Five Grappling Illinois 2
This weekend I competed at the Five Grappling Illinois 2. I wound up taking 3rd in the gi and had planned to do the no gi but I tweaked my knee (the one I had surgery on earlier this year) and I got a little spooked so I bowed out. I’m happy to say that it feels fine for the most part today.
The victories this weekend were much needed. With a disappointing performance at the Atlanta Open I was happy to snag some wins. If you’re a competitor coming off a rough loss, negative thoughts of doubt seem to have a way of following you into the next tournament. Getting some W’s help quiet them a little. Only a little though, you can’t ever get rid of them completely. While I definitely have some rust to get rid of overall I was satisfied with my performance. Although, next time I am going to work harder. I want one of their belts to take back to the gym.
I would also like to add that I was really impressed by the organization of the tournament. It ran very smoothly. I also have to say, I really enjoy 6 minute matches. They’re way more exciting. Both to take part in and to watch. Everyone was going after it. If you’ve never taken part in a Five tournament. It’s worth checking out. www.fivegrappling.com
Here are a few videos of my matches.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLluPB9fBCo&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXBfiUJibf8&w=560&h=315]
Was the sub in match 1 an Americana? I couldn’t tell. It looked like an armbar at first but then you turned and I couldn’t see. Well done!
It was a straight arm lock. I started with a kimura style grip. As the guy tried to free his arm by going the other way I caught the submission. One of the benefits of not having long arms.
Jiu Jitsu is much much more difficult than kaarte which is probably why. Most “Dojos” allow you to get a black belt after 3-5 years. To get one in brazilian jiu jitsu it takes at least 8-10 but many people take 10-15. Plus from my experience (6+ years of kaarte and 3+ years of bjj) people put in a lot more work at bjj. Its also difficult because in kaarte you get promoted when you learn the forms needed to test. In bjj you get promoted when you can beat almost everyone at your current belt level and some of the people at the belt above you. So there are no shortcuts in jiu jitsu.If you go to a good bjj school they will teach self-defense, takedowns and some other rudimentary stand-up that will help you use your bjj in real world settings. I don’t want to sound like a kaarte hater because I think its great. Its especially great for kids because it teaches discipline and self-control while providing a really good work out. I also think bjj is very difficult to teach to children (probably 12ish is the earliest I think it can really be taught well). From my personal experience bjj is much more difficult and better suited to real life self-defense.References : 6+ years of kaarte and 3 years of bjj