I came across this video by Roy Dean whilst lifted one night and it stuck in my mind as the perfect, albeit long, way of describing what Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is.
Take a look:
I find myself somewhat annoyed at the sensationalist reporting of “cagefighting children” by UK newspapers Metro, Daily Mail and The Telegraph.
For papers which circulate the UK as much as those 3, you would think their reporters/writers/journalists would do some form of research on the video and sport laid before their eyes in video form.
Quick to judge (and rightly so) by their surroundings, the writers not only interpret the sport wrong and deem it barbaric but are totally incorrect in explaining how the sport works. Cue scores of parents and uneducated people screaming for the ban of ‘cagefighting’ or Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as it is rightly named.
What they don’t realise or understand is MMA is tamer version of a sport dating back thousands of years and was first introduced to the GREEK OLYMPICS in 648BC as ‘Pankration’.
For people to ban MMA means banning the sports which MMA uses as it’s base, judo, wrestling, western boxing and more recently Tae Kwon Do and karate. To ban these sports you would also need to remove them from the Olympics. Which in turn means losing a fraction of the billions generated by the Olympics. What common people don’t know is MMA is a blend of different styles of martial arts hence it’s name – Mixed Martial Arts.
Do I agree that the kids in question were in a cage in front of hundreds of adults screaming with half naked cage girls walking around? No.
The kids were competing in No Gi grappling – a sport in it’s own right. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) without the gi/kimono which incorporates wrestling. Yes there are risks of joint locks and chokes but to tap is to submit which means the bout is stopped whenever the child/person feels like they cannot or does not want to continue. There were no strikes, neither child was hurt, there was a qualified referee in there with medics on standby.
Would you rather your child be in a sports hall wearing lightly padded gloves, a headguard, a belt round their waist with a ‘Sensei’ screaming at them to hit each other in the face? Yes? Sign them up to karate.
Listen to Heather Stott’s interview of Fighters Only’s John Joe O’Regan for a clear and concise explanation of MMA and his views on the above by clicking here (2.04:30 onwards).
Read John Joe’s explanation as publish by The Guardian by clicking here.
Kenny Baker of SBG Plymouth
This week in training we’re going over back attacks and escapes. The way we train at SBG Mainline is to cover fundamentals over and over again on a weekly basis over a period of x amount weeks e.g. last week we would have went over something like half guard, this week is back attacks and defence, next week may be mount escapes and attacks and so on. This is to ensure each position is drilled and fundamentals (basics) are constantly being reviewed. The thought process of this is; when you’re dog tired you’re always going to be able to attack and defend using pure technique and fundamentals such as base and posture. When your energy levels are way down, you’re not going to be able to explode and cartwheel guard pass somebody or flying triangle that equally as good opponent – the person with the gas tank and technique wins.
I digress.
Interestingly out of the session, I took away the title quote; “The choke is easy…” after Karl insisted we battle for position (hooks, chest to back, hand position, grips) rather than finish the choke. And it’s something I want to remember hence why I’m blogging it.
So many people (myself included) are so eager to get the submission that you forget your position. You know your body is making the shape, you’re attacking the neck for the choke but he’s got a baseball bat grip (2 on 1) on your arm and you’re slowly sliding off but you attack the neck relentlessly for minute after minute until time is called.
One of the first things you learn in BJJ is “Position before submission” whether that be conciously or subconciously. At SBG we learn submissions but it’s the final part of on ongoing battle for position. Tonight it was stressed – “The choke is easy, forget about the choke, we’ll come to that…”.
Engage the hips. Where are your hooks? Are you using them? Do you need to control the neck? Break their posture. Attack the base. What grip are you using? Where are our your feet? Where are your opponents hips? Are your hands in the right position? Have you got leverage? Head position. Shoulder pressure.
Position, position, position.
“The choke is easy…”
Moved into a new modern flat a mile away from work, got me a stunning missus, got my motorbike back, bought me a car, got me a small pay rise, bought me a new phone and as of a few hours ago… became a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) blue belt under the infamous Karl Tanswell of SBGi. I made history by being the first bluebelt in the new gym near Piccadilly train station in Manchester!
Mainline MMA – it’s where it’s at.
After being ironmanned
Over the last couple of months I’ve been working on keeping mount during rolling in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). This all came about from watching a video made by Rener and Ryron Gracie filmed at their academy in the States.
The most interesting thing about the video is how much they emphasise the importance of the hooks and how to change hip pressure when in mount. Add a few tips in there to add to your arsenal of mount escapes and you’ve got a great BJJ mount instructional.
