Monday, September 30, 2013

Monday's Thoughts on Coaching Judo/Running Practice

I'm covering Judo class later today, so I thought I'd include the workout and some thoughts/rationales for the hows and whys of my coaching methodology.

I have several approaches to running a practice.
If it's a practice and I'm asked to fill in and it's right before a tournament (as is the case today), each of the positions we'll cover will build on one another and it will be up to the player to select his "go to" response.

 My goal with this practice for the upper belts is they are getting deliberate, ordered practice and repetitions of their natural responses to a likely series of scenarios given the sport, the rules in competition and their current level of knowledge.
My goal is not to fix, change, alter, whatever-it-is that their particular coach has taught them or their specifics of each technique unless they ask for my input. I don't have all the answers, nor am I there to "correct" someone else's coaching out of my own vanity or need to self-aggrandize.

Now, with white belts through green belts, they will likely only progress perhaps to the point of pinning an opponent through the course of class. I ensure they are much more deliberate about teach step in the progression and if they are missing some fundamentals, I'll make sure they are getting the overall picture regarding each component (IE: what is a "dominant grip" or " what their choices are for a foot sweep depending upon their being right or left handed and whether their training partner is left or right handed). For the newcomer to Judo, this class is not designed for them to learn 14 new moves and then expect that they retain all of it, but rather to see and feel the progression common to Judo at all levels of competition and to learn whether consciously or unconsciously to begin to onnect the series of events/scenarios together rather than learn technique A or learn technique 5.4and see them in isolation from one another.

For example.
Your tokuiwaza or "pet technique" as it's called in Judo. In each position, from the feet to the pin or submission you should have a go to position that is your bread and butter.

For me, it goes something like, gripfight to a left handed grip, ouchigari to uchimata then knee through pass to the opponent turns out to back take and finish by Ezekiel from the back.

I don't explain it in totality simply that we'll start from the feet then build each component over successive rounds. I've found that if I explain the whole process, people start finding one part of the progression that they're already thinking about.

3 minutes, taking turns: : Rather, the first drill will be to grip fight taking turns where each player fights at about 50% until they achieve a dominant grip then reset.

3 minutes, taking turns: The second phase will be achieve dominant grip then attack with a foot sweep

3 minutes, taking turns: grip fight to a foot sweep followed by a major throw

3 minutes, taking turns: grip fight to a foot sweep followed by a Major throw then continuation to mat work pass the half-guard

NOW, players will not take turns throughout the duration of the 3 minutes, instead they will each do the progression/series with the same person attacking, repeating the progression for the duration of the 3 minute round -

grip fight to a foot sweep followed by Major throw continuation to mat work pass the half-guard, opponent escapes the pin by turning out (a common scenario given the mat work rules in Judo) and take the back

Major throw continuation to mat work pass the half-guard, opponent escapes the pin by turning out, take the back to finish by submission.
---

A week before a tournament is NOT the time to add new tools to the toolbox. It is, however, the time to polish your favorite tool and your natural inclinations.

Midway through practice, ideally, a player has gotten in several hundred repetitions of the various components done in a way that subtly all build on one another.

 

My God, this Carol Gracie: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Breakfast



Well, I have a grappling crush.
Hello Carol Gracie.

 

Friday, September 27, 2013

Grappling Related Thoughts and Bellator 101 Tonight



1) Go check out bjjnews.com. I go there first thing in the morning while I sip my coffee like a sir.

2) someone else suggesting you learn some basic Judo even if you're a BJJ-centric player

3) I've begun playing with the spider-guard sweep I've seen Romulo Barral use for quite awhile, that Keenan used several times in his debut at black belt.
You can see the sweep below at 2:13
 


4) hurt my shoulder (more like I triggered an old injury - rotator cuff damage) competing at the Fayetteville Hometown Heroes tournament in the last match of the day (isn't it always the last match of the day?) to the point that I can only play left handed for the time being. It doesn't bother me as much during mat work but it's going to limit my game next weekend at the Takemori Open in Maryland. I considered not playing, but then I asked myself, what would Koga do?
I'm pretty sure Koga would compete.
 

 
 
 
5) The Bellator card on Spike TV tonight is not bad at all. I'll bet it's as good as the average UFC card in terms of fight quality and finishes. I'll pick Warren, Sarnavskiy, Clementi, Alessio, and Awad to win.

"
MAIN CARD (Spike TV, 9 p.m. ET)

         - mmajunkie.com
 

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Take it Uneasy: Judo Podcast (yes, they exist)


Judo Podcast over at Take it Uneasy.

"In episode 6, I talk to Niko Dax, a judo black belt, instructor, and the most knowledgeable dude on the elite-level judo competition circuit than anyone I’ve met in the judo community. Here are some topics we  talk about: The role of sport judo in growing the art. The top American judoka. The difference between ground work in judo and BJJ. History of judo and  japanese  jujutsu. The  ratio of tachiwaza (standing technique) to newaza (ground techniques). “Crazy” is the best technique in a street fight. New judo rules on leg grabs and gripping. Tamerlan Tmenov striking  fear into the hearts of his opponents. Etc." 

Copa Podio Middleweight Grand Prix Highlight - via BJJ Hacks



Zoltar Speaks: Looking Ahead to UFC Fight Night & Bellator(s)



This is America.
And in America, we must always look ahead.
Appreciating the here and now is for Hippies, Communists, and Anarchists.
Yes, UFC 165 and Bellator 100 just happened.
UFC Fight Night and 2 more Bellators are on deck over the next 3 weeks.

Bellator next week has some good lightweight fights with the likes of:
"
MAIN CARD (Spike TV, 9 p.m. ET)
"
 
The Week following on Bellator we have:
"Mark Godbeer vs. Cheick Kongo
  • Jason Butcher vs. Mikkel Parlo - middleweight tournament semifinals
  • Perry Filkins vs. Brennan Ward - middleweight tournament semifinals
  • "

    THEN, on October 9th, on almost free TV Cable, we have:

    Maia tries to fight through the quicksand spoiler of wins that is Jake Shields. Dong Hyun Kim still working up the ladder against the used to be the next Brazilian prospect til his Jon Fitching, Erick Silva. Matt "I used to be retired" Hamill will try to beat that guy that submitted non-human urine, Thiago Silva. Beltran
     and Maldonado will give each other brain damage and Palhares will fight for his job b/c he has looked painfully one-dimensional in his previous fights since he lost his buzz saw career-threatening submission aura.
    "MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1, 7 p.m. ET)
    PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 5 p.m. ET)


     

    Monday, September 23, 2013

    Respond to Verbal Assault Like a Sir (Wardrobe Not Included)



    Abu Dhabi Pro Trials San Diego: Results/Keenan Cornelius Black Belt Debut

    From Friday, September 21, 2012 - on my blog - wow.
    Back when Keenan Cornelius jumped up to brown belt, I posted about the suicide watch for brown belts as Keenan was on an absolute tear. Interestingly enough, he's now a black belt/faixa preta.

    Despite not winning the absolute brown belt (*ahem* Miyao so and so), Keenan has moved up to black belt with the help of Atos and Galvao.




     
    "
    The big name of the event was Keenan Cornelius, which was in his first ever competition as a black belt.
    Keenan came into the new rank with a bang and submitted all his four opponents, both in the -207lb division and the open class.
    In the weight division, Keenan first beat Morris Ayala and then choked Gustavo Pires from the back in the final to secure his free pass to Abu Dhabi.
    In the absolute, where $1,000 were at stake, Keenan again had two matches.
    First he choked Eliot Kelly from the back and then caught Magid Hage IV with an armlock from the closed guard."

    As for some others who punched their all expenses paid trips to Abu Dhabi:
    "
    Male Black belt
    -141lb – Samir Chantre (Caio Terra)
    -167lb – Osvaldo Moizinho (Caio Terra)
    -180lb – Carlos Diego Ferreira (Atos)
    -207lb – Keenan Cornelius (Atos)
    +220lb РJọo Assis (Check Mat)"
     

    Original Grapplers: Ricardo De La Riva vs Yuki Nakai Retirement/Farewell Match

    Sunday, September 22, 2013

    Douglas Lima vs Ben Saunders II: Bellator 100



    UFC 165 Full Video Highlights


    I had a feeling Gustaffson's frame might pose an interesting problem for Jon Jones.

    That being said, it's hard to not be pleased with the fight itself. Jones does use that spinning back elbow out of nowhere. Then of course you have the reappearance of the utility of the spinning back heel kick.
     
    I had some decent success with picks. I went 9-4 with my picks with guys like Barao, Reis, Thompson, Jones, Caceres, Nurmagomedov and Makdessi.


    Friday, September 20, 2013

    Atos/Team Lovato ADCC preparations



    I'll be honest. I'm not a huge fan of NoGi Grappling other than the fact that there's greater emphasis on the takedowns and leg attacks (which terrify me, truth be told).

    I have a hard time imagining the nerve it takes to compete with some guy trying to literally to explode the inner workings of my knee (on purpose). Though, heel hooks are legal in MMA and I fought 5 times. I was never much nervous before my fights b/c I knew I'd trained hard and believed in the work I'd put in. I suppose at that level, it's much the same.

    At any rate, the ADCC is coming up and some of the contingents/teams are dialing in their last minute preparations:


    Team Lovato



    Atos

    Predict the Hangover: Bellator100 /UFC 165 Gambling Picks for This weekend



    I'm working tonight at my other job on a rare Friday night (as opposed to just working at my other job Saturday night), so I'll miss both Bellator 100 tonight and the UFC 165 tomorrow night.
    It's okay though, I saw a graph in a commercial the other day that told me the economy was improving.
    Moving right along, while you're watching MMA on cable TV (remember renting UFC's with the YRV sticker at Blockbuster back in the day?) I'll be watching people drink to excess, do a poor imitation of the mating dance and perhaps fight with strangers or those they care most about all before 2am.


    I'm actually interested to see how the Jon Jones/Gustaffson fight plays out.....in so much as it will be like watching a cat play with a mouse. It wasn't that long ago that Phil Davis tapped out Gustaffson so I have almost no doubt that Jones will finish Gustaffson. His body bag full of former champs and the meat grinder he was to everyone else on his way to the belt is proof that even if you don't like him or how smarmy and fake he may seem in interviews, his resume speaks for itself.






    Bellator Picks:
    For some reason I like watching Ben Saunders fight. I have him beating Douglas Lima tonight. Saunders is a smart guy that likes to scrap. I think if he doesn't get carried away with scrapping/being entertaining he wins this fight as he is a durable, long-framed guy with legitimate professional level MMA skills in all the areas but perhaps his takedown defense at times. But I've seen his own takedown game improving over the past few years. Whether that's due to lower opposition outside the UFC and/or his work in those areas remains to be seen.

    Weedman will beat some guy I've never seen fight.

    War Machine will beat some guy from Europe I've never seen fight.

    Rick Hawn will beat some guy I've never heard of.

    Efrain Escudero will beat some guy I've never heard of.

    Mighty Mo is probably paired up with a guy limited enough in skills to get violently KO'd but stranger things have happened. Remember Mark Hunt's first few fights in the UFC?

    UFC 165:
    Jon Jones will finish Gustaffson and Gustaffson will plummet to the bottom of his division about as fast as Benson Henderson did with that first round textbook armbar loss.

    Barao will beat Wineland b/c Barao just has more tools in his toolbox than Wineland. The movement and in and out will be grinded out by Barao who in the interviews when talking about his gameplan against previous opponents is actually a pretty shrewd guy, or he has shrewd guys in his corner telling him a good gameplan.

    Wineland is tough and his movement will make him tough to finish but he will fight until the end and his desire to make it happen even when it can't may get him finished in the later rounds.

    Mitrione will TKO Schaub b/c Schaub's 3 losses are exactly in the area where Mitrione has some skills.

    I'm picking Healy to lose a close decision to Nurmagomedov but I would not bet money on this fight. Healy has spoiler written all over him and I could easily see him making this exactly the grinding type of fight to pull out the "W". This to me is about as close to a pick 'em fight on the card as I can see.

    Phillippou will beat Carmont after taking some punishment against the cage in the clinch. Phillippou will finish him for a TKO win in the 3rd round.

    Makdessi and Wonder "No Grapple" Thompson will also pick up wins. The rest of the guys on the card I honestly won't miss or watch.

     

    Thursday, September 19, 2013

    Thoughts on the Elusive Jiu-Jitsu Takedown in Competition:The Takedown Blueprint: Jimmy Pedro and Travis Stevens


    Anyone who trains with me that has asked me about Judo in Jiu-Jitsu knows I will say the following.
    You have to do one of the following:

    A) attack with a footsweep and not overextend/expose yourself to a counter
    Jacare was doing this before it was cool and before the Rafa Mendes pump fake ankle pick that's en vogue these days:



    B) get them moving





    C) take advantage of their poor posture (Sumi Gaeshi)




    That being said, Travis Stevens and Jimmy Pedro are the latest to offer their expertise in this area with what appears to be some MGInAction style online training.

    In Case You Woke Up From a Coma: UFC 165 Video Countdown & UFC Divisional Updates


    Jon Jones is makin' Anderson Silva type money with Gatorade and posing for GQ.
    - world was when I was a kid I'd trawl the Sherdog forums to find out UFC event results then download fights via dial-up while I was at school. Unless the router reset or my brother decided to play Age of Empires before I got home from school. :(

    On that note, Jon Jones defends his LHW strap this Saturday.
    For awhile there, we complained b/c GSP was fighting once a year. There were a bunch of interim belts et cetera. Honestly, as MMA fans, we have little to complain about this year in MMA.

    Cain Velasquez - makes his second title defense for the year in October.
    Jon Jones - fighting this Saturday/second defense of the year, had a clearly legitimate injury in his last fight
    Chris Weidman - defeated Anderson Silva
    GSP - fight in March against Nick Diaz
    Anthony Pettis - Just beat Benson Henderson, who had already defended the belt this year previously
    Jose Aldo - beat Korean Zombie this year and faced Frankie Edgar earlier in the year
    Dominick Cruz - out with injury, Renan Barao defends the Interim belt on Saturday for the second time this year
    Demetrious Johnson - second defense of the year already on the books and will rematch Benavidez when Rousey (see below) defends her belt in November.
    Ronda Rousey - fought and defended the belt in February, filming TUF will then fight Miesha Tate.


    ---
    Say what you will about Jon Jones but the guy won the belt then defended it 2x more times in 2011. Defended it twice in 2012.
    Now makes his second defense for 2013 on Saturday.
     


    Barao vs Wineland





    Schaub vs Mitrione
     
     
     


    Tuesday, September 17, 2013

    Thursday, September 12, 2013

    Random Thursday Grappling Links with a Local Flair


    North Carolina, while not known nationally on the grappling circuit, has its fair share of competitors, teams, and medalists at the premier events. A couple of the links below are people I know personally who not only train and compete, but also those who take the time to spread the grappling bug over the internetz.

    Open Mat Radio (my new favorite Podcast) talks to Kurt Osiander

    IBJJF Atlanta Open Recap from a fellow BJJ competitor @ Dirty White Belt

    Another IBJJF Atlanta Open Recap from a fellow BJJ competitor @ It's Like Wrestling, Only Meaner

    A Podcast recently begun featuring Lex Fridman


     

    Adrien Broner Explains MMA to Me: Dunning-Kruger Returns in Force



    Well, it's a good thing Adrien Broner was kind enough to explain that I can simply decide to learn submissions and become an MMA world champion. In fact, anyone can do it.
    I'm now left knowing that the MMA fights I lost it was b/c I in fact simply did not know certain submissions or perhaps I did not study enough.

    In a way, I think he's right in one regard. Boxing is such a narrow sport (compared to the variety of ways to win in MMA), that without certain physical attributes, you will never be a world champion that  that many people could never be a world champion. Speed and reflexes, once faded, (ask Roy Jones Jr.) are simply a necessity in such a specifc ranges of skills that comprise boxing.
    I'd also suggest it's quite easier to win one of the 100 something world championship titles in boxing than the smattering of legitimate professional organizations in UFC-style fightin'.

    No one get butt hurt but that's how I'm characterizing boxing and the number of skills necessary. I actually fought in Amateur boxing, and boxing was my first real taste of fighting in a sanctioned capacity.

    Wednesday, September 11, 2013

    Clark Gracie Omoplatas Diego Borges: Copa Podio


    Mission Impossible: Sweeping Leandro Lo with Gilbert Durinho (And Otavio Sousa)


    The only time I've seen Leandro Lo swept in the past couple years of footage available on youtube, is from a player who sits up to a single leg, or hooks Leandro's lead leg with a kouchi or kosoto type reaping action like in Judo. Kouchi is a reaping actin in between the legs, kosoto would be a reaping action hooking from outside the legs. Otavio, below, uses a kosoto action.
    If you're too lazy to look all that up, Otavio Sousa does it at 1:24 of this match:




    I posted about it here, and highlighted Otavio Sousa pulling off a rare sweep against Leandro Lo at the Copa Podio. Turns out Gilbert Durinho found similar success and almost got to the back in this match at about 2:25. You'll notice Durinho sweeps/hooks from in between the legs:
     

    American Nationals & Copa Podio Results


    Copa Podio Results:

    If you're unfamiliar with the competitors, here's a preview from over at Bloodyelbow.com
    "
    City Challenge:
    Clark Gracie def Diego Borges collar choke 22.38 (one hour, submission only match). Going by the play by play that BE member Castleeb posted over in the Live Discussion post, Diego was dominating until he gave up an omoplata/choke exactly like Mafra did in the 2013 Pan Ams. This Clark Gracie guy might be for reals.
    Green/Yellow Group Round Robin:
    Round 1 Green: Renato Cardoso submits Travis Stevens via triangle/armbar at 1:11 of the match.
    Round 1 Green: Paulo Miyao def Manny Diaz 2-0 on points by getting a sweep.
    Round 1 Yellow: Felipe Pena def Alex Ceconi 7-0.
    Round 1 Yellow: Diogo Moreno def Davi Ramos by getting 2 points with a sweep.
    Round 2 Green: Paulo Miyao vs Jaime Canuto: Draw at 0-0 for both.
    Round 2 Green: Manuel Diaz vs Travis Stevens: Travis had 1 advantage point and got the win.
    Round 2 Yellow: Diogo Moreno def Kit Dale 5-2 with a last minute comeback by passing the guard.
    Round 2 Yellow: Davi Ramos submits Alex Ceconi with a toehold 31 seconds into the match.
    Round 3 Green: Manny Diaz def Renato Cardoso 2-0 on points.
    Round 3 Green: Travis Stevens comes from behind to omoplata/keylock Jaime Canuto.
    Round 3 Yellow: Felipe Pena chokes Davi Ramos from the back.
    Round 3 Yellow: Kit Dale def Alex Ceconi 2-0 on points with a sweep.
    Round 4 Green: Travis Stevens vs Paolo Miyao: 0-0 on points, Miyao gets 2 advantages to Travis's 1 and wins.
    Round 4 Green: Jaime Canuto vs Renato Cardoso: 0-0 on points, Jaime gets 3 advantages and the win.
    Round 4 Yellow: Alex Ceconi vs Diogo Moreno: Diogo 2-0 victory on points by sweep.
    Round 4 Yellow: Felipe Pena def Kit Dale with a sweep for 2 points and held on for the win.
    Round 5 Green: Manny Diaz vs Jaime Canuto: Manny armbars Jaime.
    Round 5 Green: Renato Cardoso vs Paulo Miyao: Miyao wins with a collar choke from the back.
    Round 5 Yellow: Davi Ramos vs Ki Dale: 2-2 draw.
    Round 5 Yellow: Diogo Araujo vs Felipe Pena: Felipe wins by triangle.

    So the standings were as such (by my calculations):
    Green Group - Paolo Miyao, 10 points; Travis Stevens, 6 points; Manny Diaz, 6 points; Jaime Canuto, 4 points; Renato Tavares, 3 points. I believe Stevens moved on to the semi-finals due to tiebreak rules, but I'm not sure on that one.
    Yellow Group: Felipe Pena, the maximum 12 points; Diogo Araujo, 9 points, Davi Ramos, 4 points; Kit Dale, 4 points; Alex Ceconi, 0 pts.
    The leader from each group was slotted in against the second-place finisher of the other group for semi-finals, so we got:
    Semi-Final #1:
    Paolo Miyao vs Diogo Araujo: Diogo wins 4-2 by sweeping Miyao twice.
    Semi-Final #2:
    Felipe Pena vs Travis Stevens: Felipe wins 9-2 by getting past the guard repeatedly and was up so comfortably, he decided to stand with Stevens and get tossed around.
    Leandro Lo vs Claudio Calasans in the 10 min no gi superfight:
    Leandro Lo wins 7-0 by sweeping Calasans twice, with the second late in the match and combined with a guard pass. It's a very impressive win for Leandro and he remains undefeated at Copa Podio.
    Third place match:
    Paolo Miyao defeats Travis Stevens with a single advantage in a 2-2 points match.
    Final:
    Diogo Araujo vs Felipe Pena: Felipe gets Diogo's back for 4 points and despite giving up a sweep at the end, Felipe still wins 4-2 on points.
    Pena's victory is very impressive. He got his black belt in the last year and looked like he was having a good start to his top-level career, but this bumps up the expectations for him considerably. Pena appears to have mostly romped through the group stage, with only the Kit Dale battle being particularly close. The semi-final saw him taking considerable risks standing with Travis Stevens due to a hefty points lead and the American couldn't capitalize, despite a very pretty brace of throws. The outlook for Preguica Pena's career is blindingly bright at this time if he stays in this form. His Twitter is https://twitter.com/felipepenabjj and his Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/felipepenabjj.
    "

    American Nationals Results and such (AJ Agazarm wins the absolute/black belt):

     

    Sunday, September 8, 2013

    Copa Podio 330pm EST Today: BJJ Scout Leandro Lo vs Calasans NoGi Breakdown



    With the Miyaos competing in the middleweight grand prix, Leandro Lo facing Calasans NoGi, Clark Gracie facing Diego Borges no time limit submission only for the right to bring fighters in the next city vs city challenge, and voters choosing the next time to challenge Leandro Lo and the Miyaos: Copa Podio continues to up the ante (to really, only other than the ADCC no one) in terms of high level grappling events outside of the IBJJF. The World Jiu-Jitsu Expo is quickly addressing that with it's upcoming brown belt grand prix with Renzo selecting the competitors.

    GO ORDER it.

    My Return to Judo Competition

    Yesterday was my return to active Judo competition. A little over two years ago I tore my ACL, meniscus and fractured my leg. I had it reconstructed approximately 14 months ago.
    I'd returned to BJJ competition and won but I had only recently begun making my way back to Randori in Judo practice. I took 3rd after a questionable call and a DQ due to the leg rule.

    Below is one of my quick(er) matches from the senior elite/-73kg division at the Hometown Heroes Judo Tournament yesterday in Fayetteville, NC.

    I hit a belt grip ouchigari type throw/takedown/whatever for Ippon.

     

    Friday, September 6, 2013

    ScrambleTV: The Mercurial Kazushi Sakuraba

    I'm a fan of anyone taking time to talk to one of the more enigmatic figures in MMA: Kazushi Sakuraba.

    His famed fights with the Gracie clan are the stuff of legend.

    Watch, learn, and know:

    Brown Belt Kumite: Where are they now? AJ Agazarm


    Newly minted black belt (Sean Roberts also got his not long after the Brown Belt Kumite) AJ Agazarm is headed to the ADCC. Big stuff.

    The guy always goes 110% in every match. Should be interesting to see him put that speed into the world's premier NoGi/submission grappling event.

     

    Jacare on Leaving Sport Jiu-Jitsu for Mixed Martial Arts




    Similar to Rousey's take on USA Judo, Jacare comments: "I was starving in Rio with a broken arm," he recalls. "My physical therapist was on the same street of IBJJF in Rio. I met them all the time and they never asked if I needed a glass of water."

    "One year before having the courageous win over Gracie, "Jacare" made his MMA debut in Manaus for Jungle Fight’s inaugural card...I always knew I needed to leave jiu-jitsu to focus on MMA and I heard a lot of critics from the jiu-jitsu practitioners," he said. "But today they know that you wasted a lot of time trying to do both."

    Thursday, September 5, 2013

    "So You Want to be a *&^%ing Fighter?": Sean Sherk Edition



    Lifted ever so gently from Fightlinker.com:

    “Now that I’m retiring I can tell the truth,” he says. “I know it’s always been one of the top questions. Obviously I couldn’t say anything because otherwise opponents would pinpoint that stuff, but I had MRIs done [ahead of the Penn fight] and found out that both of my hips were torn and that I was going to need surgery. The doctor basically told me at that point in time, ‘if you have surgery on this you’ll never be 100 percent again – you’ll lose your mobility, you’ll lose your quick twitch and some of the explosion, and you’ll lose some of the agility.’
    “And to me it just wasn’t worth it, so I said, you know what, I’ll just deal with the pain. I said, I’ll just deal with this as long as I can. And that’s what I did. Gradually over the years my hips got worse and worse and worse. About two weeks ago I was told I needed hip replacement surgery. So that was the deciding factor right there. I went from needing surgery to fix torn labrums to needing total replacement.”

     

    Judo World Championships 2013: Teams Competition & Top Ten Countries by Medal(s)

    The breakdown of medals by country at the most recent world championships, under the newest rule changes.

    I'm not sure what it means when a country like North Korea medals at the world championships and the US does not. But....wow, that is depressing.

    Rank NationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
    1 Japan4149
    2 France2248
    3 Cuba2013
    4 Brazil1427
    5 Georgia1203
    6 Mongolia1102
    7 Azerbaijan1012
    8 Colombia1001
     Israel1001
     Kosovo[a]1001
     North Korea1001

     


    UFC on Fight Night 28: Spoilers Ahead!


    Teixeira recomposes himself after getting a bit wobbly and finishes Bader:
     


    Jacare makes pretty quick work of Okami and gets the finish. Because I'm human and the glass is half full, I wish it had been by submission.



    Russian Flyweights gets the 3rd round KO in UFC debut:



    Neither guy appears to have the wrestling chops to get anywhere near the Bantamweight strap but it's a fight, right?

    Upcoming Fall Grapplingz: ADCC China, Copa Podio this Sunday, World Jiu-Jitsu Expo et al.



    Copa Podio is this Sunday.
    Can't wait.

    That being said, in grappling talk news, ADCC, the world's undoubted premier submission grappling tournament (especially with t3h leg locks), is coming up soon as well.
    Bernardo Faria talks his preparations for the ADCC:




    Galvao talks preparing for his superfight with Braulio Estima. No matter what Galvao may say, I have to assume he wants some redemption after the inverted triangle heard round the world Braulio got on him previously at the ADCC:











    World Jiu-Jitsu Expo is coming up with the Berimbolo superfight! What?! OMG?! Glover vs Malfacine!?!? Can't wait!

     

    Wednesday, September 4, 2013

    This Week in BJJ Episode 41: Roger Machado


     

    UFC 164 Phantom Slow Mo Camera Footage


    Because I'm human and too much is never enough, I think the only thing the UFC needs now is a Pride-style camera on a referee. Oh, and better intro music (except Dana compared retiring the intro music to retiring Bruce Buffer's "It's Tiiiiiimmmmmeeee"). Le sigh.

    But that being said, the Phantom Cam is pretty damn sweet.
    There's even some nice jumping kick groin shots in there if that's your thing.
    This is a judgment free zone.

     


    In the event you're from the dark days of MMA when you can to wait for play by plays of Pride on Sherdog, here's some sweet Pride Cam footage. Basically, it's like watching Saving Private Ryan in MMA from the first person where the blood and carnage gets on your face.

    Tuesday, September 3, 2013

    Black Belt Guard Passing: Lucas Lepri vs Vitor Oliveira @ IBJJF Atlanta Open





    Oliveira first faces Lupri's DLR guard which quickly changes direction and becomes deep half, a quick restart later, Oliveira is forced to jump out/disengage quickly to avoid Lepri's spiderweb of various guards.

    At this point Oliveira has underhook the leg, with a knee through position, and also briefly tried a leg lace/leg weave but Lepri's guard is so active, you can tell that Oliveira has not really begun a strong guard pass minues a brief knee through and instant of having the underhook.

    At 2:17 he's working a stack/pressure position threatening an over/under style pass or to circle to his left and stack pass, but Lepri adroitly frames/boxes him out the moment Oliveira dove for double under grips.

    Lepri fights up to sit-up guard after losing and underhook he briefly had.
    Oliveira pressures back into a position you commonly see Augusto Tanquinho Mendes adopt/knee straight in the middle, basically on the groin with the shin.

    Lepri lifts with his left shin as Oliveira cuts across with a knee through but likely not enough pressure, allowing Lepri to get to a single leg/stand up.

    They struggle a bit on the feet and by 4:44 Lepri has again pulled guard and immediately gone to DLR guard.
    Lepri does a quicker version of the sit-up guard to single leg he did previously and again they're on their feet.
    By 6:58 Lepri has done an almost identical sit-up guard transition but then spins to x-guard and sweeps after a restart.
    Lepri immediately begins applying a ton of pressure to the right leg, rather than address the DLR hook on his own right leg. Lepri is head down, tight and deep in this position.
    Lepri again pulls guard after Oliveira makes space and gets to his feet during a knee through position.
    At 12:08 Oliveira goes fancy pants and tries some step over, fancy footwork stuff, and ultimately gets some advantages by getting heavy on the legs and running them. I believe he also got points for a takedown as Lepri was pulling guard (not sure though, the refs hand went up).


    UFC Fight Night 28 Predictions: Ryan Baders Walks Executioner's Row


    Who is Ryan Bader's manager?
    The guy never passes up a fight. He's fought Rampage, Jon Jones, Machida, and now next likely belt challenger, Teixiera.
    No one will ever say of Ryan Bader the guy ducked fights.

    I'm honestly excited about this card just to see Jacare do work. I'm curious to see if he can get Okami down and finish him. Jacare has been a great plus in his UFC division and it's awesome to see high level Jiu-Jitsu back in the MMA world's premier organization, just ask Chris Camozzi.

    In other fights, we'll see Benavidez knock off another contender for a belt he'll never win (as he treads the same waters with Old Gregg, Koscheck, and Carlos Condit).
    After that it's a few names I barely recognize and then a bunch of names I don't know that I've ever seen fight before.
    Natal will win. So will Francisco Trinaldo.

    Those other guys? If you showed me them on a list, I couldn't even immediately know it was a list of UFC fighters.

    Deep card here on UFC on FOX Sports 1, am I right?

    Initially I was kinda pissed I'd be at Judo then Jiu-Jitsu b/c of the early start time, but alas, now I realize I'll get home just in time to see the 3 fights I care about.

    "UFC Fight Night 28: Teixeira vs. Bader
    Date: September 4, 2013
    MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1, 7 p.m. ET)
    PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 5 p.m. ET)
    PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 4:30 p.m. ET)

    Monday, September 2, 2013

    Labor Your Day with some Grappling Links!


    Aesopian has a podcast which touches on the blue belt blues.


      
    One of the original MMA Documentaries and the first once I recall that truly put a human face on the sport. It sadly also would be a precursor to the sad realities of the addiction and depression that would slowly begin to claim fighters:

     


    In case you're too young in MMA to remember, the heyday of Fedor's prominence in global MMA cannot be overstated. It was truly an awesome time, and I'm grateful I had the joy of experiencing it.
     



    Koga nearly winning the All Japan Open Weight Championship. Mindblowing.
     

    The Paradoxical Relationship of MMA, the Olympics, TV Viewership, & Modern Judo



    Judo, to avoid the kill list upon which wrestling currently finds itself, was kindly suggested by the IOC to become more viewer friendly and to differentiate itself from other grappling sports.

    The removal of unorthodox gripping (by way of penalties or risk of hansokumake (immediate disqualification) from an overzealous or mistaken referee), the banning of the bear hug/clasping the hands around the waist, and the earlier near complete banning of the leg grab have done much to temper the efficacy of Judo as a grappling art modeled after self-defense.

    Interestingly enough, viewers have begun to vaguely understand or think they know some of the nuances of groundfighting, and thus the two legitimate rule changes which come to mind are allowing more time on the mat if progress is being made, and a player cannot simply get out of bounds to escape the pin or submission.

    What we now have in Judo is a grappling sport devoid of having to defend leg attacks but that alternately stresses quick mat work  where you can win by strangle, elbow lock, or pin rather thansay BJJ with its progression of hierarchically valued positions,  top or bottom position have much more equal merit with the devaluation of the takedown, and there is a wider variety of submissions.
     

    Sunday, September 1, 2013

    Judo World Championships 2013 Brazil: -90kg Division




    Judo World Championships: -90kg Division

     

    UFC 164: Spoilers, t3h Armbar heard round the world, & UFC highlights go back to the stone age



    I guess the UFC wants us to feel the nostalgia my great grandfather suffered whilst listening to Gene Tunney vs Jack Dempsey on the radio by putting together video highlights you can stream on your phone but then not show the finish in said highlight.


    First up, the ending no one saw coming:
    Uppercuts Cometh: Chad Mendes joins the ranks of "I'm better than everyone in my division but the champ and I've already lost to him decisively" Vera continues his slide into the depth of obscurity and irrelevancy: IN a fight I definitely thought the oddsmakers had wrong, Poirier pulled off the upset I predicted he would: