Brazilian jiujitsu Archives

Ask a black belt a question, ANY question!

July 21, 2013/6 Comments/in BJJ, Inspiration /by Chewy

Hey guys, I need your help!

I am getting ready to start a very cool project that will be launched in the near future. The project will involve asking many different black belts a group of questions in hopes that they can share their journey in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as well as provide insight, inspiration and motivation for our own paths in the art.

What I would like from you is to take a second and think of some questions. The questions should be related to BJJ in some way. Each time I interview one of the black belts I will pick one of the questions I received from you guys. I’ll also give a shout out to the person who sent the question.

With that said, please send your questions to chewjitsu@gmail.com with the subject of the email as “Blackbelt Questions”. Also, please include some basic info about yourself (Name, Location, belt level, gym that you train in) so that I can give a shout out to you.

Thanks for your help guys!

You gotta check this out

May 21, 2013/in Videos /by Chewy

I was talking with a couple of my training partners tonight after training and they mentioned BJJ Scout’s videos. I went home and wow! The videos are fantastic. I have done this sort of thing for myself as BJJ homework, but these videos are already done and there for anyone to take advantage of. Just thought I would share!

Thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbkKiWIHZvg

This video for instance goes over De La Riva counters and is definitely worth a look if you are encountering a tough de la riva game.

7 methods to drilling and adding new techniques to your BJJ (Part 6)

May 21, 2013/in BJJ, Training, Videos /by Chewy

I wrote previously about restrictive rolling with a partner of lesser skill. Now let’s look at restrictive rolling with a partner or similar or higher skill. It’s essentially the same thing. . . only better. Again, all this really means is rolling with a definite goal against someone who is as good or better than you by restricting yourself to a select group of techniques and positions you wish to improve upon.

Seems pretty simple right? It is. . . sort of.

In theory, taking techniques that you aren’t incredibly familiar with and trying them out during rolling is simple. Rolling this way is rather easy with people that you out match. You can try and go for a move and if you expose yourself you can simply recover and control the situation again. However, against a person of similar skill, if you make a mistake they may submit or out position you. Combine the competitive nature of BJJ and the competitive nature of most people, and the thought of “losing” can hinder someone from opening up. But taking risks, getting out of your comfort zone and opening up are all things that you need to do in order to improve your game, so forget about “losing” when rolling this way.

Now, you don’t have to tell your partner you are working on anything in particular. Just roll with them and try to go after the techniques and positions that you are focusing on. This will be a bit stressful on your body since you will be against an opponent who is better equipped to deal with whatever you’re working on. Often, when using a new set of techniques you will find yourself having to muscle through it, or because of unfamiliarity, you will be more exhausted than usual. This is caused by both your body’s lack of efficiency with the movements and the stress brought on by engaging with a skilled opponent. Because you cannot consider a move fully implemented until you can perform it under high pressure situations, the sooner you start attempting new moves against higher level guys, the better.

Rolling this way will also have the side benefit of creating scrambles and at times leaving you in a less desirable position. By doing this you will be forced to become better at scrambling which is important (ever roll with a good wrestler?), and it will push you to work out of bad positions, effectively improving your defensive abilities. Just be sure to figure out the mistakes or weakness of the move that allowed you to end up in those positions and correct them.

Finally, if you should use the techniques against a higher belt level and they successfully defend or counter them. Don’t be afraid to ask them what they did or what you could have done. Don’t ask them in the middle of the roll or anything, but grab them after class and just ask about what happened during the roll and if there is anything you might be able to improve upon. I have yet to meet a BJJ practitioner / instructor unwilling to share a tip here and there.

Again, what I am writing about isn’t some sort of secret way to get better. The idea is simple and effective, but implementation can be difficult because you will be forced out of your comfort zone. That being said, the sooner you lose the fear and experiment, the sooner your game will grow.

Benefits of Restrictive Rolling with people of similar skill

Helps improve your defensive techniques and scrambling ability since you may lose positioning while trying to perform the newer techniques.
Gives you more exposure on the techniques you’re perfecting in a live setting.
Helps you find new ways to get the same techniques or positions.
If you are going against someone of a higher level they may be able to give you helpful tips on what you’re working on.
Breaks training plateaus by giving you clear goals to achieve
Hitting a newly added move on a person who’s game you respect is a huge confidence booster.

Clark Gracie vs Marcelo Mafra; 3 lessons for competition.

April 2, 2013/2 Comments/in BJJ, Competition /by Chewy

Very cool match with Clark Gracie and Marcelo Mafra. I like this match because I think it highlights a few things that can be incredibly important in competition.

The match

-Taking a person out of their comfort zone
Mafra pulled guard first and took Clark out of his “A” game. From there he was able to get a sweep early in the match, this allowed Marcelo to play more conservatively on top and put more mental pressure on Clark. This was a really smart move. By doing this he didn’t allow Clark to be as relaxed in his best position.

-Staying calm under pressure or in frustrating positions
Clark stayed very calm during the match. He played leg entanglement for a good portion of the match (hunting for the oma plata I assume) with no luck, but never bailed on the grips or his game. Being down 2 points with an opponent playing very conservatively can be really frustrating, and it can be easy to become irritated. This will lead to mistakes if you let it get to you. Clark stayed disciplined with his grips and never allowed frustration to lead to a worse position.

-Finishing strong
Clark turned it up in the end of the match and came away with the victory. Towards the end of the match Clark scored an advantage for a sweep attempt. Mafra stood up denying Clark the points and then pulled guard again. From here Clark began attacking for the guard pass very aggressively. The hard guard passing would eventually lead to the transition that won him the match.

Fantastic match from two amazing BJJ players.

7 methods to drilling and adding new techniques to your BJJ (Part 4)

March 28, 2013/in BJJ, Videos /by Chewy

Alright, now that the Pans are over and I am ready to continue on in this series. In this post we will talk about training with a less skilled partner and how to make the most of it in regards to further developing our technique. When rolling with a person who is less skilled than you, what should you do? Should you beat them mercilessly over and over again or play around with different techniques you’re improving? Well. . . both. There is always going to be a need for the people under you to feel the pressure and to be pushed by a more experienced BJJ player. This helps shed light on weaknesses in their game that you are able to exploit. During hard competition training sessions where the environment has to be tough to prepare someone for a match this is also helpful. However, it is also beneficial to work on specific techniques and in essence use your less experienced partners as active drilling partners. This is the style of training we will focus on for this post since this series is about developing new techniques for your game. We will call this Restrictive Rolling. Again I will stress, I am not writing about anything that is ground breaking. Instead this series is just reminding you of ways that you can train deliberately and with a purpose.

Restrictive rolling against lesser skilled training partners

When trying to develop techniques and build them up, every bit of exposure with the moves and position is huge. Each successful or failed use of a technique inches you closer to mastering it. With this in mind I find it valuable to use people that I exceed in experience as active drilling partners, a sort of testing ground for new techniques.

I’ll explain what I mean.

I am a black belt and if I roll with . . . let’s say. . . a blue belt. I can certainly put the “brakes” on their movements and grind them with pressure till I submit them. Over and over and over again. Now like I said previously, this is sometimes necessary but certainly not always. I find it mutually beneficial when I work towards very specific movements and techniques and at the same time giving my partner a chance to attempt something. For example, if I am working on getting to back mount. I will fight furiously to find a way to my partners back. I will avoid finishing them in any other position even if the opportunity is there to get to the back. Once I get to the back I will let them escape so that I can find a way to regain the back position again. This allows for my lower belted training partner chances to attack and practice their escapes. Another example is I will let my partner pass my guard and get to a dominant position. I will make them fight for it but eventually (as long as their technique is good) I will let them pass my guard. Once they have secured a good position I will them work my way out of it. These are just two examples but obviously you can do with this almost any situation or technique.

The difference of restrictive rolling opposed to situational rolling which we talked about earlier, is that you do this during full rolls where everything is fair game. This has the potential to make it more difficult to get to the desired positions and use the techniques. Since during a full roll, your partner may not give you the necessary openings you need for your techniques. While this is more difficult it has the ability to make you better at finding your way to the positions. Essentially as the name implies, you are restricting yourself to a very specific group of techniques or positions regardless of what your opponent does.

Benefits of Restrictive Rolling with people less skilled than yourself

Allows the lower belt to work with techniques as well, rather than getting smashed the whole time.
Gives you more exposure on the techniques you’re perfecting in a live setting.
Since your partner is less skilled than yourself, it allows you to mentally relax in unfamiliar positions you’re working on.
Helps you find new ways to get the same techniques or positions.
If you are a higher belt or in an instructing position, it allows you to see possible weaknesses the lower belt has. Which you can give them advice on.

So the next time you are rolling with someone whom you know you can beat. Give them a break and help yourself improve. Throw your “A game” and ego to the side for a bit and try and play with techniques that you are either not as experienced with or still perfecting. The partners will appreciate the ability to work on things and you will gain valuable experience with the moves you’re implementing into your game.

Good day as a coach

March 23, 2013/2 Comments/in Uncategorized /by Chewy

Today my student Justin did a fantastic job. He submitted every opponent in his division en route to a gold medal at the Pans. He earned a gold last year as a white belt and continued the success with a gold at blue belt. I’m super proud of him.

(Here is a picture of myself and Justin)

Also, Paul from my friend Dave Reilly’s gym down in Tucson took gold as well. He did a great job with his top game.

(Here is a pic of Paul and Justin)

7 methods to drilling and adding new techniques to your BJJ (Part 3)

March 19, 2013/1 Comment/in Beginners, BJJ, Training /by Chewy

Back to passive drilling!

So now that you have been doing reps of your techniques and you’ve also been doing some situational rolling you have probably become much more comfortable with the position and techniques you are trying to use. Along with being more comfortable you have also probably hit some snags during training. When I say snags I mean that you’ve experienced someone countering or defending your techniques. Maybe you go for a pass and your opponent brings his legs in to counter, or maybe you go for a triangle and the person shoots their head and body up to deny you the lock. Whatever it is, these situations can prove aggravating and unless you address them your techniques will be somewhat ineffective.

A solution

Once you encounter problems and the moves stop working by themselves, its time to move onto chain drilling. Wrestlers would be familiar with this as chain wrestling. This is where you do repetitions, much as we talked about in part 1, but instead of drilling them as standalone movements you will combine them with other techniques. Thus creating a sequence that will prepare you for possible obstacles you may face when executing your moves.

Here’s how to do it

Take a move that you are using but are having some problems with. (i.e a counter, defenses, etc)
Next consult with your instructor or research a solution to your problem.
Once you have the technique you need to combat the issue you’re having, drill it just like you would any other move. Just perform it as part of a sequence with the other techniques.

This is pretty much just a modified version of part 1. I consider the first post to be about introducing a move into your repertoire. This post is more about refining the techniques or adding to them after you’ve used them. Lets face it, you have to use a technique before you can be sure about the kind of problems you will run into. Consider this type of drilling as the next stage of a moves progression.

Benefits to chain drilling

Further develops the techniques you are trying to build up.
Develops solutions to problems you are having during live training.
Allows you to combine multiple movements for a dynamic BJJ game.

Thanks for reading!

7 methods to drilling and adding new techniques to your BJJ (Part 2)

March 17, 2013/in Beginners, BJJ, Training /by Chewy

So I personally categorize drilling into two different types, active and passive. I consider practicing any sort of drilling where my partner offers no resistance as passive style drilling. In my last post I talked about performing repetitions of a new move to get introduced to them. Now, let’s move on to our first method of active drilling which will help make new moves usable against resisting opponents.

Fear

It can be hard to break a new move out into a full rolling session. Sometimes you don’t get into the proper positions to use it and sometimes personal fear can prevent you from using it. For example, if you are too worried about being trapped under a tough guy’s side mount after a pass, then using a new guard technique can be difficult mentally. You’ll be too worried about using the new technique for fear of having your guard passed and being squashed under the person’s top pressure.

Remove the fear with Situational Rolling

This is where we will get into Situational Rolling. Now I am sure you have done this before in class with your team mates, but I’ll explain my idea of it so that there isn’t any confusion.

I consider situational rolling to be where you put yourself into a position that you are working on and having clear ideas of what you plan to accomplish. Then roll somewhere between 50-100% and actively attempting to achieve your goal in the position. For instance if you are trying to add a new half guard sweep, then start in half guard. From there do pass/defend and sweep/submit. Meaning if you sweep from half guard then you restart back in the same position. Meanwhile your partner will try to defend against your attacks and try to pass your guard. If they pass, restart back into the half guard.

I know it has personally helped me a lot over the years. One example is that I used to be very susceptible to triangle chokes. To fix this I would passively drill triangle escapes and I would also drill prevention techniques to stop the triangle before it starts. After the drilling I would do situational rolling. Starting in a loose triangle I would try to escape using the techniques I had been drilling and my partner would try to lock it up and finish me. If I escaped the triangle we would restart back in the same position. If my partner finished me then we would restart again. This was brutal but it really paid off. Within a few weeks of doing this I was able to relax a bit in the bad situation of being caught in a triangle and I became much better at escaping the submission.

Tip: When doing situational drilling, make the rounds short. Shorter rounds will make you and your partner push the pace and go after the techniques you are practicing.

So give it a try. The next time you are at an open mat or have some free mat time with a partner. Try and do some rounds of situational rolling from a position you are working on. Again the idea that I am trying to get you to think about in these posts is not just training hard, but training with focus and purpose, and situational rolling is a fantastic way of doing this.

I hope this post proves helpful to you. To recap I put a list of benefits below.

Thanks for reading!

Benefits of situational rolling

Will remove some of the mental anxiety from rolling in new and uncomfortable positions.
Helps build the sensitivity necessary for proper control of the position.
Works as a great continuation of your repetition drilling.
Can help build up weak areas of your game.