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09/03/2010 - BJJ (Beginner)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:49:00 +0000

Class #292
RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 09/03/2010

Recently BJJ has popped up in a rather strange place: the Australian soap opera Home & Away (although the writers appear to have transformed it into something more akin to aikido). Being the internet and BJJ nerd that I am, naturally I tracked down the relevant episodes (5019, 5020 and 5023-5027 so far), recorded them, re-edited the relevant BJJ sections into a video, took lots of screen caps, then started posting about it on Home & Away forums. If only I could put this much effort into my PhD, I would have finished the thesis years ago. ;)

Kev started tonight's class with a follow up to the fundamentals scarf hold escape, if they're using the weaker version of holding under the head rather than the far armpit. Should your arm be sufficiently trapped that you can't get the elbow to the ground, reach over their back and lock your hands together.

Walk your legs towards theirs: if they don't move, hook and begin to escape to their back. Normally they will move, whereupon you wait for the right leverage, then roll them over your body. However, as Kev noted, this requires good timing. If you get it right, they'll feel weightless. If you get it wrong, you're never going to move anybody your size or bigger.

Next was a continuation on pulling guard. This time, instead of closed guard, Kev went to open. Again you start with a collar and sleeve grip, yanking the sleeve to get them to step with that side foot. When they do and you therefore have them slightly off-balance, put your same side foot on the hip and drop back (sinking on your leg then dropping, rather than flopping straight to the floor).

Your head will swivel towards that side hip. Maintain your grip on their collar, while pressing your foot into their other bicep (if they free their arm, circle your leg around to re-establish the position). From here, you can now apply a triangle, kicking your leg up past their bicep and into their neck, then locking your legs. After that, you proceed as normal.

Final technique was a basic standing guard break. You establish the orthodox grip, holding both collars with one hand on their torso, while the other hand is back on their hip, knees pressed into them to try and stop their movement. Lean slightly to one side and step up that knee, then the other, enabling you to stand.

As you do, you shift to gripping one collar (so that you can stand up and press your hips forward). Your hand on the hip shifts back to their leg, so that your forearm is along their inside knee: don't be brutishly dig with your elbow (listen to Saulo!) You'll use that arm to create tension, then simultaneously step back your same side leg and thrust your hip out in the other direction. That should pop their legs open.

Specific sparring was from the guard. On top against one of the white belts, I was slipping my knee through to half guard, fought for the underhook, then used shoulder pressure to pass from there. I'm still a bit wary about relying on that, especially as it mainly works on white belts (I've managed it on blues once or twice, but not often). Still, I did ask Kev reassured me afterwards that it was a legitimate passing method.

Underneath, I was looking to break his posture down with my legs and keep him in close. I wanted to slide my leg through for the triangle, but couldn’t quite get the right set-up. I was also looking to get an overhook or move to the Shawn Williams Guard. I did both, but to little effect. With the SWG, I tried to push the arm back for the omoplata, but it was too obvious. I probably should have pushed on the head more too, or at least the shoulder.

Shifting to an overhook and gripping the collar, I again was telegraphing, so couldn't secure the choke I wanted, or the right triangle position. I need to be thinking more about stepping off and pushing on the hip for armbars, though on the other hand, it could be good to develop that tight guard position.

This also came up with Howard. I was pulling him in with my legs, breaking the posture down and wrapping tight, but not getting much further. Armdrags are something I have to look at more closely here: if I also had proper hold of that arm as I pulled in and knocked them off balance, could open up a route to the back.

I know that Howard gets that knee in when I switch to a high guard, so I was trying to keep an eye out for that, but he got it anyway. He used the Roy Dean guard break I've never been able to get to work: I think he was staying lower than I've been doing in my attempts, so that could be something to try.

When I was on top, I couldn't really do anything until Howard opened up for an attack. I found myself looking to pass open guard, which is an even worse position for me than closed. Still, it gave me a chance to really focus on driving my hips forwards, then seeing if I could yank a leg towards the ceiling and slide down. Howard's grips on my sleeves scuppered that, but something to keep working.

I had to take Thursday off last week because I came down with manflu. While I think it is mostly gone, and definitely shouldn't be infectious anymore, I wasn't back to 100% yet. So, I didn't do the advanced class tonight. Once again, I'm off to Bristol to see my gf on Wednesday, which I'll be doing again on Monday 22nd (meaning I'll miss that whole week, unless I can get to Aylesbury or something).

Article - The Rise of Online BJJ Training

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:53:00 +0000

Article #12, by Can Sönmez

When the UFC looked to be in its death throes in the final years of SEG, after getting kicked off cable, MMA fans online helped keep the UFC alive. That vibrant internet community was closely related to BJJ, a sport which has greatly benefitted from the growth of mixed martial arts.

The internet has also expanded exponentially over the last decade, meaning that BJJ now has a major presence on the world wide web. There are thousands of BJJers on a huge number of blogs and message boards, discussing the latest gossip, events, and of course, how to get better at jiu jitsu.

With the development of YouTube, it was inevitable that somebody would make the connection between an online community hungry for training resources and a business opportunity. As far as I'm aware, Jean Jacques Machado was the first to take advantage of this market, announcing his online program in late 2006. A few others followed, like the Grapplers Guide in 2007, but online training was still a niche interest.

That appears to have changed, most likely thanks to the advent of Gracie University, which hit the internet in March 2009. Machado's program was and is respected, but it didn't have the aggressive marketing tactics of the Gracie Academy to push it forward. Rorion and his sons may not have been the first to go online, but their widely advertised system demonstrated the viability of online training as a profitable endeavour.

At least, other instructors seem to think so. Tinguinha set up a program in October 2009, Marcelo Garcia in Action opened that December and most recently, Draculino launched his offering in early 2010. Those are just three of the bigger names: there is now considerable competition for your online subscription. They're even pitching their product in forum threads, addressing potential subscribers directly.

Another reason Gracie University arguably made bigger waves than Machado was because they offered rank. For the first time, a Gracie jiu jitsu student could earn their belts without ever stepping inside a school. Whether or not that belt really means anything is quite another question: I still don't feel online ranking is a good idea. Apparently most of the other online training providers agree. Draculino in particular has been explicit about his objections to online ranking:

The belt is something that really matters: it's not a joke. You really have to earn your belts and it's not something that you can give away easy. I sweat a lot, I had to work hard to get my belts [...] because of that, I'm not going to be giving away belts, online. I don't see how somebody can be awarded a belt online, especially if you never met the guy before.

Ok, they're going to show a couple of techniques, and they have to do correctly. Ok, but it's not just show technique, you know? The first thing with a belt, you have to prove time on the mats. [...] You have to see the guy live, you have to put a hand on him, you have to watch him.

The nature of the internet means that online training is quite different to older formats, like tapes, books or indeed DVDs. You can't ask Demian Maia a question as he runs through The Science of Jiu Jitsu: he is just a picture on a screen, which you can pause, rewind and fast-forward. There is no interaction.

By contrast, online training comes with the tempting prospect of having a conversation with those pixels, not just watching them. That is a particular attraction if it is a major figure in the sport, like Marcelo Garcia. I'm sure my old instructor Roger Gracie would do a roaring trade if he ever developed a similar product. An online training program can keep on growing and adapting to the needs of subscribers, though unlike a DVD, you are forced to rely on your internet connection and streaming videos.

Personally, I haven't been tempted: I already have a monthly subscription to a real academy, so lack any desire to pay for a virtual one as well. Still, I can see the benefits, if you have plenty of bandwidth and time. I'm happy working on the fundamental skills and asking my instructor questions, while using a few trusted DVD sets (like Roy Dean, Saulo Ribeiro and Cindy Omatsu) to refine what I already know. So for the moment at least, I'll be keeping my training on the mats instead of a keyboard.

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02/03/2010 - BJJ (Advanced)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:30:00 +0000

Class #291
RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 02/03/2010

Despite my parents having lived in this area since I was in secondary school, I only just realised there was a bus route a short walk from the house this year. Kinda late, but as I don't drive, most handy (I normally rely on trains rather than buses, which is one of the reasons I'm keen to find a job in Birmingham, as the relatively reliable public transport system was something I liked about it when I lived there a few years ago). Especially useful tonight, as there was nobody around to give me a lift.

Kev basically wanted to share the techniques he learned at the Roger Gracie HQ seminar, on taking the back (see Meerkatsu's post for a full write-up of that event). If your partner is in the typical guard posture, with one arm forward and the other back by your hip, you'd normally look to armdrag the front arm. However, that's difficult, as their arm tends to be strong in that position.

So instead, Roger taught Kev how to attack the arm by the hip. Start by grabbing that wrist/sleeve with your same side hand. Slide your other arm underneath their front arm (otherwise they can block it by moving their elbow up), aiming to cup behind the tricep of their hip arm. You will probably have to bridge and drag their back arm a few times before that tricep is in range.

Keep your guard closed the whole time if possible, bridging, pulling their arm forward, while trying to also shove it across your body with your tricep grip. You'll also be gradually slipping out to the side, until eventually you've pushed that back arm right past your torso. Drag them in tight, leaving your tricep grip in place, but releasing their wrist and reaching over their back. Secure a good hold under their far armpit.

It is essential that your chest is pressed firmly against their shoulder: you don't want them to get that arm free. You can then release the grip on the tricep and post on that elbow. This will enable you to slide round to their back. If your legs are still locked, then you're basically in a body triangle. If their knee is out, you can establish your hooks.

If it isn't, then make sure you have your foot on their knee, on the side you didn't slide round. Grab their same side arm, to stop them posting, then roll in that direction. You'll end up right in technical mount, in a great position to go for a choke, armbar or full mount. Be careful of your foot as you roll: you don't want to end up squashing it mid-technique.

Kev then covered two 'what ifs'. First, you have established your control, and are about to try and slide to the back. However, they step up their leg on the opposite side of your preferred slide, intending to press you back down flat on the floor. Simply reach under their leg, hooking behind their ankle. You can now just roll into mount, keeping hold of the leg for control until you reach the top position.

If they step up their other leg, it is slightly more complicated. Put your same side foot on the hip you were intending to slide past. Use that to raise up slightly. You want to bring the elbow of the hand which is gripping around the back over their head. That means you can then move into a tight armbar.

Free sparring with Howard started from his guard. Once again, I was having trouble shutting down his hips for the twisting guard break. I also tried getting a sleeve grip and standing up, but forgot to release his grip on my other sleeve first. One positive was that Howard tried a similar attack to Chris, but this time, I was able to get my foot past his head. That enabled me to break free and pass, though I think he loosened his grip slightly, as he thought for a moment we were still just doing guard passage, rather than free sparring (I did offer to stop and restart, but he was happy to keep going, as he said I'd already passed the guard).

Not that passing helped me much, as Howard was able to spin to turtle. I couldn't secure my hooks, scrabbling around trying to keep pressure on his hips and look for an opening. Eventually I was rolled into guard, where again I was going to high guard and Howard was getting his knee ready for combat base. Moving into open guard, I was looking to try the tripod sweep, but time ran out.

I had wanted to spar a couple more times, but it seems I haven't successfully escaped my gf's cold as I'd thought. I started to feel a bit groggy after sparring Howard, so decided to sit out the rest of the sparring. Hopefully it will clear up by Thursday, but we'll see.

Also cool to meet Graham, who sent me an email beforehand asking about Kev's club. He was just making a flying visit, but looked like he enjoyed it. I hope you manage to find somewhere to train closer to home! :)

02/03/2010 - BJJ (Beginner)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:30:00 +0000

Class #290
RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 02/03/2010

Pedro Sauer was recently promoted to 8th Degree by Relson Gracie, a considerable achievement. On the other hand, do the degrees/stripes beyond black belt really have any meaning, given the wild disparity in standards between the IBJJF, Gracie Academy and elsewhere? J-Sho makes some interesting points over on NHBGear, here.

Fundamentals started with how to pull guard, though Kev emphasised that it is becoming frowned upon (Rener and Ryron nevertheless include a variation on Gracie Combatives, as per the pic). However, he also mentioned that if you're up against a seasoned judoka, pulling guard probably isn't a bad idea, which is sensible advice. You start with a collar and sleeve grip. Pull on the sleeve to make them step, then put your same side foot on that hip. Swing around to the other side and drop. If they don't try to posture up, go for the armbar. If they do, lock in closed guard.

Next was escaping scarf hold, when they have their arm under your head rather than your far armpit. First, force your trapped elbow to the floor. Bring your other arm over their head, pressing into their neck. Support that hand with your other arm, to create a strong frame. Move your feet towards their head, until you can get a leg on their head. Lock it under your other leg.

Normally at this point, I would expect to roll up into a sort of technical mount, push on their neck to release my head, then go for a submission or just solidify the position. However, Kev had a different option. Keep your grip on their elbow, cupping it with your opposite hand. Slide the same side hand underneath and through, so that you can then lock it under your armpit, keeping your same side arm on the outside. Lean back, creating pressure on their isolated elbow for the submission.

Moving on to the main class, Kev just showed one technique, an armbar from the guard. Again, this proceeded as normal, until the finish. Instead of raising your hips for the submission, you keep them tight, clamping one hand over the elbow, the other by their wrist. Raise your hips slightly, then push that wrist towards their knee for the tap (making sure the elbow is correctly aligned for hyperextension, which you can check by looking where their thumb is pointing).

Sparring was from guard. I was looking for a high guard again, but Howard has a habit of getting his knee up when I try that, making things difficult. That meant I ended up playing with butterfly guard a fair bit, once again keeping jnp's 'ball' technique in mind, with my knees close to my chest.

I also took the opportunity to practice the Shawn Williams Guard, only to be almost immediately passed. I think I need to be tighter with my free foot, pressing against the hip. Moving into an attack quicker would help too, rather than looking to control and get my bearings.

Interestingly there was a purple belt in class tonight, who I think was called Chris: that belt looked pretty tattered, so he's clearly been doing this a good while. He did mention he had just had a year out due to a broken wrist, but was still far too experienced for me to accomplish anything much. He used the elbow dig pass on me: I didn't react in time to jump into a triangle, which is what I normally aim to do in response.

Passing Howard, I tried the twisting guard break repeatedly, but I'm still missing some key elements. Controlling the hips is a problem, so I need to review my notes, and hopefully get a chance to go over it again with Kev. Ideally I'd do a private lesson on guard passing, as it remains my weakest area by a huge margin.

Then again, I'm feeling much happier once I can make to top half guard. That generally only happens if they open their guard to attack, and I can slip my knee through. As long as I can get an underhook and flatten them out, I've been having relative success using shoulder pressure to pin their torso to the mat, then gradually free my knee and slide into mount. The tough part is getting them flat, and pummelling to make sure I maintain the underhook.

I also tried the twisting guard break on Chris: his response was to try and hook under my leg. That provides a chance to pull their arm under their back, but I couldn't manage to get hold of it before he realised and yanked it out of danger. Might need to raise them up more or something.

He eventually went for a triangle, and I thought I'd got free. However, he was able to suck my other arm in as I tried to initiate a pass. I tried to step over his head to release the pressure and move to side control, but he knocked me off balance, meaning I had no posture and was therefore completely exposed to the triangle.

23/02/2010 - BJJ (Advanced)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:00:00 +0000

Class #289
RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 23/02/2010

I had thought I was getting bored of MMA, judging by the last few UFC fights I've seen. I haven't watched an entire event in a long time. Therefore I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed BAMMA 2 (British Association of Mixed Martial Arts) last weekend. Every fight was exciting, there was plenty of technically adept grappling on display, and I didn't see any of the trash talking that has become prevalent in the UFC.

It probably also helped that many of the fighters were from the lighter weight categories, which I tend to prefer watching. My personal connections also made it more interesting for me: the fight promoter was my old instructor, Jude Samuel, who is also the guy who gave me my blue belt. Paul Reed is an old student of Kevin O'Hagan (I think), who I very briefly trained with six years ago. Finally, Tom 'Kong' Watson (who didn't fight, but was repeatedly featured in a promo for the next event in May) is someone I used to see on the mats at RGA.

I especially enjoyed the final match, between veteran Paul Reed and twenty-one year old Alan Omer, an Iraqi who moved to Germany as a child. Apparently, Omer started out learning his grappling from YouTube videos (though this would seem to indicate he has been at a proper gym for some time now). They both gave an impressive demonstration of grappling: Reed has a dominant top game, while Omer looked pretty nifty on his back. Gunnar Nelson also delivered an entertaining performance: given all the hype surrounding him in both BJJ and MMA, it was cool to see him in action.

If you missed it, then BAMMA 2 is being shown again on Bravo 2 at 22:00 this Saturday, 27th February. Official website is here, but as that has the results on it, don't click through if you haven't seen the event yet. ;)

Getting back to tonight's training, Kev often begins the advanced class by asking if anybody has questions. I took the opportunity to ask if he could go through the back control he had just shown me in more detail. They're defending, with their arms tight against their neck. Reach over the top of an arm, wriggling your hand past the crook of their elbow. It may help to make a 'leopard palm' (curling the top joints of your fingers) to help drive the hand through.

Once you're past, reach under your own knee, then grab their gi, clamping your elbow to your side. If you want even more control, you can repeat on the other side, putting both their arms out of commission. Either way, the idea is that you now have an opening to go for their neck. As both of their arms are trapped, you have a couple more seconds to grab the collar or wrap the neck, as their reaction is automatically slower.

Whether you've wrapped one or both arms, you can use that position to attack with a bow and arrow choke, Kev's favourite submission from the back. Get one arm over their shoulder, gripping the opposite collar, up by their neck. Disengage the hand you have under their leg on the same side, and reach down to grab their trouser leg instead. You can now swivel to a perpendicular position, bringing one leg over their shoulder, while the other moves up their body to meet it. Cross your feet, then press down for the choke.

Kev then moved on to the triangle from guard. His first set-up depends on your partner making a basic error in the guard pass. If they reach back to push on your ankle to open your guard, hook that arm with your opposite foot. Having pull it out of the way, your other leg has a free path to pop up over their neck, after which you can move into a triangle.

Alternatively, you can set up the triangle with a scissor sweep motion. Your partner is using an orthodox grip in your guard, holding both of your lapels by your chest with one hand, while the other grasps the top of your trousers or your belt. Move out and bring your knee in as you would for a scissor sweep, but with a difference. That knee is going to go over their trouser grabbing hand: you can then push to break that grip. As soon as you do, circle the same leg up around their neck, then move into the triangle.

Finally, if they try to step round and initiate a pass to escape, grab their leg. You can then lift and roll them into an armbar, shifting your leg from the triangle over their head. It should then be a simple matter to drop back for the armbar.

Sparring started with Dan, in his guard. I have a habit at the moment of pushing for half guard, then trying to pass from there. It's better than not be able to initiate a pass at all, but still not ideal. I managed to make it to half, though I had to fight for it, as Dan was putting up plenty of resistance.

He tried to use the lockdown to get free, but I somehow ended up slipping through to mount instead: still, that was lucky, as I should have been dropping low on his hips to release my foot, then move back into the half guard position I wanted. I should also attack the arm more, to distract them: I did half-heartedly flail at an Americana, but didn't have the right position for decent leverage.

Once I made it to mount and maintained that for a while, Dan raised up and gave me a chance to go for an armbar. I left too much space, and could see I was losing it. I was sure there was something I could switch to, like an omoplata, but I didn't react quickly enough. I need to be more confident with those omoplatas, but at least I'm starting to recognise the opportunities. Like Roy Dean says on Purple Belt Requirements, it is all about the combinations.

Last roll was with a big white belt, who was aggressively pushing forward. He kept trying to attack my arms from within my guard, meaning that there were several times I'm sure I could have gone for an armbar. However, I wasn't staying tight enough: by the time I was manoeuvring to push off his hip, he had already pulled his arm free.

I also need to try out the Shawn Williams guard, which I still haven't attempted in sparring. Due to the way he was forward, that was presenting me with an entry to the SW guard, which I must remember to take next time.

Off to visit girlfriend again tomorrow, which is becoming a regular thing every other week, so again won't make it to Thursday training.

23/02/2010 - BJJ (Beginners)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:30:00 +0000

Class #288
RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 23/02/2010

For those who didn't notice, Matt's awesome blog Martial Farts has changed its name to The Grappling Dummy, which means the URL has also changed, to this. So, you may need to update your links and if you subscribe to the feed, that may need updating too. However, Matt mentioned that Grappling Dummy is set up to forward from the old Martial Farts URL, so quite possible your links will be unaffected.

I also read a good tip from the aptly named BJJ Tips blog, here, about treating mount like it was a reverse guard. Interesting, especially as I knew Kev was continuing to focus on back mount this week, so thought I might have a chance to try it out.

Fundamentals was escaping a standing choke. Pull down on their arm for breathing room, then drop your hips to get underneath them. Lift with your legs, then throw them over your shoulder by twisting to the side.

This will be slightly different if they put forward the leg on the same side as their choking arm. You won't be able to drop and lift them so easily, so instead, you want to make them pull back. Normally leaning forwards as if you're going to try and lift gets that reaction.

As soon as they pull you backwards, hook their leg and circle round. You should now have that choking arm in an awkward position: if you drop your upper body, they'll have to flip to the ground. Otherwise, they're going to hurt their arm.

Transitioning to the ground, Kev moved into an escape from back mount. The first thing to note is your defensive hand position. Interestingly, it was the same thing Liam suggested last week: cross your hands under your jaw, pressing the back of each hand against your faces, elbows in tight. This should both block attempts to press a forearm into your neck, while still enabling you to use your hands to intercept theirs.

Bridge up, then keep moving to the side until you've created a bit of pressure on their hook. Push it off with your same side hand and immediately move your hips over onto the floor. You need to make sure that you keep your weight on their chest the whole time, gluing their upper body to the ground.

Gradually walk around with your feet, maintaining that pressure on their chest, bringing an arm over their neck. With your other hand (this will be the same hand that released their hooking foot earlier), reach over and grab their opposite leg. This is to stop them turning into you. It should now be a simple matter to twist into side control.

If you also need to escape a choke, the technique is similar. The only difference is that you have to deal with that choking arm first. Grab it with both hands and pull down, then roll to the side. It must be the side their choking hand is pointing towards. If you roll towards their choking elbow, you're helping them put the submission on faster.

Once you've rolled to the side, you need to release their hooking foot, after which the technique proceeds as before. If you're escaping a RNC, then you begin the same way, but you'll also need to peel away the hand behind your skull. In order to do that, grab their four fingers with the hand closest to it, then pull it off your head.

Be careful, as you aren't allowed to manipulate small joints in BJJ, so it needs to be all four fingers clumped together. Once it is loose, bring their arm over your body until your can trap it under your same side armpit. You can then proceed to escape as before.

The last technique was another choke, this time in response to their defence. You've got a grip on the collar by their neck, but you can't get your other hand low on their other lapel. So instead, just wiggle your hand through until you can bring it behind their head, then choke them by pressing that arm and pulling on the collar. This is only going to work if they have left some space with their arm: if they're clamping their elbow in tight to their side, you're going to struggle to make room.

Specific sparring from the back, I focused too much on releasing hook with my legs. That defensive hand position worked great, as I wasn't in any danger of chokes, but I also wasn't getting too far with escaping. I generally felt too vulnerable to move one hand to brush off one of their hooks, though the one time I did attempt it, my remaining hand was enough to keep blocking submissions.

I did eventually release a hook just by squirming with my legs, but once again I went the wrong way. I should have triangled my legs around the other side, where his hand was under my armpit. That would make it easier to turn. Once I did eventually escape, I ended up straight under mount. Better than having my back taken, but not exactly ideal.

When it came to attacking, I had trouble dealing with Dan's hands. He kept managing to peel off one of my arms, then using that space to turn and escape. I wasn't able to break through his arms for a choke, so instead I had a go at an armbar. That almost worked the first time, but I didn't control him enough with the figure four grip. I should have really pressed his arm into his chest.

As it was, I left too much space, so when I went for the armbar, he was able to slip free. I also must remember to always come under the arm first before securing my initial grip, which I failed to do a couple of times with my later attempts.

I asked Kev if he had any suggestions for controlling their arms when on the back. His response was interesting: use your legs. Basically, you push through the crook of their elbow, reach under your own knee, then grab the gi. Clamp your elbow down, and you've trapped their arm. If you do that on both sides, you've managed to buy yourself a few extra seconds to attack their neck.

Book Review - Watch My Back (Geoff Thompson)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Short Review: Graphically violent, with prose that sometimes stumbles, this autobiography is nevertheless an engaging read. Geoff Thompson is a noted figure in the world of self defence, meaning that anyone at all interested in his work will find Watch My Back a revealing insight. He viscerally describes the experiences that transformed him from somebody terrified of conflict into a successful bouncer, feared throughout his home town of Coventry. Available to buy here (or in the US, here).

Long Review: In the eight years I've been active on martial arts internet forums, I've said many times that I'm not interested in self defence (the only encounter I've had with RBSD was during Jamie Clubb's class, at the Cyberkwoon meetings). It isn't something I train for, firstly because I find it dull, and secondly because I'm dubious about the benefits. I'm small, weak and passive, so if some huge drunk with a broken bottle wanted to smash my head in for knocking over his pint, I doubt there is much I could do beyond running away.

Reading a book like Watch My Back only confirms that feeling. It is written by Geoff Thompson, a pioneer in the Reality Based Self Defence (RBSD) scene, particularly when it comes to the significant differences from a typical martial arts class. He has written many, many books on the topic, as well as branched off into self-help and even film scripts.

Personally I've never been keen on the self-help genre, but when it comes to self defence, Thompson is a legend in the UK, and globally respected as well. Though he has faced criticism for the direction he's taken in recent years, his contribution to the martial arts has been immense. In a comparable process to Matt Thornton's pivotal concept of 'aliveness', Thompson brought reality to self defence instruction.

Watch My Back was Thompson's first book, his autobiography, describing the circumstances that led to his later position as a world-renowned self defence expert. Although self defence isn't my area, I've been wanting to read this for a while. I finally got round to it due to the increased visibility of 'self defence' in BJJ, since Gracie Combatives hit the internet last year. I wanted to see what somebody acknowledged as an authority on self defence had to say, and how those views developed.

Thompson's autobiography frequently intersects with his other work in self-help, particularly overcoming fear. He even quotes a relevant chunk from Fear – The Friend of Exceptional People towards the end of the book. Presumably that can't have been the case with the original edition of Watch My Back: it has been updated numerous times since the 1990s (the copy I read is from 2000, with a new edition appearing last year).

Given that this book is largely about violence, Thompson's career as a self defence instructor also features heavily. That begins with the prologue, where Thompson summarises his perspective on the ideal approach to a real fight (pp6-7):

Not too detailed a plan, no complications, no equations, no grapple with morality or peer pressure, just bang him. That’s it. All this bollocks about karate or kung-fu, about this range or that range, bridging the gap, setting up, weakening them with a kick – there’s no need, just hit the fuckers . . . very hard!

It took some time for Thompson to reach that conclusion, and to inculcate his hardened attitude. Watch My Back discusses how he spent much of his childhood at the mercy of fear, made even worse when he suffered sexual abuse as an eleven year old. His greatest fear was physical confrontation, so he took up martial arts. It wasn't enough. Eventually, he says that he realised the only way to overcome that fear was to face it head-on. That's how Geoff Thompson found himself working as a bouncer.

Thompson had a black belt in karate, but that didn't mean much on the doors. Competitors in mixed martial arts gradually realised they had to become well-rounded to succeed in the Octagon or the ring, developing competence at striking, groundwork and takedowns. Thompson discovered this was also true on the street, but interestingly, he feels that the paramount skill is a fast, powerful, pre-emptive punch (pp254-255):

I love the Western boxing. This is surely the most effective system known to man, but again in kicking and grappling range it comes a very sorry second place. However, these boxers are so deft with their hands that it often does not get to the other two ranges. Most fights start at about 18 inches, then quickly degenerate into grappling if not maintained. So punching range is the natural range for a real fight. If it is the natural range I can see no reason to convince me that I should change it for another, especially when all the other ranges are weaker in this arena. Hands are king as far as I am concerned.

He is careful to note that you need the other ranges too – after all, he has a black belt in judo, and judging by pictures, he's had some contact with BJJ too – but for Thompson, a knock-out punch was his most valuable asset. That punch, normally indicated by a simple 'bang!', is put to use again and again over the course of Watch My Back. The vast majority of the book is a series of fights, where Thompson describes the drunks, thugs and criminals he had to deal with in his decade as a doorman. It is often extremely violent, especially when Thompson relates anecdotes of situations that didn't go so well, such as friends who were stabbed, glassed or even beaten to a pulp in their own homes.

Despite the frequently excessive violence (made all the more shocking by Thompson's constant use of the pre-emptive strike, which he believes is an essential part of self defence), Thompson manages to retain an air of authenticity, something few writers ever capture. While I doubt everything in the book is true, and any real events have probably been exaggerated and embellished, you still come away with the sense that Thompson is speaking from experience. Here's an example, from the end of the book (pp460-461):

‘So you’re not going to go then?’ I said, bringing my right hand back as though showing the door. The question engaged his brain and gave my shot a window, I’d only need the one.

Craig and Catalogue John were still outside waiting for me to arrive, unaware that I was inside. Wilmot-Brown was upstairs in the living quarters, looking out of the window for me. I’m here. I’m fucking here. He was probably cursing me for taking so long.

Bang!

I dropped a heavy right onto Ray’s fat jaw line. I hit him as hard and as fast as I could. The contact was sound. One of my better punches, if I do say so myself. I felt the heavy contact of knuckle on bone and knew I’d get a result. His eyes closed and his face shuddered. He was out before he fell. His body tumbled heavily towards the beer-splashed floor. His beer glass jumped from his hand and, almost in slow motion, spun in the air, spewing beer in all directions. My right foot met his head before it hit the floor, taking his front teeth out. I kicked him so hard that blood splattered all over my lovely Fila trainers and socks. His face bumped against the floor emitting a low hollow thud that made my stomach turn.

A collective ‘OOOO!’ came from the bar full of customers. As he lay motionless at my feet, beer and blood running in a river around his head and seeping into his silver tracksuit top like an explosion transfer, I brought the heel of my right foot heavily down on his face and let out a blood-curdling ‘KIAAA!’ I hated myself as I did it. But I had to, it was survival. If this bastard got up I could lose, and that frightened me.

There are various flaws with this book. The prose can be clichéd and clumsy. Sexism and homophobia creep in at several points. Attempts at humour occasionally fall flat, or worse, cast Thompson in a sinister light, taking pleasure in violence and personal abuse. He can sound arrogant, especially his proud boast that he has never lost a fight in over three hundred encounters. That's a figure which could happily sit alongside Rickson's infamous '400-0' claims, with about the same likelihood of accuracy.

However, to an extent all of that is understandable, because the book is written as if it was an informal chat with the reader, not a carefully edited piece of non-fiction. While Thompson tries to shift into a more professional register at certain points – and when he talks about his theories on self defence, he sounds authoritative – generally you feel as if you're sat in a pub listening to old war stories.

Whether or not these have grown in the telling, they're often engrossing, and importantly, Thompson goes on to reveal his fears at the consequences. Primarily that means legal repercussions, or even more dangerous, disgruntled opponents returning for another round, with friends and weapons, when your guard is down. In this section of the book, Thompson comes across as honest, stating that the fear was always there. He just learned how to harness it as an ally, instead of ranking fear among his enemies.

If you're looking for a polished piece of writing, this probably isn't something you'll enjoy. As he describes in the text, Thompson wrote the original edition of Watch My Back in a toilet, while working in a factory. His route to becoming an author certainly wasn't typical, and it has taken him some time to achieve competency: much of his first book reflects that. However, if you're interested in self defence, or Thompson's experience as a bouncer in 1980s Coventry, those flaws can be overcome. Available to buy here (or in the US, here).

Since Watch My Back and his days as a leader of the RBSD movement, Thompson has become a screen writer. For example, Clubbed grew out of Watch My Back, essentially a fictionalised version of the book brought to life. If you've read the book, I found it makes the film a lot more entertaining. You'll recognise some sequences that have been lifted directly from the text, but mostly they're modified, in order to fit in with Clubbed's narrative. Thompson even has a cameo, holding the pads for the protagonist and his training partners. Thompson's style is definitely better suited to film, so I'll be interested to see what he comes up with next.

Clubbed wasn't the first film to emerge from Watch My Back, as in 2002, Geoff Thompson wrote the short piece Bouncer. Impressively for a first-timer, he was able to get Ray Winstone to play the starring role. Perfect casting:

18/02/2010 - BJJ (Beginner)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Class #287
RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 18/02/2010

Somebody brought in a weighing scale tonight, presumably because a few competitions are coming up in the next few months. Naturally everyone went and weighed themselves, and it appears I'm fatter than I thought at the moment. Normally I weigh around 65kg without the gi, but the scales told me I'm currently 71.5kg whilst wearing it. So, I must be at least 69kg or so without the gi right now. That annoys me: I'm determined to get down to my normal weight by next week. Of course, eating a whole tub of ice cream yesterday probably didn't help. Ahem. ;)

Kev started off technique tonight by taking the back, this time after sprawling against a shoot. For the purposes of this drill, you end up facing their turtle, with them reaching for your leg to initiate a takedown from the knees. Drop your hip on that side (if I'm remembering correctly), then bring your opposite arm over their head. That should kill their grip on your leg, so you can now circle around past it, and take the back in the same way as Tuesday, finishing with a RNC.

He also advised that to finish the choke, it can be helpful to roll towards the elbow of your choking arm. That will make it tougher for them to escape. Conversely, if you're on the receiving end, then the fingers of their choking arm point you route to freedom.

The next choke from the back was referred to by Kev as a single collar choke. I think it might also be known as a single wing choke, but I'm not sure. You have a deep grip on one collar. Your other arm threads in front of their same side arm and behind their head. Pull their collar to the opposite side, simultaneously pushing on their head with your other arm, while also moving that other arm towards the opposite side.

Finally Kev demonstrated his favourite, the bow and arrow choke. Again you grip their collar, but this time, it doesn't matter too much if your hold is a little loose. You then grab their same side pant leg with your free hand. That will enable you to swivel on their body, until you can bring your leg over their shoulder (because you have a hold of their pant leg, it should be difficult for them to take advantage when you shift your hooks). Move your other leg up to meet it and cross your feet. You can now use pressure from your legs to effect the choke, pulling on the pant leg if you need to.

Sparring from turtle, I was able to eventually escape both Howard and Callum, but it felt rather sloppy. I could generally free one hook, then secure a leg with both of my own. I then just about managed to block their other hook from re-establishing. However, I was struggling to turn to either the top position (if I was facing the ceiling), or spin to half guard (if underneath). Could be because they had an arm under my armpit again. I tried grabbing a leg and driving, but that didn't work either. Still, I guess it's better than being fully back mounted.

I found that on top, I was leaving too much space. Callum is particularly quick at shifting back into guard, managing to knock me out of position, then just rolling over his shoulder to replace guard. Howard also exposed that space, though he preferred to roll to the side. Either way, I was doing something wrong that I wasn't doing on Tuesday, as I managed to stay on top and eventually secure the back that time. Must remember to keep my hips low, and take care that when I move, I'm not leaving them an escape route.

Unfortunately I managed to slice my finger on somebody's gi, as I noticed there was a load of blood seeping from under my fingernail. I don't think it was a large cut, as washing it in the sink seemed to get rid of most of the blood fairly quickly. Still, I didn't fancy messing it up further on someone's abrasive gi, especially as sparring from back mount tends to result in lots of finger friction. I did have a quick roll with Callum after writing down my usual notes and taping up the finger, but time soon ran out.

16/02/10 - BJJ (Advanced)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:00:00 +0000

Class #286
RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 16/02/2010

The passing of Valentine's Day means that it is now two years since I got my blue belt, so I thought I'd take stock of my current progress. I still have many, many gaping holes in my game. I can't break the guard unless they pretty much open it for me, and then only if I'm on my knees and therefore close enough to capitalise. If they manage to make any distance and I have to stand up in open guard, my passing is about as effective as a paraplegic catfish. I have no idea how to use knee-on-belly (I don't think I've ever been on top in that position during non-specific sparring). I fail miserably at holding back mount, and the only people I ever submit at all are rank beginners.

On the plus side, I'm fairly happy with my defence (although my escapes from knee on belly and scarf hold still need plenty of work), and my guard is getting steadily better: my major goal from there continues to be stringing together some attacks. I also feel much more secure on top of side control and mount than I used to. My half guard passing has improved as well, thanks to better use of shoulder pressure, but that does mean I'm developing a bad habit of accepting half guard rather than properly passing.

Class continued with back attacks: unusually, Kev said he would be teaching escapes next week, whereas normally he combines them in one class. First technique was an armbar from the back. You've got back mount, but they're doing a good job of blocking your choke attempts. So instead, slip your hand under their armpit and grab their same side wrist. Bring your other arm over their head, then secure a second grip on the same wrist. You want to be pulling their arm in tight the whole time, both to keep your position and to stop them making space to escape.

Switch your first hand to the wrist of your second, leaving you with a figure four on your partner's arm. Step your hooks off to their opposite side of their body (as if you were about to move into a body triangle), shifting your legs up towards their head. Keep the pressure on their trapped arm to stop them turning into you and escaping. Finally, bring your leg over their head, break their grip (Kev's option from last week works great) and drop back for the armbar.

The next option was an Ezequiel choke from the back. The set-up for this is fairly simple, as you just need a harness grip (one arm over their shoulder, the other through their armpit). Grip the shoulder arm sleeve with your armpit hand, then move your shoulder arm up and to the side, so that the gi material is pressing into their neck. Bring your shoulder arm around behind their head, then knife hand downwards on the other side of their neck. That should block off both arteries, resulting in a submission.

Sparring started in back mount, then went from there as normal. As Howard started on my back, I was defending the whole roll. I clamped my hands to the side of my neck, as per Aisling's advice, then looked to remove one hook and trap it with my legs. I was able to do so, but because Howard kept a firm grip with the arm under my armpit, I struggled to turn towards him.

Once I did finally get free, Howard was trying to initiate an attack with his gi lapel. I got free, and found that I could then grab that dangling gi and use it myself. However, I'm never quite sure what to do with loose gi fabric, so just played around with putting it over his back, then seeing if I got get it through his legs to help with a sweep. I'm sure I've been shown a few techniques related to that, so will have to look through the blog.

Rolling with Kev was of course very one-sided, but gave me a chance to work in guard. Once again, I was looking to use jnp's 'ball' principle, keeping my knees close to my chest, as well as principles from the Roy Harris seminar on Roy Dean's DVD. He eventually caught me with an armbar, and after I asked about options for defence, he suggested that trying to get to his guard and stack him was a good strategy. You're still stuck in an armbar, but you have gravity on your side: much better than being on your back.

I also sparred a white belt, which usually means I can practice my submissions (unless the white belt is bigger than me). While I landed a few, I still haven't got into the combination mindset Roy Dean talks about on Purple Belt Requirements. I went for an armbar from the back, but just clung on to it, rather than thinking of the next move, so because I left too much space, he was able to work his way free.

I did at least get back to guard, where I had another opportunity to go for the arm, as he was pressing his forearm into my throat. I landed it this time, but it made me realise that earlier, should have been thinking about shifting into omoplatas and triangles. Even though I managed the armbar from guard, I wasn't considering my next move if it failed. Going for mounted triangles and submitting with a kimura was fun, but I'm pretty sure somebody more experienced wouldn't have let me lock that position on in the first place (as I basically just shoved his arm down and stepped over it).

16/02/10 - BJJ (Beginner)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:30:00 +0000

Class #285
RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 16/02/2010

I'm thrilled to see that one of my favourite TV series in recent years, Last Man Standing, now has a female counterpart, Last Woman Standing. It's on iPlayer here, and showing on BBC 3 Tuesdays at 21:00, repeated on Sundays at 20:00. I'd never thought it would happen, as I'd assumed tribal culture was too patriarchal, so this was a pleasant surprise. The first one should appeal to BJJers, as it's wrestling in a Brazilian tribe. Awesome!

I also read a thought-provoking thread on The Underground recently, about Women's Self Defence. Several people who have taught women self defence classes relate their experiences, and what they think is the proper way to go about doing it. Just throwing out a subset of BJJ is frowned upon. So, I'd be interested to hear what people think, if they haven't seen that before.

Finally, worth mentioning that RGA Buckinghamshire is expanding. I train at the High Wycombe location, but there is also one in Aylesbury, and now a third in Bletchley. This will be running at the Total Dojo, The Concourse, Brunel Centre, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK2 2ES. Looking at the map, it isn't far from Bletchley Rail Station. BJJ sessions are on Wednesdays, from 20:15-21:45.

Fundamentals this week was based around standing guillotines. Start by wrapping up their neck if they leave it exposed when shooting in. With the forearm pressing into their throat, form a fist with that hand, then cup it with the other. Squeeze and lean back for the submission, dropping into guard if you need extra leverage.

I hadn't realised that it is illegal in competition (though Kev mentioned he was going to double check) if you apply that choke without feeding your 'cupping' arm through their same side armpit. Apparently, it is otherwise too much strain on the neck and spine. Howard and I were just applying guillotines as normal until Kev pointed out the rules issues, and I did indeed find at one point there was a fair bit of strain on the top of my spine.

The defence is to grab their choking arm with four fingers for breathing room, while your other arm reaches over their shoulder. Walk round, drop them to the floor, and land in side control. As they'll probably still have hold of your head, crush your shoulder into their face until they release the grip (you shouldn't be in danger of getting choked anymore, as the leverage isn't there).

Main techniques tonight were centred around the back mount. First of all, you have to get there, so Kev demonstrated taking the back when they're turtled up. You start behind them and slightly to the side, your hips low to stop them rolling out. Threaten their neck, with the aim of making them move their arms to defend. As soon as they do, slip your hands underneath and grab their gi lapels (though not too deep, as you can potentially get rolled).

You now move up higher on their body, bringing one knee next to theirs. Roll them over that knee, so they are facing the ceiling. If you haven't been able to immediately insert hooks, clamp your knees together, to stop them immediately spinning to your guard. Threaten their neck again, then insert your hooks as they move their arms to defend.

From here, you can execute a basic choke. You'll have one arm through their armpit, the other coming over their shoulder. Reaching to their nearest collar with your armpit hand, open up their gi, then feed the material to your shoulder hand, getting a deep grip. Your armpit hand now goes to their other collar and holds it. To finish the choke, pull slightly across with your shoulder hand and straight down with your armpit hand, also leaning back and pressing forward with your hips.

You can also roll to the side of your choking arm, as that will give you much more space to lean back, because you are no longer stopped by the floor. Make sure that you bring your shoulder arm elbow slightly back, as if you roll on top of it, you'll lock it in place and find it tough to get the leverage for the choke.

Specific sparring from turtle, I went to my usual 'safety position', with my elbows tucked up past my knees, hands by my neck. While that prevented chokes, it didn't stop Howard from slipping his hands in to grip my gi lapels. My main aim was to wait for an opportunity to move towards his legs and roll into guard. Sometimes that worked, securing half guard first, but sometimes I merely ended up under mount or side control.

I asked Kev about the ideal defensive position. He suggested that, from a sitting position, put your elbows on your hips, hands together, forming a triangle. Fold your torso over the top, resulting in a secure barrier against grips and hooks. However, it isn't a very active option, so better to be looking for the legs and a chance to spin to guard.

On top, I tend to struggle against the turtle. I went very slow, looking for an opening, but Howard wasn't leaving any space. So instead, I remained low on the hips to stop him rolling, then attempted to pull out his gi lapel. If I couldn't get my hand to grab the gi, I'd make it come to me. I'm not sure that was actually a good tactic, but it seemed to work, as eventually I had enough leverage to roll Howard and insert one hook. I ended up forcing my other foot into place, but it was rather sloppy. The round finished as I was working to secure a choke, though Howard wasn't far off from escaping my hooks.

Article - Homophobia & BJJ

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Article #11, by Can Sönmez

You may well have seen the photo featuring a grinning Wanderlei Silva, unadorned except for a pair of fightshorts, held from behind by a similarly underdressed training partner. It tends to be captioned with the phrase "it's only gay if you make eye contact." This is part of the "BJJ is gay" meme, something anyone who has trained in BJJ for a while will eventually come across. Often, it will be a friend trying to make a joke about your chosen sport. When positions like 'rear mount' are a common part of class, that isn't exactly hard.

The fact is, two sweaty men rolling around on the floor looks a lot like something else to the uninformed. That is even more the case when it's no-gi, as in the infamous Silva picture. I'm a straight BJJer, so if someone tries to tell me "BJJ is gay," I'll just assume they're ignorant or trying to be funny.

However, I wonder what my response would be if I was a gay BJJer myself. Sport and homosexuality are not on the best of terms: it is still a big decision for a prominent athlete to come out publically. Even gay fans struggle to be acknowledged. Many gay sportsmen and women choose to remain in the closet (naturally it is difficult to get statistics on that, but related stories here, here and here) fearful of media reaction, losing sponsorship, or causing tension in their team. In the past, this worry has been tragically justified.

For a grappling sport like BJJ, homophobia is a particularly pressing concern. There are those who can't help feeling uncomfortable when in close bodily contact with somebody sexually attracted to their gender. This is unfortunate: after all, heterosexual women face that issue every time they step on the mats. The majority of their training partners will be straight men. A heterosexual guy rolling with a homosexual man should be no different: you're both there to learn jiu jitsu, not find a date.

Sites like Matbattle.com (not safe for work) probably don't help matters. That isn't necessarily the fault of Matbattle (although articles like this arguably cross the line), as they are catering to a specific audience, just like the vast slew of titillating material aimed at straight men. What consenting adults want to do in the privacy of their bedroom is their business. However, the problem is when homophobes decide that all gay BJJers are sexual predators waiting to jump on them, most likely pointing to Matbattle as some kind of spurious 'evidence'.

Personally speaking, I haven't seen a lot of homophobia in BJJ. The kind of attitude I'm familiar with is exemplified by my favourite martial arts forum, Bullshido. As much as it occasionally gets dismissed by detractors as a bunch of foul-mouthed meatheads, almost every time I've encountered a thread on gay BJJers, the consensus has been "yeah, so what? They're there to grapple and get better at BJJ, like everyone else." An eminently sensible response.

Nevertheless, there are examples of shockingly homophobic behaviour elsewhere in the sport, as the below video investigates (interestingly, the related documentary resulted in two initially contrasting Bullshido discussions. First this, then this, and prior to both of them, one on NHBGear):

I'm keen to hear the perspective of gay BJJers on this topic, so please feel free to share your experiences, good or bad.

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09/02/2010 - BJJ (Advanced)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:21:00 +0000

Class #284

RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 09/02/2010

The Future Champions charity I mentioned a little while back was featured in last week's episode of the Fightworks Podcast. It was great to hear Jamie talk about his work with kids, and I'm hopeful this will lead to much broader exposure in the BJJ community. Like I said before, any and all help would be of enormous benefit (contact Future Champions here). It also isn't restricted to the UK: while it is currently UK based, I'm sure in the future branches could (and hopefully will) be established in the US, Australia, Canada etc. So, please lend a hand if you can!

Class continued with the mount, delving into the obvious question when it comes to that armbar: how do you break their grip if they've locked their arms? Kev's solution is to first make sure you have the arm nearest their head looped through the crook of their elbow, grabbing your own gi to lock it in. Basing behind you with your other hand, lean backwards to put some strain on their grip.

When you think it's loose enough, slam your other hand across into a figure four, creating momentum by also swinging your body towards their head. Once their arm is free, immediately bring your body back into alignment, then apply the armbar. If you stay leaned over by their head, you're giving them an opening to escape, as they can walk around towards their hand, turning to get free.

If their arms are too deeply hidden, the second option if to pull their other arm in tightly towards you. Staying tight, move around to the other side, and attack that arm instead. I'm guessing there must have been more to it, but I think I missed some details as I found this one a bit tougher to practice, due to my wrist.

Sparring again wasn't normal for me, as this time I did two rounds of flow rolling with Howard. Flow rolling is something I first encountered at a Nic Gregoriades class, though reading that entry again, I realise I didn't do it quite right. Nic's version doesn't have any grips, whereas I was grabbing at the gi with my right hand. Still, the important part was no submissions and keep moving, not staying in any one position for more than a few seconds.

That worked well for my situation, and also gave me a chance to work my open guard. In particular, I was thinking of jnp's excellent 'ball' strategy, where you keep your knees in towards your chest to make it difficult for your partner to pass. I also hand in mind what I've been reading in Kid Peligro's Essential Guard, one of the numerous books I got for Christmas (which is naturally on my to-be-reviewed list). He shows how you can bring your leg across their chest to help push them away and get back to guard, before they can fully pass.

I also had a go at working my way free from north-south, then rolling backwards to try for the back, or recover guard. Of course, it wasn't anywhere near as tight as in a normal roll, but I found it helpful to practice the motion. I was also attempting to roll over my shoulder into guard, as Marcio once showed me, but still haven't quite got the motion down.

Like last week, I won't be training on Thursday again due to seeing my girlfriend, who is popping up for a visit. Probably just as well, as that gives my wrist another week to fully recover.

09/02/2010 - BJJ (Beginner)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:48:00 +0000

Class #283

RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 09/02/2010

I'm not quite sure how, but I busted my left wrist at some point last week. The only possible cause I can think of is that shoulder lock with the lapel, though I don't remember my wrist hurting at the time. Either way, for most of last week, my left hand hasn't done a whole lot, in the hope that resting it would mean it would be ok for tonight.

It was definitely improved, but still sufficiently sore that I didn't want to risk aggravating the injury by putting any weight on my wrist. So I decided to try and train around my wrist instead, which fortunately was possible tonight because there were enough sensible blue belts training. I often pair up with Howard, who I knew I could trust to avoid that wrist.

Technique started with the usual GB fundamentals stuff, this time a takedown from a bear hug. The interesting part was that it moved into some knee on belly submissions, starting with the usual far armbar if they push on your knee with their hand, followed by a choke.

You start by opening up their collar and getting a deep grip with your hand. The second hand slides on top over to the other collar, but only your thumb goes inside rather than the four fingers. Drop the elbow of that second arm across their neck, so that the wrist and forearm presses into their throat. Finally, put your head to the floor on the top arm side, squeezing to secure the submission.

Groundwork was mount again this week. Kev started with the basic spinning armbar, where they have their arms pushing straight up. That means you can put your hands around one arm on their chest, hop up and spin directly into an armbar, making sure to slide down their arm to leave as little space as possible.

As that is highly unlikely to happen with anyone a little more experienced, Kev then progressed to the more common armbar from mount. Shift up into high mount, knees into their armpits. If they're using a standard defence, with their arms crossed to protect their neck, this should shove their arms up. Slide your same side knee up past the top arm, turning to face their other arm.

Your other leg will curl around their other arm: all the way through, your legs need to stay tight, as otherwise they'll have a chance to escape. Slide your same side hand past the crook of their elbow, then bring your same side leg over their head. Kev likes to cross his feet (as he finds that results in better control), then drop back for the armbar.

Finally, we went through the typical Americana from mount. As I couldn't press on the arm properly due to my wrist, I took a leaf out of Cindy Omatsu's book and drove it to the floor with my head instead. Looking at the DVD again, I see that she grips differently than I was before bringing her head into the picture, grabbing the wrist with one hand. That's definitely something I'd like to try in sparring, as I can never get the arm loose for an Americana: keeping my base would be more problematic, but worth a go.

As I couldn't spar properly, I was going to just go light with Howard, but Kev asked me to help out a beginner instead. This made sense, as he had a messed up rib, so couldn't spar full on either. It was only his second class, so I went through the two basic mount escapes with him, also showing him how to secure a low grapevined mount. His rib was too tender for me to do anything on top, so we stuck with me escaping his mount, then drilling technique. I tried to keep things simple and not overwhelm him with information: I'm enjoying the opportunity to practice that element of BJJ, though it is a little more difficult when you're both carrying injuries.

Unusually, Kev then got everyone to free spar, starting in mount. That's the first time I've seen him let people do that in the beginners class. In the case of my training partner, it led to more teaching of the basics, where I tried to show him a simple standing guard break and pass. Again that wasn't easy, due to his rib, but hopefully getting a first look will be of some use to him further down the line.

When I decided to train around my injury, I'd forgotten one important detail: I take lots of notes, and I'm left handed. With my wrist out of commission, I couldn't write with my left. Fortunately, I've practiced enough with my right that I could just about scribble something using that hand instead. For some reason, I used to randomly try and write with my other hand back at school: paid off tonight. ;)

DVD Review - Cindy Omatsu BJJ

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:44:00 +0000

Short Review: As far as I'm aware, this 2005 set is still the only BJJ instructional produced by a female black belt. Unlike its contemporaries, like Saulo's DVDs from a year earlier, Omatsu's release is no longer that easy to find. That's unfortunate, because the first two DVDs form a superlative introduction to BJJ. Omatsu has a relaxed, friendly style, with plenty of detail, helped by the multiple angles and zooms. The last two DVDs present more advanced techniques, though I wouldn't say there is anything beyond a blue belt here. Available to buy here and here, or if those are out of stock, try here and here.

Full Review: Cindy Omatsu was the first non-Brazilian woman to achieve the rank of black belt, promoted by Rigan Machado. She was also, as far as I'm aware, the first woman of any nationality to release a Brazilian jiu jitsu instructional DVD. Her assistant is a certain Felicia Oh, who would receive her own black belt not long afterwards, and has since grown to be one of the most successful women in the sport.

This DVD set is supposed to be the Brazilian jiu jitsu installment of a series entitled Vicious Vixens. There are other DVDs covering muay thai and MMA, featuring Lisa King and Debi Purcell respectively. Presumably the reason for the somewhat dubious name are the female teachers, but fortunately that is the only example of women being treated differently than men on the DVD (or at least that's true for Omatsu's contribution: I haven't seen the others).

Omatsu splits her instruction across the four DVDs by level, beginning with 'Basic BJJ', then 'Beginner', 'Intermediate' and 'Advanced.' Each DVD is between forty to fifty minutes long, divided into various sections, normally based around a particular position.

Omatsu wears a white gi while Oh wears a black one, always an important point to include in any BJJ instructional: otherwise, it can be difficult to sort out the tangle of limbs. The camerawork is also good, with multiple angles and frequent zooms when more detail is required. Omatsu goes through each technique at least twice, sometimes more, adding in details along the way. She also points out common mistakes, and is relatively concise.

Basic BJJ (forty-two minutes) certainly lives up to its billing. Omatsu starts from the absolute fundamentals, showing the viewer how to tap. She then moves on to what she feels are the four basic positions: the guard, side control, mount and back mount. I particularly liked the way this was all logically connected, passing the guard into side control, then transitioning to mount, before taking back mount as your opponent rolls to their stomach.

Guard is described as a neutral position, but noting that the person with their legs around you has a slight advantage, due to the possibility of sweeping and submitting. I certainly feel a lot more comfortable in guard, but I imagine there are plenty of instructors who would insist that it is always better to be on top, including in the guard.

After about five minutes, Omatsu follows with some warm-up drills, again making certain to cover off the absolute fundamentals. That means she has Felicia Oh shrimp up and down the mat (though Omatsu prefers the term 'hip escape', which is fairly common), before adding in a useful complication.

Rather than just shrimping against thin air, Omatsu stands above Oh and walks up the mat with her. That means that the shrimping motion is put into practical context, something which is all too easy to forget when you've done it a hundred times at the start of every lesson. This is also something Rich Green used to do when I was at Combat Athletics.

The mechanics of the triangle, bridging, shoulder rolls and leg circles complete the basic drills, taking the DVD to the fourteen minute mark. Leg circling possibly requires a bit more explanation, as not every club I've been to does it: the idea is to practice establishing hooks from spider guard, circling around the arm. As with shrimping, Omatsu demonstrates the application from open guard.

Omatsu dubs her next section 'Basic Techniques', though this is less specific techniques than outlining the fundamental motions and postures in BJJ. Omatsu keeps to the positional hierarchy she laid out earlier, beginning with the guard. Omatsu shows the importance of good base and proper posture, including squeezing your knees into their hips to stop them moving. She also reiterates essential tips like always keeping either both arms in or out of the guard.

Interestingly, Omatsu also shows how to properly pull guard from kneeling. This again isn't included in most instructional DVDs I've seen, but it is the kind of thing a beginner will find useful. While there isn't much use for that technique in competition or on the street, it is a common situation when training in class.

Finally on the guard, Omatsu points out something I don't think I've ever considered before, which is how to arrange your feet when sat in somebody's guard. She points out that for safety reasons, you should be sitting directly over your heels, rather than splaying your feet to the side (as in the picture). It is also the first time she says something specific to her gender, mentioning that "a lot of women do this because they can." Generally when she mentions women later on, it is in this context of flexibility.

Side control is up next, covering the correct posture both on top and underneath the position. The key is keeping your weight on your opponent, rather than on your hands and knees. Omatsu's preferred variation of side control appears to be a knee up to block their hip, with the other leg back to increase the downward pressure. She also demonstrates how to cross-face.

On the bottom, it is all about making space. Omatsu takes the posture I'm most familiar with, pressing an arm into the throat while the other blocks their hip. After running through guard recovery, Omatsu explains going to your knees. From there, she takes Oh down into side control, again using the method I'm familiar with, head and leg on the outside.

The mount crops up thirty minutes into the DVD, kicking off with the low mount, grapevining their legs, basing out with your arms. Pointing out the advantages of each version as she goes, Omatsu moves up to a higher mount, making sure to tuck her feet tight to their bum, before bringing her knees to Oh's armpits for a third variation.

Escaping the mount I noticed that, yet again, Omatsu appears to have learned the same way I did, judging by her hand grips (though I would grip closer to the wrist). I'm not sure if that indicates Rigan teaches in a similar fashion to Roger and his instructors (as I first learned the basics at RGA HQ), or if it just something smaller people do. Either way, this fleshes out the observation I made when reviewing Gracie Combatives.

The last few minutes are spent on back mount. Sticking within the 'basic' remit, Omatsu simply lets her opponent roll under mount, then inserts her hooks as Oh turns around. Rather than locking her hands together as in Gracie Combatives, she takes advantage of the gi and secures a collar grip, using that to help point Oh towards the ceiling.

This time she doesn't show any escapes, instead adding in the first submissions of the DVD series, a couple of chokes. I would have expected a rear naked choke, but Omatsu prefers to run through two collar choke, which upon reflection makes sense, given that she already has that collar grip. The DVD finishes with both Omatsu and Oh joking their way through the final technique: you can tell these are two long-time training partners, which contributes to the overall friendly atmosphere of the DVD series.

As that previous DVD documented the basic postures and movements, Beginning BJJ (fifty-two minutes) can get right into submissions. Omatsu begins with the armbar from mount, assuming that your opponent makes the beginner error of pushing up on your chest with their arms. You can then simply post on their chest, spin, and slide down the arm, before dropping back to apply the joint lock.

That is followed by an Americana, which again is predicated on your opponent raising their arms, leaving them vulnerable to attack. Omatsu uses the thumbless grip, due to the possibility of your partner using your thumb as a lever to escape. Helpfully, the camera zooms in on details, something which is a positive feature of the series as a whole.

Omatsu gives out a helpful tip at this point, which is using your head to help push their hand to the mat. That can provide the extra leverage you need if they're being especially difficult. Once you've got their arm to the mat, Omatsu also suggests inserting your second hand through the side, if they have managed to clamp their elbow so tightly that you can't slip underneath.

For the choke from mount, Omatsu does not show the straightforward cross choke you might expect. Instead, she grabs one collar, then circles her other arm around. This is the style Roger Gracie normally uses, and also seems to result in a more stable base, as you don't immediately commit both your arms. Omatsu emphasises getting your knees up their body first, so that you're away from the bridging power of their hips.

In a technique mainly specific to sparring in class from the knees, Omatsu then demonstrates how to pull guard into a scissor sweep, building on pulling guard in the previous DVD. There are a fair few people who dismiss sparring from the knees as unrealistic, but it nevertheless remains a constant at most BJJ classes, due to space and safety considerations if nothing else. Also, there is the JohnnyS argument, which is that you can use techniques from the knees if you find yourself in a scramble, among various other situations.

Armbar from the guard is covered next, using the set-up I'm most familiar with. Omatsu shows two possible grips to use on the sleeve, and states that you don't want to cross your feet. She also, handily, has a follow-up sweep if you get stacked while attempting the armbar, where you drive you leg down on their head, then grab their far trouser leg and roll them into mount.

Throughout the DVD, Omatsu will run through each technique several times from a few different angles. As she does so, she'll also add in further details, such as here, where she notes you can pull them in with your legs to initially break their posture.

The next ten minutes are spent swiftly describing several fundamental attacks. First, the basic choke from guard, which takes just over a minute, with another four minutes on the kimura from guard. As with the Americana, Omatsu opts for the thumbless grip. This contrasts with several other instructors, such as Rener Gracie, who feel that the thumb provides greater leverage without the same danger of being used to aid an escape. She finishes off with the guillotine, as that connects well with a kimura attempt.

A final ten minutes cover passing the guard. Omatsu's method for opening the guard at first looks the same as Saulo's preferred technique. She inserts the knee and steps back, but then digs her elbow into the thigh, which is exactly what Saulo recommends against. It can work, but personally I dislike that particular guard break, because it relies on hurting your partner rather than using body mechanics and leverage.

She follows up with a pass, sitting on the leg, backstepping, blocking the hip with her hand then moving into side control. Though I'm not fond of the preceding guard break, it is nevertheless very clearly explained in combination with the pass. Omatsu shows the viewer three different angles, carefully pointing out hand position, legs and grips.

To finish, Omatsu includes the same guard break Roy Dean showed me at his UK seminar, which is also part of Purple Belt Requirements. You can either push into their biceps or the armpits, aiming to make enough room to stand and insert your knee. Once in place, sit back down, sliding them down your knee, which should provide enough pressure to open the guard. Omatu's version makes it clear that you create a space in which to place your knee, which wasn't quite as obvious on Purple Belt Requirements (then again, Omatsu's application may well be slightly different). To pass, Omatsu then uses a leg pin pass.

The third volume, Intermediate BJJ (just under forty-six minutes) opens with a method for reaching open guard from closed. You feet move to their hips, while you grip both their sleeves, pulling their arms around your knees. From this position, Omatsu is able to launch a number of attacks, which can also function together as a sequence.

The first submission is an omoplata from guard. This also provides Omatsu with the opportunity to highlight the importance of following through when doing a drill, and that you need to be working out with a partner on the mat, to facilitate resistance training. It is a point worth repeating, particularly with the proliferation of online training programs over the last couple of years.

She moves on to a triangle, before combining that into a sequence with the armbar and omoplata. If they pull their arm out of the armbar attempt, you can swivel around their other arm, moving into an omoplata. Omatsu traps the arm at a right angle by pulling it across her leg, grabbing their belt, then clamping her other arm on top in the process. Should they attempt to posture up out of that, Omatsu swivels back, locking in a triangle.

I'm keen to start building attack series, as Roy Dean advises on Purple Belt Requirements. Omatsu delivers a classic option, teaching each element separately before joining the three techniques into a flowing offence. She also demonstrates a few sweeps, such as a scissor followed by a push sweep from that earlier spider guard variation. Rather than a shin across the stomach, she uses the leverage of a foot in the bicep.

Having covered sweeps from the knees, Omatsu then demonstrates several against a standing opponent. Strangely for an intermediate DVD, one of those is a basic ankle grab. Categorisation is always difficult, but I'm not quite sure why she left this until intermediate. Either way, it does give her a chance to make an important point: "when your opponent is grabbing you, you want to grab back. You don't want to let them control you."

The last ten minutes are again devoted to passing the guard. This time, that is specifically open guard. They have their feet on your hips and are grabbing your sleeves. You grab back, pull their knees towards you so they're on the floor, then sit down and squeeze your knees together. To finish, you grip their trouser leg and behind their gi, then spin them straight into side control.

Finally, Omatsu shows a similar set-up, where as before you get their feet to the floor, crushing their knees together. This ends up as effectively a sort of butterfly guard. This time, she is a little more acrobatic in passing, gripping a trouser leg behind their calf, then flipping right over the top and rotating into side control.

The fourth and last DVD, Advanced BJJ (forty-seven minutes) kicks off with eight and a half minutes of takedowns. As far as I can tell, these draw more on wrestling than judo, based around a single leg, but then my takedown knowledge is quite poor.

Omatsu progresses to submissions from side control, starting with an arm triangle if they try to shove their arm up into your neck. She shifts into scarf hold after that, developing another attack sequence, which encompasses five different options.

It begins with the step-over armbar demonstrated on Renzo's old set, which like Renzo, moves into an Americana with the legs, if they slip their arm out of danger. Should that fail, Omatsu shifts into the side control/scarf hold triangle I've mentioned a few times recently, which enables her to attack for a kimura. You could also go for a straight armbar from there, or indeed an Americana, depending on where they move their arm. If the kimura doesn't get a tap, Omatsu pulls that arm up, then swivels round into an armbar.

Again, much of what Omatsu shows on these four DVDs are techniques I have seen in class, with the same set-up. That continues when she shows a choke from technical mount, as a response to her partner rolling away from her in side control. This is the same submission Kev has taught a few times in class, meaning that Omatsu's instructional is an ideal way for me to review techniques I already know, but want to refine. As with Kev, Omatsu finishes by applying an armbar, if for some reason the choke isn't working out.

Having explored side control, Omatsu adds attacks from the mount. Similarly, the armbar she shows here is also something Kev has included in class. The advantage of this set-up is that you can apply it either by falling back or going belly down, so your opponent is stuck either way they try to roll. Along with the armbar, Omatsu shows how you can move into a mounted triangle, pushing on their shoulder and stepping over as they attempt to elbow escape.

Yet more sweeps from guard follow. The first is a little unorthodox, and possibly low percentage. Omatsu controls the sleeve, gets a cross grip, then either grabs the pant leg or swims under their leg. Swinging her leg over their arm, she rolls over to face the floor, knocking them onto their back with her body. From there, Omatsu spins directly into an armbar.

The second sweep is more standard, off an omoplata, after which Omatsu describes a few grip breaks if you're having trouble completing the armbar. Some are relatively standard, like moving in a semi-circle to loosen their grip, while others are more risky, like kicking it loose with your foot. To finish, Omatsu narrates a couple of armbar escapes, which Felicia Oh demonstrates step by step.

It is a shame this set is no longer easy to find, as the first two DVDs are excellent for beginners. I especially liked the fundamental nature of the opening video, which was well complemented by the selection of techniques in the second DVD. It is also refreshing to see a female black belt teach on a BJJ DVD: hopefully others will follow suit, as this series is now five years old. There are plenty of prominent women in BJJ today, like Hillary Williams, Lana Stefanac and indeed Omatsu's old training partner Felicia Oh, all of whom could no doubt produce a decent instructional.

Available to buy here and here, or if those are out of stock, try here and here. As ever, you could also always look on eBay:

02/02/2010 - BJJ (Advanced)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:10:00 +0000

Class #282

RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 02/02/2010

Kev went over some points about maintaining the mount to begin the lesson, commenting that shifting to technical mount is a good option if they being to escape. He also noted that if they manage to get their knee through and under your leg, you've pretty much lost mount. At that point, it would be sensible to shift into a pass, rather than struggling to get back to mount and probably getting reversed.

The technique he showed was a choke from technical mount, much the same as one he has shown before. As they elbow escape, shift into technical mount. Reach under their top arm and open up the collar, feeding it to your other hand, which will be around their head. Bring your top arm behind their head, then knife hand downwards while straightening your arm. That should put on the choke, presuming you've got a decent grip on their collar with your other hand.

Next was something rather more unorthodox, a shoulder lock from mount. This is a bit low percentage, but Kev mentioned he has managed to land it on people who are being especially defensive, clamming up with their arms crossed. Start by pulling out one side of their gi on the same side as the arm they have on top. Bring that gi lapel over their arm, towards the elbow. Feed it through to your same side hand, then bring your opposite hand over and underneath, switching your grip.

You are now simply going to gradually tighten that lapel, pulling the material with the lower hand, locking it in place with the upper hand, then pulling it again. As you do so, their arm will be twisted in an increasingly painful fashion, until eventually they're put in a shoulder lock.

After submitting me later in class, Kev also showed me a straightforward escape from a bow and arrow choke. All you do if reach under your leg and grab the same side lapel their holding for the choke. Push with your leg to straighten it out, which will mean they are no longer able to pull the collar into your neck. That should give you some time to work your way free: it's effectively a stalling tactic for breathing room.

During free sparring, I found myself under side control a lot. I'm happy under orthodox side control, but I run into trouble when they shift their base. I think it's modified scarf hold, because they don't have control of my arm, so must have reached under the far arm. Either way, I find that a lot more problematic to escape, so definitely need to review my scarf hold escapes. I was shifting my legs towards their head, to try and bring a leg round, but I think I'm still missing a few elements.

I'm also still playing around with the triangle position under side control. Not everyone puts themselves in position for me to try it, but there are a few who keep their head low, meaning that I can trap it with my leg. It doesn't normally go anywhere as an attack, but I found tonight it definitely helped me escape, as it distracted them from maintaining their position.

With Callum, I've been ending up in the exact same position for months. We start from our knees, I move to pass, he goes up on his side. I'm sort of in his half guard, but I can't secure an underhook, his knee is in the way of my torso, and I can't get much of a grip with my other arm.

I want to try and flatten him out, but that knee stops me coming forward. The other option I've been trying to push his knees together, control the hips, then move round. So far, that hasn't been working for me, but then I think I'm still doing it wrong: as I end up there so often with Callum, should have plenty of opportunity to practice.

I'm also still not threatening properly in open guard. I have some idea of what to do when I have my legs hooked, such as going for a tripod sweep, but I'm far less active in spider guard. I can get the grips, but then I normally find myself just maintaining the position, circling my legs, pushing them back as they try to pass.

I need to threaten a sweep, so that the initiative isn't completely with my partner. Again, something I'll have to review, as I'm sure I've been shown various spider guard sweeps over the years: Gustavo was also teaching open guard sweeps at RGA, so I'll check back in my notes.

I won't be training on Thursday again, as I'm visiting my gf down in Bristol: it's becoming a relatively regular pattern of every two weeks or so (though that will change once one or both of us settle into a proper job).

02/02/2010 - BJJ (Beginner)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Class #281

RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 02/02/2010

Two great posts on the BJJ blogosphere recently. First one is NinjaEditor interviewing BJJ Grrl, running through the typical list of questions that might be on the mind of a woman looking to get on the mats for the first time. Secondly, fellow UK and RGA BJJer Meerkatsu put together a thorough piece on buying a gi.

My instructor Kev Capel won silver at the Europeans, in his brown belt featherweight masters category. Even better, the guy he lost to is also RGA: judging by the results, it was a pretty good result for the UK. Oli Geddes naturally won his division yet again, and I saw on the EFN that while I was training tonight, he got his brown belt from Roger down in London. Which is very cool: Oli has been tearing up the competition scene at every belt level, so definitely well-deserved.

As I mentioned last time, Tuesday now starts with a 'fundamentals' section based around self defence. It isn't something I'm keen on, but if I'm going to do it, I'm glad Kev is the one teaching. Before saying anything else, he makes clear that for self-defence you need to cross-train striking. He also emphasised that the haymaker defence we did today was quite specific: anybody who has a clue about striking wouldn't throw a punch like that.

Techniques today were all very basic, but that's good: you can never drill the basics too much. This week, it's mount, so Kev showed the trap and roll followed by the elbow escape. When Howard and I drill basic moves, we like to make it continuous, so rather than just doing the escape then resetting or having the other person get up and go on top, we'll practicing passing the guard into mount. That meant that along with developing my mount escapes, I also had a chance to play with some guard breaks and passes, or sweeps to mount after elbow escaping back to guard.

Sparring from mount I'm continuing to try and maintain the position, by staying low and grapevining the legs. I'm also trying to always swim with the arms to stop them getting trapped, and seeing if I can attack with an Ezequiel. I moved into place a few times, but on each occasion I stopped. That's because in order to attempt the submission, I would have to shove my hand down my training partner's head, crushing their face until I can reach the neck. At the moment, I'm not willing to do that. So, either I need to come up with a different set-up, or get over my discomfort with being mean.

I also found that I was sometimes getting my arms grabbed and shoved downwards, which hasn't happened much before. I get the feeling that I'm missing some obvious submission opportunity, but last night, I was just shifting down to grapevines in order to regain my posture when that happened. One of the white belts also made the classic error of pushing up, leaving his arms vulnerable. My armbar from mount was pretty sloppy, but I was keen to make certain he understood it was a bad idea to try and bench press, so focused on landing the submission.

Kev asked me to go with a white belt during the specific sparring, as this white belt had been relying too much on strength: Kev wanted to encourage him to be more technical. I'm not sure if he picked me because I'm small, or because I was one or only three blue belts there. Either way, it made me think of this thread, as I noticed I was talking too much in my efforts to help. While I was trying to explain how he needed to be careful of leaving space for me to shrimp, I got a blank look. That made me stop and realise I was babbling. It is important to be concise when giving advice, rather than overloading with details as more and more spring to mind.

Underneath, I could normally get back to guard, but I'm relying too much on that one escape. I did bridge and roll at one point, because I saw the opportunity, but stepping over to trap the leg, go to half guard, then shrimp to full guard is my bread and butter. I need to improve my ability to combine the two escapes, especially against higher level belts.

Article - BJJ Belts: What's the Point?

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:19:00 +0000

Article #10, by Can Sönmez [FAQ Entry]

As far as I'm aware, the idea of using belts to reflect rank was first popularised by Jigoro Kano, who is easily among the most important figures in modern martial arts. According to JudoInfo, Kano's senior students began wearing black belts in 1886, signifying their higher status. It took until 1930 to bring in another colour, an alternating red-and-white belt. BJJ was once similarly sparse on rank, as Royce Gracie explained in a recent interview:

In my father's old days, in the beginning, the history of jiu jitsu let's say, there was a white belt, a blue belt, and a navy blue belt for the instructors. That was very hard to get, it wasn't just anybody could get it. There were no stripes, just plain blue belt. That's what my father used to use for the longest time, until about 1970s, when people create the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation. Under pressure, my father kinda give in, and told the people, "Go ahead, do the Federation." That's when they came up with all kinds of different belt colours, and they award him red belt, ten stripes.

The JudoInfo article goes on to state that in 1935, Mikonosuke Kawaishi introduced a more extensive system in Europe, ten years after Carlos Gracie opened his Rio academy. The reason is telling: "[Kawaishi] felt that western students would show greater progress if they had a visible system of many coloured belts recognizing achievement and providing regular incentives."

This continues to be a major factor in why people like to get new belts. It is human to crave praise, from your mother smiling at some abstract scribble you produced at the nursery, right through to your boss congratulating you on a job well done. In BJJ, belts are supposed to be a direct reflection of ability, meaning that in a legitimate school, promotion can be a cause for great pride. You've accomplished something, and are now being recognised.

The purpose of a belt is to mark your progress. That makes it easier for the instructor, if they're looking for an uke, or if they want to match people up during sparring. It also grants you greater access to competition: if you've spent the past year or two smashing your way through all the white belt tournaments, then you're going to get a lot more out of competing at a higher level against challenging opposition.

Yet many people feel undeserving upon promotion. What if you haven't been dominating at competition? What about that one girl in class who always manages to pass your guard? Or the big white belt who tapped you with an Americana yesterday: why isn't he getting promoted?

The only absolute is your instructor's faith in your ability. BJJ leaves you in no doubt about your failings, as the mat is a harsh critic. There are always areas to work on and people who can painfully expose those mistakes. In BJJ's highly subjective ranking system, it is essential you feel able to trust your instructor's opinion.

If the instructor is worthy of a student's trust, due to their honestly earned rank, then BJJ's meritocratic grading process falls into place. This is why it is so important to maintain the direct link between ability and status in BJJ belts: any frauds who seek to debase rank must be exposed. Many other martial arts have lost all credibility due to compliant belt examinations, where the candidate is never truly tested. If performance against full resistance is not a central part of promotion, the belt becomes meaningless.

At the same time, obsessing over a piece of cloth instead of concentrating on your actual ability is detrimental. After all, Hélio eventually gave up his impressive red belt with ten stripes, preferring instead to wear one of those old blue belts. He didn't need a belt to demonstrate his skills: he already had incontrovertible proof, in the ring and on the mat.

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28/01/2010 - BJJ (Beginner)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:33:00 +0000

Class #280

RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Matty Burn, High Wycombe, UK - 28/01/2010

Kev is away competing at the European Championships this weekend. I've seen that tournament getting a fair bit of criticism on forums, but nevertheless, it is still the most prestigious BJJ event easily reachable from the UK. Then again, the arguments about organisational problems and price seem fair enough, from what I've read.

Anyway, one of Kev's blue belts from Aylesbury took the class, Matt Burn (which come to think of it is a pretty cool name for a BJJ instructor). I'm not sure if Kev advised what he should teach, but Matt continued the side control theme from Tuesday, running through some important basics.

He kicked off with the usual way to transition from side control to mount, followed by the two fundamental escapes, to the knees and back to guard. I am used to swimming the arm through when going to the knees (though I still don't automatically go for that, much preferring guard recovery), but interestingly Matt also used that swim when recovering guard.

Sparring was naturally from side control, and again I had the chance to go with a white belt, though I'm not sure on his size. Either way, he was pretty new, so on top I was looking to try out some of the techniques from Tuesday, like the choke with the lapel. However, he grabbed my far arm, which stymied that particular technique. So instead, I went for scarf hold, and eventually moved into the step-over triangle.

When I went to attack the arm, it had already gone limp. For a moment I thought maybe I'd accidentally choked him out, but looking back, he was fine. What actually happened was that he gave up as soon as I got the triangle position. Shortly afterwards he tapped, saying there was nothing he could do. I was so surprised I didn't think to make the obvious response, which was "you should still try and escape, as you might be able to get free."

Then again, I can understand it would be annoying to be put into some random position by a blue belt when you haven't been training very long. The triangle wasn't an option with the other blue belt who was training, as I couldn't even keep him under control. I tried to switch to north-south, but he already had his knee in place and recovered guard.

Underneath the white belt, I wanted to see if I could play with armbars and triangles again, but he was a bit more savvy with his defence than the last white belt I rolled with. So instead, I just practiced escaping as normal. Again, no such luck with the blue belt, who was able to work through to mount after a bit of a struggle. He's a bit bigger, but that should serve to encourage me to be less passive: I'm still too complacent under side control, as I've gradually grown comfortable with just lying there and waiting for the opportunity to sneak my knee in. I keep saying it, but must bridge more!

I've got loads of books in the pipeline to review, as I received about five of them at Christmas. I normally send a list to my mum, so she can pick something from it, but this year, she got everything on the list. Which is kinda cool, so I'm certainly not complaining. Couple of DVDs to cover as well: about halfway through reviewing one of them. :)

26/01/2010 - BJJ (Advanced)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:00:00 +0000

Class #279

RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 26/01/2010

Not content with being one of the greatest bloggers to ever sit behind a keyboard, Matt from Martial Farts has now set his sights on mastering the video camera too. He's been doing his Grappling Dummies series for a while, but the latest edition reached even higher levels of awesome than normal. Documentaries, humour, sparring, even techniques (and as this is Japan, crazy spinning is of course involved).

Kev continued with side control, adding in some interesting submission options. First, the arm triangle. You start in side control, then move round to north-south. As you do, catch under their elbow with your own, prying the arm free. You can then use your continuing motion to push their arm over their neck, trapping it with your body weight.

Keep going until you end up directly opposite where you started. They should now have their arm right over their neck, closing off one side. Bring your arm under their head to close off the other side, lock your hands and squeeze. If that doesn't get them to tap, slide your knee over to move into a tight mount.

Retaining your arm's position under their head, your can now bring your other arm over their neck and squeeze, in a sort of reverse RNC. Alternatively, you could reach that other arm to grip behind your own head and squeeze. Finally, if none of that is working, step off mount to the other side. Their arm should now be very tight around their neck, which will hopefully get you that tap.

The second was a simpler, and rather sneakier, lapel choke. You're in side control, with a cross-face: this is important, as the technique won't work without it. Pull out one side of your gi, then feed the lapel to your cross-facing hand. Pull that tight against their neck. You now move round as if you were going to north south, but instead you're going to stay alongside them, facing their legs. Straighten your cross-facing arm against their head, then keep moving until they tap. If for some reason they aren't tapping, you can flip over to increase the pressure, your feet on the other side of your partner.

Sparring was quite fun, as I was with a white belt around my size. Unusually, Kev did extra-long specific sparring from side control, with ten minute rounds. On top, I got to try out various techniques, including my favourite attacking position from side control: the step over triangle (or at least that's how I refer to it).

If you don't know what the hell that is, then Matt to the rescue, as his awesome video features Ishikawa Yuki teaching that very technique (in surprisingly good English, around the 18:33 mark). I first learned it from Felipe, though the kimura on the triangled arm Ishikawa adds here is something I haven't seen before.

I also attempted to do something I saw on the Mundials 2009 DVD set, where the idea is to use your knee to push them on their side, then thread your arm through their legs before stepping over to mount. Looking again at the video, I can see what I did wrong: Shawn Williams leaves his arm threaded, then moves his knee to their back. From there, he can slide the knee over, keeping their legs trapped with his arm. I was trying to step over with my body by the legs, which was silly.

Underneath side control, I played around with the armbar, but left way too much space. There was then a single five minute round of free sparring at the end, sticking with the same partner. That meant I could continue trying things out, beginning with a sit-up sweep to mount, then finally landing the Ezequiel choke from there. However, I think I may have been raising up too much, so someone with more experience may well have escaped at that point (not to mention all the blue belts see this choke coming a mile off, so I still need to disguise it better).

26/01/2010 - BJJ (Beginner)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:30:00 +0000

Class #278

RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 26/01/2010

My old instructor, who is also the guy who gave me my blue belt, Jude Samuel, has recently started up his own gym. Jude is an awesome teacher, so if you're near Bethnal Green and want to learn from one of the best black belts in the country, check out Legacy BJJ: conveniently, very near the train station.

I wasn't able to train last Thursday, because I was off visiting my girlfriend in Bristol. Still, I don't mind too much about missing Thursdays, because I know I can get two classes in back-to-back on Tuesdays.

No lift today, as I was at an academic meeting earlier today. That meant I could just walk from High Wycombe train station to Kev's place, which according to Google Maps was only a twenty minute walk. With my non-existent sense of direction, it actually took me

Kev's focus was on side control today, beginning with the basic escape to guard, followed by an Americana. Kev's set-up was slightly different from the one I've got in my summary, as it started from your partner pressing up into your neck.

As soon as they do, lean your weight forward, being careful to stay tight, and also not lean so far that they can roll you over (post on your head if necessary). The idea is to press their arm to the floor, whereupon you can peel it from your throat (easier said than done), lock in the figure four, then go for the submission. Pressing your head into their arm may also help.

Kev taught the thumbless grip, giving the reason that if you use your thumb, that can act as a lever for your partner's escape. If they do somehow manage to get free, all is not lost, as the far side armbar is still there. Scoop their arm up and trap it against your shoulder.

Pull them onto their side, then push on their head, providing you with the space to step over, your foot close to their back. Swivel around the trapped arm, then drop back for the armbar. You can also grip their leg, which will help block off their escape options.

Side control is easily my favourite top position, because it feels the most secure. Sparring from there, I was trying to stay tight, and see if I could either gradually move round, or slip through to side control. That tends to be difficult with fellow blue belts, however, so I had my hands full just staying in the dominant position. With Callum, I was attempting to stay mobile, but also suck up any space. That sort of worked, but he would eventually squirm free, such as spinning into an inverted guard as I tried to maintain north-south.

Underneath, I did the same thing to him. In my case, it was due to my north-south escape attempt. I had Gustavo Machado's technique in mind, from his Great Escapes DVD. You're supposed to wriggle out to make enough space, then swing your legs over their shoulder, going for the back.

However, that is normally too simple for them to defend, as they can just posture up. Then again, as Kev said when I asked him later, that's good enough, as you can use that to spin into guard. Momentum is the key to make the initial space, then you need only threaten the back-take to open up space. I had fully intended to take the back, but ended up swivelling to guard: if I had that as my goal from that start, as in Kev's escape, probably would have been less of a scramble.

Article - BJJ Teams: Loyalty and Reason

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:55:00 +0000

Article #9, by Can Sönmez

When the average person looks for a place to hit the treadmill, they probably choose somewhere nearby that's affordable. Should another gym open up, offering cheaper monthly fees to use their exercise equipment, that average person would most likely take their business there instead.

Rationally, you would expect the same to be true at a BJJ gym. You are a paying customer, and therefore you want the best possible return on your investment. Should you find someone willing to offer you a similar product for less money, then rationally, it would make sense to move.

However, signing up at a BJJ club isn't just an exchange of cash for goods. When you join a team, you're entering into a relationship that is more than financial. In the vast majority of schools, what it takes to earn a belt rank is the subjective opinion of an instructor. Therefore, as soon as your teacher awards you a belt, you become their representative. The instructor is putting their faith in your ability to uphold their reputation, to demonstrate that belts from their team are worth something. That means that along with your performance on the mat, you normally also need to prove a certain amount of dedication.

Loyalty isn’t only about the instructor, because that belt doesn't just represent what you have learned from your teacher. It pays tribute to all those hours spent with your team mates. Every roll, you've been tested, and if you're lucky enough to have good training partners, you've also benefitted from their advice. They've pushed you physically, challenged you mentally, broken you down and built you up technically. Every new belt is an individual accomplishment, but it is also a team effort.

Competition is another important factor in the unusually 'team' focused mentality of BJJ. Unlike judo, where you compete for your country, in BJJ you compete for your team. It is comparable to football: a player for Real Madrid would receive a very hostile reception should he ever transfer to Barcelona and later face his old club. Similarly, there is absolutely no way either Real or Barcelona would allow a player to train at both clubs simultaneously. He would be dubbed a traitor, or to use the BJJ term, 'creonte'.

Then again, that same footballer would be well paid for his services. In BJJ, the players are the ones who pay in order to be part of a team. This is why it can seem bizarre to outsiders: moving home is about the only situation I've heard of where switching teams isn't an issue (unless there happens to be an affiliate in that new city).

Arguably, that attitude hinders the growth of BJJ, isolating everyone in their particular schools, unable to benefit from a broad range of instruction. On top of that, obsessing over your 'team' can lead to the 'gentleman's agreement'. This happened recently when Sergio Moraes and Marcelo Garcia, both Alliance, did not contest their middleweight final at the 2009 Mundials. Instead, they had a game of rock-paper-scissors to decide the victor.

Personally, I didn't put much thought into why I decided to walk into the Roger Gracie Academy in 2006 rather than, say, Carlson Gracie London. Nevertheless, I now find myself looking for either RGA or Gracie Barra when I move house. Stepping through that door appears to have been a more momentous decision than I realised at the time.

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19/01/2010 - BJJ (Advanced)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:30:00 +0000

Class #277

RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 19/01/2010

Last week, I watched an interesting BBC 4 documentary on women in MMA on iPlayer, linked from Rosi Sexton's blog. It makes for a revealing insight into what it takes to step up to the cage, with plenty of sacrifice and emotional hardship.

Still on the topic of women, my 'Treatment of Women In BJJ' article brought up a number of comments, which in turn led to this wonderfully academic follow-up by Meg.

As a random note of interest, I was recently updating my BJJ History Index, and by trying various spellings of BJJ on Google Books, I eventually came up with this 1972 piece on judo in Brazil. In there, it mentions that:

In a match with the Brazilian ju-jitsu champion George Gracio, in 1936, Naoichi used his judo techniques and won

Hélio's losses to Kimura and Santana are well known, but I haven't heard much about this one before (though Googling it, I see someone did actually mention Naoichi and his brother in one of the comments to my history post).

As to class tonight, Kev returned to what is clearly one of his favourites, Shawn Williams guard. I wasn't sure if it was quite the same thing last time, but given Kev started off in an identical position to Williams this time (with both arms on one side of the head), looks like Shawn Williams guard is the right term to use.

Like last time, Kev kicked off with the armbar to triangle combination. Pull their sleeve across and secure the armbar, then switch to a triangle if they pull their arm out. Alternately, you can drive your knee into their arm and work your way past, in order to go for the triangle.

I also found that I liked Kev's method for adjusting the angle on a triangle. Kev gets his leg over their neck, then secures that by gripping his shin with his hand. He can then open his legs and swivel around their head, which is made easier by the added mobility of that position. That's especially handy given small guys like me tend to get stacked a lot: I had thought my major error was not scooting back enough, but rotating for the angle may well help too.

Kev then moved on to an omoplata from the Shawn Williams Guard. This is perhaps the most logical attack from the position, as you already have their arm locked up with your leg raise. Bring the leg in front of their face, shifting the arm with which you were previously gripping their collar to their belt.

Your other hand needs to clamp their arm around your leg, so they can't pull it out to escape the submission. You can now sit up, triangling your legs over the arm, shifting out to the side in order to knock them flat onto the floor. To finish, lean forward, as if you're going to whisper in their ear.

Kev also suggested yanking their near leg backwards in order to knock them flat. I can't remember if you have to release the grip on their arm first: I presume you do, which would mean it has to be firmly trapped by your legs. Kev also ran through a number of 'what if' situations, such as moving into a footlock if they try to roll through, or moving into an omoplata sweep, but I think I'd need to see them again to describe it properly (he did about four, IIRC).

Sparring was all about escapes for me, except when I sparred with a white belt. Howard spent most of our roll trying to cinch in some kind of choke involving my own gi, but I was able to wedge a hand in the way. I wasn't sure if that would be enough, as I've been choked through my hand before, but this time it proved sufficient. I was able to eventually slip free, making enough space to clear my head, but it was close. Trying to get some kind of purchase on his legs helped too, as once I got to half guard he wasn't able to move around to tighten the choke.

Similarly with Callum, he had a loop choke, I think. I thought he had the submission several times, but quickly spinning seemed to be enough to stop it completely closing off the sides of my neck, although I had to do it several times before I could work free. I also tried to shift into butterfly guard, as Callum has a habit of clamping down in guard leaving no space. However, he also has a habit of passing soon after I try to go to butterfly: something to work on, especially moving him back and then sitting up.

19/01/2010 - BJJ (Beginner)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:30:00 +0000

Class #276

RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 19/01/2010

Seymour over at Meerkatsu.com wrote a great piece on BJJ blogging. If for some unfathomable reason he isn't already in your RSS reader, check it out here. This was originally intended for a magazine, but that is currently on hold: hopefully it will resurface at some point, as I'd love to see more articles like this.

I also wanted to mention a new blog by an old training partner of mine, Ben. Check it out here: he trains over at the RGA affiliate in Farringdon, but used to train with me at RGA HQ. He's also the guy at least partially responsible for getting me to RGA in the first place, thanks to his encouragement on Bullshido.

There was a minor revelation tonight, which makes for an interesting reflection on the current state of jiu jitsu. I had thought that the thirty minutes extra in the beginner class was for working takedowns. However, this has now changed. Instead, each beginner class is now to begin with work on the Gracie Barra fundamentals (so I'm guessing like the DVD), which means some 'self defence' stuff. Apparently, this is being brought in across Gracie Barra (its been at other GB schools for a long time, but I guess not all of them). I sometimes forget that the Roger Gracie Academy network is technically part of that family: after all, Roger always competes for GB.

I'm not a fan of training 'self defence', as that tends to mean repetitive, compliant drills largely divorced from reality: this is exactly the kind of thing a focus on 'aliveness' is supposed to prevent. However, like Kev said, there are occasionally useful aspects, like working on hip mobility and the like. The drill today was to push your partner on the floor, who will then do a technical stand-up. Their free foot is used to press against the front leg (if the other person has a foot forward), with your arm raised as normal to block strikes. That was followed by stepping in to get a clinch, then a basic hip throw.

Getting back to the ground, this week Kev is sticking with the guard. He began with what is probably the most basic submission available from the guard, a cross choke. However, while its basic, that doesn't mean it is easy to get: everyone is expecting it, and lots of people don't apply properly anyway, including me.

I find that even in drilling, I struggle to turn my hands inwards properly, normally only managing a slight turn. That could be because I gripping too deep, I'm not using my legs enough to pull them in, or something else. Kev suggested that I concentrate on bringing my thumbs together, and watching Kev, I should also be bringing my hands down slightly as I secure the submission. This kind of thing is exactly why I'll always try to attend fundamentals/basics/beginners classes, no matter what belt I reach.

After that, Kev moved on to two techniques which are also quite familiar, but I hardly ever try in sparring these days. It used to be that the scissor sweep was a go-to move for me, but I've fallen out of the habit. Having secured a grip on their same side sleeve and collar, Kev demonstrated it from when they put one leg up in preparation to pass, whereupon you shrimp and drop your now raised leg across their stomach. Press in with your shin and hook round their side with your instep.

Your other leg drops to their same side leg, which should still be kneeling on the floor. You want to chop this leg, but it is important you don't go too low: otherwise, they can just step over that leg and pass. So, you want to be chopping slightly above the floor, possibly even hooking behind their leg.

To finish the sweep, you want to lift them forward and up onto your raised knee, which will disrupt their base. You can now simultaneously chop at their leg and move across with your hook, 'scissoring' your legs, then roll through into mount.

If they don't step up with a leg, Kev showed how you could instead go for the closely related push sweep. Shrimp out to make space to get that shin into their stomach, setting up the technique as before. However, instead of chopping out their leg, you're going to put your same side foot on the inside of their same side knee. Push that out and back, breaking their base, then roll them with your other leg into mount.

Kev also had a point to make about your knee position. If you have your knee lower, underneath their arm, that gives you great leverage for the sweep. On the downside, it also means your partner could potentially bring their weight down on your legs, then initiate a pass.

The alternative is to put your knee high, towards their chest or even shoulder. This isn't such good leverage, but it is a lot more secure. As Kev put it, if you're going to be in that position for a while, this is safer, because your partner will find it tougher to get their weight in place to crush your legs to the mat.

With sparring, usual story on top. I think I'm focusing a bit too much on keeping their torso down, which means that I'll end up standing with crappy posture, which is all too easy to break. I'm also relying far too much on my arms. Instead of grabbing and shoving with a weak part of my body, I should be driving with my hips, using my legs, and trying to put them under pressure with my weight. Easier said than done, of course, but something I want to keep in mind for next time.

I had a play with wrapping the gi around a white belt's arms, though I'm not sure there is any point to doing so on top. I was thinking I could perhaps isolate an arm, making it easier to pass on the that side, but didn't help me much. Still, fun to occasionally try something random.

I also wasn't really going anywhere from the bottom, though I did make a concerted effort to open up and try to attack. That generally just meant I got passed repeatedly, but its the only way to practice offence. I'd like to go for the arm more, especially as almost everyone staggers the arms, so it makes sense to work out how to attack it, and/or break the grip.

My legs come into it much more on the bottom, especially as I've been using them to knock people off-balance as they attempt to stand. That works, but it also uses lots of energy, so it would be better if I could shift into some kind of attack rather than just returning them to where they were before.

Book Review - Total MMA (Jonathan Snowden)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:44:00 +0000

Short Review: If No Holds Barred was the story of MMA's birth, then Total MMA charts its growth to adolescence. Snowden brings Gentry's story up to 2008, in a book double the size of its predecessor. Total MMA spans the takeover by Zuffa, the rise and fall of PRIDE, and the entrance of MMA into the mainstream, thanks to The Ultimate Fighter and Elite XC. As with Gentry, there are plenty of anecdotes and first hand sources: if you liked No Holds Barred, then you're definitely going to like this. Available to buy here (or in the US, here).

Full Review: MMA is still a young sport, but given its recent rise to prominence and colourful beginnings, it makes for an interesting historical study. The first book to tackle that in any depth was Clyde Gentry's No Holds Barred, and for a long time that and The Gracie Way were the only real sources. A few years later, that market has expanded: the number of serious attempts at historical dissection remain limited, but they're beginning to appear more frequently. The most extensive is Total MMA, clocking in at four hundred and eight pages (at least in the large format paperback edition I own). Best of all, Snowden makes sure to footnote everything, a big point in his favour (part of the reason I started my long BJJ history post was frustration with a lack of clearly referenced sources).

Rorion's version of Gracie history initially wins out, such as the long-standing myth Snowden repeats on page 16, when he says Hélio's "brothers George and Carlos were excellent athletes and good-sized men." On the contrary, Carlos was around 135lbs: looking at pictures of them side-by-side, there appears to be little difference between the Gracie patriarchs. This is why the story that Hélio allegedly had to modify Carlos' techniques, due to his size, makes little sense (not to mention that Jigoro Kano wasn't exactly large himself).

Still, Snowden generally doesn't swallow the propaganda, as can be seen from his discussion of the Kimura fight, noting the shifting accounts by Gracie family members over the years. He also makes plenty of subjective judgments, to the detriment of the Gracie legend. This is one of the immediate differences from Gentry's earlier work: Snowden is not shy about sharing his personal opinion on figures within the history of MMA. His depiction of the Gracie family on page ten kicks off that trend:

The tape would be edited to make it appear Rickson dominated the fight: Duarte’s knees to Rickson’s body were removed, and the times he had the advantage on the ground. Then the tape was used to sell the Gracie brand of “self-defense.” Welcome to the world of the Gracie family and Gracie jiu-jitsu, where unprovoked thuggery is commendable and promoting the family name paramount.

That continues later, on page 142, where Snowden claims that Ryan Gracie's trouble with the law was perfectly in keeping with family tradition (for the full story, and various other unpleasant sides to Hélio's character, check out the startling Playboy interview with Hélio, which Snowden references):

The Gracies had a history of lawlessness, starting with Hélio Gracie himself. Hélio considered himself above the law, and with good reason. When he almost killed luta livre champion Manoel Rufini dos Santos in a street brawl, he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. But he was a Gracie.

Like Gentry, Snowden also delves into the 'inside story' of MMA, thanks to interviews with first hand sources. For example, on page 69, Mikey Burnett describes what it was like going drinking with fellow members of the Lion's Den after several months of hard training:

“We went to a bar in some fucking Podunk town and Ken made me strip on stage. The bouncers were going, ‘Get down.’ And I wasn’t getting down. Everybody else was sitting there making me dance. I don’t know what the guy who owned the bar was thinking. It was all of us, Maurice Smith, and I think Mark Coleman was with us. I went behind the bar and grabbed a fucking bottle of Jack Daniels, a big chocolate birthday cake they had back there for some reason and just helped myself. We were retarded. One of Ken’s brothers got arrested and I was supposed to be watching him. Then Frank beat up one of Tank [Abbott]’s guys. He threw a pickle or something at Frank when we were coming out of the hotel and getting into a cab, and Frank beat the fuck out of him. Later that night we were on the top of the hotel throwing full beer bottles out of the window. Out of our fucking minds.”

This is part of Snowden's focus on specific fighters and camps, in contrast to Gentry's event-based approach. For example, Snowden has chapters on the Lion's Den, Frank Shamrock's 'Alliance' (with Maurice Smith and Tsuyoshi Kohsaka) and Miletich Fighting Systems, led by 'Croatian Sensation' Pat Miletich. He also concentrates on individuals within more broadly based chapters, like Snowden's discussion of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Fedor Emelianenko in 'The Growth of Pride' section.

Taking personalities as his anchor is a good strategy, and makes the narrative even more compelling. Japan's integral importance to MMA is also investigated in greater depth, with a whole chapter on Pancrase, several on PRIDE, and even one on the bizarre (but impressively lucrative) Bob Sapp phenomenon.

The biggest difference, however, is a simple matter of publication date. Gentry is relatively thorough up until UFC Japan, after which he starts to summarise heavily, finishing up his story with the announcement of a new TV series, The Ultimate Fighter. By contrast, when Snowden begins his exploration of TUF, it is around half-way through the book. As Snowden explains, before TUF, the UFC was struggling, but after TUF, it began its emergence into the mainstream. He spends several chapters dissecting its impact.

Interviews with the participants demonstrate that despite the success it would later bring to the UFC, actually being on the show was often very unpleasant. Snowden quotes original TUF alumni Bobby Southworth, who told him on page 217:

"They put us in a house with a septic system designed for four people. There were 16 people living in the house. So two times raw sewage flooded both of the downstairs bathrooms and was left there for up to three days,” Southworth said. “Several of the fighters got pretty sick. Stephan Bonnar had some kind of mutated impetigo, and Sam Hoger got a flesh-eating virus. I got some kind of weird respiratory infection that caused me to cough up blood.”

That success led Zuffa to the kind of positive media coverage unthinkable during the reign of Meyrowitz and SEG. However, it also led to the unfortunate development of what has since become known as 'the Zuffa Myth'. Snowden gives this bit of historical revisionism its own section, starting on page 266:

The official story goes like this: Zuffa bought the UFC from SEG in 2001 and had a lot of work to do. SEG had run from sanctioning and didn’t want to work with state regulators. Zuffa took the opposite approach and brought in many innovations. They added rules, created weight classes, added rounds, and allowed the referee to stop the fights. These innovative changes allowed the company to finally get sanctioned and get the sport back on pay-per-view.

This tale was repeated in a newspaper or magazine article practically every week in late 2006 and through 2007. The UFC was hot, and this was its spin. The problem? This tall tale is almost entirely untrue. The UFC had always had rules. The referee was able to stop the fight from UFC 3 onwards. The first weight classes were created at UFC 12. UFC 15 saw SEG ban head butts, kicks to a downed opponent, and strikes to the back of the head. Five-minute rounds, actually in effect at UFC 1 but never enforced because no fight lasted five minutes, were implemented again at UFC 21. By the time the UFC had its first show in New Jersey in November 2000, almost every one of the UFC’s current rules was already in place. The sport Zuffa promotes is pretty much exactly the same sport SEG had been promoting for years. But that just makes the UFC story too complicated for a mainstream reporter looking for a quick and easy story about the next big thing.

The UFC was synonymous with MMA, thanks to TUF. The media didn't know any better, and Dana White certainly had no intention of letting them think otherwise. Nevertheless, at the time Snowden was writing, it seemed as if there were potential challengers to that monopoly. He begins by discussing Elite XC, and the man who was responsible for both its rise and fall, Kimbo Slice. The IFL is also explored, along with Affliction and HDNet. Unfortunately for Snowden, Total MMA was published before the collapse of almost all of them, though he could at least make predictions.

In many ways, Total MMA acts as a sequel to Gentry's No Holds Barred, if a little more subjective and a good bit longer. More stories, more fights, but most importantly, more personalities. There is still much to be said about MMA's history, such as the fascinating story of women's MMA, but for now, Total MMA should quell your appetite. Available to buy here (or in the US, here).

14/01/2010 - BJJ (Beginner)

noreply@blogger.com (slideyfoot) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:52:00 +0000

Class #275

RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 14/01/2010

The weather has finally decided to let up a bit, with rain rather than snow today. That meant no problems getting to class, which tonight focused on the butterfly guard. This is something I've been told is good for short legs, so I'm keen to work it more, especially as I'm always trying to hook inside people's legs anyway.

Kev started with a method of moving into butterfly from closed guard, which is pretty much just shrimp out to a scissor sweep position, then get your feet inside their legs. From here, you have two main options in terms of grip. In the gi, you can hold their collar and grab their same side sleeve, then push it under their leg (the idea is to sweep them in the other direction, so they can't post.) Without the gi (although it still works with the gi too: it's the one I prefer, though that isn't saying much given my butterfly guard is very underdeveloped), you secure an underhook, then pull the other arm in towards you.

Having got into position, Kev could now show us a basic sweep from butterfly guard. Securing your preferred grip, drop back, shifting towards one side. Lift their opposite leg with your hook at the same time: it is important you use the momentum, rather than dropping back, then attempting to lift while flat on the floor. If you need extra power, push off with your other foot, ending up in either mount or side control.

Passing butterfly was slightly more complicated, though it's a technique I've seen Kev show before. Flatten them out, drive your head into their chest, putting your hands into their biceps and keeping your elbows tight. Next, you need to trap a leg against your stomach, accomplished by stepping back one leg, bringing it past their foot, then reinserting your knee under their shin. To further isolate that leg, reach under their outside knee and grab hold of their foot.

From here, shift your head slightly to the side, pinning their upper body by raising your hips and driving your weight through your shoulder. Push the leg you've isolated to the floor with your same side arm, then walk your toes around to side control, maintaining pressure with your shoulder and head all the way.

I was fortunate during specific sparring from butterfly, as I got paired up with people close to my own weight, which doesn't happen often. The first guy is slightly heavier, but quite new, so I was able to work some submissions. I was able to lock my legs in position for the triangle, but struggled to bring the shin back. I think that was because I made the error of not scooting back, so was too bunched up. I also failed to switch to the armbar properly, which is something I'd like to work on: very rare that I even make it to a vague set-up, so combinations are still a way off.

My passing was pretty sloppy, but I didn't get punished for it in the same way as normal because my partners weren't big, and they were also white belts. I kept flailing with my arms, and wasn't using my weight properly to trap their legs. I also had trouble flattening them out, as their arms tended to get in the way.

The second guy was even smaller than me, surprisingly, so I got a chance to see what it's like from the other side. I think I was occasionally using strength too much, getting past his butterfly guard by crushing his legs down, but in a manner that likely would have completely failed against somebody bigger. Still, I was pleased that I managed to get a nice back-step to pass in the other direction at one point, and even better it felt quite natural and instinctive.

Oh, and if the guy who offered me a lift (as his route takes him near my house) is reading this, yes, you've reached the right page. Click on the 'contact me' bit at the top. ;)