Tales of the Pan: Confirmado

Me and My Favorite Mendes Brother

Gui might be my favorite under-160 fighter right now. While I'm not a big fan of the berimbolo as a technique for my own game, I appreciate how effectively he uses it as a tool get to the top (if not necessarily the back).

I'm especially loving his finishing game (the B-sides of baseball chokes and brabos).

Whoop! Terere Knee Shield Pass!

Professor Barata is Back!

Get the lowdown here.

Joe Rogan Podcast: Two Hours with Kron

A truly outstanding interview of Kron Gracie by Joe Rogan. The length of the interview - more than two hours - gives the two plenty of time to relax and get comfortable with each other, leading to some very entertaining and insightful exchanges. Well worth a listen.

Strength Day: Deads, Squats, Presses and Pulls

 Deadlifts / Squats / Bench / Pulldowns

4 x 10

Training Day: Wednesday

Live Drilling: Side control / Transition to Reverse Scarf Hold v. Counter / Transition to Scarf Hold v. Counter / Transition to Other Side v. Counter

Ground: Asymmetrical choke / Spinning Armbar

Scale: 168.0

TGIF Dawn Training: Closed Guard Sweeps

(instruction)

Ground:

Pendulum Sweep
Scissor Sweep
Hip Bump/Crossover Sweep

Scale:
166.4

BJJ Scout Runs the Rousey v. McMann VooDoo Down

There is so much good in this analysis. It is incredible to see how BJJ Scout's work gets better and better. Like all great analysis, it informs and teaches at the same time.

Ronda Rousey v Sara Mcmann Preview Part 1: Grappling and Skill Trees

One thing beginners often do is chase moves all over the BJJ map – 50/50 leg locks, berimbolos, baseball bat chokes etc. There is this temptation to correlate mimicking the “moves” done by top level players as the path to advancing in BJJ. It sort of makes sense – like Roger? Learn to the cross choke from mount. Like the Miyaos? Berimbolo it is. However, focusing on drilling random moves without a well thought out overall strategy seldom makes sense.

Ronda Rousey v Sara Mcmann Preview Part 2: Takedowns and Clinching

Wrestling’s place as a legitimate skill set to bring into the octagon has been validated many times over. The jury is still out on judo though. Despite Ronda having dominated all her opponents since day 1, skepticism still remains as to her abilities and most of it focuses on her being a one trick pony, and the central question in every fight is “can you stop her armbar”. Strangely, until late the question has never been, can you stop her takedown, as if it’s a matter of time before some exposes her judo takedowns/tactics as flawed. 

Training Day: Wednesday

Live Drilling: Double-leg drill / Single-leg drill / Double-leg specific / Single-leg specific / Guard Pass drill / Double-leg drill / Single-leg drill / Double-leg specific / Single-leg specific / Side Control King of the Hill

Scale: 169.4

Strength Day: Return of Whole Body Strength-Endurance

DB swings / three sets / 10 reps 15 reps 25 reps 50 reps

Strength Day: Whole Body Strength-Endurance

DB swings / three sets / 10 reps 15 reps 25 reps 50 reps

TGIF Dawn Training: Enter the Katagatamezekiel

(instruction)

Ground:

Scissor Sweep

Hip Bump Sweep

Katagatamezekiel from the back

Live Training:

18 minutes

Why Sambo Works in MMA

Here's an entertaining and informative debate on the success of Sambo in mixed martial arts from the good folks over at Bloody Elbow.

"American MMA has recently seen an influx of Russian and Dagestani fighters with Sambo backgrounds, among other arts. Many are finding success quickly in the cage, adapting their skills from Sambo and Combat Sambo very quickly. So we posed a simple, if a little broad, question: why have Sambo fighters been so successful? What does Sambo or Combat Sambo give a prospective MMA fighter that other backgrounds do not?"

Sambo is one of jiu-jitsu's least known and most underappreciated cousins, as far as I'm concerned. And it's great to see the martial art gain traction in the world of MMA.

If you're new to Sambo (think Fedor), here's a highlight to get your curiosity piqued.

Training Day: Wednesday

Private Lesson with Professor Bryan

Ground: Half-guard sweep with over the back lapel grip / toss to deep half and butterfly hook / shoulder roll reverse


Half-guard reverse with over the back lapel grip / inside grip to bump to grip switch / roll out to Nelson drag to side


False Ezekiel Choke Katagatame

Mo' Better BJJ: 10 Tips

Some great tips on betterment courtesy of Inner BJJ.

1. Are you left or right handed, do you know when to switch stances, is your style uniform?

2. Body type: Are you long legs or long torso or long arms big hands?

Read the list here.

Grips

"I think what's stopping the sport is the grips. Guys will get a grip and then they'll stop when they want to. It's very easy to do that and it's really hard to break the grips. Guys are taking steroids, guys are really strong, it's hard to break those grips.

So, I think when the guy grabs a grip and he stops and his intention is to hold those grips and not intend to go to the next move, I think that's the problem. So if you just take away the-- you know in Judo, guys only have 20 seconds with a grip or 15 seconds with a special grip or they have to let go.

I think that should be the rule in jiu jitsu. The guy should have a special grip, you can do what you want to do, but if you don't do it then you gotta let go. You can't just hold the fight and stop the fight. I think jiu jitsu has great rules, great time. Ten minutes is enough time if the guys are not holding and stopping the position."

--Kron Gracie

Strength Day: Deads & Squats

DB DLs / DB Squats / 3 sets / 10 reps

God Bless the Guard Passer

Congratulations to Rodolfo Viera on winning the Copa Podio Heavyweight Grand Prix!