Prevention=The Best Defense

Last night during training Professor Rob Handley pretty much blew my mind when he started talking about the best defense for positions like top side control and defending the mount position.  Professor Handley told us he knew black belts that never trained mount defenses.  At first my reaction was did they buy their black belt on eBay? How do they not know mount defenses!? Then Professor Handley proceeded to explain that these individuals didn’t practice mount defense because they never got mounted.  

Their defense was in fact so good that they never needed to use mount defense so why waste time training it?

This opened a whole different aspect of jiujitsu for me.  This is not to say  I’m going to stop training mount defenses and escapes but it made me realize that at high levels of jiujitsu there is so much beneath the surface that the average person doesn’t see.  It also reinforced the fact that I have a LONG ways to go as far as my own game goes.

Having the mindset that I will never need a mount escape because I will never get mounted is a very novel concept for me.  On the surface this attitude may seem lazy, but if you think about it this is not the case.  To be so good that you never get mounted means a number of things.  For one you will probably need to have an insanely good guard.  You can’t be mounted if they can’t pass your guard.  In addition you should probably have a nasty top game as well.  Again, if you can’t get reversed or swept, you can’t get mounted.  I’m sure there are a number of other aspects to one’s game that should be polished and perfected in order to reach a point where you don’t “need” mount escapes but the take home point here is that Jiujitsu is just as much mental as it is physical if not more so.  Your mental state can make a huge difference in how you roll and train and can open or close doors to your progression on the mats.

Transitions

While rolling today I had a thought (this is a big deal because with me thoughts are few and far between:).  Rather then think about the mount position from the bottom as a place were you have to defend.  Why not think of it as a transitional position in which you perhaps allow the other guy to get there for a second and then transition to a position that is more advantageous for yourself.  Now I am not saying give up the mount position intentionally and this plan could certainly backfire if the other guy is savy to you and locks down the position, but in a roll in which there is lots of flow I think this could work.  Maybe it would only work once but hey I’m just trying to think outside the box here.

So many guys fight tooth and nail (including myself) to not give up the mount position and they certainly should, especially in a tournament situation were points are being given for getting to a dominant position.  I think at some point though you reach a place were jiujitsu becomes less of a physical game and more of a mental one.  When it turns into that type of fight it would probably be beneficial to throw out some decoys so to speak and start doing mental gymnastics around your opponent.  Letting them get to mount and then continuing to transition to another position would definitely mess with their head.  At least I know it would with me....

I think this type of thinking can be applied to all aspects of a jiujitsu player’s game.  From passing the guard to escaping side control messing with the other guy’s head is always a good thing.  For myself sometimes its just as simple as pretending you have control of the other guy when it reality that control is tenacious or non existent.  All that matters is that the other guy THINKS your the one in control.  Then he will most likely have a defensive reaction rather then an offensive one which of course is good for you and puts you one move “up” so to speak.  If the other guy is reacting to you he isn’t thinking about imposing his will.  I’m gonna go ahead and shut up now before I confuse myself and leave you all to work through that maze of rhetoric.;)

Enjoy The Journey

Training Brazilian Jiujitsu is a very unique experience and I think most would agree when I say that it’s all about the journey and not the destination.  I would imagine that it is a very small percentage of people that actually attain the rank of black belt and even then there is still light years to go.  

I think those of us that love this art really like the fact that there is no end.  Can anyone honestly say that they have “completed” jiujitsu? Maybe an argument could be made that Carlos and Helio Gracie did, but I am betting that if they were around they would say that even they are still learning.  Jiujitsu is about evolution and adaptation.  It is a thinking man’s game, it is essentially human chess.  There is a counter to everything and to every counter there is a counter.  It is circular and never ending.  Those of us that train strive to be the absolute best that we can be but if we are honest with ourselves there is always someone out there who is maybe a little better.  Who has trained a little longer and who is a little more polished.

Those that get obsessed with getting their next belt or stripe I think are missing the whole point of training.  Let yourself evolve, train with goals in mind, and constantly work to improve BUT at the same time enjoy the whole world that is Brazilian Jiujitsu.  Of course we all love it when we get promoted and there is nothing wrong with taking pride in the fact that we have earned our various belts through a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (yeah sometimes I feel like crying when I roll with certain people:) but if we get to wrapped up in that I think that will take the fun out of training.  If we get to wrapped up with tapping so and so because they have a darker colored belt then us then we are basing our progression to only one area of jiujitsu (submissions), obviously this is important but there are other areas that are just as important such as submission defense, passing the guard, posture, control, etc, etc.  

The point is just enjoy that you get to train in such a unique and intelligent art.   Enjoy the fact that you work hard at jiujitsu which at times can be very painful. Most people don’t put themselves through what BJJ practitioners do and honestly I think there is probably something wrong with all of us in the head when you think about the fact that we pay to go to a place to get choked and arm locked, but hey crazy people don’t know they are crazy right? So I say carry on, and keep training.:)

Aftermath of Competition

If any of you are anything like me the days after you compete in a jiujitsu competition are very happy and content days, whether you won your division or got subbed your first match I think its important to recognize that you had the courage to step out on the mats and compete, that in and of itself is praiseworthy.  For myself the days are also spent thinking about what I can improve on in my jiujitsu game.  I feel like the list is endless but after competing I definately am able to refocus and walk into my next training session with a specific goal in mind. 

As is probably obvious I competed in the S7 Submission Grappling Event this past weekend and had a blast.  My record for the days was 2 and 3.  I took second in the men’s blue belt welter weight division.  I didn’t have much success in the Absolute division but I’m still glad I did it.

To give a brief overview, my first match I won via triangle about 50 seconds into the round.  I gotta say getting such a decisive win right off the bat felt great.  My second match was against a very talented kid who edged me out on points 3 to 2 at the last second.  Of all the matches I’ve had this one was by far the funnest, it was very back and forth with both of us on top at some point.  I attempted a cross collar choke from guard and he threatened me with a straight ankle lock several times.  With about 20 seconds left in the fight he set up a great armlock which I was in the process of defending when time expired.  That is a loss I can certainly swallow as I felt that we both fought hard and were competitive.  My third fight was against a very tough opponent who had originally signed up in the 30+ blue belt division but since they didn’t have enough competitors in that bracket he stepped down to the 20-29 year old division.  This guy was very talented and strong as an ox.  I started out by just going to open guard and managed to get a sweep right at the beginning of the round, I quickly passed his guard and went to north/south I spent the rest of the fight transiting between north/south and side control attempting to sniff out my favorite choke.  He defended it beautifully and it was all I could do to stay on top as he attempted to escape.  I managed to win on points and that got me a silver medal. 

My last two matches were in the absolute division and... Lets just say I learned a lot.  Both my opponents were very skilled and both had a significant amount of weight on me, my first match I felt like a rag doll getting tossed around, I ended up tapping to a kimura.  My last match was a bit more competitive and I was actually up on points before getting submitted with a nice straight arm lock.  My opponent pulled guard early and I managed to pass his guard to side control but I made the fatal mistake of not keeping track of my arm as I passed and he capitalized on it.  A lesson well learned and props to the other guy. Well played sir, well played...

I think one of the biggest things I learned in this competition was that often times your biggest enemy is you.  We question and second guess ourselves and we end up psyching ourselves out but if we step out there with confidence and simply walk out with the knowledge that we do know jiujitsu, that we have trained hard to get here, and that we can impose our will on the other guy then all will be well.  

I started out strong in this tournament and I slowly faded out.  I could say that I was tired or that the other guys were bigger, stronger, etc but the reality is that I was in control of every fight I participated in and in the fights I lost, I was the one that gave up control.  The take home lesson for me is, you start out in control of the fight, and the only one who can really give up that control is you.  The other guy can try to take control but if you dictate the fight you will be the one moving forward and he will be backpedaling the whole time.  In competition stay on the offensive and attack, attack, attack,never let the other guy get comfortable enough to were he can start attacking.  If he is busy defending he probably isn’t thinking about attacking.  Keep training all, Peace:)

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

As someone who enjoys being comfortable in nearly everything I do I have been reflecting lately on why I enjoy training so much.  If you think about it there are not a whole lot of aspects about jiujitsu that one could classify as “comfortable” whether your getting smashed into the matt from the 250 pound and extremely technical purple belt or your in some black belt’s wizard-like guard (damn you Pedro) I think I can safely say that jiujitsu as a whole is fairly uncomfortable.

So why do we put ourselves through this? A better question would be why put ourselves through this when we don’t have to? No one forces us to train unless perhaps your in the military or law enforcement.  So why then? 

For myself it comes down to progression and taking myself out of my comfort zone so I can grow.  This principle is one that can be applied to BJJ as well as life in general, but I’m not gonna try and hand down any life lessons from my lofty pedestal up here at blogspot.com.:)

If you want to progress in this game you have to put yourself out of your comfort zone.  Perhaps let the guy who isn’t as experienced as you pass your guard so he can work his guard passing and you can work your escapes and reversals.  Maybe, God forbid you let yourself get submitted by someone who ahem, has a lighter colored belt then you... The ways to get yourself out of your comfort zone are infinite and everyone has different areas that may be seen as “weak” areas.  For myself its my back defense.  When someone takes my back I am very uncomfortable and I know that I need to work on that area.  Next time I roll I’m going to force myself to at least attempt back escapes every roll.  If I get submitted so be it, I learn more from my ‘‘loses”anyway.  

The point I think I’m trying to make is that we can’t improve and get better if we don’t force ourselves to work on things that may not be our favorite.  Everyone likes to attack, I love to go for submissions just as much as the next guy but what happens when in my next tournament (in two days actually) I come across a guy that is insanely good at taking the back and submitting from there? At that point its to late and I’m in a world of trouble.  Admittedly two days isn’t nearly enough time to prepare but this is a goal that I’m going to continue to pursue after the tourney.  

The take home lesson here is, swallow your pride, have fun, try something new, and push yourself in areas you may not like.  After that training session whether you were successful or not you will be much happier with yourself (at least I always am), and remember there is always tomorrow but train like its your last time on the mats. <(I might have found my new catch phrase) 

Rolling = Honesty

            In the world of Brazilian Jiujitsu I have heard it said that there is no way to fake your way through this sport.  You either are what you say you are or your not.  There is no in-between and no gray area.  One of the reasons I have such a passion for this sport is the fact that it keeps me honest and on my toes.  When I get submitted (which happens every training session:) the act of me tapping has a finality to it which says  “hey you got me, I don’t want to continue this fight”.  It is through this sort of brutal realism with oneself that I believe you see what your truly made of.  It keeps you honest and humble which I believe sparks an attitude of learning within yourself and allows you to continue to progress.  Anyone that has trained for any amount of time has probably seen the guy that can’t swallow his ego, who can’t just relax and accept that there are others better then him on the mats.  I think this sort of person does not stick with BJJ for very long and if they do they quickly make enemies of their training partners

The beauty of jiujitsu is that it pits you against an opponent in a manner that forces you to accept what the other person brings to the table and it usually exposes what you lack in  a way that can’t be ignored.  During a rolling session for example I must accept that yes this guy just passed my guard with ridiculous ease.  Now I have to address the problem at hand which most of the time is the threat of submission.  I must deal with the reality that I allowed my training partner to gain an advantageous position and the only person I have to blame is myself.  Now I must escape, recover guard, reverse, etc in order to get myself back on an even playing field.  Once I attain that more advantageous position however the fight doesn’t stop there, now I must impose my will on the other guy.  Its time to pass his guard, sweep, or submit.  I think of a rolling session as a ever shifting pendulum with the momentum of the fight constantly shifting.  This sort of fight in my experience most often occurs when you are rolling with training partners of relatively similar skill levels.  You both have your bread and butter techniques and you are both going to go to that comfortable place where you see a lot of success.  Whether that is playing guard, top control, half guard or any other number of positions. (Below is an excellent example of me being forced to accept that I gave up top position in my first ever no-gi match;)

What this all boils down to is the fact that in Jiujitsu you must deal with the situation at hand and in that moment you are addressing either your weaknesses or your strengths.  In that moment you are honest with yourself and your training partner is as well, otherwise he/she will either submit you or be submitted by you.  So if you ever get frustrated during a rolling session just relax and remember that you have no one to blame but yourself for what happens.  More importantly however, understand that the honesty of the entire situation that is Brazilian Jiujitsu will keep you humble and working hard, which at the end of the day equals progression.  Relax, have fun, and roll:)

Progression

Much like in life, everyone progresses in jiu jitsu at different speeds. I have found that when training it is most beneficial to be goal oriented, this will enable you to measure yourself, so to speak, when training. For example: when I roll with my trainers I pretty much know that I’m going to tap to them, odds are that they will probably tap me several times within the round. So to measure myself I  say: “ok, they may arm lock me but I will defend the choke with everything I have”. This doesn’t mean I will give up the arm lock intentionally it simply means that choke defense is my number one priority. I find that I get less frustrated when I set little goals like this for myself. Even if I do get choked its certainly not the end of the world, I just work harder the rest of the round to defend my neck. Obviously your goals will vary depending on your jiu jitsu skill level and that of your training partner. As a relatively new jiu jitsu blue belt I often have goals to simply defend attacks from my more skilled training partners. When I roll with someone at or below my skill level my goals change to perhaps passing guard, attaining the mount position and submitting with a specific  submission. Being a very goal oriented person in general I find this is an effective remedy for the many frustrations that come with training in the gentle art (jiu jitsu). This may not work for everyone and really everyone has to find things that may work just for them.
Progression then within the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can only truly be accurate when you measure yourself and do not compare yourself to others. It is important to remember that everyone around you who trains regularly is improving as well. So measuring yourself against them really isn’t an accurate measure of your progress. It is like standing on an escalator 5 steps behind someone. If neither of you move, you will never catch up to them while on that escalator.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is so dynamic that people may progress in spurts in some areas and then flatline in other areas (at least this is the case with me). The key I believe to working through those tough times is simply consistency and patience with yourself. In addition I don’t think it is a bad idea  to take some time off the mats either (you can have to much of a good thing)  If you have a really rough training session and your feeling burned out take a few days or a week off. I find that this clears my mind and when I come back I am excited and ready to learn.

Maintaining that learning attitude is crucial in this sport. There really is no room for ego on in jiu jitsu. One experience I will never forget was when Grandmaster Flavio Behring (ninth degree red belt)was in town for a seminar and demonstrating a specific technique he turned to one of our trainers Pedro and said “you specialize in this type of sweep” to which  Pedro responded “no sir, I specialize in learning” (this coming from a 2nd degree black belt). If someone as skilled as Pedro can maintain such as an attitude it should be a breeze for the rest of us. Well now that I have rambled completely off topic I will end this post. I “progressed” from talking about progression to maintaining a humble attitude