You need to watch this perfume ad!
One of my student’s has been doing some work on the side. He recently got into the perfume business. Check out this video from one of his all natural fragrances!
Chewjitsu at Bellator
Last weekend I had the privilege of cornering my good friend Brent Weedman for his fight in Bellator. He did a fantastic job utilizing his stand up and ground arsenal. He pulled out a unanimous decision against a very tough fighter. Brent is an incredible guy and it was a great opportunity to help contribute to his success. The links are below!
http://www.spike.com/video-clips/b6g0x4/bellator-weedman-vs-zaromskis-act-1
http://www.spike.com/video-clips/usmr10/bellator-weedman-vs-zaromskis-act-2
http://www.spike.com/video-clips/5tbsq5/bellator-weedman-vs-zaromskis-act-3
Video highlight of the training in Palma.
This is a small highlight of the teaching and training while I was in Palma De Mallorca. I had the privileged of meeting and training with some great people.
Prepare for a BJJ Tournament
So thinking about competing? That’s fantastic! I am a competitor and encourage everyone who does BJJ to at least try a tournament or two. If you’ve never competed before, it can seem like a pretty nerve rattling thing. I know that I was absolutely terrified before my first wrestling match in high school. Then after that I was hooked on the thrill and the challenge of competing. Many of my students report the same nervous feelings before their matches and some of these guys are Pan Am and World champions. So don’t feel bad if you are a bit nervous leading up to your competition.
Being prepared is everything and being prepared removes a lot of the stress associated with a tournament. I have prepared a relatively short post about how to ready yourself for a tournament. This post is primarily for tournament newcomers but if you have competed before I hope that you find something helpful. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Also depending on how much time you have leading up to the event your options can change a bit. For this post I am going to target people who are around 6-8 weeks out from their competition.
Choosing a tournament
So you’ve decided to compete soon. Time to find a competition!
Things to consider when looking at competitions. . .
- Your current weight and the weight you wish to compete. Will you be able to get to this weight in time for the tournament?
- Are you in good shape now and are you able to be in proper condition when the tournament rolls around?
- Check and make sure that there are no other plans or events for that same day. (I have a bad habit of deciding to do a tournament on a weekend I’ve already agreed to other engagements.)
Techniques and game plan
Next, what are the techniques you plan to use? You need to come up with some sort of game plan for the tournament. In this game plan you will cover the techniques you plan to use in different situations. Keep it simple and cover the basics. You typically want to come up with a plan A and a plan B and outline your best escapes.
Remember also, that with 6-8 weeks or less to prepare, avoid adding in new sets of moves. Instead, stick to techniques that you are comfortable using and are able to execute well in training.
Below are the basics I would focus on when putting together your game plans. Essentially you want a plan for the top, a plan for the bottom and have your escapes ready to go. You can get more elaborate with it, but I would advise to keep things simple for newcomers.
Plan A = Your takedowns or person pulls guard on you, your guard breaks & passes, how you plan to get to a dominant position, the submission series you plan to use.
Plan B = You were taken down or pulled guard, how will you get to your preferred guard, your sweeping series, your submission series.
Misc = Outline all of your escapes and any other movements that aren’t covered above.
Leading up to the tournament
Your approach to the tournament is the MOST important part of your success come day of the competition. Every day that you waste or “take it easy” is one less day of preparation. Keep this in mind and stay focused.
Things to consider. . .
- Are you close to weight, if not it’s time to diet and lose a few for the tournament.
- Are there any gaps in your game plan or do you feel ill prepared in any aspect of your game? (i.e not having a proper mount escape or sweep to use).
- DRILL! With a game plan in place be sure to drill reps of your game plan techniques every day you train. You want to put a good amount of your focus on things like guard passing, sweeps and submissions. After drilling a move just 500-1000 times you will notice a sharp increase in its effectiveness.
- Don’t neglect your escapes and be sure to focus on any areas that you feel especially weak from.
- Give yourself at least 2 days of rest prior to the tournament. Some flow rolling or drilling is fine but nothing heavy. You need to let your body heal up.
- Consult your instructor with any questions or weaknesses you have.
Night before the competition
You want to make sure you have all your gear ready for tomorrow and relax.
Here are the things I would be sure to include. . .
- Gi and/or no gi gear. Don’t forget your belt! (True story. I forgot my belt for my first black belt tournament)
- Sweat pants or athletic pants and a hoodie to stay warm before and between matches.
- Headphones and mp3 player . . .Walkman if you’re really old.
- Snacks (fruits, protein shakes, or anything you can eat that doesn’t sit heavy on your stomach)
- Water and Coconut water (coconut water is a great hydrator, way better sports drinks)
- A camera if you have someone to take video and/or pictures
After your things are packed you need to get your mind off everything. To a first timer, someone still new to the tournament scene or someone with a big match. The night before can be filled with racing thoughts and anxiousness that keep you awake all night. Just remember you put the hard work in and are adequately prepared. Also, keep in mind that it is just a competition and the main thing is to have fun and enjoy the experience. Life will go on regardless of how you do.
If you are still having trouble settling down then go do something to take your mind off the ordeal. Go see a movie, read, hang out with friends/family, etc. Just something that is not necessarily related to the tournament and will allow your mind to chill out so you can get a good sleep.
Day of the competition
It’s the competition day! First things first. . . eat a good size / healthy breakfast. Make sure not to skip breakfast on this day, not that you ever should. Tournaments last all day so this may be your only full sized meal till after the tournament is over. Plus you will need the fuel for your matches.
Relax
Once you arrive at the venue just try and relax till it’s time to warm up. Headphones and music can help you relax by drowning out all the noise and allow you to think and focus on your match. Just be sure listen for your division to be called.
Visualize
While you are waiting around be sure to think about your techniques and moves. Visualize the matches in your mind and see yourself hitting the techniques that you outlined in your game plan. Be sure not to let your nerves bombard your psyche with negative thoughts like “what if my first match is against that super muscular guy I saw at weigh ins”, “I hurt my big toe last week and its still a little sore” , “I know lucky charms isn’t a healthy breakfast but it was in the kitchen and its all I had and and” . . . you get the idea. Erase the negative thoughts you might have stirring around in your head otherwise they can consume your thoughts. You’re here to put your skills on display. This depends on your ability to execute your moves, just focus on yourself and not your opponent so much. Unless you saw something he did and have a plan to use one of your techniques to beat him. (i.e you see a wrestler with great takedowns. You then plan to pull guard to deny him the takedown points and finish him with a triangle)
Warm up: Get Sweaty!
Once you’re within about 15-20 minutes from having your division called, it would be a good idea to get a warm up roll in with one of your gym mates. If you do not have a partner then simply do some calisthenics and movement drills till you get warm and loose. You want to make sure you get a nice sweat going. YOU NEVER WANT TO HIT THE MAT COLD!!!!!!!!!!! . . . . wait for it YOU NEVER WANT TO HIT THE MAT COLD!!!!!!!!!!! I know this is kind of overkill with the exclamation points but this is so important. I’ve had so many students perform poorly because they failed to warm up sufficiently. Just think about trying to roll in the gym without a good warm up.
During the matches
This is the moment you have prepared for and it’s time to do what you trained to do. My last advice is to open up and “play your game”. This sounds so simple doesn’t it? Yet during the match when we fear losing a position or giving up points. We hold ourselves back and fail to execute our games properly. I know I have been guilty of this. Not opening up and going after my moves because I was too hesitant and gave my opponent too much respect. You cannot be this way. Remember you trained incredibly hard for this and it’s all about you and your ability to execute your techniques on this person. Throw your hesitations aside and go after it. If it doesn’t work and you come up short when trying to execute, it’s far better than realizing you didn’t do anything you trained.
I wish you the best of luck on your tournament and remember . . . it’s just a tournament! Have fun!
1 thing every BJJ instructor and BJJ practitioner should always remember
So this weekend I had the pleasure of competing alongside my student and one of my coaches. We competed in Ohio at the American Grappling Challenge (formerly the Ohio Grappling Challenge) and we had a blast. We were in the main event which was 4 teams made up of 3 men each facing off with one another. Each team was composed of a mixture of purple, brown and black belts from some of the best schools in the region. The experience was a lot of fun and me and my guys were fortunate enough to come home as the winning team.
The best moment during this team tournament for me was watching my 17 year old purple belt go out and go toe to toe with a skilled black belt. He played a great game and ended up winning on points in a convincing manner. This was such a cool moment for me. I have been training with this kid since he was 11 year old. The transformation has been amazing to watch over the years, but its been a lot of hard work too.
Now whats the 1 thing we should all remember whether we are an instructor or practitioner?
Be persistent!
If you are a good instructor then you know that you are working a never ending job. I mean you can never get your students “too good” and the same goes for yourself. I personally work more hours now than I did when I worked in a office. I do a lot of work after the gym is quiet and the students have gone home. My classes only equate to around 1/3 of my actual work time. The other 2/3 of it goes towards the countless task I choose to tackle on any given week.Its all worth it when you see one of your students achieve something awesome. To see the result of your labor come to fruition in front of your eyes. Nothing feels quite like having one of your students do something great and knowing that you had a hand in that achievement. You helped another human do something amazing.This makes all the hours of labor worth it.
Persistence is important for any practitioner as well. The student I wrote about at the beginning of this post is Chad. The funny thing about Chad is that he had a terrible performance at the Gi Worlds last year. He had slacked in his training leading up to it and it showed. He was beaten in the first rd of a single elimination tournament and was sent home with nothing. Chad isn’t from some super affluent family either. All the fund raising and saving he had did leading up to that tournament amounted to nothing. Now he could have been discouraged and gave up on winning a big title like the Pans or Worlds, but he didn’t. We had a talk about his lack of training and he quickly kicked things in gear and ended up winning both the No Gi Pans and Worlds just a few months later.
So remember, whether you are a instructor or just a practitioner. . . DON’T GIVE UP! This sport can be difficult sometimes. You hit walls and feel like you’re getting worse, things interfere with training, your students aren’t grasping the techniques like you want, whatever it may be. Just remember that everyone encounters the relatively same hurdles. The overcome these obstacles by pushing on and continuing, even when things get tough. If you desire something that is worth having in BJJ or in life. Be prepared to work for it and be prepared to hit some speed bumps along the way.
Just know that every time you put forth a strong effort towards your goal, you’re inching just a little closer to realizing it.
Now enjoy a funny photo of us in ridiculous rash guards we bought for the team tournament.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Palma De Mallorca! (Part 3)
Dealing with gym separation
After several days of being separated from my gym and my friends I would be lying if I said I didn’t missed everyone. Being a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instructor means that being around my students and working out with them is what literally gets me out of bed in the morning. I find that among other things, one of the most amazing aspects about my job is all the fantastic people I get to interact with all day long. When I used to work in the corporate world there were always people that I disliked and couldn’t stand being around. The gym isn’t this way though. The atmosphere is so positive and I am happy and excited to be.
With this said, I was feeling a little glum while in Palma. I missed being in the mix with my guys. My poor girlfriend had to deal me with in this slightly grumpy state. Bless her heart for putting up with me. While I would send a Facebook message or email to keep in touch with everyone back home, I missed my second home. I have to say thanks to ABAMMA for helping me through this though, albeit inadvertently. Their close knit and super positive gym atmosphere, mixed with the fact that they were so accommodating really helped me deal with my time away from my friends back home. In fact, the atmosphere is was very similar to what I feel back at my gym.
Second Day of Training
On the second day of training I got to meet Issac who is the head of the gym. Again, just like everyone else, he was all smiles. When I stepped out on the mat he was in street clothes and informed me that he was not going to train because he was injured. When we began with the technique Issac was able to translate my technical explanations very well. This was great because with Issac able to translate the students were able to pick up on all the little nuisances that I was explaining.
Eventually it reached that time of class, the time to roll. I started my rolling with Javi again and we had a great roll. During this training session I opened up and went after submissions. I stilled flowed a bit and allowed movement, but now I was hunting for different submissions I have been working on. Since the guys knew I wasn’t there to simply beat on them I figured I could open up a bit and have fun. I was able to catch a few wristlocks and armlocks from some funky positions which always causes a “son of a. . . .” sort of laugh following the tap. The rolling session was fantastic and the guys were tough and aggressive. I also can’t stress enough how similar the demeanor of the rolls were compared to back home. Roll hard and go after it, but with a smile on your face. This is the best way to train in my opinion. Enjoy the human chess game we are engaged in, but still making sure to push one another.
Not all Rolls are created equal
The only reason I bring up the aspect of hard rolling is because I have been to gyms where hard rolling was sort of frowned upon. The instructor at the time would explain how hard rolling causes you to miss the technical side and the true essence of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Now, I will agree that techniques can give way during a hard roll but this is a part of learning how to apply a technique properly. I mean what is the use of having a slick move if you cannot apply it?
Can’t fight the urge
So . . . funny side story that will kind of reveal Issac’s true colors. At some point during the technique portion of class Issac slipped into his kimono. He said it was disrespectful to be in street clothes while we were on the mat teaching. I am not really a strict traditionalist but I understood what he meant. Then once the rolling started he reminded me again that he couldn’t roll. He cited a neck injury that he had sustained a week prior during a training session. Well, like any devoted BJJ player who has been bitten by the “bug” (as its commonly called) his good sense gave way to his urge to get on the mats with someone new. Obviously, resting his body and allowing it to heal would be the best thing for him. No sense in getting hurt just to get one roll in, right? Well that good sense is no match for a BJJ practitioners urge to train. Issac asked if I would roll as soon as I was done with Javi. I of course agreed to and we had a good flowing roll. I would move swiftly through positions that didn’t put much strain on his neck. Whenever we would hit a position that seems to put a bit of pressure on his neck I would ease up. The roll went well, we exchanged technique and his injury wasn’t furthered. A win win and this is a good example of when to use a lighter style of rolling.
I thought it was funny because I’ve been in Issac’s position many times before. You are pained with a nagging injury that’s not too bad to keep you off the mats but still prevents you from a full roll. Then a skilled guy from out of town drops in at your gym. I mean you can’t not roll. . . right? I am glad that I could get a little roll in with him while I was there.
Another funny story
So I met this Polish guy named Rafal during my second training session. We spoke after class a bit about training and random stuff, and somehow it came up about what he did for work. He shared that he worked at a rental place. Cars, bikes, etc . . . anything you need to rent while vacationing on the island. Well later that evening I just so happened to get an email telling me that my request for a rental car had been denied because the model I requested was unavailable. Well I guess this was fate’s way of rearing its head into the mix. I ended up messaging Rafal on Facebook and later that day I picked up a rental car that ended up being 1/3 of the price of the other places, so it worked out really well. This was a huge, because we needed a rental car to get to Torrent de Mortitx which was one of the big highlights of the trip. We also went sight-seeing around the island. Big thanks to Rafal, and if you are ever in Palma check out Q-10 rentals. They have great prices and fantastic service.
Anyways, I must say that my expectations were exceeded while training at ABAMMA. The guys were beyond friendly. I was able to train about 4 times while I was there and I was very satisfied with the training. This helped me stay in relatively good shape while I was away on vacation and I am grateful for their kindness. I hope that I can train with them in the future sometime, I hear the summers in Palma are spectacular.
So, this blog lacked any sort of clear defined structure and was a grouping of things relating to my experience training in Palma. I hope it wasn’t too hard to follow. Thanks for reading it and I’ll post a short video showing some of the training from the trip.
Successful wrist lock in competition!
So I was sitting and preparing myself to coach my students when one of the tournament officials came to me to with a question. His question was if I would compete against another black belt in a superfight of sorts. Well I was jet lagged and was running on about 5 hours of sleep but as soon as one of my students said, “come on Chewy” I had no other choice.
I slapped on my gi, borrowed a belt from my friend James Clingerman and here is the match.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Palma De Mallorca! (Part 2)
Interesting fact about buying a Shoyoroll in Palma compared to the United States. It is crazy expensive, and I mean crazy expensive! A Shoyoroll kimono in America costs about 170ish US dollars after taxes and shipping. At the moment the current conversion rate for the Euro in Spain is around 1.4 to the U.S Dollar. This would translate the 170 dollars in to 238 Euros. Not to bad right? Well unfortunately there are different shipping regulations and taxes here. After shipping costs and taxes the final cost of a Shoyoroll kimono shipped to Palma comes to be . . . *drum roll* . . . about 2000 Euros!!! I know, its crazy! Anyways . . .
Today I finished another training session at ABAMMA in Palma and the overall experience has been fantastic. The guys there are very friendly and have a close knit atmosphere.
First day on the mats in Spain
When I arrived the first day I was greeted by Javi which was who I had talked to over the internet the most. He gave me a big hug when I walked in and showed me around the gym. Everyone was very respectful and friendly, each one making it a point to come up and shake my hand once I was on the mat.
Did the language barrier cause a problem when teaching techniques?
After the class began we did some normal warm up drills and then jumped into some technique. As I started to teach I was a bit nervous at first. I was thinking about the language barrier and I thought of the lack of communication I would have while showing the moves. Really though, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it might be. While I had worried that my inability to vocalize an accompaniment for the visual instruction would cause the students to miss out on valuable details. This turned out to be no problem because everyone was attentive, possessing proficient ability and the guys took hold of the movements very easily. I made sure move around the mat to manually make the necessary corrections once they were drilling the techniques. All in all, I believe it rather smoothly overall.
Time to roll!
After the technique portion of class we began the rolling. Like I suspected, since there is a high ratio of competitors, everyone rolled very hard. Not hard in a “spaz” sort of way, but rather by putting forth a lot of effort into the rolls. I started the rolling session with Javi and then went with anyone that wanted go. During the first day of training I didn’t do any submissions. I did this because it was my goal to train and make friends while here, not to prove I’m the best and crush every person I rolled with. Instead, I would keep a fast pace and focus on a few specific movements during each roll and would release any submission I had secured. I guess you could think of it as a sort of “catch and release” style of rolling. I would give whoever I was rolling with an opening and then move from there, trying to execute my techniques. I do this with my students at home as well. This style of rolling offers a few benefits in that it allows me to get a lot “active drilling” on moves I am perfecting, it gives a great cardio workout because we keep moving continuously, and I get to help further the less experienced student by offering them opening and giving them opportunities to execute techniques . Once we reached the end of class steam was coming off my body and my gi was significantly heavier from soaking up the perspiration during the training.
A great first experience at a BJJ gym in another country. I will post more about the training here and wrap things up a bit. I also plan to post a little video up as well.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Palma De Mallorca! (Part 1)
So, I am sitting inside the airport at Barcelona waiting for my last flight which will take me to Palma. This is my first time outside of the country and while I obviously knew that life existed outside of my “bubble”. I have never been to a place, where, I didn’t speak the language, wasn’t familiar with the customs and felt . . . not out of place, but rather, completely foreign. The experience is really interesting. I am finding it enjoyable to see what life outside of the “American Way” is like. Little subtleties make it interesting and new, while as a whole everything is essentially the same thing as back home. For example . . . we drink coffee in the U.S and they drink coffee here as well. However, they call it café and its espresso. When we meet someone new in the states we introduce ourselves and make friendly gestures. They do the same here, but add in kisses to the sides of the face.
The main reason for my trip is to see my girlfriend, whom is teaching English in Palma. However, this blog is about BJJ and my experiences with it so I will focus on that, instead of my girlfriend or caffeine addiction abroad.
Training on my travels
I believe at some point I told my girlfriend that whenever I take trips or vacations I always like to get some training in, if possible. Being the super cool chick that she is, she contacted a local BJJ gym for me and helped me set everything up so that I could train while I am in Palma. I spoke with Javi and Issac from ABAMMA over Facebook and they both seem really nice and enthusiastic about training, which is good. Another plus is that their gym is a competition gym and is currently preparing for the European Open which will be taking place next month. I say this is a plus because competition gyms are where I feel the most comfortable because I can train hard without offending someone and I can get a great workout. Another bonus is that they are allowing me to train for free! While I believe that letting a traveling black belt train for free is beneficial for the gym and should be common practice, sometimes it isn’t. Since they have been so gracious to open their gym doors and take the time to speak to me I offered to teach a class or two while I am in Palma, and they accepted. I will go over some of the tried-and-true tournament techniques and drilling that work so well for my guys back home. Hopefully the techniques will serve them well next month.
The language barrier
The teaching aspect will be fun and while they do speak some English I am sure there will be a bit of a language barrier. When I am teaching I will definitely have to focus on excellent visual demonstration of the technique to help make up for it. However, this is my first time teaching a group of people whose primary language is not English so who knows. Maybe the language barrier won’t pose much of a challenge as I presume. One thing that is certain is that once rolling starts . . . the language barrier is gone. After we engage in a roll we will essentially be using the same language. Not our verbal language, but rather our body language, the expression of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. At this point, it doesn’t matter what we call the techniques or how we pronounce letters and words. All that matters is that we are fighting for guard passes, sweeps, dominant positions and an eventual submission. This isn’t something that is in need of understanding one another’s speech.
Anyways, my flight is about to board so I have to cut this off. I will post this on the blog later on once I get settled in Palma. I’ll post about the experience I have at ABAMMA.
A training weekend with an old friend
A training weekend with an old friend
This weekend I was fortunate to train with my friend Tim Sledd at his gym in Bedford, In. Tim is a Atos black belt and is just one those really good guys you meet in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Anytime I am around him he just seems to spew out positive energy and encouragement. We first met one another in 2006 at a small tournament here in Louisville, Ky. He was actually my first match as a purple belt and I still remember how strong his grip felt the first time we locked up. When I pulled away to break the grip my gi gave before his grip did. I heard a ripping sound and looked down to see a tear in my lapel. After this we had a great match and have been friends since. Periodically we talk, and here and there we‘ve able to squeeze in a training session together. Although I have to admit, now that his gym is closer I will probably make the trip more often.
Jiu-jitsu in a small town
While my students and I were driving through Bedford we couldn’t help but notice that it is quite a small town. Not that there is anything wrong with this, but I find it awesome that nowadays you can find highly trained instructors even in rather small towns. Tim and I spoke about this and how it’s a far cry from the days when we began our Jiu-jitsu journey. Back when we started, if you would have told someone that there were going to be two accomplished black belts training in the area, well. . . it would have been a big event! Now you have two black belts meeting up with their students casually for a nice training session as if it was no big deal.
We eventually arrived at Tim’s gym which was situated in what I assume to be kind of the downtown district of the area. All the buildings were made of brick and had the “window store” style appearance from the outside. His gym was easy to spot as the Small Axe BJJ symbol was displayed on the gym door, oh and because the windows of the gym were fogged up from the activity inside. This is always a good sign in my book. Once inside I figured out why the windows were so foggy. . . it was a sauna inside! The heat belching out of the air vents combined with the heat of bodies in motion made for a nice muggy, steamy training session. He was a great host to me and my students and we all enjoyed the techniques he covered. I had never seen some of the details that he showed so I was sure to write them down in my BJJ journal. The rolling went really well and when it was time to step off the mat there were pools of sweat to remind us of the effort we had just put out.
After the training session when my students and I got a bite to eat, we all talked about the great experience we had. The rolling was good, Tim showed some very solid techniques, and we learned a lot from the training.
BJJ Guys
One of the things I love about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, is the people you meet. I’ve met so many awesome human beings over the years. Some of them didn’t even speak much English which posed a problem for holding conversation, but that didn’t stop us from forming a bond through training.
Tim is no exception and he is a person whom I have a good deal of admiration for. He seems to have a good balance in his life which is something I don’t possess quite yet. He is able to balance training, running a gym, having a demanding job and being a devoted father and husband to his family. This is no easy task!
Stay humble
Not all BJJ practitioners have such an endearing reputation though. Some tend to have a negative attitude fueled by their disrespect to others or arrogance, and this creates a less than favorable presence around others.
Now, if you are a seasoned BJJ practitioner then you are already aware of the great relationships you build through this sport. If you are a new comer to this sport then you will see as you continue your journey, the life changing relationships you will make along the way. That is of course, If you stay humble and respectful. The sport would be incomplete if you removed the amazing bond between its participants. But the only way to foster this bond and these relationships is to stay humble and respectful. To be blunt, no one wants to train with or be around an arrogant dick who is full of himself and rubs it in people’s face when he taps them out. Remember there is way more to this sport than being the bad ass on the mat ripping people’s limbs off.
So stay humble and respectful, this way you can get the full benefit of the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu experience. Remember, its more than just tapping people out.
