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Simple Trick To Breaking Grips With Armbar From Mount

July 22, 2016/in Uncategorized /by Chewy

Simple Trick To Breaking Grips With Armbar From Mount

So, you’ve got an Armbar from mount but once you’re on the side trying to finish it you find that you’re unable to because of your opponent’s grip.

Whether they grip their gi or just grabbing a bicep. You just can’t seem to get rid of armbar defense they’ve put up. Then eventually during the fight they manage to make their way out of the armbar and get free.

Victory was within sight, you had the submission. But as so often happens in BJJ. Your opponent countered and now you’re back at square 1.

Has this happened to you?

Sure it has. It’s happened to just about everyone. I know that for me. One of the reason I started using the grip adjustments I show in this video is because one of my training partner had iron grips. I could get the armbar. But for the life of me, if he secured his grips. I just couldn’t break them.

Over and over again this happened. I would sit to the side and start trying to tug away at the arm and he managed to find his way out of the armbar.

Eventually I had a light bulb moment. Instead of fighting his grips after I’ve already sat back for the armbar from mount. What about if I did something to fight the grip before I sat back.

Since then, this has been one of those little tricks that I keep up my sleeve if I’m dealing with someone who has crazy strong grips that I fight with.

If you’ve been in the frustrating situation of fighting grips after you sit back for an armbar from mount. Try these grip adjustments out.

I also show a simple setup for the armbar from mount that anyone can use.

Armbar From Mount Video

I hope they help!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Don't Remember Everything As A BJJ White Belt

Stop Thinking About Techniques As A BJJ White Belt

July 15, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Tips, Videos /by Chewy

Stop Thinking About Techniques As A BJJ White Belt

Recently one of my BJJ White Belts asked for tips on remembering techniques when he rolled. He said that there is so much stuff going on, and he can’t remember techniques when he rolls. He just brain farts.

In this video I share an analogy about how BJJ is like music in a way and I explain how it’s a little different than what you might expect. And you should NOT try SO HARD to remember techniques.

Don’t Memorize Everything As A BJJ White Belt

Many people who are new to BJJ start by trying to develop the ability to consciously memorize techniques during rolling. When in fact, it doesn’t happen like that. We call it muscle memory for a reason.

More often than not. Your body will figure out how to put it all together well before you can consciously think about what exactly you’re doing. This is why someone can execute a technique without being able to appropriately break it down and teach it to someone else.

If you do end up being able to consciously think about the techniques when you roll, it’s usually an afterthought. The move has already started and it’s just a fleeting thought in your brain.

In most cases, if you have to think about the technique you plan to use too much. It’s too late and your opportunity will be lost..

Saulo Riberio has a great quote, “If you think, you are late. If you are late, you use strength. If you use strength, you tire. If you tire, you die.”

I think what he is touching on is the importance of your body executing techniques in BJJ intuitively. Without having to remember techniques.

In my opinion this intuitive ability is developed through mat time and drilling.

You’ll know you are starting to develop this ability when you begin going off of “feel” opposed to thought.

Also, if you’re new to BJJ. Be ready for the occasional “Aha” moments that will occur from time to time. Where things seem to fall into place.

I share in the video that doing BJJ is like playing an instrument.

As a musician feels the music and knows exactly which chords to pluck just off instinct. The more your abilities in BJJ develop. You’ll find yourself doing things, not because you thought about them, but because they felt right.

So stop stop trying remember techniques as a BJJ White Belt. Remember what you can and be sure to drill your techniques a lot, and let your body do the rest. Muscle memory goes a long way, don’t let the mind get in the way.

Hope the video is helpful!
-Chewy
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5 BJJ Low Guard Passing Position Drills (Flow Drills)

July 14, 2016/in BJJ, Videos /by Chewy

5 BJJ Low Guard Passing Position Drills (Flow Drills)

Being strong from the low guard passing position is important. The lower style guard passes allow you to put the pressure on your opponent and allows you to pin down their legs.

Just like anything else in your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu though. You have to be able to chain together and flow from one technique to the other. Being able to do this in BJJ, especially with your low guard passing. Allows you to attack from multiple angles and adjust to your opponent’s defense.

One of the common mistakes I see from people with their guard passing is that they will only have 1 solid guard passing technique and have no answer for their opponent’s adjustments. They’re guard passing is 1 singular movement without the back up it needs to be successful.

For me, if I have trouble passing standing, most of the time due to very active legs. I immediately move to attack with low guard passing. And most of my low guard passes in BJJ originate from a few basic positions.

This is why I like this drills in this video so much.

Low Guard Passing Drill Video

Instead of just learning the techniques. You’re doing drills that will help you establish a low guard passing position. Then after you can easily acquire the position. Adding in the actual guard passing is easier.

Also, the five movements in this video are flow drills. Meaning that you flow or chain from one movement to the next. This is great for building that ability to smoothly move from position to position and it’s a hell of a workout.

So if low guard passing in BJJ is something you need to work out. Try these flow drills and see if they help. I know they’ve worked well for myself and my students for BJJ competitions and rolling in the gym.

Oh, and I encourage you to add in some of your own movements when your drilling. Think about positions you get to and add them into the mix!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Roll Longer As A BJJ White Belt With These Simple Tips

July 7, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Tips, Videos /by Chewy

Roll Longer As A BJJ White Belt With These Simple Tips

How to roll longer as a BJJ White Belt is something that I get asked all the time. Both from my students and from my Chewjitsu group online.

I remember this being an issue for me. Even though I was a young wrestler, I still struggled with being able to roll for a long period of time. I found that I just gassed out so quickly and it was frustrating.

One of the reason I had such a problem when I tried to roll longer as a BJJ White Belt was that I didn’t breathe correctly. It was really bad at times.

So bad in fact, that one of the commands my coach had drilled into my head for competitions was, “BREATHE!”

Yeah, that’s right. Not only did I drill my techniques but I also had to drill my breathing. When he yelled breathe. I would take a very deliberate breath. A big inhale, followed by 3 quick exhales.

In addition to breathing. Another thing that someone who wants to roll longer as a BJJ White Belt should do is to be more conscious of when they are using energy. Often I’ll see white belts being very tense and using LOADS of energy, yet nothing is happening.

Learning when you can conserve energy and when you need to expend it is one of the cornerstones to becoming more efficient. If you’re a BJJ white belt. You can simply think about the positions you tense up in and focus on relaxing in them to some degree.

In this video I share some details on both of these tips.

If you’re trying to roll longer as a BJJ white belt. Listen to the tips and give them a try!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Drilling To Both Sides In BJJ (3 Benefits)

July 6, 2016/in Uncategorized /by Chewy

Drilling To Both Sides In BJJ (3 Benefits)

Are there advantages to drilling to both sides in BJJ? Should you drill to both sides in BJJ?

The question of drilling to both sides in BJJ comes up a lot, especially with those newer to BJJ.

Most of us, at least in the beginning, tend to focus on our dominant side. Which is whichever side feels most comfortable. Most of us favor the same side depending on our dominant hand and feet, but there are exceptions.

I know I asked this question in the beginning of my Brazilian Jiu jitsu training. My coach back then told me that I should drill to one side only so that I have 1 side at 100% instead of having two that are 50/50.

I Say Drill To Both Sides In BJJ

As I’ll share in the video, I do not agree with this idea of sticking to one side only and encourage everyone to drill to both sides in BJJ.

Here’s why.

Most people favor doing the same moves on the same sides.

For instance, people will typically do their sweeps and passes dominantly to one side. Just think of your own game. Think about the moves you use and drill and which sides you tend to stick with. More than likely you stick to one side for particular moves more than the other.

Because of this our games become very overdeveloped on one side and, in some cases (like the story in the video), underdeveloped on the other.

Benefits To Drilling To Both Sides In BJJ

Being able to attack to both sides allows you to take advantage of your opponent’s weaker side.
You will help your training partners round out their game. If they are forced to fight against both sides, it’s less likely that they will become too one sided.
You have to sort of teach yourself the technique. Because the weak side just doesn’t come naturally. It makes you break the move down more and put the pieces together. This furthers your understanding of the technique and makes it more effective on both sides.

If you’re questioning whether or not you should start drilling to both sides. Watch the video and get my take on it.

I hope the video helps!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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A Fix For Tight Back Muscles After BJJ Training

July 2, 2016/in Uncategorized /by Chewy

Fix Tight Back Muscles After BJJ Training

Tight back muscles is one of the problems I’ve experienced after BJJ training. I’ve had spasms which seize up my upper back muscles so much so, that I’m not able to even stand up straight.

Once this happens, the symptoms typically persist for about 1-3 days and eventually subside and I get back to normal. But while they are around, I’m in constant pain.

I’ve had this problem since I was a college kid who spent too much time ending his BJJ training by playing computer games. Sitting in a chair at a desk only furthers the rounded back posture that causes this tight back issue. It’s especially bad when you do this right after BJJ training.

In this video. I show how to use a lacrosse ball in order to loosen up some of those tight back muscles that get locked up after training Brazilian Jiu jitsu or working out. It’s a cheap way to massage those muscles and get them to relax.

I hope this video helps out. I know over the years. This has been helpful to me in relieving the pain in my back. Also, check out this video as well as I talk about stretching the pec muscles and strengthening the back. Strengthening the back and stretching the chronically tight pec muscles will ultimately help prevent this issue and help keep you in a better posture throughout the day.

Like the old saying goes, “a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” As I share in both of these videos. Take a preemptive approach to your body’s issues. Figure out what they are and stay on top of them all the time. Most of us have some dysfunction. Using these techniques as part of continual maintenance is incredibly important for your BJJ training.

If you have questions, let me know.

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Tips For Grappling After 30 ( I Feel Better At 31 Than 28 )

June 30, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ, Tips, Training /by Chewy

Tips For Grappling After 30 ( I Feel Better At 31 Than 28 )

Getting old and grappling after 30 years old is something I’ve discovered isn’t as bad as I was expecting. Eventually my body will break down as it ages. And hard rolling will be out of the question.

But for now, I’ve found several ways to lessen the frequency of injuries and stay healthy on the mat. Even though I’m now 30+ years old. I can honestly say I feel better than I did at 28.

In this video I discuss some of the issues I started having in my late 20s. Everyone tells you that as you get older you will just feel your body more. And this was the case for me.

In the video I share some of the simple things I started doing after I noticed my body felt worse and worse when I was around 28 years old.

The Secret To Grappling After 30

Making routine maintenance a part of my routine has been my secret to feeling better and healthier as I’m becoming older and grappling after 30.

Some of the benefits I’ve received by staying on top of my maintenance work is . . .

In general I feel less stiff and take less time to warm up.
By respecting my body’s needs. I perform better when I train hard.
I’m injured less and on the mat more.

Some of the different things I do to relax and repair my body are. . .

Stretching and deep breathing.
A more relax, yin, style yoga.
Myofascial release. Foam rolling, lacrosse ball work, etc.
Corrective exercises.
Believe it or not, walks. On my off days I like to go for a nice walk or hike.
Laying in my hammock. You might be rolling your eyes. But a lot of us don’t give ourselves proper time to rest. Even when we rest we feel like we’re being lazy or aren’t making progress. I know that’s a problem for me. Giving myself the mental OK that it’s ok to rest goes a long way.

Start At Any Age

No matter what age you are. If you take the idea that you are a high performance machine and work on developing a routine for your maintenance. I promise, you’ll feel and perform better when you’re on the mats.

Here’s the Attack The Back post if you’re interested in hearing more about my take on grappling after 30 and beyond.

Thanks!
-Chewy

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Should I Focus On My Strengths Or Weaknesses In BJJ?

June 28, 2016/in Beginners, BJJ /by Chewy

Should I Focus On My Strengths Or Weaknesses In BJJ

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A question that came up recently, and is one the comes up fairly often is, “Should I focus on my strengths or weaknesses?”

I believe that while we should never neglect our strengths completely. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to have glaring holes in our game just because it’s uncomfortable to work on them. As I’ll share in the experience below. Sometimes when we focus on our weakest points, it actually improves our strongest areas.

Focusing On Your Weakness Can Build Your Strengths

Here’s an early lesson I learned as a White Belt.

When I started BJJ back in 03. I was fresh from wrestling. So when I rolled I would get on top and try to keylock everyone. Top position was comfortable and things were good.

But. . .

If someone got on top of me. I was a turtle off my back. I couldn’t do anything. I got beat in the finals of a couple of tournaments because I got swept to my back. Once I was on my back I was just done.

Following these performances, my coach put me on my back for several months. No matter what we drilled or worked during class. I started from my guard during rolling. If I wanted to get on top, I had to sweep.

It was the best thing I ever did as a white belt. Not only did I develop an effective guard that I could use. But I was having fun with it.

When I started BJJ. The wrestler inside me wouldn’t allow me to mentally enjoy or commit to fighting off my back. As I became more comfortable though. Playing the bottom game started to be enjoyable and interesting. It was a whole new arsenal of weapons to experiment with.

In addition to that, when I did get on top I had more knowledge about what the bottom person was doing. So if they grabbed an arm or pulled on a grip. Because I was now experienced with the same attacks from the bottom. I could adjust and counter them accordingly. Being better on the bottom made my top game and guard passing better.

A month or so after this guard work focus. I caught an armbar in my last white belt tournament.

Tips To Working On Strengths Or Weaknesses In BJJ

-How do I find my weakness? The way that I often encourage my students to go about it, is to find where you are uncomfortable. Find somewhere that makes you cringe or where you feel lost. Find those areas and move towards them. You may even ask your coach for some extra time on the mat or a private lesson to give you some things in particular to work on.

– It takes time! Be careful not to write something off just because it doesn’t work initially.When you find your weak technique or position. Fully commit (mentally and physically) to it and see where it goes. Remember, it took me well over a month before I finally committed to playing a guard position and started experiencing success. This was after 6 months of training already.

– When can I do this? If you have access to an open mat. Do situational rolling from that position to build it up. If not, ask your coach if you could work from that area specifically. For instance. If you need to work off your back like I did. Ask your coach if you can start from a full guard during full rolling.

– Will I ever not have a weakness? No matter how good you become. You’ll always have areas of your game that are weaker than others. It’s a constant balancing act. A constant chase for the perfection that will not come. The broken ensō circle represents this continually state of being incomplete.

“The circle may be open or closed. In the former case the circle is incomplete, allowing for movement and development as well as the perfection of all things. Zen practitioners relate the idea to wabi-sabi, the beauty of imperfection.”

As always, thanks for reading!

-Chewy

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11 Solo BJJ Drills W/ Stability Ball (Guard Passing And Hips)

June 27, 2016/in BJJ, Tips, Training, Videos /by Chewy

11 Solo BJJ Drills W/ Stability Ball (Guard Passing And Hips)

Solo BJJ drills are no replacement for drills with a partner. But solo BJJ drills can be a great way to get some movement in when a partner is not available.

Maybe when you’re at home or unable to make it to the gym.

If I do solo BJJ drills. I’m focused on building good movement that will translate over to training. In this video I share 11 solo BJJ drills you can do with a stability ball that will help build your guard passing game and hip movement. BJJ is all about hips right?

Some of the movements may be challenging to you currently and if that is the case. Do what you can and work towards performing the movement as shown in the video. Also, BE CREATIVE! Think about ways you could perform movements that are tailor made for your game on the ball.

Turn This Into A Stability Ball Circuit Workout

Perform each drill or movement for 45 seconds to 1 minute and move through each drill without rest. Take a couple of minutes and then repeat if able. This would definitely be a solid workout. I know that just after filming these drills, I was soaked in sweat.

I’m a big fan of building movement. As a bigger guy I like being able to move with agility and quickness. Every big guy can be heavy but it takes a lot of work to be a fast big guy. So these drills are great for further developing that. Let that also be me encouraging all of you big guys out there to get moving on the mats and push yourself rather than always just being the heavy big guy.

I hope these drills help you with your BJJ training!

Thanks!
-Chewy

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