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Travis Stevens: Copa Podio, Humility, Judo, and Jiu-Jitsu

Judo: It's a tough sport.

This will bother some people, but I believe it.
You don't go to a foot doctor if your hand is hurting.

This as it applies to grappling is the same.
Disclaimer: This is not another tireless BJJ vs Judo debate. Just my thoughts, having competed in both for going on something like 7-8 years now.

If I want to learn how to take people down in the Gi, I'm going to go see a sambo player or a Judo player. If I want to work on my NoGi takedown game....wait for it....I'll go see a wrestler.
If I want to learn how to pin, I'll go see a Judo player or a wrestler or a sambo player.
If I want to polish my submissions, my finesse, and my control, I'll go see a Jiu-Jitsu player.

This always ruffles feathers on some level.
I don't know why, and frankly, it's silly.

If a Judoka goes to Jiu-Jitsu and tries to just take everyone down and pin them in side control and not move, they're missing all the other areas. If a wrestler tries to just stay in the guard and not get swept or submitted, they're missing all the other areas. If a Jiu-Jitsu player just pulls guard from the feet at Judo practice and attempts to quickly take the back and get a submission during standing Randori, they're missing all the other areas. If a sambo player refuses to learn any chokes at Jiu-Jitsu practice and tries to heel hook everyone, they're missing the other areas. If a Judo player takes a BJJ player and smashes them into the mat at their first Judo practice to prove a point, they too then are guilty of the same false-pride.

I don't take people down in BJJ the way I do in Judo. I don't go for submissions in Judo the way I do in BJJ. I've learned a lot by simply taking each sport as their own, training them separately and when competing or in competition practice trying things out.

Travis Stevens has an interview up over at Graciemag. He's accepted the offer to compete at the upcoming Copa Podio.

There's a lot of humility in the article for a guy ranked #5 in the world at his weight in Judo and a 2 time Olympian. He doesn't see the two sports as being very similar or the need to bring the rule sets in each sport any closer together (based on other interviews of his I have read). I have two different modes when competing in Judo as compared to Jiu-Jitsu. I like the two sports separate just fine. They're different visually/aesthetically, they attract differing personality types and emphasize a number of different attributes. I used to wish there was more or less of this in each sport and the reality is there is no happy or perfect or ideal medium. I have my quibbles with the governing bodies/politics/rule changes in each, but by and large, I just see them as separate now and enjoy them each relatively separately.

The most prescient point he makes is in the first line of the article's title: "I'm going to Copa Podio to do BJJ, not Judo." Sounds simple enough, and yet, that's the point.
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TRAVIS STEVENS: Unfortunately for me the strategies that are used in Judo are not the same as BJJ so there wont be much cross over. The only thing that I will be able to bring to the table from Judo is how comfortable I feel while competing. I’m used to competing about 15-16 times a year for Judo which keeps me in a competition mind set.

TRAVIS STEVENS: I don’t think my Judo accomplishments will be overlooked but I think that my Judo accomplishments won’t help me in any BJJ competition. Even if someone tries to stand up and take me down I’m just going to pull guard anyways. I’m going to Copa Podio to do BJJ not Judo.

 

 

 

 

Day 4 of 7 on Attacking Below the Belt: Mata Leon Grip the Ankle

I don't actually hit the straight ankle lock in the Gi (with regularity). I prefer the Comprido, or figure four toe hold.
That being said, when I do hit the straight ankle lock, I've found using a grip more like an RNC grip provides more control, torque and ultimately leads to more submissions.One thingI have noticed is that the ankle lock  where you simply clasp hands/latch the free hand over the hand trapping the foot/ankle in the armpit has not proven as successful for me in rolling.

Regular Straight Ankle lock Grip: note the foot in armpit, and typically the hands will lock together. In the picture below the left hand is grabbing the lapel, and the competitor will over then grip his left hand with his right hand. then go belly down and apply pressure/curl the foot and toes back.

RNC-style Grip -

Granted, the above picture is not a full RNC grip, but it affords more control and locks the ankle into place with more control.
When possible, I get almost a full RNC grip where my arm locking the ankle into the armpit actually grips my other bicep.

While we're on the Straight Ankle Lock, a short seminar style video about the ankle lock is here by Lucio Linhares, former UFC fighter.

Happy Trainingz!

Jordan Schultz: Great Interview on Commitment and Jiu-Jitsu & Omoplata Sweep!

Found this over at Submission Control. At that point, I then realized I'd seen a clip of this guy with his omoplata sweep posted over at sherdog. A sweep I had played with and gotten to work with the Gi a couple days later.

At any rate, I'm posting this b/c it's a Great interview in terms of commitment to the craft of grappling and life in general.

And, here's his website with a video of the above mentioned omoplata sweep among other things.

"The ego is a trickster and I believe our own ego’s control us heavily. This is why the typical American person is fulfilling a ridiculous quest to acquire trinkets. These trinkets, cars, houses, things, give them a shallow happiness and as they feed the ego it grows steadily. An additive cycle is formed and people become married to things like houses and cars. I saw this happening in my life and I became disgusted. I saw myself growing old while acquiring trinkets, only to die once I’ve acquired everything our society deems important."

"If you are reading this and work a job you hate, and you have a dream, then do the following: Quit your job immediately, isolate yourself and pursue your goal relentlessly. The more people who tell you you’re crazy the better. If your family does not support you then that is a sign you’re making the right decision! Lose your trinkets, and find the best environment in the world for you to achieve your goals and move there."

"Reach ten thousand hours of deliberate practice, and you’ll separate yourself from the mediocre and reach an elite group of individuals. Once you’re the elite, success comes from determination, will-power, teamwork and passion."

"My humble advice is don’t lie to yourself. Don’t say you want to be a Black Belt World Champion when you drink alcohol on the weekends and train once a day. Don’t claim you want to be the best when you don’t compete in every tournament, you don’t drill for hours a day and you don’t train through pain and injury. If you’re injured you train, if your mom dies you train, if you’re sick you train. I’m not perfect, but try to be. I train twice a day no matter what, I’m always early to class, I stay at home on weekends and I use that time to work on improving myself. I drill constantly; I train sick and never complain about injuries. Finally, as soon as I find myself in an environment that is not congruent with my goals I change my environment."

"Never show weakness, never look tired, never complain, never give up. Drill more than everyone."

 

Uchimata Wednesday: Judo for your BJJ (or other grappling) Volume 7.4

The "Judo Jumper": Coming to a Fall Fashion Line near you!

I like techniques with many entries, many set-ups, many options in which it can be used.

Owing to the fact that I've hit uchimata in MMA, Judo, and BJJ, today we will revisit one of the initially easiest Judo throws there is. That and the fact that recently I hit a sweet uchimata to head/arm choke in a tournament.
Again, like the cross-collar choke, or the armbar, do not confuse basic with inferior. What makes it basic is how applicable it is from a variety of situations.

I was never much of an uchimata guy from the beginning of Judo. In fact, I tended to use it as a counter to weak/poorly set up single leg attempts than as an outright throw on my part.
See here:


Don't let anyone tell you this "basic" technique will not work.
I've used it in gi, nogi, bjj, judo, wrestling, mma sparring with 16 oz. gloves.
This works.

Moving on....
Once I found that the uchimata worked as a counter, and I began competing more frequently in BJJ, I started looking for lower risk throws that did not open my back, involve complete commitment. Particularly as players compete at a higher level, they adopt defensive posture and look to hop on your back as you enter for a big throw. Again, in Judo, the defensive, avoidant, throw-averse-resistant player will be penalized into changing his posture. In BJJ, he can remain here as long as he would like. Granted, he poses little if any threat to you other than perhaps an ankle pick or a single leg, provided you are wary and control with a strong lapel/sleeve grip.....but he can be more difficult to throw, particularly early in your Judo trainingz.
See defensive posture here:

Again, we've all competed with and trained with the player in the white gi on the above left. He may seem strong and impervious to deep entries, but this is not so!
He is dead set on maintaining his Vulcan death grip and keeping his hips as far back as possible to avoid the big entry/forward throw. To quote my coach, his hips are far away from you which does make him perhaps harder to throw, but he also has virtually decided he will not be doing any big throwing as well.

The above stance is the perfect entry for uchimata. Specifically, a variation of uchimata known as "ken-ken".
The Japanese call it Ken-Ken uchimata, simply meaning "again, again" b/c of the again and again hopping action it often takes to tip the little resistant tea pot right over onto his back.
Notice the brief, but extremely bent over posture of the non-Japanese player:


His weight has broken the center of gravity line, with a tug/kuzushi, his weight will be even more unbalanced, and driving his head down and around will facilitate this throw into the mat.

Happy Trainingz!

As a bonus, here is probably the greatest documented Uchimata player demo'ing one of his many variations of this classic and ergonomic throw:

This is your Brain. This is your Brain on Marcelo. Any questions?

While I can't promise to teach you the mystery of Chess Boxing.....Marcelo can learn you right good about some grapplin'

School's in session. Grab a pen. Or some coffee. Grab your Teddy Ruxpin. A pack of smokes if need be. Whatever.

Marcelo is about to break down his own performance and some of what he remembers thinking during the last ADCC. You can't really put a price on this kind of knowledge, b/c well, you just can't.

Anyhow, watch and learn. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Happy Trainingz!

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Recap

Check out the below for Barnett's head/arm triangle win over Kharitonov.
His bodylock/outside trip takedown into full mount was impressive enough. The patience from mount then taking the head/arm that Kharitonov gave him was equally slick/opportunistic.

I would have been more excited to see Jacare use his BJJ and to see Gracie lock up with King Mo on the canvas, but then, this is fighting, not Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, or wrestling.
Same goes for how Cormier would have fared against Silva off his back....

Technique of the Week: Pedro's Ouchi Gari

This is probably one of the best instructionals I've seen on this throw. Period. I've used this in the Gi and also in NoGi. I've hit this with 16 0z. gloves on, in sparring, doing mma style sparring, etc.


The throw works. You read on forums about how Judo doesn't work for MMA. Like I said, I've pulled this off with gloves on, gi, and nogi, and hit it in the blue belt Gi, and intermediate NoGi division in submission only tournament before more than once.
I usually hit it in NoGi from a bodylock rather than an over/under tie up position, but try the different grips with a partner and find the one that feels right for you. It's (for me anyway) a relatively low risk throw from Judo that works from a variety of grips, bodylock, and clinch positions. Even if the Ouchi Gari fails, it gets the guy moving, gets him off balance and lets me step behind him for an outside trip.

Over/Under grip:

However, I personally prefer to hit the bodylock grip whenever possible, in NoGi or in MMA style sparring/in a fight. I feel it afford far more control, better control of his hips, and nearly always leads to my scoring a takedown. It also minimizes the number of knee strikes he can effectively land on me.

Body Lock:

Clearly the bodylock in the above is more of a set up for an outside trip/tani otoshi type throw, but the bodylock to me in my fights and in sparring with wrestlers, Judo players, mma fighters, is the most powerful position in the clinch. What I lose in the variety of strikes available by taking the bodylock I gain in control and efficiency with getting the takedown.

Cheers. Go Train.

Toquinho on his journey from the fields to the UFC

From a dirt floor in Minas Gerais to the UFC and the world's premier Professional MMA organization.
"Because our dreams, only we can see them."
Powerful stuff about faith in God, family, and yourself.

Palhares was within a fight or two from a shot at the belt (perhaps) but lost to Marquardt a couple fights ago.
He's made a career out of leglocking the **** out of guys since early in his career.

Some legs and arms getting hyperextended


Truth be told tho', he's earned quite a reputation and been suspended for holding onto submissions for too long, both before the UFC and in the UFC.

Profit Vs Non-Profit (BJJ & Judo): A Case Study - Part 1

(We're going to have to do more than the above, guys)

Part 1 of a Treatise:

Any time I've discussed this topic on forums, that is the unintended effect of Judo's mainly non-profit outlook, it has often been met with strong reactions.Understandably so, but this is important if we are to respect and follow through with Kano's goal of spreading Judo far and wide.

I'm going to put forth a simple thesis or position supported with my observations.
In a nutshell, the non-profit, "teaching and doing of Judo because you love it type" of mentality has hurt the long term enrollement, membership, and growth of Judo.
I find that often due Jiu-Jitsu and by extension MMA's newfound popularity in the American Martial Arts consciousness,the conservative, more traditonal Judo players would rather voice displeasure over sporting and martial differences instead of addressing the real problem: the long term stifling and perhaps even decrease in Judo's popularity in America.

Thesis:
The Non-Profit mentality of Judo (in the USA in particular), has hurt (more specifically) stifled the long term, overall growth of Judo. Further, the import of Tae Kwon Do, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA when combined with Judo's non-profit mentality has led to a decline in the membership, competition, and growth of Judo.
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I will define decline in:
Membership as losing players to Jiu-Jitsu
Competition as the loss of players between their beginning in regional tournaments and later competing in national level events
Growth of Judo as the difficulty in finding clubs in many areas of the USA and lack of high level training centers in most states

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1) define the non-profit mentality
Judo taught by instructors who collect enough dues to cover the cost of a lease, or more typically utilize a YMCA, college campus gym, or are part of an umbrella program at a larger martial arts program.
Instructors typically teach for free or train/crosstrain in fitness/other martial art in exchange for teaching time on the mat. This includes but is not limited to monthly dues/fees Judoka set by the YMCA, the college campus, and/ore by the larger martial arts facility where they train.

Let's examine some of the signs or pathos that lead me to the belief that Judo at the regional and USA level is hurting:

1) the dwindling of enrollment as players progress in Judo. The number of black belts who compete at the regional level is low. at best, there is another black belt in my weight class or in the grouping of "light" competitors at the regional level. There are nights when our club (while still new) has 3 players who are not brown belt or above. Retention has been and will always be difficult in Judo due to the nature of the sport.

2) this dwindling of enrollment trickles down to tournaments – divisions are typically light, medium, heavy. If done by weight, perhaps 1-2, maybe 4 guys in a division/bracket as has been my experience ever since I began competing in Judo. I've been to state championships where a true weight class as defined by the Olympic committee has only 1 competitor, or at best 2 or 3. Even when combining multiple weight classes, tournament organizers will still then bracket double elimination, rather than round which would lead to the most matches possible for a bracket of competitors.
Longterm, for those that begin in Judo and wish to compete, the future competition does not look promising. Lack of advertising, t-shirts, merchandise. Never seen a vendor at a judo tournament at the regional level.  

4) This is also true of sponsorship. NoGi, submission grapplers and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors can often find sponsorship beginning at perhaps even the blue belt level.
Judo’s wish to eschew association with fighting and emphasis as an Olympic sport rather than self-defense, a martial art, and a combat sport has done little to foster sponsorship for the athletes paying to train, diet, obtain strength and conditioning, and most importantly travel to compete at larger national level tournaments.

- Even BJJ, a relatively new sport in America when compared with Judo, there are tyically at least 1-2 sponsors paying for the operating cost of the event, and vendors likewise catering to the body of competitors, coaches, friends, and family in attendance. Judo is and HAS BEEN an Olympic sport for decades. Yet, BJJ is often more recognizable to many people walking down the streeet, misconceptions aside.

5) This year was the first time I saw USA Judo with their email “validating” or acknowledging through mass communication in an active manner clubs and tournaments forthcoming. In the past, USA Judo simply posted tournaments on their website.
Historically, there has felt to be little if any connection between regional tournaments and their governing body to whom we pay our membership dues, pay for making our ranks official and the like.
The transition of judoka like Parisiyan, Rousey, and Rick Hawn is also affirmation of this.

Grappling and all that Jazz: From the Kwoon to the Cage

Welcome to yet another blog on grappling.

I've avidly competed in both Judo and BJJ over the course of the past 7 years, as well as fought in MMA. I intend to cover some of the things having competed and fought has taught me regarding grappling in general and life.

I'll regularly update with observations, thoughts, and experiences regarding Judo and Jiu-Jitsu and more specifically combining the two. At their heart(s), they are one and the same. Due to rules, and sporting restrictions and a host of other reasons, they have grown quite apart.

In the meantime I'll plug some grappling-related wear I've designed b/c not only am I a grappler, but I'm a T-Shirt whore at heart. One of my saddest memories was attending the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials in New Jersey and being told by an event official they had no T-shirts for sale. Then was the winter of my discontent.

Cheers and let's get rolling.

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Roughly 10 years ago, the guy living across the hall from me in college interrupted me either watching porn or playing Playstation to tell me there was a Wing Chun school downtown, walking distance from our dorm. He was excited. He'd done Karate most of his life, and wanted me to go with him. I obliged, less than enthused but mildly interested as I'd grown up in southern California splitting my afternoons between Kung-fu Theatre and hot chicks on Univision Spanish Soap Operas.

We went.
We worked on our basic stance.
We learned the first form.

It felt old school. It felt and looked like Kung-fu in the movies. I didn't know much about fighting, minus having tricked my mom into renting me some UFC's from the local Blockbuster, but it was what was available at the time, so I began training.
A couple years later, I began live sparring with some local Karate guys and the like.....