule, especially when preparing for a tournament: train Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, take Thursday off, then train again on Friday (or Saturday, I suspect, for those who can't train during the early class).
We'll see how it works out for me over the next month between now and then tournament I'm not competing in. As much as I want to keep on the conditioning, the difference makers for me far more often than not are technical ones, and the place to make the technical changes are at the academy, not the home gym (however jiu-jitsu-ized).
159.1 on the scale post train. A lot of good fundamental work in today's session, including jab and jab counter to body lock clinch. The gem of the training, though, was probably the guard opener from the ground with two very nice details that I haven't paid as much attention to. As with a seminar, you should never expect to be able to use everything you learn in class. But if you can at least learn one complete move and may two or three fundamental principles that you might have been lacking, then you'll be ahead of the game over time.
Didn't get to work on as much out of the half as I'd hoped. I'm trying to isolate some of my main issues from the top and bottom so that I can better recognize the opportunities to attack with them. I'll see what I can get accomplished on that score over the balance of the week.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sunday Scripture: Jiu-Jitsu University
Back pain kept me away from my planned threshold training session today on Sunday. Doing some yardwork and review and reflection from one of my favorite jiu-jitsu "Good Books" instead.
More on this over the course of the week. For now, I'm trying to gear up for the homestretch into mid-August and the tournament I'm not competing in. My 4-week training average is back up to at least 3x/week, so I'm on good footing to try and step things up over the next month.
When it comes to passing my opponent's best guards, my goal always is to prevent him from ever getting where he wants to be. If I let him go too far, I will be in for a fight and I do not want this. My jiu-jitsu is based on anticipation. I don't have to solve a problem if I can keep it from materializing.
More on this over the course of the week. For now, I'm trying to gear up for the homestretch into mid-August and the tournament I'm not competing in. My 4-week training average is back up to at least 3x/week, so I'm on good footing to try and step things up over the next month.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Conditioning: Explosive-Repeat
Making up from some missed conditioning sessions from the week. Here's the Tuesday explosive-repeat workout finished this morning. I'll do the threshold training workout from Thursday tomorrow. Then I'll only owe myself a cardiac output session (ideally LSD).
800m
6 sets 10 seconds work/40 seconds rest - thrusters
400m
6 sets 10s work/40s rest - thrusters
400m
6 sets 10s work/40s rest - bench press
400m
6 sets 10s work/40s rest - bench press
800m
HR splits: 35, 40, 38, 38
800m
6 sets 10 seconds work/40 seconds rest - thrusters
400m
6 sets 10s work/40s rest - thrusters
400m
6 sets 10s work/40s rest - bench press
400m
6 sets 10s work/40s rest - bench press
800m
HR splits: 35, 40, 38, 38
Friday, July 22, 2011
Training Day: Friday
To steal a line from Jesse: some days you are the hammer, some days you are the nail, and some days you are just the pure effort of swinging away.
That pretty much sums up my week of training. Today, starting off with a little judo, Harai Goshi, I think, an outside thigh sweep, that we were able to turn into a trip by changing the angle of your knee. Again, a lot of combination attacks in the judo these days, which is a good way to learn the throws (even if the names are slow in coming).
We also worked some transitions in and around the turtle position. Starting from turtle with front headlock threat, we did sit-outs to the back, then the top guy reversed to take the back by pinching the attacker's far arm under the armpit and then doing a sit out and turn back into the guy to take the back.
There were some other follow-through moves, all geared toward increasing the transition. Good hard conditioning type training.
We also did some more flow work: guard submissions, guard passing, mount escape and mount submissions. Then a little Live Training to finish things up.
A good session made all the more rigorous with an ending training session with Dan, who is becoming one of my more regular training partners. Like Elliott and a couple of other guys, Dan keeps up a pace that is hard to keep up with, and often when I think I'm only a moment away from an opportunity, that moment is extinguished almost immediately.
More than anything it makes me wish there were a 9 am jiu jitsu open mat around here somewhere tomorrow. There's actually a chance of something developing on Sundays that would fit the bill. But right now, there's little I'd rather do than roll.
159.0 on the scale, post-train. Actually my heaviest weight of the week - in part due to skipping all my off-mat conditioning this week (after Monday, at least). A part of me feels as if I'm still in recovery mode from last Saturday's Train Until You Drop session. A little conditioning this weekend, and maximum time outside in yonder lawn and garden, are probably just what the Professor ordered, so to speak.
My four-week training average is finally back up to a respectable 3.0/week as of today's session. Keeping it there - or higher - over the balance of 2011 may be the most important thing I do this year on the mat.
That pretty much sums up my week of training. Today, starting off with a little judo, Harai Goshi, I think, an outside thigh sweep, that we were able to turn into a trip by changing the angle of your knee. Again, a lot of combination attacks in the judo these days, which is a good way to learn the throws (even if the names are slow in coming).
We also worked some transitions in and around the turtle position. Starting from turtle with front headlock threat, we did sit-outs to the back, then the top guy reversed to take the back by pinching the attacker's far arm under the armpit and then doing a sit out and turn back into the guy to take the back.
There were some other follow-through moves, all geared toward increasing the transition. Good hard conditioning type training.
We also did some more flow work: guard submissions, guard passing, mount escape and mount submissions. Then a little Live Training to finish things up.
A good session made all the more rigorous with an ending training session with Dan, who is becoming one of my more regular training partners. Like Elliott and a couple of other guys, Dan keeps up a pace that is hard to keep up with, and often when I think I'm only a moment away from an opportunity, that moment is extinguished almost immediately.
More than anything it makes me wish there were a 9 am jiu jitsu open mat around here somewhere tomorrow. There's actually a chance of something developing on Sundays that would fit the bill. But right now, there's little I'd rather do than roll.
159.0 on the scale, post-train. Actually my heaviest weight of the week - in part due to skipping all my off-mat conditioning this week (after Monday, at least). A part of me feels as if I'm still in recovery mode from last Saturday's Train Until You Drop session. A little conditioning this weekend, and maximum time outside in yonder lawn and garden, are probably just what the Professor ordered, so to speak.
My four-week training average is finally back up to a respectable 3.0/week as of today's session. Keeping it there - or higher - over the balance of 2011 may be the most important thing I do this year on the mat.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Deep Practice in Jiu-Jitsu
In his great book, The Talent Code, Daniel Coyle presents two different models of "deep practice" that have helped turn average athletes, students, musicians and others into extraordinary achievers.
The first is based on the kind of deep practice associated with learning new skills, especially technical skills. Repetitious, focused drilling is the best approach here.
The second is based on the kind of deep practice associated with developing current skills. In this instance, you want to maximize creativity and spontaneity above all else. "Don't think, move!" is the mantra of this approach to betterment.
In the book, Coyle used aspiring musicians and tennis players as examples of the first type of training, and soccer players from Brazil as examples of the second.
This week at GB Seattle, Prof Rodrigo has given us the opportunity to do both.
From the specific work Monday night to the flow training Wednesday, my only regret is that I didn't know these opportunities were coming. I probably would have asked my partner to play more specific guards for me to pass, and I would have been more able to work on some of my take-the-back moves from half and deep half.
But that said, it was a really nice taste of both deep practice methods applied to jiu-jitsu and I'm hoping we get to do more and more of it.
The first is based on the kind of deep practice associated with learning new skills, especially technical skills. Repetitious, focused drilling is the best approach here.
The second is based on the kind of deep practice associated with developing current skills. In this instance, you want to maximize creativity and spontaneity above all else. "Don't think, move!" is the mantra of this approach to betterment.
In the book, Coyle used aspiring musicians and tennis players as examples of the first type of training, and soccer players from Brazil as examples of the second.
This week at GB Seattle, Prof Rodrigo has given us the opportunity to do both.
From the specific work Monday night to the flow training Wednesday, my only regret is that I didn't know these opportunities were coming. I probably would have asked my partner to play more specific guards for me to pass, and I would have been more able to work on some of my take-the-back moves from half and deep half.
But that said, it was a really nice taste of both deep practice methods applied to jiu-jitsu and I'm hoping we get to do more and more of it.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Training Day: Wednesday
More competition prep style training with a focus on both "flow" training and specific for the main class and Live Training afterwards. Really good stuff - almost too good when you're not expecting it. I keep thinking about all the passes and the full guard sweeps I would have tried if I had thought about it. That said, I did manage a Flat Pass or two to my weak side during the "flow" training and a few slingshot sweeps (left and right!), as well.
Nothing but black belts for me tonight. I got to train with Profs Jesse, Lance and Rodrigo, getting more than my money's worth on a midweek evening to be sure. The trick when training with guys like this is to just keep moving, stay technical and ambitious and pay attention to how they prevent you from even getting started with what you want to do - you may be able to return the favor to someone else down the line.
Cardio was so-so. It's hard to tell when you're really working pretty hard anyway. But I figure that as long as I'm among the last ones training when they call "time!" then I'm probably doing something right. It was definitely a good idea to skip the planned two-a-day for today. There wasn't a chance in the world that I'd've been able to train tonight if I had done the planned explosive-repeat conditioning session this morning (now rescheduled for Saturday).
A good night of training - however grounding, in many respects. More than anything else, it's the kind of thing that really makes you want to be able to train every day - just to get after the little mistakes and small details that just need to be tended to intensively for just a little while - a few weeks, a month or two - in order to become whole.
157.6 on the scale post-train. On my way ...
Nothing but black belts for me tonight. I got to train with Profs Jesse, Lance and Rodrigo, getting more than my money's worth on a midweek evening to be sure. The trick when training with guys like this is to just keep moving, stay technical and ambitious and pay attention to how they prevent you from even getting started with what you want to do - you may be able to return the favor to someone else down the line.
Cardio was so-so. It's hard to tell when you're really working pretty hard anyway. But I figure that as long as I'm among the last ones training when they call "time!" then I'm probably doing something right. It was definitely a good idea to skip the planned two-a-day for today. There wasn't a chance in the world that I'd've been able to train tonight if I had done the planned explosive-repeat conditioning session this morning (now rescheduled for Saturday).
A good night of training - however grounding, in many respects. More than anything else, it's the kind of thing that really makes you want to be able to train every day - just to get after the little mistakes and small details that just need to be tended to intensively for just a little while - a few weeks, a month or two - in order to become whole.
157.6 on the scale post-train. On my way ...
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Bloody Elbow's History Of Jiu-Jitsu: Gracie Barra
Another nice entry in the "History of Jiu-Jitsu" series over at Bloody Elbow.
History of Jiu-Jitsu: The Professors of Gracie Barra
History of Jiu-Jitsu: The Professors of Gracie Barra
While Carlos is an avid believer that competition is a crucial part of keeping skills evolving and sharp, in the 1980s high level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions were difficult to find. As a result the most impressive competition gold Carlos ever won was the 1980 Pan American Sambo Championships. While not destine to become a great competitor, his true calling would become clear, instruction.
As a result Carlos Gracie Jr.’s lineage stretches from one end of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the other and black belts from Jean-Jacques Machado to Matt Serra all trace their path to the origins of Jiu Jitsu through Carlos Gracie Jr.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Training Day: Monday
More good hard training on Monday. Judo to start things off as we worked the osoto gari throw. Synching the details - turning the elbow out, the "palm heel uppercut with the collar control, the footwork - is the tricky part as always. And one of the challenges will be to remain technical and in "learning/trying/failing" mode when we begin stand-up sparring in another week or two.
In part, I think this is why I want to work the foot sweeps more than the throws per se. I've been intimidated away from them, thinking that long legs were a prerequisite to making foot sweeps a major part of your judo. But now is as good a time as any to challenge all of that.
Competition prep-type training with a lot of specific to start things off. I'm starting to get my timing back, bit by bit, and pretty much on schedule as I come out of my first 4x week in awhile. Continuing to open up the omoplata game, including as a cross guard option when the guy doesn't stand. It's an atypical entry for the omoplata, since the arm is crossed rather than elbow out - which most folks are hip to. This may account for some of the surprising success I've had with a submission I don't think I've ever consistently trained.
From the top, the Marcelo series is still a main go-to against the open guard (a lot of folding pass tonight). Flat pass right is getting a little better and really needs to be trained whenever the opportunity presents itself. I'm also liking what I'm able to do by way of a combat base out of the squat pass - though I need to be more focused on how the struggle to free the hips creates the pass opening rather than just going for the wedge/smash immediately.
A very nice light 158.3 post-train, especially good for a Monday.
In part, I think this is why I want to work the foot sweeps more than the throws per se. I've been intimidated away from them, thinking that long legs were a prerequisite to making foot sweeps a major part of your judo. But now is as good a time as any to challenge all of that.
Competition prep-type training with a lot of specific to start things off. I'm starting to get my timing back, bit by bit, and pretty much on schedule as I come out of my first 4x week in awhile. Continuing to open up the omoplata game, including as a cross guard option when the guy doesn't stand. It's an atypical entry for the omoplata, since the arm is crossed rather than elbow out - which most folks are hip to. This may account for some of the surprising success I've had with a submission I don't think I've ever consistently trained.
From the top, the Marcelo series is still a main go-to against the open guard (a lot of folding pass tonight). Flat pass right is getting a little better and really needs to be trained whenever the opportunity presents itself. I'm also liking what I'm able to do by way of a combat base out of the squat pass - though I need to be more focused on how the struggle to free the hips creates the pass opening rather than just going for the wedge/smash immediately.
A very nice light 158.3 post-train, especially good for a Monday.
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