Sunday, March 31, 2013
Great seminar Ajarn Chai!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Spring Cleaning my Jiu-Jitsu
Figured I would share some thoughts, since I'm not able to do much else right now (rib injuries = not cool). Spring is in the air and I personally can't wait. I need to get some fresh air and be outdoors. Let's get to the point though, spring is the time everyone focuses on cleaning their homes, cars, ect... Well this Spring I'm cleaning up my Jiu-Jitsu.
I've been training in Martial Arts my whole life, I started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1995, possibly late '94, and have now been a Black Belt for over four years. I've seen a lot of changes in the Art, in my opinion, some good, some bad. Jiu-Jitsu has segregated into almost two different styles and mindsets - BJJ for Fighting/self-defense and BJJ for Sport. When I started BJJ it was 100% for fighting/self-defense. When I first saw the Art in action, I was amazed, I had never imagined finishing a fight in the manner I was witnessing. I was hooked!
As the years went by BJJ exploded! There was more and more schools opening, tournaments were everywhere and making a living as a BJJ Competitor became a possibility for some. Tournaments weren't just something to do on the weekend, they became almost a separate career for people. Prestige and cash prizes were put on the line. Countless BJJ practitioners and even whole schools began to make the jump to "Sport BJJ". And why not? It's fun as hell and it beats thinking about getting punched in the face.
This style of BJJ became an Art unto itself. The things these guys and girls do are really incredible, but within this is where Jiu-Jitsu also started to suffer. Jiu-Jitsu was created for a fight, a fight against anyone. It didn't matter their size or style or where it was taking place. This reality of Jiu-Jitsu stopped being addressed so the tournament trophies could pile up.
Everything has to evolve, but much of the current Jiu-Jitsu that evolved is almost 100% Sport. We can see this in some BJJ athletes who crossed from the sport word into the fighting world. Top level guys, world champions who falter and crumble when getting punched from their Guard. A Black Belt who hasn't spent countless hours training a Vale Tudo Guard, but is a Master of the Spider Guard or X-Guard isn't going to cut it. How many "new positions" in BJJ are applicable to self-defense? Truthfully not a whole lot. So what do you do with these positions? If you want to be a high level competitor in Sport Jiu-Jitsu you need to know them. But, should you master them?
Here is where I'm Spring cleaning. A recent seminar with Master Coach Greg Nelson really helped me focus the thinking I've had for sometime. To sum it up, he said what you do everyday is what you will fall back on when you are dead tired, beat up and acting on instinct. If what you do everyday is a position that leaves you exposed to punches and allows your opponent to maintain posture, well that is going to suck for you when the chips are down.
I'm guilty of "Sport Jiu-Jitsu Positions" all day long, I've got some 1/2 Guard and Open Guard positions that I can hit sweeps and submissions on almost anyone. And it's great to go there when I'm tired or my opponent is crazy strong and I don't want to fight their posture. Now if they were punching me in the face would those positions be my savior? Hell no!!! I'd be praying for posture control from a nice tight Guard. So have I invested my training time the best way I can? For me personally and for anyone who really wants to be able to protect themselves, then no I haven't. The good news is the majority of my BJJ has always been from the point of view of a fight, so I don't need to rebuild the whole house, it just needs a little Spring cleaning!
I'm still going to have a ton of fun on the mats everyday(when I heal up), but I am saying good bye to some old reliable "Sport Friends". I'm going to invest in positions that can be use across the spectrum -Self-defense, MMA, and sport. We have to remember BJJ is ultimately a Martial Art not a Martial Sport. This mentality will, I believe, help define Dojo 1. Agree or disagree, next time you roll think about "what if?". Let the fresh spring air clear your mind and get you on the right path! Please feel free to share your thoughts! A thinking man is an evolving man!
I've been training in Martial Arts my whole life, I started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1995, possibly late '94, and have now been a Black Belt for over four years. I've seen a lot of changes in the Art, in my opinion, some good, some bad. Jiu-Jitsu has segregated into almost two different styles and mindsets - BJJ for Fighting/self-defense and BJJ for Sport. When I started BJJ it was 100% for fighting/self-defense. When I first saw the Art in action, I was amazed, I had never imagined finishing a fight in the manner I was witnessing. I was hooked!
As the years went by BJJ exploded! There was more and more schools opening, tournaments were everywhere and making a living as a BJJ Competitor became a possibility for some. Tournaments weren't just something to do on the weekend, they became almost a separate career for people. Prestige and cash prizes were put on the line. Countless BJJ practitioners and even whole schools began to make the jump to "Sport BJJ". And why not? It's fun as hell and it beats thinking about getting punched in the face.
This style of BJJ became an Art unto itself. The things these guys and girls do are really incredible, but within this is where Jiu-Jitsu also started to suffer. Jiu-Jitsu was created for a fight, a fight against anyone. It didn't matter their size or style or where it was taking place. This reality of Jiu-Jitsu stopped being addressed so the tournament trophies could pile up.
Everything has to evolve, but much of the current Jiu-Jitsu that evolved is almost 100% Sport. We can see this in some BJJ athletes who crossed from the sport word into the fighting world. Top level guys, world champions who falter and crumble when getting punched from their Guard. A Black Belt who hasn't spent countless hours training a Vale Tudo Guard, but is a Master of the Spider Guard or X-Guard isn't going to cut it. How many "new positions" in BJJ are applicable to self-defense? Truthfully not a whole lot. So what do you do with these positions? If you want to be a high level competitor in Sport Jiu-Jitsu you need to know them. But, should you master them?
Here is where I'm Spring cleaning. A recent seminar with Master Coach Greg Nelson really helped me focus the thinking I've had for sometime. To sum it up, he said what you do everyday is what you will fall back on when you are dead tired, beat up and acting on instinct. If what you do everyday is a position that leaves you exposed to punches and allows your opponent to maintain posture, well that is going to suck for you when the chips are down.
I'm guilty of "Sport Jiu-Jitsu Positions" all day long, I've got some 1/2 Guard and Open Guard positions that I can hit sweeps and submissions on almost anyone. And it's great to go there when I'm tired or my opponent is crazy strong and I don't want to fight their posture. Now if they were punching me in the face would those positions be my savior? Hell no!!! I'd be praying for posture control from a nice tight Guard. So have I invested my training time the best way I can? For me personally and for anyone who really wants to be able to protect themselves, then no I haven't. The good news is the majority of my BJJ has always been from the point of view of a fight, so I don't need to rebuild the whole house, it just needs a little Spring cleaning!
I'm still going to have a ton of fun on the mats everyday(when I heal up), but I am saying good bye to some old reliable "Sport Friends". I'm going to invest in positions that can be use across the spectrum -Self-defense, MMA, and sport. We have to remember BJJ is ultimately a Martial Art not a Martial Sport. This mentality will, I believe, help define Dojo 1. Agree or disagree, next time you roll think about "what if?". Let the fresh spring air clear your mind and get you on the right path! Please feel free to share your thoughts! A thinking man is an evolving man!
Friday, March 8, 2013
Class review 3/7/2013
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