Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Open For A Good Cause

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Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Open For A Good Cause

This past Sunday was an awesome example of the good side of the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu community.

I hosted an Open Mat and Toy Drive this past Sunday and the turn out was amazing. People involved with the Louisville Brazilian Jiu-jitsu scene came out to train and donate for a good cause.

I decided on a toy drive because of a personal experience I had as a kid. When I was a young kid my mother was getting over her addiction to alcohol and we had a few rough years as she struggled to get her life straightened out. One incident during this time period really stands out in my memory.

I remember it was the day before Christmas Eve and myself, mom and sisters were sitting in the living room watching t.v. I was sitting over by the christmas tree which was lit up by multi colored lights and garnished with too many fake ice cycles, compliments of my baby sister.

While watching a movie we got a knock at the door. When she opened the door I saw that it was one of the members of our church. They had known my mother’s struggle and were an integral part of helping her get everything together. The church was already involved with giving back to the community. Because they knew the situation we were in they had gathered up some of the items they planned to donate and gave them to us.

At first I saw food items which was cool, but it’s not really what you think about as a kid. Then. . .then I saw toys exchanging hands. As a kid who’s entire toy collection could fit into small white bucket, this was big stuff.

The member of our church came in, wished us a merry Christmas and then was on his way.

That memory of generosity will forever be burned into my memory.

With that, I wanted to help create some meaningful difference, like the one I had experienced, in some local child’s life. So I spoke to one of members of our Brazilian Jiu-jitsu program who’s involved in a number of charities and helpful organizations and asked if he knew one worth getting involved with. After speaking with him we settled on the Family Scholar House organization. You can read more about it at www.familyscholarhouse.com . It’s a very cool organization and their mission is a powerful one.

During the Open Mat yesterday we had over 75 people make contributions and we came away with 100+ toys and gifts that we can give away to kids who are not in the most fortunate circumstances. It was awesome and I hope that these gifts make a positive impact this year.

I’m posting this because Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is an amazing martial art in itself. But more amazing than just the art, and I say this all the time, is the community. Louisville Brazilian Jiu-jitsu has a great community and this kind of generous get together is just one example.

Thanks again, to everyone who came out to support the toy drive!

 

-Chewy

How To Escape Side Control Against A 300lbs Wrestler

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How To Escape Side Control Against A 300lbs Wrestler

How to escape side control against a 300lbs wrestler. This was the question I got recently. It’s a good question too.

As I’ve said previously on other posts. Wrestlers naturally favor side control. It’s very similar to a pinning position and it’s where they feel comfortable, especially early on. I say this from personal experience and those of many people I’ve trained or trained with over the years.

I’ve seen several wrestlers over the years able to pin black belts to the mat to the point where they couldn’t move. So telling someone how to escape side control against a good wrestler is tough. But I think it can be done easier than you think.

 

I Had To Find A Side Control Escape

When I start BJJ I had the “pleasure” of having my face smashed into the by several D1 wrestlers daily. We had a bunch of wrestlers who trained BJJ at my original gym, and back in the day there weren’t a lot of training partners. So, I was stuck against guys like this a lot. It was a blessing though because it forced me to deal with the situation and find a way to solve it. Over the years I was able to fine tune my sort of “anti-wrestler” game plan.

For me, the traditional frame and hip escape just didn’t seem like an option. As much as I tried it, it just never worked. I’m definitely not the most flexible guy in the hips so twisting my body around just isn’t on the table for me, at least not at the moment. Maybe as I keep doing Yoga I’ll have some options open up with new found flexibility.

So going back to the question. How to escape side control against a wrestler. In my opinion the most effective way to do this is to sneak out the back door and get a solid under hook. I’ve used this escape countless times against high level wrestlers and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competitors in matches and just in training.

 

Using The Escape In the Absolute Divisions

I always seem to end up against big wrestlers in the absolute divisions of tournaments. One time in particular when I was a brown belt was against a 315lbs ( I know because I asked him) wrestler in the finals of the Arnold classic in no gi. He was fresh out of college wrestling and was incredibly fast. The beginning of the match started with me having to just survive. He powered through my guard and was able to pass the legs, but by using good body and hand positioning I was able to deny him the control of the position. This happened several times. Then right around the 4 minute mark he slowed down and I was able to take the match to him and use my half guard to sweep.

I ended up winning the match by submission. But using the under hook to escape side control saved me.

So if you’re up against a bigger, stronger person and keep getting stuck. Try this escape.

Remember though, if possible, be first. If you feel yourself losing the passing battle. Abandon it and setup your defenses against their side control.

Anyways, enjoy the video, and I hope it helps!

-Chewy

 

Getting Stuck In The Middle With BJJ

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Getting Stuck In The Middle With BJJ

canstockphoto17053300I recently read A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. One of the chapters he wrote immediately made me think of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. The idea he lays out is simple but powerful. See if you see the parallel to BJJ.

 

 

“The first part happens fast. You throw yourself into the narrative, and you’re finally out in the water; the shore is pushing off behind you and the trees are getting smaller. The distant shore doesn’t seem so far, and you can feel the resolution coming, the feeling of getting out of your boat and walking the distant beach. You think the thing is going to happen fast, that you’ll paddle for a bit and arrive on the other side by lunch. But the truth is, it isn’t going to be over soon. The reward you get from a story is always less than you thought it would be, and the work is harder than you imagined. The point of a story is never about the ending, remember. It’s about your character getting molded in the hard work of the middle.

At some point the shore behind you stops getting smaller, and you paddle and wonder why the same strokes that used to move you now only rock the boat.”

“The shore you left is just as distant, and there is no going back; there is only the decision to paddle in place or stop, slide out of the hatch, and sink into the sea.”

“I think this is when most people give up on their stories… they get into the middle and discover it was harder than they thought. They can’t see the distant shore anymore, and they wonder if their paddling is moving them forward. None of the trees behind them are getting smaller and none of the trees ahead are getting bigger.”

“they go looking for an easier story.”

“It’s like this with every crossing, and with nearly every story too. You paddle until you no longer believe you can go any farther. And then suddenly, well after you thought it would happen, the other shore starts to grow, and it grows fast. The trees get taller and you can make out the crags in the cliffs, and then the shore reaches out to you, to welcome you home, almost pulling your boat onto the sand.”

 

Have you’ve ever experienced the “middle” with your BJJ training? The point where you are training hard but feel like you’re just not getting any better. If so, I imagine the chunks of the book I have quoted above probably speak to you.

 

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Getting Out Of the Middle In BJJ

Unfortunately, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu doesn’t follow a linear progression, it’s not a video game where you rack up a reliable number of experience points and skill gain. So while I can’t offer a surefire way to escape the dreaded middle. I can offer some tips that have worked for me personally, for the students I’ve coached in BJJ, and may help you.

 

 

Mix Things Up

I think people hit plateaus most often because of complacency. They get stuck in the same patterns using the same moves with the same mindset over and over again. In order to spark new progress in your game and grow in new areas, sometimes you have to mix it up and get out of your comfort zone.

 

Change the way you roll –  I have personally experienced no better way to dig myself out of a rut than focusing on different areas of my game. Assess yourself, be honest, and think of areas you could work on improving. This often involves you getting out of your comfort zone. If you are a sweeper from the bottom, try being more submission oriented. If you are a wrestler with a great passing game, pull guard. Maybe you have a weak guillotine and you’d like to make it better, limit yourself to that one submission when you roll. I could go on, but I’m sure you get the idea. Experiment with different areas of your game that aren’t you’re bread and butter.

 

Go to a seminar and attempt to learn new techniques – I’m not always the biggest fan of BJJ seminars because I feel like I get mentally assaulted with so much information that I cannot retain anything. But I will say that I’ve also been to several seminars that have been game changers. Even if you’re only able to walk away from a seminar with just 1 BJJ technique that you can use well, its worth the money. To better retain the information. Right after the seminar, while the techniques are still fresh in your mind. Record yourself with a partner going over the techniques. This works way better than a note book!

 

BJJ Videos for motivation – One thing I’ve always done, and continue to do whenever I get stuck in a mental rut is to use videos for motivation. Highlight videos and documentary types are my favorites. I remember the first time I watched the Renzo Gracie documentary Legacy as a brown belt (if you haven’t watched it, it’s a must see). Immediately after it was over, I was so pumped up that I called up a few buddies and we had an impromptu training session.

 

Compete – Some people don’t like BJJ competitions, I get it. But as a coach I’ve seen so many people make giant leaps in their game either before or after a competition. This is one of the reasons wrestlers are such good grapplers. They’re forced into competition over and over again, there is no choice. The idea of competition looming over someone often leads them to train harder and after a tournament they typically have a better insight into their game with plenty of things to improve.

 

Drill – If you find yourself being unable to pull the trigger with your techniques or you’re just a second too slow. If you’re not already doing so, start drilling your techniques. I mean really drilling them. Knock out at least a few hundred reps every week. This will get rid of that hesitation. Drilling your techniques is sharpening your weapon before battle. The sharper the weapon, the smoother the cut.

 

Take time off from BJJ – If you’re starting to get frustrated on the mats. Try taking a week off from BJJ with the intention of coming back the next week. So rest, relax but make sure to keep your diet in check. I personally like hiking and camping when I take time off from Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Along with the time away from the mats, being in nature seems to have a restorative effect on me mentally and physically. Sometimes a small break from the mats has a way of renewing your appreciation for being in the gym and allows you to decompress and come back mentally fresh.

 

Last Piece Of  Advice For A Tough Problem

The last tip is simple and something that you’ve probably heard before.

Don’t stop. Even when you don’t feel like you’re making progress in your BJJ training, and a lot of times this will be the case. You are. If you’re stuck in the middle at a current point in your BJJ training. It’s ok, we all get there sometimes. Have the presence of mind to recognize this and, sticking with the snippet from the book, keep paddling. Because I promise sometimes right when you feel like you’re at your worst is when you have the next jump in your game.

Remember, it’s not a race to the finish. You don’t finish Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

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Have you ever experienced being in the middle with your training? If so, what was it like and how did you deal with it?

 

As always, thanks for reading.

Chewy

We Do BJJ In Suits Because The Gi Is Unrealistic

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If you’re familiar with myself or my gym, you know that I’m a goof and enjoy cutting up with my team.

At the gym we have several traditions. One such tradition happens every October. Every year during Halloween we have our funniest tradition. That tradition is rolling in suits or dress attire, well mostly.

This year was no different, in fact this year was probably the craziest. I was a little taken back by the prom dresses but it was absolutely hilarious. My stomach hurt from laughing so much after it was all over. If you watch the video I hope you get a laugh out of it.

Also, I always get bad feedback whenever I post a video like this from people. Let me stress that we train hard and we take our training very seriously. That said, if you can sit back with the people you spend so much time and have a laugh, somethings wrong. I’m adding this to this post because people have a way of taking themselves a little too seriously sometimes, at least I think.

Again, I hope you get a kick out of the video. We have a giggle about the whole gi is unrealistic. Because we train a bunch of gi and no gi and we do self defense and fighting jiu-jitsu.

Also if you’re reading this let me ask you a question. Do you have any silly traditions at your gym? If so, what are they?

 

-Chewy

 

 

4 Tip On Using Youtube For Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

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4 Tip On Using Youtube For Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

 Are watching instructional videos even useful at all? I bring this up because one of my students came up to me the other day and asked about using Youtube for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu techniques. Really what he was asking was how could he sift through all the information and videos on YouTube to find something that would work well for him. It’ pretty understandable. There is just so much stuff out there now that it can be overwhelming. I’ve also had several newer students over the years ask how useful instructional videos even were.

 

I personally started using instructional videos as a white belt back in 2003. Well before Youtube and other streaming media sites were even a thought. I bought a set of puzzle mats and DVDs. My roommate and I would drill on days we couldn’t make BJJ class, and sometimes on nights after BJJ class.

 

Since then I’ve used tons of different instructional products (books, videos, dvd, etc). These products have had a huge impact on my game. So I definitely think that instructional based videos and books can be useful. They can help spark new growth in your game and keep you from getting stuck in a plateau. As long as they are actually used.

 

In in this blog post I’m going to give you several tips that will help you narrow down what sorts of information you should be looking for so that you can find techniques that work well with your game.

 

 

Stick To Your Game

The first tip, and I think most important, is start searching for techniques from positions that you’re already comfortable, or have experience (good or bad) with. If you’re trying to use a technique from a position you never get to or one that you’re not familiar with. It’s going to be hard to take that move off the internet, connect it with your current game and use it during training.

 

So when searching for techniques, search for positions that you already know, end up in or are already comfortable with. This way you’ll have a greater chance of actually using these techniques when it comes time to roll.

 

 

Adding New Techniques From New Positions

If you do intend to start working on a new position. Start with finding entries into the position. For instance if you would like to use butterfly guard but you only have a full guard game. Then before you start working on sweeps and submissions from butterfly guard, you should start with entries which will transition you from full guard into the butterfly guard. Then once you’re able to get to butterfly guard consistently during rolling. Start scouring the internet for sweeps and submissions from that position. What’s the old saying in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu? Position before submission, right?

 

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Use Your Instructor

The next tip, is to use your instructors. If you train at a gym with an instructor. They are your most valuable resource for techniques and training. Use them! When you find a new technique that you want to use, bring it to them and get their opinion. They can help you determine if it’s a solid technique or garbage (because there is garbage out there), as well as help you break down the technique.

 

If you plan to bring a technique to your instructors attention. Bring the book or video with the technique to show them. I say this from personal experience. It’s helpful to an instructor to see the move demonstrated on the video or book rather than having someone try and remember a move they’ve never used. It just never seems to work out.

 

 

Drill The Damn Moves

Another important piece of advice is to drill. Whether that is passive drilling, like doing repetitions,  or more active drilling, such as situationally rolling. Make sure that you drill to make these techniques useable for you. I’ve seen so many people find a cool technique that they want to use. They drill it a few times and then when it doesn’t work during training, they scrap it. Most techniques, especially if they are new to you, will require some work. So be ready to drill them.

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So some tips that might be helpful when using Youtube for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu are. . .

• Start with positions you have experience with.

• If trying to use a new position. Make sure that you can get there first.

• Consult you instructor.

• Drill the move once you’ve found one you like.

 

I hope these tips help. Even as a competitive black belt I STILL use instructional information for ideas and inspiration. And with all the great information out there it would be a shame not to use it. Just make sure to be smart and purposeful about it. This will help you avoid the frustration that comes when you’re unable to do something.

If you use Youtube videos, instructional books or any other instructional materials. Which do you prefer and get the most out of?
-Chewy

BJJ Self Defense Shenanigans (80s Miami Vice Style)

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Last night was our annual suit rolling training session at the gym. We do it once a year around Halloween and it’s one of the more ridiculous things we take part in at the gym. We train hard so it’s a nice silly break from the tough training.

One of the things that came from this year’s suit rolling was a BJJ self defense video. Well I guess it may not really be a BJJ self defense video. More like a cheesy 80s self defense video with some sweet miami vice suit style action.

For those that know me, they know I try to offset the hard training with fun and light hearted events.

Anyways, we all got a laugh from it. Check it out and if you like it and get a laugh, share it.

Thanks!
Chewy

Getting Started In Bjj As A Wrestler : 4 Tips To Make A Smooth Transition

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Getting Started In Bjj As A Wrestler : 4 Tips To Make A Smooth Transition

 

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As I’ve seen from my own experience and my years as a coach. Wrestlers (even high level) have some common snags that they get hung up on when getting started in BJJ. On the flip side, they have some common advantages to their non wrestling counterparts.

This is something I’m very familiar with because I got into Bjj straight out out of wrestling and I’ve also coached many wrestlers. In fact I want to say I started training BJJ around 3-4 weeks after the state wrestling tournament.

If you liked wrestling you’ll probably love grappling and BJJ. It’s fun and brings back that competitive element former wrestlers often miss afterwards. It is an adjustment though. Below are some tips and advice I would give, and have given, to wrestlers deciding to start Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training.

 

Its Ok To Be On Your Back

The most obvious is you’ll have to change your mentality about being on your back. From wrestling you’re programmed not to let your back touch the mat. You’ll most likely instinctively spring up to go belly down during your initial BJJ rolling. Even worse, you might even be like I was and look down on the idea of fighting from your back.

To tell you a story from my own experience. Initially, I got into BJJ to learn top submissions. I didn’t want to be a wimpy guard guy, or as I called them, bottom feeders. My idea was that if I was put on my back I would just push the person away and just stand up. However it’s not that easy and, overtime, I lost my resistance.

The turning point for me was at a Pablo Popovitch seminar where he showed some cool butterfly guard sweeps. I couldn’t use them at the time but I liked the mobility and movement of the position. It looked dynamic and exciting, rather than the somewhat static full guard. This opened me up to embracing the idea of being offensive from bottom positions.

Not only will having a good bottom game give you an effective “Plan B” in case you end up on your back (Even if you’re some freak wrestler, you’ll probably be swept to your back at some point).  But having a better knowledge of what’s going on the bottom will make you be more effective on top!

When I was a white belt. There was a period of about 3 months where my coach made me start from full guard during rolling. I hated it at first. But after a while my sweeps and submissions got better and it became enjoyable. It also gave me a new area that I could work from. Once I was able to use my full game again I found that my guard passing ability and submission defense from top had shot way up. Whenever the person would grip something, I knew instantly what they were going for and could adjust. This made my guard passing and submissions far more effective than they previously were.

Lastly on the subject of fighting from your back. This is Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, not wrestling. Being a well rounded grappler with a deep knowledge is the goal, not simply winning competitions or rolls in the gym. You can still hold true to your gritty, competitive, heavy top pressure roots from wrestling. But if you don’t want to learn how to grapple from your back. Consider a different sport.

 

Learn To Slow Down

Slow down. Wrestling is a 6-7 minute sprint whereas BJJ is more of a series of bursts with the match times varying. Wrestling follows a go go go rhythm. While Bjj takes on a go, slow down, go, slow down type of flow.

One of the big reasons for this burst style of movement, in my opinion, has to do with the grips. As a wrestler, you know that you can’t use certain holding grips. They are banned. BJJ has no such rules, and people will lock onto your body or your gi in an effort to slow you down and jockey for position. Some BJJ matches will grind to a stand still because of these grips and positioning.

I see many wrestlers, as I did, struggle with this initially. I remember I would get stuck in a position and my wrestling coach’s voice was still stuck in my head screaming, “Go!” In BJJ and grappling though, you can’t simply explode out of every position. Often when you get tangled up with someone in BJJ, if you try and just get out of or jump away from the position. You pay for it.

So be prepared to slow down and think when you get bogged down in someone grips, guard or some other position.

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Watch For Armbars and Triangle Chokes

Being a wrestler you’ll be able to snag a takedown. You’ll also get a reputation for that in your gym of being a wrestler. This means you’ll find yourself in guard often. Due to head and arm placement, pure wrestlers have a knack for getting caught in triangle chokes and submitted with armbars from inside the guard. Getting familiar with triangle choke and armbar escapes and defenses from the top of full guard will help you avoid this.

 

Get Versed With Side Control And North South

Getting started in BJJ as a wrestler, side control and north south are going to feel like home. You’re essentially in pinning position and you’ll have the sensitivity necessary to adjust when the person tries to escape. This is something you won’t have from a lot of other positions because most of them will be somewhat foreign to your body.

If you’re like I was when I first started you’ll favor keylocks, kimuras and armbars from side control and north south.

I’m not sure if it’s true but one of my original coaches told me the reason the keylock is also called the “americana” is because American wrestlers would favor it so much. Also, true story, I’ve seen D1 wrestlers submit black belts from side control using keylocks because they were just so damn physical. So it’s not something to scoff at, and it’s important to remember that having a good wrestler in side control can be a miserable experience.

With all that side, if you’re a wrestler, learn submissions from side control and north south. They’ll be a good starting point for you.

 

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I hope these tips help you with your new journey as you’re getting started in BJJ and grappling! They come from a wrestler who made the adjustment to BJJ but still feels heavily influenced by wrestling.

Please comment or share if any of this was useful or informative to you.

As always, thanks for reading!

-Chewy

Get Better Feedback From BJJ Training. Other Sports Do it, So Should You

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Get Better Feedback From BJJ Training. Other Sports Do it, So Should You

 

Whats up guys,

I wanted to take a moment and share a quick tip with you. It’s a pretty simple way to get additional feedback from your training. It may be something you’re already doing. But if you’re not, it’s definitely something you should consider starting.

Have you ever seen the Olympic Lifters or Crossfitters using their phones to record themselves during big lifts? No. . .  I’m not talking about the random teenager in the gym recording a video of his bicep curls to post on Instagram. I’m talking about recording complex movements that require constant adjusting and refinement. Recording themselves doing the movements allows the lifter to pinpoint problems in the lift. It’s not just lifters. Really, almost any major sports team or athletic coach records religiously to get a good view as to whats going on with their athletes. If you played American football then you probably remember video days where you would sit with your team and watch tape.

It’s a smart thing to do and is something I believe more people doing BJJ should do. We know it’s important to watch our competition matches and it can be just as helpful to watch certain parts of our training.

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What You Feel Is Often Wrong

Tournaments are often the only time many of us record ourselves doing Brazilian Jiu-jitsu or have a chance to watch ourselves grapple. One of the benefits of watching a match from a tournament is that we have the ability to watch ourselves objectively. This provides a ton of feedback and a clear view into our game. It’s kind of funny because a lot of times, especially  early on in our training, what we felt we did or what we thought we did looked a lot different than what we actually ended up doing.

I remember during one of my last white belt tournaments. I got behind a guy and did a sort of belly to back suplex. It’s worth noting that when I was a white belt my favorite thing was to get a big slam. So I was all jazzed up when I was retelling the match to people right after. I described me lifting this guy up over my head and slamming him into the mat. When I went back to watch the match later on I was sad to see that I only got the guys feet 5-6 inches off the ground. And the slam was more of a toss to the side. Going back to it, I wasn’t lying. I really thought I had a hell of a slam on that guy, it felt like I did during the match.

After watching the match on video I was able to make some adjustments on my body positioning when I executed the throw. 3 months later I hit a much bigger and “prettier” throw at a tournament. Being able to watch the video gave me a chance to see exactly what I was doing and how I could improve. If it wasn’t for the video. I would have thought my execution of the throw was perfect and would have just hummed along to the next tournament.

 

Recreate What You Can’t Remember

Besides bringing us back down to reality. Competitions often expose us to certain positions and situations that we aren’t comfortable or familiar with. A lot of times when we get back in the gym we try and remember and recreate what happened for training purposes. It’s tough though. Trying to remember some funky position you got into during an adrenaline filled match is difficult. During a match you’re mind isn’t in the best state to remember every little detail.

This happens all the time in the gym after training too. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a student come to me and ask for advice. When forced to recreate the position they were asking about, they’re a bit unsure. This makes it really tough for me to figure out exactly what was happening and give them useful advice.

A video shows us exactly what we are doing it, what our opponent is doing and makes it much easier to troubleshoot the situation. Likewise, a video is much easier for an instructor or coach to look over and hand out valuable advice.

 

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Start Recording More Often

We shouldn’t wait for tournaments to roll around to record ourselves. Most of us have smart phones or a small sized camera we can use to set up and record. If you’re worried about damaging your phone. Try using a tripod and putting it off the mat and attempt to snag a little real estate on the edge of the mat when its time to roll.

When To Record

I don’t think it’s necessary to record every single time we roll. If you want to, I suppose thats fine but I believe the best times would be either during speed or active drilling sessions and competitive rolling. Basically, situations that involve us pushing ourselves, which might lead to mistakes. I make a distinction with competitive rolling because that is when someone is going to us in bad situation and where our mistakes are often much more apparent.

If you guys have read the Ebook I put out or some of my other blogs on drilling. Then you know what I mean by speed and active drilling.

 

It’s Way Better Than A Training Journal For Feedback

If you’re really crazy about it(like I am), you can keep an external hard drive and log your training and techniques into it. This would completely blow away any sort of traditional training journal. I have tons of training, competition and even just random bullshitting with the guys going back to 2009. It’s fun to be able to look back that far and watch yourself and the techniques you were using.

 

For all you guys that hate reading I’ll break it down into easy bullet points.

Tip: Get into a habit of recording yourself in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Especially when you’re drilling fast or with resistance, and during tough rolls. 

Benefits To Recording Yourself 

  • Gives you a unbiased look at what you are actually doing on the mat, rather than what you “feel” you are doing. 
  • Helps you develop a better link with your body and it’s movements. Meaning, the way you feel and what you think you are doing will match up more accurately to what you are actually doing. 
  • Can help you recreate funky positions you end up in so that you can work to counter them or bring it to a coach to work on a solution. 
  • You’ll find all sorts of little things you’re doing wrong and it really helps bring some of your deficiencies to the surface. Likewise it will also show you what you’re doing very well. 

Half Guard Sweep And Back Take (Chewjitsu Open Mat)

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Half Guard Sweep And Back Take

Half guard is by far one of my favorite positions. Recently we were going over a series from Half Guard. This video is a little different than the usual technique videos. This one was recorded during my classes while I was teaching my students.

In the video I show:

  • An entry into the particular half guard we were using from a basic knee shield position
  • A counter to a person who is using the over hook to keep you pinned down
  • If the person tries to maintain space, a reverse kimura position (I showed this move in this video previously)

I’ve used this type of half guard effectively since I was a purple belt. I’ve used it in competition, in training and I even used it in MMA before.

Hope the techniques help, if you have any questions, leave a comment or shoot me an email.

-Chewy

 

4 Tips To Deal With BJJ Tournament Anxiety (video)

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4 Tips To Deal With BJJ Tournament Anxiety (video)

 

I had a post a while ago talking about how to deal with BJJ tournament anxiety. I know it’s something that many people find difficult dealing with (here’s the original blog ).

BJJ tournament anxiety is something everyone deals with in their own way. Even the best competitors get nervous before matches. As I’ll talk about in the video. The nerves are a necessary evil. They give you that edge to your performance and make you rise to a new level on the mats during the competition. It’s all about how we channel these feelings and use them to our advantage. In the video I’ll give you 4 tips. Accepting the nerves, focusing on yourself, using music to calm yourself and then bring your energy up when needed and using mock tournaments or new training partners to spur nervousness.  These are just 4 ways that I’ve been able to deal with it both in BJJ competitions and MMA. Ultimately you’ll have to find the ways that work best for you personally.

I hope the tips help you in any of your future competitions. Also, consult your instructor to see some of the tips they have on dealing with the nerves before a BJJ tournament.

 

-Chewy