Team McVicker Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Fall Camp Day #1: The Art ofUncomfortable

Guard Passing Hip Pressure Concepts

Day one of the training camp started with Jeff Serafin discussing guard passing concepts, specifically hip pressure and how aggressive but controlled hip drive was essential for guard passing while eliminating scrambling during the pass.  Jeff covered three guard passes to illustrate his concept:

• Same-Side Knee Pass - Start with one knee up and control your opponents legs, roll your knee to the same side, over their thigh to trap the leg.  The key here is to bring the hips in and drop the weight.  Your hip line should be parallel to inguinal (groin) line of the trapped leg.  Pivot step out to free your leg and before releasing the hook.  Again the hips should slide in close to prevent your opponent from moving.
• Over-Under Pass - Staple one leg to the ground with the same side hand, simultaneously drive the hips forward as you underhook their leg.  Driving in the hips should raise their leg, not your arm, your want contact with the proximal calf and thigh across your body, your hip should be on their hip/buttock.  Your hip line should be parallel to their pelvis.  Use your free hand to control the cross collar, and then continue to drive forward using the pressure to drive their leg out of the way.  Your hips will slide past their hip and you will establish control.
• Leg Ride Pass - Start just far enough away that you can grab your opponents ankles from forward leaning squat position.  Lift them up as you step in, a lá a penetration step in wrestling.  One knee should, on the knee, land parallel with their flank while the other remains up and behind their legs, pinch inward with your legs.

This pressure concept is not exclusive to these passes but rather a fundamental concept that can be applied to passing the guard.  The key is to drop, close, tight hip pressure, using the line of the pelvis as a target for your hip line, either over their leg or posterior-lateral to it.  They should not be able to bridge, let alone move, unless it opens the side-mount, mount, or rear-mount positions.  I had the chance to grapple with Jeff later and he applied this concept, it kind of felt like he was running me over, slowly, with a Mack truck.

Inverted Armbar Variations and Applications

Next I covered secrets from deep within the Advanced Techniques Division of the Jokerjitsu Dojoratory, specifically inverted armbar variations and applications.   The inverted armbar, or ude gatame, is a straight elbow lock typically applied to the ipsilateral (same) side.  I started using it more in my guard game when the yield of my contralateral or cross body techniques (e.g. straight armbar and triangle) started to diminish.  One of the reasons that it may be effective is due to my ectomorphic body habitus, opponents reach to control the lapel or head, extending and straightening their arm.

I initially experimented with positions that I could obtain the inverted armbar submission, and have had success with the guard, half-guard, half-mount, side-mount, and full-mount positions.  After the “tap out” yield diminished I began looking for what happens after the inverted armbar, i.e. what reaction this attack provoked and what the next attack in my sequence should be (perhaps something I should have done when my other techniques began to “fail”).  I have more recently started looking into the grips and frames of reference for more rapidly setting up and finishing the submission.

Key Points

At the cost of stating the obvious, you must extend your opponent’s arm for this to work.  This either means you grab their arm and force it straight or by aggressive positioning your opponent presents a straight arm.  This means you need to be looking for opportunities to attack their elbow and moments where they post or grab with a straight, or nearly straight arm.  There are three points of control required to apply the inverted armbar:

1. You must isolate the shoulder, typically abducting or adducting while simultaneously extending the axillary joint.
2. You must simultaneously control the forearm distally, near the wrist, typically near your humeral head or tucked into the crook between the neck and trapezius.
3. Finally, you must control just proximally to the elbow, with whatever grip (see below) is most suitable.  You want to be near but not on the elbow to apply leverage and still retain control of their ability to roll the elbow.

Evolution of the Grip

One of the greatest difficulties with the inverted armbar is controlling the elbow so that your opponent cannot rotate their arm and free themselves from the lock.  Over time I have tried different methods of controlling and submitting the arm. Regardless of the grip, distal forearm control is essential, however control of the shoulder is less critical.

Your grip selection will largely depend on position, that is the relation of your opponents elbow to your “peanut butter jar” zone, the area where you feel your ability to hold and manipulate is strongest, i.e. the place you put your hands when opening the lid of a peanut butter jar.  This means you will move their arm, your body, or both to obtain this position.  However, some grips are more suitable depending on positioning and hence must be used accordingly.

• Hook grip: I started with just grabbing or cupping the posterior side of the arm at the elbow and pulled the arm straight.  It was simple, but low yield.  It is however probably the most versatile way of at setting up the inverted arm bar regardless of position.
• Wrist square:  In order to decrease the strain on my hands while putting a hard surface (my wrist) into a soft spot (their elbow ligaments and triceps’ tendon), I switched to a perpendicular thumbless grip driving my wrist into the soft spot on the humerus just proximal to the elbow. Because you need to bend your arm to get bone to soft tissue alignment, this is a shorter range grip than hooks or our next method.
• “Pipe Wrench”: This is simply applying a thumbless grip and pinching the distal humerus and elbow joint between the vice grip of your wrist bones. You can twist the arm allowing for more rapid and greater control of the direction of their elbow.  Essentially I am applying the two-on-one strength of a locking my hands together with the concepts of Filipino Dumong to twist the arm straight.  I set this up with my ipsilateral side being palm facing me and the contralateral palm facing away from me.  Because the angle between your forearms in the thumbless grip increases as your hands get close to your body, this works only at longer range.  Also, because your hands lock together you cannot reach as far as with the hooks above. 
• Deep Figure Four: A variation of the wrist square, with the intent  of having more control of the your opponent’s arm.  Here I attempt to get the distal part of the humerus in front of my ipsilateral (same side) arm. I start the figure four by placing this hand on my opposite distal biceps and use the hand of this arm to grab my head. This is a shorter range set-up due to the proximity of the figure four to your body.

Inverted Armbar From the Guard

Traditionally, the inverted armbar from guard makes use of placing the foot on the hip of your opponent, on the same side you are attacking.  Your knee is adducted to control the shoulder with their wrist cradled between your neck and trapezius on the ipsilateral side as their arm.  In order to get here, I typically started with one foot in the hip and used the partial extension of this leg and my arms to pull their arm straight and away from their body.  Simultaneously I would rotate my body approximately 45° offline in the direction of their arm.  The shoulder control becomes less important with the application of the wrist square, pipe wrench, and deep figure four.  You can either go after the submission by pulling their arm into place or provoke them to reach for your lapel.

If your submission should fail, look at their reaction, they will typically bend their arm, either inferiorly setting up oma plata, or across their body, allowing your to go for cross body straight armbar, or taking the back by arm dragging.

Inverted Armbar From the Half-Guard (Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu variation)

Inverted Armbar From the Side-Mount

Using concepts from Lloyd Irvin’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Micro Transitional Drilling System, as I pass I reach under their far arm to set-up an inverted armbar position.  I have been using the deep figure four position, you can sometimes submit them simply by applying pressure from this position, however it is low yield.  So you have options, such as

• climbing forward, placing your shins across their abdomen and chest
• rotating onto your inferior hip
• as above but stepping over their head
• placing the knee on the belly, and pulling up, this should rotate them on their far flank as you fall to your back

Knee On Stomach

Finally Jack McVicker covered the knee on stomach position.  The knee shin should be across the abdomen with your foot tucked to your opponent's flank.  The same side hand controls the hip near your knee by placing it on the floor or grabbing the kimono on this side.  The opposite hand controls the neck lapel on the near side.  Remember to post your other leg back and away, enough to give you a lot of weight on your opponent and so that they cannot grab that leg but not so far away that you are off balance and cannot move.  The attacks covered:

• 180° armbar - your opponent tries to push your knee off them, creating an opening due to the bend of their arm.  Use the inferior side arm to hook this and pull up, placing them on their side.  Step your far leg to the opposite side of their body (their back) and grab their belt with your free hand.  Pivot 180° tucking your shin next to their body and your trailing leg across their head, ending perpendicularly to them.  Finish the armbar.
• Baseball bat choke - Push their gi at the neck with the hand their, drop your opposite hand in and grab the lapel.  Your hands should touch as if holding a baseball bat. Drop your shoulder to their distal chest and rotate so that your are parallel and above their head, crossing your forearms and finishing the choke.
• Brabo choke series - Your opponent underhooks your distal shin in an attempt to escape.  Drop back to the side-mount position and trap this arm.  Now free the far kimono and feed it under their far arm and behind their neck. Reach the inferior hand up to grip this and use your superior hand to reach across, securing the choke.  If they defend by "combing the hair" on the far side, use your blocked (superior) hand to pull them up on their side.  Drop your weight on this shoulder and pull up with your other hand, completing the choke.

Mendes Brothers Seminar: Passing the Spider Guard

I attended a seminar today, by the Mendes Brothers, Gui and Rafael, hosted by Small Axe BJJ.  The focus of the seminar was the leg drag pass, their predominant style of passing the guard.  Their style is an antithesis to what I've been "raised", but as they are multiple time world champions and I'm not, I'm more than willing to give it a try.  Some initial concepts:

• Squat position: The Mendes style advocates a squatting position while standing to pass.  Knees bent, low center of gravity.  This maximizes mobility and stability.  It is also a vigorous workout for your thighs and glutes if you are not used to it.
• Active Toes: Another aspect of the Mendes style is always engaging the toes.  Rather than letting the dorsal foot lie on the mat, posting up on the toes.  They argue that they can create greater pressure and move more rapidly.
• Learn the details slowly, but drill with speed and power: Take your time to make sure you cover all the details, however once learned, drill with the speed and power of competition.  Train like you fight.

They corkscrew their way to the pass, working first one way then the other, rather than trying to wear down their opponent like a steadily approaching glacier.  Their style takes three steps forwards, two steps back, to gradually work their way past your guard.  The hypothesis behind the leg drag position is that it is a more direct way to close with an opponent, rather than creating the large amount of space needed to go from guard pass directly to side mount.  It avoids the chase, by closing like a trap.

Spider guard pass #1

Your partner has gripped both your sleeves and has his feet in your cubital fossa.  Grip their pant legs, suck your elbows in, placing them in your "hip pockets".  Using the squat Mendes passing stance step backwards, bring your partner to a sitting position.  Roll one hand underneath their leg and to the medial side of their calf.  Now step laterally to the opposite side, rolling your partner onto their shoulder.  Pull the leg, whose foot is still in the cubital fossa to the opposite side.  Simultaneously close the distance, displacing their knees to one side with your body.  They should drape over your thigh, the knee should pinch down and inward.  The other knee should land at about their belt line at the opposite hip, also driving inward.  The shoulder on this side rotates to pin them to the mat.  Your head should be on the side of their face, on the same side as their legs.  Their shoulders are flat on the floor, the pinning shoulder hand can detach from the pant leg and rotate down to grab their belt, holding them.  You want intense pressure, made worse by corkscrewing your partner's spine.  Remember to post on the toes if your knee is down.

Spider guard pass #2

Using the same set-up as above, this time after you roll your hand from top to inside you want to break their grip.  Step your shin in against their forearm on this side and then pull back, breaking the grip.  With your free hand grab their opposite leg, make pressure, and when they attempt to push you back, drag the leg to your opposite hip, again setting up the leg drag position.  This time, we retain control of the leg with the pinning shoulder hand, and either regrab the other pant leg or grip the lapel.  The elbow is placed on the outside of the far thigh if you wish to take back.  The elbow goes inside if we want to take side mount.

Spider guard pass #3

Again from the set-up above, this time you circle your hands inside and underneath both your partners legs and lift.  Your want them posted up on their shoulders, but without having their feet on the floor.  Post one knee into their back. Drag their legs over this thigh and bring your other knee in as above, to set-up the leg drag position.

Spider guard pass #4

This is from the spider guard variation where your partner has placed their shin in one cubital fossa with their other foot in your hip.  Trap their shin by grabbing their belt on this side and creating pressure.  Push the opposite leg to the floor as you step to this side.  Now take two steps to circle in the direction of their shin hook passing that leg to the opposite axilla and then stepping in with your leg to begin the set-up of the leg drag.  Push their leg laterally with your head to complete the position.  I had to release my belt grip as I circled back because my wrist was in jeopardy of submission from my partner's thigh collapsing due to my pressure.

Once you have stabilized the leg drag position and your opponent has stopped fighting it is time to capitalize on either the side or rear mount positions.  Do not go for side or rear mount if they are moving, the small amount of room need to obtain position is the room your opponent needs to escape.

Side mount from leg drag

You have your partner pinned in a good leg drag position, the drag side is controlling the lapel.  Detach the pinning shoulder side, opposite the side their legs are on and obtain head control.  Go deep and clasp the uniform of their opposite shoulder.  Quickly move to side mount, in an "active toes" position with the knees tight.  Their arm should be displaced so that your hip is in their axilla, propping them on your superior knee and then propping your head control elbow on your thigh.  Your inferior knee and other elbow control the hips respectively.  Use your free hand to control the far arm.

Rear mount from leg drag

From the leg drag position, the side opposite the drag side underhooks and grabs the collar.  The leg drag side controls their biceps.  Pull their arm in on the leg drag side as you prop them on their side.  Bump their arm on the underhook side up and place your chin on their trapezius as you secure the seatbelt grip.  Slide your knee from the over the shoulder portion of the seat belt in behind them and pull them to rear mount.

The Mendes Brothers advocate using the thumb in the seat belt grip.  Thus the underhook grabs the opposite wrist with the thumb and attempts to conceal that hand.

A quote from today: "Passing the guard three times doesn't mean I did a good job.  It means I need to work on holding my opponent. I should pass the guard once, obtain side mount, mount, or rear mount, and then attempt to submit him."

Rolling and sparring isn't drilling

I love rolling and sparring.  Here  I can test myself, trial new techniques, and validate that all my practicing really works.  This is also when I lie to myself.  I adjust my game to my training partner and my level of fatigue.  If I know he's tough I may try to go to a position of advantage rather than working on the goals I set myself earlier.  I will, consciously or not, adjust my training to win rather than improve.  Thus sparring, the fight within the gym, does not benefit us as much as specific drilling for improvement or competition.  

• Even Start Drills - Anytime you start in a position that both partners are both offensive and defensive, but not in a normal start position.  The goal is to control this position and improve upon it.  Examples include, passing the guard (BJJ), pummeling to takedown (wrestling), grip fighting (judo), and knee play (muay thai).  The drill can be cycled so that it resets once someone gains the upper hand or simply continuing play once out of the position.  This should of course be prearranged.

• Uneven Start Drills - Anytime either you or your partner starts in the advantage position (i.e. offense) and the other starts in the disadvantage position (i.e. defense).  The goal here is to teach the offender to finish and the defender to escape.  Given equally skilled partners, the partner in the advantage position should "win" more often than not.  Examples include escaping the side mount / mount / rear mount (BJJ), defending the submission (BJJ), defending the takedown (wrestling) and two-on-one knee play (muay thai).

• Reaction Drills - Any drill that involves developing speed and coordination by having a one-point "win" rule.  The "win" resets the round.  Examples include first takedown (wrestling), first point (BJJ), steal the tail (BJJ), shoulder /  knee tag (muay thai), or the Shiv game (MMA).

• Simulation Drills - Any drill where we try and take a specific situation, generalize it, and model it.  With repetition we hope to understand and dissect a situation that causes us problems.  For example, examine the beginning of the fight by sparring for 15-30 seconds to see how long that time period is and what can happen in it.  Other examples include, front hand sparring or grappling only with the figure four submission.

• Shark Tanks - Uses any of the drill classes above and keeps one partner in with several other (fresh) partners.  This will tire the more skilled / stronger players and force them to work as efficiently as possible while increasing the chance that those with inferior attributes can press the action on them.  You can further complicate the drill by switching between drills for each partner, increasing the "fear of the unknown" for the fellow in the tank.

Chess Puzzles

My father was an accomplished chess player who tried to instill this in his son.  Chess puzzles are the 2-, 3-, and 4- move combinations that should cleanly end in checkmate.  The comparison between combat sports, particularly sport jiu-jitsu, is often made.  The cerebral aspects of strategy certainly exist in both games, however in combat sports size, strength, speed, and athleticism can, and does, beat technique, skill, and tactics.  While the proper game will win chess, the proper game in fighting does not always end in victory.  The pieces and board of chess are equal the difference is only in the intellectual skills of the players.  Being mat smart is certainly an asset but does not guarantee victory.

However as a I play these puzzles I notice certain parallels between the mat and the board, between pieces and positions, in essence strategy can transcend the game:

• Winning is based on a foundation of position - All chess puzzles are based on an end-game with pieces distributed in specific positions.  The a priori placement of the pieces predicate certain moves for victory.  In order to solve the puzzle some of these pieces may not change position but without their current placement, movement of other pieces would not insure victory.  In combat sports the relation of your body to your opponent makes certain attacks and counterattacks possible.  You cannot execute an attack without position, submission and placement are equal, the felling blow and footwork need each other.  Even if your legs and hips don't perform the motion of a kimura that your hands and arms do, the placement of your lower half is paramount for the submission.

• Attack with intent, intending to defend is initiating defeat - The old adage that the best defense is a good offense holds true.  If you attack with the intent to finish, i.e. checkmate, you will placing your opponent in check for two reasons.  First, by forcing them to defend "check" they will change the configuration of the board to prevent losing now but increase the chance of defeat later. Second, they cannot finish you, if they are one the defensive.

• Play one move ahead, allow one escape - We are told to think several moves in advance, which is extremely difficult given the number of permutations in what our opponent can do.  We can limit the number of moves we need to think in advance, by being one move ahead.  By being one move ahead you have already limited the number of options your opponent has available, making your calculations simpler.  When closing the noose of the endgame, we allow only one escape, this is the epitome of a chess puzzle, if the moves are done appropriately your opponent is not initiating moves nor even reacting, they are behaving in a predetermined way due to the rules of the game and what you did.  Your fighting should be the same, be that move ahead and recognize the hole for them to go through should your attack not finish the fight.

• Victory can be solved by brute force or elegance - Sometimes the endgame is a series of captured pieces as we zero in on our opponent's king, this is brute force, literally battering our way through our opponent's defenses.  Alternatively the endgame can be elegant, placing pieces in jeopardy even as other pieces close in on your opponent's king.  The epitome of good gamesmanship the elegant solution is not better than the forceful one, both are needed, in different games to win.

• You cannot win without risking losing - When completing the endgame pieces will be exposed to capture or you might be one move away from being checkmated, however as long as they are in checkmate none of this matters.  Woulda, coulda, shoulda, does not stack up well against done.  Often times when we fight, we worry more about losing than we do about winning, and this can be a detriment to performance.  To inflict harm, to attack, means exposing yourself to the same.  Your game needs to be strong enough to be aware of this and transcend it.

A Guide to Belts in BJJ

A white belt is dangerous because they don't know they don't have a clue. A blue belt is dangerous because they have a horde of white belts trying to kill them. A purple belt is dangerous because they know enough to hang with the brown and black belts but still think they are competing with the blue and white belts. A brown belt is dangerous because they are trying to prove they are a black belt. A black belt is dangerous because you don't last that long in BJJ without picking up at least a small bag of wicked tricks.

Levels, Lines, and Lies

Humans are kinesiphilic, that is, we are attracted to movement. Although as evolved omnivores we are not as bound to pounce on moving things like the more predatory common house cat, our focus is still drawn to that which moves. My infant has taught me this, all his toys move or flash lights. In a fight or flight situation, i.e. a fight, that instinctual ocular response is what provides information to the brain which then decides if we should move something in the way, move ourselves out of the way, or strike back. The fact that movement provokes response is also what makes us able to set an opponent up.
Think for a moment that if your athletic prowess was great enough and your technique sound enough, then you could strike your opponent when you wanted with what you wanted at will. Find a five year old, given that all your athletic gifts and experience should far exceeding theirs, there is little doubt you will win that sparring match, unless you are Kramer from Seinfeld. Most of the time our skills and athleticism do not significantly, averaged over the human population, differ from our opponents. Thus we must find other ways to win.
The first method for this is to switch levels. If everything you throw is at the same level, e.g. head, abdomen, or groin, your opponent learns their lesson early -- protect this area of my body and I won' get hurt. By simply changing the level, i.e. throwing to the body rather than the head with same combination, their learned response of protecting the head works against them. Switching levels when punching necessitates body movement, your knees have to rapidly bend and lower your body. When you tie kicking (no pun intended) in you, increase the complexity and number of leveled combinations you can throw. Level changes are simply the body versions of our regular, 1, 2, 3, and 4 striking combinations. Examples of level changes with kicking is using any combination you know and throwing the kick somewhere else, i.e. head versus body versus leg.
Another method is to switch paths, the linear versus the circular. Switching between using the linear arsenal of jabs, crosses, and tiips with the circular one of hooks, overhands, and round kicks means provoking the closing of one door by their defense while simultaneously opening the other. Applying less orthodox pathways like the uppercut, chop, or back fist to open defenses can be a third set of tools for landing telling blows. Pathway changes involve using a single or series of one class of strikes, i.e. four straight, triple jab, or overhand-hook-overhand, to equate movement with a direction of attack. This means that when you change your tactics, they still think movement means attack from a particular direction, but in fact you have now changed up the game.
A third methodology is faking. I have heard convincing arguments as to why faking is useless to useful. Those who don't endorse the faking method argue that they are not going to waste energy for strikes that don't do anything but rather throw combinations and by changing the texture of the strikes within it they provoke a defensive response, that is exchange high speed for high power. If their flick jab is fast enough to land great here comes the next blow. If not it made their opponent move, hopefully in such a way to make the next blow land cleanly. Proponents of the fake argue that by faking they are being more efficient, they use minimal energy to set-up their high yield blows. The faker has to invest in their fake. They must do something with an initial combination that "teaches" the opponent to do something defensively that places them in an optimal spot for another strike. Faker nay-sayers will argue that if your investment attack is so good at providing future dividends, why forgo its ability to do this by faking. Being a centrist, I would simply say learn both ideologies and incorporate as needed. The fake versus flick options include

• Same side level switch: Fake the high or low line and then switch to deliver it. Shoulder movement is what sells the shot. Examples: fake high go low (jab, cross or hook), Superman punch, and electric slide
  
• Same side pathway switch: Fake one path, take the other. Examples: Fake jab-lead hook, fake rear hook-laser cross, the Sidewinder (fake Thai kick-tiip).
  
• Opposite side pathway switch: As before but switch to the other side. Examples: Fake lead hook-cross, fake rear hook-jab.

Boxing and Muay Thai Agility Drills

Agility and speed often plateau in combat sports because of sequential optimization of different organ systems. At first we are training our central nervous system to efficiently perform the movement, thus as we learn we get faster. Simultaneously and subsequent to this we gain strength and flexibility further improving our agility. Eventually we reach a point that our current fast twitch and stabilizing muscles are no longer taxed and are therefore no longer developed. Thus we must find other activities such as strength and conditioning or athletic training to further improve our combative agility.
Each round was two minutes split into four 30 second phases. It is important to find a line, seam, or piece of tape to use on the mat.

Forward Movement with Focus Mitts

Rapidly step forward over the line, left foot, right foot and then back left foot, right foot. Repeat for the duration of the first phase. Then immediately go into a boxing pad round, except at the end of each the holder tries to kick your leg. After 30 seconds resume stepping but this time initiate with the right leg. The last 30 seconds is a repeat of the first pad phase. This should enhance your ability to enter and exit rapidly, as well as leg evasions.

Lateral Movement with Focus Mitts

This time rapidly step laterally over the line, going left: left-right-left and going right: right-left-right. After 30 seconds go into a pad round, but this time after each one the holder gestures in a direction and you must slide step in that direction. Repeat the lateral stepping in the third phase and finish with a similar pad round.

Circular Movement with Focus Mitts

In this round, you will step in a circle, in four boxes created by two pieces of crossed tape. Try to step in a 3-2-3-2 steps pattern going clockwise in the first phase and counter clockwise in the third phase. In the second and fourth phases, the holder presents a combination and then pivots 45° to 90° in either direction holding a lead hook. Circle step (i.e. Corkscrew^TM) in that direction. The holder then fires back forcing you to circle step in the opposite direction, i.e. back where you came from.

Switch Step Agility with Thai Pads

Start with your feet together and jump to a shallow lunge, then return to the feet together position before jumping to a shallow lunge on the left. Continue this scissor step for thirty seconds. Then do thirty seconds of alternating thai kicks. Repeat.

Twist Conditioning with Thai Pads

Create an L on the wall with your body, legs up the wall. Rotate your hips dropping your opposite leg to the floor on first one side then other other. Tuck the same side leg to allow free rotation. After 30 seconds get up and throw alternating thai kicks for 30 seconds, repeat.

Balance Conditioning with Thai Pads

Balance on one foot and reach down with your back straight and touch the floor then repeat but reach across your body. Switch legs and repeat on the opposite. Repeat both sides for 30 seconds. Set-up for kicks, your hold you present a low thai kick (i.e. thai pads flatter more parallel with the ground) followed by a higher thai kick (i.e. pads more vertical and perpendicular). Try to throw two kicks without returning your kicking leg to the floor.

We finished with a review of leg reap techniques.

Review: Mike Dolce: Living Lean

"Don't count calories! Make calories count!" is the tag line/mantra of this book. In it Dolce outlines his history and how this helped him develop an eating and conditioning methodology currently popular in mixed-martial arts. His approach is holistic rather than formulaic concentrating on realistic shopping and mealtime habit changes. His argument that healthy calories trump unhealthy ones, has not been verified in the scientific literature, although anecdotally people do feel better and are therefore theoretically more like to expend calories if they "eat lean". He shares his general diet principles followed first by a series of healthy and tasty sounding recipes. Next he outlines a series of exercise programs for audiences of all fitness levels with pictorial explanations of the exercises afterwards. He also includes some cardiovascular treadmill workouts.
Overall I would have liked more "meat" as much of his weight loss strategy comes down to willpower. Although I think his diet plan is practical it is not novel and a guide to coupling together healthy dishes after exhausting the menu in the book would have been helpful. The exercise programs look graded and reasonable if you have prior experience but like most unsupervised programs poor form will cause more harm than good. This section contains exercises that can be seen in other dedicated books on the subject of strength and conditioning, and nothing new here to people familiar with the area.

Overall I rank it a purple belt.

History Of MMA: Fred Ettish

History Of MMA: Fred Ettish from Bobby Razak on Vimeo.

Getting to grips with grip fighting

Although position is the master key to submission and victory in grappling, grip control is certainly another important key on your jiu-jitsu key ring. The grip can negate position and the grants control over the body, be it yours or your opponents. Today I did a brief clinic on some methods for grip breaking.

Two-on-one
In general two handed control is stronger than one handed control. Thus when we want to break the grip using two hands against their single grip should provide the greater strength needed to detach them from your kimono. In combination with the proper mechanics your ability to free yourself should increase. By optimizing your hand position you will also be able to move their arm, i.e. drag or wrap them, to improve your position and ability to attack.

Figure four to contralateral wrap

Your partner is controlling both lapels. Pistol grip their same side sleeve and bring your opposite hand underneath their wrist and grab our wrist, leaving your wrist beneath theirs. Now lift over your head, try to kink their wrist as you pull their hand perpendicularly away from the lapel, against where the fingers of their grip meet. Pull across your body and wrap their arm under your opposite axilla. From here you can:

• Take their back
  
• Arm bar (carefully) if they try to block you taking the back
  
• Hip bump sweep if they pull their arm out

Figure four to ipsilateral wrap

Again in this scenario your partner is controlling both lapels. Pistol grip their opposite sleeve and reach underneath their arm with your same side to grab your wrist, again placing wrist to wrist. Pull up and over your head, again try to kink the wrist as you lift their hand perpendicularly from your lapel. Wrap the arm and release the pistol grip once it is securely wrapped. Grab their cross collar with the wrapped side. From here you can:

• Cross collar choke
  
• Same side arm bar
  
• Same side bent arm bar (if they try to underhook deep)
  
• Oma plata (if they reverse the arm)

Provoked response
Although generally reactively obtaining grips after your opponent has already gotten a hold of you yields to suboptimal leverage. That is, he who grabs first has the control, even if he who grabs second also gets grips. However, even if you have grips you are still vulnerable to submission attempts. For example, if your opponent has control of both lapels in your guard, look for the cross collar choke. Either

1. this choke will work
   
2. your opponent will create space, by straightening their arms, and you can go for the straight arm bar, or
   
3. they block the choke and you can detach their grip by putting the same side hand under their wrist, get the cross sleeve pistol grip and lift their grip hand of the lapel

Using the legs
By using your legs to not only open the guard but to place leverage on the arms you can break grips.

Knee over

Slide your shin over their arm, placing the shin in the crook of their elbow and push, breaking the grip. Look for the triangle.

Knee inside

Slide your knee medially and then bring it laterally against the crook of the elbow, simultaneously push away. Either they let go or they become extended and more easy to control.

Scope. Broaden it.

People often "specialize" as to what they think they are good at. They described themselves as strikers or grapplers. Strikers further sub-specialize their skills into being a puncher or kicker or even more finely segregated than that. We want to be good at something, so we train our strengths, downplay our weaknesses, and develop a "specialization" not developed by choice but by necessity. While this may make you hard to beat, it doesn't allow you to grow as much as you could, and makes you unable to teach different but equal approaches to combat. It also makes you an easier problem to solve, as your "syllabus" of mayhem is smaller and more easily understood.

I'm an ambulatory combat platform, or at least I strive to be. I can punch, kick, knee, elbow, bite, head butt, slap, tear, grip, wrestle, throw, takedown, submit, ad nauseum. I may not do everything equally well but I strive to have the optimal technique for each skill and then attempt seamlessly weave them into a horrific and painful net of offense and defense. Yes I have an "A-game" that I use when the chips are down and I need to deliver, but that game has an underlying expansive evolution, taken from a pool of developing technique, tactics and strategies that are trained when immediate victory can be sacrificed for longterm development.

If we simply break down "punching" and "kicking" into attributes, I believe that each has an edge on the other depending on how we are evaluating it:

Attribute	Punching	Kicking
Speed, v	X
Energy, 1/2 mv2		X
Accuracy	X
Range		X
Levels		X
Mobility	X

We know that upper extremity striking is faster and more accurate than lower extremity striking, the upper limbs are lighter and designed for faster and more precise movement than our legs. However the speed difference is made up by more muscle and bone in our legs, which allows us to deliver kicks with more energy than punches (but also costs more energy to deliver). Kicks can be delivered from further away, but sacrifice mobility as we must stand on one foot transiently to deliver them. Kicks can deliver to more levels than punches, although theoretically either one of them can hit any level of target.

The drills from practice last night including, kicking shoulder tag (keep your hands up!), kicking knee tag (tap lightly to avoid knee tragedy!), and anything to the belly (lightly!).

For our first round we fed: lead kick - rear oblique kick to the shin pad - lead hook - cross AND cover - rear oblique kick to the shin pad - lead hook - cross - lead hook. Next we looked at head kick variations, including the tiip, of some traditional combinations. We worked the levels, while attempting to make the entrance movements look identical, for low, middle, and high thai kicks. Lastly we worked body hook/body cross - lead/rear uppercut - rear oblique kick - lead head kick - rear head kick.

Next we worked on throwing, specifically hip toss variations. The traditional hip toss (o-goshi) you must displace your opponents hips with your hip, either by rotating in front of your uke or by side clinching and then stepping in front to displace their hips. They fall forward and over your hip because you wrap their waist (a low underhook), classic undertook, or wrap their head (overhook variation) while grabbing their opposite arm, pulling them and lighten them as your hips displace theirs.

The variations we covered were the inside leg reap (uchimata) and outside leg reap (haraigoshi). The key to both these is to remember that they are still hip tosses. Thus for uchimata the hip strikes medial to their near hip but just lateral to their midline and the leg reaps straight back, lifting their leg not backwards but laterally. You are literally sweeping their stabilizing leg by lifting their other leg so high that the angle created with the ground is greater than the angle that they can split their legs. If they can lift their leg higher than you can reap, ankle pick with your free hand.

Haraigoshi your hip fulcrum will be medial to their far hip but lateral to their midline. As your hip strikes and you pull forward with your grip, you lighten them enough to sweep their leg by placing your thigh "high on the thigh for harai" (courtesy of Shonie Carter).

Lastly we discussed escaping bad position, particularly the side mount. I've covered this before, but I'll reiterate the keys: Baby steps and make small corrections, if your "incorrect" it is lot easier to fix a small mistake. Second, move where they are not, thus if you push into them, push in the direction that they do not have a base. If you move away from them, move where they cannot stop you.

Reactive Agility

Some combo drills for refining footwork, defense reactions, and counters:

Partner A: Jab
Partner B: Slip - lead leg counter kick
Partner A: Cross
Partner B: High cover

Partner A: Jab
Partner B: Slip - lead leg counter kick
Partner A: Lead hook
Partner B: Side cover

Partner A: Jab
Partner B: Bob - body jab
Partner A: Overhand
Partner B: Weave

Partner A: Jab
Partner B: Bob - body jab
Partner A: Lead hook
Partner B: Side cover

Partner A: Jab
Partner B: Intercepting tiip
Partner A: Rear hand scoop - lead leg kick
Partner B: Leg evasion - rear leg kick

Partner A: Jab
Partner B: Evade
Partner A: Jab
Partner B: Parry
Partner A: Jab
Partner B: Through step - upper cut

Some drills for improved kicking footwork, both sides with thai pads and shin pads. Use the thighs or pads to simulate targets on the legs, body, or head using round or straight kicks.

Two kicks back and forth
Two kicks, evade counter kick, return counter(counter) kick
Partner A attempts to leg kick partner B, who evades and then holds a kick for partner A. Then partner B attempts the leg kick and the drill switches.

Jiu-jitsu is not science, not chess, but like sex in the dark

Today I attended a Brazilian jiu-jitsu seminar by Wellington "Megaton" Dias. I'm used to the ridiculous ability of my coach, Jack McVicker, but Megaton has yet another level of amazing technique and talent.

General comments:

Don't be too smart

Megaton pointed out that the more he sees students analyze technique and overthink it, rather than just trying it, the more problems they have. He's not advocating not using your brain, just don't let your learning be bogged down with analysis and micro-details. Details come with time and practice.

All positions work and are easy, if done at the right time

You can only do a position if your partner feeds the right energy and is in the right spot. If it is not working you either need to adjust yourself or do something to adjust them.

Picking sides

Position needs to work on both sides, but you will find a side that works better. Use it but don't rely on it.

Foot-in-the-hip guard
Place one foot in the hip, provide enough tension to be able to bend them at the waist when you grab their sleeve but enough bend in your leg that it is not locked out. Use the opposite hand to control the sleeve at the wrist and the same hand to control the sleeve at the triceps. The free leg can engage your partner's free arm at the elbow or simply move in the air.

Hook sweep

Free foot hooks behind the same side knee, and the hand controlling the triceps grabs the same side ankle. Pull the foot as you push at the hip, while pulling with your hook. Sweep them and come up in control but inside the guard.

Oma plata

If your partner grips your lapel, lift at the elbow and transition to oma plata. If your partner's hand is free, lift elbow and push the wrist down, prior to kicking the leg up for the oma plata. As your partner is standing you will have to go higher than your "normal" oma plata, thus you will have to lift your posterior and legs higher to catch the arm.

Triangle choke

Pull their arm cross body as the free leg hooks over the neck. Release the foot from the hip and use this leg to cinch off the triangle.

Star sweep

Release the triceps grip and inside under hook the same side leg. Now use the free leg to pendulum 180° and elevate the hips to catch your partner's gripped side bicep at your groin and roll over the near shoulder. This should pull them backward with their gripped sleeve between your legs. Switch grips, and base with the now free hand. Spin 180° over your partner's face to the mounted position.

Feet in the hips
In this scenario, your partner stands to pass. They place their feet at your hips, i.e. they stand close to you. You are controlling their sleeves laterally at the elbows.

Sweep to mount

Rapidly open your guard and place both feet in their hips. Flare their elbows as you lift them, at the hips, in the air. Pull them forward and over one shoulder, flipping them on their back. After they land, roll backward and mount.

Lift to armbar

Again lift your partner at the hips, but now drop one leg wide. The removal of the support will cause them to drop and rotate, off the lifting foot. Control the arm and bring the "dropped" leg back and over their head into the arm bar.

Inside leg underhook sequence
Start by controlling both sleeves from the closed guard. Your opponent stands.

Bump to mount

Pass one sleeve to the cross grip. The free arm inside under hooks the same side leg. You can walk on your shoulders to get close enough to the leg. Pass the gripped sleeve to the under hook, freeing this hand. Place the free hand, palm on the floor behind your shoulder. Push up and back against the inside thigh of the trapped leg. After they fall, open your legs and mount. You will release the grip on the leg in order to obtain your mount.

Straight arm bar

Try to bump to mount as above. They resist by grabbing the lapel with the ungripped hand. Switch to arm bar by kicking the leg opposite the underhook side over the head.

Lateral sweep

Try to bump as above. Again they defend but the arm bar is not available, e.g, they step rather than locking out their arm. Place the knee inside the arm opposite the underhook side. Drive the knee laterally as you kick in the same direction against their latissimus dorsi.

Oma plata

You have been unsuccessful in armbarring or laterally sweeping. Use your opposite leg to pendulum 180°. Lift your hips to oma plata the under hook arm side.

Star sweep

You attempt oma plata but your partner defends by grabbing your belt/skirt and pulling up. This should provide you with momentum to roll backward next to their leg and star sweep as above.

Taking the back

If your opponent is your size or larger you can take the back. Again you have attempted to bump to mount. Open the close guard, and rotate sideways, with your head nearest the underhook side. Your legs should be pulled to your chest to decrease the chance of kneebar. Pull your free hand through their legs, place this arm next to the underhook and push the leg, pulling your head through. Your shins need to be in the back of their knees. Grab their belt and kick forward, placing them on their posterior, in front of you. Seatbelt grip and then place your hooks.

Koala guard sweeps

Outside leg underhook, cross sleeve grip sweep

Your partner can be standing or kneeling. Control the near heel with the same side hand, place your foot next to their leg or as a De La Riva hook. Control the sleeve at the wrist on the opposite side. Push the thigh backwards on this side and sit up. Pass the gripped sleeve to your opposite hand, under their leg (but not under yours). Grip their same side lapel with your newly freed hand (if they are standing) or the back of the kimono (if they are kneeling). Pull toward you with this hand and lift on the underhook side to sweep them.

Outside leg underhook, cross lapel sweep

Your opponent stands up and frees the sleeve grip. Free their kimono on this side and pass this lapel under their near leg to the crosshand. Pull it to their knee and pass it to the same hand, so that the kimono wraps behind the knee. Base your free hand and the leg opposite the trapped leg to the floor. Using the same side leg hook the trapped leg. Pull the hook and gi backward to sweep them to their back.

Take the back

Negative half-guard variation #1

Your partner is attempting to pass the koala guard and has landed in the negative half-guard. That is, they are in half-guard with their back to you, you have both arms behind their back. Free the kimono on the superior side and grip this lapel with the hand nearest their head. Your elbow should be perpendicular to their spine. Grab the top pant leg with your other hand. Bring your leg nearest their head over their bottom leg and unhook your other leg. Now pull them laterally across your body, toward their head. Pull the unhooked leg out and rehook in the rear mount.

Negative half-guard variation #2

In this variation you again control the lapel and leg hook as above but this time post to your elbow on the other side. Shift up and away, giving enough room to pull the unhooked leg through to take the back.

Banana split variation

In variation #1, you cannot reach the pant leg. They attempt to slide across your body to their back. Hug the free leg and help your partner do the splits.

Deep half guard transition

Your partner has you in deep half guard. Step over their head and free up the trapped knee. Your partner will triangle their leg to avoid the knee bar. Grab their foot with the hand furthest from them, grab so that the palm of your hand is on top of their foot with your fingers nearest their pinky toe. Try to lock the forearm down to prevent them from releasing the triangle. Now sit-up and roll forward as if you were trying to "kiss their ass". You should use your foot to lift their leg over, ending up behind them. This leg is the first hook of the rear mount. Rotate your body so that you can place the free leg as a hook, obtain seatbelt grip first and then the hook.

Team McVicker Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Fall Camp Day #2: Bringing the pain

Today's session was started by Brad Peplow. He discussed the woes of both being the best looking jiu-jitsu practitioner in the Midwest and being in his 40s while having to compete with younger folks of greater athletic talent. Pep explained his strategy of stifling opponents to eliminate their athletic edge, in particular using the trap and jam guard pass.
The set-up comes from the closed guard, controlling the kimono and clamping down your elbows on the thighs. Post up one leg off to an angle to the rear, controlling strongly with the same side hand — the trap. The other leg positions forward roughly 90° from the rear leg, driving forward while pushing the guard leg down — the jam. The jam knee pushes forward and rolls to the floor, pinning the leg. The arm on this side controls your opponents head while your other arm shields the trap leg. The trap leg either steps out inverting the hips briefly before reestablishing the side mount, or the trap leg can pin the leg already pinned the by the jam foot, completing the pass in a more subtle fashion.
If they attempt to open the guard preemptively and place the foot in the hip, reach your hand back and scoop the foot up setting it in the trap position. Use the other leg to set-up the jam. Using this idea we covered a drill for the trap and jam. Your partner attempts to set the foot in the hip and you pull the leg up and trap. Then switch sides allowing your partner to post in the opposite hip which you again trap and jam on this side.
Another variation came from the standing pass, with your feet on either side of their hips, pushing forward so that your opponent knees are pushed towards their face. Control their lapels and ride each time they try to bump you back, your legs flexing and bending in response to their attempts to push you backward. Then obtain cross collar grab and same side pant leg control. Drive their foot down and make them spin, drop your knee across their thigh, sliding through to pass.

Next Ultimate Fighter 12 alumnus Kyle Watson covered passing from the same side underhook half guard. Kyle first showed an escape from the mount. Setting up an L-frame with a hip bump while switching out to the hip on that side. Use your top foot to drag the leg into the half guard while pushing down your partner's leg placing them in half guard. The bottom player posts up on their elbow to create pressure to attack from the half guard. This space allows the top player to feed their arm through and grip the gi pulling them flat to the mat while shooting the free leg out to stabilize. Thus setting up the same side underhook.
From here walk the trapped leg foot to your opponents rear, use the hand on this side to free your knee by controlling their pants. They may block your knee, so rather than trying to fight through it, roll your knee laterally and perpendicularly to their pressure, placing the knee on the mat. Under hook their blocking arm and walk your fingers superiorly in an arc to obtain high under hook control. There are now three ways to pass:

Free leg cross pass

Posting on your forearms and head, pike up and drive the knee of your free leg through to the opposite side. Bring this foot through the hole between your trapped leg and your opponent's body. Drive this leg all the way through, placing you in a hurdler stretch and creating a great deal of pressure on their chest. This pressure should allow you to free your trapped foot.

Trapped leg cross pass

In this case you again post as before, pike up and drive the knee of your trapped leg though to the opposite side. Post your free leg out, creating tripod, use this foot to free your trapped foot.

Straight to mount

Create a base with your under hooks and head, slide forward placing your chest on your opponent's face, creating space between their legs and your bottom. Your free foot loops inside, posting on their hip pulling them flat and freeing the trapped leg as you transition into mount.

Finally Jack McVicker showed some gi deviltry once again:

Rear ozeki

With your opponent in four points position and you hip-to-hip, shoot your cross hand under their arm to the far side of their neck. Step up and use this hand to grab inside of the sleeve of the opposite arm, which drapes across the back of their neck. Fall to your side to finish the choke.

Rear mount arm bar

From the same position as above, obtain the cross collar control under their arm. Step your same side leg next to their shoulder and step around their body placing the shin of your opposite leg next to their head. Sit and pull them into arm bar, allowing your knee to sag out and then pop over their head.

Rear inverted cross collar choke

Your opponent starts in four points, start in north-south position obtaining cross collar neck and under arm control. Spin 90° away from the hand controlling the neck, then sit back putting your leg over their head and the opposite leg over the posterior to provide counter pressure.

Arm defense counter offense

You have obtained arm bar from mount but your opponent defends by arm triangleling the threatened arm and tucking your free hand behind the superior knee. Cross your ankles to obtain control, grab the wrist of the unthreatened arm and control sleeve with your free hand. Open your legs and pull to your hip, placing their unthreatened elbow over their sternum. Pull your attacking arm out and pin it to their chest. Switch to the S-mount attacking the opposite side. Wrap the top pinned arm and set-up the arm bar on the opposite side. Of course if they defend you can consider returning to the original side and reattacking the original arm.

Team McVicker Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Fall Camp Day #1: Atama-torisarimasu-jitsu

Atama-torisarimasu-jitsu is my bastardization of Japanese for "head removal technique". This refers both to the subject matter's content as well as its depth. Our session started with Jeff Serafin who demonstrated variations of the clock choke. The set-up starts hip-to-hip, your near knee posted while your far leg is sprawled out. Your control arm is draped over their belt and the hand attempts to control the lapel, reaching under your opponent's arm:

Digital Clock

Made famous by Andre Galvao the digital clock is set-up by your control hand grabbing cross collar and your choke hand reaching under their chin to again grab cross collar. The actual choke is performed by diving across the opposite shoulder of your opponent, forming a tripod between your head and feet. Try to get the knot of your belt on the back of the head . Then you transition your foot nearest their rear through to a new tripod position with the foot ahead of them. Begin pulling the gi collar up across the neck as you remove slack by pulling inferiorly with the other hand.

One Armed Clock

In the scenario when your opponent protects their far side, preventing the control hand from grasping the collar, instead place the elbow of this arm instead on your side of the opponent's face. Pull with the choke hand as you push your elbow backward, in other words abducting both arms.

Counter Clock

If your opponent blocks your choking hand, reverse your grips. Use your control hand to reach across their far side to achieve cross collar neck control. Your other hand achieves cross collar under arm control, not jump to the opposite side, setting up the position to go for Digital Clock.

Bench Clock

Obtain cross collar neck control, control their belt and step/jump both legs to the opposite side. Fall to your back, pull with your cross collar grip as you push with your leg.

I presented a philosophical approach to using combination or "flows" in jiu-jitsu training. I showed positional flows such as the segment which allows each person to perform part of a "match":

Kimura from guard, partner straightens arm

Inverted straight arm bar, partner drives arm across body

Arm bar from guard, partner pulls arm out

Triangle, partner bends arm backwards

Oma plata, partner rolls

Another variation is the infinite loop, where one side keeps repeating the same series:

Cross collar choke from mount, partner pushes up

Straight arm bar from mount, partner defends

Thread inferior leg between head and arm, partner sits up

Triangle, partner bends arm backwards

Oma plata, partner rolls into guard

Hip bump to mount, restart

We also discussed single position multi-submission flows such as from cross side position

Side mount Americana

Figure four cross body straight arm bar

Side mount kimura

Side mount cross collar choke

Inverted straight arm bar from side mount

I also covered the Octopus.

Our last presentation was by Jack McVicker who showed us how to use the gi wrap to set up a number of different chokes. The set-up started by framing from the guard and going to open guard. Your right foot goes inside the gi and kicks as you pull in. This should release the kimono so that you can grab it and wrap up your opponent by passing their left kimono to your left hand over their right shoulder, next to their neck. Set-up a cross collar grip with your right hand using the lapel wrap.

Cross wrap choke

Drop your left foot and your right leg across their body, placing you on the diagonal. Grab either their kimono fold, wrapped gi lapel, or the skirt from the wrapped gi.

Wrap drag

Your opponent defends by blocking the choke on the wrapped side. Use the wrap to drag your opponent forward, looking to take the back or dragging them to a supine rear mount, by grabbing the far lat or gi under the axilla.

Arm choke

Your opponent defends with their opposite hand, reach across and grab the elbow, pulling their arm across their neck. Now choke using the wrapped lapel and their crossed arm by hugging with the free hand or bring your leg over the shoulder.

Ozeki choke variation #1

Take the wrapped lapel in your left hand with that arm behind their head. Loop it under your right forearm and place the blade of your hand in their throat.

Ozeki choke variation #2

Your opponent pushes your hand over their head. Wrap the lapel around the front of their neck with your left hand, reach behind their neck with your right and grab the lapel. Cross gi grab with the left and choke.

Caring without caring, with no apologies to Bruce Lee

We generally pursue things because we enjoy them. We take classes that interest us, eventually seeking training in an area that interests us, creating some sort of satisfaction or joy. This hopefully leads to a career that we love, or at least enjoy. Whether we love or loath our classes or jobs, we will also seek enjoyment elsewhere. Seeking the company of others, of the same or opposite gender, is because they have features, mental or physical that we like, cherish, or stimulate us. The same occurs when we seek recreation, if so trivial a word can be used to describe the pursuit of martial arts. We did this because it looked interesting or appeared to be a fun way to spend time.

Then why is it that most of us who train have the haunted look of someone who just took a bite of something foul, the distraught face of the first inklings of a brewing gastrointestinal calamity, or the pained expression of a patient with a thick-fingered and ill-tempered proctologist. How can a fun activity create grimaces only replicated in a horror film? Novice students have no beatific expression let alone a smile, no phenotypic representation of fun. If you're not having fun, you cannot relax and achieve the state of using less muscle.

It is anecdotally obvious that increasing performance anxiety decreases the chance of success. If the tense jerky movements of the beginner were purely neurological in etiology then mechanical practice alone would increase performance. Yes correct practice does breed efficiency by maximizing the results from minimal muscular exertion. However the collected gym veteran, who is polished and fluid with their training companions, can easily underperform in competition or in demonstration before an unfamiliar audience. They haven't instantaneously lost any of the neurological framework of their technique and skills, but they have been burdened by the interference of psychological noise from anxiety, doubt, and fear. Fluid tactics are replaced with jerky flailing, both dangerous but only one deliberately so. The relaxed, dare we say happy, fighter has better endurance and more speed which equals more power.

Like all martial artists we seek guidance from the animal kingdom. Aside from genus felis, no animal suffers from embarrassment, they have no self-conscious psychological baggage when it comes to behavior. Animals don't care who sees them hunt, kill, scratch, or mate. Why do humans? As babes we have no compunctions about any behavior, we learn it through societal conditioning, through the ridicule of others, through praise for desired behavior. We do that which others say they enjoy, not what brings ourselves joy. While adopting all the impulses of the id is not the answer to surviving let alone succeeding in life, not caring what others think might make you happier. Yes we can learn from others, yes we can implement behaviors suggested, and yes we can grow through feedback from experts. But no we should not suffer the negativity of others, biased criticality, or discrimination based on who we are. The challenge is finding what someone says that will make you better despite your pride and what is simply hurtful prattling by negative people.

Care intensely about doing well, doing for others, and doing it to win. But don't care if you fail, they don't appreciate it, or if you lose.

Stability Ball Goes 0-4

Drilling with a stability ball has been done before, as demonstrated above. Today I took this style of training in a new direction with the following drills:

• We used the drill above to warm-up to get the feel of sprawling on the stability ball. You can make this drill hard by getting closer and closer together, to simulate the actual range from which someone might shoot. You can also vary the speed or bounce the ball to simulate faster or higher level shots.



• Sprawl to Ground-n-Pound: Holding the Thai pads with the stability ball pinched between your lower legs, call a combination. Then force your partner to sprawl by kicking or slapping the ball to your partner. If you want, have them scramble on the ball by walking around them before holding a ground-n-pound combination.



• Stability Ball Dirty Boxing to Sprawl: Holding the top of the ball, you and your partner trap the stability ball between you. Call combinations, such as "hook", "shovel", or "knee". Suddenly jerk the stability ball down, having you partner sprawl on it.



• Sprawl Sensitivity: Have your partner close their eyes. Using a Thai pad, hold the stability ball against your partner, then without warning slap it down. They should react by sprawling on the ball. Then feed ground-n-pound combinations. This should force them to react to the change in pressure in their hands, arms, and chest.

We finished this series by using the throw dummies. The dummy is thrown at your partner's feet, they sprawl, assume an advantageous position and deliver strikes. Then as their partner reset the dummy, a second training partner attempts to take them down. Thus they get to work the offense ofter defense as well as the variable response to the take down.

A variation of stability ball exercises that I've seen in my Jeet Kune Do class is to use a stability ball between two partners. They knee and wrestle the ball trying to pull it away from their partner.

A training philosophy point: simulate as realistically but as safely as possible. Thus heavy striking should be done on pads and is of more benefit than simulated and shortened strikes during a drill with no contact, if it did have contact it would be called sparring. Training to fight involves hitting people, why train to miss? Also if you suddenly add striking chains or new technique to an established drill, you increase the chance of accident as what happens does not meet the prior expectations. If you throw short in training you will throw short in a fight, but your training partners will not appreciate you if keep bloodying them senselessly.

Conditioning Work-out

I've been working with Jason, an athletic trainer at Carle Sports Medicine, to help rehabilitate and finally strengthen my defective genu. Today he presented a new whole body horror, that I thought I would share:

Set #1

• Lunge twist with medicine ball



• Abdominal pass (passing a physio-ball from feet to hands)



• Single arm row

Set #2

• Medicine ball squat and jump throw



• Medicine ball slam



• Medicine ball twist throw

Set #3

• Sled (with 240#), push and pull



• Twist with feet up using medicine ball



• Physio-ball push-up

Set #4

• Lateral box jump



• Davies (essentially lateral box jumps using your hands)



• Straight leg curl

Infinite Vectors

"All right now, remember. A war is mostly run. We run whether we are defending or attacking. If you can’t run in a war then it’s already over."—Shichiroji, Seven Samurai

Movement, from an idyllic stroll in the park to a sparring match in a ring, can be described by a series of vectors. A vector is a variable quantity that can be resolved into components, it has both magnitude and direction, each movement described by a distance covered in a given time at a specific angle. A rapid advance may be described as a single long vector, while an evasive half turn is described by a series of short vectors of increasing or decreasing angle.

How does understanding a theoretical mathematical construct make you a better fighter? It doesn't. However conceptualizing movement in vectors may help you understand how to vary and texture movement, a valuable skill in setting up offense and optimizing defense. The more uniform your motion, i.e. the more identical your vectors, the more predictable your movement. The greater the variability in vectors, changing magnitude and direction, the more chaotic movement will be and the more difficult it will be to predict your next position.

Let's start with magnitude, the speed of movement, which already allows you two variables to vary. The distance covered and the speed it takes can be varied to set-up both offense and defense. The Starfish would be an example of changing magnitude toward and away from your opponent using essentially the same angle. Another example, would be drawing your opponent on defense, by shortening the distance you withdraw each time to pull them closer for countering.

The other component of the movement vector is direction, that is varying the angle your moving at. Traditionally, martial artist divide the compass of movement into 45° units, which is a convenient if artificial discretization. We have to remember that movement is three dimensional, we're moving both in the horizontal but also vertical planes, thus you are changing angles within the horizontal plane but also above and below that plane. The Corkscrew uses an increasing angle to set-up varied movement. Switching from a left retreat to a right one, is another example of varying angle without changing magnitude.

Thus when we use drills to enhance movement, work on timing, or spar we should incorporate an understanding of movement to enhance our ability to randomize our movement and maximize our offensive and defensive arsenal.

(P)reaction

In fighting we describe the activity provoked by an opponent's offense as "reaction". For example in muay thai after we defend an opponent's combination and return a cross-hook-cross we have performed a reaction. In jiu-jitsu when an opponent tries to break and pass the guard, the change in hand position and posture that sets up an arm bar or triangle, could also be considered reaction. Reaction is typically trained as the "turn" we take after an opponent presents an offense. This has a very specific advantage in being low risk: defend first and once your opponent is punched out with their hands out of position initiate an offense of your own. Unfortunately it also has disadvantages, particularly how long the reaction takes (i.e. the time the neurological impulse travels from where it lands to your brain), the training of "taking turns", and letting your opponent to get off first. A good reaction should teach your opponent that, if you survive their onslaught, that they will be punished.

Thus it might be better to avoid their onslaught, by controlling the range and by evading, and then counter. That is, punishing them without them punishing you. This has the advantage of not getting hit and letting your strikes land in prime targets with greater impact but it takes more speed and experience to read an opponent. Using this strategy still allows your opponent to throw leather, but forces them to expend more energy throwing misses and allowing you to hit openings created by your opponent's offense.

The "good offense is the best defense" strategy of reaction is presumably the level above the evade and counter. As soon as your opponent encroaches into your territory with the intent of offense, start yours. You need to retain the ability to cover and react while using the ability to read the path of evasion to set up a pre-action. You become a motion detector, that alarms violently.

These strategies each demand more and more skill as well as time in conflict (i.e. timing and sparring). They also develop increasing strategic complexity. In the classic, simplest style of reaction there is little more strategy than absorbing and administering kinetic energy. As one develops the timing of fighting one could consider the second, evasion strategy, as a "pulling" technique, luring an opponent in offense and typically giving ground to set up counters. The pre-reaction is a "pushing" style, aggressively attacking the attack before it is fully conceived. In all these strategies are not exclusive, the simplest cover return will form a back bone upon which "pulling" and "pushing" strategies can be implemented.

GSP Mental Preparation

Via DennisKang.com: Sitout and Switch

Technorati Tags: brazilian jiu-jitsu

2010 Peoria Athletic Club Fightcamp

Coaches in attendance were Dean Lessei, Jeremy Harminson, Dave Rogers, and Ryan Blackorby. In addition to a tought workout there was a large amount of information discussed.

Skip rope
Shadowboxing

Dean stressed the importance of respect with traditional Thai hand salutation.

Economical punching warm-up. One partner has a left bag glove and a right focus mitt and the other is vice versa (i.e. right bag glove and left focus mitt). Each partner does one strike for an entire interval and then they switch for a new round.

• One side jabs, one side crosses
• One side lead hooks, one side rear hooks (twist the rear knee to point towards the lead knee, turn the hand over "check the time")
• One side lead uppercut, one side rear upper cut

Knee entries

1. Scoop parry the jab (catch and then flick the punch laterally) followed by the rear knee
2. Double or cross parry the cross (pull the punch laterally and inferiorly) followed by the rear knee
3. Cover the hook, the lead hand grabs the neck on the same side (smothering the punch) followed by the curve knee
4. Outside parry, cross side neck clinch, trap with the opposite hand, rear knee
5. Inside slip on the cross, arm and cross neck clinch, rear knee
6. "Split the middle" parry the cross and follow the arm to wrap the neck and slap your palms together to chinch it in

Knee play "shark tank" keep it light but keep it busy for the "chum" in the tank

Thai pad knee drill

• Plum 3 knees
• Hold pushes forward and feed's an arm
• Switch to side clinch on this side with 3 three knees
• (MMA variation: three inside punches)
• Return to plum with 3 knees
• Repeat side clinches ad nauseum
• To finish, throw to kick range on holder's call

Double arm clinch

• From the plum, overhook one side while the opposite side finds your opponent's shoulder and then traces it down to their elbow
• Feed this arm through to the overhook
• Cinch in both arms with the overhook

Punch-Knee-Kick Range Drill. Each range has a prearranged drilled combination(s). The coach calls out each range while the holder feeds each the drills for that range.

Punch

1. "1 return 3" -- Catch the jab, return jab-cross-hook
2. "2 return 4" -- Catch the jab, cover the cross, return cross-hook-cross-hook
3. "3 return 5" -- Catch the jab, cover the cross, cover the hook, return hook-cross-hook-cross-hook

Knee

1. Long rear knee, long lead knee, clinch 5 skip knees, throw to range

Kick

1. Cover rear kick to lead leg, lead cut kick, rear body kick, hook, cross, two lead kicks
2. Cover rear kick to lead leg, rear knee, rear kick, hook, cross, hook, two rear kicks

Punch kick glove combinations

1. Catch the jab, return jab, catch the jab, jab, cross, lead cut kick, rear body kick
2. Catch the jab, return jab, catch the jab, clip the cross to the sameside lateral line throwing the jab over the cross, rear kick, lead kick
3. Catch the jab, return jab, catch the jab, slip the cross with counter cross the the face, cross side clinch with arm pin, two knees push to kick
4. Catch the jab, return jab, catch the jab, front cover the cross, rear upper cut, lead hook, rear kick (step in the direction of the hook arm to create space for the kick)
5. Take the rear kick on your thigh, return a rear kick to the thigh, leg cover rear kick to lead leg, lead cut kick, rear body kick
6. Take the rear kick on your thigh, return a rear kick to the thigh, tiip to the body as they kick, cross, hook, rear kick
7. Take the rear kick on your thigh, return a rear kick to the thigh, catch the rear kick to the body (step with it), cross side clinch, knee the the underside of the caught leg or the medial surface of the plant leg
8. Take the rear kick on your thigh, return a rear kick to the thigh, cover the head kick, create a "shelf" with the cross hand, hook over the kick and swing through. A variation shown but not practiced was underhooking the kick leg with the cross hand, but then passing it to a safer position overhooked on opposite site

Punch kick Thai pad combinations

1. Jab, cross, lead kick, long rear knee, three skip knees, throw, two rear kicks
2. Catch jab, cover cross, cover hook, cross hand clinch, two lead knees, "garage door" (lift the hook cover hand to duck under the arm), pin the arm to your clinch hand, two lead knees, push and disengage, cross, hook, two rear kicks

ActiveEdge Smoker

Team Solid went 6 and 2 at the ActiveEdge Smoker in Lansing, IL.

• Alex "Pro-cop" Prokup picked up a decision after using some devastating knees to the body.
  
• Matt Cropper stepped up and fought a fighter 12 pounds heavier than him. He lost after the second due to his corner tossing in the towel.
  
• Gavin Blythe earned a decision after first teeing off on his opponent's testicles before settling down and putting together some nice punch kick combinations.
  
• Vaughn Comacho swarmed his opponent like a wave, using a powerful overhand, same sharp cut kicks, and a head of stone to win a decision.
  
• Phil "Zombie" Halverston took a decision to win his fight with punch knee combinations.
  
• Alain Sothikhoun did not unleash the animal and lost a unanimous decision after a stellar first round. He did indeed present an envelope with his WoW login before the match.
  
• Dan "the Ukranian Sensation" Yasinki earned a TKO in the second round.
  
• Joe "Machete" Gradle earned a TKO due to knees in the third round.
  

Many thanks to Jarred Meyers and Willie Sweatt who did not have the opportunity to fight but pitched in to corner and coach anyway.

Technorati Tags: martial arts, muay thai

I didn't know I was in a reality TV show

Pain, your opponent's best friend

I've argued a number of times that showing where something hurts is a bad idea, since it simply tells your opponent where he should hit you again. Apparently Patrice Quarteron agrees with me...

Sherlock Holmes' Martial Art

More information at www.bartitsu.org

Guarding Passing and T-Bar Kneebar

Practice today started with Jeet Kune Do entering by slipping the jab, trapping, and backfisting. To this we added kicks and other methods of intercepting before setting up the straight blast, clinching to knees, elbows, and headbutts. I still move like a geriatric dump truck so I had difficulty with applying forward pressure. Even though it would simplify my life to push forward and put pressure on my partner, it was not readily obvious due to the stress-strain relationship my lower extremities have with accelerating and decelerating rapidly in any direction. Hopefully practice (and more rehabilitation will make perfect).
On the ground we worked guard passing. It is important to remember that solid fundamentals and base are the basis of guard passing. Thus after establishing good posture working the legs and hands methodically to positions of maximal leverage to break the guard rather than hurrying to break is important. We worked two methods for breaking the first stays on the ground using a "T" position of the legs and perpendicular forearm pressure to break open the legs. From here there are two methods to pass.
The same side pass uses the leg that was not placed near your partner under their coccyx and the rearmost breaking arm to slide your opponents same side leg down as you slide you knee to the floor, past their thigh, pinning with your distal leg and shin. Simultaneously the other knee comes up, splitting your opponent's legs as you reach through and hug your partner, the same side arm hugs the head. Your opposite arm cradles the unpinned leg, placing pressure on both the upper body as well as the sinews of their thighs. Now "spider man" out, flipping the non pinning leg 270 degrees over to the far side of your pinning leg, turning your body toward the ceiling before unpinning the leg and reestablishing in a solid side mount, resuming a face to the mat pinning and attacking position over your partner's chest.
The cross side pass uses the leg under the coccyx to slide up and over the thigh, while the arm on this side controls the lapel or reaches for an underhook. The opposite hand goes for same side wrist or sleeve control, the nonpinning leg on this side escapes out and you slide over the pinned leg into a side mount position.
The other way introduced to pass the guard was from the high guard, standing and coming down with one knee up, using the feed of you opponent's guard dictates which side the knee slides through to pin. This allows you to use the coccyx knee as the pinning knee same side or cross side to perform either one of the passes above.
As part of our warm up today, the others shot double legs. I don't quite have the knee dexterity to shoot a double so I went for a high crotch position, and Dan showed me the T-bar position, where you essentially set up a biceps locked figure four position. Thus from a side clinch position the dorsal hand reaches through and grabs the biceps of the ventral arm that has posted to the far hip. The opponent is lifted and dumped to their back. From here you can slide down the leg to the ankle, and drop to the mat with a cross body ankle lock or heel hook. Alternatively you can spin around keeping the arm tucked under the armpit and sit for a knee bar.

Technorati Tags: martial arts, jeet kune do, brazilian jiu-jitsu

Ever stub your toe twice?

Once I found something the other guy didn't like, I've always attempted to do it repeatedly. If it worked once and it hurt, it'll work again and hurt more. Saekson demonstrated that this hypothesis has validity.

Marcelo Brigadeiro, black belt in Luta Livre, weekly lessons at CageFilm.com

Checkout www.cagefilm.com for more...

Hypothesis: Martial arts stances and kata are not for fighting but a strength and conditioning program for fighting

Tradition is what we do because we are not comfortable with seeking evidence disagreeing with the way things have always been. It's not always a bad thing, the tradition of turkey on Thanksgiving works out pretty well for everyone except the turkey. When they get opposable thumbs I'll start worrying about it.
According to legend and somewhat supported by historical fact Bodhidharma was a Bhuddist monk who travelled from India to China via multiple other Asian countries and transmitted Zen to China. When he arrived he found the monks to be so out of shape that he provided them with instruction on how to hone their bodies called yi jin jing (muscle and tendon changing).

Apparently monks were regularly robbed and this instruction helped to decrease such activity. Perhaps Bodhidharma was preceding Gable with "Conditioning is the greatest submission hold". If you watch the video you will see a Shaolin monk go through exercises that are less combatative and more conditioning. Now if we expand the supposition that many martial arts have prearranged exercises that are at best suboptimal and look at their movements not as fighting but conditioning, it may explain why people trained in more traditional styles practice forms one way but fight another. Why do positions in yoga look so much like stances?
Since you had to do something while standing in awkward positions, why not codify some of the arts techniques into this training. I've heard multiple explanations for the low front, horse, crane, and cat stances, none of which have ever rung true. For example, "We train the low front stance so that when you are in a fight your natural tendency to rise up will give you a functional fighting stance". Or "Because Okinawa is a coral island, they could not move or fall because they would be slashed to ribbons by the coral, hence a low solid stances". This might further explain why kata is generally taught to people below shodan "first grade" or blackbelt. The first few years weren't teaching you to fight so much as conditioning for fight training in the future.

Iron and Latex

In the past few months I've been introduced to more ways to torture my sinews than before. As I've mentioned before I'm a fan of maximally efficient gains, in other words what gets me the most with a minimum of hassle and time consumption. There are numerous previous entries on high-intensity training and Tabata protocols. Following my surgery and rehabilitation I've met not only the iron I've also been playing with rubber (kinky I know). This is almost a modern parable of hard and soft styles, the yin and yang of conditioning. Its a little tough being a big bad fighter guy who gets a little shiver of fear when he sees a big rubber ball or resistance bands.
I consider myself a strong person, I can still lift and move weights that others find daunting, but this strength is deceptive. Why? If I was this physical uberman I wouldn't be writing about rehabilitating two knee surgeries as well as other injuries. Stabilizers and core are essential for strength, without them your body is exposed to forces that the primary muscle groups can handle but all the weaker links in the chain, specifically tendons and ligaments have to take up inordinate loads, they become the weakest link in the chain and the hardest injury to rehabilitate.
Primary, among my awakening are those damned stabilizers. Try standing on one foot, if you are wobbling it shows that various stabilizer muscles are firing, presumably too much to correct the deficits of other weaker stabilizers. The burning sensation is ischemia, literally those muscles are using oxygen more rapidly than your blood, lungs, and heart can deliver it to those muscles. Once you've mastered 30 secs, a minute, or two minutes whatever, try shifting your center of mass by bending your knee or reaching for the mat. Get a stabilizer pillow, the jelly donut version of a hemorrhoid pillow and stand on that, it works against your body's equilibrium establishing mechanisms, every correction making you feel like you wobble more. If those are working well try doing one-armed push-up hold or T-position. Once you've got the static part down you can start moving to dynamic movements like farmer's walk (walking lunge to lunge) or sideways lunge.
My new favorite toy are resistance bands. Typically in workouts the resistance is uniform, that is when one benches the weight really doesn't change. Resistance bands (and weight chains for that matter) increase resistance during the exercise, resistance bands are governed by F = -kx, the force is proportional to the distance moved. The further the conditioning band stretches the harder it is, usually at the limit of your bodies reach the weakest part of the motion. Aha! We are going to make you work hardest where you are weakest. I've tried shadowboxing in them, which turns 3 minutes of shadow boxing into a muscle burning good time (although I recommend doing both leads for symmetry).

Technorati Tags: conditioning, martial arts, rehabilitation

Stephan Kesting's Half Guard Leg Position Drill

Nice drill! Check out more wisdom from Stephan Kesting with www.beginningbjj.com and download a free book there, too.

Technorati Tags: martial arts, drills

Dog Brothers Open Gathering 2009

I like the Dog Brothers training mentality push as hard as you can to elevate your team/tribe/clan/group but not so hard that you break someone and the group weakens overall.

That being said, whacking each other with sticks just looks fun.

Technorati Tags: martial arts, philosophy

Obi Wan was right!

Either in vain hope of maintaining an edge to my martial skills or because I find benefit in cognitive expenditure during physical activity, I increasingly believe that the cerebral architecture is much more important than the physical structure. Anecdotally the performance and benefits of my strength training have seemed best when I actively concentrate on the muscles I work, instilling better form and imagining the functional work that they perform. In other words if you can do anything except lift the weight, like talk or eyeball the co-ed next to you, you simply aren't working hard enough physically or mentally. Similarly as I have worked on describing technique in this blog or simply visualized what I wanted to do, I feel I've performed better. These mental exercises or visualization are more commonly called "motor imagery" ( J Physiol Paris. 2006 Jun;99(4-6):386-95).
Doing a light cursory literature search I found an interesting article (Memory & Cognition 2002, 30 (8), 1169-1178) that shows that "expert divers visualized their dives closest to their performance times. Intermediate divers visualized their dives slower than their performance times. Novice divers visualized their dives faster than performance times." This is a fascinating result because it can be extrapolated in many ways. Expert fighters have the best control of range and timing is this due to years of seeing stuff (real or imagined) flying at their head that they mentally have conditioned themselves to their own physical speed? Does the underestimation of physical time necessary to complete a task by a beginner explain why they always try to do things faster? Does this explain why despite excellent physical conditioning beginners become exhausted with the technical level of the skill set needed to fight, i.e. they are driving their minds and bodies faster than they are capable because they think that's how fast it is? This may even explain why intermediately trained folks perceive things as taking longer, their physical capabilities have reached a set point better than what they thought they started with, i.e. they are actually as fast as they thought they were when they started but are still cognitively using their (lack of) experience as a beginner to establish time dependence of what they do? Or am I ranting like a madman again?
It appears that visualizing or "thinking about the problem before attempting it" works better than just the good old college try (Behav Brain Res. 1998 Jan;90(1):95-106). This has a whole host of implications and applications. Before practicing anything, make a movie in your head describing the frame of reference as well as the dynamic evolution of the technique, see if that makes you learn it better and faster. Taking these "movie clips" would allow you to string them together, allowing you to "train" anywhere. Does this power of imagery explain why people can progress technically between practices simply because of conscious or subconscious processing of mental images of a technique? Would combat athletes progress faster if they had "previews" of material to be taught at the next practice because it would stimulate motor cognitive pathways, that could be physically refined later?

Community Acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (CA-MRSA)

I recently heard a lecture from Audio Digest entitled Community-Acquired MRSA: Risks and Management by George C. Mejicano, MD and I thought I'd share the highlights.
Staphylococcus aureus is a normal occurring bacteria that is founded in almost everyone's nose. It can cause numerous infections when spread to the wrong areas or entering small breaks in the skin. Bacteria are very adaptive organisms so exposure to antibiotics has developed strains of Staphylococcus aureus that are resistant to most common antibiotics. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA was originally only found in hospitalized or very ill patients. Now we're finding community acquired that is the general populace getting these infections as well. This is particular interest to the combat athlete as being an athlete is a risk factor for gaining MRSA infections. The reasons for this are multifold and include:

• sharing of towels
  
• not showering immediately after practice
  
• fingernail length
  
• shaving that causes micro-abrasions by which bacteria can enter the skin

It is important for combat athletes to recognize ways to decrease their risk of obtaining an MRSA infection by keeping fingernails short, showering immediately after practice, and using their own towels. It is probably also wise not to shave immediately before practice.
In addition it is important to recognize that if you have an in section not to go back to the mat but rather get it treated. One should be suspicious for MRSA in skin lesions "looking like a spider bite" and then rapidly developing worsened redness, swelling or warmth. It should be noted that products containing tea tree oil have antimicrobial action against Staphylococcus, MRSA or otherwise.

Technorati Tags: martial arts, medicine