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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training with intent

Want to Get Better at BJJ Faster? Try Training With This. . .

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BJJ Question from Adolfo. Here’s what he asks. . .

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Chewy, sometimes online I hear Black Belts suggest, “Train with intention” what exactly does that mean to you? I’m never really clear what that means.

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When you hear a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Black Belt say train with intention it’s very simple. It just means stepping onto the mat with a purpose or focused on something.

Oh and for the record, 9 out 10 Black Belts will probably agree that it’s a damn good suggestion. The 1 that doesn’t is probably McDojo. Now the intention could mean a ton of different things. . .

Your intention could be to hit the new technique you’ve been working on or to avoid getting smashed from a position you struggle with. Your intention could be to not get frustrated while your stuck in an uncomfortable spot during a roll.

Heck, it could even be to make sure you roll with the tough guy that you avoid during rolling because you’re scared of losing.

Just depends on what you’re focused on at the time.

For me, when I roll with a focus on a specific technique, my intention always starts with grips. I ask myself, “what do I need to make this technique work?” and I work for those specific grips.

And whether I’m competing or rolling I’m hyper focused on getting the grips I need. Because if I get the grips, I get the techniques. That’s the way it works.

I mean, when you breakdown BJJ to a granular level, it’s all about the grips and body positioning. Every technique begins with grab this and this. It’s the reason a person that controls grips wins the roll or match.

This is why I put together a course all about grip fighting. #1 to give you specific techniques to break and dominate grips. But just as importantly to get you to adopt the mindset of a grip fighter.

A grip fighter is someone who doesn’t accept someone’s grips and fights for their own. Just this mindset can give you a skill boost to any position.

And if you’d like to give your grip fighting skillz a boost then grab onto the link below and check out my Get a Grip course.

www.Chewjitsu.net/Grips

To wrap this one up

Set an intention for your next training session. And if you can’t train BJJ right now then set an intention on your next lift, run or whatever you’re doing to stay in shape.

Talk to you next time.

-Chewy

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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.

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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push up

20 Minute At Home Workout w/ No Equipment Needed (Since I Can’t Train BJJ)

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Get the at-home workout guide at: https://www.chewjitsu.net/corona
In this at home workout we recorded I do 10 squats, 10 push ups, 10 burpees and 5 split squats to each leg. The workout took 20 minutes and required no extra equipment.

This is certainly no replacement for BJJ or solid weight lifting but if you just need a good sweat at home then give it a try.

Also included in the free at home guide is over 20 other workouts that you can throw into the mix along with some tips on dealing with a layoff from BJJ training.

Hope you and your family are healthy and safe. Stay strong and lets continue to make it through this thing together.
-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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workout tip

Instant Tweak to Make Exercises More Difficult (No Equipment Required)

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If you’re stuck at home doing workouts for any reason whether it’s a corona virus or just your garden variety injury then you can use the tips I share in this video to get more bang for your buck from the exercises you use. In addition, it’s a really solid tip to incorporate into your regular lifting. You can also use this tip with your BJJ solo drills.

It’s a very simple idea that I share in this video but it’s one that can make any simple exercises way more difficult.

That tip is simply do the reps slower and with control. Seems easy but when you slow a repetition down to 5, 10, or 15 seconds it becomes much more taxing on the muscles.

The beauty of doing this is that it increases time under tension, make the exercise more difficult and increase the mind body connection formed during the movement.

Hope this video is useful to you especially if you’re stuck at home unable to workout like normal.

-Chewy

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Brown Belt Rob

240lbs Brown Belt Killing My Butterfly Guard With Acrobatic Passing (Chewjitsu Rolling)

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Today’s No Gi rolling video has a ton of great exchanges. Everything from Back Mount counters to leg locks to defending my guard against some big dudes! My favorite roll from this week’s rolling video is against my Brown Belt Rob who is 240lbs and moves like he is small guy at times and was shutting down my Butterfly Guard game with his hop overs and quick guard passing. It really is a fun exchange to watch.

I ended up bailing on the Butterfly and did a weird slide by to get around to the back. In case you’re wondering I finished the roll with a wrist lock.

Hope you guys enjoyed the video!
-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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Statue Of Liberty Grip

“Statue Of Liberty” Grip Makes Your Omaplata Easier to Finish

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Today’s BJJ technique video is a Oma Plata setup and finish in No Gi. With this technique I use Diamond Guard (you might have another name for it) to setup the submission.

You can watch this previous video I did to get more attacks from the position.

4 Effective Submissions for White Belts with a Weak Guard in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

I also share one of my favorite ways to control and break down the Oma Plata position in no gi which is the “Statue of Liberty.” It’s a simple queue of controlling the foot and extending it away from the persons body. This has helped me a ton with being able to keep the person from countering my Oma Plata attempt during Brazilian Jiujitsu competitions or rolling.

Lastly I encourage you if using the submission to be careful as it’s a Kimura with the legs and is attacking the shoulder. Be sure with your training partners to take it slow on the finish.

So if you’re looking for Oma Plata setups or finishes then I hope this video is useful to you and your training.

Thanks for watching!

-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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