BJJ Speed Drilling Session For Cardio

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BJJ Speed Drilling Session For Cardio

I received a message from one of the people that watches my videos. He said that he loves the BJJ speed drilling videos but doesn’t get much of a workout from it.

So I had one of our BJJ speed drilling sessions filmed to give you guys an idea of what one of our BJJ speed drilling sessions looks like.

The scheme of the BJJ speed drilling in this video was 2 rounds of 5 movements drilled at 30 seconds a piece with no rest until all 5 movements are completed.

Then we bumped the duration to 45 seconds and then to a minute.

By the end of the BJJ drilling session, as you’ll see in the video, we’re huffing and puffing and tired.

Again this is a speed drilling session so the focus isn’t on the most perfect technique. The focus is boosting cardio and using the movements quickly.

Just like when you’re rolling, techniques will be a little sloppier. When you’re doing the techniques and movements at a super fast pace, some “sloppiness” will happen. But this is important because adding stress to the movements will allow you to deal with the stress of trying to execute a technique during a roll, better.

So don’t beat yourself up if you stumble a bit on the movements. I know that when my students first get exposed to this type of stuff they feel a little frustrated because they either have to slow down or they fumble with the movements a bit.

TO do this yourself. Just pick some moves or techniques that you like and drill them fast. The less complex the move the better for speed drilling. If you have a more complex movement you can break down the move down into different segments. You can also combine several chains of techniques together and extend the duration of the drilling time.

I hope the video helps give you some ideas.

-Chewy

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Bjj Drills For Side Control Movement (On The Mats With Chewy)

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Bjj Drills For Side Control Movement (On The Mats With Chewy)

In this BJJ drills video I teach some fun side control movements. I’ve done a previous video showing these BJJ drills. In this video I take you along with me and a small group and go over the drills and give a little more of an explanation.

Side control can be an amazing position if you know how to use it. But often times I hear people say they can’t hold side control. This usually stems from a lack of counters to their opponent’s defense.

That’s Where These BJJ Drills For Side Control Come Into Play

In the video we cover the:
– Hop Over
– Hip Switch To Kesa Gatame and Reverse Kesa Gatame
– Identify the sweet spot for pressure
– Surfboard Switch
– Shin Cutter

Each one of these techniques is a great adjust to common defenses from someone on the bottom. They can also be used for great movement drills.

During this particular class we used them to warm up before we got into the more in depth techniques in our X Guard and 1 X system.

The reason I love these drills so much is that if you can move around your opponent’s defense it’s so much easier to fight them. For instance with the Hop Over. If my partner commits fully to defend on one side, if I am able to Hop Over. I can then make my way to his undefended side.

Also, by getting around the person’s defense with these BJJ drills we are more likely to have a stronger side control position.

As always,

I hope these BJJ Drills help you and your game. If you work them, I’m sure you’ll get a boost to your Side Control position.

If you have any questions, leave a comment below.

Thanks!
-Chewy

P.S Sorry about the clanging weights and music from the Crossfit side in the background!

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7 BJJ Solo Drills To Build Better Hip Movement

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7 BJJ Solo Drills To Build Better Hip Movement

 

Do you need more BJJ Solo Drills in your training?

Recently, I sent a message out to my email list asking people what type of drills and techniques they would like to see in future videos. 1 request that kept popping up over and over again was solo drills for BJJ. So I gathered up some of the BJJ solo drills I use from time to time to share them with you guys.

In this video I show 7 BJJ solo drills to build better hip movement

BJJ Solo Drills Video

I honestly don’t do a ton of BJJ solo drills. I have a gym full of people who are ready and willing to drill all the time. It’s honestly pretty rare not to see someone drilling before or after a class. We have a lot of people who come in mid day just to drill and do situational rolling. It’s kind of hard not to drill in the gym as much as I talk about it.

But I do have some BJJ solo drills I do from time to time. They work well as warm ups and they’re pretty good exercise in their own right.

You’ve probably heard that Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is all about hips. It’s not far off either. Good hip movement is so important for nearly every position in BJJ. With that said, I figured going over some solo drills that would build hip movement would be useful for anyone at any level. Your hips can never be too good.

So I hope you guys enjoy the video of these BJJ solo drills and find them useful. If you have any questions, shoot me message.

and if you’d like to see more stuff, check out my social media links. There is all kinds of randomness on my Instagram and other social media accounts.

-Chewy

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Bjj Drills To Improve Cardio And Speed For Guard Passing

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Bjj Drills To Improve Cardio And Speed For Guard Passing

 

1019910_10152951916930457_1646956050_oWant to have more speed and cardio on the mat? Want to build your gas tank for BJJ without having to do a ton of extra cardio (like running) off the mats? The BJJ drills in this video can be a great way to help.

Things like running, sprints, etc. They’re fine when you’re in the mood. But when it becomes a regimented thing. It’s a chore.

That’s where these drills come in!

In my opinion, guard passing can be one of the more exhausting aspects of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Especially if you are a guard passer who uses a lot of movement. These BJJ drills, when done as prescribed below, can help provide a big boost to the gas tank when it’s time to roll.

 

 

Be A Big Guy But Move Like A Little Guy

I’m a bigger guy. Around 210lbs. But I always get the compliment that I move like a person much smaller and people are surprised that I don’t get tired. I have the pressure that they expect but I have way more speed and movement than they counted on.

I was also asked by a friend recently who is also a big guy, “How can I move faster even though I’m a big guy.”

I didn’t always move like I do now. The way that I developed my speed and movement is from drilling. Drilling a lot and drilling fast. I taught my body to move faster than it was comfortable doing.

 

Train Your Body To Move Faster

Think of it this way. If you move and drill slow all the time. You’re teaching your body to go slow. When it comes time to roll, you’re probably going to be unable to use the techniques at a fast pace.

Whereas, if you were to drill techniques at a faster pace. It’s likely you’ll be able to use them during a fast moving situation like rolling.

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Here’s A Way To Use The BJJ Drills

Going back to this guard passing drills video. Try using this scheme to help build your speed, cardio and movement.

* Take 5 of the drills listed in the video, or some you might know already.

*Drill them each for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Switching drill to drill with no rest.

*At the end of the 2.5-5 minutes. Switch top to bottom with your partner.

*Repeat this passing drills sequence for 2-3 sets.

Using these drills is a great way to warm up before training with beneficial movements. It’s also a great way to blow the lungs out after rolling. Trying to maintain a fast pace after you’re already tired from rolling is brutal. But it can be great for things like building cardio before competitions.

If you’ve never done drilling in this style before. Stick to 30 seconds per drill first.

Hope you guys enjoy the movements and the idea listed in the video!

-Chewy

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7 Armbar Drills From Side Control And Knee On Belly

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7 Armbar Drills From Side Control And Knee On Belly

In this video I show 7 Armbar Drills from Side Control and Knee On Belly position. I start with the basic shin in armbar and a couple of other variations. Then I move into a combination of knee on belly, passing and sweeping leading into the armbar.

You can substitute any of the passing or sweeps for your particular favorites that cause you to end up in a side control or knee on belly positions.

 

 

Get Faster With Faster Drills

These armbar drills and movements are a great way to build speed for your submissions and at the same time build your cardio up. After you’ve done enough reps that you feel comfortable with the movement. Start performing the reps at a faster and faster pace.

If you’ve never drilled fast. You’ll be surprised at what a few minutes of fast pace drilling can do. You’re essentially moving at the same pace as you would during a roll.

If you’re new to fast pace drilling. This video could give you a chance to try it out. Take any of the drills and start slow to nail down the movements themselves. After you get a fair level of comfort with them. Build them to the point where you can’t go any faster.

You’ll get a little sloppier than you would when you’re slow, but the speed will be useful when it’s time to roll.

Loose Knees During The Armbar Drills

Also you’ll probably notice my knees are a little loose whenever I finish the armbars in this video. This is to make sure that I don’t torque my partners arm if for some reason I fall back a bit too fast or loose my footing during the fast drilling. Every now and then I see some of the younger guys fall a bit too quickly on the armbars and over stretch their partners arm. Just something I wanted to point out.

I hope these 7 armbar drills from side control and knee on belly help.

If you have any questions, comments or requests. Just leave a message below.

 

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-Chewy

Chain BJJ Drills – Be A Move Ahead Of Your Competition

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Chain BJJ Drills – Be A Move Ahead Of Your Competition

rich and chewy drillingOne important lesson, in regards to BJJ drills, I’ve learned over the years is to chain movements and techniques together 

A chess master can be shown multiple boards and they’ll be able to remember the exact positioning of the pieces. It isn’t because they have some sort of extraordinary memory. But rather they are so familiar with the chessboard and the patterns of the pieces that it becomes easy to recall them.

 

I’ve talked to good chess players before and they’ve told me that while they move 1 piece at a time, they’re moving with a pattern or a chain of piece movements in mind.

 

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is the same, at least for me. My students sometimes think that I can somehow read their minds and predict their movements before they make them. But this isn’t the case. Instead it’s more of an intuitive thing. I FEEL the patterns of their movements and make my adjustments. But where they are moving with 1 movement in mind. My body has memorized chains of techniques and is moving in multiples. This is something that is a consequence of doing BJJ drills with connected techniques.Eugene Drilling

 

Going back to the chessboard. For every 1 piece they move I’m moving 3. 

 

As anyone trains longer. The ability to execute more movements and techniques in tandem with one another becomes easier. But something you can do in order to speed up the process is drill techniques in connecting combinations. 

 

The idea is to drill multiple techniques together in sequences so that once you execute one, you can possibly execute multiple if the conditions are right.

 

Think of guard passing to submission drills or moving from triangle to armbar to oma plata from the bottom.

 

Drilling techniques together helps take the hesitation away from potential opportunities that might pop up. You’re moving movement by movement, but your body has the ability to combine multiple movements together if needed. When you do this, you’re becoming the chess player who moves with a pattern in mind.

 

In several competitions I’ve been able to see the effect of this kind of drilling. One that really sticks out was a move back in 2013. I was taken down and then executed a failed butterfly guard sweep to x guard entry and sweep, to double under pass to back take. I drilled that sequence over and over again in the gym and when I got out on the mat in the finals it came off exactly as I had drilled it.  I was able to attack with multiple weapons and not let up

 

2 Ways To Chain Drill

 

– Take techniques that you already know very well and find ways to combine them. For instance if you have a good double under guard pass and a good armbar from side control. Is there a particular defense that your competition uses that could give you the option of using the armbar? If so, drill that. Do your double under pass, have your partner give you the particular response from bottom you’re looking for and use your armbar.

 

– If you don’t have a ton of time to drill or don’t have the option because of your gym’s rules or scheduling. Use your lesser skilled training partners and active drilling partners. If you can submit your partner left and right with little effort. It’s very unproductive to just keep smashing them. Instead try to execute multiple techniques quickly and then give them the option of escaping or adjusting so that you can set up your next attack.

 

I’ve been teaching full time since 2010 and this is one of the tricks that keeps my cardio up and keeps my skills sharp. When I do this I’m constantly moving which is tiring, I don’t actually submit my opponent so the roll never ends and I’m using the connected techniques I’ve been drilling against someone who is actively resisting. The other benefit is that I’ve also giving my lesser skilled training partner a chance to engage and use their techniques too. So it’s a win-win, rather than just smashing them down and pumping my own head up.

I’ve been putting up some different BJJ drills on this page. Check it out. I try to make sure that all the drills flow with one another, rather than just being singular techniques.

-Chewy

BJJ In Costa Rica This Week

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BJJ In Costa Rica This Week

IMG_0304I’ll be doing BJJ in Costa Rica this coming week. I’m currently sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting for my flight to Costa Rica. I left Louisville and it’s frosty 16 degree temperature this morning around 6am. I’ll be in the toasty climate of Costa Rica (which is currently at 79 degrees) before 1pm. Maybe I read too much history but technology is nuts! I can travel from the central United States and then arrive in Central America just in time for lunch.

One of my student’s, and Pan Am champ (might as well throw that out there right?), put this thing together and I’m looking forward to it. Essentially we will do BJJ in Costa Rica and surf. A vacation of sorts, but with plenty of activity for my hyper over-energetic body.

I have intentions of doing a short blog of vlog each day talking about whats going on during the trip.

Well, the flight is boarding. Talk to you next time in Costa Rica.

-Chewy

Escapes From Side Control

Avoid Bad Days In BJJ (Don’t Set Expectations)

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Avoid Bad Days In BJJ (Don’t Set Expectations)

 


Do you sometimes have bad days in BJJ? Of course you do. We all do. But could you be causing these bad days in BJJ unknowingly because of a bad mindset when you’re training? Even worse, could this same mindset be hindering your overall development?

We’ve had an influx of new students coming into the gym to train BJJ over the last few months, which is a good thing. But now they’re all getting to this point where they are getting good enough that they are having some success which is leading to a negative thought process.

Since they have broken the seal and realized that they can actually hit their techniques during rolling. Many of my newer students have begun to set expectations for themselves. You know, they submitted Bob last week so they now expect to always submit Bob.

But this is the wrong way to think and will lead to bad days in BJJ.

Just like the rest of us. When they first started training they were just happy to be on the mats. They were brand new and did not expect to be successful. But now, as they’ve become accustomed to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu they think that they are supposed to perform at a certain level every single time.

This mindset is dangerous.

Why It’s A Bad Idea To Set Expectations Every Time You Train

First off, you have to remember that your training partners in BJJ are working hard too and they will adjust with you. This is the beauty of having consistent training partners. You build one another up, together. Like the old saying, “iron sharpens iron.” Right?

Second, and most important in my opinion. You’re going to limit yourself because of fear. If you’re solely fixated on winning and/or beating your partner. Then you will be forced to play your “A” game all the time. This takes away the ability and openness to experiment with new positions and areas you’re unfamiliar with. This will limit your growth and hinder you’re ability to be the best BJJ practitioners that you can be. I know I struggled with this a ton until I was a purple belt. After relaxing and allowing myself to experiment more and use the gym as my lab. My game shot up like crazy.

So don’t make these mistakes that I did and that so many BJJ practitioners make.

Thanks guys!

-Chewy

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BJJ Games : Tag Team Rolling

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BJJ Games : Tag Team Rolling

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Do you play BJJ games at your gym? If not, maybe you think it’s kind of a pointless thing. While others who do might tell you about how fun they can be.

As a coach I’m always trying to come up with new drills, moments, situational rolling exercises, technique combinations, etc to keep the training new and exciting. I know that from personal experience. The worse thing that can happen with your training is if you become complacent and things take on too much a familiar routine and pattern. Shaking things up helps keep people sharp and helps keep my students, and myself, growing and improving.

 

So where do BJJ games come into the mix?

Well over the years I’ve come up with over a hundred different BJJ related games. Most of them I use with my kids on a  regular basis to trick the youngsters into learning good habits and technique. I bring them over from time to time with the adults too.

The adults can sometimes be a tough sell. It’s interesting though. I’ll watch a guy who is a big shot at some corporate business come into the gym during a game day. Sometime they’ll have a face that just screams, “I’m not doing this shit.”  Then, a few minutes later, I’ll see them even more engaged than everyone else. It’s fun.

BJJ games can also be a fun way to build the team atmosphere. I’ve been a head coach since 2009 and I’ll tell you that the more different things you do together as a team, the better. Whether it’s BJJ games, getting dinner after training, watching the fights together, etc. The more things you do together as a group the better the atmosphere in the gym will be.

Also, at their core, BJJ games should contain a transferrable value to regular training. In the case of the Tag Team rolling, it’s defense, body control and mat awareness. Defense because you have to defend against multiple people and different angles. Mat awareness and body control because you have to ensure that you are keeping the person where you want them. If they are able to position their body where they can tag, you’ll lose your opportunity to win.

Setup For Tag Team Rolling

  • You make lines on the mat. If you have zebra style mats then it should be a problem. If you have the big massed vinyl then you can use tape, jump rope, or use your imagination.
  • Divide people into teams. We typically keep teams in groups of 2-4. When you have more than that, people end up not getting any time on the mat.

Rules Of The Game (The Way We Do It)

  • To tag a partner you must make hand to hand contact.
  • Knees must remain behind the team line in order to tag.
  • After the tag, there will be a 5 second period that the opponent can be double teamed. Afterwards the person who was originally in must return behind the team line.
  • Scoring can be done a few different ways. You can give 1 point per submission and allow the person to stay in the game after a reset, or go till team elimination. In elimination mode you submit and then the person is out. Most often we will do a 10 minute period with 5 minute overtimes if no one is submitted.
  • We take out leg locks and certain twisting locks because people get caught up sometimes. But again, use your discretion.

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That’s about the jest of it.At my gym we typically play these games on days right before the holidays or during times where there are no competitions coming up. Sometimes we do it just to take a day off from hard gritty training.

So give BJJ games like the tag team rolling a try. It’s fun and has a value to training. You’ll be exhausted from defending and have a great time with your team.

 

-Chewy

Get Better Feedback From BJJ Training. Other Sports Do it, So Should You

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Get Better Feedback From BJJ Training. Other Sports Do it, So Should You

 

Whats up guys,

I wanted to take a moment and share a quick tip with you. It’s a pretty simple way to get additional feedback from your training. It may be something you’re already doing. But if you’re not, it’s definitely something you should consider starting.

Have you ever seen the Olympic Lifters or Crossfitters using their phones to record themselves during big lifts? No. . .  I’m not talking about the random teenager in the gym recording a video of his bicep curls to post on Instagram. I’m talking about recording complex movements that require constant adjusting and refinement. Recording themselves doing the movements allows the lifter to pinpoint problems in the lift. It’s not just lifters. Really, almost any major sports team or athletic coach records religiously to get a good view as to whats going on with their athletes. If you played American football then you probably remember video days where you would sit with your team and watch tape.

It’s a smart thing to do and is something I believe more people doing BJJ should do. We know it’s important to watch our competition matches and it can be just as helpful to watch certain parts of our training.

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What You Feel Is Often Wrong

Tournaments are often the only time many of us record ourselves doing Brazilian Jiu-jitsu or have a chance to watch ourselves grapple. One of the benefits of watching a match from a tournament is that we have the ability to watch ourselves objectively. This provides a ton of feedback and a clear view into our game. It’s kind of funny because a lot of times, especially  early on in our training, what we felt we did or what we thought we did looked a lot different than what we actually ended up doing.

I remember during one of my last white belt tournaments. I got behind a guy and did a sort of belly to back suplex. It’s worth noting that when I was a white belt my favorite thing was to get a big slam. So I was all jazzed up when I was retelling the match to people right after. I described me lifting this guy up over my head and slamming him into the mat. When I went back to watch the match later on I was sad to see that I only got the guys feet 5-6 inches off the ground. And the slam was more of a toss to the side. Going back to it, I wasn’t lying. I really thought I had a hell of a slam on that guy, it felt like I did during the match.

After watching the match on video I was able to make some adjustments on my body positioning when I executed the throw. 3 months later I hit a much bigger and “prettier” throw at a tournament. Being able to watch the video gave me a chance to see exactly what I was doing and how I could improve. If it wasn’t for the video. I would have thought my execution of the throw was perfect and would have just hummed along to the next tournament.

 

Recreate What You Can’t Remember

Besides bringing us back down to reality. Competitions often expose us to certain positions and situations that we aren’t comfortable or familiar with. A lot of times when we get back in the gym we try and remember and recreate what happened for training purposes. It’s tough though. Trying to remember some funky position you got into during an adrenaline filled match is difficult. During a match you’re mind isn’t in the best state to remember every little detail.

This happens all the time in the gym after training too. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a student come to me and ask for advice. When forced to recreate the position they were asking about, they’re a bit unsure. This makes it really tough for me to figure out exactly what was happening and give them useful advice.

A video shows us exactly what we are doing it, what our opponent is doing and makes it much easier to troubleshoot the situation. Likewise, a video is much easier for an instructor or coach to look over and hand out valuable advice.

 

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Start Recording More Often

We shouldn’t wait for tournaments to roll around to record ourselves. Most of us have smart phones or a small sized camera we can use to set up and record. If you’re worried about damaging your phone. Try using a tripod and putting it off the mat and attempt to snag a little real estate on the edge of the mat when its time to roll.

When To Record

I don’t think it’s necessary to record every single time we roll. If you want to, I suppose thats fine but I believe the best times would be either during speed or active drilling sessions and competitive rolling. Basically, situations that involve us pushing ourselves, which might lead to mistakes. I make a distinction with competitive rolling because that is when someone is going to us in bad situation and where our mistakes are often much more apparent.

If you guys have read the Ebook I put out or some of my other blogs on drilling. Then you know what I mean by speed and active drilling.

 

It’s Way Better Than A Training Journal For Feedback

If you’re really crazy about it(like I am), you can keep an external hard drive and log your training and techniques into it. This would completely blow away any sort of traditional training journal. I have tons of training, competition and even just random bullshitting with the guys going back to 2009. It’s fun to be able to look back that far and watch yourself and the techniques you were using.

 

For all you guys that hate reading I’ll break it down into easy bullet points.

Tip: Get into a habit of recording yourself in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Especially when you’re drilling fast or with resistance, and during tough rolls. 

Benefits To Recording Yourself 

  • Gives you a unbiased look at what you are actually doing on the mat, rather than what you “feel” you are doing. 
  • Helps you develop a better link with your body and it’s movements. Meaning, the way you feel and what you think you are doing will match up more accurately to what you are actually doing. 
  • Can help you recreate funky positions you end up in so that you can work to counter them or bring it to a coach to work on a solution. 
  • You’ll find all sorts of little things you’re doing wrong and it really helps bring some of your deficiencies to the surface. Likewise it will also show you what you’re doing very well.