21 Feb/Mar 2014 by jiujitsumag.

ARE BERRIES THE BERRY BEST SUPERFOOD? Pg 24 NUTRITION, CONDITION, TECHNIQUE, SUBMIT

PLUS: IMPROVE YOUR BALANCE LIMBER UP WITH YOGA FOR JIU-JITSU THE TRUTH BEHIND TESTOSTERONE THERAPY

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FEB/MARCH 2014 / ISSUE 21 JIUJITSUMAG.COM

S Y U G E C I N T S R I F H S I N FI hael Langhi

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CONTENTS FEB/MAR 2014 / ISSUE 21 MEET THE EXPERTS MATTHEW CORLEY

Matthew Corley is a blue belt and Registered Pharmasist and clinical phramacy manager who trains under Ezra Lenon. The best way to keep up with my articles and reviews is at www.facebook.com/ MappingMyBjjJourney

DR. JOHN GELBER M.D.

Doctor and founder of FightMedicine.net, MMA and Grappling’s #1 resource for injury, health, and fitness advice. Follow Dr Gelber on twitter @FightMedicine.

REGULARS

DRILL IT Open guard to back

08 EDITORIAL Combatchee!

70 SPOTLIGHT

10 CHECK-IN What the world’s been waiting for

Todd Williams

MIND GAMES Fighting Anxiety

STRENGTH & CONDITION Balance for jiu-jitsu

PRO MOTIONS Belts and stripes

24 GRUB Berry, berry good! 32 SUPPLEMENTS

The truth behind TRT

THE LIFE Train tired

40 WARM-UP Yoga belt stretches

DR. ETHAN KREISWIRTH

104 MEDIC Doctor Q&A 106 SUCCESS Rolling back to health

TECHNIQUES 52

ON THE COVER: Michael Langhi mean mugs the camera. COVER PHOTO: Jason Boulanger 79

JUDO TAKEDOWNS Renan Vital takes down the opposition

GEAR LAB 72 TESTED CTRL Desert Sun Gi Grips Duffel Backpack Defense Soap Wipes Sitting Guard DVD

FEATURES 66

MAKING MINDMAPS A better way to learn

EVENT COVERAGE SJJIF WORLDS

COVER FEATURE Michael Langhi shows off his game

75 GEAR LAB It’s in the bag

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

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.

LAB 72 GEAR CTRL Gi Review

24 GRUB Only the Berry Best

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.

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106 SUCCESS Rolling To Good Health

SJJIF WORLDS Jammed packed

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NICE GUYS T S R I F H S I N I F ichael Langhi M

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

TIS THE SEASON!

TOP, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING, “MIKE, YOU’RE USING THE HEADLINE FROM DECEMBER’S EDITORIAL!” No, not that season. I’m talking about the competition season. No matter where in the country you live, there’s a pretty good chance that on any given weekend these days you’re within a few hours driving distance from some sort of jiu-jitsu or grappling tournament. Or, if you’re like us here in southern California, you’ve got an abundance of competitions to choose from. During the month of January 2014 there are three tournaments taking place over the same weekend. Crazy! Yeah, it’s great that we have options, but the lack of cooperation and communication between the organizers only dilutes the participation level and competition at each event. But that’s a topic for another editorial. This time I want to talk about competing in general. If you’ve never competed in an actual tournament, I highly recommend you do it at least once at every belt level on your jiu-jitsu journey. According to our recent reader survey, 84% of you have or plan to compete. I was pretty encouraged by that high response rate. Now, I understand that some of you might have some anxiety towards competition, or no real desire to do it. If you fall into that other 16%, lend me your ear for just a moment. Here’s my case as to why I think you should give competition a try this year. Making the commitment to enter a particular event will change the entire focus of your training, and your life, for the better. You don’t have to compete monthly, just pick one tournament. It could be one as far as 6 months or even a year away. It doesn’t matter. Having that goal, that external motivator, will make a difference in how you face your jiu-jitsu training, your diet, your consumption of training advice, your game, your mindset, everything. For me, having a competition date set on the calendar helps me with my will power to control my diet. That’s something I struggle with. I train often enough, and hit the gym hard enough that I should be in pretty good shape. However, I love ice cream and sweets, what can I say? So, I’ve picked out a couple tournaments that I want to compete in this year, and guess what? I need to drop some pounds if I want to have a chance. Having that goal set in my mind is the perfect external motivator I need to keep my diet on track. When I have a craving for ice cream at night I just think of not making weight, or being totally out of shape and I’m not having dreams of Ben nor Jerry. It could also be that motivator to get you to the gym at 5AM rather than just sleeping in. Nobody reading this should need an extra reason to go train jiu-jitsu, so I’m not going to go there, but we’re all human. It’s easy to lose drive from time to time. That being said, having a tournament penciled in on my schedule creates a clear-cut goal that gives me that motivation I need to treat my training, learning, and lifestyle with a renewed purpose. If you’re nervous, don’t worry. You’re going to compete against people just like you. There aren’t too many athletic endeavors like jiu-jitsu where competitors are pared down so closely to physical condition, age, and skill level. If you’re not familiar with how it works, most jiu-jitsu competitions are broken down into divisions based on your belt rank (or in no gi it goes by how long you’ve been training). From there, the breakdown is by weight; obviously you want to be in the best condition you can be, but at least the person across the mats from you will be within a few pounds. Lastly, your division will be broken down by age. There’s no reason for us old guys to think we’re going to have to compete against some young buck. Don’t want to worry about scoring points and advantages and all the gamesmanship that goes along with it? No worries! Enter a submission-only tournament. Those are getting more and more popular. No matter what your “hang up” there’s a solution to keep you happy. Challenge yourself to commit to at least one tournament this year. You might find that it’s one of the greatest things you ever do for yourself, but you’ll never know until you try. At the very least you’ll be able to say you’ve done it. Along with all the great technique in this issue, there are two articles in particular that I think can help you on this new competition goal. One is on Mind Mapping by Matt Corley. Matt shows us how to use mind maps to develop and strategize our games. The other is by Ruben Avila. In this article, Ruben discusses competition anxiety and how to overcome it. I really do hope you enjoy this edition and I wish you the best of luck at your next competition, unless you’re in my bracket ;)

Keep Rolling!

MIKE VELEZ

PUBLISHER/EDITOR

EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR & PUBLISHER Mike Velez ASSOCIATE EDITOR Deb Blyth CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS Seymour Yang, Jeremy Reid, Travis Guesnon, Lucas Dyer, Matthew Corley, Dr. Ethan Kreiswirth, Hywel Teague, Edwin Najmi, Dr. Jon Gebler MD

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 2014 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

MIKEV@JIUJITSUMAG.COM

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Don’t worry about it!

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SAYING

GOODBYE

n December 16th we lost a very dear friend of the magazine, as well as a friend to everyone who knew him. Joe Camacho passed away of an apparent heart attack early in the morning of December 16th. Joe’s passing was a shock to everyone, especially at the age of 41. As well as being an accomplished jiu-jitsu black belt, Joe was a veteran of MMA and a pioneer in the California fight scene. His most recent bout was in Bellator, and he’s a past King of the Cage Champion. Many of us here knew Joe personally and can say without a doubt that he was one of the nicest, most generous people you’d ever meet. We will miss him dearly.

Look Good Everywhere You Go! It’s finally here, the JJM 3.0 T-shirt with art by John Smalls! The new shirt is available for sale on our website, but the best way to get your hands on it is to subscribe to a 2-year print subscription to Jiu-Jitsu Magazine! Do it now.

CTRL IS PUTTING IN WORK

Take a quick look at a new release from CTRL called The Journeyman. It will be a limited release gi available for pre-order soon at their website. For those of you that like to do some hard work on the mats and like that blue collar edge it looks like this might be the gi for you. Features will include 420 gram pearl weave jacket, ripstop pants, corduroy accents, while being navy blue with light brown stitching. Drops mid to late February. WWW.CTRLINDUSTRIES.COM

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Joe had a lot to do with getting our first issue out the door.

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METAMORIS 3 IS A GO The on-again, off-again saga that’s been Metamoris 3 is finally on again. Never before has a rematch been so eagerly anticipated than the rematch of Eddie Bravo and Royler Gracie. The promoters decided to go a different route this time. Rather than rent out a giant basketball stadium they’re going cozy; the event will be held in a 700 seat complex at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angles, CA. A live Pay-Per-View stream of the event will be available to the rest of the world. Along with the highly anticipated headline event, the rest of the card is stacked with some very interesting matchups. Rafael Mendes will take on Clark Gracie. Keenan

Cornelius goes against UFC veteran Vinny Magalheas. Dean Lister is back for his second Metamoris and takes on Renato “Babalu” Sobral. The other half of the Mendes Brothers, Gui Mendes will take on up-and-coming black belt, Samir Chantre. And finally, a glimpse into the future with Zack Maxwell going up against Sean Roberts. I don’t know about you, but I get goose bumps just thinking about it. This looks like it could be the best Metamoris yet. It all goes down Saturday March 29th. So mark your calendar, fire up your modem, plug in the big screen, and be ready to watch the most anticipated matchup of all time.

WWW.METAMORIS.COM

Goorudo Gold Weave

Turn on any UFC event, and I’d put a crisp new Benjamin down that you’ll see the Hayabusa name on someone. It’s safe money because Hayabusa has been making some of the best MMA gear in the world. The top guys know this. Hayabusa is looking to get into the jiu-jitsu arena in a much bigger way. We told you that they hooked up with Buchecha to help develop products. The fruits of that labor are finally here. The Goorudo Gold Weave Gi (the word goorudo translates to gold in Japanese) is the first of new gi’s from Hayabusa. It’s engineered with 550-gsm gold spec-weave cotton and reinforced with double stitching throughout both the jacket and pants. According to Buchecha himself the new weave is both strong and durable. The gi’s will be available in three different colors; white, blue, and black. The patchwork is clean and more traditional than Hayabusa gi’s of the past. The Goorudo Gold Weave will be available in sizes A0 through A5 and will have a suggested retail price below $190. WWW.HAYABUSAFIGHT.COM Are you Team Bravo or Team Gracie?

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Battle 4 The Ages group, in 8-man brackets, and had them fight until a true championship belt was won.

Something new recently happened deep in the heart of Texas. The “Battle 4 the Ages” tournament crowned some of the best 8-17 year olds and best Teen Female Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors from around the country.

The competitors didn’t disappoint and the event went smoothly.

This pro-style, invite-only and submission-only tournament sought out the highest ranked Brazilian jiujitsu competitors in each age

BFA -2 NoGi Brazilian JiuJitsu tournaments will be held on March 29th, 2014 in Dallas, Texas to crown a NoGi Champion.

All “Battle 4 the Ages” tournaments offer a live online feed. If you have a competitor or are a competitor interested in competing in this exciting new format, check out their Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ battle4theages and send them a direct message with your request. They’ll research your competitor to determine eligibility.

The current BFA World Champions per age group are as follows: 8 yr. old: Ethan Blevins - Gator MMA - FL 9 yr. old: Carlos Gallardo-Cabrera - Amazonas Rice Bros. - CA 10 yr. old: Mario Jesus Alvarado - Amazonas Rice Bros. - CA 11 yr. old: Savion Maranon - Team Fiona Jiu-Jitsu - NJ 12 yr. old: Justus Scott - Cobra Kai - LV 13 yr. old: Roberto Jimenez - Alliance Jiu-Jitsu – Houston, TX 14 yr. old: Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani - NoNo’s MMA - CA 15 yr. old: Austin Oranday - Elite MMA - TX 16 yr. old: Sam Rice - Amazonas Rice Bros - CA 17 yr. old: Andy Cordova - Gracie Barra - TX Teen Female: Kayla Deleon - Team Revolution - TX

GET QUALIFIED! FIVE GI.NOGI Grappling has announced their 2014 North American Championship will be held in Miami, Florida this November. Unlike other championships with open invites to everyone, FIVE looks to crown a true champion that must first qualify at one of their ten events happening across the country and in Canada. Only athletes who place on the podium at any of the FIVE regional events will qualify for an invitation to the National Championship. The first qualifier is happening on February 22nd at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA. The second qualifier is scheduled for March 29th in Las Vegas, NV with future events being announced on the FIVE website. Check it out, and keep an eye out for more information on FIVE events in future issues of JJM. WWW.FIVEGRAPPLING.COM

ROGER’S BACK...

SORTA Jiu-Jitsu legend Roger Gracie has started his own gi brand, with his own design and cut. ROGER GRACIE KIMONOS is name of the brand. The inspiration for his gi line is simplicity. Clean design, simple logo, traditional cut and great quality. Roger’s Original Light gi will have a classic look and are being made of soft 420-gsm 100% Cotton, preshrunk

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and features quality stitching throughout. Pricing is expected to be around $160 and will be available in both tradional white and blue. Clearly Roger has renewed interest in jiu-jitsu, and the fact that he’s yet to sign with another MMA promotion has us wondering, could this be a sign of Roger’s return to competitive jiu-jitsu? Let’s hope.

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Roger looks like he should be on the cover of a fashion mag with those poses!

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WE’LL WATCH FOR YOU Our newest venture iRoll.TV is now online. Our goal with iRoll. TV was to scour the internet in search of the best jiu-jitsu related videos out there. We’ve curated hundreds of videos on every jiu-jitsu related topic you can imagine and put that in one central location. Easy to search and navigate, iRoll.TV will even suggest other videos you might like. Go check it out.

Face It!

We’re always asking questions on our facebook page (facebook.com/jiujitsumag) and for this issue we asked a pretty simple question and were floored by how many inspiring and meaningful responses we got back. There were so many good ones it was really hard to choose. Thanks to everyone who commented.

What do you remember most about your first tournament? HERE’S A LOOK AT SOME OF YOUR RESPONSES:

WWW.IROLL.TV

MIKAL A CRIST Learning the difference between competition fitness and practice fitness!!

Get The Most out of JIU-JITSU MAGAZINE

ELLIOTT NURSE How my forearms were in so much pain from gripping so hard and having no strength left in them at all. Also how I had drilled so many Judo takedowns but in the heat of the moment we just tugged on each other for 2 minutes until we both just fell over. Sneaked a win though!

We’ve shot video of many of the techniques covered. In future issues, we will have a QR code for each article, but until then, you can find a link to instructional videos on our website, JIUJITSUMAG.COM

JOHN IVANISZYN I was a 42 year old white belt with 3 months of training and doing my 1st competition. I get matched up with a blue belt who just happened to be a black belt in judo. He threw me over his shoulder and I was about 5’ off the ground and parallel with the ground. I lost by points and was not deterred by my loss, I still compete to this day as a brown belt. OSS!

The Videos

Drill and Practice We cover quite a few techniques in this issue and we hope that we give you plenty of detail for each. You have two months before the next issue comes out (we’re bimonthly), so take your time and drill the techniques we discuss with your partners and practice, practice, practice! If you get a solid understanding of just six techniques we cover in this issue you’ll have a huge advantage over those who don’t read JJM.

The Skills Triangle You’ll see these scattered throughout the magazine in the technique articles. These give you an indicator of what qualities will help you perform the technique with greater ease.

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This doesn’t mean that you must possess these qualities; it simply means that you will be able to perform the maneuver with greater ease if the rating is higher in a quality you possess. For example:

FLEXIBILITY – A low rating means additional flexibility won’t really aide you. A high rating means that you’ll find this technique easier if you’re very flexible. STRENGTH – A low rating means that very little physical strength is necessary to perform. A high rating means that using greater strength will be beneficial in performing this technique. AGILITY – A low rating means that this technique can be performed slowly, a high rating means that the ability to perform quickly will be an advantage. This is a simple guide to aid you. Having the greatest flexibility, strength, and agility will not outweigh solid technical skill and paying attention to the fine points of a technique. This system is a work in progress, and we hope to perfect it soon with feedback from our readers.

CHRISTOPHER CRISSPIE CARROLL I remember my division being called over the loudspeaker, I headed to the bull pen and everyone looked so angry, I thought “these guys are gonna try and kill me”. Then the hard butterflies and nausea set in and I started to pace, I heard my name called and I stepped up and could barely remember my own name, then something happened my barefoot stepped onto the mat and the world disappeared, all that mattered was the guy standing in front of me, as the match started I could hear my coaches instructions, his voice cut through the noise and my mind was clear. I ended up losing my first match but was able to fight back and take 3rd. It was an incredible day! CLOVER STREET Walking in cocky and leaving humbled. BOBBY DILLS Sweating and throwing up.

Whose story did you like the best?

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A Few Words With: Felipe Pena

Felipe “Preguica” Pena has been training for 7 years in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil at Gracie Barra BH. He started out training under Vinicus “Draculino” Magalhaes, but when he moved to Houston Marcelo “Uirapiru” Azevedo and Sergio Benini took over and they have been his professors ever since. WHAT IS YOUR STYLE OF JIU-JITSU? In the beginning, I just wanted to play guard, but now I have started to be comfortable everywhere. I really like to study positions and make new positions. My favorite guards are spider and De La Riva because they have the best options to attack and it’s hard for my opponent to stall. NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW THIS BUT, YOUR OLDER BROTHER TIO CHICO, IS A HIGH LEVEL BJJ BLACK BELT. DID HE HAVE A BIG ROLE IN YOU STARTING JIU-JITSU? Yes, he had a huge part in me starting jiujitsu. When I was younger, he was always training hard and competing, I always wanted to be like him. So I started jiu-jitsu

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to be like him, he inspired me a lot to do something with my life. YOUR NICKNAME IS PREGUICA, WHICH MEANS LAZY IN PORTUGUESE, YET YOU ARE KNOWN FOR YOUR WORK ETHIC AND ABILITY TO NEVER GIVE UP IN YOUR MATCHES. HOW DID YOU GET THE NICKNAME? When I was younger, I was overweight and really lazy to go to training. So Draculino gave me that nickname and it has stuck ever since. Even though I train really hard now, everyone remembers me as the lazy chubby kid that didn’t enjoy training. HOW WAS IT TO COMPETE AT THE COPA PODIO GRAND PRIX WITH SOME OF THE BEST BJJ ATHLETES IN

THE WORLD LIKE DIEGO MORENO, PAULO MIYAO, DAVI RAMOS, AND TRAVIS STEVENS? It was awesome! It was a great experience to compete against many high level competitors that I have so much respect for. I learned a lot from the tournament and victory. BEING A RELATIVELY NEW BLACK BELT, WHAT DOES YOUR BIG WIN AT THE COPA PODIO MEAN TO YOU? It means a lot. I competed against some of the best jiu-jitsu competitors in the world. I will always remember the battles I had at the Copa Podio. It was my first major title at black belt so I will definitely never forget it.

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HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FIGHTING IN A GRAND PRIX COMPARED TO A NORMAL IBJJF TOURNAMENT? In the grand prix, all the competitors are all tough. In a normal IBJJF tournament, there was always 2-3 tough guys that you fight against depending on the bracket. But in the grand prix, you have to fight against all of them. Also all the focus is on you when you are competing, since there is 1 match at a time. This puts a lot of pressure on you to perform at your best. YOU WENT FROM A PURPLE BELT IN 2011 TO A BLACK BELT IN 2013 WINNING MAJOR TOURNAMENTS, HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO TRANSITION TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL SO QUICKLY? I just trained as hard as possible and always believe that I can do it. I learned from my mentor, Romulo Barral, that if I train hard and believe anything is possible.

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CHECK THE BLUE PRINTS Regular contributor to the magazine Nicolas Gregoriades, who’s a Roger Gracie Black Belt and Grand Puba over at the JiuJitsu Brotherhood, is about to release a new book, “The Black Belt Blueprint – An Intelligent Approach to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu”. We’ve gotten our hands on an early copy of the book and it’s terrific. You’d think Nic was trying to put us out of business it’s so good. He covers everything from concepts, drilling, improving off the mat, living the lifestyle, techniques, and beyond. We’re not sure yet on the price of the book, or the specific release date, but keep an eye out by checking Nic’s website at

FOR THE LADIES A couple issues ago we did a full review on the Fuji Sports Sekai gi and really, really liked it. So the ladies don’t feel left out Fuji Sports has come up with a woman’s version. The women’s cut includes a tapered waste, sleeves, and pants. It’s also available in an W0 size for those looking for something slightly smaller than a W1. The new gi is available in sizes W0 to W6 and in white with purple stitching and accents. Suggested retail is just $169. WWW.FUJISPORTS.COM

WWW.JIUJITSUBROTHERHOOD.COM.

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PRO MOTIONS

END US YOUR PROMOTION PHOTOS ALONG WITH YOUR NAME, SCHOOL, INSTRUCTOR, AND A LITTLE BACK STORY. Email us with the subject line, “Pro Motions” to feedback@jiujitsumag.com and keep an eye out for your Pro Motions in a future issue. School owners, please hold off on sending “group” promotions, and please keep it to specific individual students.

Daddy Dearest As a father I can say there is no greater feeling than when your child speaks honorably about you to others. It tells you that you’ve done something right and really good when raising your kids. Mr. Kaelum Kalista your daughter, Tina thinks the world of you; letting us know how hard you worked to earn your brown belt under Basico Jiu Jitsu (Dominican Republic) from Abraham Marte’ and Abraham Tabar. Congratulations, Sir and best of luck to with your team at Galaxy Center Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Chris Wellstood While conducting a seminar in Kingston, Ontario Canada, TUF Brazil winner Leo Santos promoted Chris Wellstood to brown and Janet Smith to blue. Not only do Chris and Janet run two schools in the area together, they are now engaged, as Chris proposed just minutes prior. Congratulations to you both on your promotions and engagement!

The First One’s The Hardest This is Franky Hoang, he recently earned his first stripe, his very first one. It took him six months of hard work, and in that six months, he’s already competed in two tournaments and gone to two seminars. To say he’s hooked on jiu-jitsu would be an understatement. He trains at Hayabusa in St. Albert, Alberta and is looking forward to bringing the gold back to Canada at the Pan Ams in 2014. Way to go, Franky!

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Love on the mats.

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Congratulazioni

Congratulations to Miche le Villani of Batatinha Tea m Italian branch of Biella Alexandre Vasconcelos dos Master’s Santos on receiving his bla ck belt. To you we yell a mig “OSSS!!!” hty,

Niels Tuhumury So, this summer I traveled to Los Angeles for a holiday/training trip from the Netherlands. When I’m in LA, I train at Dynamix Martial Arts under Henry Akins. I’ve been traveling back and forth since 2005. As you can see, it took a long time for me to get the promotion (blue, 4 stripes), but I only wanted to get it from Henry himself. I love his classes and he is such a great teacher. And as you can see, I wore my Atama gi! Kind regards, NIELS TUHUMURY THE NETHERLANDS

The Doctor Is In – Purple It’s always great to see one of our contributors accomplish a goal! Thank you, Dr. John Park for all your great service to Jiu-Jitsu Magazine and congratulations on your purple belt promotion!

Not Messing With Texas, Promise Congratulations to Dave Smith for earning his purple belt from Professor Bruno Alves under GFTEAM/PINNACLE MARITAL ARTS in San Antonio, Texas!

Nels Larson

Justin Juggs Dee

Congratulations to Nels Larson and Professor Jucao on their respective promotions. Nels received his brown belt and Professor Jucao received his IBJJF certifications.

Blood, sweat, and tears for 13 dedicated years in any endeavor takes an amazing amount of discipline and sacrifice (that only a few may see). To spread your knowledge and help others as well by being the head instructor at Full Metal JiuJitsu/Mendes Bros Australia makes it more awesome! Much props for sticking with it, showing others the path, and earning your BJJ black belt from the Mendes Bros, Justin “Juggs” Dee! To you we yell a mighty, “OSSS!!!”

Keep them coming!

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BERRY BLACK BELT words: TRAVIS GUESNON

| photos: MIKE VELEZ

F YOU’VE GOT A SWEET TOOTH, BUT DON’T WANT THAT TWINKIE THAT’S FULL OF A TON OF CALORIES, NEED A QUICK PICK ME UP, OR FEELING JUST BLAH; BERRIES MAY BE JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED. Berries are great for a healthy eating lifestyle because they are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your body against inflammation and free radicals (molecules that damage cells and organs). They also have a low-calorie high-nutrient ratio, low glycemic-index, provide energy, are loaded with fiber, assist with weight management, can be cancer preventive, provide a delicious & sweet alternative to junk food, and more.

WHAT’S A BERRY?

The most commonly known berries we eat are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Or are they? Contrary to what most believe, none of these are actual berries, according to the botanical definition. The word “botanical” relates to botany; which is the study of plants. Technically, a true berry is a single fleshy ovary that grows into a fruit with no barrier in between the seed and the juicy portion that is eaten. Strawberries, raspberries, and black berries are compound fruits and blueberries are an epigynous fruit. In general terms (for us non-botanists), and for the sake of this article, berries are small, juicy, colorful, fleshy fruits.

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Bananas are actually berries. Crazy huh.

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ROLE CALL STRAWBERRIES Strawberries originated from France during the late 18th century. They are an excellent source of Vitamin-C and manganese. Eating one cup a day can complete 100% of an individual’s Vitamin-C DV (daily value). Vitamin-C is crucial for humans as we are the only mammals that cannot self-produce it. Vitamin-C strengthens and protects our eyes, fights bad cholesterol, and regulates blood pressure. Manganese is a mineral and essential nutrient because the body requires it to function properly. It’s used for treatment of osteoporosis (weak bones), anemia (a decreased number of red blood cells), and PMS (premenstrual syndrome).

BLUEBERRIES Blueberries are native to North America, which is where 95% of them are cultivated. Blueberries have been shown to assist

Something most of us don’t pay attention to, in the whole organic vs non-organic debate, is that the soil in which the organic foods are grown is that of higher-quality soil. What difference does that make you

GMO? Don’t get us started.

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BLACKBERRIES

RASPBERRIES Raspberries originated from Eastern Asia. There are actually over 200 species of this berry, with red being the most popular. Like strawberries, raspberries have a high content level of Vitamin-C and manganese, as well as Vitamin-K and magnesium. Vitamin-K assists with preventing blood clots, preventing heart disease, and building strong bones. This vitamin works hand in hand with Vitamin-D and it should be known that without each other, neither works optimally

Organic or Not Some studies have shown that organic foods are smaller in size, but have a denser nutritional value. In one study, organic strawberries for example, have almost 10% more Vitamin C, and are almost 9% higher in antioxidants as compared to those chemically grown.

in your body. Magnesium’s benefits include energy production, balance of your nervous system, and preventing decreasing loss of bone mass.

with improving memory, and the cardiovascular systems function. They also help prevent stomach ailments, heart degeneration, and heart diseases.

Before coming to the US, the Himalayan blackberry came from Europe in the 1800’s; however, the fruit itself is from Armenia. Blackberries help improve motor and cognitive skills, heart function, and promote oral health. Blackberries are also relatively high in fiber, this is because the “torus” stays with the berry when picked, versus a raspberry where the torus is removed when picked.

Organic usually comes at a increased price. The benefits are debatable, however organic’s don’t have the pesticide residue found on conventionally grown foods.

may ask? It means a healthier eco-system so that the food being produced has much higher levels of nutrients, such as zinc, boron, sodium, and iron, just to name a few. A problem with this study, though, is that it was controlled. You probably just asked, “Huh? What? Doesn’t that make it better?” Well, it does because you’re eliminating variables, but it doesn’t because cultivation processes, nutritional content of the soil, along with many other factors affect the quality of the

fruit (organic or not) and these are all completely different from farm to farm. Non-organic berries are typically less expensive than organic berries and sometimes have a longer shelflife. I for

one would recommend going organic if your budget can handle it. Since you’re eating the entire fruit you’d be exposed to any pesticide residue that might be on the berry even after a thorough washing.

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LET’S GO SHOPPING Berry type and age at time of purchase determine shelf life. Check that all berries are unblemished, free of mold, are fresh looking, and have no signs of leakage. Ideally, you want all berries to be firm, plump, bright with rich color (no red/purple blueberries and no nonred raspberries), and in the case of strawberries, have bright green stems fully attached. Next, smell the berries, as those that have the most fragrant smell usually are fresher. Keep in mind that berries grown closer to your local area will typically smell better, be juicier, sweeter, and taste better because they don’t have to deal with the added

distance and time of shipment. If you purchase prepackaged berries, check that they’re not packed too tightly; otherwise you may get a few that are crushed. Berries are usually stacked on each other when prepackaged, so you’ll want to check the bottom berries as they can be hidden and may not be ripe. Also, make sure there’s no mold or stains (juice leakage) on the package either. The best time to buy is as follows: blueberries and raspberries are in season from June through August, strawberries between April and July, and blackberries starting in May through July.

TIP: Medium size strawberries have more flavor, as larger sized berries can be hollow. This leaves more water in the berry and ruins the taste.

Visible juice residue at the bottom of a container is a sign of berry damage or spoilage.

Proper Care of Your Berries Now that you’ve purchased your berries, you need to take care of them. Do not wash them until you decide to use them. The added moisture will create mold & possible infection. When you decide to use, remove all stems, wash, and drain them thoroughly. Refrigerate them at home as a cool temperature is the key to longevity of the berries. Stored at temperatures of 33-34° F, berries can achieve the following shelf lives after purchase:

Strawberries: 3 to 7 days, blueberries: 10 to 14 days, raspberries: 2 to 3 days, blackberries: 2 to 3 days, cranberries: 4 to 8 weeks.

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Organic or not, all fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed before eating or cooking.

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THE GRACIE DIET?

Though he wasn’t a professional nutritionist, through research and experimentation, Carlos Gracie, Sr. developed the Gracie Diet. He did so with ideas to avoid acidic compounds causing negative results in the body, such as indigestion, longer digestion periods, less energy gain from digestion, sickness, etc. when combining the wrong foods together. The diet is also said to improve energy, which essentially allows you to train harder with less fatigue, thus assisting a fat burning for weight loss. Consumption of fruits is big with the diet and as a result, the immune system is greatly strengthened. I’m only going to touch on the portion related to berries. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are all considered to be in Group D (Acidic Fruits & Milk Derivatives). The diet states to not combine acidic fruits with each other or anything else, acidic fruits should be eaten in the morning, and eat as much as you can in one sitting. Juicing the fruits is fine. There is no scientific evidence to back the diet as far as the claims go, but there’s also been no study (other than self ) to debunk it. Rorion Gracie stated in the past, “In order for any diet to be validated it should be tested or followed for 30 or 40 years. So that by then, one can see the actual result it has produced. Most diets do not go through

this endurance test and that is why they become ‘fad diets,’ in other words, they come and go. The Gracie Diet has been in use for 75 years and it has transformed the lives of thousands of people around the world. Uncle Carlos lived until 94 and my father until 95. In fact, the last time I visited my father in his ranch in Brazil, he was 94 and 6 months, he gave me a hug and a kiss and said, ‘Rorion, let’s go on the mat, I want to show you a new choke I have been working on.’ The Diet not only gave them both, long fulfilling lives, but they had a good quality of life as well.” I had the chance to meet Helio back in 1998. He was 84 years old and had so much energy it was ridiculous. By contrast, I was 21 years old and a competitive college distance runner. Based on my own personal experience of applying it this past year, it works.

CONCLUSION

Berries can help your jiu-jitsu game in regard to both your physical and mental game. Whether you are looking to gain more energy or drop some unwanted pounds, consuming berries can do either. By improving your motor and cognitive skills, you’ll be better equipped to attempt certain maneuvers. After all, we are playing human chess. Remember, you are your own best doctor by taking care of yourself. Roll on my friends.

There’s got to be something to the Gracie Diet, it works for many of the Gracies.

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DEMYSTIFYING TESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY words: JJM STAFF

ESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY (TRT). Steroids. These words have a heavy connotation in sport. Some consider it to be cheating, no matter what the circumstance, while others see it as an option for extending an athlete’s career. Regardless of your personal opinion, it’s important to understand the difference between TRT and using steroids illegally. This article is meant to educate you about TRT. It will not go into any detail on any aspect of using testosterone or other anabolic agents illegally. If you’re not going to your physician to get a prescription and then filling it at your local pharmacy, you should stop reading now.

WHAT IS TESTOSTERONE DEFICIENCY (AKA HYPOGONADISM)? Testosterone deficiency is typically defined as low levels of serum testosterone and symptoms that have affected the patient’s quality of life. This condition is euphemistically called “Low T” among pharmaceutical companies when advertising their testosterone products, mainly because steroids have such a pervasive negative connotation in the US. When a patient has low serum testosterone and the signs and symptoms associated with low

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testosterone, a patient can be considered to have clinically relevant hypogonadism. The signs and symptoms could include any of the following: reduced libido, reduced muscle strength/size, shrinking testes, and infertility. Other less definitive signs are: decreased energy, depression, poor concentration and memory. Defining low levels of serum testosterone has its own special challenges. For one thing, T levels fluctuate naturally throughout the day and the time of day the test is taken can affect the results. The standard for what is considered “low” hasn’t been completely agreed upon either. The Endocrine Society standard is <300ng/ dL, while more recent studies have shown that men with a T of <350ng/dL are more likely to exhibit the signs and symptoms associated with hypogonadism, such as sexual dysfunction, physical dysfunction and diabetes. And finally, there’s the question of whether serum testosterone or free testosterone should be used.

Give it to me straight Doc!

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WHY IS MY TESTOSTERONE DROPPING? Two of the more common risk factors for hypogonadism are type 2 diabetes and obesity. Beyond that, there are certain medications that can also affect your body’s testosterone levels, specifically, long-term treatment with glucorticoids (such as prednisone), ketoconazole (an anti-fungal) and opioids (narcotics for pain). All of these drugs can cause decreases in testosterone, and as I’m sure many of you realize, aren’t too uncommon for combat athletes. Previous (mis)use of testosterone can temporarily, and in some cases, permanently alter your ability to naturally produce adequate testosterone. Social activities, such as smoking, drinking and general laziness may also contribute to lower levels of testosterone. Finally, as you get older, your testosterone drops as a natural part of aging. The Hypogonadism in Males (HIM) study looked at men at

least 45 years old to determine the prevalence of hypogonadism in this population. The results were eye opening. Of the men tested, over a third of them had a serum T of <300 ng/dL and of those men identified as hypogonadal, less than 10% of them were being treated. Many men meet the definition of hypogonadism and most of them either choose not to be treated or don’t have treatment offered to them. The data just mentioned refutes most of the popular media claims about the prevalence of hypogonadism. I’ve seen media reports that say it’s a rare condition and they equate all TRT use with cheating and/or long-term illegal steroid use. That may be the case for some, but these comments do a disservice to physicians and patients who are looking to improve their quality of life. They’re also the reason why most docs and patients have a hard time discussing it rationally.

The Physician’s Visit Chances are, if you’re still reading this, you’re already doing everything you can from a non-medication standpoint to improve your testosterone, like limiting your alcohol intake, no smoking, exercising regularly and getting plenty of rest. Exercise and diet can go a long way towards addressing the two most common contributors to low T (obesity and diabetes). The next possible step is to go to your physician or endocrinologist to discuss your situation. You need to be prepared to have a frank and honest discussion with the doctor about your symptoms and your desire to have blood work done. You should also be ready to go to a 2nd or even 3rd doctor if your physician will not order the proper blood work for you. Blood work should include at a minimum: total testosterone, free testosterone and bioavailable testosterone. Free and bioavailable testosterone are the two that are most relevant to how you’re feeling and can be low even if your total testosterone is within normal limits. Quagmire, Dr. Hartman, FOX, nor Peter Griffen endorses Jiu-Jitsu Magazine. Just so we’re clear.

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GETTING TREATMENT

Pharmaceutical options today are much different than those of just 10 years ago. Physicians can now choose from several different transdermal (absorbed through the skin) options, implants below the skin, sublingual tablets and there are still some who use intramuscular injections. Many pharmacies do not carry injectable testosterone in their regular stock because of the perception that it is rarely used legitimately. There is also the concern about getting, using and disposing of needles correctly. To put it simply, getting a script filled for injectable testosterone will probably be difficult under most circumstances and may be impossible in some.

CHANGES, SIDE EFFECTS AND RISKS: Common wisdom supports the fact that the use of TRT will cause positive changes in both muscle mass and body fat. This is one of those rare instances where common wisdom has been substantiated by medical studies. TRT can help you increase lean muscle mass while also decreasing your overall fat mass. Just so you don’t think that all TRT does for you is make you bigger, stronger and faster, there are other numerous benefits. Obviously, TRT can help your love life, but it can also improve your good cholesterol (HDL) and improve blood sugar control in diabetics. These changes may not be as interesting as the others, but fat diabetics with bad cholesterol place an enormous burden on the medical community. They are also much more common than you may think.

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Opponents of TRT often say that it will increase your risk for developing prostate cancer. Meta-studies have been shown that there is no causative link between testosterone levels and risk of developing prostate cancer. Further studies have also shown that there is no relationship between TRT and other prostatic/urologic outcomes. Just to be safe, physicians will do a prostate exam and/or PSA regularly while being treated with TRT.

Increases in red blood cells counts (hemoglobin and hematocrit) are the most common side effect observed with TRT. These changes are managed by reducing the dose of TRT; their clinical significance on patient outcomes is still unclear. Potentially, this could increase blood pressure, and lead to an increased risk of clots and strokes. There is some data to suggest that men at a highrisk for cardiovascular events may be at an even higher risk if they are placed on TRT. The authors of that study did caution against extrapolating that data to include younger, less atrisk populations.

Supplemental Options Although they are not a replacement for doctor prescribed TRT there are supplements on the market that some studies have shown to help elevate testosterone levels. DHEA is one such supplement that we’ve written about before. Scientists still don’t know everything DHEA does in the body, but what they do know is that it functions as a precursor to testosterone. It has been hypothesized that one of the factors to decreasing testosterone is the natural decrease in DHEA as we age. Another supplement worth investigating is Tribulus Terrestris. It comes from fruit producing Mediterranean plant. Limited studies have shown that this ingredient may help to lessen the symptoms of angina, and has also shown some benefit to those suffering from low libido. The theory is that it stimulates your body into producing more natural testosterone.

That’s a high price to pay, unless you’re into that.

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CONFESSIONS OF A TRT PATIENT Who Am I?

cles . I don’t have bulging mus I could be anyone you know omly. I’ve rand le peop at yell t don’ or a chiseled set of abs. I someone even when I’m training with never gotten in a fight and , a great kids two , jobs two have I . who’s a spaz, I stay calm s, no one ds. When I line up in clas family and supportive frien gray hair her anot just , nary ordi the sees me as anything out of body is my and hair a full head of working on the mats. I have package in the a get I . else one every acne free. But I’m not like are my pharmacy and in that box mail every few months from le. You know, peop e thos of one I’m . several bottles of Androgel

own auction, which gave me my a year later, I won a charity , but pretty cool. prize d Weir ths. mon six personal physician for r about n and talked for about an hou My new doc and I sat dow was feeling, and I how g, doin was I t my medical history, wha blood him know about my previous everything in between. I let ed a full panel want he time This it. redo work and he wanted to with a lot more details.

someone on TRT.

eded It? Why Did I Think I .Ne h I was exhausted pretty muc g tired I got sick and tired of bein and and was taking Ambien to try all the time. I slept like crap I time y Ever gy. ener e I’d have mor sleep better in the hope that because I off time take to had I started to exercise seriously lly less o was OK, but was drastica couldn’t handle it. My libid tiple times mul ked chec been had oid than it used to be. My thyr I don’t not diabetic, I’m not fat, and it was always fine. I’m crap most of p lum a like felt still smoke, I barely drink and I of the time.

How Did I Get It?she did the usual blood work

ce and I went into my doc’s offi work.” ’re just stressed out from and said, “You’re fine. You my own, on arch rese After some But I wasn’t. I love my job. ting on it, she insis r Afte . rone oste test I asked her to check my and my , I got my blood work back finally agreed. A week later rence range, refe the of 5% om bott the total testosterone was in I twice my age. Again, she said roughly the same as someone it. t abou ry wor was just tired and not to

dad had ged docs by this time, my A few years later, I’d chan was and ed retir just because he’d his testosterone checked higher than was level his and it t abou curious. He talked to me “Let’s see ing the same so I thought, mine was. I was still feel just a total again k, wor d bloo my what this doc says.” I redid om of it came back at the very bott testosterone level, and again the doc again and s dad’ my than r the range. It was still lowe ples of ough he did offer me sam didn’t want to treat me, alth had any options y reall I like feel t didn’ Cialis. I was pissed, but it like I had been doing. and decided to just deal with a 60 yeartrend by now. My first doc, You’re probably noticing a both decided man, -old year 40 a doc, old woman, and my second tment ing was fine and the only trea that the bare minimum test Cialis. About e som take and it with option I got was to deal

The following is a true account of a middle-aged, male, jiu-jitsu practitioner who’s asked to keep their identity private.

rone later. Again, my total testoste The results came back a week re), but my befo ever than er bett (but was towards the bottom using low. He suggested I start free testosterone was very week I that later and s test e mor testosterone gel, did a few to find four years and three doctors was on TRT. It took over ect tests to corr the know and me to n someone who would liste er than I for about a year and feel bett run. I’ve now been on TRT have in a long time.

d Since Starting? What Has Happene Within a week I noticed an

I feel better, pretty amazing. swings, s. I’ve had no weird moods improvement in energy level always (maybe a as e sam the is hair my no acne anywhere and e, use of my kids). On the scal bit more grey, but that’s beca and my waist is 2 this e writ I as 15lbs t my weight is up abou you your of those scales that tells inches smaller. I have one ts lower now poin ral seve ntly iste cons body fat and it has been TRT. than it was before starting

keeping better. I have no problem My energy levels are much The little chores ing. train and king wor r up with my kiddos afte ing didn’t feel like moving are gett I’d put off because I just ping pill since slee a n take n’t have I and done a little quicker for days, classes used to wreck me starting TRT. Competition I’ve even noticed day. g owin foll the again now I’m ready to go in general. just being more productive improvements at work with

has made at grappling; training more TRT hasn’t made be better e intensity and mor with n, ofte e mor me better. I can train h is never a muscle and lost fat, whic recover better. I’ve gained tested that). My n’t have (I nger stro ably bad thing, and I’m prob less than best, resting heart rate is conditioning is at an all-time ing beaten up. From feel to due s clas a ed 50, and I haven’t miss a definite ete, using TRT has given me the perspective of an athl doubt about it. no re’s The be. to used I advantage over where

compete? ably on your mind is do I The question that is prob on TRT ting star re befo lot a peted And the answer is no. I com re I started. While befo th mon one was ion and my last competit , I’m y watching from the sidelines it sometimes drives me craz it’s about feeling BJJ, at er bett ing gett t done. TRT isn’t abou riencing everything I can. better, enjoying life and expe

WRAPPING IT ALL UP

Legitimate use of TRT is increasing every year. We know that this is an under diagnosed and undertreated condition affecting over a third of middle aged men and that it can be treated successfully and safely in most circumstances. The quality of life expectations that most middle aged men have include a level of activity that our parents would have never dreamed of. We hear sayings like, “30 is the new 20” and even “40 is the new 20.” Medical science is now able to put some of these expectations into the grasp of many. How it fits into the world of jiu-jitsu has yet to be seen.

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So, what do you think? Email your thoughts on TRT to feedback@jiujitsumag.com

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TRAIN TIRED

RACIE JIU-JITSU IS A MASTERFUL SELF-DEFENSE ART. In it we learn how to defend against, and at times, defeat a larger and stronger opponent. That is what Grand Master Helio Gracie and the Gracie family’s legacy is all about and what Royce Gracie showed the world during the first UFC events. That is exactly what attracted me to GJJ and what led me to begin a lifestyle change.

It took me a little time to adjust to the Master’s advice, but that changed my life completely. When I began to concentrate on “training tired” I started to pay more attention to the technical skills than to the stamina or trying to use my power and strength to compensate for my lack of technique. The further I progressed along that path, the better I got to the point that I achieved a black belt years later. How does that relate to you? If you come to the academy, fit and ready to go and always train hard, you are certainly putting physical condition above technique. And, as Rickson told me, “Can you improve your strength by 20%?” How about your technique? Would it be possible to improve it by 50%? Or 100%?

The truth is, when I started training GJJ, I was amazed at the efficiency and the techniques that I was learning and I was, as many beginners are, super excited to be learning such a great martial art. The further I progressed in training and learning, the more I started to realize that the original premise that the weak can defeat the strong did not seem to correlate to my training. Yes, I was feeling great and executing a lot of great techniques, but realistically I was always getting beat by stronger, larger opponents. That was a time of great frustration and great doubts for me. Sure I loved training GJJ, but because of my light size and weak athletic ability I wasn’t “defeating” stronger, larger opponents, in fact, I was getting beat up so often they coined me “Kid Peligro” or “Kid Danger,” which was just the opposite as I was the doormat of the academy. I must have been wearing my frustration on my face because about that time, Rickson Gracie came up to me and told me, “Kid, you are the weakest, slowest person in this class, yet you still want to fight like a lion, really aggressive and with full intensity the

Do you find your jiu-jitsu gets better or worse when you’re tired?

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In order to achieve that you should try a few times a week to come in tired to your class. Maybe do a lot of cardio or other strenuous training, so by the time you get to the mat you can only rely on your technique to execute your moves and not rely on strength or athleticism to achieve your goals. I guarantee you that you will see great improvement in your game in a short time So go hit the mats . . . but make sure you are tired before you do. NOW, GO TRAIN JIU-JITSU!

KID PELIGRO

entire time. The end result is you get tired quickly and can’t even survive a regular round. I want you to train like you are tired. I want you not to use your strength or your stamina, since you don’t have any and simply concentrate on surviving.” He continued, “Look, you can’t improve your strength by 20%, but you can certainly improve your technique by 200%.”

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ADVANCED BELT & YOGA STRETCHES

words: TRAVIS GRUESNON

| photos: STAFF

N OUR LAST ISSUE I TOUCHED ON STRETCHES THAT CAN BE PERFORMED WITH YOUR BELT TO FURTHER ASSIST YOU WITH DEEPER STRETCHES IN ORDER TO IMPROVE YOUR CURRENT PHYSICAL CONDITION. I’d like to further expand the variety of stretches available to you that can be performed with a belt, as well as, introduce their yoga-based roots.

WHAT IS YOGA?

Yoga is a Hindu discipline aimed at training the consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight, heightened awareness, and tranquility. The actual physical act is a system of exercises practiced to promote control of the body and mind through

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physical and mental exercise. If the philosophical term doesn’t work for you, think of it as stretching on steroids (minus all the side effects & legal issues) combined with meditation.

WHY DO IT?

The real question you should be asking yourself is, “Why not do it?” I understand that certain individuals may not believe yoga to be beneficial for them for whatever reason; however, you must keep in mind that you’re working your mind, your focus, your belief, and your faith, and in jiujitsu, that can take you a long way. I’ve come across very talented individuals who are beasts at their school, but put them in a tournament and all that talent is for not because they lose sight of these ideals during a match. Suddenly, all confidence fades away. Yoga can assist a jiu-jitsu practitioner by teaching him how to have his mind properly set up for success through improvement of focus, belief, and faith. In my opinion, training the body is much easier than training the mind for success. If you’re interested in learning more about the

mental application of yoga through various breathing techniques and meditation, I suggest doing further research into the subject matter. Not only will you get this benefit, but you’ll also receive all the benefits of stretching stated in Issue 19. If you’ve been practicing those stretches, you’ve already been doing yoga, at least the physical aspect. The shoulder stretch is called the Cow Face Pose, aka Gomukhasana, the butterfly stretch is the Bound Angle Pose, aka Baddha Konasana, and the hamstring stretch is the Reclining Big Toe Pose, aka Supta Padangusthasana, for example.

SIDE NOTE: With regards to the hamstring stretch, it’s meant to be performed one leg at a time, with one leg bent while your other knee is in the air (if you’re less flexible) or lying extended on the ground (if you’re more flexible).

Check out the article on restortive yoga for jiu-jitsu in Issue 8.

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Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reiterate the benefits...

SEATED FORWARD BEND (PASCHIMOTTANASANA)

*Stren gth stretch ens/ spine, es the sh and ha oulders, mstrin gs.

In case you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t checked it out, be sure to get a Jiu-Jitsu Magazine back issue of #19. There, I advised that stretching provides the following benefits: Decreases muscle stiffness and the risk of low back pain. Improves posture. Increases range of motion. May reduce your risk of injury. Helps reduce or manage stress. Reduces muscular tension. Enhances muscular relaxation. Promotes circulation. Helps relieve post-exercise aches and pains.

Have both legs extended out in front of you.

Place the belt around the balls of your feet. Bring your upper torso down by pulling on the belt with your grip near your feet. Keep the neck at the natural extension of the spine. Do not round your back.

*Prescription for each stretch/ pose: Hold these positions for 20-30 seconds and then slowly release each stretch. If needed, switch legs and repeat the movement three times. Remember to focus on your breathing and remain calm.

BOW POSE (DHANURASANA)

Lie on your back with your knees up and feet on the ground.

While clasping your hands around the belt, press evenly up and back through both shins and feet, and lift thighs and chest off the ground.

Thanks to Charisa Sigala for being our model.

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Roll over onto your belly with your arms to the side.

*Strengthens/ stretches the entire front of the body, ankles, thighs and groin, abdomen, chest, throat, and deep hip flexors.

Loop belt around both ankles and grab excess of belt behind your calves.

Gaze upwards, keeping neck long.

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

RECLINED BIG TOE POSE 2 (SUPTA PADANGUSTHASANA 2)

RECLINED BIG TOE POSE VARIATION (SUPTA PADANGUSTHASANA VARIATION)

Lift one leg up with your belt wraped around your foot (Padangusthasansa 1) Grab the belt with the same-sided hand as the leg that is up. Place your other hand on your hip to hold it down.

Come into Supta Padangusthasana 1 (Reclined Big Toe Pose I) with one leg lifted. But this time grab the belt with opposite-sided hand of the leg that is up. Your other arm is extended and down on the floor. Roll the lifted leg inward and across your body, while looking away.

2 Roll the lifted leg out in the hip socket, drawing the lifted leg up towards you, and lower it out to the side. Do not let the weight roll into the lifted leg so that you tip over.

*Strengthens/ stretches back and hamstring muscles while opening up the hips.

Come back up to Supta Padangusthasana 1 and switch to the other leg.

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Come back up to Supta Padangusthasana 1 and switch to the other leg.

NOTE: If you are flexible enough, and want to stretch even further, take the belt behind your neck. You will be able to get a much greater pull on the belt.

You can do that too.

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

REVOLVED HEAD-TO-KNEE POSE (PARIVRTTA JANU SIRSASANA)

Extend one leg out to the side and bring the heel of the other leg into the opposite leg crease.

02 03

Loop belt around foot of extended leg.

While holding the belt, turn toward the opposite knee. Begin pulling yourself down toward your extended leg.

Bring belt behind neck, bring your rear hand closer to your neck by walking your grip down your belt, release front hand grip, and place your hand down on the ground. s/ gthen *Stren s the e stretch , spine, rings t s ck, m a h wer ba ers, lo should ides of the and s men. abdo

BOAT POSE (PARIPURNA NAVASANA)

Tie a knot at the ends of your belt so it forms a circle. (This pose may require you tying two belts together and having some excess slack; dependent upon the length of your legs and belt.) Slip the looped belt over your head, placing it just beneath your shoulder blades.

02 03

Bring your knees up and place the other portion of the belt against the bottoms of your feet. You should be inside the circle. Place your hands behind you, press into the floor, squeeze your knees and feet together, and then extend your legs up.

By now I hope youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve decided to invest some time into practicing these yoga-based stretches to benefit your jiu-jitsu game. At first, they may seem tough, but if you are persistent and focus completely on what you are doing, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get easier and easier. They can only help you get better; which after all is your overall goal. Roll on my friends.

s/ gthen *Stren s the e h c s, stret flexor en, hip . m o d b e a in and sp

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Remember, you might need another belt for the last one.

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DRILLIT::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

OPEN GUARD PASSES TO KNEE ON BELLY TO BACK words: JJM STAFF

NDRE’S BACK THIS MONTH WITH FOUR GREAT DRILLS, THREE INVOLVING AN OPEN GUARD PASS, AND ONE THAT’S A GUARD RECOVERY. These drills should be done in order on the same day. Each drill expands upon the original guard pass. You can choose to drill the original pass on the second two, or start from knee on belly, depending on your time. Andre prefers to start from the very beginning each time. The guard pass is a big part of Andre’s game and it’s no wonder he’s one of the best after getting a good look at his pass regimen. Helping Andre out today is one of Andre’s up-andcoming students, Mike Carbullido.

GUARD PASS TO KNEE ON BELLY This is a basic pass drill that works muscle memory and situational awareness.

Start standing in your partner’s open half guard.

Place your right hand on his stomach and use your left hand to push down on his right knee, extending his leg outward.

As you straighten your partner’s right leg out, kick your right leg back and up to clear his leg.

Quickly bring your right leg up against the right side of his torso, pressuring forward so that the weight of your right knee is on his belly.

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Mike’s hair is pretty awesome.

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KEY POINTS

Pressure down so that much of your weight is on his belly from your right knee. Have your left leg extended out for balance and bring your left hand around the back of his collar to control the neck.

Stand and repeat to the other side. Perform this drill 10 times to each side then switch with your partner. Complete three rounds total for each of you.

Whenever you do a knee on belly, or just drill it, always get in the habit of having the shin, of the side that you’re placing your knee on your partner (or opponent), up against his torso. Leave a gap here to give him room to get an arm between the two of you that he could use to escape the position.

KNEE ON BELLY TO BACK

Once you’ve drilled the knee on belly, your next goal is to go to the back. When you gain a knee on belly position, the last thing your opponent wants to do is turn away from you because if he did, it’s literally giving up his back. Instead, the common response is for the person on bottom to turn into the person on top. Andre uses this response to attack the back.

Pivot your body on your right foot and bring your left leg up and down so your left knee is behind your partner’s head.

Perform the pass to knee on belly drill as described previously; from knee on belly have your partner turn into you.

Lift your right foot off the mat and swing it around to your right side, this time pivoting your body on your left knee.

Imagine Kit Dale’s beard and Mike Carbullido’s hair?

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Drop your left elbow onto your partner’s left side so your hand will eventually be under your partner’s left arm.

As your partner turns into you, bring your left arm from his collar to scoop it around his left side.

Once your right leg is around, scoot your left knee behind your opponent’s lower back and reposition your right knee to the mat.

Bring your hands together for a seatbelt grip.

Let go of the grip and return to the original standing position.

Perform this drill from the very beginning in your opponent’s open guard 10 times to each side then switch with your partner for three rounds each. You can also perform starting from the knee on belly position.

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

KNEE ON BELLY TO BACK ALTERNATE Some guys who are really flexible will actually roll away from you when you get to knee on belly. Their thinking is that they can get inverted then eventually recover the guard. Here’s a drill that works on what to do should you have an unorthodox opponent who attempts to roll away from you.

Perform this drill 10 times to each side, switch with your partner and repeat for three rounds. You can also perform it for 2-3 minutes for each of you if you’re performing more of the drills in this article.

Once again, you can start from the original position in your partner’s open guard, or you can start from knee on belly. Andre prefers starting from the beginning. However the position shown is from knee on belly.

Scoop your left arm under and around your partner’s neck. Bring your right hand under your partner’s right arm.

Once you reach knee on belly and your partner begins to turn away, drop your left knee to the mat.

Place your left leg close to your opponent with your left foot pointed toward your right foot.

MASTERING THE GUARD PASS AND ITS SUBMISSIONS by Master Pedro Sauer and Kid Peligro

Now Available in Paperback! Available at www.bjjmart.com Drill It 21.indd 3

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06 05

Place your hands together for the seatbelt around your partner. At this point, you’re in a seated position with your left elbow over your knee.

Typically, someone who’s worried about having his back taken will be more concerned with the top hook first. So, instead, Andre uses the gap between his partner and the mat, thanks to his elbow being on his knee. Pull up and back on your partner to make space and kick your left leg out to get the bottom hook.

Once you have the bottom hook you have everything you need to control his back. For points, you can wrap your top hook around (don’t cross your feet) or you can use your foot against the back of his right thigh to keep control. For this drill you can do either or both.

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Getting the bottom hook in first is the best option.

KEY POINTS

In step 5, having your elbow on your knee is very important; it allows you to lift your partner to get that first bottom hook in. While drilling this technique keep lots of pressure on your partner the entire time to simulate real world situations.

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DRILLIT:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

KNEE ON BELLY GUARD RECOVERY

In the previous drill we showed you how your opponent may roll away from you to recover the guard. Here’s what that drill looks like:

Your partner passes and gets to knee on belly on your right side.

03 02

As soon as you feel you’re on your left side, crunch your legs and hips into you and collapse until most of your weight is on your left shoulder.

Turn to your left side.

KEY POINTS

After your legs have cleared your partner’s head, pivot on your upper back so that you’re facing your partner and drop your hips so he’s back in your guard.

Square up with your partner so your feet are on his hips.

When you roll onto your shoulder it’s important to bring your bottom leg, or the leg closest to your partner, back in contact with him as soon as possible. This allows you to feel where his location is. Without doing this, he might be able to jump to your opposite side quickly without you being able to respond.

Your partner then stands and repeats to the opposite or same side.

Perform this drill for 2 to 3 minutes having your partner pass to alternating sides. After that time, switch and conduct for 3 rounds.

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This is the side bar quote thingy. Text can go here.

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

Michael Langhi

WORKING THE

OPEN GUARD C words: MIKE VELEZ

| photos: JASON BOULANGER

URRENTLY RANKED #2 IN THE IBJJF RANKINGS IN THE LIGHT WEIGHT DIVISION, MICHAEL LANGHI IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S BEST JIU-JITSU FIGHTERS. He’s known for his extremely tough, impassable and dominating guard game and also for his supreme flexibility, which is no surprise since he is a long time student of Capoeira and trained in it with his good Outside of jiu-jitsu, Michael is one of the nicest guys you’d ever want to to meet, but get him on the mats and it’s a whole different story. His guard game is mean, and many talented black belts have found this out the hard way. For this article, we got the chance to sit down and find out more about Michael’s jiu-jitsu on and off the mats: how he trains, how he eats, and even how he sleeps. Best of all,

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friend and current jiu-jitsu training partner and professor, Cobrinha. In 2007, after winning the Worlds at brown belt, Michael received his black belt on the podium from Cobrinha. In 2009, he absolutely exploded on the scene, making himself a household name. He won the Worlds, the Pan Ams, the Brazilian Nationals and the Europeans, blowing people’s minds with his talent and skill as a relative novice in the belt. He went on to win the Worlds, Pan Ams

Michael shows us some of his signature techniques that you’ll be able to quickly and easily work into your game. WHAT’S YOUR TRAINING REGIMEN LIKE? Usually we have two training sessions and a workout in between. We do something like a crossfit workout. We do a lot of drills, and a lot of technical training. Drills are an important

and Europeans again in 2010, but he has yet to repeat the glory of that phenomenal year back in 2009. In his defense, he has been battling injuries that have hindered his performance, but all is well in his world now, and Michael is currently gearing up for the 2014 competition season. He hopes to dethrone Leandro Lo from his #1 spot in the rankings. He seeks to return to the top of the podium many times this year, and we anxiously await his performances.

part of the game. You work to get tighter, to work your timing. One session is very tough, many of the black belts roll together. It’s very competitive training with sparring. Another session is a little more relaxed; we roll with more purple and brown belts. We’re able to try new techniques. Sometimes we’ll focus on one very specific situation, maybe study a specific competitor. Maybe somebody

has a very nice half guard or a very nice takedown. In that case, we would practice avoiding his favorite takedown and how to pull into the guard. HOW DID YOU START TRAINING JIU-JITSU? I met Cobrinha doing Capoeira, and then he started doing jiujitsu. When he got his purple belt, he invited me to start training jiu-jitsu when I was 17.

Nice like a honey badger.

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At the time I thought it wasn’t a good idea. I loved Capoeira so much, I did it full time. But then I tried one class of jiu-jitsu and I couldn’t believe how great it was. I started training full time, now everything I do, my whole life is about my love of jiu-jitsu. I say that if you start training, you can’t stop. DO YOU HAVE ANY INTERESTS BESIDES JIU-JITSU? Of course, I like to spend some good time with my family, read a good book, watching a movie. But really my life is about jiu-jitsu. When you want to compete at the highest level it really has to be. Jiu-jitsu doesn’t stop when you get off the mats. For example, you need to have a healthy life, eat healthy, take care of your body. I can’t hang out and party with friends. If you want something you have a price to pay. If you pay this price things are easier. WHAT’S YOUR DIET LIKE? For the most part it’s very good. Every once in a while you have to break the diet a bit. Here in the United States it’s really easy to eat healthy, there’s a lot of good organic food, same in Brazil. I don’t like to eat the bad stuff, the chocolates, cakes, hamburgers. So, usually I just have that stuff once in a while. Which is tough because Cobrinha’s such a good baker. WHAT SPECIFICALLY DO YOU LIKE TO EAT? I like to get organic food as often as I can. I like brown rice, pasta, and a lot of chicken. I don’t like a lot of red meat, maybe once a week or every two weeks. Usually a lot of chicken, fish, fresh juice, that’s my diet. HOW ABOUT SLEEP? I think it’s important to sleep at

Will Michael get through Leandro this year?

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least 8 hours. If you’re doing jiujitsu full time, I think 10 hours a night is important. Sometimes we’ll train 4 times per day, hard training. So, that sleep helps your body recover for the next day. HOW ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS? DO YOU DO ANY SORT OF SUPPLEMENTATION TO YOUR DIET? I take some, I like recovery drinks, nothing pre-workout. Sometimes the pre-workout drinks make me jittery before a competition. But I like taking glutamine, glucosamine for the joints, and BCAA for staying strong. YOU TRAIN UNDER FABIO GURGEL? My first training was under Cobrinha then when Cobrihna left Brazil to come here to America, I started training under Fabio Gurgel. I like to train with Fabio in Sao Paulo, but I like to be here with Cobrinha, too. He knows my style, he knows how I need to train, I’m confident here. WHO AWARDED YOU YOUR BLACK BELT? Cobrinha. I received my black belt at the World Championships, on the podium in 2007. I won the Worlds as a brown belt and Cobrinha gave me my black belt on the podium. It was an honor to receive it from him, I also owe a lot to Fabio Gurgel. He trained me when Cobrinha left. IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE THAT YOU’RE ALWAYS BUTTING HEADS WITH IN COMPETITION? Leandro Lo is the only guy in my division that I haven’t beaten. The other guys I’ve beaten, so of course, Leandro is my toughest opponent right now. He’s the guy I’d like to fight against as soon as possible.

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

OMOPLATA FROM SPIDER GUARD

Start from the spider guard, on your back, with your left foot on your opponentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hip, your right foot on his bicep. You have control of both of his sleeves at the cuffs.

Stretch your left leg out, off of his hip while pulling his right arm in toward you.

Maintain a grip of his right arm and pass your left leg over to the front of his face so your shin is under his neck.

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Then quickly, drag your left foot up against his back while turning your left knee to your right, putting pressure on his arm, and breaking his posture downward and to his left.

At this point, you have his right arm trapped, and your left leg is trapped under his neck, and your feet are crossed, you can release your foot against his neck. This puts a lot of pressure on his right shoulder, and gives you firm control. Put both hands on the mat to push off and sit up while scooting your butt backward.

A shin across the neck is never comfortable.

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06 08

As you sit up, keep your legs extended, applying pressure to his right shoulder and bringing him down to the mat.

Next, reach over and grab your opponent’s left side, if possible go for his left lapel, or just hug his lat.

With your right hand, control his right triceps so he’s stuck, then step with your right leg back and bend your left leg off to your right.

Lastly, lean into your opponent to whisper in his ear while you finish him with the omoplata.

KEY POINTS

This is a nice version of the Omoplata because you maintain some sort of control the entire time, either by keeping grips of his sleeves, or after you’ve crossed your leg over to control the shoulder. Once you have your left leg in front of his neck, you must keep both legs out stretched. This keeps pressure on the shoulder the entire time and your opponent won’t be able to sit up to roll you back. If you bend your left leg and don’t keep it stretched against his neck, he’ll be able to roll back and escape.

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

OMOPLATA VARIATION

The Omoplata is an attack that’s best carried out with the element of surprise. A veteran opponent will see it coming and may be ready with a counter move. In this case, Michael’s opponent knows the Omoplata is coming and rolls forward to escape. This is a common scenario. In this situation, Michael shows us a variation to finish.

Starting from step 7 in the previous technique, your opponent begins to roll forward. You could allow him to roll and end up in a top position earning points for the sweep, but it would be a huge missed opportunity to finish. Instead, allow your opponent to roll while following him, with control of his arm and left side.

As you continue the roll, maintain control of his right triceps with your right hand and his forearm tucked between your torso and thigh. Bring your left arm to under hook his left arm.

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You’ve got to keep control.

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You will end up on your back with your opponent off to your left side; you will have control of both his arms.

Bring your right hand over to push against his back so you can bring your left elbow behind his back. You can let go of his right arm because his forearm is trapped.

KEY POINTS

If you fail to pull your elbow behind his back at step 4, he can push his hips into you, rolling you on your side and escape. Pulling back on his collar allows you to apply pressure on his shoulder with your left leg as you shrimp out in Step 7.

With your left elbow behind his back, reach up to control the back of his collar and release your leg triangle.

Step your right foot on the mat and keep your left leg heavy by leg curling it to bite into his right arm.

If your opponent fails to tap via the shoulder, you can release the grip of the collar, drag your left leg down and expose his wrist for a wristlock.

Shrimp out to your right side to put pressure on his left shoulder for the tap.

And not like Janet Jackson.

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

LEG DRAG GUARD PASS

Starting in your opponent’s De La Riva guard, he has his left leg wrapped around the outside of your right leg, and he’s applying pressure on your right hip and knee with his left foot. His right hand is gripping your left cuff. This is a very common set up for the DLR guard.

In this situation, use your right hand to get a hold of his left lapel near his chest, lower your level and tuck your right elbow inside your right knee. Place your left hand on his right shin near the ankle. Making these adjustments protects you from most of his attacks.

Don’t just let go of his collar and bring your right hand to his knee. Instead, tuck your right hand in, bending your wrist inward, and rotate your hand clockwise to weaken his grip while forcing his hand to the outside as you grab his right pant at the knee.

Pop your right hip back to extend your leg, this will release his left DLR hook.

Maintaining your low posture, with your hips down and your right elbow tucked, grab his right ankle with your left hand.

Now, drag his right leg across your body with your left hand. As soon as his foot clears your body, pull his right knee toward you to force his left leg off to your right side.

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Apply the pressure forward to drop your right knee in between his thighs; he rolls to his left side.

Keep the pressure down.

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Maintain your pressure on top of his hips and bring your left hand behind his back, while releasing the knee with your right hand and switching your grip to his left collar.

After you have a grip of his collar, curl your elbow in towards you against the inside of his left leg. At this point, you have great control over your opponent; he’s pretty much stuck.

Post your left hand to the mat above his head and bring your left knee up behind his back as he turns away. Place your entire left shin behind his back. Turning away is his only real option.

At this point, it’s “action/reaction;” pull him into you with your grip of his collar, he’ll resist and turn away. As he does, allow him to go and come over with your right leg.

KEY POINTS

As seen in step 2, get control of his collar quickly. Allowing him time to work on your arm will give him options to sweep.

As he gets to his knees, place your bottom, left hook in first then place your chest on his back. Pull him to your left side, bringing him with you.

At step 9, don’t drop your left knee to the ground, doing that will kill the pressure and allow him to shrimp out to regain guard.

As he falls into you, lock up your seatbelt control, cross your feet and squeeze your knees together. Note that Michael isn’t getting his right hook in; instead, he’s locking his legs together.

Next, pull back on your opponent by hipping forward to stretch him out. After he’s stretched out, release your leg lock and bring your right hook over to get the back control. From here you can go with whichever finish you see available. If at step 11 he decides to turn into you, you’ll be in the perfect position to go to knee on belly, then mount.

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How many of you got the Janet Jackson reference? Seniors and Masters only?

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

REVERSE DE LA RIVA SWEEP FROM SPIDER GUARD

Starting in your spider guard, you have control of your opponent’s sleeves, your left foot on the bicep, and right foot on the hip. He has his right foot posted and his left knee on the mat.

With your right foot on his hip, push away and shrimp your hip to the left so you’re on your right side a bit.

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With your hook, pull his right knee into you and tuck your right elbow under your knee while maintaining your grips of his sleeves.

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Release your right foot from his hip and pass it between his legs to get a reverse DLR hook of his right thigh.

Now, kick your left leg diagonally to your right side, while at the same time, punching your left hand down between his legs. Next you’re going to go upsidedown.

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

With this momentum, rotate around on your back, going inverted for a bit, to pull him off to your right side and complete the sweep.

Maintain shoulder pressure into his chest while kicking your right leg out to clear his legs.

Keep your right arm straight and post your left hand to the mat so he can’t come up on his knees to defend.

Bring your right hand to his right hip to stabilize side control. From there, you can look for a submission or transition into a more dominate position.

Did you know “upsidedown” is one word?

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Move your body to your right, towards him, scooping your left arm over his shoulder and around his

neck.

KEY POINTS

In step 4, tucking your right elbow under your knee gives you more support and leverage. If you were to just leave it out, your opponent could push your right leg down and take your hook out. FEB/MAR 2014

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

ARMBAR FROM SPIDER GUARD

Your opponent starts on his knees in your spider guard. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s looking to pass your guard; you have one foot on his bicep, the other on his hip, and control of both sleeves.

Your opponent grabs your right knee to push down and pass. When you feel this happening, stretch out your left leg on the bicep. Pull your right knee up towards your chest while shrimping to your right and ending with your lower back flat on the mat. Doing this will pull your opponent in toward you, extending his left arm.

With your knee up towards your chest and his arm extended, let go of your grip of the sleeve and grab the back of his left arm at the triceps with your right hand.

With a firm grasp of his arm, kick out your right leg to break his grip of your knee. As you do this, pull his arm to your right side so his hand is near your armpit.

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Pendulum swing your right leg up and over to the right side of his head. As you do this, release the grip of his arm and bring your right arm down at your side to trap his hand and arm. Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty flexible and makes a lot of this stuff look easy.

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KEY POINTS

Now, extend your hips outward to finish the armbar and get the tap.

If your back is not flat on the mat at step 2, your opponent won’t be stretched out far enough for you to eventually break his grip.

BONUS FINISH After step 4 you also have the option for a triangle choke.

Kick out your left leg.

Bring your right leg down to lock up the triangle.

Did you know Michael’s got a brother named Michel who’s also a black belt?

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Cross the leg over the back of his neck and shoulders.

Hip up to cross his left arm over to your left side.

Keep his left arm secure and bring your right leg over your left ankle.

Drop your hips back down, squeeze and pull back on your own left knee to finish the triangle choke.

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

A BETTER WAY TO TAKE NOTES words: MATTHEW CORELY

MINDMAP IS A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF (A) COMPLEX IDEA(S). Visual representations of ideas and information are more conducive to analyzing, comprehending, remembering and generating new ideas. The creation of a mindmap is both analytical and artistic. By engaging both sides of your brain you’ll find that mindmaps are more versatile and effective than traditional note taking and planning. My introduction to mindmaps began roughly 15 years ago during the tail end of my college days as I finished up my pharmacy degree. The single most important class that we had was Therapeutics. In this class we were expected to be able to access and recommend treatment for patients with a wide range of illnesses. Our teachers were kind enough to allow us the use of a “mini-brain.” There were two rules for the “mini-brain.” It had to fit in my lab coat pocket and it had to be my own notes.

RNC

Closed Guard (Bottom)

Mj Mjps Gri

Mj Toes Mj Pulls Armpit Into

Mj Mj Mj

Double Cro ss Collar Grip

Mj Mj

Collar Choke

@ Mj Foot k Mj Trap w/ Bac Mj Ribs d on Off Han s Mj His Toe

Mj Mj

Cross Coll ar Mj Grip Mj

the variables that would typically be seen when treating a patient for a given illness. By following the arrows and bubbles, I could (relatively) easily determine the correct action for the situation I was given. It didn’t take long before my charts were all over the school and were being used by nearly everyone I knew. This experience shaped the way I learn and how I teach complex tasks to students and co-workers.

Defends Trap/Contr Cuff Grip

Hand

ol Mj

He Posts Mj Hand Mj Knee Shie ld

Triangle

Mj Defends

Mj Mj

Hip Bump

Kimura

Mj l Leg Lega s Mj Lock 0 Mj

Flower Swe ep

Scissor Swe ep

er Mj Use Othto Mj Elbow Legs Mj Mj Open His Under Hand Mj Outer Knee & Mj His Thigh Your Onto

50/5

Defends

Having everything laid out clearly in an illustration gives you an easy-to-use resource for review. It is much easier to see logical connections between seemingly disparate actions. As the creator of a mindmap, when you organize the data and create the map, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of the topic, and in many cases, find a simpler way to see the information.

Mj Back Lean Toes Mj b & Gra

Toe

Mj Hold

& Mj Down y Mj Crunch er Bod ist Upp Mj Tw His Mj Bring Into Mj Foot Body Your

ls Mj He Pul t Mj Ou Foot p Mj y Gri Monke t Mj His Foo

Mj Foot Mj Outer r& Mj es Ove Com His Butt Behind

Mj Hand Mj Other er Foot Mj Oth Leg Mj Grabs Outer und es Aro It Mj Com ps & Tra Mj Leg Mj Swim 50/50 Mj Out of Down Leg Push

d Toe Hol Ankle

Lock

Mj Back Lean Far Mj e Mj & Div er Leg Und Hand

WHAT DO I NEED TO CREATE A MINDMAP? You’ll need a lot less than you think and you probably have everything you need already on hand. You can go as high-tech or low-tech as you want when creating your mindmaps. The bare minimum would be a piece of paper and a pencil; I really like a large dry-erase board and marker. If you’re going to be using this tool a lot, I’d recommend looking into software such as Inspiration 9 (<$40, Amazon) or Freemind (free, freemind.sourceforge. net). That’s it, very simple. Now let’s use these tools to create your first mindmap.

It didn’t take me very long to realize that traditional note taking just wasn’t going to cover it and I began to make flow charts of all the different treatment algorithms. The charts gave me a graphic representation that took into account all

66 Mind Mapping.indd 1

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There are also mindmapping apps for your phone or tablet.

1/26/14 7:34 PM

WHERE DO I START? At the beginning, of course. The toward a goal: submission or easiest way to start is to have a central idea or concept. For jiu-jitsu, I start with a single position, such as guard. From this central point we develop the map through inclusion of connecting concepts (positions) and techniques as we work

dominant position. The map can be as detailed or broad as you like, it’s your map after all. I’d recommend considering the purpose of the map when deciding how detailed to get. If you’re using it for note taking, the map will probably be more

granular than if you’re creating an overall game plan. When creating a mindmap, it’s always a good idea to use arrows, colors, and different fonts and font sizes to add emphasis to important paths. In my illustrations I color-code

submissions (red) and sweeps (green) to indicate an important endpoint. Other options would include, changing font size and/or line thickness to indicate pathways that are your “A” game or areas that you’re focusing on.

HIP SWEEP

STANDING PASS SWEEP

Let’s go back to the guard position and create a basic map for a white belt with a grasp of some basic techniques. She is starting on the bottom in the closed guard and wants to either mount or submit her

CLOSED GUARD

opponent. Our athlete has three sweeps (hip bump, flower and scissor) and three subs (kimura, triangle and cross collar choke) that she’s able to consistently perform from the guard while rolling against an equally skilled

Double Cross Collar Grip

opponent. A map for her will look something like this: With this illustration the new white belt will see a few things that may not have been clear when she was learning them.

Collar Choke DEFENDS

Trap/Control Hand

(Bottom)

He Posts Hand

Cross Collar Grip This is the side bar quote thingy. Text can go here.

Mind Mapping.indd 2

Cuff Grip

First, she has to get the right grips to do her techniques. Next, these all flow together pretty well, and spending some time on transitioning from one technique to the next, would be a good use of her time.

Knee Shield

Triangle Flower Sweep Hip Bump

DEFENDS

Kimura Scissor Sweep

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SPECIALFEATURE::::::::::

HOW DO I USE A MINDMAP? My introduction into mindmaps began as a form of note taking and later as a teaching aid. So, for the time being, that’s what we’re going to focus on. It will come as no surprise to anyone that note taking can dramatically improve your progression in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Not only is the art incredibly detailed and complex, but in the words of Robson Moura, “Jiu-jitsu has no end.” Enter the mindmap, an excellent way to organize complex information in an easily retrievable manner. In this context, mindmaps really are just notes, and the principles of good note taking

LEGAL LEG LOCKS 50/50

map is a form of summarizing the information that has been taught (Self-Explanation/ Elaborative Interrogation, issue 19). Mapping can also be used to illustrate what can be done in reaction to your partner (Interleaved practice, issue 19). Finally, mindmaps are quite possibly the best way to show the connections between the techniques and positions that we train.

should be followed. You should develop your own style of note taking. For live instruction, I watch with my full attention, perform the task and then write it down afterwards. Any blanks are filled in by my instructor and training partners later on. If you’re watching a DVD, you have the option of rewinding and pausing as needed. Text instruction is very straight forward, just read and summarize with relevant details. Creating your own mindmap serves to reinforce many of the teaching and learning techniques that I’ve introduced over the previous months. A

Outer Hand Under His Knee & Onto Your Thigh

Use Other Elbow to Open His Legs

He Pulls Foot Out

Lean Back & Grab Toes

Other Hand Grabs Other Foot

Lean Back & Drive Far Hand Under Leg

Swing Leg Out of 50/50 Push Leg Down

Trap Foot at Ribs w/Back Off Hand or His Toe

Outer Foot Comes Over & Behind His Butt

Outer Leg Comes Around & Traps It

Below is an example of notes that I took from an iPad app that I have. They are specific to the 50/50 position and were taken from Roli Delgago’s Legal Leglocks for BJJ:

Toe Hold

Monkey Grip His Foot

Pulls Toes Into Armpit

Bring His Foot Into Your Body

RNC Grips

Crunch Down & Twist Upper Body

Toe Hold Ankle Lock

WRAPPING IT UP

Upcoming articles in this series will delve into other ways that you can use this tool to expand, define and improve your jiu-jitsu game. Maybe you want a bird’s-eye view of what your current game plan looks like to assess for weakness? It’s on the horizon. Would you like to build a curriculum or game plan for a position, rank or upcoming fight? We’ll map that out, too. The applications are virtually limitless. You have everything you need to start your first mindmap, now go out there, grab a piece of paper and a pencil and get started!

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This is the side bar quote thingy. Text can go here.

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Five.indd 1

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

Todd Williams words: DEB BLYT

| photos: PAULO RIGON OF PAULORIGONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

ODD WILLIAMS IS A TWO-TIME U.S. Olympic distance runner and also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under coral belt Luiz Palhares. Interestingly, he’s doing some remarkable things combining the two sports. Todd grew up in Monroe, Michigan and played every sport imaginable before gravitating to track and cross county where he excelled. In high school, Todd was a six-time State champion in both and he was All-American his junior and senior seasons. He received a full ride scholarship to the University of Tennessee. There, he was a four-time SEC champion and an eighttime All-American. He led them to the National title his senior year and served as team captain. His varsity records in the 3k, 5k and 10k still stand today, 22 years later. After graduation, Todd went on to become one of the best American distance runners of all time. He qualified for two Olympic games (1992 and 1996) in the 10k, and won 21 U.S. titles on the road, track and cross country courses. After the 1996 Olympic games, Todd continued to run competitively for prize money, but didn’t think he could improve anymore. He says he “hung around and then hung it up.” He was running 120 miles a week and wasn’t seeing results. He didn’t want to be the guy who hung on too long. A couple months later, Todd found jiu-jitsu. “It struck a cord with me as a competitor,” Todd says, “I did the lunch class and came back that night. I had no technique, but I was hyper and I trained hard. Each session was like a championship match every time I slapped hands. My training partner said I was like a tornado that didn’t know where the heck he was going. He told me that when I learned some technique I was going to be really tough.” Eight years later, in January of 2011, Todd received his black belt. In January of 2013, Todd got the idea to combine his two passions, running and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and he created RUNSAFER. RUNSAFER was created to educate kids and adults on the importance of self-defense and safety awareness. Todd wanted to give back some of the knowledge he obtained in the jiu-jitsu world to the running world.

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WHY DID YOU START RUNSAFER? It’s how I bridge the gap between my two passions. I have 30 years in the running community and over 10 in the jiu-jitsu world. When I went to running stores, I started noticing they had mace and different safety devices runners could buy, but they offered no actual self-defense application to keep people safe. RUNSAFER was created to bring a service to keep runners safer through jiu-jtsu. WHAT DO YOU TEACH? In my (college) campus safety and safety awareness workshops, I teach grip breaking, using your feet to create space, and open guard if you’re in an assault position. They’re not UFC fighters, so I teach them how to grab a wrist and break a grip, where to find a target on the body they can go after – the eyes, throat, ears…and how to

bring some time to their safety clocks. It’s not realistic to teach omoplatas in a 90 minute class, so I teach an arm bar to a triangle and I break it down…he goes for an assault here, you push the arm through here…if you’re not a striker or haven’t been in martial arts, it’s my job to teach you how to be able to get away from an attacker and/or build up time on your safety clock until help comes after our 90 minutes together. ARE JOGGERS AND RUNNERS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO ATTACK? One thing I stress is that 99.99% of the time you’re gonna have a good run and a positive experience. But if there’s a time when someone gets within your personal space and they’re not supposed to be there…they’re trying to harm you…you have to change your attitude to “I’m about to take you out.” I call that self-offense. If you’re coming Todd can literally Fight or Flight.

1/26/14 6:31 PM

back to your car and someone grabs your wrist, I tell my class, “If you stay parallel to them, you’re going with them. If you jump back and distribute your weight, you’ve already bought yourself five seconds on your safety clock. Start screaming; use safety words…all these things build up more seconds and time on your safety clock.” I teach them how to fall. It keeps building up the time for someone to come help you. WHAT’S THE FEEDBACK BEEN SO FAR? I hear that it should have been offered a long time ago. Jiu-jitsu has helped a lot of people. It’s critical in self-defense situations. It’s all about safety and awareness. There are wacko’s out there. You don’t need to be scared, but you do need to have your wits about you when you go out by yourself. You need to be aware 24/7. I have two teenage daughters. They’re so beautiful. I want them to be able to hold their own until help gets to them. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GAIN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE? I hope to fulfill a dream of mine. My competitive athletic career is over, but now I’m putting my two passions together and turning it into a job that’s helping people. I’m talking to kids and adults…if you have a passion for something and you can turn it into a job, you’re going to be happy. I’m living a dream. I love jiu-jitsu and I get to train with the best guys in the world. I get my butt kicked. It keeps me healthy. I’ve also met great people in my running career. Now I can help people on both sides. WHAT’S NEXT? There are a lot of exciting

Todd is definitely not lacking on drive.

Spotlight 21.indd 2

things going on. Right now I’m working on brand awareness and I’m setting up RUNSAFER seminars at college campuses across the country, like at Florida State and the University of Tennessee. I cover safety awareness, campus safety and 10 things not to do to stay safe. The next phase after that is my product line: RUNSAFER mace, light machines, sound devices, my DVD. There are millions of runners out there who can benefit from jiujitsu. However, my biggest and most exciting news is that Asics just committed to power RUNSAFER in 2014 and to partner events between us, including presentations and products. I’ll be bringing presentations and safety workshops to the running world through running specialty stores worldwide! WOW…THAT IS VERY EXCITING! CONGRATULATIONS! Thank you. If I can spread the word and bring jiu-jitsu to running, which is a huge population, it’s a way for me to give back to both sides. At the heart of RUNSAFER is the mission to make runners, joggers, and walkers safer during their work out through jiu-jitsu and I love it!

WRITER’S NOTE:

Todd is also partnering with jiu-jitsu academies everywhere to bring his workshops to their students and running communities. If you are interested in having this two-time Olympian and jiu-jitsu black belt come speak at your school, please contact him at: www.runsafer.com. FEB/MAR 2014

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

CTRL INDUSTRIES

DESERT SUN BJJ GI www.ctrlindustries.com words: TRAVIS GUESNON

TRL INDUSTRIES IS FAIRLY NEW IN THE GI INDUSTRY AND RAPIDLY MAKING A NAME FOR ITSELF. The company was started in June of 2011 by Blayne Barlow. Since then CTRL has grown from producing some great looking T-shirts to come up with some great looking and performing gi’s. One of their newest gi’s, the Desert Sun, was recently released and we had the privilege of testing it out. Here’s the breakdown:

PANTS Just like the jacket, the pants have the orange contrast doubled up stitching for the most part, except in the knee area. It’s thoroughly stitched up, much more than I’ve seen compared to other pants I’ve seen or worn in the past; they’re highly reinforced. The pants material is made of 100% cotton ripstop. The rope drawstring is long enough to double knot if you like, but even if you don’t, it doesn’t come undone easily. There’s also a traditional canvas material drawstring if you’d prefer that instead. This gi is labeled as having a high-tech gusset, and while I wouldn’t say it’s high-tech, you’ll have more than enough room to move around in it comfortably.

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Gear Lab Gi 21.indd 1

This is Travis befoe he broke his foot.

1/26/14 8:11 PM

FIT AND FEEL

JACKET The jacket is white with orange contrast doubled up stitching that really stands out, along with the purple stitched logos/trim on each of the sleeves and one on the left mid-section above the belt line. It’s very lightweight and extremely comfortable. The softness of it is thanks to the use of a 350gr Pearl Weave. The inside of the jacket has a large, bright, multicolored Navajo Indian print (made of cool mesh material) running through the shoulder area, the hem of the jacket, and sleeves. The collar is designed with Ripstop material and has EVA foam inside to prevent harboring of bacteria and quick drying purposes.

Let’s start with the pants, shall we? One thing I noticed on the pants immediately is that there is actually an added extra inch on the back in length compared to the front. I’m guessing it has to do with those of us who have ample backsides. This added inch allows the pants to actually lie on your posterior and not get botched up when you’re moving around like some tend to do. Out of the bag the pants felt stiff, but once you move a little they loosen up quickly and are comfortable. The jacket is so comfortable it’s almost pajama like; so soft you could fall asleep in it. It’s lightweight and feels very durable, but it felt pretty big compared to other A2 jackets I’ve worn before.

ROLL WITH IT

Midway through the trial rolling period with this gi (2 weeks later), I broke my foot during a MMA session, so I asked the opinions of two IBJJF World champs to assist me with the review. They agreed with me about everything you’ve already read, except for the size. One disagreed with my assessment, and I’ll explain why after this next paragraph. While rolling with this gi on, the pants lived up to the hype. It was easy to break my opponent’s grips, they felt sturdy, never fell off, or loosened, and that extra inch on the backside is priceless. I really like the interior design of the cuffs on the sleeves of this jacket. They are actually reinforced twice. There’s the ½” material of hem mentioned earlier in the review, but there’s also a full 2.5” of material underneath that. This is really cool because one fault of most Single or Pearl Weaves is that they are so thin, it’s easier for your opponent/partner to grab and hold around the wrist area. This added material gives you a better opportunity to break grips. Again, the fact that this gi is soft makes it really comfortable, but it also allows opponents to get a better grip on your collar.

Highlights and Specs Suggested retail of $169.99. Available in Petite, A00-A5, A2T (tall), & A3T sizes. Unisex gi. Limited Edition of only 150 pieces available.

Don’t ask how.

Gear Lab Gi 21.indd 2

Comes in a cool white nylon, single-sided drawstring bag. A2 weighs in at 3.75 lbs total. The jacket is 2 lbs and the pants are 1.75 lbs.

…Now, back to the sizing of the jacket… one of the jiu-jitsu champs is 5’9”, 152lbs, with a 40” chest, 34” shoulders, and a 31” waist; he and I are around the same size. We each thought the jacket was too big and the sleeves too long. However, the other jiu-jitsu champ is 5’7”, 158lbs, with a 41” chest, 39.75” shoulders, and a 30” waist. His larger chest and much broader shoulders filled out the jacket, so he believed it to be close to a perfect fit. This tells me that the jacket size is a traditional cut and more suited for a stockier type of frame. FEB/MAR 2013

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

SHRINK ME?

TRY IT! A

BRAND NEW

AFTER X3 WASHES AT 40˚ C

A 67”

A 62.75”

B 32”

C 25.5”, cuff 6.5”

C 24.25”, cuff 5.75”

D 20.5”

D 19”

E 38.5”, cuff 8.25”

E 37”, cuff 8”

CONCLUSION

The gi looks cool, is soft, comfortable, lightweight, dries quickly, and is easy to move in. The jacket cuffs and added inch on the pants are awesome. After checking the website’s size chart, I’d fall into the middle and would need to mix and match an A1 jacket with an A2 bottom. Other than the minor adjustment in sizing, this gi is great.

VERDICT Unique design, soft feel, comfortable fit and good value.

PERFORMANCE: VALUE: OVERALL:

B E C

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

Grips Athletics

DUFFELWWW.GRIPSATHLETICS.COM BACKPACK

HERE’S NOTHING WORSE THAN GETTING TO YOUR ACADEMY FOR A CLASS, STRIPPING DOWN, PUTTING YOUR GI PANTS ON, AND REALIZING YOU FORGOT YOUR GI TOP. Well, maybe that doesn’t happen too often, but maybe you forgot your rashguard, or your mouth guard, or protein shaker, or anything. Some guys like to stroll into the academy with nothing but their gi. I, on the other hand, like to be prepared with everything but the kitchen sink. For guys like me there’s the Duffel Backpack from Grips Athletics.

WHAT IT IS The Duffel Backpack is exactly as the name would imply, it’s a bag that doubles as both a duffel bag and a backpack. I didn’t realize this fact the first time I used the bag because the shoulder straps for the backpack were so discreetly put away in the bottom of the bag. The bottom of the bag features eyelets at one end, a tucked away zipper, and hanging loop. Unzip the zipper and the shoulder straps come out with molded carabineers to latch onto the eyelets to form the backpack. The backpack straps are fully adjustable and feature a unique stretchable portion near the top of each strap. The bottom of the bag is also padded with a thin layer of foam underneath the inside fabric. Lay the bag down and you’ve got the duffel part to deal with. The cut of the bag has the zipper portion starting at the very top of the bag. The zipper is double ended so you can close the bag at any portion of the seam. The outer shell of the bag is ultra durable 600D and 1680D Nylon. This is the tough stuff your mother told you to get. The inside of the bag is lined with a softer polyester-like material. At one end of the bag there’s a zippered pouch that you can place your sweaty gear in to keep separate. This pouch is large but might not be big enough for an entire gi, however, it’s perfect for some really sweaty no-gi shorts and a rashguard. There

“It’s in the bag.”

Grip Bag.indd 1

are two other outside pockets on each side of the bag with a breathable mesh incorporated. Zip up the bag and a Velcro handle can be used to bring the handles together. This helps to make carrying the bag a little more convenient. There are also some molded buckles that keep the bag secure. These are great should you decide to travel with the bag. A large shoulder strap is also included along with a J-hook should you want to hook the bag onto a chain-link fence.

USING THE BAG First off, let me point out that Grips is continuing to impress me on their attention to detail. Every seam on the inside of the bag is covered, no loose strings, attention to detail like the molded covers over the cord on the zipper pulls. Everything is very, very nice. I’ve been using this as a bag to take my gi, protein, water, towel, and any other gear I can think of to class. It’s a little too large for that intended duty. I keep the backpack straps in their compartment during that duty. The bag performs flawlessly in that capacity. If I was doing some striking and needed to carry some pads or gloves the size would be more ideal. Despite the fact that it’s a little too big for my jiujitsu gear, I’ve used the bag on numerous occasions as a travel bag, and any time I’ve needed to lug around multiple gi’s to a photo shoot. Most recently I took the

bag with me to Cub Scout camp with my son. The backpack straps make this the ultimate bag of convenience. Thanks to the length of the bag, much of the weight is placed directly on your hips when you wear the bag. This makes the weight feel much lighter than when bogged down by a conventional backpack. The elastic properties of the straps also came in handy to cushion the load as I lugged about 30 lbs. of gear to camp.

CONCLUSION Grips does offer a smaller Gym Bag that might be more appropriate for taking to class every day. But I’m pretty sold on the Duffle Backpack. I’d rather have more space than not enough, quality is second to none, and the backpack convertibility is the ultimate convenience when needed. I found the bag on-line at a few places for less than $80. Given the fact that this thing can do it all, and the quality is outstanding, I’d say that’s money well spent.

VERDICT Might be too big for some, but has the room when you need it. Backpack features are awesome. PERFORMANCE: VALUE: OVERALL:

FEB/MAR 2014

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

THE JIU-JITSU LAB: SERIES ONE

THE SCIENCE OF THE SITTING GUARD www.jiujitsulabdvd.com words: MATTHEW CORELY

ECENTLY, I WAS SENT MATT BAKER’S NEW SCIENCE OF THE SITTING GUARD DVD. Matt Baker is a 2nd degree black belt under Jean Jacques Machado and is an accomplished grappler on the competition circuit. Prof. Baker’s goal with this DVD is to provide you with a complete sitting guard game that relies heavily on proper technique. The DVD shows sweeps, counters, escapes and submissions from the sitting and open guard positions. Before getting too much further into the DVD, I want to clarify that the sitting guard demonstrated is what many of us know as the modern version of the butterfly guard. The first DVD acts as your introduction to the sitting guard. I love the way that the DVD is structured. Chapter 1 is broken into six sections and each section is labeled by what your opponent is doing. If he’s moving away go to section 1, if he stands up go to section 5 and so on. Within each section are a number of techniques that would fit the situation described. Chapter 2 consists of intermediate and advanced techniques from the sitting and open guard. The techniques in Chapter 2 are a bit of a mish-mash of sweeps and submissions. The second DVD continues along the vein of chapter 2 of the first DVD. There are 4 sections: attacking from the top, escapes/counters to

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DVD Review 21.indd 1

subs, advanced submission escapes and finally, using dual attacks (chaining). In all cases, Prof. Baker does a good job of explaining the techniques in sufficient detail to perform them. The techniques chosen represent a good cross-section of options for the viewer to choose from. There was even a smattering of leg locks thrown in to round it out.

Modern Jiu-Jitsu and other new releases. The navigation menus were a little frustrating and outdated as well. As I mentioned before, I love the idea of creating a DVD around a single position and then organizing it by what your opponent does. Conceptually, this is how game plans are created and should

VERDICT AUDIO/VIDEO: GAME PLANNING: NO. OF TECH: CONCEPTS: LENGTH:

~2 Hours (2 DVDs)

EXP LEVEL:

White / Blue

PRICE:

$32.99

lead to quicker development for the end user. With a little tweaking and a few technical updates, this DVD would have been a must-have for beginner butterfly guard players. As it is, it still has value, but is lacking the polish that we’ve come to expect from new DVDs. However, it is still well worth the relatively low cost.

Unfortunately, there are a few issues with the production value of the DVD that detract from the overall experience. The audio and video production isn’t up to current standards and is consistent with DVDs from a few years back. That isn’t to say that you’re unable to see the technique or understand Prof. Baker, but it is not on par with DVD’s like

Matt looks a little younger in that picture.

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

Defense Soap

DEFENSE BODY WIPES WWW.DEFENSESOAP.COM

EVER BEFORE IN 19 YEARS OF REVIEWING VARIOUS PRODUCTS HAVE I EVER USED SOMETHING FOR SO LONG BEFORE WRITING ABOUT IT. In the past three years I’ve probably gone through at least a half-dozen containers of these Defense Body Wipes. The idea behind the wipe is to give you some antifungal defense after training when you can’t make it to a shower. For me, that’s after every daytime training session. I’ll get into the office, work a few hours, walk over to class, get back and wipe down before getting back to work.

Each canister contains 40 of the 75 sq inch wipes. Each wipe measures 10” x 7.5”, sizable enough so that one wipe will get all the important areas. The wipes themselves are durable and soft feeling. Each canister is foil sealed so that when they arrive to you they’re nice and fresh. The active ingredient in the wipes is Australian Tea Tree Oil and Eucalyptus Oil. The chemicals in tea tree oil have been known to kill bacteria and fungus. Tea Tree is routinely used to treat acne, athlete’s foot, cold sores, and other topical ailments. Eucalyptus oil has antiinflammatory and analgesic qualities as a topically applied liniment, which is great for sore muscles.

USING THE WIPES After training I’ll wipe off with a towel then wipe all the areas of my body that have come in contact with my training partners. So I start with my face, behind my ears, neck, upper body that might have been exposed, then my arms, hands,

You should really have that looked at.

Defense Soap.indd 1

and then finish with the feet. The wipes have enough ingredient on them to stay moist through this entire procedure. If the mats happen to be dirty that day and I see some dirt on the wipes, I’ll go with a second wipe. The wipes have a pleasant, but invigorating smell; not too strong. Don’t worry about smelling like Tiger Balm and bringing a tear to the eyes of everyone you come in contact with for the rest of the day. One thing worth noting is that the wipes don’t contain alcohol. So if you have a cut or scrape that you picked up during training you’re not going to get stung by the alcohol when wiping. If you do discover a cut I would also recommend washing it with soap and water along with using the wipes. It’s also worth noting that the canister makes for a pretty tight seal. I’ve yet to have a situation where the wipes dried out before I could use them all. I’m not sure if this would be the case if you left the canister in someplace like your car all the time. But when kept indoors the product should last you.

CONCLUSION A canister of these should be in everyone’s kit bag. They come in handy not just for after training but whenever you want to feel clean, fresh, and don’t have time for a shower. They can be found on-line for under $9 a canister from various jiu-jitsu retailers. A little preventive care after you roll can help you avoid contracting ringworm, impetigo, athlete’s foot, MRSA, staph, or some other disgusting skin disorder. In the three years I’ve been using this product I’m thankful to say I’ve yet to have any sort of skin issues. That’s anecdotal, but my experience none-the-less.

VERDICT Everyone should have these in their gear bag for when they can’t make it to a shower after class. PERFORMANCE: VALUE: OVERALL:

FEB/MAR 2014

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12/12/13 1:20 PM

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

JUDO TAKEDOWNS with Renan Vital words: TRAVIS GUESNON

| photos: MIKE VELEZ

ITH HARD WORK YOU CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING. This credo is deeply ingrained in Renan Vital. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, the 29-year-old Renan has been training jiu-jitsu for 24 of those years. Along the way, Vital has obtained a 2nd degree black belt in jiu-jitsu from Roberto “Gordo” Corrêa de Lima, as well as a black belt in judo. Larger than his love for martial arts is his love for his family and friends, with his son being at the very top of the list, his hero. Renan speaks very highly about Professor Gordo and Professor Paulo “Rabicó” Perrotta Renan’s making waves this year!

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for placing him on the right path. What began as a means to solely train and compete, due to the major BJJ competitions being held in the US, may end up being Renan’s future home. Upon arriving in Los Angeles in 2012, things weren’t going as well as he had hoped; he struggled, and considered going home. Enter Fabio Leopoldo, who Renan credits for helping him succeed and getting him to stay in the US. Renan now teaches at the Gracie Morumbi schools throughout Ventura County in Southern California. Renan’s newfound focus and structure have paid off. He’s been on a tear in

tournaments, starting with a bronze at the 2012 Pan Ams. Since then Renan has won the 2012 Miami Open, the Vegas Open, the San Paulo State Championships, the Rio de Janeiro State Championships, the All-Americans, the Los Angeles Open, and the NABJJF/SJJIF World Championships; all in 2013. One of Renan’s future goals is to have the best standup in all of BJJ. With the techniques he showed us, it appears he may be well on his way. Assisting Renan on the mats is BJJ World Champion and undefeated MMA fighter Talita “Treta” Nogueira.

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

OUCHI GARI (INSIDE TRIP)

The Ouchi Gari is a judo classic that transitions extremely well to jiu-jitsu. Judo practitioners tend to stand completely upright, while BJJ practitioners are likely to be somewhere in the middle between wrestling and judo with their stance; thus making them more susceptible to throws. Renan’s going to walk us through a few.

From a standing position, Renan grabs and grips Talita’s collar near her shoulder on the side that he will be performing the trip on. His other hand grips the gi near her opposite side elbow. Normally, your opponent will get the same grip to neutralize the attack as Talita does here.

KEY POINTS

Much like a slight tilt of a steering wheel in a car, Renan then pulls down the elbow he has control of, while lifting the collar/lapel grip to shake the base held by Talita.

Now that Talita is slightly unbalanced, Renan pulls the collar/ lapel and takes a step or two at an angle, which forces Talita to move forward.

With Talita’s momentum going forward, Renan positions his body sideways and immediately steps forward with his rear leg creating his own forward momentum. Using this momentum, Renan extends his lead leg between Talita’s stance, bending it into an “L” shape to make it into a hook.

05 80

Still continuing the forward momentum, Renan drops to his knee, hooks Talita’s ankle area, and uses his body to push her forward to complete the takedown.

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In step 1, Renan suggests grabbing the collar near the shoulder for just more than control. If you grab too low, your chances of either having guard pulled on you or being wrist locked are higher. If you grab too high behind the neck, your opponent can jump for guard or go for an attack. Most people who attempt and get this takedown end up in their opponent’s closed guard. In step 5, Renan avoids this and goes immediately to half-guard by both turning his body and shifting his hips immediately to the opposite side.

If your opponent is taller than you don’t be tricked into reaching higher up on the collar than arm straight out. .

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FOOT SWEEP

Another takedown that can be performed from the same starting position as the Ouchi Gari is a foot sweep. If you can get a good grasp of foot sweeps, they work wonders in BJJ as there’s very little muscular effort, but a big payoff to put your opponent on the mat.

Starting from the third step of the Ouchi Gari is where this quick attack takes place. Renan’s grips are all the same, but instead of making Talita take multiple steps, he just needs her to take one.

Once Renan gets Talita to step, he immediately extends his right leg and turns his foot inward to make it like a hook.

The hook portion goes right around Talita’s ankle and the ball of Renan’s foot pushes her leg out, sending her to the mat.

KEY POINTS

This move is about timing. You can’t let your opponent get his foot down and you certainly can’t kick your opponent’s leg. This isn’t the All Valley Karate Championships, Johnny! Let’s say you miss the timing though; what then? Transition to an ankle pick. If you go for the Ouchi Gari, and your opponent steps back with the leg you’re attempting to trip, you can transition to this foot sweep immediately while doing so to get the takedown.

We love that ankle pick!

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

TAI OTOSHI (BODY DROP)

A third option from the same grip positioning demonstrated by Renan is the Tai Otoshi. Unless your opponent is a cat, he’s going to land on his back with this one.

The positioning and grips are the same as in the previous moves. Instead of trying to get Talita to move toward him however, Renan pushes forward towards her. Talita’s reaction is to push back.

Once Renan feels Talita push back, he brings his right foot in between Talita’s feet while at the same time pivoting on that right foot and swinging his left foot and hip counter clockwise.

He then pulls Talita down by the collar while extending his right leg out.

Renan tightly locks Talita’s arm against his body. While still keeping the collar grip, he uses both the grip of the arm and collar to pull Talita over his outstretched right arm, head first.

Talita has no choice but to go with it since her right leg is trapped and she can’t stop forward momentum to keep her base. She ends up with her back on the mat and Renan in a knee on belly position.

KEY POINTS

This isn’t a hip throw. Renan isn’t using the lowering of his hips to get underneath Talita’s, but instead to make his right leg longer to force the trip. Talita is on the side of him, not behind him.

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Talita’s pretty awesome too. Look for her in the UFC someday.

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

KATA GURUMA VARIATION (FIREMAN’S CARRY)

Though similar to a fireman’s carry in amateur wrestling, the Kata Guruma (judo version) eliminates the possible counter of your opponent sprawling out on you.

Most opponent’s normal reaction, while being forced to look downward, is to posture up; which is what Renan wants. As Talita postures up, Renan releases his grip near her wrist, but keeps the collar/lapel grip near Talita’s shoulder.

Renan grabs and grips Talita’s collar/ lapel near her shoulder and his other hand grips the gi near her opposite wrist. He then pulls both grips downward, shaking his opponent, while stepping back to break Talita’s posture.

KEY POINTS

Renan’s variation has him actually going in the opposite direction and grip of the traditional Kata Guruma. With the Kata Guruma, the arm (the one Renan was holding near Talita’s wrist) normally is wrapped, but in this version there is no wrapping of your opponent’s arm. The difference maker is the collar grip. When getting to step 3, you can perform other variations. These include going to both knees and then standing up or finishing from either one or both knees down.

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Next, Renan turns his body sideways, squats, and with his free arm swims it through her legs. He then wraps this arm around her leg to control it and places his head near Talita’s hip, while still keeping the collar grip.

With the control he has, Renan loads Talita onto his shoulders, carrying her body weight, and stands up completely. Again, Renan is still holding on to the collar grip.

In the direction that Talita’s head is facing, Renan performs a side bend with his body. While still gripping the collar he releases the grip around her leg and Talita rolls forward, off of his shoulders to her back.

Renan ends with knee on belly while still controlling the collar and leg.

Wasn’t this Jimmy Snuka’s favorite move? But with a few more spins.

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ERI SEOI NAGE VARIATION (LAPEL SHOULDER THROW)

If you’re not comfortable with the grip, or going the opposite direction of the Kata Guruma variation/fireman’s carry, try this move instead. Posture, grips, and making your opponent move like in step 1 are all the same.

Renan releases the collar grip of Talita’s left side collar and grabs the cross collar (her right side) in the same area.

Renan steps in with his right foot, pivots on it, drops his hips lower than Talita’s, and places his left foot in front of hers. His back is now to the front of her body.

He bends his right elbow, places it in Talita’s right armpit, and pulls her right arm down.

The next steps are a repeat of steps 4 & 5 of the Kata Guruma/fireman’s carry. Renan finishes this move with knee on belly.

Next, he lets go of the grip near her wrist and keeps the collar/lapel grip. With his hips underneath Talita’s, Renan does a mini squat and wraps his free arm around her left leg.

KEY POINTS

The traditional Eri Seoi Nage would have you lock your opponent’s arm against your body at the end of step 4. Wrapping the leg of your opponent can give you more control, as well as create more momentum to fling your opponent off your shoulders. Always great to start up two points.

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

DOUBLE ARMBAR ATTACK FROM GUARD

As a bonus, Talita demonstrates a slick and effective armbar attack on both arms.

With both arms inside her guard, Talita reaches over the right arm and secures the elbow of Renan’s left arm.

She attacks his right arm by bringing her right leg into his left armpit and leg, curling to bring her heel down to the floor. Her left foot pushes on his right hip so she can turn her body more and she brings her leg on the opposite side of his head.

She brings her other leg over and crosses his head, curls her legs to bring her heels down, extends her hips, and finishes with the armbar. 8417

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Renan defends by bringing his right leg forward, moving toward Talita, and stacking her to relieve pressure.

To alleviate some of the pressure from the stack, Talita pushes Renan’s left hip with her right hand. While doing this, she shifts her hip back to the right side, slides her left shin against Renan’s neck, and places the top of her foot against the back of his head.

KEY POINTS

If you don’t bring your arm up and over both of your opponent’s arms and secure the elbow, this move would be all for not. It’s because of this you’re able to switch to the opposing arm.

Won’t see this one coming!

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TUNE IN NOW! www.iRoll.tv

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

SJJIF W words: MIKE VELEZ

| photos: KENNY JEWEL

HIS PAST DECEMBER THE RELATIVELY NEW FEDERATION ON THE SCENE, THE SJJIF (SPORT JIUJITSU INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION) HOSTED THEIR FIRST EVER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE WALTER PYRAMID ON THE CAMPUS OF CAL STATE LONG BEACH, IN LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA. The SJJIF is a sanctioning body run by many of the same people that put together the NABJJF. The stated purpose of the SJJIF is to help bring jiu-jitsu to the international stage and to eventually help turn jiu-jitsu into an Olympic sport. Nearly 2000 combatants from around the world converged on Long Beach for two full days to match up their jiu-jitsu games in both the gi and without. The SJJIF is an open federation working to create relationships with other existing and new federations to establish a common set of rules to be accepted worldwide.Â

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Olympic dreams.

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WORLDS KNOWING THE RULES

The SJJIF uses a set of rules that are slightly different than those used by other large governing bodies. The biggest differences are that there are no advantages and no referee decision. The SJJIF only works with points; this helps to take things out of the referee’s hands and more of the onus on the actual competitors. The referee must do and show a count of three seconds before awarding the points for every position, except for takedown. Takedowns are awarded once the person being taken down reaches the mat. No referee decisions in case of a tie, where points or submission decide the winner in “sudden victory” overtime. All SJJIF events feature divisions in Gi and NoGi for kids through seniors. All SJJIF events are run on a computerized network system with Live Mode team scoring and Team ranking. Team ranking allows academies to earn team points towards the “Team of the Year” awards that will be held at all future SJJIF Worlds. Ranking competitors that are members of the federation will be a feature that the federation will be rolling out later this year. All of the rules can be found on the federation’s website at www.sjjif.org.

We’re fans of the SJJIF rules.

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SPECIALFEATURE::::::::::

THE TOP KIDS All age ranges were on display. The kids divisions was especially stacked with some of the county’s top kids duking it out including The Ruotolo Twins – Kade and Tye, Courtney Cardoza, Mikayla Fonacier, Joaquim Ocampa, Kylie Baker, Elijah Vasquez and many other talented kids. In the Gi category Art of Jiu-Jitsu took the kid’s Team trophy with Big John McCarthy’s academy taking the No-Gi trophy. Kids of all ages and skill levels were on hand to compete and to watch the adults.

ADULTS, MASTERS, AND SENIORS SJJIF put out the call for black belts to compete for free at the event. This helped to garner some solid competitors in the black belt divisions including Rafael Pinto, Joao Silva, Dimitrios Mavraganis, Daniel Camarillo, Fabiano Bitencourt and Renan Vital to name a few. In the brown belt gi division Johnny Munoz of C-Quence stood out winning his featherweight division and the open division beating Mike Colon of Gracie Barra in the final.

TEAM PLACEMENTS Aloisio Silva BJJ took the first place trophies for both the gi and no-gi divisions. In the Gi category Checkmat took second followed by C-Quence, Lotus Club, then Jean Jacques Machado. In No-Gi second place went to Stable Jiu-Jitsu, followed by Checkmat, Tahitian Top Team, and Lotus Club. The weekend went off smoothly with great competition on all the mats. The rules adopted by the SJJIF are generally liked by most of the competitors and seem to make logical sense, we like them.

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The level of kids jiu-jitsu is higher than it’s ever been.

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Joaquim Ocampo takes the ref by surprise in celebration.

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SPECIALFEATURE::::::::::

READY FOR NEXT YEAR The SJJIF Worlds was really a world class event. We hope that more of the world’s best jiu-jitsu athletes will take note and be here next year - we sure will.

SAYING GOODBYE

Little did we know that this tournament would be our friend Joe Camacho’s last. Joe competed in the Lightweight Senior II black belt divisions and lost two hard fought battles to Andre Quiles of Checkmat. Joe was a long time friend of the magazines and will be sorely missed.

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Thanks for everything Joe.

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

Dealing with

COMPETITION ANXIETY words: RUBEN AVILA

OU HEAR ABOUT A TOURNAMENT THAT PIQUES YOUR INTEREST. You train for weeks using the best new methods you can find. You drill more, roll harder, and work on your cardio with supplemental training. You game plan and focus on the task at hand up until the day of the tournament. You feel good. Then, competition day comes and you notice you feel a little different. On the way to the venue, your heart rate increases. You get fidgety. You get restless leg syndrome. Your mind races a million miles a second. You get to

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the tournament and the feelings increase as you look around amongst the sea of jiu-jitsu players. You look for potential opponents matching your belt rank and relative size. The nervousness intensifies as you get your gi checked and you weigh in. Then, seemingly all of a sudden, your mat coordinator calls you up and it’s your turn to fight. You bow in to the mats. You bow to the referee. You bow to the opponent. The referee exclaims, “COMBATE!” Then, as fast as this all started, the match is over. You walk to your instructor almost throwing up, due

to the dryness in your throat, to go over what just happened; you realize you don’t remember many of the details of the match. As you take a moment to collect yourself, you wonder, “What happened to me?” You did not fight the way you train in your academy. Your cardio conditioning paled in comparison to what you perceive your abilities to be. And, to cap things off, you did not express your techniques the way you usually do in training. You just experienced your first adrenaline dump brought on by the nerves of competing, or, otherwise known as by professional athletes and entertainers, performance anxiety. Yeah, that’s how it feels some times.

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THE TWO TENETS OF ALL ANXIETY Somatic anxiety is the physiological response to a situation: heart rate increase, uncomfortably dry mouth, muscle tension, sweaty palms, intense fidgeting, and/ or breathing becomes increasingly shallow. All of the aforementioned symptoms are tangible effects of somatic anxiety. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it means that anxiety has crossed a threshold and it can no longer be contained in the mind. These symptoms are natural mechanisms that the body employs to release some of this tension. The nervous system is hard at work as it anticipates a “fight or flight” situation. However, this isn’t a true fight or flight situation.

Nobody’s life is at risk. You will not have to fight for literal survival or have to run as fast as your body can go in order to save your life. We are merely about to engage in sport. Jiu-Jitsu is a combative sport, but a sport nonetheless. Cognitive Anxiety is the mental and emotional response to a situation. This may include: doubting your abilities, worrying that the techniques aren’t adequate, crippling apprehension, worrying about facing someone who’s much better, fear, thoughts of losing and planning to deal with the loss, feeling panicked, visualizing the loss, losing focus on the task at hand, and/or forgetting parts of the game plan.

Cognitive anxiety typically comes from two places: fear of failure or inappropriate focus. It’s important to know that you are in control of your thinking. While the brain may be wired to worry, you still have the ability to logically think through these worries and refocus the mind more appropriately. It’s not always as easy as it sounds, but with practice one can create more effective mental habits. Consider this: the chemical reaction that occurs in the brain when excited is exactly the same as the chemical reaction that occurs when anxious. It’s all about perception!

Common Fears & Inappropriate Focal Points of Jiu-Jitsu Players:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Lack of confidence in set game plan, techniques, or cardio Too much emphasis on the outcome of your match Focus on emotions related to failure rather than success High self-expectations (Double Gold!) and self-imposed pressure

5. 6. 7.

Being un-tapered or physically tired Lack of trust in instructor/coach Returning from injury or illness

“WHY DOES ALL THIS MATTER?” “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.” - Sun Tzu

Ah, the old art of war adage. It serves us in many respects, and, here, it rings true as ever. By understanding the different tenets of anxiety, it is easy to identify which symptoms you’re experiencing. Having distinguished between somatic and/or cognitive anxiety symptoms, a strategic plan of attack may be employed. Of course, the two tenets are interrelated, so it is important to understand that you can’t just address one of them and expect your performance anxiety to be quelled. What’s your biggest fear?

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

TRAINING TO DEAL WITH COMPETITION ANXIETY

Given that anxiety can affect performance in three different ways, it’s best to have a plan of attack that’s threefold, as well as a good idea of how to deal with the entire spectrum of effects that may be encountered in competition.

the performance anxiety in order to reframe the energy from anxiety to excitement. Spend more time training what you’ll actually encounter in a competition rather than just training to train. What does this look like?

Don’t make the mistake of simply focusing on being completely calm. It may prove to be futile. Instead, embrace the nervousness and learn to develop a useful response to

With an appropriate training partner, agree on going a full round as hard as possible with the goal of working yourself into exhaustion. Then, the following round, do not take a

break. Rather, with a new fresh partner, try to enact your game plan and techniques while in a state of physical exhaustion and breathing hard. Can you still pull off your sweeps? Are you thinking clear? Are your submissions as effortless as they usually are? One day, wear the gi you are planning on wearing to the competition. Ask your instructor if he could have everyone circle around the mat to watch you roll with someone of the appropriate rank with

regular competition guidelines. Does having people watch affect your performance? Which muscles get tight under pressure? What happens to your breathing and grips? Do you forget to breathe? Do you hold on too tight and blow out your grip strength? What happens to your sense of timing? Do you rush or wait too long? Is there a propensity to bail on your game plan?

Tips & Techniques for Dealing with Somatic Anxiety There are numerous methods for using deep breathing to reduce anxious energy to appropriate levels. Try breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth as slowly and deeply as possible. It should never feel like you’re holding your breath or forcing it out. Try to imagine breathing through the heart; it can better help to decrease your heart rate. Focusing on breathing and counting each breath as you exhale has the added bonus of distracting the mind from worried thoughts. One tip I received from both Daniel Faggela and Justin Rader is to create a routine before training every day. This routine is to only be used before training as a means to prepare to get to work. Before their first match, Justin and Daniel both go through the same routine that they use before training at their academy. The effect is twofold: their body receives a signal that it’s time to perform again, and the familiarity of routine helps mitigate the stressors of the present

situation. This routine can include: music (anything from hiphop to classical orchestra), visualization of initiating the match, executing the first technique, positive focus, and self-talk. Remember, there is a fine line between excitement and anxiety. Self-talk goes a long way in reframing your energy to your advantage!

Many of the world’s best listen to music as a pre-competition ritual.

Finally, another trick I have been using lately is napping in the bullpen. After my warm up routine and in between matches, I find a spot to lie down. I tell the mat coordinator where I will be, and I do my best to take a nap. If I can’t sleep, I use this time to practice more deep breathing and positive focus. I picked this up from my instructor; it has worked very well for me.

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There is victory even in defeat.

Tips and Techniques for Dealing with Cognitive Anxiety Don’t dwell on potential outcomes prior to or during a competition; focus on exacting a game plan. Focus on success related emotions and imagery (how good will it feel having your hand raised by the referee?). Consider that it is much more likely for you to demonstrate your true abilities rather than have a match that is completely uncharacteristic of them. Set realistic expectations, especially if the training was un-tapered or you’re returning from injury or illness. Work on communication with your coach; get him/her to explain their training philosophy and why your game plan will work. You can do it!

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Make sure the focus is completely appropriate. Do not focus on things you cannot control. You cannot control who your opponent will be, who will be watching you, if there will be an injury, or how prestigious the tournament will be. The focus should not be on past matches, or thoughts of a negative future (i.e. what will people think if I lose?). If you can’t control it, let it go. Make a list of all your worries and cross off anything you can’t directly impact. If there are things you can control, make a plan to manipulate the situation to your favor. Focus on what is needed to compete well (be first, stick

to your game plan, execute without being tentative, etc.). Focus on the task (competing) rather than the situation (this is my first match ever!). Live in the moment. Consider how you will make this a great showing of your art. Trust that if you roll like you’ve trained to, the outcome will take care of itself. Remember, having these feelings is normal. It means you’re alive. You’re not alone. Everyone has them, and it’s how we deal with them that makes the difference. I’ll end this with a quote from a new black belt who has used these strategies to grow into super stardom:

“Competing is one of the most nerve racking and scary things for me. At Worlds last year I threw up between every match. I feel my stomach drop every time I see the guy who I will fight next. My hands get clammy. My heart pounds and I can hear it in my ears every time I think about when I will be up. I feel nauseous when I see my friends and family watching me. I don’t want to disappoint them. But then when I step on the mat I have the same thought every time. ‘All you have to do is fight your hardest’ and I remember I’m here to test myself and that all those other thoughts and feelings exist only in my own head. They aren’t real or tangible. The only thing that’s real is the moment. The instinct. The fight.” - Keenan Cornelius

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STRENGTH&CONDITION

IMPROVING

YOUR BALANCE words: BILL THOMAS

& AARON BLAKE | photos: BILL THOMAS & KENNY JEWEL

O GRAPPLER, YOU SAY YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR BALANCE? Maybe the first thing we better do is define what we mean when talking about balance. It turns out that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little more complicated than you may think, especially when we talk about applying it to jiu-jitsu. Balance in jiu-jitsu is the ability to resist falling down, being pushed over, or being swept against your will. This could be on your feet, in the guard, or in any other position on the mat. Balance can be a conscious ability, like when you realize someone is starting a sweep so you adjust your base. It can also happen unconsciously, for instance when you are standing and grip fighting and you resist being pushed over without really thinking about it.

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Being able to land how and where you want in jiu-jitsu is pretty important.

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THE THREE SYSTEMS Your body has to carefully coordinate input from three different systems in order to maintain balance.

The vestibular system regulates equilibrium and provides information on position changes and acceleration. All mammals use this system of sense organs located in the inner ear. The somatosensory system uses the sense of proprioception and other somatic information from specialized neurons located throughout the body to determine how your body is

positioned in space, relative to itself. For instance, with your eyes closed you can move your arm straight out and then bend it to 45°. You are using feedback from the somatosensory system and your sense of proprioception to know how your arm is positioned. The visual system gives you information about your position in relation to other objects, as well as head orientation and movement. To achieve balance you need good input from at least two of these three systems.

Balance Diagnostic

If you want a simple test to check your balance, grab one of your training partners and do this. Stand heel to toe, arms crossed over your chest, and close your eyes. Remain standing for 60 seconds. Your partner should watch for body sway and film you so you can see the results for yourself. If you remain upright and don’t sway too much, congratulations! You’ve got decent balance. If you fall down or wobble around like a drunken Karate Kid, we’ve got some work to do!

Why we fall down We fall down when our center of mass extends beyond our base gravity (which used to be pulling us down into that base), and pulls us down outside of that base. The further from our base we extend, the bigger the force. At some point we are no longer strong enough to overcome the force and we fall over. That means we have two ways to improve our balance. We can avoid extending our center

of mass beyond our base, also known as postural control. We can also improve our strength and ability to counteract the force of gravity. We’ll take a look at some ways to improve our ability in both areas next.

IMPROVING POSTURAL CONTROL

This is the kind of balance control you are probably already familiar with. Standing on one leg, sitting on a stability ball, doing a handstand, all require good postural control. The exercises listed below can be used in a series of progressions, adding more difficulty as you master each step. Take your time and don’t rush, your body will need time to learn each variation and your balance will slowly improve as you go along. All of these exercises can be performed on the floor or on progressively more unstable surfaces as you go along.

Jeff’s almost as good on that ball as he is on the mats.

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STRENGTH&CONDITION

THE EXERCISES STEP UPS PROGRESSIONS

Using a box, stairs, or an unstable surface, such as a stability disk or bosu ball, step up onto one leg and lift the other knee to 90Â° in front of your body. Hold steady for 10 seconds. Step back down and switch to other leg. Repeat 10x.

LUNGE PROGRESSIONS Forward lunge is a good strength building exercise, but it is also fantastic for improving balance. Especially when you put your forward foot on an unstable surface. Start standing, step forward onto the floor or unstable surface. Your body should be approximately half way between your front and back foot. Keep your core tight and back straight. Hold for 30 seconds, repeat 10x. LUNGE BOSU

JUMP TO SINGLE LEG This exercise introduces a high dynamic force to the balance equation by starting with a jump. Because you are moving forward and down youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need to control the deceleration with a single leg, which places a huge workload on all the stabilizing muscles. Start by trying this on the floor, and only when comfortable, move to an unstable surface like a foam pad. The further and the higher the jump, the more difficult controlling the landing will be. Jump from both feet, landing on one leg and holding your balance for 5 seconds. Switch to other leg. Repeat 10x.

LUNGE STABILITY DISK

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You can do the jumping to single leg on a number of different objects.

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BALANCE BONUS TIP

Another way to improve balance and overall kinesthetic awareness is to follow some advice from Bruce Lee, and “Be like water my friend.” Make a conscious effort to relax muscles that don’t need to be tense. Whether on the mat trying to execute a collar choke, or just standing on the sidewalk waiting for the bus, when you have excess tension in your body it impairs your balance and movement by causing a cascade of muscular contractions and reactions. While your muscles are fighting each other just to try and stay balanced, they can’t be used for other movements. This slows you down and tires you out. Use only the muscle tension you need to get the job done and learn to rely on your skeletal structure to hold you up. Knowing where your opponent is without the use of your eyes is a pretty cool and useful trick.

MEDICINE BALL HIP ABDUCTION Stand on a medicine ball or other unstable surface and slowly move your leg out to the side, away from your body. Go as far as you can while still maintaining your balance on the ball. Hold 5 seconds and come back to standing. Switch to other leg. Repeat 10x.

PISTOL SQUATS If you can lunge with no problem on an unstable surface maybe you’re ready to challenge yourself with the pistol squat. Start with feet together and arms at your side. Slowly straighten one leg and both arms in front of you while lowering your hips to the ground. Hold for 5 seconds and come back to standing.

1 Make it a point to occasionally roll with your eyes closed. Remember that the body needs input from at least two of the three systems that help control balance. When you block the visual system it sharpens your awareness of the queues from your vestibular and somatosensory systems. Not only will this improve your balance, but it will also develop your sensitivity. Eventually, you will literally be able to feel your opponent prepare to move. Balance combined with sensitivity make timing possible, and will improve your game dramatically. A basic game with good balance, sensitivity, and timing can defeat stronger or more technically skilled opponents in many cases. Make sure that your health insurance premium is paid before attempting the pistol squat on a kettle bell.

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If you want to kick it up another notch perform on top of a kettlebell or ball. With the kettle bell be careful not to tweek your ankle.

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STABILITY BALL An article on balance and jiujitsu really wouldn’t be complete without at least a couple exercises on the stability ball. Who hasn’t watched Jeff Glover or Ryron Gracie playing around on one of these things on YouTube? A quick word of caution, the stability ball has been responsible

STABILITY ASSIST

for more injuries in my club than grappling. Go slow and use a little common sense with this one. Start with the ball under one knee and both hands stabilizing it. Slowly work both your knees up onto the ball. Once you are in position and

STRENGTHEN THE CORE

All of the above exercises provide some strength improvements in the legs, the stabilizer muscles, and in the core. But because the core is really where balance starts, it never hurts to make it stronger. The stronger your core, the easier it will be for you to correct from mistakes and bad leverage situations that would finish off a soft bellied opponent. If you’re looking for new ways to work the core you’re in luck, a future article will focus on just that.

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feel stable, sit up tall and put both hands on hips. Try to hold this for 30 seconds. After you have the kneel-up mastered, move from kneeling to combat base. Again, go slowly and once you are in position, sit up tall and hold for 30 seconds.

The final step is standing on top of the stability ball. It’s a good idea to learn this with an assist, such as a pull up bar. Another bonus, I promise you’ll get a chance to practice your roll outs when you hit the mats after wiping out.

About the Authors BILL THOMAS is the founder of Q5 Labs, a sports nutrition company helping athletes Stay Alpha. He is a purple belt training in Rockport, Maine. AARON BLAKE is the Head Performance Trainer and Head Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor at Coastal Performance Training Center in Brunswick, Maine. Everyone should have a stability ball.

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

ASK THE DOCTOR words: JOHN GELBER,

Doctor and founder of FightMedicine.net, MMA and Grappling’s #1 resource for injury, health, and fitness advice. Follow Dr Gelber on twitter @FightMedicine

M.D.

Please note that this is not definitive medical advice and anyone reading should always speak directly to a physician about their specific medical needs. EMAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO: FEEDBACK@JIUJITSUMAG.COM The rumor around my school is that one of my teammates hasn’t been around class lately because he tore his bicep defending an armbar. Is this possible? It sounds horrible, how bad of an injury is this? How can I prevent it and what do I do if it happens? The exact mechanism of why armbars are painful is not understood, but it appears that if the elbow is hyperextended far enough, a significant injury occurs. Usually, the injury occurs in the capsule around the joint, and not the biceps. That being said, biceps injuries do occur in sports, although they are relatively rare. The biceps flexes the elbow and supinates the forearm, so biceps ruptures can occur if the biceps is being contracted against an arm that is being pulled in extension, such as when doing dumbbell curls, or in this case, defending an armbar. Most people think of the biceps as the main flexor of the elbow, but it is actually the brachialis muscle. The biceps acts mostly as a supinator of the forearm. A biceps injury will typically occur in someone over 40 years of age as the quality of the tendon weakens. The biceps starts up by the shoulder and attaches just past the elbow. If a biceps is ruptured at the level of the elbow, it can often be repaired surgically, and this will put you out of action for a few months. While there is no sure-fire way to avoid a biceps rupture, being conscious of how much you are fighting to straighten your arm in an armbar may help prevent injury. A well-trained athlete should know his limitations and tap out, rather than continue to attempt to straighten the arm and risk serious injury.

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BRACHIALIS

If your arm looks like any of these you might want to see a doctor.

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Sometimes after training at night my stomach hurts. It hurts bad enough that even though I’m hungry I can’t eat, I feel nauseous. I’ve only noticed this at night, what can this be?

Post-exercise nausea is a welldocumented, but poorly understood phenomenon. It is most often seen in endurance runners, but can affect athletes of all sports. There are several theories as to why this may happen. The first is the effect of your body’s “fight or flight” response. When your body exercises, blood is diverted away from organs like your stomach and towards your muscles so that you can “fight or flee.” The reason this mechanism evolved within the human body was to protect us from approaching predators. Faced with a potentially lethal Was it something he ate?

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predator, survival depended on the body’s rapid ability to divert resources to the body parts that would allow one to fight or flee the danger zone—i.e. muscles. Having ample blood supply to the stomach would do little to ensure survival in such a situation. The downside is that once the blood is diverted away from the stomach and intestines, a lack of oxygen may lead to abdominal cramping and nausea. The second theory centers on dehydration. This is why post exercise nausea seems to appear so much in endurance runners

who lose a lot of fluid during exercise. When you don’t drink enough fluids, especially after one hour of exercise, the electrolytes in your body can become altered, leading to muscle cramps and nausea. Furthermore, not having enough fluid in your body reduces the volume of blood that can get to your muscles since blood is mostly water. One reason that some people may experience post-exercise nausea more than others is related to how close to exercise you eat. This is similar to what your mom may have told you

about swimming right after you eat. One study showed that nausea was worse with higher rather than lower intensity exercise and the severity of the nausea related to whether the participants ate before exercise or not. So, while we don’t fully understand why some athletes get post-exercise nausea, keeping well hydrated and not eating too close to exercise times may prevent the issue/problem/ condition.

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

ANTHONY FERRO “There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and those who have met them in battle. Everyone else has a secondhand opinion.” -Unknown

FTER LEARNING ABOUT ANTHONY FERRO AND HIS PASSION TO PARTICIPATE IN JIU-JITSU, AS WELL AS HIS LOVE FOR COMPETITION, I FELT THE QUOTE ABOVE BEST DESCRIBED HIM. “Jiu-Jitsu saved my life,” he states, and I’m sure after reading this you’ll agree. More than just a means of self-defense and competition, jiu-jitsu has become therapy for Anthony. From 2003 to 2007 he served in the Marine Corps and was twice deployed to Iraq. During his time of service, Anthony was involved in a landmine explosion and luckily was not injured physically; however, this incident and all the other aspects of war rested heavily on his shoulders and took their toll mentally. Upon the end of his military career he was diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and advised he would need to constantly medicate himself with anti-depressant & anxiety meds. Enrolling in jiu-jitsu after serving became, as Anthony puts it, “My safe addiction,” as he was able to control his stress, and not become dependent upon medications. Unfortunately, Anthony would deal with more adversaries than he could imagine, against opponents he couldn’t see. During August 2012, he woke up bloated with acid reflux. Anthony never suffered from symptoms like this before, and though he saw various physicians, he was unable to get a logical diagnosis, as he continued to become more ill. By November, Anthony began doing his own research, believed he had Candida, and this was verified through proper testing. Candida is a fungal infection (currently the most common worldwide) of yeast overgrowth that can cause various health issues and get into one’s bloodstream. It is highly debated by medical doctors and practitioners of alternative medicine as far as treatment or even existing. Antifungal meds were prescribed, along with

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the removal of sugars and carbohydrates from his diet. Not being a large sized man at 5’10”and 143 lbs, Anthony became frail and weak, weighing in at 130 lbs only weeks after these changes to his diet. Even though the yeast was dying, the toxins were giving him flu-like symptoms, constant headaches, stomach pains, and other ailments. This only caused more meds to be suggested to eliminate these problems; however, he then suffered from liver and kidney issues. He stopped training for months, but only became depressed, and his PTSD went back into effect as he describes. Against doctors’ and other’s suggestions, he went back to training. Turning to holistic methods seemed to be a turning point for Anthony. He also noticed that by having his body cleansed and introducing carbohydrates back into his

diet (but only certain ones, such as rice, gluten-free pasta, red potatoes, and sweet potatoes), he didn’t feel as bad.

effect jiu-jitsu and a healthy diet and lifestyle can have on someone’s life. Mission accomplished!

With all that Anthony has gone through, he still had plenty of success this past year as a brown belt. At the 2013 IBJJF Chicago Winter International Open he placed third in gi and second in no gi at light feather weight in the adult division, even though at the age of 31 he is allowed to compete at a Master’s 1 level. He also claimed double gold at the 2013 IBJJF Chicago Summer International Open and placed third in the absolute division. Furthermore, he is undefeated as an amateur MMA fighter and recently won a fight last November. Anthony wanted his story out there so people could see just how positive and strong an

Good night, Chesty, wherever you are.

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