15 Jun/Jul 2013

15 SUPER FOODS YOU NEED IN YOUR DIET! Pg 20 NUTRITION, CONDITION, TECHNIQUE, SUBMIT

TALE OF THE TAPE

Tape Your Digits With Andre Kinesio Taping® For BJJ

GET SUSPENDED! ADD STRENGTH WITH SUSPENSION TRAINING HOW TO GET SPONSORED

G N I G E I N C A A H H CLARK GR

YOU S T I W WCLARK SHOICULOUSKLIYNG !

UES Q I 8 RIDOD LOTEO N H GO BJJ C

THE ART OF THE

TAKEDOWN

JUNE/JULY 2013 / ISSUE 15 JIUJITSUMAG.COM

WORK THE RUSSIAN GUARD

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CONTENTS JUN/JUL 2013 / ISSUE 15 MEET THE EXPERTS SEYMOUR YANG

Seymour is a brown belt, training out of the Mill Hill Roger Gracie BJJ Academy in London, UK. He is a regular writer and photographer for a number of martial arts magazines and runs the popular BJJ blog www.meerkatsu.com

JEREMY REID

M.S.ED, CSCS, CISSN Jeremy is a nutritionist and strength coach who works with MMA and jiu-jitsu champions. He obtained his master’s degree in exercise physiology from Baylor University. He is a brown belt under Robert Drysdale.

REGULARS

ON THE COVER: Clark Gracie Clarking COVER PHOTO: Jason Boulanger

CONDITION

114 SUCCESS Chaz Jordan

8 EDITORIAL In The Zone

TECHNIQUES

94

STRENGTH AND CONDITION Suspension Training

10 CHECK-IN What’s News?

32 WARM-UP Taping Fingers

20 GRUB Which Foods are Super?

36 TAKEDOWN The “art” of the takedown

26 SUPPLEMENTS 3 Stacks That Work

50

COVER FEATURE 8 Great Techniques with Clark Gracie

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80

RUSSIAN GUARD Or Leg Hook to some

76 HOW-TO Getting Sponsored

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WHO IS Meerkatsu

88 SPOTLIGHT Marcos Torregrosa

102 MIND GAMES The Art of War for BJJ

FEATURES GEAR FEATURE Picking the Right Kettelbell

106 MEDIC Kinesio Tapping®

DAN FAGGELLA

20 SUPER FOODS 15 THINGS YOU NEED TO EAT

Dan holds degrees in Kinesiology, Psychology and is a BJJ academy owner in Rhode Island.

He’s competed on the national stage and has also been a motivational speaker for students and athletes.

You can find out more about Dan at his blog www.scienceofskill.com

LUCAS DYER

Is a licensed and certified Sports Nutritionist and works with many SoCal MMA athletes both pro and ameture. He’s also a licensed fighter under C.A.M.O. and Seargent in the United States Marine Corps.

102

MIND GAMES The Art of War and BJJ

TAPING 32 FINGER Do it like the Pros!

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DR. ETHAN KREISWIRTH

PhD, ATC of “Kreiswirth Sports Medicine” is the Medical Director for the International/United States Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Dr. Kreiswirth is a Black Belt in BJJ and has provided medical coverage for BJJ events since the mid-1990s. Ethan can be reached at ekreiswirth@gmail.com

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70 KETTLEBELLS Choosing the right kettlebell

THE TALE OF

THE TAPE Tape the pain away.

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HANGING OUT WITH

88

CLARK

JIU-JITSU BLACK BELT

MARCOS “YEMASO” TORREGROS DRILLS HIS WAY TO THE TOP

GRACIE

THE ART

OF THE

TAKEDOWN WITH KENNY JOHNSON Talk about a “handsome” overload.

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JJMEDITORIAL::::::::::::::

GET IN THE ZONE

E

VER HAVE ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHEN YOU GET TO JIU-JITSU CLASS, YOU’RE IN A GOOD MOOD, YOU GO THROUGH THE TECHNIQUES AND DRILLS, AND EVERYTHING IS HITTING ON TARGET, PERFECTLY? You’ve got good hip movement, and whatever you set out to do that day you’re getting it done. Maybe you tell yourself, “Nobody’s passing my guard.” And sure enough, nobody does. Or you say, “I’m going to submit from the mount today” and an hour later you’ve got three or four submissions from the mount. These are the days that all is well with the world and you’re in your zone. That’s the time to look around you, stop, and take note on what the conditions were that had you in that elevated state. Did you get plenty of sleep the night before? Did you read the latest copy of JJM? Did you make a change in your diet, or maybe you ate healthier than normal? What type of music were you listening to? Did you change your warm-up routine? Whatever it was about that day, or your state of mind going into that session on the mats, it’s important to take stock of it and look to emulate those conditions on a routine basis.

Everyone has “zones,” both good and bad. The next time you find yourself in that positive state, take lots of notes so you copy those conditions and put yourself in your zone the next time you’re having a not so positive day. The same is true for those bad days. What’s going on with you then? Did you not sleep well the night before? Did you have a bad day at work or school or go with the Extra Value Meal that left you feeling bloated and irritable? Knowing what conditions are conducive to both your positive and negative zones will give you the ability to help control your outcomes. Begin to take note, not only on the mats, but in different aspects of your life as well, and you will be on the path to some positive changes in your life.

I’m really excited about this current issue of JJM that you’re holding in your hands. It went together pretty well, we must have been in the zone. Our cover feature is Clark Gracie.

Behind those handsome good looks is a genuinely good guy who doesn’t shy away from the pressures of carrying on the family name at the highest levels of competitive jiu-jitsu. Clark sat down for an extensive interview with our Associate Editor Deb Blyth and then showed us eight ridiculously solid techniques you’ll want to learn. Along with this month’s cover feature, there’s a ton of great stuff jam-packed into this issue, including, but not limited to: super foods you need to be eating, how to tape up your best friend with Kinesio Tape, how to join the Russian guard, how to find the supplement combination that’s right for you, how to start your next match up by two points, and how to get sponsored, while you’re at it! See? We were in the zone this month. Hope you agree.

MIKE VELEZ

EDITOR & PUBLISHER MIKEV@JIUJITSUMAG.COM

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EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR & PUBLISHER Mike Velez ASSOCIATE EDITOR Deb Blyth CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS Seymour Yang, Jeremy Reid, Lucas Dyer, Dr. John Park, Dan Faggella, Kenny Johnson, Ethan Kreiswirth, Hywel Teague

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY ART DIRECTOR Dave Palacios CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jason Boulanger, John Cooper Kenny Jewel, Mike Lee, Mike Calimbas, Kristen Mendes

PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Paula Fountain ADVERTISING SALES Mike Velez CIRCULATION MANAGER Tom Ferruggia

ADDRESS CHANGE & SUBS Phone: 1.877.834.3552 ext. 227 Web: jiujitsumag.com

ADVERTISING & SALES INFO Available upon request, Contact: Jiu-Jitsu Magazine PO Box 2405 Chino Hills, CA 91709 ph: 1.877.834.3552 ext. 221 fax: 909.591.1251

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWSSTAND DISTRIBUTION The Curtis Circulation Company Jiu-Jitsu Magazine (ISSN 2157-6173) is a publication of Recon Media Inc., PO Box 2405 Chino Hills, CA 91709; Phone: 877.834.3552; Fax: 909.517.1601email: info@ jiujitsumag.com. Subscription rates are $37.99 for 10 issues (1 year), $57.99 per year Canada, and $87.99 per year for foreign airmail. All rights reserved, The entire contents are copyright 2013 Recon Media Inc, and may not be reproduced in any manner in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. The views and the opinions of the writers and advertisers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Recon Media Inc., the Publisher, or the editorial staff. The Publisher assumes no responsibilities for advertising claims, errors, and omissions.

Some of the techniques described in this magazine can be dangerous. Always practice safe procedures and use common sense. Recon Media Inc., and the Publisher can not be held responsible from any injuries or damage caused by these techniques. Perform at your own risk.

Jiu-Jitsu magazine is published 10 times per year. Application to mail at Periodicals Postage rate is pending at Chino, CA and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Jiu-Jitsu Magazine PO Box 2405, Chino HIlls, CA 91709.

100% Recyclable.

Save the Planet.

Roll Frequently, Read Jiu-Jitsu Magazine Printed in the U.S.A

Are you in the zone?

5/17/13 4:51 PM

I ROLL WITH

Mario Sperry Multi-Time World & ADCC Champion See Free Videos of Mario and Other World Champions

Coach to Top MMA Athletes

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CHECKIN:::::::::::::::::::::::

SHOW OFF

A LITTLE

You’ve earned your belt, so why not show it off a little. Check out these Original Belt Ranked Sandals from Jiu Jitsu Factory. They’re available in blue, purple, brown, and black and easily show off your belt rank no matter where you go. We got some pairs in here to try out and they’re probably the most comfortable sandals you’ll find, the straps feature an inside soft lining that feels great. Available in 4 sizes each; S, M, L, and XL. You can figure out what size you are on their website. These patented sandals sell for just $31.99 a pair. Which if you’ve shopped for sandals lately then you know that’s not a bad deal. Check them out at WWW.JIUJITSUFACTORY.COM

Get A Grip

There’s a new gi and aparel company in town, Grips Athletics. Born in Italy, their first gi out is called the Secret Weapon 2.0. The Secret Weapon 2.0 is made with a 100% cotton pearl weave material for the jacket and ripstop polycotton pants.

Other features include dark gray contrast stitching, antimicrobial, anti-odor, and preshrunk treatment on both the jacket and pants. The jacket also features DuPont CoolMax™ inlay within the jacket. The Secret Weapon 2.0 is available in White, Black, and Blue and retails for under $200. Look for more cool products coming from Grips soon.

CAPTAIN’S LOG We got our hands on “The Jiu Jitsu Log” from Fight Log Media. We have to say that it’s amazing how something so simple can have such a huge impact on your training. We just started using the log and so far so good. The log is set up so that you establish your training goals, document your skills, and keep track of your training, the techniques you’ve gone over in class, who you trained with, and how you did. Sounds simple, but so far it appears to have had a positive influence on those of us here that have started to use it. Look for a full review next month. Until then you can pick up one for yourself for just $15. To sweeten the pot they offer a money back guarantee, if you use the log for 30 days and aren’t satisfied just return it they’ll send you your money back. WWW.FIGHTLOGS.COM

WWW.GRIPSATHLETICS.COM

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How’d you do? Write about it.

5/19/13 12:49 PM

WE HAVE A

WINNER!

A few months back we asked readers to send in photos of them representing JJM in order to win a Tatami Enson Inoue Gi. After pouring over dozens of entries we picked a winner, Mark Brown of Toronto Canada. Along with this great photo Mark included a great letter as well.

DEAR JJM

THAT’S LOVE!

You guys are going to have to step it up.

Juan Flores has set a new standard on his admiration for JJM. Yup, Juan’s only a white now training under Javier Vazquez at Gracie Jiu Jitsu Rancho in Rancho Cucamonga, California. But he’s so sure that he’s got a life time of jiu-jitsu ahead of himself he went ahead and got a JJM tattoo. Yup it’s real. Way to go, you’re Juan in a Million!

Yes, that’s Enson.

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Love the mag. I read it everyday until the next issue is out. I especially like the technique sections, very helpful.

I have recently entered the world of jiu-jitsu to improve my defensive tactics as a Police Officer with the Toronto Police Service. My club runs a program named COPS and Kids, which focuses on building a strong relationship between Officers and the local youth community. Jiu-jitsu allows Officers to connect with the youth on a personal level as well as teaches them responsibility, discipline and respect for themselves and their community.

On a personal level, jiu-jitsu has given me focus and a new sense of confidence to better myself and push myself both mentally and physically. As the attached photo describes, my fiancée is six months pregnant with a little boy and she and my future son will be entering into the jiu-jitsu world as soon as they can.

I look forward to the next issue.

THANK YOU MARK BROWN

JUNE/JULY 2013

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FACEBOOK

TEACHING WITH THE RULES IN MIND

When you find yourself in a slump, what do you do to get out of it?

TONY PERANIO I go into the slump. You need balance.

To enjoy ups, you need downs.

The trend these days seem to be lots of jiujitsu training geared towards self-defense.

That is great and definitely beneficial but many students are looking more for training tailored to the rules of sport jiu-jitsu. One local instructor here in Sothern California, actually down the street from our offices, is Gabriel Costa. Gabriel is the head instructor at Ralph Gracie Chino Hills. He’s one of more seasoned referees for the IBJJF. In his classes he makes it a point to be sure that every technique he teaches explained in relation to the IBJJF Rules. We talked to Gabriel and he shared with us some pointers that you should definitely keep in mind so that your training won’t get you DQ’d.

CAP CALDERON Let it run its course. Injuries happen when you are not focused.

MATT BRUMMETT Keep training and look for the small gains. BJJ and life is a game measured in inches gained.

LARRY GLINES Watch Renato Laranja videos day and night

HERE ARE HIS TIPS AND COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID: The IBJJF Rules Book is available on line. Study the book! Be complete, also on the rules.

To have back control points you need hooks, with out crossing your legs. A body triangle doesn’t give you points.

Lear Portuguese! Or at least three words; COMBATE or LUTE - Fight and PAROU – Stop. Professor Gabriel Costa constantly commands his students with these worlds, even on the kid’s class.

I am a blue belt, can I wristlock? Or can I straight foot look as a white belt? Yes and yes! Practice as many legal moves as you can for your rank and age.

One frequent mistake for athletes competing happens when a competitor is trying a score position change his focus to another position and loses the first one. Think of someone trying to make a guard pass and changes his move to try

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getting the back. When you make that decision you may end up giving up the first scoring position.

So if you lose the back control and gets the side mount, you will not have the guard pass points. Think twice before changing your focus.

When you train at your school, your training should be progressive, building a better position each move, establishing control (seeking the 3 seconds) and getting points on the way to a submission.

Position before submission not only helps your odds but also gets you points along the way.

Everything is about control. We have no magic grips to avoid getting scored on. It doesn’t matter where your grips are, if someone passes your guard they’re getting the points.

To be a sweep, it must start from Guard. There’s no such thing as a sweep from knees, or turtled up.

WWW.RALPHGRACIECHINOHILLS.COM

PHILLIP RUBY Have one of the higher belts analyze my game and work on the holes they find. Until I reach Red, there will be plenty of holes to close up.

DAVID RODRIGUEZ Go to the kids class and watch them train their hearts out while having fun at the same time.

ALVIN ALBANO Keep going. Keep going. Keep going.

BRIAN J. JOHNSON Revisit the basics... haven’t been in a slump for 19 yrs.

ANTHONY PEREZ Think about the people who can’t train because of an illness or injury, thank god I’m healthy and can afford my gym membership put on my GI and train as hard as I can.

LYNDON NOBLES Train through. Force myself to start using techniques I don’t like.

Changing my game up usually jump starts my enthusiasm.

That’s Gabriel on the far left.

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SUPER CUP #1

The first Colorado Super Cup BJJ tournament, organized by Carlos Santos and Marcelo Motta, was held in Colorado Springs, CO on March 30th 2013 with over 270 competitors from all across the country.

TEAM RESULTS:

1st - Prime BJJ - 243 points 2nd - Easton BJJ - 190 points 3rd - Gracie Barra - 83 points 4th - ATT ALtitude - 77 points

The next Colorado Super Cup BJJ will be in October of this year, for the complete results from the first event and more on the second be sure to check out their website.

WWW.SUPERCUPBJJ.COM SUPERCUPBJJ@GMAIL.COM

BREAK TIME

THIS ONE COMES TO US FROM TOM SPERRING, IT’S DEFINITELY AN EYE OPENER, OR MAYBE NOT. In the absolute division at the 2012 NoGi Worlds, the score was tied at 2-2 with 45 seconds left. My opponent went for a sweep and I passed his leg looking for side control.

He was attacking at full speed.

Just then he spun backwards throwing his elbow back in an attempt to roll to guard. The elbow caught me square in the eye socket. I heard a lightning crack as my vision went black. I rolled to the ground and could feel the blood on my face. It didn’t take long for the medics

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to clean me up. Once I was able to open my eye, they told me that I could continue if I wanted. I was shaken up pretty badly but I figured I only had 45 seconds to make something happen. We reset in our feet and I felt good about that because I love takedowns. That was when I realized that I had double vision; I couldn’t really focus once the adrenaline wore off.

The guy (my arch rival in my division) pulled half guard and swept me for 2 points. I had about 30 seconds left to submit

him but it was useless. I lost the fight 4-2. When I returned home the doctors told me I had a broken orbital bone and needed immediate surgery. The good news is that the titanium plate that was installed is the first step to achieving my dream if becoming a Terminator.

Eye don’t feel so good.

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GRAND CANYON

STATE

JIU-JITSU OPEN

April 20th 2013 is a date to be remembered, with the first Grand Canyon State Jiu Jitsu Open hosted at Phoenix College North Gym by the North American Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation, as a success. With participating academies and competitors from Arizona, Utah, California, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico filling up the venue with an incredible exhibition of their skills and technique.

It was a day full exciting matches; the competition went on all day starting with kids Gi and ending with the adult Open divisions Gi and NoGi. With the participation of many Black Belts and Advanced NoGi competitors such as Renan Vital, Doug Moore, Geoff Real and many more took to the mats and exhibited their skills acquired over many years of training. Along with Brown belts Johnny Munoz, Ivan Alvarado, Benjamin Westrich, Gerson Atoigue, and Kenneth Tenorio demonstrating good sportsmanship and great technique.

At the end of the day participants were impressed by the level of competition and quality in the organization of the event, and were pleased with the rules such as No Advantages and sudden death decisions which were new to some competitors in Arizona.

WWW.NABJJF.COM

Team Results: KIDS TEAM PERFORMANCE GI & NOGI 1st Stand and Command Martial Arts 2nd Aloisio Silva BJJ 3rd Gracie Arizona Jiu Jitsu Academy ADULT TEAM PERFORMANCE GI & NOGI 1st Gracie Arizona Jiu Jitsu Academy 2nd Aloisio Silva BJJ 3rd Stand and Command Martial Arts 4th C-Quence Jiu Jitsu 5th Power MMA and Fitness

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A lotta chocking going on .

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SUPER FOODS

FOOD IS FOOD, RIGHT? words: LUCAS DYER

CERTIFIED AND LICENSED SPORTS NUTRITIONIST For more info on Lucas visit www.facebook.com/FITTnutrition or email at lucasdyer@fittnutrition.com

Y

OUR CAR JUST RAN OUT OF GAS! You’re in a hurry, so you put a chocolate covered Pop Tart in the tank and wash it down with a Monster, which should do the trick. Nothing about this sentence makes sense at first, but when you think of your body as if it were a car, and your foods as your only source of fuel,

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the metaphor reads differently. If you have been paying attention to the last few articles, by now you should know that I like to categorize what you eat by high octane, medium octane, and low octane foods. Think of it like this; if you own a Porsche, you don’t put the lowest octane fuel in the tank. You fuel it with the highest octane, so it runs the best it can.

Since our bodies are our very own “Porsche” and we only get one, it is important to ensure your food intake is of the highest quality.

That’s why this article will focus on the top 15 foods, taking 5 food items each from carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which are high octane foods, and calling them Super Foods.

It’s a tree, it’s a bush, NO it’s broccoli!

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MACRONUTRIENTS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD CONSIDER CARBOHYDRATES Let’s get the dreaded carbohydrates out of the way first.

Like anything, too much of one thing is never good, and too much of the wrong, like carbohydrates, can lead to weight gain. Our body needs carbohydrates to be at its healthiest and those foods must contain vitamins, have adequate fiber content, and have the enzymes necessary to digest them. Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram and not all carbohydrates are bad, despite what the OC Housewives have you believing. They should never be eliminated from your diet completely for more than 48 hours. From the previous article on the glycemic index, you know that carbohydrates that breakdown quickly during digestion are high glycemic. The blood glucose response is fast, resulting in fat burning potential to be greatly decreased and fat gain is virtually imminent. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, are low glycemic, which is crucial in losing body fat. Consider these top 5 super foods: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Oatmeal (steel cut) Brown rice High fiber cereal (Fiber One, All-Bran, Kashi Go Lean) Yams/sweet potatoes Leafy or cruciferous vegetables (Kale, Spinach, Collards, Broccoli)

PROTEINS The Less Legs The Better (this will make sense in a minute)...The next macronutrient has been discussed in detail in previous articles and the general rule of thumb with protein is… your personal preference will dictate which protein source you prefer.

However, the facts of protein are that it builds muscle and maintains the immune system. The main sources are lean meats, low fat dairy, eggs, and beans/legumes, and a good idea when selecting your protein source is typically the less legs on the animal; the better the protein is for you. Proteins provide 4 calories per gram and are made up of amino acids, also referred to as building blocks. Our bodies can make 13 of these amino acids, but the other 9 must come from our diets and are called essential amino acids. Consider these top 5 super foods: 1. Tuna/ fish (wild salmon, oil-free tuna) 2. Chicken / turkey breast 3. Lean red meat 4. Low or Nonfat dairy 5. Eggs (egg whites are recommended)

PREPARATION & COOKING PREPARATION & COOKING STEEL CUT OATMEAL: Not the rolled oats you grew up eating, but maybe what your grandmother grew up eating. This is the whole oat with all valuable fiber and nutrients intact. It takes a bit longer to cook, but the nutty flavor and slower insulin response are worth it. As with brown rice, keep serving sizes less than 1 cup cooked or ¼ cup dry weight and enjoy.

CHICKEN: A low sodium diet is always good practice. Chicken breasts can range anywhere from 35mg to over 400mg of sodium per a 4oz to 6oz breast. So check your labels! Be wary of packaged deli meat or frozen breasts as they are high in sodium.

YAMS/SWEET POTATOES: These guys are best prepared baked, in the skin. Not much more carbohydrates than a regular russet of similar size, but more fiber, vitamins and minerals. Try them baked, then refrigerated cold, and sprinkled with a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

Are you eating like you should?

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FATS The good, the bad, and the ugly. You may have heard that a low-fat diet is the key to losing weight, managing cholesterol, and preventing health problems, which is correct. But more than just the amount of fat, it’s the types of fat you eat that really matters. Bad fats, such as saturated, and transfat, increase cholesterol and your risk of certain diseases, while good fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated protect your heart and support overall health. In fact, good fats, such as omega-3 are essential to physical and emotional health, as well as improve cognition, decrease inflammation, and enhance heart health. Good fats provide energy, help to regulate blood sugar, improve cholesterol, and keep you feeling full. All fats provide 9 calories per gram so consider these top 5 super foods: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Salmon (yes it’s a super protein and a super fat) Oils: fish, flax, olive, coconut, and avocado Flax seed products Avocado or natural peanut butter Pecans, walnuts, or almonds

ALTERNATIVE FATS SOURCES OF FATS

HEALTHIER OPTIONS

Butter

Olive Oils

Cheese

Low fat or reduced fat cheese

Red Meat

White meat, chicken or lean turkey

Eggs

Egg Whites

Ice Cream

Frozen Yogurt

Whole Milk

Skim, Soy, Almond or 1%

Sour Cream

Non-fat Yogurt or Greek Yogurt

HEALTHY EATING TIP: When selecting your food allocation, try the 80%-20% eating rule. 80% of what you eat is high octane foods and is what your body needs.

The other 20% is food that you want, but may not necessarily need. The foods in this article are high octane foods for each food group and 80% or more of your total carbohydrate intake should come from the above preferred food list. That doesn’t mean you can’t have other foods ever again. It just means you should consider eating those foods more sparingly.

TIP FOR RECOVERY Simple sugars (other than whole fruit sources) should be used very rarely, if at all, except in one particular condition. That is your post-workout meal/drink. After you have been tearing up your muscles in the gym, they are primed for a quick and easy-to-digest meal, preferably a protein and simple carb drink, so your body can go from a catabolic state to an anabolic state and begin to synthesize lean tissue. That repair process will continue over the next 48-96 hours with healthy whole food meals, so this is the only time

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to do this. The rules for the drink are that it contain high quality whey or egg white protein, a simple sugar, such as dextrose, glucose or sucrose (but not crystalline fructose or high fructose corn syrup), and virtually no fat or fiber. It is best if ingested anywhere from 0-30 minutes after your workout is complete. In essence, exactly the opposite of what we normally want in a meal. You can add creatine or L-glutamine if you like, or fruit juice. These are not necessary additions, but may help in recovery.

Eating right is a macro deal.

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10 SUPER TIPS

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1

5

2

6

COME BACK TO EARTH: Choose the least processed forms of food, such as: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and high fiber carbohydrates.

EAT A RAINBOW OFTEN: Eat fruits or vegetables with each meal. Choose a wide variety of colors for the biggest benefit.

3

THE LESS LEGS THE BETTER: Include a lean protein source with each meal such as fish, chicken or beef.

4

EAT HEALTHY FATS: Include healthy fats in your diet like olive oil, nuts, and natural nut butters, seeds, avocado, fish, flaxseed, and flaxseed oil.

EAT BREAKFAST EVERY DAY: Eat within 30 minutes of waking up, which will jump start your metabolism. This gives you more energy to get your day going.

THREE FOR THREE: Eat smaller portions more often, spread evenly across the day. No excuses – you should be eating 4-6 meals/day! Aim for all 3 macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat) every 3 hours for optimal fueling.

7

STAY HYDRATED: Dehydration = decreased performance.

Drink at least 3 liters of non-caloric beverages every day. Green tea is a GREAT alternative to coffee or lattes.

8

DON ’T WASTE YOUR WORKOUT: Have a post-workout recovery meal or shake that combines both carbs and protein within 30 minutes after your training. When we work out we (typically) know to take a pre or post workout drink. Basically, fueling and re-fueling the car. If I drive a vehicle for 10 miles and then refuel it, it’s going to be completely different than if I would have driven 500 miles (and then needed to refuel).

Don’t get in the habit of eating and taking the same pre and post workout drinks. That doesn’t make any sense. If you work out at a high intensity for 30 minutes or do 60 minutes of aerobic conditioning, why would you fuel your body in the same fashion?

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SUPPLEMENT WISELY (IF YOU USE THEM): Fuel first and supplement second.

If you are not getting what you need through food, add a multivitamin supplement into your daily routine. Create a smart supplementation program that improves your performance without compromising your health or draining your wallet.

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SLEEP: Aim for 8 hours of sleep.

If you can’t get 8 hours daily, consider power naps when you can. The body recovers and repairs best when it is sleeping.

Eat healthy, eat clean, and eat often.

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JJMSUPPLEMENTS:::::::

SUPPLEMENT

STACKS words: JEREMY REID

E

VERY MONTH, WE GIVE YOU SUPPLEMENT NEWS AND INFORMATION TO HELP BETTER YOUR GAME. So, if you’ve been keeping up and paying attention, you should have a list of helpful supplements and a general understanding of how they work.

If you haven’t been keeping up… well, start now! You can always go back and read past editions of Jiu-Jitsu Magazine to get yourself up-to-date. So, assuming that you have this list of supplements, it can get a little overwhelming.

Should I take them all? Should I take them year round? Which ones should I take together?

Which should I avoid if I’m trying to cut weight? This month, I will answer some of these questions by giving you a few supplement “stacks” that complement each other. These stacks are designed to help you reach some common goals. It is always important to try and match which supplements you are taking to exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Too often I talk to people who are

taking high levels of “fat burning” supplements while trying to build muscle. These are two different physiological processes. Even though the supplements may be good supplements, you are not “supplementing” the right process.

Be sure to pick a goal, and then match your training, diet, and lastly, your supplements to it.

PERFORMANCE STACK

BCAA: 7-10 grams BETA-ALANINE: 4-6 grams CHO: 20-50 grams depending on exercise intensity and duration What makes the difference between a good day on the mats and a bad one? Between getting better and staying the same? The answer is: how you perform. If you are unable to push yourself, you are severely limiting your development. This stack is all about performance and pushing it to the max. These ingredients will help you fuel your training session for maximum performance. The performance

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stack consists of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), beta-alanine, and carbohydrates (CHO). BCAAs main role inside the body is stimulating protein synthesis and preventing protein degradation.

This means less muscle damage and faster recovery. They also can play an important role in energy production during long training sessions. During long, high intensity exercise the body

Mike takes the old man stack from Issue 8.

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may begin to use amino acids for energy production, specifically BCAAs. Research has continually shown BCAA ingestion to be effective at increasing plasma levels of BCAAs and thus, delivery into the muscles. Beta-alanine is considered the “fatigue fighter” when it comes to supplements.

Beta-alanine is responsible for carnosine production inside the muscle. Fatigue occurs because of a buildup of lactic acid and hydrogen ions inside the muscle. Carnosine is the primary buffering compound

for these substances inside the muscle. Research has shown beta-alanine to be the rate-limiting substrate in carnosine production. Simply, more beta-alanine means more carnosine, and more carnosine means less fatigue!

Carbohydrates also play a huge role in performance. Research has clearly identified carbohydrates as one of the best ergogenic aids available for athletes.

Simple carbohydrate ingestion prior to and during exercise increases carbohydrate availability, prolongs exercise, and improves exercise performance. Carbohydrates are your body’s fastest fuel source and without them, performing at high intensity is near impossible.

WEIGHT LOSS STACK

CAFFEINE: 200mg GREEN TEA: 800-1000mg GREEN COFFEE: 400-800mg

Cutting weight sucks, but there are some things you can do to help make it a little easier. When combined with a proper diet, there are some supplements that can greatly aid this process. The next stack is the weight loss stack and is designed to take full advantage of losing body fat.

Losing excess body fat is the best way to cut weight and will allow you to compete at the lowest possible weight class without sacrificing performance. Caffeine is a part of almost every weight loss product on the market for the simple reason that it works and is extremely effective. Caffeine has been proven to have a positive effect on energy expenditure, weight loss, and body fat.

Caffeine acts as an adenosine antagonist. It inhibits adenosine receptors in the brain.

This causes increased alertness and focus, as well as stimulating the body’s energy systems. The stimulated energy systems increase energy expenditure. Caffeine then stimulates our bodies to increase a process called lipolysis, or “fat burning,” to meet this increased energy demand. Green tea extract has also been shown to be effective at increasing energy expenditure and fat burning. The most effective compound in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. For this reason you should look for EGCG on ingredient lists. Research has demonstrated green tea like caffeine Drinking a coffee or Red Bull isn’t quite the same thing.

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increases fat utilization to meet energy demands. It has also been shown to work in conjunction with caffeine. While green tea and caffeine work very well together, there is another ingredient that can further increase fat loss. Green coffee extract, although new, has been showing some very impressive results. Green coffee beans are very rich in hydoxycinnamic acids, such as caffeic and chlorogenic acids. These are what are responsible for the positive effects.

The caffeic acid aids in the removal of fatty acids stored inside the body, while the chlorogenic acids assist the liver to process these fatty acids. This increase in “fat burning” leads to weight loss, and more importantly, stored fat loss.

Chlorogenic acid is also thought to alter glucose absorption (uptake). It may essentially act as a sort of “sugar blocker” inside the body. This can lead to even further weight loss especially during times of dieting.

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JJMSUPPLEMENTS::::::

MUSCLE GAIN STACK

PROTEIN: 30-50 grams CREATINE: 5-10 grams CHO: 30-40 grams

Muscle mass, strength, and power are important components of jiujitsu and increasing them can greatly improve your game.

While nothing will replace a well planned and executed training program, there are some supplements that will help speed up the process. Creatine has been around for a long time. It has been used in numerous supplements and is available in several forms. There is a good reason for creatine’s popularity.

It works, and it works very well. Creatine is one of the most well documented and researched supplements. It has been shown to be effective over and over again in countless studies. So, yeah, it works. Creatine works by aiding the immediate energy system or the ATP-PC system. Creatine increases muscle mass and strength, and increases exercise capacity in high-intensity intermittent activities such as repeated sprints, resistance training, and interval training. Protein is a critical nutrient in human nutrition. The role of protein in the body is for protein synthesis, or building and repairing muscle. Protein synthesis is necessary for recovery between workouts, increasing muscle mass, strength, and power. It also prevents losses of muscle mass. Ensuring adequate protein intake, especially immediately after exercise, is critical for building muscle.

Carbohydrates also play a critical role in muscle building. They provide fuel for the body to recover and therefore, quickly begin the muscle building process. Carbohydrates also cause an insulin spike inside the body. Insulin causes the muscles and liver to pull nutrients from the bloodstream into cells. This insulin spike increases the absorption of protein and creatine leading to even greater results.

CONCLUSION

No matter what your goal is, there are some supplements that can help you get there. But remember! As I always say, they are “supplements” and they are meant to “supplement” your diet and training program, not replace them. Match the stack with your goal and you will be on your way to a better jiu-jitsu game.

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Mmm, looks good.

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WARMUP:::::::::::::::::::::::

FINGER TAPING with ANDRE GALVAO

words: JJM STAFF

I

| photos: JJM STAFF

F YOU’VE EVER WATCHED ANDRE GALVAO COMPETE AT THE WORLDS, PAN AMS, METAMORIS, OR ANY OTHER HIGH-LEVEL EVENT, YOU CAN’T HELP BUT NOTICE HIS HANDS LOOK QUITE A BIT DIFFERENT THAN MANY OTHER COMPETITORS’. Andre uses athletic tape to tape up his fingers to help prevent injury during matches and to help form a tighter grip. The method of taping he uses is legal in competition and just another way to get an edge that might work in your favor at your next tournament.

FOR A STRONGER GRIP Andre uses this method of taping his fingers for two main purposes; the first is to help support his finger joints. The method he uses lends a little resistance to having your fingers straighten when someone tries to pry or break your grip.

The other reason is for the added friction the tape adds to your fingers when you have a firm grip.

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02

Begin with the pinky finger and wrap two times around. Adhere the tape to the finger without any slack, but not “tight” where you’ll restrict blood flow.

01

Start by tearing off a piece of ½ to ¾ inch athletic tape about 18 inches in length.

Taping seems to be getting more and more popular at the highest levels.

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After the second wrap around, go diagonal with the tape so that the tape crosses under your finger joint to the middle section of your pinky finger.

Once you’ve gone twice around, go back diagonally under the joint to the bottom segment.

Go around the bottom segment one more time then tear off the excess tape.

04

Now tape around the middle segment of your finger twice with the tape.

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After taping the first finger, squeeze your grip. This will stretch the tape a bit, make sure that you can completely close your grip so you’re not hindered in any way.

Repeat the process for each finger; remember to test your grip with every finger and make sure that you have full range of motion. Grab your own gi collar to make sure.

SUPPORTING SORE JOINTS Andre will sometimes tape his fingers to help relieve sore finger joints; to do this his technique is a little different than before. This technique not only helps support hurting joints, but also does add some additional friction for your grip.

01

Tear off about the same length of tape as before.

Once you reach the base again give the tape a 90º fold, adhesive side in, and wrap around the base of the finger at least twice, three times for good measure.

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But anyone can do it.

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02

Start by sticking one end of the tape at the base of your straightened finger, along the side.

03

05

Cut another length of tape about 9 to 12 inches in length and wrap it around the middle segment of your finger.

06

Run the tape up the side, around the tip, and back down to the other base.

If you’ve got a bad nail, or some other injury towards the tip of your finger you can follow up by going twice around the tip segment of your finger twice. You might have to tear the tape to a thinner width depending on which finger.

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WARMUP::::::::::::::::::::::

TAPING THE THUMB The way Andre tapes his thumb, he not only provides some support and friction for it, but also adds support to his wrists.

01

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To tape the thumb, Andre uses 1-inch wide tape to about 24 to 30 inches in length.

Start by taping the outside edge of your wrist, right below the hand, at the wrist joint. Circle around the wrist once.

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Follow the tape up and around the outside of your thumb then below and between your thumb and index finger.

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Cross the tape over the base of the thumb, along the base of the back of your hand, and around the wrist just below the joint.

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Wrap the excess tape around your wrist, just below your palm.

Circle once around the wrist then cross over the thumb again just as you did before.

FINDING THE RIGHT TAPE (caption) Andre prefers 3M fabric athletic tape or RockTape in the 1-inch width. This width allows him to tear a thinner strip if needed.

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When done, test your grip just as you did before with your other fingers. Don’t go more than twice around the thumb. Going more will hinder your ability to close your grip. If you find it at all difficult to close your grip, just go once around the thumb.

BUDDY UP

Sometimes you’ve got to roll with an injured finger; a mistake that people make is which finger they decide to buddy it up with. Let’s say your ring finger is injured, don’t buddy it up to your stronger, middle finger. That might seem like the logical choice since your middle finger is bigger and stronger than your pinky. However, if you do that you’re going to leave your poor little pinky finger to fend for itself. So, not only will you have an injured ring finger, but you’ll also have a hurting pinky to boot. So instead, think of Spock and his Vulcan Salute, and always tape your pinky and ring fingers together and your middle and index fingers together if either of them are injured. This will help prevent you from injuring your otherwise healthy fingers. Basically, just don’t ever tape your middle and ring fingers together. When you do buddy fingers together, tape each finger segment together with two wraps around each paired up segments.

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Close, but that’s no shocker.

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JJMTAKEDOWN::::::::::::

THE ART

OF THE

TAKEDOWN WITH KENNY JOHNSON

words: JJM STAFF

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| photos: MIKE LEE

T’S SAD THAT WE START SO MANY SPARRING SESSIONS FROM OUR KNEES. Every time we do this, an opportunity to develop our stand up game is lost. The lack of time spent on our feet leads us to potentially starting our next competition down by two points. To put an end to this madness, our resident takedown expert Kenny “Powers” Johnson is going to give us a crash course on the stand up game from a wrestler’s perspective.

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That’s Mike’s “I think my spleen is ruptured” face.

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TWO POINTS

Sure, there are lots of technicalities you should become familiar with, but in jiu-jitsu the combatant that initiates a takedown scores two points for his troubles. These two points can be a huge advantage and can literally establish the outcome of the match. In a study we published back in Issue 11, we discovered that at last year’s IBJJF Worlds in the black belt divisions, 75% of the matches were won by the competitor that scored first. Now, those weren’t all scored by takedowns, but if you want to be the first person to score points in a match, there’s no better way to assure that than to take the other guy down first and get the points. When you take your opponent down, you’re setting the table so to speak, you’re the one who’s up, so you’re able to run your game and you’re in a better place to execute your strategy. So, without further delay, let’s get you some points!

THE STANCE

After you do the customary slapping of hands it’s immediately time to get into your proper stance. Everything starts from this stance, so having it down is well worth the time it takes to perfect.

Kenny’s stance is a modern wrestling type stance.

Have your legs loaded with your power side forward. Which is your power side? Most right-handed boxers will lead with their left leg since their power punch is with their right hand. But for jiu-jitsu, you want to lead with your power hand, so if you’re right handed you want to have your right hand forward so you can use it to reach in for your opponent’s legs. That leaves your left hand free to grab the gi, to tie your opponent up, and to do other things that don’t need the power that will be required of your dominant hand. However, Kenny trains many MMA fighters to keep their dominant hand back, if they’re used to that stance because this might be a difficult habit to break.

Never get in a square stance, because from there you’d have to step forward to get any power, or you’d have to step back to block a charge. Instead, have your power leg forward with your other leg back about 2-3 feet.

Keep your power hand just above your kneecap, don’t rest your arm on your knee, doing this takes away all your power and ability to move.

Don’t walk a tight rope, your feet should never be in line. Instead keep them at least shoulder width apart. When you move, move as if your feet are on railroad tracks, they never converge.

Keeping your power hand down low near your lead leg keeps it there to protect that leg if your opponent reaches to attack. It’s also in position to tie up the legs when you go for the attack.

Stand like that and you’re going down.

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JJMTAKEDOWN::::::::::: Your non-dominant hand is the one you’ll reach with to grab onto the gi or neck. Use this hand to grab the collar between the neck and chest, or to grab the back of the neck in no-gi. You can also use it in a handto-hand fight if he’s looking to grab your gi. This hand allows you to control your distance. If you don’t have this arm out you can’t control that distance.

Keep your back posture erect. If you have your upper body leaning back or too vertical you’ll leave yourself open to being unable to defend a charging opponent. If you’re too far forward, with your head down, you’ll be vulnerable to getting your upper body snapped forward.

Bend the knees, keep low. This gives you power in your legs, which are like springs waiting to release.

MOVING IN YOUR STANCE

When it comes to moving on the mats, think of yourself as only having three movements: forward, forward to the left, and forward to the right. Never move back, don’t give up that ground or else you’re giving up a takedown. When you move, think, “one inch by one inch.”

MOVING FORWARD

If you want to move forward, move your lead leg forward an inch, then bring your back leg up an inch. If you move your back leg forward first, then there’s a moment when your stance is too narrow, this is a vulnerable moment, so don’t do this.

MOVING SIDE TO SIDE Did you catch the “forward to the right, forward to the left” thing?

You never want to move completely laterally. Doing this causes you to give up an angle. Instead, you should always be moving towards your opponent so that you’re getting the advantageous angle. If you’re moving to your right, the same side with your power leg forward, step the right leg forward and to the right by an inch, then follow up with the left leg behind. Be sure to actually step, don’t drag your leg like Frankenstein. If you want to move to your left, step your left leg off to your left and follow it with a step to the left from your right foot. No matter which way you’re moving, you always want to gain ground, and push him into the corner of the mat - don’t give him free reign on your mats. If he continues to back away and off the mats you’ll gain the advantage points and you’ll be in his head. Also, remember never to pivot, when you pivot, say on the front leg, you’re leaving that front leg open and leaving it out there for your opponent to get the angle on you.

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TO THE RIGHT

TO THE LEFT

That’s how Kenny walks when he has a little accident.

That’s his right and his left.

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MOVING IN

Keep your opponent guessing on what’s coming by feinting, it gets your opponent on the defensive and exposes his openings. Don’t just feint to feint; each time you do it, recognize your opponent’s reaction. If he continues to react in a certain way, you will see his pattern and can exploit it. Like so many battle plans, Kenny’s stand up game revolves around having the positional advantage. That means he wants to get the tie-up that he wants and, in order to do this, he must strike first.

When Kenny feints with a shot, Mike reacts by bringing his hips back, this lurches his body forward and makes him even more exposed to a bad tie-up.

If your stance is correct to begin with, you’ll be in a good spot to attack. Kenny reaches forward with his lead hand (his left) to attack the neck or the collar near the neck. With the right hand, Kenny is grabbing Mike’s left arm at the wrist or the crook of the elbow.

Kenny’s right hand to control Mike’s arm is both offensive and defensive. Offensive in that he’s getting the tie-up he wants, but he’s also keeping Mike from being able to attack the legs with his power hand.

It’s important to note that Kenny isn’t “reaching” out and over extending his body; instead he’s using his feet to move in and get his grips.

HEAVY HANDS

Once Kenny has his grips, he likes to get into a mode that he calls, “heavy hands.” This means his hands are heavy on his opponent so there’s no slack. Kenny pulls his opponent in tightly so his forehead is up against his opponent’s forehead, there’s no slack in the grip of the gi, and his power hand is controlling his opponent’s reaching hand down low. This tight, controlling grip of his opponent’s gives Kenny a great sense of his opponent’s intention. As soon as his opponent begins to react he’ll know it and can make his move. If he doesn’t have heavy hands, without slack, then Kenny can’t “feel” his opponent’s intention as he’s acting. I can’t stress enough exactly how “tight” this grip is, we’re talking TIGHT! With absolutely zero slack.

Once Kenny’s tied up his opponent, he pulls him down slightly so that his opponent’s in an uncomfortable stance, this helps to cause him to react by pulling upward. If you can sense this upward movement, it presents the perfect opportunity to shoot in for the legs.

When your forehead makes contact with your opponent, it’s important that you always have your forehead on his forehead or your forehead to his temple. Never allow your opponent to get his forehead on your temple. Doing this gives him the angle to drive to your side.

If Mike pulls back from Kenny, Kenny feels this retreat and attacks by letting go of Mike’s hand to reach for his lead leg while using his grip of Mike’s gi to drive him back and score the takedown.

GOOD FOR KENNY

GOOD FOR KENNY

BAD FOR KENNY This one doesn’t end well for Mike.

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JJMTAKEDOWN:::::::::::

THE ARMS

When you’re tied up with your opponent, it’s so important how you have your arms positioned. If you have your grips correct, and your opponent attempts to get a hold of your collar with his hand on the same side as you have a grip of his collar, he just made a big mistake. When Mike reaches over Kenny’s arm to get a hold of his collar, he just exposed his entire right side and forward leg for a takedown. When you’re really

good, and you get to the point where you’re really “feeling” your opponent, you’ll be able to react as soon as he simply motions to bring his arm up to your collar. You’re taking him down before he can even get a grip. The take away from arm position is to keep to what we just talked about. The arm near your lead leg stays low to protect and is there to attack, while your other arm stays up to control the collar or neck.

DOWN TO THE GROUND

Despite what you might think, you are not the most interesting man in the world! When opportunity knocks, you’d better answer! That means as soon as you sense a movement from your opponent, you’ve got to seize it. If he pulls away, go with it, drive forward hard with your reaching arm out straight to drive him back while attacking the legs with your power hand.

Once you’re in a tie up and you have control of his wrist with your power hand, pull that arm in hard towards you, no matter what he does you’ll have an answer. If he goes with you, he’s going to bring his back leg forward, so attack the leg. If he pulls back, then drive him back and attack the closest leg with your power

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If he decides to put up a fight and pushes back from your forward progress, give it to him; pull him back into you and down, and force him to fall forward to the mat. This can open up an opportunity to attack with a guillotine, or go to his back, or attack if he should turtle up. As soon as you push, if he goes with you, keep pushing and attacking the leg to get the takedown, even if he pulls guard, you’ll get the points because you initiated the takedown. Just make sure you’re attempting to get the legs.

hand. If he doesn’t really react, or he doesn’t step forward because he knows you want the leg, he’ll be off balance for a split second.

This is because he’s stretching out to keep his rear foot planted. At that time, use your hand that has a grip of his collar to pull him down to the mat.

That’s Kenny in the blue if it wasn’t apparent.

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JJMTAKEDOWN:::::::::::

SOUTH PAW TAKEDOWN TIPS

So far everything we’ve shown you has both fighters with matched lead legs. Kenny’s got his right leg forward, so does Mike. But what happens when you’re leading with your right side, and the other guy’s leading with his left? You don’t need to alter your stance. You stick with keeping the arm (on your lead leg side) low to protect your leg and to attack your opponent’s legs, while your other arm keeps reaching. When you drive forward, it will be even better for you since his lead leg will be closer to your attacking power hand.

If your opponent gets a hold of your wrist, don’t just roll your wrist out to break the grip, this opens you up to a takedown because your posture will be off. Instead, roll your wrist quickly and down to grab his wrist.

Don’t dance. If your stance is good, and you’re moving like a tank on rails towards your opponent and he backs off and starts dancing around like a boxer, you’ve got him. You’re down low on the prowl and he’s dancing around. He’s up high, so when he begins to get back into his stance, that’s your time to jump in and catch him off guard and attack.

With mismatched lead legs when you drive forward, cut the angle to the side of your back leg with one quick step to that same side, in this case, Kenny’s left.

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Sell it! Remember, even if you “initiate” the contact and your opponent ends up pulling guard, you may not get the points. You have to go for a leg, even if you just slap it, you need to sell it to the ref that you were thinking about a takedown the entire time and he only pulled guard because you were going to take him down.

“Freeze!”

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JJMTAKEDOWN:::::::::::

FROM THE KNEES

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Your stance should be just like it is when you’re standing up, but instead, you have your power side knee forward with your power hand down low protecting, and your other hand is up high to attack the collar or neck.

All this stand up talk is great, but you want to get the upper hand tonight, at class, when you’re starting from your knees.

Well, Kenny’s no fan of being on his knees, but he does have some pointers for getting on top when sparring from the knees.

02

Establish your same heavy hand grips.

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When you feel the opportunity, drive forward with your collar grip across your opponent’s chest and reach your power hand to the outside of his forward knee or thigh to trap it from basing out.

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Continue the drive, often times you’ll end up to the side of your opponent with him in your side control.

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Sixty percent of the time it works every time.

WRAP UP

All this shock and awe must lead to something, and that’s getting your opponent to the mat with you up two points and ready to play your game. Once you’re on the mat, it’s time to work your jiu-jitsu magic. Just like anything, getting good on your feet means lots of practice and time spent drilling. Stand up is no different, if your school doesn’t usually start students sparring from the feet, ask your instructor to allow you to work on your stand up with another student who’s also interested in working this part of his game. There’s no replacement for this type of quality time.

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Someone’s up by 2!

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I ROLL WITH

Mario Sperry Multi-Time World & ADCC Champion Coach to Top MMA Athletes

See Free Videos of Mario and Other World Champions

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WHOIS::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Who Is:

SEYMOUR YANG aka Meerkatsu

Y

OU’VE COME ACROSS HIS WORK MANY TIMES BEFORE I’M SURE, NOW MEET THE MAN BEHIND MUCH OF THE ARTWORK WORN BY JIU-JITSU PRACTITIONERS AROUND THE WORLD. Working out of London, England, Seymour Yang, known as Meerkatsu, has put his unique graphic touch on literally dozens and dozens of products. We got to talk to Meerkatsu and find out more about him for this month’s “Who Is.” HOW DID YOU GET INTO JIU-JITSU? I was a traditional ju-jitsu (TJJ) instructor for several years, when more and more I could not resist the urge to sample this so-called Brazilian form of the martial art. My first lesson was tough, real tough.

Back in 2003 BJJ was taught in only a handful of places and the sparring was pretty full on.

Of course, I loved it from the moment I slapped hands!

HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN AN ARTIST? Yes, I have always produced illustrations to spec and getting paid for it ever since I was in my early 20’s. This was way before the Internet or social

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media. I used to hock my portfolio around to magazine and greeting card companies watching their expressionless faces reply with that “don’t call us, we’ll call you” response.

I did get some editorial assignments though.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST JIU-JITSU RELATED PIECE OF ART YOU PRODUCED? I would say for martial arts, it would be my own traditional ju-jitsu club logo. But for BJJ, I honestly can’t remember! I

would often illustrate my blog articles with all sorts of drawings and graphics.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO BEGIN YOUR BLOG? DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST TOPIC? I started my blog in 2004, like most others, it was a way to just off load some of my personal training thoughts. I wrote about the differences between training traditional and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Over time it morphed more and more into BJJ content until finally, after I gave up TJJ, it became a solely BJJ oriented site.

YOU HAVE A REPUTATION FOR WRITING SOME PRETTY DETAILED

AND FAIR GI REVIEWS, DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITES? I review gis for fun and if I find a gi that fits me perfectly, I keep it and make it a rotation gi for normal everyday training.

Currently I am rolling in my Tatami Estilo 4, Shoyoroll Maeda gi, Honey Badger gi, Kingz 450 and Aesthetic aurora gi.

HOW DID THE FIRST DESIGN JOB FOR A BJJ COMPANY COME ABOUT AND WHAT WAS IT? I have been commissioned to create graphics and logos for academies for quite a while until I got my first actual fightwear product out – that would be the very first incarnation of the honey badger rashguard. That

Forgot to ask him why the meerkat?

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commission actually started off as a joke to design the most outrageous and over the top rashguard to test Tatami’s custom printing service.

When I revealed it to the public, it went crazy!

BELT: Brown belt AGE: 43 LOCATION: London, England ROLLING SINCE: 2003 I ROLL: guarded

HOW MANY DIFFERENT DESIGNS HAVE YOU HAD TURN INTO PRODUCTS? WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PIECES? I honestly don’t know how many different final products I have designed for. I’m creating new work pretty much every day right now. I guess if you include all my logo, mascot work and fightwear work, then two or three hundred in the past few years.

My favorite pieces are those that have challenged me technically – like my Heavenly Foot lock design or my Gentle Omoplata (I suck at drawing people), and I also am very fond of subject areas that have a personal relation with me – for example my Heavenly Lions, which remind me of when my mum and dad owned a restaurant, the Chinese lion was their logo.

WHAT’S BEEN THE STRANGEST REQUEST YOU’VE HAD? ANYTHING THAT JUST DIDN’T MAKE SENSE TO YOU? I estimate I receive a dozen design requests a week and most of them I have to turn down or pass on to another design colleague as I simply don’t have the time to work on them. I must admit some I turn down because the concepts are just too insane or controversial and I wouldn’t touch them with a bargepole (ten foot pole to us here in the States). Not naming which ones though!

What element of nature or animal would you want for your logo?

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IS BEING A JIUJITSU ARTIST YOUR DAY JOB? No, I still have a day job (feature writer and photo editor) and I work on my art at night.

HOW’S THE TRAINING GOING? Fantastic. I just love the simple pleasure of turning up to class, drilling and rolling. This will be my tenth year of training BJJ and the passion has only increased with each year. And yet I very rarely train more than 3 times a week. I’m a tortoise while the others are hares, but hey, I’m still here, I’m still rolling and I intend to for decades more to come.

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE MEERKATSU BRAND GOING IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS? With my business partners and I, we plan to roll out more and more products over the next few years, gradually building up the own-label stuff and less of the freelance commissions.

Whichever direction it goes or how successfully, I’ll never stop drawing. Even if I never ever get another commission, drawing is a lot like rolling; you can do it with nothing but the most simple of tools and you can do it for the sheer pleasure of it.

WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? After six months of being a BJJ rookie, a blue belt went over to talk to me (back in the day, anyone with a colored rank belt were treated with awe). He

probably heard a hundred newbies crying over how they felt they were not progressing and just sucking at everything. He simply nodded patiently and informed me that BJJ is a long-term game, progress would be slow, very slow.

WHAT’S YOUR BEST JIU-JITSU ADVICE? Relax, enjoy the ride!

For budding illustrators, my advice is to draw everyday.

The notebook never leaves your side, get an idea, sketch it down, work on it later, just do it every day.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO INCLUDE? If there is one thing that I feel fortunate to be a part of, it is the BJJ community all over the world. They are especially good at supporting good causes.

Almost every region and academy I know has been part of fundraising ventures at one point or other.

Then there are the bigger charitable BJJ-centric groups like Tap Cancer Out, gi donation and favela support programs.

Coming from a single style of martial art, this is pretty special I think.

To see more of Seymour’s work go to: WWW.MEERKATSU.COM JUNE/JULY 2013

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JJMTECHNIQUE::::::::::::

HANGING OUT WITH

CLARK

GRACIE bio: DEB BLYTH tech: MIKE VELEZ

I

| photos: JASON BOULANGER

T’S NOT SURPRISING THAT JIU-JITSU BLACK BELT CLARK GRACIE HAS ENJOYED SO MUCH RECOGNITION AND NOTORIETY OF LATE, BUT WHAT IS SURPRISING IS WHY. It’s no secret that over the last few years his jiu-jitsu has become increasingly more dynamic, explosive, creative, and evolved. But interestingly, it’s been his striking good looks that have the girls swooning and what’s won him fans around the world. Recently, Clark became an overnight Internet sensation when John Lamonica caught a fortuitous 2012 New York Open picture of him locked onto the shoulder of opponent Ken Primola during a match in the middle weight division. The picture caught a viewer’s eye, who called it “The Ridiculously Photogenic Jiu-Jitsu Guy,” and uploaded it onto Reddit. The result? Clark went viral…and we mean that in the cleanest, most respectful way possible. Soon, an entire website of memes was devoted to him and his “Clarking” (the name fans gave his “hanging shoulder attack,”), with captions like, “Doesn’t Need a Triangle Choke to Take Your Breath Away,” “He’s Got the Key-Lock to Your Heart,” “Breaks Your Arm and Your Heart,” “Buys You a Drink at the Arm Bar,” and “Gets the Full Mount…

On Your Girlfriend.” As funny as it may sound, Clark’s celebrity instantly took off and he was subsequently flown to New York City to appear on Good Morning America, then Inside Edition, and he followed that up with a few appearances on some local news shows.

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He may be attacking the arm, but his face is attacking the camera.

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RANDSOME’S MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE…

But there is so much more to our ridiculously photogenic jiu-jitsu guy, Clark “Randsome” Gracie, than that. As the name infers, Clark is a member of the “royal” Brazilian jiu-jitsu Gracie family.

Clark grew up in Northern California, unlike many of the other Gracie’s, the majority of who grew up in Brazil. Although he didn’t have the every day influence of his Gracie grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in his early years, he was still exposed to his family, their culture, heritage, and ways from the start, including his introduction to, and subsequent love of, jiu-jitsu. Clark played around on the mats at about 4 or 5, but didn’t start training consistently until the age of 12, under his dad, Carley Gracie, who was undefeated within Brazil and in his family, in both his professional vale tudo and jiu-jitsu careers. Enduring the pressure of being a jiu-jitsu legend’s son, Clark persevered, carving out his own personal path in the gentle art, and receiving his black belt from Carley and Rodrigo Madeiros in July 2010.

HE’S GOTTA LOTTA CLARKOPLATA’S UP HIS SLEEVE! Since then, Clark’s presence on the competition scene has expanded and grown, as has his confidence and sense of self, which has been reflected in his inspiring performances of late.

He has perfected his omoplata setups and submissions from the back, and has departed from a safely played game, to a more aggressive, forward moving, fast paced approach. Clark took silver at the 2012 No Gi Worlds in November, and then won gold at the 2013 Pan Ams, which was an exciting black belt first for him. He says that win changed the way he feels about the sport. Winning gold has gotten into his blood. It’s made him hungry, and more motivated and determined than ever before to succeed.

WHAT’S YOUR JIU-JITSU LINEAGE? Carlos Gracie, Sr., Carley Gracie, Clark Gracie HOW WAS IT GROWING UP A GRACIE? I grew up in the Bay Area.

As a kid, people knew about

Our favotires meme quotes; Here to break limbs - ends up breaking hearts.

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our family. I started getting attention in middle school about it. People knew my last name because of Royce Gracie.

People always asked me if I was related to him. A teacher asked me the same question…I was so tired of being asked it, but I didn’t want to be cocky, so I just casually said, “Yes.” The teacher looked at me like he thought I didn’t know what he was talking about. It was such a common thing to me. I didn’t like to be in the spotlight because of that.

I did an English report one time and I wrote about jiu-jitsu.

That same teacher came to me and said, “I thought you didn’t know what you were talking about! You’re really related to Royce! I thought you were just messing around!” I’m cool with the spotlight, but it’s a little bit more interesting when it’s on me and about me, and not on me, but about my uncles!

Even as a kid, I didn’t feel like I should be bragging about other people in my family. I don’t have anything to claim on their victories, but now when people want to interview me about my performance, that’s cool. I’m happy to be in the spotlight for jiu-jitsu.

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JJMTECHNIQUE:::::::::::

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN JIU-JITSU? My first introduction was my dad showing me and my sister moves at home, and then probably when I was around 10, I started going to his academy in San Francisco and training with his students. He had no kids’ classes then. When I was about 12, I was acquainted with Ralph Gracie and Vitor Belfort. I was watching my other cousins fighting…UFC had just started, and other cage fighting events, and I thought if I wanted to be good one day, I had to start training like these guys. So, I started training consistently. I’d go to school, come home, eat, and go to the academy every evening.

WHEN DID YOU START GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT IT? When I was 15 I moved to Brazil. I went to high school there. By the time I was 17, people were pressuring me about college and what to do

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for a living. They thought I should study sports medicine because it was related to jiu-jitsu and they thought it was a good way for me to stay involved in sports. I came back to the U.S. at 18 and started college in San Francisco. When I was 19, I moved to San Diego. I remember talking to students and them telling me that jiujitsu is like a university. You have to treat it like that if you want to be professional and take it seriously. It’s not something you do on weekends. If it’s your sport, you do it seriously and on a regular basis. I took that to heart and decided to leave college. I was paying all my bills on my own and was working and going to school, so I couldn’t train more than four days a week. I decided to work what I needed to and focus more on my training. I started teaching professionally and making money that way.

I had taught a lot at my dad’s academy growing up, so I was good at it. At about 20,

I started teaching at a boxing gym and eventually was able to stop working any other jobs and focus purely on jiu-jitsu, training and teaching. Now I have my own academy called Clark Gracie Jiu Jitsu in La Jolla, California.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO GET YOUR BLACK BELT? Well, let’s see…I started training at 12 and I got it at 25. I’m 28 now. So, 13 years? I wanted to feel ready for every belt, not just black. At every belt I wanted to be able to compete and win matches at that level and not worry about how I was going to do. I never really pushed too much to get the next belt. I was happy wherever I was. When I got my black belt I was the most content competing. I felt the most satisfaction. You’re fighting the best guys in the world. You have a ways to go in other belts; there are divisions above you, but in black, you’re at the top. So, I feel best

here. My mind is the clearest competing at black belt.

WHEN DID YOU START BECOMING MORE COMPETITIVE IN YOUR JIUJITSU? I didn’t get very competitive with jiu-jitsu until I was about 20 and a purple belt. I was competing, but before that, not really competing. The jiu-jitsu scene wasn’t big in the U.S. at the time and I wasn’t training hard enough when I was in Brazil; I wasn’t as focused.

Once you start competing, you become more driven; you become more motivated and it speeds up your game. I started testing and challenging myself.

I was thinking about it as I was training; it stopped being a hobby. I started training with determination, for a reason and with a goal.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR GAME? Right now my game is changing a little bit, especially since I

Locks up your arm - and your heart,

5/17/13 12:34 PM

won the Pan Ams. I’ve gotten a little more aggressive, and more determined. I feel like I’m really fighting now. It’s a fight. My game has been always moving forward to win, to be the aggressor… I also feel like, if you give me enough time, I can catch just about anybody. Just give me the time…sometimes I can’t, but I have a lot of confidence in my jiu-jitsu. In the past I’ve fought more relaxed, but this year I’m trying to chase after the fight and go after it.

IS THAT WHAT YOU DID AGAINST MARCELO “LAPELA” MAFRA IN THE PAN AMS FINAL? Yes. In tournaments people will stall. I’ve fought Lapela a couple times. Before, he was ahead on points and then didn’t even try to pass my guard. He wanted the win. That’s strategy, but in the Pan Ams final, I was down two points. My corner, Rafael Dallinha, yelled out that he wasn’t going to do anything…he was going to hang out the whole fight. The light bulb went on. I thought, “I have to go after him.

He’s going to try to lock down my game and there’s nothing I can do about that, so I have to pick up the pace.” So, from five minutes forward, I had that aggressive mindset. I remember I had one strategy, but decided to stop playing it safe. I started working on some other attacks and diversified my game. It opened up his game more as well.

I let my jiu-jitsu flow. I was able to lock on an omoplata. It was kind of loose. He got free; got a sweep…he stood up, but couldn’t get the points. We both stood up. Ralph (Gracie) was yelling at me to get the takedown for two points. I ended up grabbing his leg as he pulled guard…I was in his guard and still had no points.

I thought, “Keep going, go, go, go!” I got around his guard; got

Doesn’t need a hip toss - to make you head over heels,

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past, he was struggling to turn to his knees. I needed one more grip to secure on his far arm. He turned to his knees and I lost the grip, but when he came to his knees…I’d been in that position so many times before, I kicked into the omoplata. I knew I only had a short amount of time left, and I couldn’t wait to move forward. The day before in the absolute against Leo Nogueira, I had him in a choke in the omoplata, but I paused for 5 or 10 seconds. That was the time I needed to win, but I waited and ran out of time and didn’t get the finish. I learned my lesson, so

If I’d held onto Leo (Nogueira) for five seconds longer I would have had him, too, but I ran out of time. My choke was locked in. So, that’s pretty good for that level of black belt division.

But what changed me the most is that I feel a little more blood thirsty now. I want the gold a little more now. Before, going in to compete against black belts, I didn’t know what was going to happen. The guys are so good! So, I would say it didn’t matter, that “you win or you learn.” It’s a good quote to take the pressure off. There’s lots of pressure being in this family and

this time I didn’t stop. I got the choke in. I saw that there were 30 seconds left on the clock and knew there was no way he was gonna hold his breath for that long. I gave a smile and a thumbs up…I knew I had the victory.

being my father’s son. I don’t want people to look at me like, “his last name’s Gracie, but he’s not very good.” I want to be recognized as, not just a name, born into the family, but really good at the sport. Before, I had to convince myself to just do my best and enjoy the fight, but now, I’m past that. Now, I really want it. I’m hungry for it, hungry for the victory. I want to fight everybody. I’m not worried about anyone anymore. I’m excited to show what I can do and test myself, and not have the fear of losing.

DID THAT VICTORY CHANGE YOU? Yeah…I feel like people are watching me a little more. It’s a pretty good title in jiu-jitsu to have. And the way I won it was good. I kept a clear mind. I kept listening to my coaches. I didn’t get distracted by my own ego or what I wanted to do in the fight. I just focused on my training and my game plan and got three subs in six fights. In the absolute I had two fights and subbed one and in my division I had four fights and subbed two.

WERE YOU FEARFUL OF LOSING BEFORE? Yes. A big step for me was getting over the fear of losing.

Now, if I lose, I won’t be devastated. It’s ok. I will come

back again. I have more desire to win, and the understanding that everyone loses and it’s ok.

You have to make mistakes in any sport to be the best. There are really high highs and really low lows. If you win, it’s a party.

If you lose, you don’t want to do it anymore. I struggled with that. I won a lot at purple belt.

I had a great year, but one time at ADCC in 2006, I fought a black belt and lost by points.

I just walked off the mat. I didn’t even give the ref a chance to raise the guy’s hand. I was so upset! That was my early mindset. I used to watch others compete and be so passionate to go out and fight, to be on the mat and be center state, to test myself and feel the energy.

I used to watch and think, “I could do that.” But I wasn’t doing it. Now, I’m actually out there. I’m thinking, “I trained a lot for this. I know what I want to do. I know what to do in every position, so go do it!”

And I can calm myself. That’s important, too. It’s a fight, but it’s also a game. One of my students once told me before a match, “I feel sorry for the guy on the other side. I’m gonna go crazy on him!” I felt sorry for him. I thought, “Poor guy! He’s gonna get crushed!” He went in on fire and got caught in an armbar. You can’t go in with your head down swinging. It’s jiu-jitsu. It’s chess. You have to think about your moves or it’s not going to work.

DO YOU TYPICALLY HAVE A GAME PLAN PREPARED? It depends on who I’m fighting and sometimes the size of the opponent. Sometimes I wing it and go with no strategy at all. Sometimes I like to play on top. I like to play every position in jiu-jitsu. I feel confident and well rounded everywhere. I don’t want to

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JJMTECHNIQUE::::::::::: give the impression that I only like to play guard. I don’t ever want people to say, “Oh he’s just a guard player. Just don’t pull guard and you’ll be fine.”

I would hate to have that reputation. It’s limited jiujitsu. It’s my responsibility to be a well-rounded practitioner and competitor and be knowledgeable in every area.

DO YOU CONSIDER THE OMOPLATA TO BE YOUR SIGNATURE MOVE? The Omoplata is the move I have a lot of confidence in. I have other moves, too, but the Omoplata is what I feel really comfortable doing. I feel like I can catch anybody with it.

IS THERE ANYONE IN YOUR DIVISION THAT YOU FIGHT OFTEN? I believe everyone I fought at the Pan Ams I’ve fought before, like Sharpei (Marco Machado).

I beat him with an omoplata choke before, Lapela, Otavio Sousa…I beat him last year, DJ Jackson. I lost to him in November at the No Gi Worlds.

With the gi I have a lot of grips.

It opens up my game a little more. There’s always somebody new. I don’t look at brackets before a match. I just fight whoever’s in front of me. It’s all you can do. I guess you can study a guy, but there’s so many people. I think, “Who has time for that?” If I do look someone up, I usually just get a general idea if they play guard or what their favorite move is and if they have a good takedown. My style is more about them breaking away from my game, not me adapting to their game.

HOW DO YOU GET YOUR OPPONENT TO ADAPT TO YOUR GAME? I think grips are really important. I’ve trained with

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a lot of guys. I go to other people’s academies. I try to be respectful, so I don’t want to go 100%, and a lot of times I allow them to make the first grip, and then I fall behind.

So, I think you have to be the first one to initiate the position you want to be in with your grips. You determine how it’s going to stand. I want them to try to break my grips. I want them to be trying to set up their grips, while I’m working on my attack. It’s just got to be a mental strategy from the beginning. If you’re any other way, you’re going to be working off their moves…working in and out of their game. You might beat them at their own game, but I’ve evolved from that. I used to have so much confidence in my jiu-jitsu and I still do…but I used to think, “Pull guard. Go ahead! I’ll beat you in your own guard.

I’ll pass.” Maybe eventually I would, but maybe he’d be better than I thought. The ego took over. I’d let myself be challenged within the match because I might do that in the academy all the time. I’d think, “Go ahead, choose the position and I will beat you at the position that YOU chose!” But now I think, “I’m going to choose the

position and I’m going to beat you at the position I chose!” It’s more offensive and aggressive.

WHAT’S BEEN THE MOST MEMORABLE MATCH OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR? I think it was the match with Lapela, since it was very emotional, and I won via submission and put him briefly to sleep after almost losing the

match on points. We’ve fought a couple times already and I was very glad to be able to fight him again. I was looking forward to that match.

ARE THERE ANY JIU-JITSU GOALS LEFT UNDONE FOR YOU? I feel I’m living the most amazing jiu-jitsu experiences every day, and the sky is the limit. I want to do things with jiu-jitsu that no one else has ever done; things that don’t even have to do with tournaments. I want to find a way to give back to the community using the power of jiu-jitsu. I already have a few projects underway.

For more information about Clark Gracie, his past and future projects, his list of accomplishments, his school and affiliates, his Brazilian jiujitsu philosophy, blogs, pictures, videos, and more, you can go to: CLARKGRACIE.COM

(Time out on the meme thing) That’s Clark’s friend and manager, Francis Keller next to Clark.

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ARM BAR FROM THE MOUNT I know what you’re thinking, “Can you show us something we haven’t seen a million times before?” Well, Clark’s spin on this classic is a little bit different, and something you definitely want to check out!

01

Clark has his opponent, Francis, mounted. He reaches his right hand in deep on Francis’ right collar to go for a choke. Seeing that his hand is trapped, Francis looks to control that arm for a sweep.

02

Clark shoves Francis’ right arm across his body and brings his chest down on the arm to trap it.

03

Next, Clark reaches his left hand over Francis’ head to secure the back of his left shoulder by grabbing onto it.

06

With both of his arms tied up, Clark sits back with his butt to the mat with the intent of finishing the right arm with the arm bar, but Francis gets that arm out, so Clark switches his focus to the left arm. Clark quickly crosses his right leg over and around the top of Francis’ head and down to the mat, while at the same time, sitting up.

2

(Okay, time in) Has a black belt - in seduction...

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3

1

04

Quickly, Clark shifts his weight up and to his left, sitting out to the side with his left leg on the mat. As he changes his angle, it allows Clark to bring his right foot near Francis’ left shoulder along the mat.

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Clark gets his left arm around Francis’ left arm, this is the one he’s attacking, and then he “swoops” his right arm in and around Francis’ left arm so that it’s tucked between Clark’s arm and torso. With his right hand Clark keeps pressure on Francis’ left triceps to keep the arm trapped.

Francis’ left arm is trapped, Clark holds onto Francis’ waist, sweeps both of his feet off to his side, and leans forward to finish the Omoplata.

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JJMTECHNIQUE:::::::::::

DEEP HALF GUARD SWEEP TO SIDE CONTROL

01

Clark starts with Francis in his deep half guard and shifts his weight so that Francis is forced to base forward, placing his left hand on the mat.

02

As Francis shifts his weight forward, it opens up space between the two of them. Clark uses that opportunity to slide his right knee up and in between him and Francis. Then, he quickly gets his left foot behind Francis’ right leg, Clark uses his left hand to keep Francis’ leg trapped and on top of Clark’s left leg.

05

With all points secure, Clark drags Francis’ left arm across his body.

This motion tucks Francis’ shoulder lower towards the mat.

03

Clark kicks out his left leg to raise Francis up. This gives Clark the space needed to get the X-guard now with his legs crossed under Francis’ right thigh. His feet, acting as hooks, keep Francis’ leg trapped.

04

With Francis’ right leg trapped, Clark turns his attention to the other side, grabbing a hold of Francis’ left pant leg near the knee, and then reaching up to grab Francis’ left arm at the wrist by the gi.

06

Right then Clark stretches out both legs and pulls Francis’ left leg up and off the mat.

07

Francis’ weight brings him down to the mat while Clark does a backwards roll to further the momentum. When Francis hits the mat, Clark is on top in side control.

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Likes omoplatas - and long walks on the beach,

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www.facebook.com/RoninBrandGis

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JJMTECHNIQUE:::::::::::

DE LA RIVA TO X-GUARD TO CHOKE

01

Starting from the De la Riva, Clark looks to get Francis into an X-guard, so to do that, he quickly sits up slightly to scoop up Francis’ left leg with his right hand bringing Francis’ left leg up to his shoulder.

He maintains control of the right sleeve with his left hand.

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05

Next, Clark kicks his left leg upward while pulling back on Francis’ belt, forcing Francis to fall back over to Clark’s right side.

Francis doesn’t want to go down, so he steps his left foot to the mat after Clark lets go of his leg. As soon as Clark lets go of that leg he reaches up to grab the back of Francis’ belt.

06

Clark removes his right foot from the X-Guard and bases it to the mat.

09

This control of the right arm allows Clark to sink his right hand in front of Francis’ neck and to his left collar.

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10

Clark brings his right leg down and in between Francis and the mat to get his right hook, and stretches his right leg out to break Francis down so he falls to his side.

Okay, enough of that stuff. If you don’t know what we’re talking about Google it.

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02

04

As Clark pulls Francis’ right leg up, he pushes off on his right leg at the knee with his left foot.

From there, Clark stretches his legs.

At the same time, Clark grabs Francis’ left pant leg down low and drags Francis’ left leg over to Clark’s left side.

03

Clark quickly swings his right foot in between his own left leg and Francis’ right thigh so that Clark’s right foot is in front of Francis’ right thigh and his left foot is trapping the back of his right thigh, as shown in the photo. This puts Francis’ in Clark’s X-guard.

08

As soon as Francis’ back is on the mat, Clark gets to his knees while continuing to bring Francis to his side. Clark maintains his grip of Francis’ right arm with his left.

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Clark lets go of his control of the arm and quickly brings his arm up, so his hand is behind Francis’ neck, and he’s trapping Francis’ left arm. Just as he does this, Clark gets his left hook in on Francis.

And now the finish.

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12

Finally, Clark pulls tightly on his grip of Francis’ collar, while at the same time, he applies pressure to the back of the neck with his left hand to complete the choke.

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JJMTECHNIQUE:::::::::::

KNEE BAR FINISH From the previous setup, here’s a quick little knee bar finish for you brown and black belts.

01

Starting from the X-Guard, Clark stretches Francis out. As soon as he bases his hands to the mat, Clark brings his left foot up to Francis’ left hip.

02

With the leverage of his foot on the hip, Clark shifts his body to his right, while maintaining a hold of Francis’ left leg.

03

This movement causes Francis to drop his right knee to the mat and puts Clark in a position so his stomach is against the top of Francis’ left knee.

04

Clark continues the roll while keeping a hold of Francis’ leg, so Clark ends up on his right side on the mat with Francis having fallen to the mat behind him.

05

At this point, Clark has Francis’ left foot up near his head, his legs are crossed and tight, trapping Francis’ thigh. All that’s left for Clark to do is to hip thrust a bit to force the tap, completing the knee bar.

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Remember, IBJJF rules, kneebars only legal at Brown and Black.

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JJMTECHNIQUE:::::::::::

KNEE ON BELLY

01

Clark starts off with his knee on Francis’ belly. Francis pushes the knee off, and with this momentum, Clark drops that knee to the mat and sits off to Francis’ side.

03

With his right leg over to the left of Francis, Clark uses his left hand to grab the back of Francis’ right triceps and pulls it up while shifting his own weight onto Francis a bit (off to Clark’s right).

04

As soon as Clark senses some space, he drags his right foot across the mat and bends his knee to get his calf behind Francis’ head.

06

Next, Clark grabs his right shin with his left hand and drops to his right side, elbow to the mat, enough so Clark can get his left leg in front of his right ankle to lock down the triangle.

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Do you know how many women would have loved to play the role of Francis for this photoshoot?

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02

From there, Clark quickly steps his right leg up and over to the right of Francis’ head.

05

Once his foot is across, Clark goes from gripping Francis’ arm to pushing it forward, while at the same time, Clark leans forward and bases with his right hand to the mat.

07

KEY POINTS

If necessary, after Clark locks up his knee, he could sit up a bit to push Francis’ arm deeper across to finish the choke more quickly.

If the triangle’s not getting it done, you could always sit up and pull back on the trapped right arm to finish with an arm bar or a wrist lock.

At this point, Clark brings his left knee to the mat and leans forward putting pressure on Francis’ trapped right arm, and finishes the choke.

We could have auctioned it off for charity.

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JJMTECHNIQUE:::::::::::

TRAPPED ARM BAR FROM OPEN HALF GUARD

01

Starting from an open half guard, Clark’s on his right side with his right elbow on the mat and his left arm underhooking Francis’ right.

03

Once the transfer is complete, Clark brings his right hand and arm behind himself and between his own legs (as shown). To help the process, Clark posts his left foot to the mat to lift off the mats a bit.

04

06

07

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Now, Francis is sitting with his butt on the mat and in between Clark’s legs. Clark closes his guard and still has a firm grip of Francis’ left lapel with his right hand.

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Now that his hand is through, he once again switches off control of the lapel from his left hand to his right.

At this point, it might not look like it, but Francis is stuck.

Clark gets control of Francis’s right arm with his left and brings his left leg up and over to cross the front of Francis’ neck.

If you were offended by that last comment you need to lighten up.

5/17/13 12:42 PM

02

Clark grabs onto Francis’ left lapel with his right hand and feeds the lapel between Francis’ legs to his own left hand.

1

05

After the switch, Clark brings his left arm up to grab some gi material near Francis’ left shoulder and brings his left leg up high, out stretched, then swings it down for some momentum to sit Francis off to his own right side and onto the mat.

KEY POINTS

2

If Francis was able to get that right arm loose, there are a number of other options for Clark to finish. He could reach around the back of Francis’ head with his left hand to grab the right collar, and then bring his left leg over to tie up Francis’ left arm and finish with a choke.

3

Or, if Francis were to get an under hook with his right arm on Clark, Clark could push off Francis’ head and loop his left leg around the front of Francis to trap that out stretched right arm. At that point, Clark would let go of the lapel, stretch his legs out, and then sit up, shifting his legs to his right to finish the Omoplata.

08

From here, all Clark has to do is straighten out his legs, dropping Francis back, while Clark finishes the arm bar.

We should invest in invisible extension cords.

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JJMTECHNIQUE:::::::::::

REAR CHOKE FROM OMOPLATA DEFENSE

01

Clark goes for an Omoplata on Francis, but Francis rolls to defend, and Clark rolls with him. They end up with Francis sitting up, yet Clark still has control of his right arm.

Clark is sitting back and has a hook under Francis’ left arm.

SEQUENCE

02

From here, Clark abandon’s his hook of the left arm and instead, controls the arm from the side. Next, he quickly brings his left leg over the top of Francis and down to his side.

03

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04

Clark brings his left arm up to reach around for Francis’ right collar, and then sits back, shifts his weight and hips so he’s a little more perpendicular to Francis, and completes the choke.

This is also possible because of the reverse underhook Clark has of Francis’ right arm.

Clark has control of Francis’ left side with his leg over his arm, and Francis’ right side is being controlled by Clark’s right arm.

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Francis doesn’t look too happy in that pic.

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JJMTECHNIQUE:::::::::::

CROSS COLLAR CHOKE FROM SIDE CONTROL

01 02

Clark has Francis in his side control, but he’s up high on him.

Clark reaches in with his hand on the inside of Francis’ left collar, thumb inside, and bases out with his feet, while keeping pressure on top of Francis.

03

Clark continues to block the hip with his shoulder, and then brings his right hand underneath Francis’ right collar, four fingers inside.

04

With both grips in deep on the collar, Clark walks off to his side, getting back to his knees, and then twists so their bodies are in line, as if to go for the choke. Francis’ defense is going to be to seize the moment and turn into Clark to get on top.

05

As Francis does this, Clark is able to get his right leg over the top of Francis, and he then pulls his elbows apart to get leverage on the choke. Clark pulls Francis into him to complete the cross collar choke.

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KEY POINTS

When Clark is basing on his feet and gets his grips in, his arms aren’t crossed. It’s when he comes back to Francis’ side that he crosses his arms.

Sixteen pages of jiu-jitsu goodness.

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GEARLAB:::::::::::::::::::::::

HOW TO

SELECT YOUR FIRST

KETTLEBELL words: MARK DE

GRASSE

S

O, YOU’VE HEARD ENOUGH ABOUT KETTLEBELL TRAINING AND NOW YOU’RE READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP. You know that millions of people swear by this simple implement that promises enhanced conditioning, strength, and agility. You may have done a few training sessions, and you’re ready to add it to your regular jiu-jitsu training regimen, but how

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do you select the proper style and weight to get started?

If you’re not familiar with kettlebells, you might not know the differences between castiron kettlebells and competition kettlebells. A kettlebell is basically a ball of metal with a handle extending out of one side. They’re used for full-body movements to generate awesome strength gains, enhanced conditioning, agility, balance, and everything

else you could want in a simple workout instrument.

The two variations you’ll see are traditional, cast-iron kettlebells, and steel, competition kettlebells.

Both types have similarities and differences, advantages and disadvantages depending on what you’re trying to achieve, your skill level, and your personal preference. This article will lay out some of these aspects and how they relate to training for jiu-jitsu.

Kettlebells are the way to go.

5/17/13 12:19 PM

Cast-Iron Kettlebells vs. Competition Kettlebells

THE BASICS

TRADITIONAL CAST-IRON KETTLEBELLS Traditional cast-iron kettlebells are the type you see most people using.

They consist of a ball of cast-iron that ranges in diameter based on weight and manufacturer. The heavier the kettlebell, the larger the ball, and in some cases, the larger the handle.

The handle is slightly

rounded, and attached to the top of the ball. The bottom of the kettlebell is flat, but again, you’ll find different diameters of flatness based on the brand.

You may find that some cast-iron kettlebells have been dipped in rubber or vinyl. Some manufacturers claim that this feature will

keep the kettlebell from scratching your floor, and it might when you are repeatedly setting them down. Even so, don’t expect that covering to keep the kettlebell from busting a hole in your floor if it weighs more than 4kg! The same goes for your toes or feet.

COMPETITION KETTLEBELLS Competition kettlebells are used by long-term kettlebell enthusiasts and people involved in Girevoy Sport (also known as Kettlebell Sport). Each kettlebell, no matter what the weight, maintains the same dimensions. This means that an 8kg (18lb) kettlebell will look exactly the same as a 48kg (106lb) kettlebell

Cast-Iron Kettlebells vs.

Competition Kettlebells

TRAINING

Your objectives should dictate which kettlebell you use. Based on your strengths and weaknesses, relating both to physical fitness and your jiu-jitsu training, you may determine that you need one style over another or that you need to begin with a certain weight over another. In terms of training, the different sizes of the handle diameter, handle shape, ball size, and base flatness will help you determine your kettlebell.

Check out Joe Alvarado’s article on Kettle Jitsu in Issue 2, it’s a classic!

Kettlebells.indd 2

(most manufacturers differentiate the kettlebells by painting them different colors). The consistency in dimensions includes the ball of the kettlebell, the flatness of the base, and the handle diameter. While there are slight differences between manufacturers, most competition kettlebells, no matter where

you get them, will share these competition-style dimensions. Competition kettlebells are made of a single piece of steel; the variation in weight is determined by the size of a cavity in the middle of each kettlebell. They also feature squarish-style handles that jut out vertically from the ball of the kettlebell.

AGILITY TRAINING

If you are looking to perform dynamic, agility-oriented exercises involving rolls and groundwork, you may be happier with a castiron kettlebell. The curving handle of cast-iron kettlebells makes two hand exercises more comfortable versus the squarish style handles of competition kettlebells. The smaller size of cast-iron kettlebells also makes them easier to hold close to your body during deck squats and rocking chairs. Joey Alvarado, trainer and jiu-jitsu fighter and coach, prefers this style of kettlebell for his hybrid kettlebell exercises, which he calls Kettle-Jitsu.

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GEARLAB::::::::::::::::::::::

HEAVY STRENGTH TRAINING

If you’re looking to perform heavy strength exercises, a competition kettlebell may be a better fit. As your training progresses and you require heavier and heavier kettlebells (if you are not requiring heavier kettlebells, you may be doing something wrong and should consult a professional), you’ll notice that the size of the handle and the ball of the kettlebell increase significantly.

These larger kettlebells, especially when you get into the 36kg plus range, will require you to modify your form

significantly for jerks, presses, squats, and any movement involving the rack position.

Since competition kettlebells have the same dimensions no matter what the size, you don’t have to change the basic movements, allowing you to progress while focusing on your form rather than thinking about how awkward the weight feels; if you’ve ever messed around with a 48kg (106lb) cast-iron kettlebell, you know how funny it feels to have something the size of a basketball on your arm.

Selecting a Weight:

BEGINNERS

Once you’ve selected a style, it’s time to determine a weight. As a standard, I usually recommend 16kg (35lb) for men and 8kg (18lb) for women if you’re new to weight training. This may seem like a lot, but it’s important to remember that the typical ballistic kettlebell exercises (like swings, cleans, high pulls, snatches, etc.) require full body movements rather than the isolation exercises found in normal dumbbell or barbell exercises (like curls, military presses, tricep extensions, etc.). If you’re performing the exercises correctly, you’ll be utilizing your arms, core, and lower body all at the same time, allowing you to train with more weight. In addition, slightly heavier kettlebells REQUIRE proper form; in most cases, you won’t be able to muscle-through with bad technique (and even if you can muscle-through, don’t because you’ll hurt yourself; consult a trainer instead).

Selecting a Weight:

ADVANCED GRIP STRENGTH TRAINING In jiu-jitsu, the only thing more important than stamina, overall strength, and general skill is grip strength. Heavy cast-iron kettlebells are the proper choice in this situation. The diameter of the handles of cast-iron kettlebells increase with the weight, meaning that every lift you perform will require more forearm, grip, and finger strength. The handles on large, cast-iron kettlebells act like fat bars for every lift you perform, especially high rep ballistic lifts like swings, snatches, and cleans. In addition, if you’re trying to incorporate grip training into basic lifts like the kettlebell press or front squat, or the bottoms-up (or

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pistol grip) position, it will be significantly more difficult with the thicker handles offered by cast-iron kettlebells.

If you’ve used kettlebells before and you’ve been weight training for a year or more, you may be able to start with a heavier weight. Even so, I would still recommend 16kg (35lb) for men and 8kg (18lb) for women in most cases. However, I would tell you to purchase two of each size rather than just one.

Double kettlebell training has a vast array of benefits, requiring trainees to use more strength, coordination, and endurance to complete workouts. You can also incorporate more strength-focused exercises like Double Kettlebell Presses, more difficult grip strength exercises like Farmer Walks and Double Pistol Grip Holds, and insane conditioning exercises like Double Kettlebell Snatches.

Now that you have some information, get online and buy a kettlebell. As with most training methods, consistency is the key to progression, so pick a kettlebell and start using it every day!

Go big or go home!

5/17/13 12:20 PM

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5/17/13 5:10 PM

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SPECIALFEATURE:::::::::::

HOW TO GET A

BJJ SPONSORSHIP words: SEYMOUR YANG

| illustrations: DAVE PALACIOS

S

PONSORSHIP BY A MAJOR BRAND MIGHT SEEM TO BE THE PINNACLE OF BJJ LIFESTYLE ACHIEVEMENTS. Sponsored athletes get a ton of free gear, appear in magazine advertising and videos, and all sorts of cool publicity, and some even get paid to travel the world and compete. Trying to earn that coveted spot as a sponsored athlete is not easy, however, but surprisingly,

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it’s not necessarily all about how many gold medals you’ve won and you don’t even have to be a black belt. So, what does it take?

I’m about to uncover the dos and don’ts of how to get sponsorship in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

The relationship between brand owner and athlete seems simple enough; brand owners want exposure and the athlete who competes a lot can offer that exposure. The

quest to become a sponsored athlete may not be an easy one, but with the right approach, it is possible, at least, for a brand owner to take notice. However, companies receive dozens and dozens of inept, badly written, and even worse, wrongly addressed sponsorship requests every day.

Let’s take a close look at the best approach to getting noticed by gear companies:

That’s how Dave sleeps.

5/17/13 11:49 AM

DEAR JOHN

Pitching for a sponsorship or representation deal is a bit like a job interview letter. You need to sell it in the opening line of your email or it gets trashed, simple. My suggestion here is to start off with a little research. Address the email to a named person, not “Dear Sir” or “To whom it may concern”...or even worse, the WRONG person/company name completely.

Yes, this really does happen and is not likely to amuse a busy gear company owner. If you must copy and paste your message, at least get the person’s name and details correct.

FLATTERY GETS YOU EVERYWHERE As part of your research into the brand, find out about their history and study their timeline of activities. For example, they may have recently launched something innovative or been part of an event or charity program. Mentioning something topical and brand-relevant in the opening paragraph is bound to impress the person reading it.

KISS ME No, I didn’t mean kiss me; I meant Keep It Short and Simple. One brand owner informed me he once received an email that ran to around 1,200 words (that’s roughly as long as this whole article) and that was before he opened the huge video and photo attachments. Don’t write overly long emails and avoid massive file size attachments! In fact,

there is only one attachment I recommend you send and that is the ...

PDF RESUME I recommend putting a summary of your BJJ achievements as an attached document rather than in the main body of your email. If you don’t have software to create a PDF, find someone who can help. In fact, getting someone to proofread your proposal is always a good idea. The main reason for this is to cut down on the length of the email, but it also gives space to focus on the main body of the message in your pitch, rather than a long, long list of achievements which, to be honest, no one will read.

Write down your list of accomplishments pretty much as you would when writing your school/college education. A bullet point list is probably the easiest to read when it’s a long

list of credentials.

Do add links to fight videos, but even better, if you can make a video highlight compilation then that might be better than having to sit through 6 minutes of double guard pulls for that amazing final advantage point win.

A final icing on the cake would be to obtain a recommendation from a recognized and verifiable source, such as your instructor or someone in BJJ circles who is kind of known. Ideally, a World Champion saying how awesome you are on record would be amazing, but simply a line from your instructor verifying that you are a dedicated student is actually a pretty cool thing to add (as long as he means it and you didn’t just make it up!).

IF I WEAR YOUR BRAND, PEOPLE ARE BOUND TO BUY IT! Contrary to what you might believe, writing 1,200 words on how awesome you are, is not what a potential sponsor actually wants to hear. What they actually want to know, is what YOU can do for THEM. Simply stating that you will wear their products at all events is not remotely enough. So, here’s how

Are you friends with BJ J. Smith?

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to pitch it right and pitch it good: company bosses love statistics, they deal day in day out with stats like how many units they sell, how many they buy, how much they pay, and how much they earn. So, my big tip here is to speak their language. Sell yourself like a commodity. Make it sound irresistible because if they miss out then their rival will be getting those 12,000 fans to hear about how awesome that product is.

State how many Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blog, and Instagram followers you have.

Give an example of the kind of BJJ-focused interaction you get from your followers and friends.

Company bosses love numbers, did I mention that before? So, give them numbers - lots of them - and ones they can check [don’t make stuff up]. Don’t have social media? Then start now and take time to nurture a good amount of followers. Not sure how to do that? I’ll cover that topic for another article.

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SPECIALFEATURE::::::::::

BE A GOOD SPONSORED ATHLETE

OH MY GOSH I GOT AN ANSWER!

Most gear companies are pretty proud of their roster of representatives. The jury is out on whether they actually bring in direct revenue through exposure (compared to say, traditional advertising) but each company owner must beam with pride as they see a bunch of their branded competitors at each event. Most brands support grassroots grappling and most owners train themselves, so they know what it’s like to struggle up the ranks and through the tournaments.

As a sponsored athlete, no matter how minor among the list of stars, don’t forget

to do your duties - plug the brand every now and again through your social media, and if you get interviewed, always sign off with a thanks to your sponsors. Share links, news, contests, etc. and be a part of their team. Try not to spam people, though. Play the good sponsored athlete game long enough, though and you’ll probably find they will talk about you too, which all helps to create a buzz between sponsor and athlete and which makes us followers keen to consider purchasing from the brand.

That buzz can, for a very small enviable group of athletes, lead to the ...

SPONSOR WAR It’s a fact of business life that some companies poach from other companies. It’s

not cool, but it happens and is probably due to a little corporate competitive ego. If you are ever in such a position, where two or more companies are vying for your services, I suggest that you conduct matters professionally and courteously at all times.

Dumping one brand for another is fine, but at least talk to them first. It may be that they agree you have outgrown the company and will support your move, or they may improve the offer you got from the other company. Don’t let them learn about your leaving their brand through some news release on their rival’s Facebook page! BJJ is a fast moving scene, and that new brand, flush with startup cash, might collapse in a year, so it always pays to be nice to your old sponsor!

Assuming your potential sponsor has gotten this far and has replied to you, it’s time to work out how far you can push for a good sponsor deal. In most cases, it’ll be a simple fixed amount of gear in exchange for a condition to wear only that sponsor’s brand at public events. More complex deals can involve expenses and a monthly stipend, but only if you are an elite World Champion level fighter (with a LOT of followers). But at this stage there’s no harm attempting to ask for what you want, so be realistic, but if you think you can prove to the company that handing over 6 brand new gis and 10 rashguards a year is justifiable, then go for it. It’s all part of their marketing budget and it’s tax deductable. But be careful, asking for something way above what you are worth might close the door completely.

If your attempt at sponsorship gets a flat out no, then there’s no harm just ending correspondence with a good luck wish to the brand. Companies receive dozens and dozens of sponsor requests daily, so if they are curt and brief or even if they never reply, don’t take it personally. Either try again later or move on to another company.

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That’s our office everyday. Sponsored by everyone. Why do you think we started the magazine?

5/17/13 11:51 AM

MULTIPLICITY Unlike BJJ team affiliations, it is perfectly reasonable to be sponsored by multiple brands - just don’t rep brands that are direct (and probably much hated) market rivals to each other.

If you are creative, then it is very possible to obtain sponsorships from numerous companies. Some athletes are supported by a gi company, a no gi company, a mouthguard company, a t-shirt brand, a food supplement, and training device companies. As long as you are honest about who you currently represent, there is nothing to stop you asking other companies.

BJJ is an expensive hobby.

Gis cost upwards of $100 and if you train a lot,

you’ll need several of them.

Registration fees and travel can easily add up to several hundred dollars a month if you compete a lot. Plus, there are academy fees, seminar costs, etc. Asking for sponsorship can help ease the burden a little, but be realistic. Just because you won the Mundials, Pans, and NAGA tournaments back to back doesn’t necessarily make you the star attraction you might think you are.

Pitching yourself the right way to make companies take notice is the first hurdle, and making yourself sound like an interesting proposition to take on board takes some time and thought. If you are lucky enough to get sponsorship, then pat yourself on the back and enjoy your training!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Seymour Yang is a BJJ brown belt. In his role as a writer, consumer reporter and designer, he has worked with hundreds of fightwear companies around the world. He also owns the brand Meerkatsu. Check out this month’s Who Is for more details on Seymour and his work.

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5/17/13 11:51 AM

JJMTECHNIQUE::::::::::::

WORKING THE

LEG HOOK

GUARD With Joe Camacho

& photos: MIKE VELEZ

T words

HE LEG HOOK GUARD IS SOMETHING YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN, BUT DIDN’T QUITE KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT. It’s a position that’s been called the Russian guard by some, and adapted by others and used with lots of success. Dean Lister has used the leg hook successfully in the UFC, and in fact, used it to set up a triangle to submit Alessio Sakara at UFC 60. This guard is relatively easy to get, too and despite it looking a lot like rubber guard at first glance, it doesn’t require the same flexibility for success. From the leg hook guard, a simple adjustment of your arms and you’re into the Shawn Williams Guard, named after Renzo Gracie blackbelt Shawn Williams who’s known for using that variation with great success. To help illustrate just a few of the finishes that can quickly be reached from both of these positions is blackbelt Joe Camacho. Joe’s been practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu since 1995, is a former King of the Cage champion, and is an accomplished grappler.

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Go Joe!

5/17/13 1:48 PM

THE BREAK DOWN

To get to the leg hook guard, the first thing to do is break your opponent’s posture so you can get into the clinch.

01

Do this by swimming your arms inside your opponent’s to peel his hands away from your body, while at the same time, doing a “crunch” with your legs to break his posture and pull him into you.

KEY POINTS

This technique can be done with a gi, but it’s more useful in no-gi competition.

The more flexible you are, the more comfortable you’ll be performing this technique.

05

From this position, there are two basic setup positions you can be in; the determining factor is where his left elbow is, either inside your right knee or out.

02

As he comes into you, grab the back of his head by wrapping your right hand around the back of his neck.

03

At the same time, lift your left leg up, and slide your left hand behind your own left knee, and immediately bring your hands together with a Gable grip.

GHOST CHOKE

01

Starting with the leg hook guard, rather than just lay there, your opponent puts pressure on top of you to flatten you out by shifting his weight to his right over you.

That’s a sneaky one.

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04

Tighten everything up, in order to get everything secure, trapping his right arm between your left thigh and torso. You’ll need to hip out to your left a little. Place your right foot on your opponent’s hip and you’re in the Russian guard.

02

Let go of your grip and bring your left arm over the back of his head. Shove it down, so you can reach your arm under your left leg, and bring your hands back together with a S-grip.

03 REVERSE

With the grip set, cross your feet and bring your weight over to your left with your head over his, and crunch your body in, pulling your legs in to finish the choke. It’s sort of like a triangle that uses your rib cage against his neck to finish.

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JJMTECHNIQUE:::::::::::

OMOPLATA

01

From the Russian guard, your opponent will look to remove your right arm out from behind his head.

He does this by pushing your elbow off of his head.

02

Keep your right forearm tight against his head to maintain pressure and to keep his right arm trapped. At this point, you’re in the Shawn Williams guard due to the placement of your arms, both on one side of his head.

03

Pull your right leg up into you so your knee is near the inside crook of your right elbow.

06

Stretch your legs out and sit up while reaching over for his left hip with your left hand. His right arm will be trapped between your legs and against your left side.

04

Release your grip and quickly bring your left arm down at your side to keep his right arm trapped between your arm and body.

05

Shift your weight so your back is flat to the mat, and drag your left leg over so both of your legs are in front of his head while pulling your right leg out and away from his hip.

07

Continue sitting up while folding your legs behind you, and pressuring your left thigh down on the back of his right shoulder.

08

Stay low, using your toes to drive into the mat. Lean forward to bring your head over his to finish.

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How cool would it be to have a guard named after you?

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JJMTECHNIQUE:::::::::::

ARM BAR

ALTERNATE ARM BAR

01

Starting from the leg hook guard, with his left elbow on the inside of your right knee, bring your right arm up and over his head to the right side of his neck and face, moving into the Shawn Williams Guard. As you’re bringing your arm over his head, slide your right knee up to trap his left arm between your right arm, the mat, and your thigh.

01

This one starts with your opponent’s elbow inside your knee. He shifts his weight over you to look for an escape.

02

As he shifts his weight, let go of your grip, bring your left leg up, and push his head to his right side with your right hand, so his head goes underneath your left leg.

02

Release your grip and push his head away from you, stretching out that trapped left arm with your elbow, and quickly throw your right leg over his head.

03 03

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Fold both legs down, squeeze the knees, all while bringing both your hands to control his captured left arm.

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04

Bring his thumb around so it’s pointing to the sky, and hip out to finish with the arm bar.

Once your left leg is on top of his head, bring your attention to his captured right arm. Bring your knees together and hip out, controlling his arm with your hands and his thumb pointing upward.

That’s our goal, the Jiu-Jitsu Mag guard. Coming soon.

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JJMTECHNIQUE:::::::::::

TRIANGLE

01

With your opponent’s left elbow outside your knee, pull your right foot up and off his left hip and over his left shoulder. You’ll have to bring your right leg up high to clear his arm. Once you have your leg on his shoulder, lock your legs together for a temporary hold.

02

Bring your hips up and off the mat and force his trapped left arm across your body. As you’re crossing his arm over, drop your hips back down to the mat and tuck his arm off to your right side. Hold his arm in position with your right hand.

03

Unlock your legs and grab your right ankle with your left hand and pull it up to the back of his neck.

04

Loop your left leg over your right shin to lock down the triangle.

05

Joe likes to finish his triangles, with what he calls, a “windshield wiper” by twisting his locking leg so that both legs are almost in the same line with each other.

This twisting motion angles his left thigh to put pressure on the right side of his opponent’s neck to help finish the triangle.

EZEKIEL

01

Starting from the Russian guard with his elbow inside or outside your knee, it doesn’t mater, Push your hips off to your left side.

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Your opponent’s not going to stay put for very long, He’s undoubtedly going to try and escape, most likely by posturing up. As he does allow him a little light, this will give you enough room to swim your left hand deep behind your left leg and between his right shoulder and neck.

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Release your grip and quickly grab your left shin with your right hand. At this point it’s important to keep this grip tight to prevent him from successfully posturing up, this is important.

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Grab the crook of your right elbow with your left hand to create a triangle around his neck.

Tighten everything together and finish the choke.

Well what would you call it?

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SPOTLIGHT::::::::::::::::::::

JIU-JITSU BLACK BELT

MARCOS “YEMASO” TORREGROSA DRILLS HIS WAY TO THE TOP

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words: DEB BLYTH

| photos: ALICIAPHOTOS.COM

Looking like Johnny Cash in that black gi.

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HARD WORK IS THE ANSWER If you don’t know second-degree jiu-jitsu blackbelt, and judo black belt Marcos “Yemaso” Torregrosa, it’s time you became acquainted with him. Originally from Puerto Rico, and currently residing in Sacramento CA, this light weight ace is making big waves in the master’s division that are quickly building to tsunami status. Currently ranked #1 in the IBJJF’s black belt master standings, Marcos has already swept four tournaments in 2013 (winning gold at the San Francisco Open – division and absolute, the Chicago Open – gi and no gi division, the Pan Ams - division, and the New York Open - division). But this is just a drop in the bucket compared to all his other big tournament wins from blue belt to black, dating as far back as 2000 (you can check out his long list of accomplishments at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Marcos_Torregrosa). However, Marcos, being the, humble, down-to-earth, and professional guy he is, just smiles about his good fortune and simply says, “I’ve been working very hard and now I gotta work even harder to stay on top.”

MARCOS MAKES COMPETING F-U-N! Although I always keep tabs on this uber-successful athlete, Marcos really caught my eye at the 2013 Pan Ams. As I sprinted around the mat area, I heard a voice call out my name. I turned around

We know that feeling.

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and there he was, jumping up and down REALLY HIGH in the air, in a crisp black gi, a huge smile on his face, just about to start his match. His energy was so strong and so positive I literally had to back up a couple paces from the force of it. My first thought was, “Wow! This guy LOVES to compete!” In that split second I couldn’t remember ever seeing a competitor so happy, relaxed, giddy with joy…and just plain HYPER…right before a match. My experience with the majority of athletes at tournaments has been that they are either extremely serious or focused (in the bullpen and in the mat area) or they’re nervous or anxious, and I hesitate to even say, “Hi” to them, but not Marcos – he was the exact opposite of that - and it really piqued my interest.

Why did he look so relaxed and happy?

How could he be so “chatty” right before a match? How was that not a distraction for him? I thought about all the articles I’ve written over the years about the mental aspect of competition and how champions say that a strong mind set and a good sense of self can determine success upwards of about 70-80%. I hung around to see if he would prove the theory right, and he did. Marcos ran onto the mat with confidence, and was downright EXCITED to meet his opponent. He won that bout and went on to win his three other matches at the Pan Ams with the same level of happiness, positivity, and intensity, winning gold in his light weight black belt master’s division.

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SPOTLIGHT:::::::::::::::::::

I sat down with Marcos to find out what his secret was to making competing so much FUN, and this is what he had to say: MARCOS, ARE YOU ALWAYS SO HAPPY WHEN YOU COMPETE? Yes! I look at competing and training as the same exact thing.

I think people try to distinguish between the two to justify inactivity in one, but every time you train, you’re competing against someone, so what’s the difference? I love to compete…I get so excited! It makes me very happy! It’s hard to define all the emotions that go on. You’re at the show…it’s your time to shine, and sometimes you get to roll with people you’ve never rolled with before. People psych themselves out. They stress out and over think it. They have anxiety in the bullpen, and then all their energy is gone. In their first match their energy is zapped.

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SO, ARE YOU SAYING YOU NEVER GET NERVOUS BEFORE COMPETITIONS? It’s a show…it’s time to perform, so I do get nervous, but I compete a lot and that kills my nerves a bit. I do it often, so I’m adjusted to the shock of the mental change that occurs in competition. But competing genuinely makes me happy. I used to skip in the bullpen. I have a good time. I don’t listen to music.

I jump and sing songs in my head…I feel like a kid again.

It loosens up the anxiety and gets me happy. I jump around and people look at me like I’m crazy, but it’s a social event for me. I’m joking and laughing, living in the moment. But the reason I can do this is because I’m physically and mentally prepared when I’m there. So, I’m comfortable, because by the time I get to a tournament, I know I could not have done anything more or anything better. Preparation is 110% of it. If you study every night

for a test and you know it by heart, you’re not nervous about it anymore. That’s how I feel about competition. There’s no reason for stress.

SO, TO BE HAPPY COMPETING, YOU HAVE TO BE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY PREPARED? Yes. I’m very hard on myself. I’m definitely a perfectionist. I count all my reps when I’m drilling, and they have to be perfect…the way I grab, the way they feel. If I’m not doing my drills the way I should, it gets under my skin. I don’t have perfect performances.

Even after winning a competition, I still analyze it to make sure I have better timing and better performances in the future, but it never obstructs from my overall happiness… but I want more. I’m constantly hungry for more. I was born a competitor. I’m competing against myself, not my competitor. I ask myself if I did my best. If not, what do I have to do to be better? I think you

can be a perfectionist, even at the micro level, and be happy, but you can’t stop and get frustrated, you have to keep going. Stay on the grind. I guess I’m just passionate. If I make a mistake, I will repeatedly drill that specific scenario over and over again, so the next time it happens I don’t miss the opportunity.

WHAT DID WINNING THE 2013 PAN AMS MEAN TO YOU? All Pan Ams have been a challenge for me. I’m either hurt…one year I broke two ribs; another year I broke my left foot; or I’m sick - one time I had major allergies; I was sick for another…one year I was going through a bad divorce… these things kept screwing up my Pan Ams campaign. I hadn’t won the Pan Ams since I was a purple belt in 2004! I felt like there was a negative stigma attached to it. So, this year I thought, “I’m going to end all the previous cycles.” It was really important for me to

Practice makes perfect, and competing a lot helps with the nerves.

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clean that slate and create my own reality. I worked really hard on overcoming this. I thought, “My struggles on and off the mat are going to end.” I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I needed to push past that stigma. And I did get injured right before the Pan Ams again.

At the Chicago Open this year I won gold in my division in the gi and silver in the gi absolute.

Then I popped my knee in my no gi division, but I still won gold. After that, I couldn’t do the no gi absolute because of the injury. I thought, “Oh no!

It’s coming to fruition again!” I came back to Sacramento and went to Caio Terra’s training camp. I was limping, so then my back started to hurt. Maybe in the past it would have stopped me, but not this year. I developed a game plan around my knee, so I wouldn’t pass to the left, which would torque my right knee. I modified my game.

I had four matches. I got one choke from the back and then won the rest on points. So, it was huge for me. I really wanted it. Honestly, I don’t know why I put so much importance on it. Maybe it was that mental challenge, but I felt ecstatic winning it. I wanted the time between my arm being raised on the mat and standing at the top of the podium with my gold medal to last forever.

HOW DO YOU LIKE FIGHTING IN THE MASTER’S DIVISION? This is my first year fighting master. I turned 32 last October. I talk a lot about preparation…you have to be so prepared today for competition, especially in the master’s division. I have more fights in masters than I did in adult. And the guys come in for a war. I fought in the Master/Senior Worlds last year

and took silver. I lost in the finals to Shaolin (Nova Uniao’s legendary Vitor Ribeiro) on a ref ’s decision. The way I see it, I didn’t do enough to define a clear win and for that, I lost.

When I found out I was going to fight him, I was like, “OH, YEAH!” I really looked forward to fighting one of the greats of our time. I had five fights. The division was stacked. I think master’s matches should be eight minutes at a minimum.

A six-minute match is really tough. It’s hard to tap someone, and if you get behind, there’s no coming back – there’s not enough time. I’ve fought big names over the last couple years and they’ve all decided to settle into the master’s division now. The Master/Senior Worlds showed that there’s a huge master’s presence and I was happy it was getting the recognition it deserved. I was proud to be a part of it. I’ll be back at the Master/Senior Worlds this year.

DID YOU DEVELOP YOUR OWN STYLE OF JIU-JITSU? Yes, it’s called Yemaso Jiu Jitsu.

My school in Sacramento is called Yemaso Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and I have about 80 students.

I’ve been in business for a year and a half. I don’t like slow jiujitsu games. My game is very calculated, efficient, acrobatic, and movement oriented. I love hunting for submissions. I try to stay as active as possible. Just being active gets people tired.

So, I keep moving, and as people get more tired, I’m able to do as I please. I don’t stall and I don’t like to out muscle guys. I’m not the strongest guy anyway, so I like to win by technique.

I used to be a grinder. I used to grind people out, but now I appreciate a strategy. I’ve become a “strategizer.” Yemaso Jiu Jitsu is the way I break down moves

We’ve yet to meet anyone that doesn’t get nervous when the ref’s arm drops.

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and techniques that I know are extremely efficient on the competition scene; I break them down to basic components and teach them to an individual by way of systems. I have numerical systems in place at my school and I give numerical value to each broken down component of a technique. It’s really easy and accessible. I created a curriculum and a belt system around it. Beyond that, I do a lot of extra work to prepare my students for competition. I finetune strategies for them based on these components in relation to their individual styles and games.

The recreational practitioners also benefit from it because it’s really organized and logical.

DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL STRATEGY YOU LIKE TO FOLLOW? Well, I have two moves I submit the most with: chokes from the back and triangles from open guard or spider guard. Those are my sharpest swords. I love getting back chokes! I hunt for them. I drill them in a regular back and forth capacity in reps, but will also do nothing, but attack with that sub for a month on end. One day I looked back on my career and thought, “Where am I subbing most of my opponents?” I have the hardest time holding side control, so in transition, I would take their backs and sub them. I was also subbing a lot from open guard and triangle. So, I began to focus on specific drilling.

It’s the only way you can win a match today. I started having my students roll with just one person…no time limits and no changing partners. We had to submit our training partners from the back only. When you limit yourself to one thing and your partner knows your going for it, it makes it really hard.

That kind of drilling made my

back attacks really good. I’m constantly thinking of new ways of training and bettering my guys and myself. Initially, we attacked the back for a month; back attacks from guard, from passing position, from half guard, from mount...every class. It all had to end with the back. We did the end game over and over, but worked all these different angles to get there. So, now I can catch the back from anywhere. I’m really confident in it. All last year, I got the back in all my matches. Just goes to show that it’s working.

YOU SOUND LIKE YOU’RE REALLY BIG INTO DRILLING. I think it’s what makes a person rise to the top. Drilling patterns and identification of movements…between open guard and back; the series of movements – these were always things I was told not to worry about, that I’d learn with time. I tried to indentify these transitions from one position to the next…when you drill these things and practice them properly, they can make a blue belt move with the same speed and precision as a black belt.

That’s why the white belts, blue, purple…they have incredible transitions between positions today, like black belts. TLI brought the theory to me. You have to identify these and show your students what they are.

While others guys are trying to go with the flow, your students have drilled it so much; it’s a part of their DNA. This is a huge part of the evolution of our sport and the reason you see incredible movement from certain camps: because the stress placed on certain transitions and the way they’re employed at exact times makes the difference between a sweep and a sweep/ back attack/choke combo.

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SPOTLIGHT::::::::::::::::::: WORD ON THE STREET IS THAT YOU’RE BEING COURTED BY A NUMBER OF TEAMS… Yes, I’m a bit nomadic right now. I received the 2nd degree on my black belt from Cassio Werneck on January 7, 2007, but I broke ties with him in 2010. Then I aligned myself with Team Lloyd Irvin because I liked what they were doing on the tournament scene. I flew out there to train with some of the guys and I liked it, so I decided to represent them. Their program was very formulated and structured.

I really gravitate towards organized processes. LI got me hungry for competing again.

I realized how much I didn’t know. I made my biggest steps then. I felt like I started from zero and worked myself up.

Then I went through a divorce; there were massive changes in my life and then I saw the stuff going on with LI. I was on the West Coast and they were on the East Coast, but I did my research and I wanted out by the 2012 No Gi Worlds.

The problem was, in order to promote a black belt, you have to have a school that’s registered under the IBJJF, and mine wasn’t. I had to go back to my black belt Eliot Kelly and tell him I thought he was a black belt, but he could continue as a brown. He opted to get the black belt anyway, and is competing at non IBJJF events until I get my paperwork done.

I broke ties with TLI and made a public statement, and then more allegations came out about him. I’m lucky we got away when we did. So yes, since then, quite a few teams have courted us. I want my students to be the biggest part of the decision making process. It has to be beneficial for all involved.

If we go with a new team, I

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want them to come up here to Sacramento - a variety of guys.

I want a presence and you can’t really stipulate “presence.” But that’s very important to me.

HOW DOES BEING A SINGLE DAD MOTIVATE YOU? I love being a father. I’m really fortunate because when Marcos, Jr. goes to school, I go to jiujitsu. After that I’m teaching him swimming and to play piano. We don’t have cable; I wasn’t raised on TV, so we are really active. We play Legos and Transformers. I’m a fool for that. I throw myself down on the floor and we play. He accompanies me to jiu-jitsu at night. He wants to do the warm ups and it’s impressive how much he’s absorbed just being around it. He has worked armbars with me for fun. He plays around on the mats a little

bit. I have tons of time with Jr. I’m able to train really hard and then spend all day long with my son…I think we’re both extremely fortunate. I teach jiujitsu full time. I don’t have a 9-5 job. I have classes geared around his school schedule. I think I’m pretty close to paradise. I’m not a rich man, nor do I aspire to be. I just want to be happy.

I have my condo, my car, and my gym. My son and I are very attached. What else is there?

I don’t work. I do jiu-jitsu. I LOVE what I do! It’s not work.

WAS THERE ANY PIECE OF ADVICE YOU RECEIVED ALONG THE WAY THAT REALLY INSPIRED YOU? People told me many times to stop doing jiu-jitsu, especially my father. I wanted to show them they were wrong. It fueled a huge movement within me.

I knew jiu-jitsu was my path

as soon as I tried it. There was a reason why this happened; it changed me for the better. It changed me as a person. I’m a much better person because of jiu-jitsu. It changed my life.

My dad would tell me to get a job, go back to school, conform to the norm, work the 9-5…I refused to do it. In the end, it made me stronger. I’ve always been very competition oriented.

I was really happy to discover the jiu-jitsu lifestyle. At the time, I felt like I was right on the cusp of making it; people cutting me down just made me stronger. Go figure the best piece of advice I ever got was to stop doing what I loved – JIU-JITSU! WE’RE GLAD YOU DIDN’T LISTEN TO THAT ADVICE, MARCOS!

“He comes to me for advices. So it’s not that hard for me to give him the wrong advices.” If you know that quote consider yourself in the club.

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STRENGTH&CONDITION

SUSPENSION TRAINING words

& photos: BILL THOMAS & AARON BLAKE

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EWING IS ONE OF THE MANY SKILLS US NAVY SEALS LEARN DURING TRAINING. If your gear needs repair in the middle of nowhere, it’s important to be able to sew. Randy Hetrick was a Navy Seal in the middle of nowhere, and he was trying to solve the problem of staying in mission ready shape without access to a gym or any equipment. His solution

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needed to be lightweight, easy to stow and pack, rugged, and effective.

After some trial and error, he took an old jiu-jitsu belt (true story), spare parachute webbing, and his sewing skill, and put together the first prototype of a piece of training equipment that would one day be hanging from walls and ceilings in almost every gym and CrossFit box

in the country. What was it? The TRX Suspension Trainer.

There are alternatives now, but TRX is still the 800lb gorilla in the market. With superstar athlete endorsements, trainer certification classes, and sport specific programs, the craze shows no signs of slowing down, but is it just another fad or a useful tool for the jiu-jitsu athlete?

Wait, where are his legs?

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WHAT IS A SUSPENSION TRAINER? Suspension trainers consist of a pair of handles or rings connected to a strap, which is hung from a pull up bar, squat rack, wall, or door frame.

Usually made with nylon webbing and plastic handles, they are extremely lightweight and easy to set up, take down, and travel with.

Suspension trainers can be used to improve strength, increase flexibility, rehab injuries, or train sport specific movements. You can get a quick warm up, a cool down stretch, or a hard core workout all from a single piece of equipment.

Olympic style rings are technically a type of suspension trainer, but they deserve their own in depth look and are outside the scope of this article.

ADVANTAGES OF SUSPENSION So, why not just do bodyweight exercises? Suspension training can increase or decrease your bodyweight resistance, depending on how you approach the exercise. This means you have a lot more flexibility in your workouts.

Let’s say you can easily do 100 pushups today. With a suspension trainer you can elevate your feet anywhere from a few inches to a full handstand

pushup, making your workout much more effective. (BTW, if you ever work your way up to 100 handstand pushups, please warn me before we roll) Another example is the one legged pistol squat. The pistol is a great exercise that very few people can do correctly. It requires a rare combination of flexibility, balance, and strength.

But it’s not out of your reach!

Using a suspension trainer,

you can slowly train your body into the proper position with the right level of assistance that you need to complete the movement. Eventually, you’ll be able to progress to doing the movement without assistance from the suspension trainer.

You can also do some fantastic cool down stretches using a suspension trainer that would be very difficult to accomplish with any other means.

And while free weights are still king for strength training, you can’t pack 300 lbs of bumper plates and a squat rack in your overnight bag. If you’re flying, the TSA frowns on kettlebells, battle clubs, and medicine balls, but a 3 lb suspension trainer goes right in the carry on luggage, no problem.

BOTTOM LINE

Suspension training isn’t going to replace free weights if you want to get strong, but it can be a great addition to your workout routine.

You can work on improving mobility and flexibility in ways that are hard to duplicate with other methods. It’s perfect for training while on the road. And last, but certainly not least, it’s a lot of fun for a change of pace!

If you’re not augmenting your jiu-jitsu training with some gym work you’re not living up to your potential.

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SOME QUICK SUSPENSION EXERCISES ASSISTED SQUAT Start your squat going as deep as possible without letting your heels rise. You can walk your feet in closer to the suspension point to make the movement harder, or further away from the suspension point to make it easier.

Being able to quickly adjust so you can use the right resistance is one great advantage of suspension training. This exercise can really help develop the mobility needed for loaded squats without any risk of injury. It’s also a good warm up movement.

SQUAT TO ROW

I-T-Y

Start with a deep squat position. Shoulders should be retracted back and locked. After performing a squat, immediately perform a row making sure to keep your body in a straight line like a board.

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Start with your arms straight above your head and your core tight, this is the I. Next move your hands out to form a T with your hands still facing out and your arms parallel with the floor. Next move to a Y position with both hands slightly behind and below your hips. Finally, move back into the I position.

With practice you’ll be able to make this a nice fluid flow from position to position. Make sure to keep your back straight and your core tight.

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The smaller the angle between you and the grown the more difficult the move.

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STRENGTH&CONDITION

REVERSE BURPEE

SINGLE LEG SQUAT/HIP FLEXOR STRETCH

Start with your feet in the stirrups and your hands in push up position. Now bring your knees up as close to your chest as you can. Repeat until your entire core is a quivering puddle of jelly.

A great exercise to open up the hips and improve leg strength. Start by loading one leg and slowly dropping into a squat position while you fold the other leg behind you. Keep the unloaded leg off the ground (if you can) while you perform the squats.

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ASSISTED PISTOL Not many people can do a single leg pistol squat right off the bat, but with a little practice and assistance from a suspension trainer you can train yourself to get into the position and eventually perform them unassisted. Start with one leg extended in front of you and slowly squat down as low as possible, keeping your heel on the ground. As you go lower, keep the extended leg off the ground. Pay attention to your balance as you raise back up, it’s very common to be stronger on one side or another. This exercise can help you even up those imbalances while you work towards an unassisted pistol.

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Forward burpee, reverse burpee, it doesn’t matter we hate them all.

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STRENGTH&CONDITION

HIP BRIDGE Don’t let this little gem fool you - it might look easy, but you’ll be sweating and shaking after a dozen reps. Just lay flat on your back with your feet in the stirrups and slightly elevated. Now bring your heels to your butt, hold for a second, and slowly straighten your legs. Enjoy, and don’t say I didn’t warn you.

SUSPENSION FLY

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Start with your feet on the ground, your back straight, and your hands in push up position. Now slowly (and without planting your face on the ground) push your hands out till they are level with your shoulders. Hold for one second and then squeeze your hands back together.

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SUSPENSION TRAINING GEAR TRX SUSPENSION TRAINER

Without a doubt, the dominant company in the market is TRX. They have gear that ranges from $199.00 to $299.00 depending on the package. They also offer lots of programs and instructional videos available for purchase, and various add-ons and accessories. The company gets great reviews for product quality and is the brand you’ve probably seen in your local gym or CrossFit box. They also have instructor certification programs.

JUNGLE GYM The Jungle Gym is similar to the TRX Trainer, but each strap is separate, which allows for some variations on placement and makes some exercises (dips, pushups, etc.) easier to do without the chafing of the arms some people get with a standard V-shaped single attachment point system. This company also gets good reviews for quality with packages that start at $99.00.

FREESTYLE TRAINER PRO The Freestyle Trainer Pro is a solid low budget alternative to the TRX. No frills, but good construction quality. It’s also available with either traditional rings or handles with foot straps similar to the TRX and Jungle Gym. Packages start at $70.

WWW.RINGTRAINING.COM/SHOP/ FREESTYLE-TRAINER-PRO.HTML

WWW.LIFELINEUSA.COM

WWW.TRXTRAINING.COM

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If you don’t have a lot to spend on gym equipment but want something very versatile this is the way to go.

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SUSPENDED PUSH UP The humble push up becomes much more difficult if you elevate your feet. The higher the feet the more difficult the movement.

Start with your feet in the stirrups and hands in pushup position. Try to grip the ground as hard as you can with your fingers, slightly rotate your hands in, lock your body in a straight line and lower your chest to the ground slowly. If you can do more than 20, raise your feet higher next time.

DIY GUERILLA STYLE If you want to try out suspension training, but $70 is still outside of your budget, you can always go back to the roots with an old jiu-jitsu belt, but a better option might be trolling around YouTube to find one of the dozens of DIY instructionals. Quality varies, but guys are building rigs for around $20 using stuff you can get at your local hardware store.

AUTHORS BILL THOMAS Bill is the founder of the sports nutrition company Q5 Labs. He has been grappling and coaching for over 30 years and is currently a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

AARON BLAKE Aaron holds a Master’s Degree in Sports & Performance Psychology and is a certified Performance Enhancement Specialist, Corrective Exercise Specialist, and Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

That’s Aaron in the photos if you didn’t notice.

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MINDGAMES::::::::::::::::

THE ART OF WAR BJJ-Style words: DAN FAGGELLA

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UN TZU’S “THE ART OF WAR” IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS THAT EVERYONE HAS HEARD ABOUT, BUT ONLY A TINY SEGMENT OF SOCIETY HAS EVER TAKEN THE TIME TO READ. For the most part, this makes sense. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t commanded fleets

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of thousands of swordsmen or cavalry...ever...and it’s safe to say I never will. However, the book is one of those universally recognized works that touches on the level of “profound,” on concepts and principles that are resoundingly relevant no matter what the era, but also on notions that transcend the battlefield altogether.

Lucky for us grapplers, the concepts in “The Art of War” often apply smoothly to developing and executing an effective BJJ game.

Putting the bows and horses away, strategy is universal - and in this article we’ll dive into four “Art of War” concepts that you can tie into your BJJ training:

So much of The Art of War is applicable to life in general.

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“The Victorious Strategist is He Who Seeks Battle Only After Victory is Won” This is much more common on a battlefield than a mat, but the premise is the same: Engage in combat only when you know your strengths and weaknesses relative to your opponent, and your precise best methods to victory.

It may seem like this is only viable in the black belt Worlds or Pan Am championships (ie. how the heck are you supposed to know who’s going to show up in the beginner’s division at the next Newark, NJ Grappler’s Quest tournament?), but this isn’t necessarily the case. First and foremost, this concept can apply as a strategic and tactical practice, right in your training room.

For example, if you have some particularly skilled training partners who you’re struggling with, take a step back and watch their game. Look at how they win against others and against you, and how they lose to others, or where you get the best of them. This will be a solid clue to the “chink” in their armor, and will give you ideas about where to attack and where to defend.

They might not be used to spider guard or De La Riva guard. They might be particularly good at the knee cut pass or the stack pass. Making note of these elements of their game and taking a conscious approach ahead of time could help give you the edge when it counts. Many of the best BJJ competitors do exactly this - and have a particular

Wisdom knows no time restraints.

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Sun Tzu as he appeared hundreds of years ago.

method for breaking down BJJ matches of their opponents that prepares them optimally for the coming match - with a “quiver of arrows” specific for the battle they’re about to engage in.

I first started taking this practice seriously in the training room when I was a blue belt, and it allowed me to use that same cognizant approach in bigger tournaments when I knew some names in my bracket (ie. at the Pan Ams, etc.).

“It is Essential to Know When to Attack” In BJJ, initiative and aggression are important. In one of my interviews with Andre Galvao, he explained to me that he trained Judo more for the aggression than for the takedowns.

However, there is such a thing as “foolhardiness,” as in attacking or being aggressive when it simply isn’t called for and does more harm than good.

In general, the best grapplers have an “attack”-oriented game.

Buchecha, Cobrinha, Rafa Mendes, and Marcelo Garcia

all have games that push the pace and place the opponent in their “style” of match. Let’s take a look at a few examples of when attacking might not be the best default response: First, when your relative strength or skill-set is inferior.

For example, if you’re on your feet against a Judo player, and you’ve worn a gi three times in your life, your best odds are probably in avoiding conflict on the feet (by pulling guard, for example, and taking initiative that way). Similarly, if you’re stuck in the 50-50 guard against a leg lock expert, it might be a more intelligent choice to get the heck out of there as opposed to trying to grab your own heel hook.

Second, when time or circumstances do not warrant attack. If you’re up by 2 points with 15 seconds left on the clock and you have a chance to go for an armbar and potentially get passed - or merely keep his posture broken and fight for a less risky sweep or submission, you might want to keep things low risk.

Similarly, if you’re up by a few points and you’re on top in the turtle position, you might not want to be overly aggressive with jumping in for your hooks because that, too would land you in a rough position where you could be scored on and lose. I’ve written about this choice of “tactics” extensively on my blog at Science of Skill - the idea is not stalling, but smarter tactical choice.

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MINDGAMES:::::::::::::::

CLOSING NOTES ON THE “ART OF WAR” IN BJJ

“Opportunities Multiply as They are Seized” As mentioned before, most of the best BJJ players alive have attack-oriented games.

If it were otherwise, you’d see a totally different style being played out in the black belt division at the World Championships.

The trend in battle and in BJJ, is that you’ll tend to force more errors and mistakes by forcing errors and mistakes.

If you pass and he turns his back to you, you’re that much more likely to take initiative AGAIN in setting a submission. If you fake a setup on the feet and he stumbles, you’re that much more likely to capitalize with a takedown.

The more you push the pace and force the opponent onto his heels, the more you’re playing your game, and he’s playing “catch-up,” responding to your pace and sequence.

This was a big theme that I heard from Robson Moura when I was first able to interview him about a year ago. As a smaller grappler, he believed that it was that much more important to be the one on the offense so as to keep the opponent away from keeping his mind on his own game, and more on saving himself from Robson’s game.

The same idea applies across the board in BJJ, regardless of weight class. Think about it like this: When was the last time you saw one grappler get totally dominated by another?

Unless it was a giant using pure power and strength to beat up a smaller opponent, you probably saw this idea of “opportunities multiplying”

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in action. He seizes one position and the opponent makes a mistake, which sets up another technique of which the opponent has to defend, which leads to another technique, and on and on.

“Build Your Opponent a Golden Bridge to Retreat Across” This concept ties into the idea of taking initiative, but has a specific connotation. One application is this: Make their “best step” obvious, their “easy out” very clear - but make it a trap of your choosing.

For example, you might pass the guard and let them think that “turtling up” is a best escape, when really it’s setting up your next submission. You might work on a particular sweep setup that makes it obvious to them that they should post out and prevent the sweep - thus leading directly into a submission.

The applications are potentially endless, but you’ll want to flesh it out in your own game, and in my opinion, the best place to start is in the attacks and positions that you work best in already.

If you work a particular guard pass all the time then you could very likely tell me what counters, preventions, or guard retention strategies generally are used to defend it. By building specific responses to the most common counters, you can begin to construct your “golden bridge” for the opponent to retreat across - only to await your pre-determined attack on the other side.

Plucking a few basic concepts from a text as rich as the “Art of War” is certainly just the tip of the iceberg. If you haven’t read the book in full, I’d recommend you getting a hold of it. Either way, by taking even one of the concepts above seriously, and consciously aiming to apply it to your game, you could find yourself to be heads above most of your training partners from a strategic standpoint.

For the most part, if you’re anything like me (and because you’re reading a magazine about jiu-jitsu - and an article about strategy - we’ve got at least that much in common), you’re interested in the cognitive elements of the game. Not just drilling, rolling, and conditioning, but the principles and concepts that make jiu-jitsu, and different approaches to jiujitsu, “work.”

Hopefully, these principles will be a good jumping off point into the world of BJJ strategic thinking, and if you ever find yourself in command of an army, you’ll be able to apply the same ideas!

WWW.SCIENCEOFSKILL.COM Wouldn’t it suck if that pic was 50 Shades of Grey and not The Art of War?

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JJMMEDIC:::::::::::::::::::::

THE TALE OF

THE TAPE words: DR. ETHAN M.

KREISWIRTH, PhD, ATC (MEDICAL DIRECTOR INTERNATIONAL/UNITED STATES BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU FEDERATION) | photos: MIKE VELEZ

KINESIO TAPING® TECHNIQUE HISTORY The Kinesio Taping® technique, also called K taping for short, was developed by a Japanese Chiropractor by the name of Dr. Kenzo Kase more than 25 years ago. Initially, the tape was designed to assist and treat the healing of tissue and muscle that may have been traumatized by sport or post-surgical procedures. The Kinesio tape, seen as a method of assistance instead of restriction (which most fundamental white taping methods deliver), suggests that by assisting the tissue that lies over an injury site it could help facilitate range of motion and decrease pain. Although founded by Dr. Kase as early as the 1970s and popularized at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Kinesio tape methods have now become common place in the United States in the field of sports medicine.

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Looks like a pretty cool guy.

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HOW KINESIO TAPE WORKS Originally, Kinesio taping was invented to aid in lymphatic drainage (removal of waste products in the blood stream).

This idea of drainage was to reduce localized swelling that might have been causing pain and discomfort to traumatized tissue. As Kinesio tape is extremely adhesive, the tape was used to lift off surface skin layers from underlying dermal layers, providing movement of lymphatic fluid from congested to non-congested areas of the body.

This movement fostered blood to move out toxic fluid in the area of injury. Furthermore, the Kinesio taping technique suggests that it has the ability to reduce pain, numbness, and reduced sensitivity due to pressure on sensory receptors in the skin. It is hypothesized that when excess fluid is removed from an injurious area, the pressure may be reduced and the ability of the pain receptors to communicate with the brain is improved.

KINESIO TAPE

EPIDERMIS

LYMPH VESSEL DERMIS

NEURAL RECEPTOR LYMPHATIC FLUID

THE UTILITY OF KINESIO TAPE

BLOOD VESSEL

THERE ARE MANY FEATURES OF KINESIO TAPE. A FEW OF THEM ARE: 100% cotton and latex free Elasticity of up to 30-40% from resting length Tape is applied with 10% stretch Medical grade, heat sensitive acrylic adhesive Allows the skin to breathe Thickness and weight approximates that of skin

Allows range of motion and does not restrict like conventional athletic tape Elastic properties to help to support and reduce muscle fatigue Can be worn for several days (3-5) without re-application

Easily tolerated

EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCH AND KINESIO TAPE Although level three or higher evidence based research is limited with the application of Kinesio tape, the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport reported that muscle strength with Kinesio tape in the lower extremity showed no significant effects of increased power with applications of non-injured young athletes. In contrast, when Kinesio tape was applied to areas of the upper extremity, peak torque values of strength increased with concentric exercise with the use of Kinesio taping. Furthermore, Ew, gross.

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a systematic review of the literature, which is a higher level of evidence needed to better understand the effects of multiple studies, revealed that Kinesio tape has limited to moderate evidence that is no more clinically effective than sham or usual care tape/ bandage. Along with that, it is suggested that there is limited evidence from one moderate quality Randomized Control Trial that Kinesio tape, in conjunction with physiotherapy, was clinically beneficial for foot pain in the short term. In

other words, there currently is insufficient evidence to support the use of Kinesio tape as a stand-alone treatment of musculoskeletal injury over other modalities in clinical practice. The conclusions from the research would suggest that the information on Kinesio tape from a research standpoint is still under investigation.

Kinesio tape techniques have been integrated and popularized in recent large scale sporting events, including the Olympics. Many sports medicine practitioners are

using Kinesio tape techniques to aid in treatment of their athletes, in addition to creating a potential placebo effect for additional athletic performance.

Although the research has little support of the utility of Kinesio tape, the acceptance has increased dramatically in the United States in recent years.

Athletes must make their own determinations as to whether the application of Kinesio tape is effective for them.

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JJMMEDIC::::::::::::::::::::

KINESEO TAPE TECHNIQUE ANKLE

A lateral Ankle sprain is an injury that stems from a toe hold or heel hook. The sprain takes place at the ligament which is on the outside of the foot/ankle complex. This ligament is called the Anterior Talofibular Ligament (ATF). The taping process will add some support to the area and should help with reduction of swelling around the ankle to relieve pain. This sequence is the one followed using pre-cut tape strips like Origin’s S1 Muscle Tape.

01

Start with an 8 inch piece of tape opened at the center then tape across the bottom of the foot with no stretch, and tap it down on the sides of the foot.

02

03

Remove all but an inch of tape backing from the inside portion of tape.

Give the tape about a 70% stretch and invert the ankle by pointing the toes downward and tape it across the ankle.

Tack the final ¾” of the tape down to the ankle without stretch.

Take the other side and repeat the process crossing over the other side of the ankle over the injured ligament, this time with a 100% stretch to all, but the last bit of tape to tack down securely.

Now, take another piece of tape, tearing it at the center, and tacking it to the back of the Achilles tendon.

04

05

06

07

Repeat with the other side of the tape, giving it about a 50% stretch this time and pulling it over to the injured ligament and tack down the tape.

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Invert the ankle again and pull the tap across to the injured ligament with 100% stretch.

Stop the taping past the ligament and hold it down with your finger, remove the last of the tape backing and anchor the last bit of tape to the foot.

The injury described above is an “acute” ankle sprain.

The ligament will get sprained or torn and can swell up. Taping the skin helps with lymphatic flow around the injury and pulls on the sensory nerve receptors to help reduce pain.

Looks like someone went with the Crystel Gel.

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ALTERNATE ANKLE METHOD

This method and procedure would be used when using un-cut tape that you can cut to the desired longer length.

Both offer the necessary support.

01

Measure a large piece of tape from the bottom of the foot to mid calf.

02

Fold the tape in half and round off the edges to help with peeling.

04 03

Split the tape at the middle and tack to the arch of the foot without any stretch.

Remove all, but the last inch or so of the tape backing and stretch the tape over the swollen area, invert the foot once again by pointing the entire foot downward.

06

Once again, pull the tape tight over the swollen area and tack down.

Then relieve the stretch and circle around the leg.

05

Circle the tape around the back of the leg, the stretch only needs to be near the immediate area of the swelling, the portion that gets stuck to the back of the leg doesn’t need any stretch.

07

Lastly, take a shorter piece, about 6-8 inches, across the back of the Achilles without stretch, then stretch over the swollen ligament.

To make sure you’re not allergic you might want to cut a small piece of tape and stick it to your skin for about 15 minutes before taping up the rest.

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JJMMEDIC::::::::::::::::::::

THE KNEE

This method of taping the knee will give overall support to the joint, including the patella tendon. This would be for knee patella tendonitis or general instability of the knee.

This method helps to alleviate pain while lending support.

02

Split the tape backing at the center and give it a firm 100% stretch and tack down directly over the patella tendon. While pulling, have the athlete rub the tape vigorously to heat up the adhesive and promote better adhesion.

01

The first piece is a short piece over the patella tendon, about 6 inches long.

03

Then remove the last inch of tape on each side and tack to the skin without any stretch.

04

Measure out a length of tape from just past mid thigh to the front of the knee, cut two of these and round off the edges.

05

Tack down the first inch or so without any stretch, just past the middle of the thigh, then give it between a 50 and 70% stretch down the length of the thigh to the knee. Wrap the tape around the front of the knee to the last inch, don’t stretch that last portion that you’re tacking to the skin.

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06

Repeat the same process to the inside of the thigh with the beginning and end point.

Hey, nice shirt.

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SHOULDER

This taping method is for general stability of the shoulder.

This would be useful for anyone suffering an AC joint injury (shoulder separation) or rotator cuff pain. The athlete should be looking straight ahead, with good posture.

01

Ethan’s using the Origin Pre-Cut S1 Muscle Tape. With the athlete’s arm down at her side, measure out the placement of the tape so that it will lend support to the entire deltoid and tack an inch of unstretched tape onto the upper arm, a few inches below the shoulder.

02

After the tape is tacked down, peel all, but the last inch of backing and put the athlete’s arm in outward rotation, as if she’s raising her arm up to flex the bicep.

05

After the tack, have the athlete bring her arm across the front of her body, and tape again with a 25 to 50% stretch tape to the rear of the deltoid and tack the last inch without any stretch.

03

Give the tape about a 25 to 50% stretch through the shoulder and tack down to all, but the last inch of tape.

04

Take another piece of tape and tack down to the same starting point as the first piece of tape, but in the other direction toward the back of the arm, where the tape comes together and forms the bottom of a “V.”

06

Another piece of tape is placed beginning at the middle of the upper back with an angle so that the tape will pass over the area of the rotator cuff. Begin with a nice anchor, then give it a nice 25 to 50% stretch to tack down to the front of the shoulder over the rotator cuff.

Thanks to Morgan Johnson for letting us tape her up.

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JJMMEDIC::::::::::::::::::::

LOWER BACK

This technique helps with mild lower back pain and lends support to the area.

01

Take a precut piece of tape or 8 inches, tack down one inch unstretched to the upper buttocks, to the side of the spine.

02

The athlete then bends over to touch her toes for a full stretch. Stretch the tape 50 to 75% and tack down to the back with a one-inch anchor at the top.

FOREARM

ABOUT THE DOCTOR

This technique is useful for forearm flexor strains or if something feels week in your forearm so that the tape mimics the path of a tendon.

Dr. Ethan M. Kreiswirth, PhD, ATC of “Kreiswirth Sports Medicine” is the Medical Director for the International/ United States Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Dr. Kreiswirth is a Black Belt in BJJ and has provided medical coverage for BJJ events since the mid-1990s.

Ethan can be reached at EKREISWIRTH@

01

The Origin tape is split down the middle. This split can be used for smaller tape jobs. In this case, Ethan Anchors an inch of tape to the inside bottom portion of the elbow, with the tape directed towards the thumb.

02

Split the tape, then run one portion of the tape down to the bottom of the wrist, at the base of the thumb, with a 50% stretch with all, but the final anchor point.

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03

Repeat to the other side of the spine.

GMAIL.COM

03

Pull the other portion of tape off to the outside of the forearm with a 50% pull, and arch the tape along the forearm to finish at the same point that you tacked down the first portion, at the base of the thumb.

Ethan’s seen just about every jiu-jitsu related injury you can imagine.

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JJMSUCCESS:::::::::::::::::

CHAZ JORDAN W HEN HE WAS 19 YEARS OLD, CHAZ JORDAN WEIGHED A GRAND TOTAL OF 320 LBS. He was extremely unhealthy. He used to sweat over the littlest exertion. Chaz was embarrassed to do anything physical at all in front of people, needless to say he was very unhappy. One day he watched the Ultimate Fighter Finale and watched Diego Sanchez utterly destroy Kenny Florian on the ground and immediately his interest was sparked.

HOW DID YOU DISCOVER JIUJITSU? I discovered jiu-jitsu when I attended my first year of college. There was a Gracie Barra academy a few blocks away from campus and I was really interested in anything related to MMA. I took my first class and I was hooked.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU TRAIN? I train six days a week, twice a day. I try to incorporate everything into my routine including grappling, cardio, stand up, and straight MMA drilling.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS? I love to run. When I first started trying to get into shape it would take me 20 minutes just to run 1 mile! Now I can keep about a 7:30 mile for an extended amount of time. I really see a lot of my hard work pay off when I go for long runs. Running

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really helped build my mental toughness and continues to do so.

HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR DIET AND HOW? No junk food and no soda! I eat really clean for the most part. I eat lots of vegetables and fruit my favorites being avocado, spinach, and pineapple. I keep my protein intake at mainly fish, chicken, and protein powder. My new diet really gives me a lot of energy to compete at a high level.

BEFORE

level of skill but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve earned everything I achieved.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR LIFE CHANGE? The best thing about my life change is just looking good. I love competing and fighting but at the end of the day not being embarrassed when I take my shirt off is really awesome.

It is great to have a lot of confidence in myself.

TO SOMEONE LOOKING TO MAKE THE SAME CHANGE YOU’VE MADE? Start small! Baby steps will eventually lead to giant strides.

It is important to set goals and work towards those goals. BJJ was my outlet; it was my drive to go to the gym and work hard because I wanted to be great.

That goal has not changed and I am still pushing everyday to achieve what I want.

WHAT’S BEEN THE WHAT ADVICE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WOULD YOU GIVE SO FAR? I feel like the biggest challenge is trying to compete with guys who have been athletes their whole lives. Not to long ago I was just a fat kid, now I’m on the mats and training with some really talented guys. It can be discouraging sometimes, but I know that I have come so much further than many people and I have a great work ethic.

I have to work twice as hard as everyone else to get the same

QUICK STATS

AGE: 25 HEIGHT: 5’11 STARTING WEIGHT: 320 CURRENT WEIGHT: 180 BELT RANK: Purple HOMETOWN: Aberdeen, Wa HOME SCHOOL: Yakima Mixed Martial Arts INSTRUCTORS: Rich Guerin, Bryan Caraway, Miesha Tate

AFTER

Chaz competes in jiu-jitsu tournaments and has a 7 -1 amateur MMA record.

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