Heavy is Slow: Nick Curson and the Case Against Resistance

Interesting and controversial ideas from Nick Curson, S&C coach for UFC Lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos and student of the Marinovich Training Systems.
 

Metrics: May 24 - 30

Training Days: Tue / Thu

Four Week training average: 2.00

Techniques of the Week

GB Curriculum Week 5

Strength &Conditioning

Matwork: Fri

Weight

166.6 lbs - Tue

162.2 lbs - Thu

Live Training

16 min / 2 sessions - Tue

14 min / 2 sessions - Thu

Meet Matt Hume

If I were a better man, I'd get a grant to write a book on the foundational American jiu-jitsu black belts. Not just the Dirty Dozen (though absolutely the Dirty Dozen), but maybe another dozen guys who helped pave the way for the gentle art in North America.

As it is, I'll just sit back and enjoy this video of Matt Hume talking Demetrious Johnson Awesomeness.

Hello Japan Reviews the Top BJJ Matches of 2015, Part 1

Always awesome to find a new favorite thing! Here's a look at the top Brazilian jiu-jitsu matches of the year from Hello Japan.

Bloody Elbow's 2015 Mundial Preview

Check out Bloody Elbow's preview of the 2015 IBJJF World Jiu Jitsu Championships or "Mundial" featuring Bloody Elbow grappling editor, Roy Billington and no-gi world champion and ADCC veteran, Tom DeBlass.

Eddie Bravo Invitational: EBI3

The future of "sport" jiu-jitsu (if we're lucky!)

King Conor: Freeing the Body

I've been loving The Notorious series spotlighting the rise of Irish featherweight mixed martial artist, Conor McGregor. I can't wait for his upcoming match against champion, Jose Aldo from Brazil. 

I especially appreciated his remarks on the body and movement in episode five. As much as cynicism bores me, I'll admit that I was surprised at how Rickson-esque and Ginastica Natural-like some of his movements and comments were - so much so that I couldn't help but share my rough transcription of them here. 

"You're almost going to trick the mind to do stuff that it's not used to. 

What's happening there is that the brain is working more than the body - your brain is outworking the body, there's no stopping you. 

People work the body over than the brain. And that's where the skill level stagnates or it declines. 

In the fight there is no pattern. It's just a blank canvas. You go out and just let the instinct take over. Let it just click. 

Prizefighting is short. Get in, get rich, get out. But martial arts is a way of life. It's for life. 

It's about movement. It's not about resistance. You should be going in there fluid. I feel like I'm understanding this game a lot more. It's not about coming in and getting the rounds in like it was.  

It's a 24/7 process to free the body. That's what I'm ultimately trying to do. I'm trying to become free. I'm trying to open up my body in all ways. 

I have a routine. I wake up. I drink water. I stretch. I shake it out. 

That's me beginning to free my body again after whatever amount of time I've been asleep. 

People just usually jump up get out of bed straightway, go and brush their teeth, eat their fill, rush to whatever they have to go, do what they have to do and their body is just locking up, getting tighter and tighter and tighter until it just locks or cracks. 

I don't see it as showing up and doing jiu-jitsu, showing up and doing boxing, showing up and doing Tae Kwon Do. I just see it as moving. Waking up. Freeing the body. Becoming more loose. And moving."

Metrics: May 17-23

Training Days: Tue / Thu

Four Week training average: 2.00

Techniques of the Week

GB Curriculum Week 4

Strength &Conditioning

Tabata - Tue
Tabata - Thu
Tabata - Sat

Weight

163.6 lbs - Tue

162.4 lbs - Thu

Live Training

20 min / Specific Training

Metrics: May 10-16

Training Days: Thu  / Sat

Four Week training average: 1.75

Techniques of the Week

GB Curriculum Week 3

Strength

Pullups / Pulldowns / DB rows - Sun

Berardi 3 sets / 15 lbs - Tue

Conditioning

LSD - 2 mi - Sun

Weight

156.2 - Thu

Live Training

20 min / 2 sessions

Metrics: May 3 - 9

Training Days: Tue / Thu 

Four Week training average: 2.0

Techniques of the Week

GB Curriculum Week 2

Strength

shoulder shocker - Thu

Conditioning

LSD - 2 mi - Thu

Weight

165.2 lbs. (Tue pm)

162.2 lbs. (Thu pm)

Live Training

15 min / 2 sessions

The Six Things You Need to Compete in Your First (and Last) Jiu-Jitsu Tournament

I was talking with a white belt after class the other evening. He had only been training for a few weeks, was curious about competing, and wanted to know what I thought.

As someone who competed in his first jiu-jitsu tournament less than a month after his first jiu-jitsu class, I was more than happy to help.

Below is a summary of what I shared:

The Six Things You Need to Compete in Your First (and Last) Jiu-Jitsu Tournament

1. A way to get the fight to the ground
2. A way to reverse from the guard
3. A way to pass the guard
4. A way to get to your dominant position
5. A way to finish from your dominant position
6. A way to recover your guard if you lose it

That's it. It is very easy to overthink things. But if you boil down any sport into its essentials, you'll find a breakdown that's comparable.

What makes the sport beautiful are the near-infinite variations on these goals that individual competitors pursue. But make no mistake: these are the goals, and if you have a sound, practiced way to achieve them, you'll be surprised at how successful you are when the referee shouts, "Combate!"

Sherdog: Catching Up with Demian Maia in His New Gym in Sao Paolo