Fly Like an Eagle: BJJ Scout on Nurmagomedov

This video has been available for a long time. But I'm only now getting around to studying it. Shame on me.

The Eagle's Final Flight: Gracie Breakdown

 

The Book

I've had the idea for a book on American Jiu-Jitsu for a long time. A lot of people talk about "American Jiu-Jitsu" but I've yet to hear anyone that gets at the heart of what American Jiu-Jitsu really is, what's so ironic about it, and why the top American Jiu-Jitsu schools embody it and continue to turn out some of the country's - and the world's - greatest jiu-jitsu artists because of it.

It's also an incredible story about America, and the different types of Americans we've come to spend a lot of time talking about these days. I've always hesitated to talk about it because I've thought it was such an obviously fascinating topic that someone with more time and talent than I've got would scoop it up in a second.

Failing that, the project will probably have to wait until I retire in another 15-odd years. Nevertheless, a large part of my return to the mat in 2021 is predicated on taking advantage of what American Jiu-Jitsu - or more accurately, the American approach to Jiu-Jitsu - can do to elevate my performance on the mat.

Photo by Thought Catalog from Pexels

World’s Greatest Grappler Meets World’s Greatest Grappling Dummy?

During my white and blue belt days, I built a bunch of different “dummies” in order to practice different moves on my own. I built my first grappling dummy out of a trenchcoat, some old pillows and towels, and an old gi.

And since grappling dummies can be task-specific as well as ridiculously expensive, I built another for practicing open guard sweeps (the backside of a ladderback chair, some rope, another old gi), and another for practicing half guard/half butterfly/full butterfly transitions (padded legs of another weighted down chair with especially wide legs).

So the necessity of spending money on a grappling dummy has been well lost on me. At least until this weekend. Check out grappling HOFer Marcelo Garcia training with a Favuke.

At $130 for the synthetic leather version and another 10 months before I’m likely back on the mat, I’m thinking about putting this thing on my Xmas list.

Ryan Rolling, Guard Passing

Part of my strategy for avoiding a totally catastrophic technical performance upon my return to the mat eons from now involves not a small measure of walking in place and staring at videos like this.

Danaher on Heel Hooks in the IBJJF and the Two Jiu-Jitsus

 

That John Danaher would praise the IBJJF's decision to allow heel hooks in no-gi competition is no surprise. But what is especially pleasing to the heart and mind is the way he distinguishes gi or "classical" jiu-jitsu from no-gi or what I'll call "modern" jiu-jitsu not just in this context, but in the broader sense of what historically has been the fundamental structure of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

I believe the IBJJF were wise to limit the rule change to no gi competition. Heel hooks in a gi would be too easy due to the friction of pants and the power of gripping the pants to enter ashi garami holds. It would rapidly devolve into a game of whoever gets to the legs first would probably win and much of the classical upper body skill set could be lost. By splitting the game you have one part of Jiu jitsu representing the classical ideal of positional advancement to the upper body pins and submissions that is safe for all levels, weights and age categories and the other emphasizing the notion of limb isolation and control leading to submission over the whole body. 

Read the rest.

What If Rickson is God? What If Gordon is Right?

 

I've enjoyed the Myth of Rickson Gracie as much as any other jiu-jitsu practitioner of my era (started training in 2005). But what has always interested me more than the Myth of Rickson Gracie - or the Reality of Rickson Gracie, for that matter - is the Theory of Rickson Gracie.

The Myth of Rickson Gracie is that he outperforms everyone he trains with. That he is "better" than everyone else. The Reality of Rickson Gracie is likely something a little different.

The Theory asks a more important question for me - and for anyone trying to become more efficient and effective with their jiu-jitsu: What would it take for the Myth to be the Reality? 

What would it require from a jiu-jitsu practitioner to be able to best all-comers, and without any particular exposure to any potential adversary's game? Even more challenging would be to isolate this jiu-jitsu practitioner, largely, from jiu-jitsu's innovations and thus render them even less familiar with the contemporary changes to the art.

I have no idea if such a person is conceivable. And that too is beside the point. The question is: what would it take to create such a person? What would that person have to be capable of? 

Listening to a recent interview with current no-gi pound-for-pound great Gordon Ryan, I was reminded of this Theory of Rickson Gracie idea that I've been noodling for more than a decade. Ryan, in addition to being an incredible grappler, is also a notorious trash-talker who insists repeatedly and without hesitation that he wins because most of his opponents "suck" at jiu-jitsu.

To be clear, Ryan is trash-talking. But I don't think he's kidding, either. And given his technical dominance and high finishing rate rarely seen even among jiu-jitsu's best, I'm inclined to wonder just a little bit: what if he's "right"? Or, more to the point, in what way could Gordon Ryan be correct in his assessment of the jiu-jitsu of at least some (okay, almost all) of his opponents?

I've long thought that I had an answer for the Theory of Rickson Gracie. And hearing today's interview with Ryan, in some ways, not only reaffirms my Theory of Rickson, but is now reinforced by a Theory of Gordon, as well.

Who's Number One - Ryan v Diniz Review: He Who Heel Hooks; Geo Martinez on Predictability

If there were any doubt that we are still in the Heel Hook Era of No Gi jiu-jitsu, then this weekend's FloGrappling Who's Number One event was a stern reminder that, as far as the obsession with this technique goes, the only way out is through.

Three of the event's feature contests: Nicky Ryan vs. Tony Ramos, Craig Jones vs Roberto Jimenez, and Gordon Ryan vs. Matheus Diniz, ended with heel hook submissions. And while only the first two submissions came quickly (within seconds in the case of Ryan "versus" Ramos), the heel hook submission in the Ryan "versus" Diniz headliner was as easy to anticipate as the seasons.

At this point, it is not even worth arguing that it would have been more interesting for both Ryan brothers to forgo heel hooks in their matches to make them more competitive. But while Diniz was a worthy, if overmatched opponent, for the older Ryan, Ramos had no reason whatsoever being on the mat with the younger Ryan. A potential rematch between Nicky and Tye Ruotolo would make for a far more compelling match up for the Danaher Death Squad's youngest superstar.

The most interesting match of the event for me was Geo Martinez taking on Paulo Miyao. I'll confess both to being especially interested in featherweights (being one) and in Geo, whose EBI final against Eddie Cummings is among my favorite contests in years. But it was very impressive to watch Geo avoid Paulo's entanglements, remain aggressive on top, and even attack for what was probably the match-winning guillotine attempt.

What caught my ear in the post-match interview was Geo's emphasis on being familiar with Paulo's game, with the "predictability" of that game, he said. That's no knock on Paulo. To have a "style" is, in a sense, to be "predictable." What was impressive was Geo's ability to not just read the predictions, but to run them down relentlessly, en route to an impressive victory against a top opponent.