Arm Drag Variation from Butterfly Guard Against Tight Grips

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I love the arm drag. I have since the days when I wrestled and I’ve been using the technique from multiple positions since I was a white belt.

In this video I show a reverse arm drag / kimura position from butterfly guard. In this video I show it against someone with tight grips and how to crawl up the arm to set up an attack. The student who is doing the move with me, Adam, actually has a nasty double knee pass and this is something I have to use on him. I’ve also used it in competition vs bigger and stronger opponents.

 

Oh and the video starts after me and the students goof around for a bit.

Chewy

 

Breaking Grips In BJJ : 2 Ways To Break Collar Grips In Guard

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Breaking Grips In BJJ : 2 Ways To Break Collar Grips In Guard

So one of the readers of the blog sent an email to me recently. He asked if I had any tips about breaking grips from inside the full guard. After class I went ahead and did a short video on 2 techniques you can try in order to break the collar grips. They’re two that I use often and have plenty of success with.

Breaking grips is such an important part of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. In BJJ if you control the grips you more than likely control the match. Think of it this way. What do your instructors say whenever you’re working on a technique? It’s usually instructions for where your hands are to be placed.

Thinking of it that way. If you control where you’re opponent’s hands can be, then you control the match. Make sure that you’re putting forth time in your training for breaking grips.

Hope the video helps!

Chewy

 

 

 

 

3 Money Making Practices in BJJ I Dislike

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1st match

 

I didn’t get into Brazilian Jiu-jitsu for money

I never got into Jiu-jitsu for money. I never got into BJJ with the notion that I would someday make a living from it. I never even had the idea that I would be a black belt someday. When I first started training I was learning under a purple belt. Black belts were so scarce in the mid-west that if you saw one it was like seeing a mythological creature. We’ll say unicorn. I just trained because I enjoyed training and hoped to not suck someday.

 

Now, as a black belt and someone who is more involved with the business side of things. I understand that certain things need to be in place and the business has to be ran like a business. That said, there are 3 money making practices that I see at many gyms that I personally don’t believe in. If you’re reading this and practice these, you may disagree with my ideas and that’s fine. But for me these three practices don’t coincide with my personal philosophy for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. From personal experience I feel like when money is the center of attention and not the training, everyone suffers.

 

 

I dislike belt testing fees

One practice I dislike, although it would be fairly lucrative for me if I were to implement it, is belt testing fees. I’ve seen some gyms that do a 60-100 dollar belt testing fee. I’ve also seen some other gyms that charge a fee per stripe. I don’t know why this bothers me, but it does. Something seems odd to me about charging someone for their hard work. I would feel sleazy coming up to one of my students and saying, “Hey brother, great job. I’m so proud of you for dedicating yourself. You’ve grown so much and you passed your test. Oh by the way, that’ll be 75 bucks.”

 

It takes at least a 1-2 years to get a blue belt and 2-3 years typically for each belt after. This means that that particular student has been consistently putting in the work, paying their gym dues and helping improve not only themselves but also those around them. Isn’t that enough?

 

 

I dislike limiting classes

I’ve seen gyms practice a tiered pay structure where you pay price “A” and you get to train 1-2 days a week and if you pay the more expensive price “B” you get to train more, and so on. I could understand doing an additional fee for additional styles but why up charge just to train more of one style.

 

One of my students told me they visited a gym that charged $170 a month and they could come to 1 class a week. So that student is paying $42.50 per class and on top of that, at one day a week their growth on the mat is going to be hampered.

 

As instructors, don’t we want our mats packed? As instructors don’t we want our young fledgling Jiu-jitsu practitioners to be on the mat consistently. As instructors don’t we want our students to become the best that they can be? Isn’t that our job and goal? I think so, and I don’t think that charging outrageous amounts for unlimited classes is conducive to this. When I consider this, I think back to myself as an 18 year old. If I would have been under this type of pay structure, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

 

 

Mat fees

I’ve never charged mat fees to visitors. It always strikes me as strange. People post pictures with #BJJBrotherhood and talk about the BJJ lifestyle and all that shit. But then they pop a mat fee to people just stopping by. I can understand how this could be some nice extra income especially if you have a gym that has a ton of traffic. But with that, I don’t know, it just seems to go against the idea of the brotherhood of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. If I have someone visiting my gym for a day or two. I want to welcome them and give them a Jiu-jitsu home away from home. I don’t think that a great way of showing that is by popping someone with a mat fee that I’ve seen range from anywhere to $20 to $75. Also, I’m always happy to welcome a visitor to our gym. They typically have a different style than my guys and it’s fun to watch, and roll with them and see how the styles react with one another.

 

As far as the monetary gain, I can tell you that goodwill has a monetary benefit. I’m not sure how to quantify it into a dollar amount, but it’s worth something. Over the years I’ve had several students who became long term students under me because of things they heard from others. One in particular was a Navy seal who trained with us. At the time he was a purple belt, he’s now a black belt and has been back to the gym many times. During his first visit he trained with us for 2 weeks. We just waived any fee since he was only able to train here and there. Well, we welcomed him like one of our own. While working in Iraq he told several people who were moving to a nearby Army base about us. He raved about the atmosphere and the training. Several of these soldiers started training at the gym and have become terrific students and friends. I’m actually having brunch with one of them this Sunday. Too bad Peter W isn’t here to join! Pete if you’re reading this. We all miss ya brother!

 

Also, I take a certain sort of pride when a person pulls out their wallet and I tell them, “Don’t worry about it, we don’t do mat fees.”

 

This post is just a rant on my part. I hope it doesn’t come across as too whiny or anything like that. But If you’re reading this and you someday have a gym. Try and keep Jiu-jitsu first. Do what you have to do to make money and run the business, and offer such an awesome experience that people want to come back. But always keep the training and the people first.

 

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As always, thanks for reading,
Chewy

 

No Gi Triangle Choke From Closed Guard

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No Gi Triangle Choke From Closed Guard

I have plenty of students who have trouble adjusting to no gi after being primarily gi BJJ practitioners. In this video I show one of my favorite gi or no gi triangle choke setups. I also go into some of the details on how to finish the triangle choke.

As you’ll see in this video. Adjusting from the gi to the no gi isn’t as big of a deal as you might think. Most of it simply involves changing your grips.

Working more for over hooks and under hooks is a good start.

 

Give this no gi triangle choke a try. If it works, let me know. Leave a comment below or shoot me a message!

Chewy

 

Kill cravings for ice cream with frozen fruit

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So if you’re one of my students you know I’ve been raving about adding more fruits and veggies to my diet. Since doing so, I’ve done two things that I think are substantial. I’ve increased my already high level of energy throughout the day. Second, I’ve eliminated my cravings for sweets and pastries. No small task for a man who loves a sweet, flakey pastry with his coffee. The fruit is no doubt the culprit for the elimination of the sweet cravings.

 

One of my students said he made one of my smoothy recipes and that he really liked it, and asked if I would post another one. So, at his request, below is a recipe I’ve been using in place of something like ice cream. Honestly, I’ve come to enjoy it more than ice cream. It tastes amazing and it has the benefit of not making me feel like garbage after eating it.

 

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What you’ll need. . .

    • 1 frozen unsweetened acai brick (I bought a bunch of these at a local Meijer. It was on sale for 2 dollars cheaper than Whole Foods.)
    • ½ cup of frozen berries (I really like berry blends that have cherries included.)
    • Half a frozen banana (Freezing your bananas is a great idea if you get too many to eat or they’re getting close to going bad. You can then save them for a delicious treat.)
    • Stevia to taste (No need to overdo it on this one.)
    • ⅓ cup of water or any type of milk you’d like (I like unsweetened vanilla almond milk.)

 

 

How to make it. . .

 

  • Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend till it has a smooth consistency.
  • Done

 

After you’re finished, you’re left with this delicious purple mixture that is healthy and will satisfy that hankering you have for ice cream or dessert. Well, at least is does the trick for me. Keep in mind you can use any particular fruits you like in lieu of the acai and berries. I just think that the acai and berries happen to make a pretty kick ass combination.

 

Give it a try!

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Best BJJ books

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I get asked all the time about what are the best BJJ books to buy. Often times it’s from new students who want something to study when they get home, or by students who don’t have a ton of time. I’ve got nearly 20 different BJJ and grappling related books. One of which is a book called Dynamic Strength by Harry Wong. It was a mislead gift explaining the in and outs of developing strength for Kung Fu from a ex girlfriend. You can see why she became an ex.

There are two standouts amongst the pile of pages that sit in my office. They both highlight two different cornerstones of training.

 

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Jiu-Jitsu University by Saulo Riberiro with Kevin Howell

Most books fail to capture the intricacies of a technique, if they do they’re typically not plotted out very well and in most cases they don’t hit the whole spectrum of positions. Saulo’s book does a great job of giving tons of fundamental techniques from all of your standard positions. He also combines his technical knowledge with his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu philosophy. In addiiton he includes a breakdown of what it means to reach each belt, most of which I personally agree with. I think this is especially significant for newcomers. I’ve had this book since I was a 24 year old brown belt and I still reference this book as a 30 year old instructor. If you’re a beginner or even a more experienced practitioner looking for a good overall book to study. It’s hard to go wrong with Jiu-Jitsu University.

 

Drill To Win by Andre Galvo with Kevin Howell

This book really emphasizes the importance of drilling. Proper drilling is something I think many Brazilian Jiu-jitsu players lack. Often times they don’t know how to drill in the most efficient and effective way possible. If you watch a wrestler you’ll see them completely drenched after a drill session. Many times young BJJ practitioners with no previous grappling experience drill techniques slowly and in their entirety. Then after a few reps they default to rolling. In Andre’s book he demonstrates seemingly endless drills which combine techniques with lots of movement. He also illustrates the importance of drilling certain parts of a particular position or technique. Instead of drilling a full technique, many of the drills in the book advertise drilling broken up versions of their complete counterparts.

I personally bought this book in 2010 because I wanted to start becoming a more agile and mobile “big guy” opposed to being a smasher. I’ve always loved watching guys who were just all over the place. This book really helped me do this. Often times when I roll full speed with someone new, they’ll comment on how much I move for a big guy. Many of the drills in this book, as well as drills I’ve created for myself (which were inspired by this book), have helped make me a fast big guy.

By the way if you haven’t noticed yet, if you want to make a BJJ book. Kevin Howell is the cat to talk to.

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So if you are on the market for a book and you don’t own either of these. I would suggest picking them up. They’re great for overall technical development at almost any level. They’re both incredibly dense in information and don’t have a lot of fluff. Hope that helps all my guys in the gym, or anyone reading, with questions on which books they should look into.

 

Chewy

Guillotine Choke, Ezekiel and Darce from Turtle

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I’ve recently gone down that guillotine choke rabbit hole. This started a few months ago after watching several friends who use the technique with lots of success. It’s versatile, it’s quick and even if it fails, often times the opponent has to focus 100% on defense of the choke. This leaves them vulnerable and opens up lots of sweeps and other options.

In the video below I show a 3 choke series that starts from the turtle position and begins with the guillotine choke. I don’t dissect each technique piecemeal as I imagine most people are well aware of these techniques and know how to finish them. But I do show how you could attempt to chain them together.

If you do have any questions regarding the different techniques. Feel free to leave a comment.

Good luck with your head hunting.

-Chewy

 

IBJJF Bans Jumping Guard for White Belts

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Recently the IBJJF banned white belts from jumping guard in competition. I started competing in 2003 and I prefer less rules. I think less rules make it the game more fun and force people to stay current with all techniques. Not just those that will help them win a tournament.

But I understand what the IBJJF is doing. They’re following the sport of Judo in many ways. As the sport grows they are trying to increase safety for the individuals. With that in mind, this isn’t the most terrible rule they’ve come up with. Jumping guard isn’t the smartest idea for several reasons, regardless of belt, which I talk about in the video. Now if the IBJJF would start tackling the stalling issues, I’d be happy.

Morning Pre Training Smoothie

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Morning Pre Training Smoothie 

I got a question from one of my students in my “morning crew” the other day. He was curious what to eat for breakfast, even if he was in a rush or running behind to the gym.

Most of the time I prefer to eat eggs and veggies for breakfast and I generally like to wake up early enough to relax and enjoy a little time to myself. Because once I leave the house I’m busy and don’t get home till nearly 10pm. But if I don’t have the time to cook or just don’t feel like it, I’ll make a smoothie in the blender. It’s a fast way to take in everything I need to get me through a good morning session of BJJ or weight training. It also only takes a couple of minutes to make.

Keep in mind that this recipe has a fair amount of carbs. I wouldn’t make this recipe unless I was planning to work out in the morning. Also, if you’re wondering why I’m using the seeds and cacao in the smoothie, just do a search for health benefits of them. I don’t want to give you a long winded explanation about them as there are far more intelligent people who have written information on the subject.

Side note. A really good idea for bananas that are getting too ripe or going bad is to freeze them. Just peel, stick them in containers and stuff them in the freezer for a later day. They’re great for making homemade not-terrible-for-you ice cream and smoothies like the one below.

 

Cinnamon Vanilla Cacao Smoothie

What you’ll need. . .

-1 scoop of vanilla protein.

– 1/4 cup of chia seeds.

– 1/4 cup of hemp seeds.

– 1/4 cup of raw cacao.

– Half a frozen banana. A regular banana works too, but a I like the frozen ones better for smoothies.

– 1 tablespoon of honey.

– 1 tablespoon of almond butter.

– 2 cups of water or whatever type of milk you prefer. Use more for a thinner smoothie.

– Substitute ice in place of milk or water for a thicker, cooler smoothie.

 

Directions

1.Start by placing the chia seeds, hemp seeds and cacao into the blender. Blend till everything is broken up.

2. After the seeds and cacao are almost a grainy flour consistency. Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend till everything is mixed well and the smoothie is . . . well. . . smooth.

3. Drink and then get your ass to the gym.

 

Less sugar and carbohydrates

If you don’t plan to train soon after and want to lower the sugar and carbohydrate of the smoothie. Just remove the banana and the honey.

50 year old black belt training

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So I saw this video this morning of this 50 year old black belt rolling with a young BJJ purple belt world champion. As a newly 30 something, it’s encouraging to watch older guys still staying active and moving around on the mat. As I’ve gotten older I definitely have to take care of my body and be way more intelligent about the way that I train and who I train with.

If you watch the video there are definitely a couple of subtle lessons to be learned in respects to longevity.

1st. You don’t have to train like a mad man every single time your step on the mat.

2nd. You don’t have to crush your training partners every chance you get.

There are certainly times to turn up the intensity and push each other. But there is also a need to tone down your effort. If you’d like to have a long life in this sport and martial art.