Harari quote

Why I don’t let students say “I suck” in training

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One of my favorite chapters inside a book is chapter 2 of Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari.
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In this chapter he outlines the basic idea (that flows throughout the whole book) that one of the most powerful things human beings can do is. . .
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Tell fictional stories that create an imagined reality we all agree upon.

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In times of old these were things like myths, legends and the birthright of kings. Today, these are things such as corporations, the idea of nation states and citizens and even the worth of paper money (or numbers on a screen these days).

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All of which was created and exists in our minds via stories we agree on.

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Now these stories are in a constant flux, changing as new events happen and new pressures force them to adjust.

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But this idea that stories create an imagined reality, which if we agree on it exists a force on reality is a powerful idea for your life on and off the mats. ​
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I know this from personal experience.
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When I was younger I used to tell myself stories of who I was that were far smaller than the truth. (This is why I don’t allow students to say “I suck.” It’s a bad story that isn’t true.)

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I carried around a certain level of guilt, shame and feelings of being unworthy that weren’t based on reality, but my perception of reality and the stories I told myself.

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These days, it’s a completely different situation.
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Through the simple process of taking action in certain areas, exercising a little discipline and using things like affirmations the stories that float around in my noggin are much different.

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And these stories contribute to all the success I’ve had on and off the mat.
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Here’s a few takeaways from the Chewster about stories. . .

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  1. Stories are important. Since the stories you tell yourself become a kind of reality, they’re really really important. You should be aware of them and exercise control over them consciously.
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  2. Stories are completely changeable. Just like everything in life, change is the constant. They’re not set in stone and you should work to change the stories that have a negative impact on you.
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  3. If you want to change the stories. It’s not just something you do with just thoughts. Action is needed. It’s hard to keep up the story if you keep piling up evidence that proves otherwise.

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If you’d like to check out the book, below is a link to it on Amazon.

​https://amzn.to/3quwfrC​
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I could go on for a long time talking about this idea. But I think you catch my drift. Just an idea to chew on and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

-Chewy

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flexible guard passing

Blue Belt Struggling with Guard Passing Against Flexible People in BJJ

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In today’s BJJ technique video I share an idea on passing flexible people with the double under pass. The question comes from Rob who is struggling to finish the pass during his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training.
I give two different options for using the double under pass (sometimes called the double stack pass) on flexible guard players who are able to bend backwards without much issue. The pass starts off in the most basic way that many of you have probably learned and practiced since you were a White Belt.
The 1st one is an option I used successfully recently in competition. The 2nd option is one that changes the pressure up higher on the shoulders and the neck which negates the flexible muscles in their back and hips.
If you’re trying to use this pass in BJJ then I hope it’s helpful to you.
-Chewy
Here’s a more detailed video of how to do the back take I show in the video: https://youtu.be/3TgVQ-rmS8w
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If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville,KY.

My small unathletic White Belt swept someone 80lbs heavier

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Want to know what makes me the happiest as a BJJ coach?
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Watching a student hit a new technique that I KNOW I taught him. It’s the best!

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And that happened yesterday, let me tell ya the story.

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I have this young kid we’ll call Reginald.

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Reginald started training with me in June after getting jumped. He’s not ultra athletic or anything but he’s dedicated and has grit.
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Well, yesterday Reginald was rolling with a newer White Belt who outweighed him by about 80lbs. During the roll he immediately shot in to half guard with the outside hook and hit the Foot Grab sweep. And during the 6 minute roll he hit the same sweep several times.

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I was pumped because we have been drilling half guard for the last 2 weeks and it was awesome to see him put the techniques into action. Against a much larger person no less.
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Although I’m not surprised since half guard is my go-to position against bigger people.
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And if you’d like to learn the exact style of half guard I use and teach my students then just press the link down below and I’ll teach you the ways of the Jiu-Jitsu Sweeper.
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​www.Chewjitsu.net/Sweeper

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One takeaway to end our little BJJ chat this morning is that I’ve also watched Reginald fail miserably at the same sweep.
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And maybe that’s what made it even better. Watching him fail, keep at it and then finally hit it. Because those are transcendent moments that carry over into everything else.
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I hope that no matter what you do on or off the mat you do the same.
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Hope you have an amazing weekend. Chat with you Monday.

-Chewy

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Failure email pic

I’m a big pile of steaming hot failures

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Was dabbling around on Instagram yesterday responded to a young guy.

 

He said,
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“Why do people get caught up on if they get tapped in practice lol that’s the point”
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Now it’s easy to wag the finger at someone who’s struggling with failure. But we all go through it at some point don’t we? I know I sure as hell did.

 

My response to this message was . . .

 

Because we are conditioned to believe that if we aren’t successful at something then it was a waste. 

 

But success is usually built upon a pile of failures.  

 

And this is an important lesson on and off the mats.

 

Now perhaps you have a better track record than the Chewster and success has just come effortlessly to you. But it didn’t for me.

 

I didn’t get serious about the business side of running a gym till the gym almost folded back in 2010. It was a nice smack in the face to wake me up.

 

My first videos on Youtube sucked and didn’t get watched.

 

On the mats I lost my first ever grappling match. Got smashed for years in high school wrestling and struggled early on in BJJ.

 

And each one of my best techniques was sharpened with 1 failure after another.

 

Like my highest percentage takedown. The arm drag to inside trip.

 

I started using the technique with a little success. Then people figured it out and it started failing.  I didn’t give up on it though. Instead, I kept adjusting and making mistakes till I developed a new setup that worked like crazy.

 

In fact, if I can get the particular wrist control I use I’ve only missed the takedown once in competition. Not bad if you ask me.

 

And if you’re a member of my Wrestling for BJJ course. I just added this stealthy “thumb up, thumb down” setup to the arm drag to inside trip inside the “Chewy’s Takedown System” section yesterday. So roll on over and check it out.

 

If you’re not currently a member and would like to get your grippers on the setup along with the other tried and true takedowns specifically for BJJ then press ze link below.

 

 

To wrap this one up today. Treat failure as a normal part of growth so you can learn from it and crack open the lessons to be had.

 

Just an idea to chew on.
-Chewy
BJJ at home

How to Setup a 1 Hour BJJ Training Session from Home / Open Mat

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Can you train yourself effectively in BJJ from home or with open mats?

While I am always a proponent for training with a teacher, someone who has more knowledge than you do, it can still be beneficial to supplement your BJJ training with work from home or with a partner during an open mat.

Our friend Mike from the U.K said that he and his friend who is a fellow Brazilian Jiu-jitsu practitioner are only able to make the gym 1-2 days a week max.

So because of this he was wondering if there would be a benefit to doing some Brazilian Jiujitsu training from home with his buddy, and if there are any tips I could give.

In this video I outline a basic 1 hour (active time) BJJ drilling and training session. Focused on specific areas with BJJ techniques that someone already knows. It starts with drilling then situational rolling.

I also add in one of the most common mistakes I see people make when they come into the gym or get together for a drilling session at home. The mistake I talk about will eat away at the potential time for good purposeful work.

So if you’re planning on drilling or training from home. I hope this video is useful to you!
-Chewy

If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville, KY.

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Bjj Clock Chokes

Increase Finishing Power with Bjj Clock Chokes (Focus On 1st Grip)

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I got a question about different types of submissions that can be used from the Turtle position in BJJ. So in today’s video I show the tried and true Clock Choke. But as you’ll see in the video. I place a huge amount of importance on the 1st grip you acquire.

In this video I also clip in a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu match I had back in 2017 where I used this principle. I got the finishing grip very quickly and while my body was moving all over the place I was still able to finish the choke at the end.

I wanted to show this because a lot of times people fail to recognize the importance of getting strong grips early on. They think about the choke, the finish but forget that strong grips setup the finish.

Hope this video is helpful to you!
-Chewy

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Sacrifice Throw

My Modified Sacrifice Throw Saved Me At The Last Minute (No Gi BJJ Match In 2013)

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This match is from way back in 2013 at a time when I was still a young Black Belt. When watching the match you’ll see I struggled a ton early on to get my game going against a tough opponent.

This competition was at a team based competition in 2013 for the AGC. You’ll see in the match my opponent was a fellow Black belt and super quick Wrestler. He was able to score on me right out of the gate and dominate position for much of the match. Luckily I changed some things in my focus through the match that helped me secure the win. My sacrifice throw / butterfly guard pull that I used saved me in this one. And at the end of the match I was exhausted.

At the end if you listen closely you’ll hear me say “why does it take me 5 minutes to get my game going” and this was because I used to be a slow starter. This is in complete contrast to now where I typically start matches off very fast and aggressive.

You’ll also hear my training partners scream for submission. This is because we were doing a team tournament where submission wins were 3 points and point wins were 1 point for the team. So we really wanted the submission.

If you’d like to see more matches like this one with along with narrated breakdowns check out my Chewjitsu Vault at: www.Chewjitsu.net/Vault

This is where I focus on all sort of deeper techniques and lessons related to BJJ.

Hope you enjoyed the video!
Thanks for watching.

-Chewy

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Wrestling

BJJ Black Belt Struggling to Sweep 2X National Wrestling Champion

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This BJJ rolling session was from the last no gi class I had before the quarantine. During the rolling you’ll see me roll with Brandon who is a 2X NAIA college wrestling champ not to mention he’s an absolute powerhouse of a human being.

Another big bummer about this whole lock down thing is that I was looking forward to having Brandon in the gym more often since wrestling season was over. And you can see him starting to try to engage from off his back which is good. If he ever has time to stick with Brazilian Jiujitsu it’s going to be scary.

You can check out some more videos of Brandon’s on his channel at: https://www.youtube.com/user/brandon44999 or just search Brandon Reed wrestling.

When you watch us roll you’ll see us doing situational rolling. Top person works for a submission or pass and bottom person works for the sweep. I struggled with Brandon’s base and balance and even if I got a sweep he quickly recovered his position. Also, I had to quickly switch from full guard, butterfly guard and half guard to try and find a position to work from.

This is one of the most valuable reasons you should roll with wrestlers when you get the chance. They don’t engage in the way Brazilian Jiu-jitsu players do and so it’s a great test to see how your BJJ works against someone of a different grappling style.

My other roll was with Stephen who is a young MMA fighter who wrestled in high school. He’s super scrappy and I’m excited to see how he develops once we get back to training.

If you’re wondering at the end I tap because I was stuck in a rough neck crank and wasn’t getting out. My neck was already a little funny that day so I tapped. When you roll I’d encourage you to be intelligent and do the same.

Also if you’re stuck at home and need some help with exercise, workouts or tips for preparing your BJJ for when you return.

Visit: https://www.chewjitsu.net/time-off

And get my free at home training guide.

Hope you enjoyed the video and I hope you and your family are well!

Thanks for watching.
-Chewy

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focus for each belt

Philosophy and Expectations for White to Black Belt In BJJ

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In this clip I talk about my expectations and what each of the 5 belt in BJJ mean to me. I explain what I would encourage people to focus on as a White Belt, Blue Belt, Purple Belt, Brown Belt and Black Belt.

Keep in mind these are my ideas and philosophies on BJJ training and if belts didn’t exist you could replace them with certain periods of experience.

Hopefully the video is helpful for you and your won path in Brazilian Jiu-jtisu.

the full podcast is available on all podcast platforms or you can check it out at www.thechewjitsupodcast.com.

Thanks to our podcast sponsors:

Charlotte’s Web CBD. Head over to www.charlottesweb.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase.

Epic Roll BJJ. Check out www.epicrollbjj.com and use the promo code Chewjitsu to get 15% off of your total purchase.

-Chewy
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Grappling Dummies

Grappling Dummies Are Still A Waste (Even During Quarantine)

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I made a video about grappling dummies about 3 years ago where I said they were a waste of time and money. Well recently because of the quarantine and lockdown most of us are experience I’ve gotten a lot of comments on that video. Most of the comments are something to the effect that, “Are grappling dummies still a waste now that we can’t roll?”

Now while everyone has their own opinion on this think I absolutely stand by my stance. You can roll with that grappling dummy till you’re blue in the face your Brazilian Jiu-jitsu abilities are still going to get worse. Just how it is.

But I believe there are other areas you could focus on that would be far more useful. So in the video I list 4 other things you could focus on, besides a grappling dummy, that I think will help you when you get back to BJJ training in the future.

Those 4 things are:
– Diet
– Stretching and strengthening exercises
– Meditation
– Watching videos

Focusing on those 4 things would be far superior for preparing a person’s physical and mental abilities when it’s time to come back to training.

Now all of that said, if you really like your grappling dummy then rock it out. I’m replying back to comments and if you enjoy it then good for you.

But from my experience over 20 years I see very few people actually use their grappling dummy with any real consistency. And without consistency you shouldn’t expect results.

Thanks for watching the video.
-Chewy

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