Grappling Dummies

Grappling Dummies Are Still A Waste (Even During Quarantine)

/in , , , /by

I made a video about grappling dummies about 3 years ago where I said they were a waste of time and money. Well recently because of the quarantine and lockdown most of us are experience I’ve gotten a lot of comments on that video. Most of the comments are something to the effect that, “Are grappling dummies still a waste now that we can’t roll?”

Now while everyone has their own opinion on this think I absolutely stand by my stance. You can roll with that grappling dummy till you’re blue in the face your Brazilian Jiu-jitsu abilities are still going to get worse. Just how it is.

But I believe there are other areas you could focus on that would be far more useful. So in the video I list 4 other things you could focus on, besides a grappling dummy, that I think will help you when you get back to BJJ training in the future.

Those 4 things are:
– Diet
– Stretching and strengthening exercises
– Meditation
– Watching videos

Focusing on those 4 things would be far superior for preparing a person’s physical and mental abilities when it’s time to come back to training.

Now all of that said, if you really like your grappling dummy then rock it out. I’m replying back to comments and if you enjoy it then good for you.

But from my experience over 20 years I see very few people actually use their grappling dummy with any real consistency. And without consistency you shouldn’t expect results.

Thanks for watching the video.
-Chewy

[aweber listid=”3971723″ formid=”473137082″ formtype=”webform”]

workout tip

Instant Tweak to Make Exercises More Difficult (No Equipment Required)

/2 Comments/in , , , /by

If you’re stuck at home doing workouts for any reason whether it’s a corona virus or just your garden variety injury then you can use the tips I share in this video to get more bang for your buck from the exercises you use. In addition, it’s a really solid tip to incorporate into your regular lifting. You can also use this tip with your BJJ solo drills.

It’s a very simple idea that I share in this video but it’s one that can make any simple exercises way more difficult.

That tip is simply do the reps slower and with control. Seems easy but when you slow a repetition down to 5, 10, or 15 seconds it becomes much more taxing on the muscles.

The beauty of doing this is that it increases time under tension, make the exercise more difficult and increase the mind body connection formed during the movement.

Hope this video is useful to you especially if you’re stuck at home unable to workout like normal.

-Chewy

[aweber listid=”3971723″ formid=”473137082″ formtype=”webform”]

Tiger King Lessons

A BJJ lesson from Tiger King

/in , /by

Hey all you cool grapplers and rollers it’s Chewy.

With all of this down time because of the quarantine I’ve found myself watching netflix with Jess a bit more than usual.

And the other day we watched that recent shit show of a documentary called Tiger King. And after watching it I can tell you that there are a lot of lessons to takeaway from that mess.

1 of them is the importance of thinking for yourself and practicing discernment.

Here’s what I mean.

The show is mostly about these 3 groups of exotic animal owners. Each with a cult like leader who has a devout following. Through the show it also shares details into the flaws and misgivings and possible abuses of each one of these leaders.

Then if you listen to these same people comment on the way the show portrayed them, they’ll tell you that much of the information was spun to fit a certain narrative.

The whole thing is full of lies, people misleading others and people using others in a way they didn’t intend to make a t.v show.

This is a reminder that you should practice discernment otherwise you get lad to believe or do things that may not be useful for you in the long run.

Many people DON’T do this though. They say, “well so and so said this” or “this works because so and so did it.” And so they think they HAVE to do it.

In short they don’t think for themselves. Don’t be that way.

Listen to the teachers you follow but always be willing to think for yourself and see how it works for YOU. This goes with techniques and ideas.

In BJJ I call this making your own “stew.” Taking the ideas and teachings from others, finding out what works for you and making your own mixture.

Even the things I teach, whether it’s ideas shared or techniques, be willing to see how they work for you. Again, I share because something has worked for me. But you’re different, they may work or they may not.

That’s for you to find out.

And just as a reminder so you don’t miss out!

From now until this Friday (April 3rd) if you invest in any of my courses at www.Chewjitsu.net/products I’ll gift you access to my Get a Grip series, and a special seminar recording from one of my events in Florida last year at no additional cost.

All you gotta do is snag whatever course strikes your fancy and then email me at Support@Chewjitsu.net with the subject line “Special Bonus” and we’ll send the extra goodies your way.

And whatever course you end up getting your hands on make sure to practice discernment. Study it, take in the information and once you get back to the gym (after all this quarantine stuff passes), see how it works for you.

It’s impossible for you to not get something from the courses. But I also don’t expect you to take everything as is. You’ll have to adjust a technique to your style or body type.

This is a must for any good martial artist as they create their own style or “art.”

Talk to you tomorrow.

-Chewy

[aweber listid=”3971723″ formid=”473137082″ formtype=”webform”]

Chewy

Free Guide For Time Off BJJ Training (At Home Training) & New Video Schedule

/in , , , /by

Because I’m not training like normal I wanted to give you a heads up on the video schedule for the next week and until we’re back to training like normal.

While I’m not training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu like normal I’ll be posting videos Monday – Friday at 5pm EST. Hopefully this will help give you some additional entertainment and information while you’re stuck at home unable to get on the mats.

In addition I’ve prepared a course for my students that I’ll share with you. It’s some helpful ideas on at home workouts, dieting, journaling, breathing and other tips that I’ve found helpful during periods of not being able to train.

Click the link below to register and receive the free course, A Black Belt’s Guide To Dealing With A BJJ Layoff:
https://www.chewjitsu.net/time-off

And I also answer a question from Michael in the video about how I’m staying level headed. I share how I’m approaching this situation similar to how I did with MMA fights.

1. Realizing that much of the fear is the unknown.
2. Focusing on what I have control over.
3. Preparing for the worst possible thing that could happen so that I can be in a good spot later.

Hopefully if you’re experiencing issues the video is useful to you.

Talk to you soon!
-Chewy

[aweber listid=”3971723″ formid=”473137082″ formtype=”webform”]

Baby Chewy

Friday the 13th! Know what that means right?

/in , /by

Today is Friday, March 13th . . . you know what that means, right?

No it has nothing to do with a hockey masked serial killer who can magically slow-walk faster than anyone can possibly run.

Nope!

It’s much cooler than that. It’s my burfday! That’s right. Today marks the 35th anniversary of the day the ol’ Chewster, and his big mouth, entered the world.

And as I move deeper into my 30s I remember the conversations I used to have with my “old” training partners back when I was an 18 year old kid who knew nothing about anything.

The guys in their 30s and 40s would talk about aches and pains and how “after 30 you really start to feel your body.”

Being 18 years old I thought they were just being wimps. . . Then I turned 29 and realized I was hurting all the time from hard training and lifting. I remember walking up the stairs on my 29th birthday thinking “what’s happening to me.”

Here’s the good news. At 35 I feel better than I did when I was 29.

And that’s because when I started to “feel” my body more I started to take time and focus on recovery. I’ve become a student of improving my lifestyle off the mats just as much as I try to improve my techniques on the mat.

Because all the techniques in the world aren’t going to help me if I’m beat down, injured and fatigued.

And if you’re a little older like me and wanting to keep the body going or perhaps you’re younger (and smarter than I was at 18) and want to keep your body healthy for the long haul here’s some quick tips to start with.

– Make time for rest (just like you make time for training)
– Don’t eat garbage and expect your body to run well.
– Stretch after training (you’ll thank me later).
– Weight train to support your body.
– Value your sleep and be disciplined to get adequate amounts.
– Use contrast showers on days you’re really sore.
– Meditate for 10-20 minutes everyday.

Those should keep you busy for a while if you’re really serious about recovery.

And if you’d like more in depth tips of some of the things I’m trying right now, then join me inside the Chewjitsu Vault where this month I have a ebook style newsletter with some useful tips for recovery.

Everything from specific diet related tips to ideas on getting the most from your rest days.

(Click here to join the vault)

Alright, I’m off to enjoy my day of birth.

Talk to you guys next time!
-Chewy

If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville, KY.

[aweber listid=”3971723″ formid=”473137082″ formtype=”webform”]

No it’s not the Wim Hof breath (it’s different)

/in , , , /by

Yesterday I spent most of the day looking at homes with my lady then I had to meal prep.

 

Which is all fine and good but it didn’t leave any time working out!

 

And while this may not be a problem for you, the Chewster doesn’t sleep too hot without some activity.

 

So a couple of hours before bed I performed a meditation that involved a lot of movement for 30 minutes followed by some deep breathing for 20 minutes. All guided by music.

 

Now when I talk about breathing, most people instantly say to me, “Oh yeah, like Wim Hof?” 

The Wim Hof style breathing is great, but it’s a charging (kicks on your sympathetic nervous system) breath. You do it before you do something crazy. . . like jump into a bath of ice. It’s not the best idea before a restful night of sleep.

 

Instead the breathing I’m talking about is a much slower breath that helps kick your body into a more relaxed state (parasympathetic dominant). I use this breath anytime I need to chill out. Either after hard training, if I feel anxiety or even if I get a bit angry. It settles me right down.

 

And because it’s been so useful to me I’ve included instructions for this type of breathing inside my Chewjitsu Vault with a couple of videos and a short ebook to walk you through.

 

(Click Here to join The Vault)

 

Talk to you tomorrow.

-Chewy

 

[aweber listid=”3971723″ formid=”473137082″ formtype=”webform”]

Even Black Belts Can Overthink Coming Back To BJJ After Time Off

/in , , /by

I got a question from Operation Random on Youtube about coming back to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training after a 3 month lay off. They say that they’re nervous about returning to their BJJ gym and starting their grappling training over again.

 

 

In this video I share a recent story about one of the Black Belts and Purple Belts in my gym who just returned. I share this because layoffs and experiencing some nervousness or anxiety about getting back into Brazilian Jiujitsu is not just a White Belt thing.

 

When we first start something new there is fear of the unknown. Later on the fear comes from our own expectations.

 

But either way the fear is imagined and generally the reality of the situation is better than the imagined fear.

 

If you’re getting back into BJJ after a bit of a lay off I hope this video is helpful to you!

 

Thanks for watching the video.

-Chewy

 

[aweber listid=”3971723″ formid=”473137082″ formtype=”webform”]

What Does Chewy Read? (Chewjitsu Books Part 2)

/6 Comments/in /by

The other day I got a question on my Instagram about some of the audiobooks I listen to and which ones I like.

I have over a hundred audiobooks in my Audible library and I figured you guys might be interested in listening to some of them. So I might do this as a monthly series and share some of the titles I liked and why I liked them.

Below are the amazon links to an Audible subscription (I’ve been a loyal member since 2009) and links to each book I talk about.

The links are affiliate links. So if you’re interested in the title. Use the link by clicking the book image. It costs you nothing extra and helps support the Youtube channel.

But seriously if you’re interested in audiobooks I can’t recommend audible enough.

Here are the books in no order of significance or importance. . .

The War of Art

This one is a short read or listen and is great for anyone who struggles with just not “feeling” like doing the thing they want to do.

My favorite takeaway is the idea of the force Pressfield calls “resistance.”

Basically, anytime you get ready to do the thing you want, or need, to do you encounter resistance. He talks about how this affected his writing and how he overcame it and how you can too.

 

Go Wild

This book was co-written by the author of Spark which is an interesting book.

The book goes into detail about some of the theories of human evolution and how our current lifestyle habits affect us.

While I don’t agree with everything in the book, I’m not going to throw the baby out with the bath water. There are several useful lifestyle adjustments that could be useful for people.

1 simple one is to get out in nature more often and the authors explain why this is so valuable for us as humans.

 

The Motivation Myth

This was a cool look at motivation and how it’s not something you either have or don’t have. Motivation often comes about and continues because of our forward momentum of taking action.

If you’ve ever felt a lack of motivation, as we all have, this book is an interesting listen as to what you can do to become a powerhouse of motivation creation.

 

A First-Rate Madness

In society if you’re anything but “normal” you get tagged with a mental illness and then are given medication. Which in some cases is necessary. I’m definitely not arguing that.

But this book takes a look at some of the most well known historic figures and identifies the mental illnesses they possessed and how these mental illnesses helped them.

In some cases the author makes a case that the mental illnesses they had made them better suited for the rough times they encountered.

 

The Sports Gene

This book runs opposite side of the 10,000 hour rule of mastery. It doesn’t say it’s wrong but it says there may be another factor at play.

In the book the author shows examples of athletes who were tailor made for the particular sport they joined.

One interesting example was a kid who had an extraordinarily long achilles tendon which gave him incredible jumping power.

Another that was interesting example was that height alone was not the only important factor for professional basketball players. There were other measurements that were just as, if not more important.

 

Tribe

Why do we feel so close to those who we’ve experienced tough situations with?

Junger was a journalist in a war zone and wrote his book explaining how soldiers in terrible situations bonded in a way that is not normal in civilian life today.

It even made me think about how we bond doing Brazilian Jiu-jitsu through years of struggling.

 

Sapiens

The last one I will share today is Sapiens.

The 1st chapter of the book blew me away and kept me listening the whole way.

The 1st chapter talks about how humans are really good at telling stories. Imaginary cooked up stuff that isn’t real. . . it’s all made up.

Green paper is valued as money to exchange for goods. It means something because we imagine it to.

We live in countries and are a part of a nation with imaginary, no real borders. We made the borders.

I won’t go any further, but if you’d like to get a deeper insight into some of the things that made us human, it’s worth a listen or read.

 

So there’s 7 books to check out. I’ll do another one of these next month and share more. If you have any questions just comment down below.

-Chewy

Why Losing Your Passion for BJJ is Normal (How to Reignite It)

/in /by

This might come as a surprised for you. But I don’t think I’m passionate about BJJ, at least not all the time. Here’s what I mean. The definition for passion is “a barely controllable emotion.”

And so if we use that definition. I haven’t been constantly passionate about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu since I was a White Belt.

Now I still enjoy BJJ training, but it’s closer to a relationship.

Where it comes in ebbs and flows. Like a relationship with a person where sometimes you can’t get enough of the person and other times not so much.

And I bring this up because our question today is about losing the passion for BJJ and I hear this from people all the time. They say things like “I’ve lost the passion for BJJ.

I just doesn’t feel the same.” So you want to make sure that you’re not trying to compare your current emotions to the emotions of the past, especially the beginning.

Along with this I share a few practical ideas on how to spark the passion for your training. Like trying new techniques or options. I hope the video is helpful with your BJJ training.

-Chewy –

Sign Up for “Almost Daily” Emails

Free Ebook: https://www.chewjitsu.net/focused-jiu-…

Video Courses and Products: https://www.chewjitsu.net/products

T shirts: https://www.chewjitsu.net/shop/

http://www.Facebook.com/Chewjitsu

http://www.instagram.com/Chewjitsu

http://www.twitter.com/Chewjitsu

 

 

What CBD oil does Chewy use?

/in /by

Recently in an email I told you about how I was using CBD oil as part of my recovery regimen.

And I’ve gotten a flood of reply emails. (Which I typically respond to), and the question asked was, “Which CBD oil are you using?”

Currently, I’m making myself into a guinea pig. 

Wait, I should be careful not to offend someone with that term. I think PETA said I’m supposed to say “test tube.”

So I’m making myself into “test tube (I wonder when that somehow becomes offensive)?

For months I’ve tried different CBD droppers, balms and a liposomal version. I’ve went highand low with doses. I’ve played with timing of the CBD.

Some of them have worked like freaking miracles, and others were… meh. 

Here soon I’ll be ready to share the results of what I find with you and let you know which one gets the “Chewy-Stamp of Approval.”

Therefore the reason I’m so interested in testing all these versions is that whether you’re my student in person or you watch me through videos.

As a voice in the BJJ community I feel a certain obligation to you to be transparent and maintain integrity. I don’t have any interest in peddling bullshit products that don’t work.

I walk my walk, and that’s very important to me.

 And whether it’s my new Half Guard series I sell online.

It shows you my exact half guard style (I mean you can watch my matches and see it over and over again.) Or the eventual CBD brand I encourage you to check out. Which will be the one that I’m personally using.

As cliche as it sounds. Everything I do comes from a place of genuine desire to help. 

So gimmie a couple of weeks and I’ll have Chewy’s top CBD picks.

 

Talk to you next time.

-Chewy –

Sign Up for “Almost Daily” Emails

Free Ebook: https://www.chewjitsu.net/focused-jiu-…

Video Courses and Products: https://www.chewjitsu.net/products

T shirts: https://www.chewjitsu.net/shop/

http://www.Facebook.com/Chewjitsu

http://www.instagram.com/Chewjitsu

http://www.twitter.com/Chewjitsu