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Atlanta Open

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So it looks like the Atlanta Open on August, 30th will be my return to competition. I’ve had a great 2 weeks of training and this week in particular was especially tough. Along with upping my intensity and volume in regards to actual BJJ training I’ve also introduced more lifting back into my routine. The knee is holding up very well; some fatigue and discomfort but no pain. The date for Atlanta will give me plenty of time to get to where I need to be for competition. If I feel in shape and tuned up before August I may try and find something sooner, otherwise Atlanta it is.

I’m so excited to be training hard again with a tournament coming up. Being injured for the last 6 months has been tough and it has really made me regain an appreciation for training and competing. I think we are all guilty of taking it for granted at some time or another, I know I am, but being unable to train hard really makes you remember that a good day on the mats is simply a day that you were able to train regardless of how “well” you actually did.

Good luck to any of you preparing for competitions and maybe I’ll see some of you at the Atlanta Open.

Most common worry about starting BJJ training

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One common, probably the most common, worry I get from people who are trying out their first class or who are thinking about trying their first class, is that they don’t want to “get in the way.” These people are fully aware of how green they are and don’t want to impede someone else’s progress. Maybe this is you? Maybe you want to attend a BJJ class but you feel too intimidated. You want to train but you’re worried that you’re just too new and that you’ll slow down the class or bother people. I’ll tell you what I tell people that come into the gym with these same worries.

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We were all new at some point

First off, don’t worry so much. We were all new at some point. We all sucked, it’s just how it is. No one starts off as an expert. If they did, I wouldn’t have a job. Some people have a natural disposition towards BJJ and athletics while others don’t, this is true, but EVERYONE was awkward and untrained at some point. You can use me as an example. I had wrestled in high school and had some grappling experience but I was still terrible when I first started Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Watching me perform a hip escape/ shrimp was pretty comical. If during my initial training, a higher belt had not taken the time to help me I would not be where I am today. So when I see newcomers I don’t cringe in irritation. Instead I get excited because it’s a chance for me to pay it forward to someone else. It’s my chance to help someone out just like others helped me in the beginning. This is also the way I encourage my trained students to view the opportunity. Just as someone at some point took a little time to help them out along the way; this is their chance to help someone out.

 

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Pairing up with beginners can be a good thing for training

Let me also explain an added benefit that a skilled practitioner gains from helping out a newbie. This will help combat the feeling of you destroying their training for the day because you need a little extra assistance. This benefit I believe is that it helps them dissect and better understand the techniques. Being able to mimic someone else’s movements is far easier than being able to explain what you’re doing, break it down and make it consumable for others. Ask any blue or purple belt who’s been asked to teach a couple techniques for a beginner class. So maybe you as the newcomer view your lack of experience as an impediment to a higher ranking student’s progress. In reality though, it’s a chance for them to understand the techniques they are using even better, improving their understanding of BJJ.

 

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Message to the higher belts

If you are reading this post and you are a higher belt who shies away from helping the new guys, maybe you should reconsider. Yes I know that sometimes you’re in the gym to drill hard and kill it. Perhaps a competition is right around the corner and you need those rough rolls to get ready. I understand that completely. But don’t forget that at some point you were a new person who felt awkward and out of place and were assisted by someone who was better than you. Someone took a moment from their training to give you advice or helpful critiques. They’re part of the reason why you’ve come to reach the point that you find yourself at now. Help the new guys on their journey.

 

 

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Message to the new guys

If you’re reading this and you are someone who is either very new to BJJ or maybe you have not attended a class and you’re worried about dragging everyone else down. Please erase these worries from your thinking as they are irrational and unnecessary. I know it can be uncomfortable starting something new but remember no one starts off as a black belt. You might even be a little more awkward or less athletic than the average joe, but believe me, some of my best students now, were the absolute WORST when they first began their training. But they kept training and have since amazed me. The important thing to remember is that getting better at BJJ is not a secret, nor is it determined by how good you are in the beginning. Simply put, it’s hard work over a long duration of time. So, just come in the gym and train. I promise you’ll be just fine and you’ll more than likely be pleasantly surprised at how welcoming and willing many of the advanced students are to helping beginners.

 

As always, thanks for reading!

Chewy

Quote from BJJ Brick Podcast

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Haratio Nelson – “The measure may be thought bold, but I am of the opinion the boldest are the safest”

Bold – (of a person, action, or idea) showing an ability to take risks; confident and courageous.

 

I recently did an interview with Byron with the BJJBrick Podcast. The interview was fun, although I’m sure I probably rambled on too much, as I often do. Towards the end of the interview he asked if I would like to share a particular quote. I chose to share a quote that has stuck with me the last couple of years.

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Nerd Out

The quote listed at the top of this post comes from the most celebrated naval commander in British history, Lord Haratio Nelson. If you don’t know anything about him, he’s worth reading about. He is one of those figures in history that stand out to me because it’s clear he practiced what he preached. Losing an arm and eye in the service of his country and still continuing to push the envelope. He expected much out of his crews but was in turn willing to bare the same difficulties and responsibilities. This is, to me, one of the signs of a good leader. He would eventually lose his life, during his most celebrated victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. Here he defeated a combined Spanish and Napoleonic French fleet, effectively securing the seas for the British.

 

Why the quote stuck with me.

Quotes themselves are just words from someone else. I think the power of quotes comes from the interpretation of us, the reader, and where we are in our lives. I stumbled onto Nelson and this quote around April 2012 fresh off the loss at a tournament. At the time I was still a young Black Belt and had only competed a few times. Some performances went well and others . . . not so well. The performances that didn’t seemed to have a general theme to them. That was, I was afraid to open up . I think this is why the quote really stuck with me. During the previous month (March 2012) I competed in an 8 man invitational tournament. During my first and only match I played very conservatively. I ended up pulling full guard and played from that position for almost the complete duration of the match. Anyone that knows me knows I’m not a full guard player. My opponent ended up scoring an advantage by pushing through to half guard but I was never in danger of being passed, submitted or anything. But I failed to open up and go on the offensive. I don’t know if it was because I had a large group of my students there watching or if it was because I was still a young (under a year) black belt and lacked confidence. Whatever it was, it caused me to play very cautiously and for this half-hearted “play it safe” effort I was awarded the loss. The thought of that match still gnaws at me to this day. I don’t enjoy losing but I have no problem losing, as long as, I lose giving it my all. I definitely did not give my all during this match.

 

My interpretation

Being willing to take risks is the best way to grow and win matches. Playing it safe will only end up leaving you vulnerable in some way. Simply put, playing it safe is no way to achieve anything in BJJ. I can look back at my BJJ journey and trace most of my worst moments to my decisions to play it safe. Whether it was when I was a blue/purple belt and felt afraid to open up and try new things in my game which ensured I had a one-sided BJJ game and consequently led to a lot of bad tournament performances. This “play it safe” mentality also plagued me during several of my early black belt matches where I was still trying to find myself on the mats and coming to terms that I was at this new level. The other side to that coin is that I can trace back my best moments in BJJ to my decision to take a chance and go after something. Whether this was when I took the plunge to work for little money as a BJJ instructor with the hopes of making something with it later, or during matches where I said, “fuck it” and got after someone. I believe that my ability to be bold correlates with my success both on and off the mats. In addition I hate boring matches and don’t want my name to be synonymous with being boring or that of a staller.

Lastly, is that someday I am going to be an old man and my body will not be able to do the things it does now. When this day comes I’ll have to relive my glory days through videos, pictures and memories. When I look back at my performances I don’t want to remember myself as being afraid to go after the win, unable to perform at my best because I was worried about things other than the opponent that stood in front of me. I want to remember myself as aggressive and exciting. Winning and losing, but always going after it.

 

 

I got a little deep with that stuff towards the end, but the big idea is to go after it when you’re on the mats. If you’re competing, lay to rest your fears of losing or coming up short. Leave everything on the mat win or lose. In the gym be willing to open up and expand your game. Don’t worry about winning every time you step on the mat. Remember to push yourself out of your comfort zone, and try new things, it’s the only way you will improve. Be safe play it bold.

 

As always, thanks for Reading

Chewy

Wrestling Front Headlock for BJJ

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A solid fundamental wrestling technique that carries over to BJJ very well. The Front Headlock can be used for its main purpose which is to stop the takedown but there are also lots of attacks that can be chained together with this technique. The Front Headlock is also pretty easy to pick up and add to your game even if you aren’t a wrestler.

Liebster Award

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So the girl over at http://mymmalife.wordpress.com/ (I didn’t see your name anywhere) nominated me for some Liebster Award. I’m not sure exactly what it is, and it sort of seems like an old school chain letter. But I figured I would at least answer the questions that were asked. Seemed like fun. Thanks to the woman who’s name I do not know for considering me for any sort of award and taking the time out to do so.

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1. What sport/activity changed your life? and why.

A: Wrestling. Wrestling helped me lose weight and gain confidence in my awkward teenage years and it was ultimately what led me to BJJ.

2. what is your favorite cheat meal or junk food?

A: Pastries. A sweet flaky pastry with a cup of coffee is perfect.

3. Ideal Sunday

A:That’s a tough choice. I guess if I had to choose a solid Sunday under average circumstances it would be training in the morning and then a few hours of reading followed by a nap, finished via dinner with friends. That sounds like a pretty good Sunday to me.

4. what’s in your make up bag?

A: Don’t have one.

5. Favorite sports equipment.

A: My gi or no gi gear.

6. Top 5 places in the world you would like to visit, and why?

A: Oh geez. I have too many places I want to go. The primary factor driving these desires are either history or BJJ. Meaning, I either want to see a place that I know the history of and nerd out, or I want to go somewhere to train. I’m a simple person, what can I say?

7. Favorite TV show, movie or series.

A: Don’t watch tv and while I like movies I couldn’t tell you one that I would consider a favorite.

8. Favorite country you’ve been in and why?

A:Well I like the United States but outside of the United States I enjoyed Spain. People were friendly and it was a lot of fun.

9. If you had a super power which would it be.

A: I would want Wolverines super human healing. Say goodbye to injuries, sickness and achy joints. Hello being able to train all day long with no issue.

10. Biggest accomplishment so far.

A: My favorite accomplishment is building a solid BJJ program. I took the program in 2009 and it’s my baby. I work from sun up to sun down in an effort to keep developing or improving it. I love my friends and we have an amazing gym. Maybe people think that’s hard to believe because we are in Kentucky, but I’ve been to many gyms, some with big names and affiliations and I think our guys are as tough as they come. It feels good to know I had a big part in making that happen and that I’m helping people I care about achieve their goals on a daily basis. So yeah, building the gym.

11. Most beautiful country you’ve ever been to, and while there what was your favorite dish, desert, and sweets?

Spain. I was on a little island called Mallorca. My favorite thing there were the pastries and the olives. The olives were fresh and delicious, as they were picked locally. In regards to the pastries, it seemed like every little corner had a bakery fully stocked with fantastic little pastries and desserts. I found myself enjoying these pastries with a cup of espresso more than a couple of times. 

1 lesson for BJJ from a belt promotion (Don’t chase rank)

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Last night was a pretty special night for me. I had the privilege of promoting a purple belt to brown belt. This is a huge deal in itself, but it was made especially rewarding because he was my first purple belt. I promoted him to purple in January of 2012 and over the last 2 years I’ve watched him grow so much as a BJJ practitioner. He really came into his own during competitions as a purple belt, winning and medaling in several big IBJJF tournaments. He is also a pretty bright guy (he has a PHD), and his abilities as a BJJ teacher have come a long way. I watched him teach a class recently and I was very impressed with his ability to break things down and string together techniques. In my eyes and those of the gym it was a much needed promotion.

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Maybe I am a little bit too emotional about these things or maybe I’m just good friends with my students. But I get so excited and happy every time I promote a student, especially when it is a promotion to a higher colored belt. I’m happy to see that they worked through the rough spots and hit the next level and I get excited to see how they will progress in the future. It’s an amazing feeling to watch my students get better and to know that I had a hand in fueling that progression. There is a slight sadness mixed in there though, albeit very slight, because when I promote someone I am moving them one step closer to black belt. It’s almost like a parent whose children are growing older. You’re happy to see the child grow into their own but still feel a slight bit of “meh” because you’re ending a particular period of their life and moving to another. Before the promotion last night I flipped through pictures of Rich and I from the last two years. Photos of when I awarded him his purple, him and I sporting medals at the Chicago Open, and some random photos of us training. It was just a neat and slightly emotional feeling to see how far he’s come in the last two years and how much we’ve both grown together.

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One reason I think Rich has done so well as a BJJ practitioner and one piece of advice I would love share with anyone in BJJ is to make the most of each belt. Don’t chase rank. I see advertisements enticing people with tricks or secrets to getting their belt in 3.5 years, 4 years or 5 years. But in my eyes, what’s the rush? Instead of rushing through it, make the most of each belt. Train hard, get out and compete, be the best you can be and most importantly be sure to enjoy the moments you have on the mats with your brothers and sisters.

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I was one of those people who were hell-bent on getting a higher belt. As a blue belt I used to wear a purple sweatband on my ankle as a reminder to work hard during training so I could achieve the purple belt. I ended up being awarded my purple belt in a rather quick 2 years. I quickly realized that this was kind of a mistake and that it would have been better for me to have a little “time in the sun” as a blue belt and just rack up experience and skill. During my purple and brown belts I lost the desire for stripes, belts and rank. I think this is what helped me get so much better during my purple-black belt phase. I lost my care about who I beat, how many pieces of tape I had or what color dye was used on my belt. I learned to just love training and enjoy my time on the mats and let things fall into place as they may. When I revisit memories in my mind, what stands out isn’t my belt level, it’s the people, the hard fought competition matches, the fun in the gym with my training partners, being covered in sweat and bullshitting after training, trips together, etc. The experiences are what I think is most important.

 

Do yourself a favor. If you find yourself being a little too focused on stripes and achieving rank. Just stop. Don’t rush it; just let it come when it comes. Instead of focusing on rank, focus on the training and the time spent with the people at your gym. Be a sponge, train hard, ask questions, get out and compete if you want, and be a regular fixture in your gym BUT don’t get so fixated on chasing rank that you’re not able to sit back and enjoy your time along the way.

Remember once you achieve the next belt, that chapter of your BJJ is closed. It’s done! So, think about how you will look back on it as a black belt someday. Did you do everything you could, did you make the most of the time in the gym at the belt? How would you like to look back on that chapter of your journey later?

 

Wrestling Lazy Arm for BJJ

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This is a technique that can be used whenever you encounter a overhook that is putting pressure on your underhook. The lazy arm is a very easy addition to a grappling game and won’t require a strong wrestling base to implement.

Boston Crab in BJJ

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Last weekend 2 of my white belts went against each other at a tournament. It was a round robin format and they both still had 3 matches to go. I told them I didn’t want them to roll against one another and get to tired so I gave them a choice.

They could . . .

A. Just give the nod to the senor ranking belt.

Or

B. Have the match finished with a pro wrestling move.

They chose the second option. The only issue was that boston crabs aren’t legal in white belt divisions. Bullshit.

I used to wear a singlet for no gi

I used to wear a singlet for no gi

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Look at this picture from 2005 and you’ll see me as a young 20 year old blue belt during a no gi training session. You’ll notice that I’m wearing a singlet with a pair of gray shorts over it. This of course is to keep my man parts out of anyone’s face during practice, although during tournaments I would wear the singlet by itself.

Back before the days of unicorn print rash guards and more BJJ clothing companies than you could ever hope to remember. Options on no gi attire were really limited. A few companies like Hunter, Badboy and Vitmains and Minerals made some gear. It was typically vale tudo shorts and rash guards. Board shorts weren’t really popular quite yet. Oh there was Sprawl too. But I didn’t like the fit of their old shorts.

There really isn’t a reason to post this picture, just sharing a funny photo.

Side Control Escape against tight pressure

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Here is a demonstration of a technique during one of my classes at Derby City BJJ in Louisville, KY