Arm Triangle Choke from Mount
I show a arm triangle choke using hand grips ,instead of the typical arm and bicep grip, to finish. Again, I prefer this grip because of my shorter arms in a division with broad shouldered opponents.
I’m not an animal! But I do have a broken nose.
[Sitting in the ER waiting area]
So last night during training I broke my nose! We were doing our typical Monday night stand up / takedown session. I dropped down for a fireman carry and as I did I felt my partners knee hit with a thud against my face. I instantly covered up in the turtle position.While I was curled up on my elbows and knees I thought, “man that hurt.” I’ve broken my nose in the past but they were straight breaks and required no serious medical attention. A bonus of getting my nose broken when I was younger was such that I rarely ever get bloody noses. Even after being hit with a hard punch, head butt or whatever. I was hesitant to raise up because I knew if I saw blood that it was probably pretty jacked up. When I lifted my forehead off the mat I began to see little drips of blood and as I turned towards my students, their reaction gave it away. My nose was all kinds of messed up.
I went to the emergency room and they determined I broken 2 bones and that I need to see an ENT doctor to correct my nasal deviation. This means I will have to brave the public as the elephant man for a few days until they decide to get my face back to normal. I sincerely hope my nose looks close to normal after its all said and done, because I can’t be a handsome BJJ player with a funky nose!
I guess I’ll be doing technique for a while. What, you didn’t think I was going to take time off the mats did you?
[This morning]
White belts are people too!
So today I learned that white belts are people too. They practice techniques and roll. . . just like us colored belts! 😛 Of course I’m kidding.
Today I had a blast with my white belts. They came in for our first special white belt training session. I decided to do this class because our gym is steadily growing, and as it does, I don’t want any of my students to fall through the cracks. Our gym standards and expectations are high and I want to keep it as such but I feel like I needed to do more with assisting the white belts to success. I’ve seen similar classes done at other gyms but usually they charge a fee. I honestly don’t care about snagging an extra 20-60 bucks from my students, I’d rather see them progress, stick with it and reach their goals. That’s my mission as an instructor.
One of the ways I personally gauge myself on my abilities as a coach is how well I can help as many people as possible reach their goals. Whether that’s winning in competition, weight loss and improved fitness, etc. Its easy with the freaks of nature who are naturally gifted. They pick things up easy. But I feel its a better challenge and a better judge of my abilities if I can take someone who isn’t as naturally inclined towards BJJ and help them achieve their aims.
During the class we went over several basic techniques that I require students to know before they can become a blue belt. I also randomly picked some of them out of the class to demonstrate and explain the techniques to everyone. I was able to watch everyone demonstrate the techniques and help correct any errors they had. With a few of the techniques we examined the mistakes that students were making together and corrected them. After drilling we had a king of the mat style rolling session. This was a really helpful. As I said about the women’s only class, its helpful to watch people compete against others who are relatively similar to themselves in skill.
At the end of class I had everyone sit in a big circle and talk about themselves a little and explain why they decided to get involved in BJJ. I don’t think anyone gets into BJJ to suck or to do it for a couple of months and quit. So I think it its important to hear why it is someone decided to take on something that could last indefinitely. It’s also fun to watch adults get uncomfortable in situations like this. As adults we become really uptight and its important for everyone to kinda of lose that. . uptightness when they’re training. I mean when you think about training and doing BJJ, it’s kind of a weird thing to get so crazy about. We roll around and sweat all over each other in robes.
Anyways, enough rambling, it was a fun day and I couldn’t be happier with the results I received from the class. Now I have to get ready and promote some new blue belts!
Anaconda Choke
Anaconda choke video I did for the gym. The hand grips I use are a little different than the way I was originally shown when learning this move years ago.
Random pictures
If you’re from the United States you’ve probably experienced some unusually cold weather recently. Here in Louisville, KY the temperatures were down to -2 with some nasty winds. Needless to say, a lot of pipes inside people’s homes busted across the city. Yesterday in the gym one of my students came running out of the bathroom and told me water was everywhere. Yup, one of our pipes busted and being the head of the gym that I am, guess who cleaned it up? Running a small business is just all fun, right? My student got a kick out of it and took a picture of me.
The next picture is simply my new favorite coffee mug. Partly because the statement written across it is funny and partly because its true. I know, too much info.
Beard pictures and Beard Video
This post has nothing to do with BJJ but I am hoping it might make you laugh a little.
Here is the video and below are the pictures. The video doesn’t work on mobile because of the music so you can either add me to facebook and watch it on my page, or just watch it on your computer. Have fun. 🙂
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKNta5wOLVM&w=560&h=315]
As always, thanks for reading, or in this case, watching.
Stuff my White Belts ask me: “What kind of gi should I buy?”
Common question from a new white belt: “Chewy, what kind of gi should I buy?”
My answer: Early on I think the type of gi you wear matters very little. As a newcomer to BJJ you won’t be able to detect the small differences that exist between the different kimonos out there. You may notice a difference if you get a heavier gi opposed to a lighter one, but that’s about it.
My advice is to find a gi that you find visually appealing, is within your budget and is from a reputable source. Other than that, don’t pay too much attention to the extras.
Although single, summer, pearl weaves and any gi label “light” are going to be a little lighter and cooler, that doesn’t always mean better. I personally, prefer a heavier gi. Don’t be afraid to test it out and see which type you like best.
Pay attention to the sizing chart of that particular company as many gi companies have different sizing for their kimonos.
Before you buy, do a search on youtube or google for a review of the particular gi you intend to purchase and see what you can find. These reviews can be helpful about learning how much the gi shrinks up, fades, fits, etc.
In regards to colors, I personally feel that you should wear whichever gi color you like, but check with your gym. Some academies have rules against colors. Sometimes they even have stigmas around white belts wearing colors like black gis. This isn’t common but its something to keep in mind. In addition, if you plan to compete in IBJJF tournaments, you will be required to wear certain gi colors.
Fun Fact: Many gis are made in the same factories overseas and in some cases, Kimono companies simply copy another competitor’s design and rehash it as something for themselves. So don’t get too worked up about the special features on your new gi. Focus on finding something that you will be pumped about wearing when you step on the mat.
If you’re new to BJJ and had this question, I hope this blog helped you. If you still have any questions, consult your instructor or send me an email and I’d be happy to assist. 🙂
As always,
Thanks for reading!
—Chewy
BJJ Black Belt using EFO techniques on his students
What happens when you put EFO techniques into the hands of a BJJ Black Belt? Watch and see.
Podcast interview with Atos Black Belt Tim Sledd
Podcast interview with Atos Black Belt Tim Sledd
A little interview I did with Tim Sledd. Tim is a solid teacher (i’ve learned plenty from him), was my first purple belt match, and was a blast to talk with. Well I guess I drilled him with questions more than casual talking. He talks about a couple of the personal struggles in particular that hes dealt with in BJJ, that I’ve also dealt with. It was cool to hear another BJJ lifer’s take on dealing with things like ,affiliation changes, and figuring out question, “why do I keep training?’
Its worth a listen if you have some time.
A cool moment in my BJJ career
Its weird to call it a career, but I guess at 10+ years and performing it as a full time gig makes it a career. Above is a photo taken from earlier this year and was one of the coolest moments I’ve ever had as a teacher. This was a night when we were doing a promotion and we assembled a solid group of guys together for it. The total count that night was 55 which is not the largest group I’ve ever had on the mat but it is in the top 10. I’m not sure if you’ve ever been in this situation, but the energy in a group like this is incredible.
I guess the reason I enjoy the photo so much is that its a reminder that I don’t have to be a sleazy marketer, world champion, instructor who gives out belts too quickly or whatever I think I “need” to be, in order to be successful. Instead, I just need to be myself and remain a dedicated friend, instructor and training partner. Ready to jump on the mats and mix it up with my students, ready to do whatever is required in order to help them achieve their goals.
Just for the record, my students are awesome!