BJJ Belts shouldn’t be worthless

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I’m stingy with belt promotions. The dyed piece of cotton that is tied around my waist everyday means something very special to me and I want it to mean something to my students. Every year I see the martial art and sport that sucked me in 11 years ago get watered down. It’s painful and frustrates me. The belt that rests on my waist is a representation of years of constant effort, sacrifice and training, and to see someone receive a high level belt haphazardly is an insult me, and to everyone whose worked so hard to wear those colors. I suppose this is just the inevitable evolution right? People sell out belts for money and allow people to receive undeserved promotions just to keep them in an affiliation or to keep them paying their gym dues. Well I refuse to join in on this unfortunate trend.

Last night I had the privilege of promoting 4 of my students (Thomas Jones, Akiya Johnson, Kevan Avery and Peter Wang). These men have paid their dues and are worthy of wearing their new belts. I’m proud of all of them as they each have faced unique obstacles along the way. Enjoy the new journey that awaits you.
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Remember guys. You don’t have to hand out belts to have strong and well developed BJJ program. You just have to train hard, be dedicated and most importantly, be genuine. Let your Jiu-jitsu speak for itself. Don’t be a sell out.

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To be new, is to be a spaz

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Dear new white belt . . . new spazzy white belt. Rolling with you can be incredibly dangerous, as your style of Jiu-jitsu is an ad hoc mixture of basic full guard and passing principles mixed with a combination elbows, head-butts and knees. You’ll bust lips, leave bruises and say “sorry” more than you ever thought possible in an attempt to piece together some semblance of fluid Brazilian Jiu-jitsu technique. You probably feel clumsy and slightly self-conscious because you realize your clumsy nature and inability not to injure your training partners on the mat. You may have even been scorned by a higher belt at some point for your jerky nature. I feel your pain and know your plight. New Spazzy White Belt, I used to be you. Every black belt, used to be you.

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Visitors in the gym

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Over the years we’ve had many people stop in to train while they’re visiting Louisville or passing through for work. Without fail these visitors always tell me of the high level of training and the overall welcoming atmosphere of the gym. Being the head coach, this is a huge compliment for me. I’ve been training for years and have been involved or seen several BJJ programs in action. Many of them had things I liked and other things I didn’t like. When I become the head instructor back in 2009 my goal was to make a gym that provided hard nosed training in an open and positive environment. The kind of place where the training is tough and you go after it, but where you take care of your teammates and help them improve as well. So, when a visitor who has no vested interest in me or my gym comes and trains and leaves with a great experience, well, that lets me know I am on the right track with my coaching. Here is the most recent message I received from a GI who was visiting Fort Knox on Army related work.


“Coach, Nick, “chewy” I just wanted to thank you for the time I had at Derby City MMA. You and all of your students were very welcoming and provided top notch instruction. I had to come back home earlier than I expected but I just wanted to thank you for everything.

Josh Casto”

I did an interview for the BJJ Brick Podcast. . . here it is.

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So here is the interview I did for the BJJ Brick podcast.


Interview

Don’t get frustrated on the mats (5 tips to help)

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In my experience and through my student’s I find that people seem to get frustrated after they’ve had some success on the mats. Initially in our training we just accept that we’re going to get beaten over and over again. Then as we get better we start to raise the bar and our expectation for ourselves. Then it happens, we have an off day and we fall below this expectation we’ve set. The guy we controlled yesterday is all over us today. Last week we did 5 rounds and still had energy and today we were gasping for air after 2. We get off the mat frustrated and irritated. I’ve even seen some guys even lose sleep over it.

I’ve had several days like this over the years. Most of them I can directly attribute to diet. I remember once eating a greasy sandwich around 2pm and then feeling like I had a brick in my stomach at 8pm during rolling. I seriously felt like I couldn’t move. At one point I remember being inside my partner’s guard just staring at him, frustrated. Normally I could blow past his guard. During this roll I couldn’t even break it. Needless to say after training that night I was just fuming. This is back almost 9 years ago. Then there were days where my training partner was just on, he was feeling it that day and I wasn’t. The absolute worst cases for me came when I would get frustrated during a roll or match and would become angry. Not angry at my partner but at myself. Kind of like, “Why am I sucking so badly today!?” These are the worst because if you lose your mental composure during a roll or match, it’s hard to regain it. I’ve found that the more irritated or frustrated I become, the sloppier I get.

There are lots of reasons as to why you might have an off day. Below I’ve written 5 things to consider or remember to help prevent the frustration we might experience from a training session where we didn’t perform at our best. You can prevent some bad performances but it’s impossible from preventing all of them. You’re going to have a rough day on the mat at some point. Just keep in mind that there aren’t bad days in the gym. Yeah, you may have been beaten and performed well under your normal ability, but that was still time in the gym. You were still healthy and able to train and even if you don’t feel like it, you’re growing and progressing as a BJJ practitioner. Sometimes more than you know.

 

 

  1. Bad food – Diet is huge for training. You’re asking your body to perform like a high performance vehicle. High performance vehicles require high performance fuel. Think of your body like a machine and give it what it needs. Good nutrition is crucial for getting the most out of your training.
  2. Stay hydrated – Dehydration has to be the no. 1 reason I see people become sluggish in the gym. I know it’s my main reason. Sometimes we just get side tracked with things throughout the day and we don’t get properly hydrated. Make sure to drink lots of water throughout the day and coconut water before training isn’t a bad idea. Especially when it warms up in the summer. Performance suffers from even a minor amount of dehydration. Oh and on the subject of liquids. Stop drinking sugary energy drinks! They’re garbage and they aren’t good for you. If you need a pick-me-up, grab an espresso.
  3. Don’t be a dick – If you are surrounded by tough guys that push you and are competitive on your best days, then you have to expect that on some days they are going to have your number. To be honest, it’s kind of rude to come in to the gym with an air of superiority. Like you are somehow better and shouldn’t lose to one of your training partners, or that once you progress past them that they will not be able to catch up. Don’t be a dick. If you lose to you training partners, even if you beat them all over the mat yesterday, just accept it and move on. If you have any reoccurring themes or mistakes, pin point them and fix them
  4. Lower Belts – Something to also keep in mind is that the lower the belt level, the worse the bad days are. Once you are a higher belt you typically possess a nice buffer of skill to fall back on if you are just not feeling it. For example, even if I feel like crap I can still control a blue belt pretty easily. But if you are a blue belt and you are off, you won’t have that same amount of skill and you probably won’t fare so well against the same blue belt that I controlled so easily.
  5. Calm Down – If you find yourself getting flustered you need to calm yourself. If you get frustrated to the point that you mentally break and just get angry, you’re cooked. You’re breathing will become sporadic and you’ll often just expend lots of energy with no results which will only lead to more irritation. If you find yourself getting to that point, get up and take a deep breath and a water break, and then come back. If this happens during a match or roll, take a deep breath and talk yourself down mentally. Remember that getting angry won’t help you escape that tough spot you’re in or anything for that matter. You must keep your composure in BJJ. If you cannot control the mental you’ll fail with the physical.

 

I hope some of this stuff helps if you’re having an off day. I know these things have helped me and have helped my students over the years.

 

As always,

Thanks for reading!

Chewy

Brabo Choke Series From Side Control

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A 2 part choke series using the brabo grip from side control. It starts with a brabo choke and then leads to a few other attacks and controlling possibilities from the position.

4 Ways To Deal With Anxiety In BJJ Tournaments

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4 Ways To Deal With Anxiety In BJJ

 

 

My first competitive match in a one on one sport came back in 2000. Even though that was nearly 14 years ago I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was terrified. I didn’t feel like I was going out to wrestle, I felt like I was going out to my execution. Have you ever felt like this before a BJJ tournament?

 

 

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About 3 years and well over 100 wrestling matches later, I had my first BJJ match. I had been training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu at this time for around 2 weeks and was given a crash course in the rules of the tournament 2 days before the competition. You’d think that the years of wrestling competitions would get rid of the nerves before a match, but it didn’t. I was still very anxious and my mind found itself in its normal irrational state, where the only thing I could focus on was the next match. Maybe it was because BJJ was new to me?

 

 

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But, last year was no different. While I was warming up at various tournaments, regardless of whether it was a local tournament or a big IBJJF competition, I felt the nerves. It might come as a surprise to some, that after 13 years of competition under my belt I’m still not free of the pre match anxiety. But I’m not and I’ve actually grown accustomed to, and in a strange way, I sort of enjoy them. It kind of makes me feel alive.

 

A lot of BJJ practitioners have never done a one on one sport before.

Competition is something that is deeply entrenched within Brazilian Jiu-jitsu culture and many newcomers, in my experience, have never competed in a one on one sport. Because of this a lot of practitioners have never learned how to deal with the nerves before a match.  A common question I get from students is,”how do I get rid of the nerves before a match?” They always seem so surprised when I say you don’t and that I still get nervous.

 

The tournament I didn’t have any pre match jitters

I remember only one tournament where I didn’t get my pre-match jitters. I had just finished 3 MMA fights and when I got to the tournament I just felt super relaxed. I didn’t have my customary bubble guts (In case you’ve never heard the term, I’m talking about that funny feeling in your stomach). I came in with the outlook of “no matter what happens, I’m not getting punched in the face.” Needless to say, that tournament didn’t go so well. When I got out on the mat I was just flat and lacked that urgency needed to win a competitive match. I’ve lost matches before, but during this match. . . It’s hard to explain. I’ve been beaten plenty of times but I’ve never felt unable to fight back. This was, by far, the worst performance I can remember, ever.

 

 

Some nerves are good

You definitely wouldn’t want to get rid of your nerves completely. Your body can do some super beneficial stuff for performance when it’s stressed. But I get it, being nervous isn’t enjoyable. I remember early on in my grappling career I used to want the same thing. I thought no nerves would be helpful.  Now I understand that having nerves before a match is a good thing; it gives us our “edge.” It is important though, to have a way of dealing with the jitters. If we don’t keep our pre match anxiety in check, it can leave us exhausted before we step out on the mat.

Below I’ve listed some ways that I have personally learned to deal with the anxiety leading up to a match. This includes BJJ and MMA competitions. Keep in mind that I am probably slightly more anxious than the average person. Oh and if you’d like to read about some of the interesting things your body does when it’s stressed. Do a search for “fight or flight response and sports performance,” and you’ll find some really fascinating stuff.

 

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4 Ways I Deal With Anxiety Before A BJJ Tournament

–          Simply accept that the anxiety you feel before a match is your body’s way of getting ready –  

I tell my students, “It’s simply your body getting ready for battle” when on the subject about their nervousness before matches. I’ve found personally and through the experiences of others, that by accepting, and anticipating that your stressed body is going to go a little haywire you can more effectively control it.

–          Focus on yourself – In my experience the most important thing to help channel my heightened focus prior to a match, is to zero in my thinking in on myself. While I am in an irrational state of mind brought on by the stress of an upcoming match, it’s very easy to build my opponent up and become fixated on the negatives. Going down a slippery slope of “what if’s”. Instead, I reel it in and concentrate only on my techniques and abilities. I visualize myself successfully using my techniques in the match and having with my hand raised. If I execute all my techniques perfectly, I win, right?  This has always helped me over the years. Especially in MMA where bodily harm is a high probability and in recent years as a black belt when every opponent is a beast in their own right.

–          Music – I try to keep myself as calm as possible before matches. When the match or fight is hours away I will listen to something that calms me. In most cases I listen to a lot of classical music. Then as the match gets close I start my warm up routine and listen to something that gets me pumped up. I find that listening to music that gets me excited long before the match ends up making me tense and leaves me exhausted by the time my match finally is up. Staying relaxed till its time leaves me with more energy for the match.

–          Practice mock tournaments with your friends in the gym – Military manoeuvres and war games are used to prepare units for battle. It gives the armed forces of a country the chance to test strategy and get an idea of how things might work without actual warfare (Sorry, military history nerd coming out again). Mock tournaments in a gym are a great way to get a taste of what it’s like in a competition without having to go to an actual tournament. We do these often in my gym. Having that clear “win or lose” situation with points involved and people watching really helps prepare us for upcoming matches. We can also test out strategy by placing ourselves in unique situations (such as being down by points with a short time limit to mimic the end of a match).

 

So don’t let your anxiety and nerves hold you back! Get out there and compete!

 

As always, if you have any questions. Feel free to shoot me a message.

Chewy

 

Stuff my White Belts ask me: “What kind of gi should I buy?”

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Common question from a new white belt: “Chewy, what kind of gi should I buy?”

My answer: Early on I think the type of gi you wear matters very little. As a newcomer to BJJ you won’t be able to detect the small differences that exist between the different kimonos out there. You may notice a difference if you get a heavier gi opposed to a lighter one, but that’s about it.

My advice is to find a gi that you find visually appealing, is within your budget and is from a reputable source. Other than that, don’t pay too much attention to the extras.

Although single, summer, pearl weaves and any gi label “light” are going to be a little lighter and cooler, that doesn’t always mean better. I personally, prefer a heavier gi. Don’t be afraid to test it out and see which type you like best.

Pay attention to the sizing chart of that particular company as many gi companies have different sizing for their kimonos.

Before you buy, do a search on youtube or google for a review of the particular gi you intend to purchase and see what you can find. These reviews can be helpful about learning how much the gi shrinks up, fades, fits, etc.

In regards to colors, I personally feel that you should wear whichever gi color you like, but check with your gym. Some academies have rules against colors. Sometimes they even have stigmas around white belts wearing colors like black gis. This isn’t common but its something to keep in mind. In addition, if you plan to compete in IBJJF tournaments, you will be required to wear certain gi colors.

Fun Fact: Many gis are made in the same factories overseas and in some cases, Kimono companies simply copy another competitor’s design and rehash it as something for themselves. So don’t get too worked up about the special features on your new gi. Focus on finding something that you will be pumped about wearing when you step on the mat.

If you’re new to BJJ and had this question, I hope this blog helped you. If you still have any questions, consult your instructor or send me an email and I’d be happy to assist. 🙂

As always,

Thanks for reading!

—Chewy

Mount Escape To X Guard

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When I first started competing as a black belt I had this funny problem. I would go into the match flat, and it wasn’t till being swept to mount that I would “wake” up. In fact, my first 3 wins as a black belt in competition started with me 6 points in the hole after a sweep to the mount. Here’s a mount escape that I, unfortunately, got pretty good with.