THE BUZZ ON CAFFEINE
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SHOULD YOU WASH YOUR BELT?
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NUTRITION, CONDITION, TECHNIQUE, SUBMIT
September 2014 Issue 26
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ON THE COVER: The one and only Rickson Gracie photographed at JJGF Headquarters in Torrance, CA by Jason Boulanger.
CONTENTS Septemember 2014 // Issue 26
74 Cover Feature
Life 8 Editorial
Rickson Gracie Speaks We Listen!
When you get older you just want a little more time.
96 Gear Lab
10 News
Storm Kimonos F-Lite Gi Combat X Trainer Beoyond Technique DVD
New stuff, gossip, old stuff and some strange stuff.
Skills 56 Lucas Lepri 7 Lucky Techniques with the World Champion
84 Working 50-50 Guard with Felipe Costa What to do when you get there
20 Promotions Belts and Stripes
35 The Life Kid Peligro’s take
50 Owning The Dream Small business in Jiu-Jitsu.
104 Gear Lab Feature Should I Wash My Belt?
MEET THE STAFF
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Mackenzie ARRINGTON
Matthew CORLEY
MacKenzie Arrington is an award winning chef out of Boothbay, Maine. He is the author of GrapplerGourmet.com, a comprehensive guide to cooking for the BJJ lifestyle. On the mats he is a blue belt out of PSABJJ in Brooklyn, NY, and a personal chef off the mats. Follow MacKenzie at facebook.com/grapplergourmet.
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 facebook.com/ MappingMyBjjJourney
Naveed SHAN Naveed Shan is a strength and conditioning coach at Siege MMA/Lotus Club BJJ in Glendale, AZ and Revolution Training Systems in Tempe, AZ. He is a blue belt under Giva Santana and is currently finishing his post-graduate studies in Exercise Science and Psychology at ASU. You can contact him at naveedshan.com
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Sidebar caption thingy goes here.
10
36
122
Mind
Body
118 Mind Games
44 Warm-Up
Keeping a jiu-jitsu journal
Engaging Your Neck
122 Success
106 Diets Demystified
Better than a heart attack
A look at intermittent fasting
56
110 Gains Make every movement count
Fuel 24 Grub
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Meat eater’s guid to eating meat
36 Supplements Everyone’s favorite drug - Caffeine
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Travis GUESNON
Deb BLYTH
Travis began his love or grappling more than ten years ago here in Southern California and has turned that passion into a career helping Mike steward this fine publication. Travis is a purple belt under John Munoz at C Quence jiu-jitsu in Norco, CA.
Deb Blyth known around the world as one of the premier jiu-jitsu journalists. She’s an accomplished author who has traveled the world to get the story and is the most connected reporter in all of jiu-jitsu. Twitter @DebBlyth
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8 EDITORIAL
I NEED JUST A LITTLE MORE TIME!
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor & Publisher Mike Velez Associate Editor Deb Blyth Assistant Editor Travis Guesnon Contributing Authors Gerry Costa, Jeremy Reid, Matthew Corley, Dr. Ethan Kreiswirth, Hywel Teague, Edwin Najmi,Naveed Shan
ART & PHOTOGRAPHY
LAST MONTH I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF CELEBRATING MY 40TH BIRTHDAY. Some people tell me this is a milestone. Leading up to it, you wouldn’t believe how many guys told me, “Oh, it’s all down hill from there.” Or, “Everything changes.” Granted, it’s only been a few weeks, but it feels no different to me. And ever since the IBJJF renamed the age distinctions, I feel 21 again - no longer a senior - it’s back to “master” for me! Albeit, with a 2 or 3 after the “r,” but that’s ok. So, what’s been on my mind lately as I continue to age? It’s not the grey hair on my head (and other places), or the fact that I can’t say I’m in my 30’s any longer. No, it’s the fact that my competition matches are only 5 minutes. I should be used to this by now, since I discovered jiu-jitsu in my 30’s. I’ve always had this time limitation. What I’ve noticed when rolling with other guys my age is that for the most part, we’re a little more methodical, and a little more painstaking in our approach. Given the prospects of a match only lasting 5 minutes at the most, I say it’s not enough time. That realization has caused me to take another look at submission only tournaments. Early in my jiu-jitsu life I thought submission only didn’t seem like much fun. All of my tournament wins had come by points, I’d never gotten a submission in a tournament. So, I figured that wouldn’t be too enjoyable for me, especially since draws are basically losses at a sub only tournament. However, as my jiu-jitsu has matured and I’ve gotten to watch more submission tournaments, I’ve come to appreciate them a little more; especially with the idea of having more time to compete in a match. I think it’s great that more and more tournaments are popping up on the jiu-jitsu scene. The increased amount of options are good for competitors and the competition among organizers is spurring innovation, new ideas and new rules, all with the goal of making for a better competitor/customer experience. With this in mind, I was excited to hear about Rickson Gracie’s new JJGF. I think it will help to bring back some tried and true elements of competition that may have been forgotten along the way. I’m interested in seeing how his emphasis on the selfdefense aspects of jiu-jitsu translate into competitive jiu-jitsu. I’m excited! If you’ve browsed around this issue of JJM you’ve probably noticed that it’s looking a little different. You’re looking at the first draft of a complete redesign of the magazine. Sure, we could have left things alone, but we wanted to refine the look and readability of the magazine. Some things we’re trying in this version may work and others may not. We’ll continue to work out the kinks and settle on something we’re proud of and excited about. We’d love to hear your opinions, so feel free to drop me an email with your thoughts about the layout, or anything for that matter, I’d love to hear from you. Until next time, keep rolling!
MIKE VELEZ mikev@jiujitsumag.com
Follow Us:
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/JiuJitsuMag
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
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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.
Editor/Publisher
/JiuJitsuMag
Art Director Dave Palacios Contributing Photographers Jason Boulanger, John Cooper Kenny Jewel, Mike Lee, Mike Calimbas, Kristen Mendes
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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.
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10 NEWS
Everyone Loves A Steak Dinner STEAK DINNER BOOM! is an apparel company that has recently released a brand new line of t-shirts that combine MMA, jiu-jitsu and pop-culture. Playing off of predominantly popular cable TV shows (Game of Thrones, Mad Men, House of Cards, etc.), films (Star Wars, etc.) and humorous ideas to grab peoples attention and generate happiness through laughter. You can find and purchase them on BJJ Warehouse at:
bjjwarehouse.com
I “Will Terminate” You! That’s the translation for Manto’s new “Vai Finaliza” gi that we just received and it is nothing but stellar to say the least! Your purchase includes an IBJJF legal 550 gsm Pearl Weave jacket and Ripstop cotton pants in bright red trim, embroidery, patches, and stitching along a white kimono that immediately pops out at you once you see it. It also includes a gi bag with purchase. Sizing starts at A0 and goes up to an A4. Expect a review of this gi in the immediate future. The Vai Finaliza is available directly through Manto’s website, as well as at Roll More, Fighters Market and BJJ Warehouse for just under $175.
mantousa.com | rollmore.com fightersmarket.com | bjjwarehouse.com
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This issue may cause PETA protests.
METAMORIS 4
With it’s most popularized event so far Metamoris delivered another card that definitely got the jiu-jitsu community’s attention. All matches took place as scheduled without any hiccups even
Kit Dale vs Gary Tonon
The first match of the evening looked to possibly be the highlight of the night or at least one of the two top matches. Gary pulled guard and attempted an unsuccessful heel hook. He appeared much more aggressive and Kit looked relaxed, too relaxed. Once they returned to their feet a scramble took place off of a failed takedown and Gary locked onto to Kit’s neck with a guillotine. Kit rolled to escape, Gary went for another choke, Kit defended that, but went right back into a much tighter guillotine and tapped around the 3 minute mark. Gary then called out Kron Gracie for a rematch from their first meeting at ADCC 2013 for Metamoris 5.
Saulo Ribeiro vs Rodrigo “Comprido” Medeiros
After a decent amount of grip fighting and battling for a takedown in a battle of legends, Saulo was eventually able to get a throw on Comprido and get on top where he was in half guard, but unable to capitalize on any submissions. Comprido turned the match around getting up, then taking Saulo down, but not for long, as Saulo quickly got up. They battled for the takedown again for the majority of the match until the last 3 minutes where Saulo actually pulled guard at one point. It ended in a draw.
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Keenan Cornelius vs Vinny Magalhaes
In the “redux” match that had to be scrapped from Metamoris 3 due to Vinny getting a staph infection days prior there was nothing but excitement, as it had a little bit of everything. Keenan’s impassable guard, Vinny nearly tapping Keenan with a toe hold and later a heel hook, Keenan getting toe holds and heel hooks only causing Vinny to smile and laugh, a flying back roll off the stage by Vinny, Keenan passing Vinny’s guard three times and mounting, Keenan nearly getting an armbar at the end, and Vinny escaping to wave his finger in the air as if to say not going to happen. It ended in a draw, but was still the best match of the evening in my opinion.
The Secret Match
With the first introduction bringing out grappling great Baret Yoshida, the second intro was to Metamoris own commentator, Jeff Glover, who stripped down out of his suit. The match featured Jeff being Jeff as he gave his back to Baret numerous times, used his Donkey Guard and even performed headstands. Jeff played a lot, which is entertaining, but the match seemed more like a light sparring where he could easily dictate the pace and got the better of Baret. Final result was a draw.
Dean Lister vs Josh Barnett
The co-main event featured a former UFC star vs a current one. The match wasn’t exciting for the most part, but more technical than it may have appeared as Josh stayed on top of Dean the entire time. This slowed Dean down significantly and with only seconds remaining Josh brought the crowd to their feet when he was able to do what no one has in 16 years by submitting Dean.
Andre Galvao vs Chael Sonnen
The main event appeared in serious jeopardy as the NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission) threatened to interfere with the match going on. In true American Gangster fashion Chael kept his word, showed up and competed as planned. For the first 10 minutes it appeared that Chael would be able to make it through the entire 20 minutes until Andre was able to get a sweep, take his back and finish Chael with a rear naked choke.
metamoris.com
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NEWS 12
ZEBRA FIT
If you’re a business gym owner, have a decked out home gym, or looking to design a home gym then you’ll want to check out the new line of fitness equipment and rack systems by Zebra. Zebra makes the highest quality mats used by the most prestigious jiu-jitsu/grappling competitions and schools today. They put an extreme amount of care and work into their products and it looks like the same formula is being used with this new venture. Their Annex Rack System has everything you need and could hope for to produce the highest level of fitness! For more information call 800-989-8085, e-mail them at info@zebramats.com and check out their website:
zebramats.com
Eating Seasonally
Knowing what fruits and vegetables are in season is not just for farmers. By becoming an expert of your surroundings you can reap the rewards by eating foods that are in season. By doing so, you will have the healthiest and most flavorful version of that ingredient.
Vegetables of September Artichokes Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Carrots Kale Garlic Leeks Mushrooms New Potatoes Pumpkins Red Onions Spinach Squash Sweet Corn Tomatoes
Fruits of September
TAKING CTRL We got a glipse of one of CTRL Industries’ next gi’s. It unnamed as of yet, but it’s khaki brown colored gi with black trim. There will also be a white gi with khaki brown trim. Word out of Arizona is that this will be a whole collection of gi’s. We can’t wait to see it. To keep up to date on the next CTRL project be sure to follow them on social media @ctrlindustries on both Instagram and Twitter.
ctrlindustries.com
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Apples Blackberries Blueberries Cucumbers Figs Nectarines Peaches Pears Plums
Tip: Love blueberries year round, but hate seeing them expensive and bland? Simply buy them when they are in season so they are cheaper and tasty, then freeze them!
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NEWS 14
RUMOR MILL Where’s Roger?
In somewhat of a back and forth topic on whether he’ll return to jiu-jitsu or not since he his departure from the UFC, Roger Gracie recently signed with another MMA promotion, One FC. While he hasn’t given up on competing in jiu-jitsu completely he’s intent on having two or three fights a year, so that may complicate him participating in tournaments due to scheduling. He is however open to the possibility of superfights.
Is Rodolfo next?
With Roger Gracie stepping back into the cage and Kron Gracie, Gabi Garcia and Rafael Lovato Jr. all announcing their intentions to also compete MMA is there something in the water at tournaments lately? Not only did Gary Tonon call out Kron at Metamoris 4, he stated that he would be willing to meet him in a cage or ring sometime in the future. Rodolfo Vieira appears to be working his way toward this as well and was recently recorded hitting mitts. You can view it o:
www.instagram.com/jitsolympics.
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Banning Guards
Not too long ago when the 50/50 guard was “the it guard” at the time many tournaments were looking at banning it because there were complaints of stalling, reaping, etc. The 50/50 has survived, but now it appears that the lapel and worm guards may be next on the chopping block. The Copa Podio has become a hot topic for this at it was originally announced that they would ban these guards; however, decisions have changed, talks have ceased and it appears all are still legal. The coincidence with the three guards is that Keenan Cornelius happens to be the individual who has brought them tremendous attention and used them successfully in major tournaments. Keenan himself went to social media stating his side and why he disagrees. Is there a conspiracy going on against him? Things that make you go hmmm.
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NEWS 16
Hey Now You’re An All Star
Recently hundreds of jiu-jitsu competitors made it out to beautiful Santa Cruz California for the All Star #3 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament. The California stop is part of BJJ Tour Series which heads out to Florida next on September 27th, Texas October 11th, and back to Cali with the big one, the US Open October 25th and 26th. Here are some shots from the All Star. www.BJJTour.com Thomas Tupper (Coalition 95) holding guard against Rodney Fronce (Camarillo Jiu Jitsu) in the finals of the Master 3, Purple Belt, Middle Weight division. Fronce took the gold on advantages.
John Frankl (Coalition 95) vs. Vincent Vanderlipe (Kugtar Martial Arts) in the final match of the Black Belt Masters 4 Middle Weight Division. Vanderlipe owns and operates Kugtar Martial Arts in Salinas, CA. Frankl, originally from Santa Cruz, is a full-time university Professor in Korea who brought jiujitsu to Korea 15 years ago. Frankl won the match with this Kimura.
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Some of these you’ve maybe seen before, well they’re our favorites this month.
MEMES OF THE MONTH
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NEWS 18
FACEBOOK:
Points or Sub-Only? Which and why? Giovanni Gironda Sub only, if you want to win by points, go do tae kwon do.
Kym Sturdivant Points because having an effective sub-only format is time consuming and not progressive. With sub only tournaments you end with draws and double eliminations regardless of if one participant is more active. There should always be a way to determine a winner!!!
Jason Smith Both have their place and are a different animal. Why choose, embrace the differences.
Savannah Martin Points. Because with a points tournament a sub ends it all anyway but if you’re dominating a match the whole time and owning a dude but he stalls and just defends a submission and then it ends in a draw? And that’s supposed to be a even fight on both opponents ends? No. Every match should take into account who is leading the fight and who is losing.
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Sam Mckeown From a spectators point of view, submission only is far more exciting. For the competitor, the goal should always be submission, regardless of whether a points system is in play; but points allow a fair analysis of a match. Where there’s rules and points, however, athletes will exploit them. So as a personal preference, submission only.
Steve Brady I think, as has been proven in boxing, UFC etc, it’s always dangerous leaving your result in the hands of the judges, as your view on what has/hasn’t scored points could be way off, so always best to get the submission when it presents itself.
Lorie N Greg Tucker Submission only and go to judges decision if there is no submission. Jiu-jitsu was a martial art before it was considered a sport and the rules should reflect that. To many people “ playing it safe “ and pulling guard waiting for a quick point or advantage, never really going for the finish.
JIU-JITSU GI MINIMALISM
Today’s market of gi’s is full of many creative, bright colored, attractive options, that are branded thoroughly displaying the company’s name and logo. The days of the traditional blank gi have long since past as they the new arrivals had more a more unique look and features. Recently companies are starting to produce stylistic throwbacks of blank gis, reminiscent to the early days of jiu-jitsu and the original look. Enter new gi company Blank Kimonos. As the name would imply these gi’s have nothing on them except for the patch tag inside of the jacket and another on the bottom end of the left lapel. The jackets are made of 100% cotton - 450gsm pearl weave, the pants are 100% drill cotton and the gi is IBJJF legal. Sizes that will be available will range from A1 up to A5 (A1L, A2L and A3L are also available), in three colors (white, blue and black) at a price point of just under $90 on Fighters Market at fightersmarket.com. BJJ Sports has also introduced their own new line-up of unpatched gis. There is nothing on the entire gi but the patch tag inside of the jacket. These jackets are made of 100% cotton - pearl weave; however, the pants are made of light weight rip-stop material. The same three standard colors and sizes are available, but BJJ Sports also offers an A0. Priced just under $70 they are available at bjjsports.com.
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20 PROMOTIONS
CASEY PIELEMEIER CASEY PIELEMEIER IS THE CO-OWNER AND HEAD INSTRUCTOR OF ZERO EGO BJJ IN EDWARDSBURG, MI. On May 1st he was awarded, not just his black belt (extremely significant in and of itself), but his instructor Wally Holem literally took the school’s name to a new level by taking his own belt off and wrapping it around Casey’s waist. This is a very high honor to have your instructor give you their belt. Osss! Congratulations, Casey!
Setting An Example
If You Build It, It Will Come
When architectural Project Manager, Gene Yambaw isn’t working on building project designs, he’s building his skills and jiu-jitsu resume in his free time. Derek DiManno of WAZA BJJ in Elk Grove, CA recently promoted Gene to purple belt. Congrats, Gene!
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Showing that hard work pays off, Jason Anthony is serving as a positive role model for his son and has taken the first major step in his jiu-jitsu journey. He received his fresh, new blue belt from Bryan Waltz of Gracie Barra, Colorado Springs with Roberto “Tussa” Alencar on hand. Nice job, Jason!
The Legend Steps In
Jean Jacques Machado recently stopped by his affiliate school, Clarion MMA Academy in Clarion, Pennsylvania and promoted several in attendance. Pictured from left to right: Hillary, Steve, Tim, Dave, Corey, Jean Jacques, Josh, and Leo.
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Ah Maui...
Never Too Late To Start
The old adage, “Age ain’t nothing but a number” rings true for Dennis Mackulin, as he proves an older dog can learn new tricks. Training under Luis Heredia of Maui Jiu-Jitsu in Hawaii, Dennis’ first immediate goal was to get his blue belt before turning 60. Mission accomplished! At the young age of 54 he’s looking forward to many more years of training. Way to represent for us “Masters,” Dennis!
Going Coast To Coast
Former college basketball player, Raymond Anthony found jiu-jitsu kept his mind at ease. Originally training in Florida, the threestripe blue belt move to Tucson, AZ for a job after college, has been training under Enrique Villegas of Gracie Barra since, and recently earned his purple belt. Great job and way to stick with it!
Jack Of All Trades
Brian Edwards holds plenty of titles. In his profession he’s an Insurance Agent/ Financial Planner, at home he’s a father of 5, on the tournament circuit he’s an avid competitor, and now Brian can add brown belt to his resume, courtesy of Tim Jones from Swamp Fox JJ in Florence, SC. Great job, Brian!
Jay Pages
Chandler, AZ is definitely a hot place and Jay Pages is on a bit of a hot streak himself. Caio Terra recently awarded Jay his second degree on his black belt at a seminar. The next day, Jay brought home some gold of his own, the Caio Terra Association Team took 1st place in adult team points at the 2014 NABJJF Grand Canyon State Open, and it was also his birthday! Osss! If you check out www.iroll.tv you’ll find videos posted of Jay’s detailed instruction. Congratulations on all your success and happy belated birthday!
Email SEND 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.
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24 GRUB
WHAT’S THE BEEF? MEAT EATERS GUIDE TO EATING MEAT PART 1: Picking your body’s training partner MacKenzie Arrington
THERE’S A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF ATHLETES OUT THERE WHO ARE VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN; I AM NOT PART OF THAT GROUP. I hold nothing against it, but I succumb to the deep down channeling of my inner primal urges and desire meat in at least one meal a day. A lot of diet plans, fads and even the guy at your gym who is always pushing his “flavor of the month” nutrition plan will say lean meats are the only meats you are allowed to eat if you want to be a healthy athlete. Sure, chicken and fish are delicious, but when I say, “Meat,” I mean the GOAT - Greatest Of All Time, (not actual goat, though it is tasty, too) - BEEF! But just like each and every one of you, we all have our differences
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and uses. The same goes for beef. You would not want to slowly braise a well-marbled filet mignon, nor would you want to pan seared “chuck” steak. Filet Mignon is a tender cut of meat that is perfect when pan seared and cooked to a nice and juicy medium rare, whereas “chuck” steaks cooked the same way are closer related to Chuck Norris, tough as nails and will round house kick your jaw muscles into submission. Let us avoid spending our precious dollars on the wrong cuts of meat and learn how to pick the perfect steak.
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These steaks are getting me hungry.
“Beef, it’s what’s for dinner.” We have all had a life changing steak dinner (unless you are a vegetarian, obviously) at some point in our lives and on the flip side of that coin, we have all had some tire rubber that was once a piece of steak. Why does that happen when they are both “steaks?” Well, that my friend, is what we call using the wrong
move in a situation. Do you try and throw up an armbar from the bottom of mount? Unless you’re a magician, I don’t think so. Each piece of steak is different and requires different methods of cooking based on what part of the cow it’s from and how those muscles were used. One way to pick the right steak is to have
someone pick it for you at the butcher counter of your local supermarket. Unless you have a great local meat market or shop at a few select higher end grocery stores, the guys behind the counter might not be your best resource. With a few tips we can shape you into a self-taught, super human steak selecting machine.
Where do my steaks come from? Weight cut to buy? It’s no mystery, beef comes from cows, but what part of the cow does a top round sirloin come from, or a skirt steak? Are cows fashionable and wear skirts? Knowing where the cuts come from can be confusing because it seems like there are a million different names out there in the meat aisle. Knowing where the cut of meat comes from can really help narrow down what uses it has in cooking. Luckily, butchers have broken down cows for ages and have come up with a pretty simple naming system to distinguish which meat comes from where. When dealing with a whole cow they section them down into “Primal” and then “Sub-primal” cuts. The majority of the cuts found in a super market are at the “Sub primal” level. To understand each, here is a quick cheat sheet breaking down, pun intended, the Primal cuts.
CHUCK: The shoulder, which results in a lot of well used muscles and connective tissue. Very little fat is found here resulting in a tougher piece of meat, yet some of the most flavorful. Sub primal: Chuck short ribs, stew meat, ground chuck, flatiron steak, cross rib pot roast Ideal cooking methods: Moist-heat methods; braising or stewing, or grilling when ground.
RIB: Not to hard to guess but this is the rib section of the cow and containing a portion of the spine. The majority of the meat found here is well-marbled and very tender, especially the center portions which are used to create some very rich and delicious roasts. Sub primal: Roast prime rib, boneless rib eye roast, rib eye steak, beef short ribs Ideal cooking methods: Roast, broiled, seared, or grilled.
BRISKET: Mmmm brisket, the super fatty section found just under the chuck. Brisket comes from the breast area of the cow which leaves it loaded with fat, but still very tough due to use. Commonly used in BBQ or made into corned beef or pastrami. Sub primal: Whole Ideal cooking methods: Moist heat, smoked, or pickled
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LOIN: The Ribs can be looked at as a castle you have to get through to get the Holy Grail that is the loin. Located behind the ribs, this cut is the most sought after because of the tenderness and amounts of marbling. Sub primal: Tenderloin, strip steak, porterhouse, T-bone, filet mignon, sirloin steak, and sirloin butt roast Ideal cooking methods: Roast, seared, broiled, grilled. Don’t you dare use these cuts in your beef and barely soup.
SHORT PLATE: This is the area below the ribs, containing the rib ends, which lack some of the marbling that the rib section is prized for, but contains some versatile cuts that will often be cheaper, but just as good. Sub primal: Skirt steak, short ribs Ideal cooking methods: Grilled, roasted, or braised
ROUND: The hind leg of the cow, or better put, the whole damned hind end because it does encompass the whole area. Knowing what a cow looks like, the back end is one giant muscle. The result is tougher, less fatty cuts of meat that are ideal for flavoring soups and braises rather than being slapped on the grill. Sub primal: Round steak, top round, round roasts Ideal cooking methods: Braise or stew
SHANK: The shank or fore shank is the front “legs” of the animal. These cuts are prized in restaurants and food service for the high levels of collagen and flavor. Normally, the fore shank is sold whole to restaurants for soups and beef stock. Sub primal: Low-fat ground beef or whole Ideal cooking methods: Moist heat unless ground.
FLANK: Found just below the tenderloin, it has some of the similarities based on location, but is normally tougher than the loin cuts yet still as flavorful. A good, more affordable alternative to loin cuts. Sub primal: Flank steak and London broil Ideal cooking methods: Grill, roast, sear, broil, stew, or braise
Butcher counter vs. prepackaged When selecting a steak it is best to buy from the butcher’s counter display, the steaks are fresher, but more importantly, you can usually find out a bit more about them by chatting with the butcher, get deals and fully check the quality of the steak you are about to buy.
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If you have your choice go with the black belt.
Meat Grading System
In our favorite past time or profession for the lucky few of us, we are graded in a very strict belt system. We are not the only ones who fall into such criteria, our beef does as well! Knowing the grading system is a must when you are choosing what piece of beef is right for the occasion. The USDA are the sole inspectors of beef quality and percentage-wise they give out the highest grade of “Prime” to only 1 – 2.5% of all beef processed in the United States. The grading system is based primarily on the degree of marbling, color, tenderness, juiciness, and flavor of the meat. There are some crazy levels of detail that go into the grading, such as the maturity of the animal itself based on months and skeletal ossification, but we will not go down that worm hole. All that matters to us is to understand what each grade means on our end, unless you want to become a butcher. Black Belt | USDA Prime: The highest rank you will find. Prime grade beef comes from younger wellfed cattle. The meat has the best marbling, which results in a super tender and juicy steak. This grade should only be cooked with dry-heat methods. Pan seared or roasted are the best. If you want to feast like a king, go Prime. Brown Belt | USDA Choice: It’s close to Prime. You will more than likely not buy Prime unless you are a baller, but Choice will suit just fine and will be primarily what you find in
your grocery store because Prime usually gets sold to high-end restaurants. Choice grade has great marbling, which makes it tender, juicy and very flavorful. However, some of the meats can get tougher if overcooked with dry heat. So, this is where you can start getting into braising or stewing. Purple Belt | USDA Select: You start to lack marbling here, which will make the meat leaner, since marbling is fat dispersed within the muscle tissues. Because of this, Select grade will be a bit tougher and lack in flavor and juiciness compared to
Choice and Prime. Select cuts are better marinated to gain flavor and to tenderize. Select is your go to choice for braises and stews because the low and slow cooking within a liquid tenderizes without drying it out. If you pan sear or grill certain select cuts, you will be disappointed because it will be like chewing on a gi; leave the dry cooking to the senior ranked meats. Blue Belt | USDA Standard/ Commercial: Blue belts! Don’t get offended here! I am in this with you. Standard and commercial grades are what you find on the shelves
the majority of the time. Are they bad? No, but they are what you see as the “store brand” meats. They are your bargain cuts. They should not be avoided by any means, you just need to treat them differently preparation-wise to maximize their potential. White Belt | USDA Utility/ Cutter: Not sold to stores whole; utility and cutter grades are what get processed into ground beef. These cuts are too tough to be sold on their own and did not pass the test to move up in rank. They actually make up the bulk of the meat sold.
HOW TO PICK
Now that we are familiar with which piece of beef we need and what grade it comes down to, the hardest part is pulling the trigger on which piece to buy. There are a few things to take into consideration when purchasing the perfect cut of meat. Using 3 of your 5 senses you can tell a lot about the product.
COLOR: We eat with our eyes first and foremost. Meat color can indicate a lot, but can also be a little deceiving. You want to select meat that has a nice, bright red color. The meat, once cut and packaged, has a certain “bloom” to it that makes it hold that bright red color. Once exposed to oxygen, the outside of the meat begins to brown out, this does not mean the meat is bad; it just happens from exposure to oxygen. If you see this in prepackaged meats, avoid it. If you have some meat you just bought and opened yourself then the next day it’s brown, don’t throw it out, it’s still fine (unless you wait multiple days, then it will spoil).
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Vegetarians are either hating us right about now, or reconsidering.
TOUCH: This is the last ditch step once you have gotten the meat home or are checking a steak you had in the fridge. The meat should not feel sticky to the touch. If it does, return it if just purchased or throw it away if it’s been in your fridge.
aisle, but it’s worth a shot because if you can smell it through the packaging, chances are it’s bad, very bad. But once you get your piece of meat, it should have a nice “meaty” aroma, not a sharp and sour smell of ammonia. If that is the case, return it or throw it away.
SMELL: Another step that is taken once you get home. It’s hard to smell through plastic at the store while in the meat
What is “Marbling?” Marbling is the term used to describe the level of intramuscular fat found in meat. The name comes from how the little specs of fat are found within the lean muscles resulting in a “marbled” look. The more marbling, the more tender and flavorful the cut! That’s why it is part of the grading criteria.
Grass-fed vs Grain-fed
All cows start out around the same way by being out on a pasture and grazing on grass, but eventually cows are moved into lots and fed grains. Grass-fed cows, though stay out to pasture and they result in slightly different flavor, marginally less saturated fats, more vitamins and more omega-3 fatty acids. Does it make a world of difference? Not to the average consumer, just eat actual food before supplementing. It is more enjoyable.
BISON OR BEEF? You often will see ground bison meat, aka buffalo meat, in the meat aisle. If you are concerned with the fats found in ground beef, then bison is a great alternative. Usually 90% lean, a fair amount of less calories and delicious, it makes for a great burger replacement!
Fat (grams )
Calories (kcal)
Cholesterol (mg)
Iron (mg)
Vitamin B12 (mcg)
Bison
2.42
143
82
3.42
2.86
Beef (choice)
10.15
219
86
2.99
2.65
Beef (select)
8.09
201
86
2.99
2.64
Meat
Table info from www.beechhillbison.com
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3 Ways to check if the steak is done
1. 2. 3.
Use your hand! You can tell a lot by the power of touch. A trick is using your finger to press the meat while it is cooking and then compare how it felt to the fleshy part of your thumb. By changing which fingers you use you can mimic the doneness of steaks.
RELAXED HAND
The chef’s method, my preferred method, is using a “cake tester.” Not everyone has one of these, but they are super handy and cost under a dollar. Stick it through a steak sideways to the center of the meat then remove it and touch it to a sensitive area of skin, upper lip or wrist briefly are best, you can then feel how hot the inside is. It’s harder to get used to and figure out what the temp is, but it’s much more accurate.
RARE
Traditionally, the most basic and sure proof way is, you guessed it, using a thermometer. The only issue I have with them is that they are usually large and puncture your steak, which releases all of the delicious juices.
MEDIUM-RARE
MEDIUM
WELLDONE
HANGLOOSE
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KNOW YOUR TEMPERATURES You’ve now got your perfect steak, let’s say you splurged and opted for a USDA Prime Rib Eye Steak. After going over what you’ve just learned, what does that mean? Don’t worry, I’ll wait while you process it and then say it out loud to a magazine, causing those around you to give you a funny look. That is correct! You now have a tender, juicy, very well-marbled steak that will be best cooked using a dry-heat method, preferably grilled or pan seared. Now, when you have a steak that is so high quality, you do not need to screw around with it seasoning-wise. The best thing you can do is highlight its features by getting a nice sear on it. The crust you create on the outside of a steak
when seared, or the grill marks you see are what is called the Maillard Reaction. This is what makes grilled, roasted and seared meats so damn mouth watering. But when you are creating that flavor you need to be careful how long you cook the steak. Proper meat temperature charts have been implemented for food safety. At 145°F harmful bacteria is killed off, if there were any forms of bacteria that would be harmful. This is why you see some restaurants having “*” next to “doneness” of burgers and claiming they are not responsible for any food related illnesses. Learning how to check your steaks is easy, do not cut them open and look inside, use these “handy” methods.
The Maillard Reaction In short, the naturally occurring amino acids and sugars on the outside of the meat break down and change color and flavor. When this begins to happen, the compound starts to degrade and dehydration of the outside of the ingredients begins, resulting in a crispy flavor outside.
Doneness Temperatures “Black and blue” 120°F | Rare 125 to 130°F | Medium-rare 130 to 135°F | Medium 135 to 145°F | Medium-well 145 to 150°F | Well-done 150 to 155°F | Hammered 160+°F
TAKE A REST
Imagine when you roll, your big strong muscles are tight and constricted. Then the second you sit down for a few minutes your body relaxes. Well, the same happens when you are cooking a steak, the heat essentially makes the steak muscle, contract and act like a flexed bicep, if you go straight into it, it will remain tough and tight. But if you pull your steak just a doneness level earlier, then let it rest for 5 minutes, you will have a steak that has relaxed, is super tender and the carry over heat will bring your steak up to the next level of doneness. For example, you want a tender steak that will melt in your mouth that’s cooked medium? Pull it when you check it and feel that it is medium rare, let it sit for 5 minutes and then try it, it will be medium.
CONCLUSION
Selecting the right cut of meat for the right occasion does not have to be difficult. With a little understanding of the grading system and structure of cuts you can learn a lot and narrow down how to maximize flavor by making the right choice in the meat aisle. You spend a good portion of money on meat; protein is our fuel, so why not enjoy eating it? With that being said, when it comes to cooking your meat don’t be a bone head and just hammer your steak like you do your training partners. Properly cooking that meticulously selected perfect steak of yours is an art, not of the martial kind, but it does focus on balance (heat,) technique (skill) and patience (timing.)
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34 THE LIFE
OFF BELTS AND MERIT Grandmaster Carlson Gracie once said that “the belt only covers 2 inches of your back, the rest you have to do it yourself.” This phrase has me thinking about BJJ belts, the award process and the merit of those receiving it. In my journey to the black belt, every gain was a result of effort, dedication, sacrifice and much more. Every stripe, every belt, every advancement was a reward for my efforts and I was always very proud of each and every promotion I received. I remember thanking Master Royler for the black belt and he replied: “This wasn’t a gift for you to thank me; this was your merit and a reward for your efforts!” That always stuck with me as most of his BJJ related sayings did.
in BJJ deserve their promotions and feel honored when they come as they represent the recognition of their efforts and a signal of their accomplishments.
Along that road, I tried to never worry about the belts. Instead, I concentrated on learning and perfecting my technique and bettering my understanding of the art. I trained and trained and trained and the belts came and I was stoked with each promotion and tried as best as I could to live up to the belt that I was wearing at any time (even the white belt).
This is why I get irked when I see or hear about people who “scammed” their belts, promoted themselves or any “instructors” who have dubious belt awarding practices. I am not speaking of anyone in particular, nor I am here to single out anyone, but those who fit the charge know who they are. I don’t understand how anyone would accept a belt they didn’t earn or didn’t deserve. How can you feel good about being rewarded for nothing? I would be ashamed of being promoted by someone for dubious reasons or wearing a belt I didn’t feel I deserved!
I believe most people feel the same way and behave the same way. Most people put in the time and the effort and get promoted on merit. Some are promoted faster because they are better and more dedicated or train more or whatever other reason, while others get more time in between their belts. Regardless of the speed they are promoted, most people
What really is the point of wearing something that means nothing? That represents nothing? Then again, what happens if you have to “defend” your belt? After the two inches it is up to you! I am not expecting anyone to be tough and to have to face brutes to prove their worth, but there are a lot of other aspects to a belt that need to be defended - not with
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physical force. What I do know is that all of us who have been promoted correctly look down at all those who have somehow finagled the system to get a darker color around their waist. Most of us train hard, learn right, enjoy the mat time, the friendships, and all the knowledge that comes with our art. For those few who choose to circumvent the process: “Go find another art to blemish!” Now go train Jiu-Jitsu!
Kid Peligro
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36 SUPPLEMENTS
CAFFEINE Travis Guesnon
IF YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A JIU-JITSU PRACTITIONER WHO RECEIVED HIS BLACK BELT IN THE 1990’S, CHANCES ARE HE’D TELL YOU HOW MUCH THE GAME HAS CHANGED IN SO MANY WAYS. The evolution of jiu-jitsu has transformed old school fundamentals into its own style, while modern jiu-jitsu has moved to the forefront. New innovative techniques and concepts that were once considered blasphemy are now widely accepted as options. In addition, many competitors today are full-time athletes. That being said, in this day and age athletes are constantly searching for any edge they can get over the
WHAT IS IT REALLY?
competition, whether it be the material of a competitive uniform, specialized conditioning programs, items used to simulate intense training conditions (hyperbaric chambers, elevation masks, etc.), supplements, certain workout equipment, recovery enhancers (both chemical and non), laser eye surgery and a slew of other products, programs or enhancements on the market. The most controversial of all is still, and probably will forever be, PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs). While I don’t condone the abuse of PEDs, one in particular is inexpensive, has a ton of data behind it and is not illegal. It’s caffeine.
If you were a scientist this is what caffeine would look like.
Caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system when ingested. So, what’s a psychoactive drug you ask? A psychoactive drug by definition is a chemical substance that crosses the blood-brain barrier and affects brain function, resulting in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition and behavior. Caffeine comes from seeds of coffee plants, leaves of tea bushes and fruits of some plants. It is also found in a kola nut, yerba mate, guarana berries, guayusa and yaupon holly.
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That’s a party right there.
It’s Legal and Everywhere
If you’re looking to improve performance, but don’t want to deal with anything illegal and something that doesn’t have a lot of negative side effects, caffeine may be something you want to look into. It is legal, unregulated and can be found in a variety of products, such as food (ice cream, chocolate, etc.), beverages (coffee, teas, energy drinks, sodas, etc.), supplements and even medications. It’s relatively inexpensive as well. You may snicker at the thought of caffeine as a performance enhancer, but consider this - the IOC (International Olympic Committee) banned the usage of caffeine until the World Anti-Doping Agency removed it from the banned substance list in 2004. If some of the greatest athletes in the world and the IOC considered it as such then it must have some value toward athletic competition. Some caffeine delivery systems are a little healthier than others.
But It Was Banned It was banned, so it’s got to be bad for you, right? While it is somewhat true that it can be bad for you, here’s where a little bit of math comes in. Under the IOC, a urinary test that returned an amount of 12 micrograms or more of caffeine per milliliter was considered a deliberate attempt to gain an advantage. Trying to break this down to an exact number in terms of just how much caffeine that constitutes is tricky, since no one can truly account for the actual amount of caffeine
found in urine on excretion. There’s some conflicting information, but to give you some idea, the average seems to be from 6 to 10 cups of coffee. This amount would need to be consumed within 15 to 60 minutes for optimal pre-event loading. How coffee is brewed can either lessen or enhance the actual milligrams of caffeine within each 8 oz cup, but typically it falls between 95 mg (more watered down coffee) to 200 mg (a higher quality and much finer brew). At worst, athletes would
THE GOOD
Here’s a list of the benefits that caffeine can produce when taken in a predetermined, proper dosage: Lifts your mood Reduces physical fatigue Restores alertness Increases focus and mental clarity Relaxes the muscles, stimulates nerves, increases heart rate and warms the body Increases levels of circulating fatty acids in your bloodstream
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Delays the onset of muscle soreness Produces higher glycogen levels when consumed with carbohydrates Provides modest protective effect against diseases, such as heart disease, some cancers, Parkinson’s disease and type 2 diabetes
be ingesting 570 mg and at best up to 2000 mg within that time frame. Keep these numbers in mind as you continue to read and this will become clearer as to how abusive this is. Anything in excess usually ends up producing some negative side effects; however, if you follow a specific protocol you can reap the benefits without posing any detriment to yourself.
If you put all these together, quite a few potential performance-enhancing effects will occur that can really help you while training, working out, or competing. You’ll feel more upbeat and relaxed prior to tournament competition. You may be more explosive during takedowns or throws, be better coordinated, not get tired as quickly, react better, counter quicker, are less likely to make mistakes, can better think about your next move, can use your fat to be burned as fuel and help you recover faster so you can better perform at your next workout or match in the tournament.
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SUPPLEMENTS 38
HOW DOES THIS ALL HAPPEN?
In regard to endurance, caffeine mobilizes free fatty acids from your fat stores or intramuscular triglycerides. These fatty acids then increase oxidation from the fat to be used for energy burn to enhance endurance. Since your fat stores are being utilized, the glycogen (the body’s secondary storage of energy) within your muscles is being spared. Once caffeine enters the nervous system it lowers neuron activity, which adjusts your body’s perception of effort and also allows for greater recruitment of muscle usage. Additionally, the relocation of calcium enhances membrane permeability (the rate of flow of caffeine passing through), which produces more intense muscle contractions by increasing motor unit involvement. Since caffeine is rapidly absorbed into tissues of the body that are higher in water content, our muscles take in high amounts of it because our bodies are primarily water.
Normal
Neurotransmitter
Enzyme
Axon
Receptor Dendrite
Mitochondria
With Caffeine
Neurotransmitter
Axon
Enzyme
Caffeine binds to the neurotransmitter receptor to block its action. Receptor Dendrite
Mitochondria
THE BAD
The old adage that too much of a good thing can be bad definitely applies here. Consuming too much caffeine can produce the following: Insomnia Irritability Jitters, restlessness, nervousness and anxiety Muscle tremors Fatigue Gastrointestinal problems, nausea and vomiting
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Sweating and possible dehydration Elevated blood pressure Increased heartbeat and possible heart palpitations Dizziness Ringing of ears Cardiac arrest
Whaaat? That may be what you’re thinking now, especially after reading that last symptom. In regard to the negative side effects, an individual can over use and suffer “caffeinism” (aka caffeine addiction) due to taking 1000 to 1500 mg or more per day. To die from cardiac arrest an individual would have to consume an estimated 150 to 200 mg per kg (kilogram) of body mass. That equals 80 to 100 cups of coffee within 24 hours.
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So How Much Is Optimum? THE UGLY
The only way to reap the possible performance enhancements would be to not ingest caffeine regularly. If you do, don’t ingest any for a period of up to at least 48 hours. Like other drugs, if you are constantly consuming caffeine and attempting to get off it, your body will go through withdrawals. The most common withdrawal symptoms are: Inability to concentrate Drowsiness Stomach pain Headaches Insomnia Irritability
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Studies suggest that consuming a small dose of caffeine 30 to 60 minutes prior to your athletic event will allow it to enter your system and produce the previously mentioned benefits. Typically, the effects of a moderate dose last up to 5 hours. The amount consumed combined with your weight, height, gender, age, medication use and health conditions are all factors that determine the reaction of individuals. So, not everyone will experience the same effects. You should speak with your doctor beforehand and you will have to determine what works best for you. While there is much conflicting information on the desired amount an individual should consume (the FDA recommends no more than 200 mg per day), you would do best not to consume more than 400 mg per day and not on a daily basis. If you are consuming caffeine daily your body will build up a tolerance to it and will no longer perceive it as an additive, thus you won’t necessarily reap the benefits geared toward athletic performance. This goes back to what I mentioned earlier - lay off the caffeine completely for at least 48 hours. On the flip side of that, individuals who consume 2 cups of coffee and have not consumed any caffeine days beforehand typically feel a diuretic effect due to a urine increase. To avoid dehydration, make sure you drink a lot of water throughout the day.
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Caffeine in disguise.
More Than Meets The Eye
If you’re not a coffee drinker or hate energy drinks, there are a variety of other products that contain caffeine that you probably don’t even know about. What do two pieces of Jolt gum, one Foosh Mint, three Penguin Mints and Sturm Food’s Morning Spark instant oatmeal have in common? Each has the equivalent amount of caffeine as one cup of coffee. Sum Seeds are sunflower seeds infused with caffeine as well as other natural energy boosters. Regular sunflower seeds are high in folate, vitamins B6 and E, with no added sugar. A serving of Sum Seeds has 140 mg of caffeine, while a serving of Perky Jerky (yes, beef jerky, too) has 75 mg of caffeine.
How about caffeine infused oxygen?
CONCLUSION
While caffeine seems to be able to provide great effects in regards to performance, it is still somewhat difficult to figure out the exact amount of milligrams it would take an individual to feel the benefits. In the end, this becomes more about knowing how your body will react to a specific amount and whether you deem the benefits worth it. Again, I suggest meeting with a doctor beforehand and advise that you be safe by only adding little amounts at a time to see how you feel. For you regular Starbucks drinkers, I recommend you check out the following website for caffeine content of what you may be drinking, as this isn’t posted on their website.
www.caffeineinformer.com/the-complete-guide-to-starbucks-caffeine
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44 WARM-UP
ENGAGING YOUR NECK Travis Guesnon
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THE PHRASE, “WHERE THE HEAD LEADS, THE BODY FOLLOWS” AT SOME TIME OR ANOTHER AND THIS RINGS VERY TRUE IN JIU-JITSU, WHETHER YOU’RE ON THE OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE SIDE OF THINGS DURING SPARRING OR COMPETITION. In terms of offense, with a strong neck you are able to better control your opponent by placing your head at particular angles during takedowns and guard passes, and maintaining proper posture to boost balance and power, so
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Mike Velez
you don’t get snapped downward. On the flip side, if you have a weak neck that is easily pushed aside, you’re more than likely on the receiving ends of these same moves. This is just the actual grappling portion, but greater neck strength also helps with injury prevention. Here are a few exercises that are readily available that can assist with strengthening your neck, while allowing muscles to feel relaxed.
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Hey, there’s Kenny! Haven’t seen him in a while.0
BASIC EXERCISES
The following are exercises that can be performed anywhere with relative ease that require no equipment whatsoever. While these exercises will not strengthen your neck as much as other exercises, they provide better stretching possibilities for loosening up your neck so you don’t have that stiff “Incredible Hulk” feeling between your neck and trapezius muscles.
Neck Rotations
1. 2.
Tuck your chin down toward your chest. Begin to slowly look to your right side letting your chin glide along your body to your collarbone, then upward and past it.
3.
Keep rotating your neck clockwise in a circular
1
2
3
4
motion, through the midpoint of you looking upward.
4.
Still going clockwise, you will be looking to the left; your chin should be going downward, gliding against your body, past your collarbone, and to the starting position.
Note: In the fitness world these aren’t called “neck rotations” (Look Side To Side is); however, I feel the name suits them better because of the movement.
Up Downs
1.
Start again with your chin tucked down toward your chest.
2.
Begin by slowly lifting your chin upward and extend your neck, until you are looking up. Hold for 1-3 seconds.
3.
Slowly bring your chin back down to the original starting point.
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Look Side To Side
1.
With your head at a neutral position, turn it to your right and hold for 1-3 seconds.
2.
From there, turn your head slowly to the left, hold for 1-3 seconds, then turn your head back to the neutral starting position.
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WARM-UP 46
1.
Side Bends
As in the previous exercise start with your head in a neutral position.
2.
While looking forward the entire time, bend your neck towards your right and bring your ear toward your shoulder. Hold for 1-3 seconds.
1
2
3
3.
Begin going the opposite way so that you’re bending your neck toward your left, bringing your left ear toward your shoulder and hold for 1-3 seconds.
PRESCRIPTION: Perform each exercise for 10 repetitions in each direction, totaling 80 altogether; one or two times per day. Move slowly, concentrating on working through the entire range of motion during the movements.
ADDING PROPS
With the use of either a stability ball or CXT (Combat X Trainer; see the review on page 98) you can actually mimic grappling movements that you perform during your sparring sessions or in competition. These exercises are more isometric or static in nature, but you’ll find that your neck really has to contract the entire time in order to control each of these. If either the stability ball or CXT drops downward then you aren’t using the strength of your neck and forward pressure it along with your head can create properly. If you’re using a stability ball you will have to use a little bit of imagination in regard to hand coordination. The CXT provides a better reference in terms of grip location as compared to the stability ball due to attached limbs that can be controlled. However it is also more of a challenge on the second movement because the head portion that you are pressuring into is much smaller in area than an entire ball, as well as it’s much heavier. This forces you to maintain a greater amount of forward pressure to keep it on the wall.
DOUBLE LEG TAKEDOWN
Sometimes people fail when applying the double leg takedown simply because they don’t use their heads and necks properly. When you trap your opponent’s hip with your head while pushing into their side, it allows your opponent no space to make his counter or sprawl more difficult and forces his body into the direction you want to take it. This drill helps you work that while strengthening your neck and making it harder for your opponent to move your head.
1.
Position yourself so that your right knee is on the mat, your left leg posted, with an upright back posture, your body turned sideways toward the wall. Place the bottom portion of the ball between the wall and the right side of your head.
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2.
With your feet remaining in the same position, squat with your legs and push the ball into the wall with the side of your head, looking up. The ball will roll down toward your shoulder.
3.
When fully upright, your left foot should be planted
firmly and you should be up on the toes of your right foot.
4.
Keep the pressure the entire time using your neck. Now, perform the eccentric motion of the squat by lowering yourself to the same starting position; the ball will roll upwards.
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WARM-UP 48
HEAD CONTROL WITH UNDER HOOK
This is a wrestling-based move that can also be used in jiujitsu or MMA. It allows for numerous possibilities such knee tap takedowns, short throws, transition to a front headlock, knees, etc. With the exception of hand placement, your head is also in this position during certain guard passes that require you to drive forward into your opponent.
PRESCRIPTION: You can perform these drills timed (1-3 sets of 1 minute) or by repetitions (1-2 sets of 25 reps on each side).
1.
From a standing angled position with your left leg forward, place the stability ball/CXT against the wall. Now position the top of your forehead against the stability ball/CXT and drive into it. With a stability ball you will have to simulate your under hooks and wrist control.
2.
If you are using the CXT you can under hook the right arm, control the left arm with your right hand (wrist control) and place the top of your forehead against the head of the CXT.
3.
Go from side to side, alternating the stance of your legs and arm movements (under hooks and wrist control) to the opposite upon each switch.
USING A PARTNER
If you don’t have the funds to purchase equipment, another option would be to have a partner helping you by providing resistance for your neck. This is a simple, yet effective way to gain neck strength. In the movement described advise your partner to provide some resistance, but not an overwhelming amount.
HEAD TIE
1.
Tuck your chin to your chest and allow your partner to grab the back of your head.
2.
Keeping your upper torso still, raise your chin and begin looking up until your neck can move no further.
3.
Repeat steps 1-3 for 15-25 repetitions, then ask your partner to switch hand grips and do another 15-25 repetitions.
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REVERSE Note: The slight differences and the angle at which your partner grips your head with each hand causes you to work more on one side, so it’s important to perform repetitions on with both hands.
These are just a few of the many types of remedies available for a weak neck in order to create a strong one. Remember, having a strong neck can help you in every position in jiu-jitsu, rid you of discomfort in your trapezius muscles and either prevent injury or help you recover from one quicker. So, in the words of the Wu, “Protect Ya Neck!”
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50 HOW-TO
OWNING THE DREAM CHASING SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS IN JIU-JITSU Matt Corley
DO YOU DREAM OF TURNING YOUR HOBBY INTO A CAREER? At first blush it sounds great. You’re doing something that you love and getting paid to devote your life to it. How can this not be a good thing? Well, as any small business owner can tell you, it’s not quite that simple. Starting and maintaining a successful business is not an easy undertaking. Jiu-jitsu themed businesses
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are founded at a startling rate. A quick look at your Facebook feed and you’re going to see the ads for the next great gi/DVD/app/ website/school/book. It’s safe to say that the market is saturated, so if you want to be successful, you’re going to have to put in a lot of hard work and you’ll need every advantage you get, along with a healthy dose of good luck.
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I wonder what business idea Mike’s dreaming up next?
WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS SHOULD I START?
Your first instinct is going to be, “Something related to Brazilian jiu-jitsu.” While this is helpful, it may not be the best way to identify an opportunity to have a successful small business. It also doesn’t really answer the question of what you’re going to be selling. Better questions would be: what type of business do I have experience in? What skills do I have that can be leveraged to make my business successful? And what weaknesses do I have that may make success more difficult for me to attain? An excellent example of using existing experience to give
yourself the best chance at success can be found at Muae JSCA (www. muaejsca.com). Founded in Seoul, Korea just two years ago, Muae JSCA quickly became synonymous with gorgeous, high quality kimonos. Their products have been featured in this publication and rave reviews can be found throughout the blogosphere. Their advantage over other gi companies? They cut their teeth in the family clothing business. Their experience in textiles, design and other facets of the clothing industry quickly and successfully translated into a high quality product from the very beginning.
The team from Muaejsca at last year’s World Jiu-Jitsu Expo
REMEMBER WHO’S PAYING THE BILLS First and foremost you live and breathe customer service. You may think that your gi/DVD/website is innovative and will change the world of jiu-jitsu. The truth is, you’ll most likely be facing competition from a plethora of other businesses with products that are just like yours. Exceptional service to your customers will pay dividends in customer loyalty and referrals. Are you ready to answer emails at all hours? Will you make it a priority to ship all of your products as soon as possible? It doesn’t matter how amazing your
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product is if you’re not getting it to your customers. We’ve all seen examples of companies with great looking gis that everyone wants, but can’t get. With a few notable exceptions these companies tend to have a short lifespan. However, companies like Roll More/ BJJHQ (www. rollmore.com & www.bjjhq.com) and OSS (www. ossclothing.com) are experiencing steady growth through referrals, excellent service and brand loyalty.
Roll More prides itself on responsive and friendly customer service.
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HOW-TO 52
BETTER TODAY THAN YOU WERE YESTERDAY
Modern Flow went the unconventional route with the release of their Saiya-Jin Dogi gi.
Blayne Barlow imagines new concepts for his next gi creation.
Yesterday’s success is never good enough. Do you have faith in your ability to improve upon your past success? The most successful companies are continually pushing new products. It may be a variation on a theme or a completely new design, but it’s always new and fresh. Excellent examples from the gi industry are CTRL Industry (www. ctrlindustries.com) and Modern Flow (www. modernflow.com). These companies haven’t been shy about bringing in outside talent to enhance their product lines. Modern Flow regularly collaborates with artists like Seymour Yang and John Smalls. Blayne Barlow, owner and CEO of CTRL, supplements his own
design skills with artwork and designs from Ewok One. CTRL Industries’ Son of El, The Joose and dozens of tees are a great example to follow. Blayne could have very easily relied solely on his own abilities and played it safe. Instead, he brought in outside talent and exposed his customers to new ideas. Modern Flow’s orange Dragonball Z inspired gi shows that sometimes you have to take a risk. You may not want an orange gi (they do have it in blue) or a shirt with a brain on it, but we can all learn something from them. Never stop trying new things, take a chance and every once in a while you need to do more than just change the colors of your contrast stitching.
A Dose of Reality
I caught up with Desi Saran of Triangle Athletics (www. triangleathletics. com) and asked him about some of the hard lessons that he’s learned as a fledgling gi company. “I spend a lot of time doing work on my brand after I get home from my job and am up until 2 a.m. sometimes.” “Do your homework and find a really good manufacturer. There are a lot of scam artists, they will ask you to wire Western Union money and you’ll never see it again.” “I spend a lot of time on marketing and brand recognition. Create designs that distinguish yourself, because at the end of the day most of the kimonos are of the same quality.” “I think marketing is a HUGE thing that small owners have to invest their time in. There are so many brands popping up.”
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HOW-TO 54
My Money Is Going Where? Passion and effort are not enough to grow a successful business. Accurate records of all your expenses are crucial to your longterm success. You absolutely must have and understand your financial statements. This is important enough to repeat. You must have and understand your financial statements. These statements will give you your bottom line by showing you in detail what money is coming in and what money is going out. The information contained within these documents can be used to answer such fundamental question as: Am I making money or losing it? How many students do I need to break even or meet a specific income? How much net profit am I making on each rashguard sold? Financial statements will generally include the following: a balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows. For a small business, a consolidated financial statement will likely be sufficient to manage your business. This document will list your assets, liabilities, equity, income, expenses and cash flow.
Recommended Reading
Those of us willing to take the risks associated with starting a business usually just like to jump into things. No matter what stage you are in the process of starting or running a business these are some selected books we highly recommend you read.
The E-Myth Revisited
Prospectively, this information will allow you to determine the likelihood of success for your start up and further down the road you’ll use the same information to determine overall health, profitability and opportunities for improvement. What seems like an insignificant amount of money may be the difference between living in your parent’s basement and having your own place. From my own experiences with cash flow statements, I have used them to control variable expenses, inventory and waste. For example, a small change in office supply purchasing can improve your cost per widget, it’s invisible to customers and is easily implemented. Before you get to far get yourself acquainted on how the finances of a business actually work.
This is a must read for anyone that plans to start a business that’s born from a passion of theirs. The author, Michael Gerber, explains the difference between a technician and a businessperson and the concepts you must recognize if you’re going to find success.
Managing By The Numbers Whether or not numbers give you a headache you must read this book so that you have a firm grasp of how the finances of any business works. Not having an understanding of the numbers will always lead to disaster.
Duct Tape Marketing Do you know the difference between advertising and marketing? If not, read this book. The investment of time you make reading this book will pay off in spades. It’s practical, useful and will make you feel like Don Draper by the time you finish it.
Getting Things Done This is the bible of modern productivity. Running your own business will pull you in more directions than you thought possible. David Allen’s national Best Seller GTD will help you set up a system that will allow you to accomplish the tasks you need to get done in order to run a successful business.
WRAPPING IT UP
Turning your passion into a profitable business seems like a dream job. What you have to remember is that it is still a job. In most cases the hours are going to be long and inconvenient. A friend of mine told me that when he opened a new jiu-jitsu school he didn’t get to train for 2 months. He was 10 feet from the mats all day long and surrounded by world-class instructors, yet his responsibilities kept him from taking advantage of the business that he ran. Just remember these three things: The customer is always right, today’s success is never good enough for tomorrow and attention to financial details will make or break you.
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Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook No business would succeed these days while neglecting social media. Gary Vaynerchuck looks to make the black art of social media more of a science in this book. Gary discusses the importance of knowing your various audiences, how to engage them, how to provide them with quality content amd then how to ask for the sale.
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56 TECHNIQUE
LUCAS LEPRI ROLLING LUCKY 7 WITH THE CHAMP Travis Guesnon
Mike Velez Mike Calimbas
There’s an old saying that the number seven is lucky. If this is true, is it possible that it could play somewhat of a role in an individual’s life? Looking at Lucas Lepri’s amazing jiu-jitsu career to date may just prove that it does.
LUCAS WAS BORN AND RAISED IN UBERLANDIA IN THE STATE OF MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL, AND UNLIKE A LOT OF PRACTITIONERS ORIGINATING OUT OF BRAZIL, HE DIDN’T START TRAINING JIU-JITSU AT AN EARLY AGE. Before being exposed to the sport, Lucas was very involved in capoeira, swimming and other sports. When he first discovered jiu-jitsu, he was 16 years old. This was back in 2000, approximately seven years after Royce Gracie made his UFC debut and brought jiu-jitsu world-wide attention.
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Instantaneously, Lucas fell in love with jiu-jitsu, putting the other sports on the back burner. While he had success at brown belt (placing second in the World Championships in 2005 and third in the 2006 Pan Ams), much of the community was initially shocked, and now blown away, by the amount of achievements he’s earned since then. Receiving his black belt in 2006 from Elan Santiago, Lucas won the IBJJF World Championship in 2007 (his first year as a black belt); seven years after his first jiu-jitsu class.
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Craps players don’t think 7 is very lucky.
Since winning that title, Lucas has amassed many more and is one of the few individuals who has won the four major tournaments (World Championships, Pan Ams, Europeans, and Brazilian Nationals) at the black belt level and can consistently be found on the podium at every event he enters. He moved from Brazil to New York in 2009, instructing at Alliance New York City until he was offered the teaching position at Alliance Atlanta in 2012. With all of his success, Lucas still occasionally does capoeira by himself (not a whole lot of places in Georgia offer that) and enjoys playing tennis with his wife and swimming. It’s only fitting that in June 2014, at the young age of 29 (just one year short of qualifying for the Masters division), he would go on to win another World title; oddly enough, seven years after winning his first. While that may be coincidence, Lucas’ skills, techniques and strategies at the event proved that his wins have nothing to do with luck, but instead, a lot of focus, hard work and dedication to the jiu-jitsu lifestyle. In a spectacular display in the semi-finals and finals of his division, Lepri’s point total was 32-0 against Roberto “Satoshi” Sousa and JT Torres. For anyone not in the know, both of these athletes are absolute beasts at the highest level of competition. Some of that luck I mentioned early was bestowed upon us here at JJM, as we were able to meet up with and be shown some amazing moves by Lucas himself only a couple days prior to his Worlds victory. This is just a glimpse of the extraordinary technique that will soon be available to the residents of Charlotte, North Carolina when Lucas opens his own school under the Alliance banner this September. For more info on Lucas and the opening of his school, be sure to visit www.lepribjj.com.
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TECHNIQUE 58
SITTING GUARD TO BACK
In this technique Lucas starts in a typical De la Riva guard with his opponent standing. Lucas will quickly transition into a sitting guard. Once in sitting guard he switches his grips and bumps his opponent forward with his right leg. This forces his opponent to post his right hand, giving Lucas space to stand up and secure a seat belt grip. Once the grip is secure and a hook is in, he pulls his opponent to his side and to the mat where he can then switch his grips to the collars and finish with a nice collar choke.
01
02
Start from De la Riva Guard
Foot on hip
Push opponent away with foot on hip
Control leg by the ankle
Control sleeve
03
Sit up
REVERSE
Bring grip from ankle to cross lapel
04
Bring foot from hip to between legs and kick up.
Opponent’s forced to let go of collar and base.
Maintain grip of sleeve
05
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Switch grip from sleeve to triceps and prepare to sit up.
06
Sit up
Continue to push away with your right grip.
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New layout, what do you think?
07
10
Stand while leading with right leg to get the inside hook
08
Bring right arm over his shoulder, left arm under his arm and secure the seatbelt
Let go of seatbelt, bring right hand to thumb in grip of left collar
Bring left leg over to get the second hook and points.
Gloss SEATBELT – a control with one arm over the opponent’s shoulder, the other arm underneath the armpit. The hands are brought together with the hand of the arm that’s over the shoulder being on the bottom, and the other hand gripping over the opposite arm. This grip order allows for the person with the seatbelt to more easily transition into a collar grip.
Grab right lapel with left hand.
11
09
Drag down your right arm.
Drag right elbow back while pulling left arm down to finish with a choke
Options Lucas is on his strong side and can also go for a Rear Naked Choke if the collar grips aren’t working.
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TECHNIQUE 60
ALTERNATE CLOCK CHOKE FINISH
Continuing from the previous technique when Lucas attempts to jump on Kennedy’s back, Kennedy may immediately counter by falling toward his left shoulder. This places them in almost a neutral position except that Lucas still has the one hook in. If he doesn’t respond quickly Kennedy can turn into him while simultaneously freeing his leg to come out on top. To avoid this, Lucas reaches deep in the collar and comes to the top position. He will then switch to a wrist control, pass his leg over Kennedy, position his chest over Kennedy’s head, while his own head is on the mat, and walk around to get the clock choke.
01
02
Your partner falls to his/her shoulder to set up an escape.
From this position you want to reach immediately into the collar.
Hook remains inside
03
Start to come on top of your partner.
04
Once you are in the top position secure your partner’s wrist with a monkey grip.
Wrist control
06
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05
Pass your left leg over your partner onto his side.
Head must remain on the mat.
With your chest over your partner’s head, walk around him/her to finish.
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Photo Credit: Daniel Amaral
BRAZILCOMBAT.COM
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TECHNIQUE 62
DLR GUARD TO BACK
01
Start from De la Riva guard.
This is a secondary option that Lucas may use dependent upon Kennedy’s reactions to the first technique. Like the last technique Lucas starts from DLR (De la Riva) guard with Kennedy standing. Lucas changes his tactics, however, by breaking Kennedy’s grip on his leg, dragging the sleeve across the body and utilizing the hipping out or shrimping movements to secure the back take.
Gloss SHRIMPING (or snaking, snake move, hip escape) - a motion in which you use your legs to shift your hips to one side or the other, pushing out your posterior to create space between you and your opponent.
08
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04
Plant foot (right) in order to shrimp out.
REVERSE
Release sleeve and bring arm around neck to secure seat belt.
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Kennedy is Cobrinha’s son.
02
03
Release ankle to grab cross grip.
05
Shrimp out while pushing both grips forward.
09
Bring other hook in.
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06
Pull sleeve across body.
Transition grip near armpit under arm and grab collar.
07
Shrimp out a little more and secure bottom hook.
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TECHNIQUE 64
SECURING BACK CONTROL
01
Your partner brings his knee up to his stomach and grips your pant leg.
Now Kennedy may bring his knee high toward his stomach, blocking Lucas’ top leg from getting his second hook in. Rather than fighting to stretch Kennedy out, Lucas uses this opportunity to turn Kennedy’s own defense against him. He will use his right arm and leg to break the grip, isolate Kennedy’s arm and allow him an easier chance to grip the collar.
02
Extend leg up and outward.
03
Place hand behind partner’s back and further extend to break grip.
REVERSE
04
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Bring hand underneath your own knee and secure lapel.
05
Open collar to dive left hand further up and grab opposite collar with right hand, pull downward and finish.
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TECHNIQUE 66
ONE X-SPIDER GUARD SWEEP
Lucas attempts to set up a sweep from the sitting guard; however, Kennedy quickly counters by pushing his head into Lucas’ chest and pushing him backward. To prevent the pass, Lucas controls the nearest ankle. From there he lassos his leg around and kicks forward against Kennedy’s arm breaking the grip. Next, he brings his body underneath Kennedy and transitions to a One X-guard. He pushes upward with his legs, breaking the grip and putting it against Kennedy’s bicep so that he now has One X-spider guard. From here Lucas is able to execute his sweep.
01
Your partner counters sit up to guard by putting head to chest and pushing you down.
Control ankle.
02
Lasso your leg around and kick through to break grip.
04
Bring leg up and place foot on hip to One X guard.
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03
05
Dive your hips underneath your partner.
Release grip on ankle and transition to sleeve grip.
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TECHNIQUE 68
06
Push your partner up with your legs and arm to break the grip.
07
Take your foot off the hip and put it on your partner’s bicep.
08
When your opponent drops his weight down, extend your leg.
Control the sleeves
09
Using your grips and leg turn your partner until he/she drops to the side
10
Pull yourself with the sleeve grips and bring your leg over your partner’s. Leg to the outside
11
Underhook your partner’s arm and slide your other leg under you.
REVERSE
12
Tripod onto your toes and begin shaking your leg to pass the half guard.
13
Windshield wipe your free foot, push knee down and go to mount.
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TECHNIQUE 70
HIP SWITCH SWEEP TO ARMBAR
Kennedy attempts to pass with a knee slice and Lucas immediately counters by going to reverse DLR. Even though Kennedy’s left arm will allow him to post and block the sweep attempt, Lucas uses this as a set up to transition to another sweep. Once Lucas gets the sweep he double underhooks only one leg to pass to that side. With his grips still on Kennedy’s arm, he is able to swing his leg over and get the armbar.
01
Your partner is attempting to knee slice through your reverse DLR guard.
Collar control
Knee in armpit
REVERSE
Sleeve control
02
Push the sleeve in while pulling up on the collar and kicking your partner over you.
Lift with hook
03
Underhook knee of the far leg.
04
Hip out to the left, while pulling the leg in and push your partner with DLR hook to the other side.
Forced to post
Maintain pressure
05 Your partner grabs your collar to create base.
Gain sleeve control
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REVERSE
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Sidebar caption thingy goes here.
06
08
07
Hook bottom leg behind knee and post other leg on mat.
Release collar grip, pass arm underneath leg and grab the elbow.
Shift your hips forcing your partner to fall.
09
Hook keeps pressure
Push your partner forward with your chest and hips to pass.
Sleeve control
10
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Step over the head.
11
Sit back, control the wrist, pinch knees together and hip forward for the finish.
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TECHNIQUE 72
01
MODIFIED X-GUARD SWEEP
After step 5 of the previous move, turn your knee outside and place your foot on your partner’s hip.
Lucas uses this sweep on Kennedy to take him over him instead of to the side. The set up is exactly the same as the Hip Switch Sweep through the first five steps and the hook behind the knee still takes place. Instead of posting his leg on the mat, Lucas turns his left knee outside and places his left foot against Kennedy’s right hip. He then extends his legs while performing a reverse roll to take Kennedy up and over his head. Once on top, Lucas has Kennedy’s left leg pinned and his shoulder underneath Kennedy’s right leg giving him the option to pass the guard to either side.
02
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Extend your legs upward, taking your partner over you.
03
Perform a reverse roll over your partner. Keep collar grip Maintain hook
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04
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Foot and knee trap leg.
05
Pass Option 1: Hip switch.
06
Pass Option 2: Go around.
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74 FEATURE
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His jiu-jitsu is invisible.
RICKSON GRACIE THE MAN BEHIND THE LEGEND Mike Velez & Travis Guesnon
IN THE WORLD OF BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU THE WORD “LEGEND” GETS THROWN AROUND A LOT. I won’t say it’s over used, but anyone that’s been aware of jiu-jitsu for any length of time can probably start rattling off a dozen or so names that they would consider legends. But there’s a level of accomplishment that’s above legendary status. It’s reserved for a very elite few (if even more than one), the term “greatest of all time.” Baseball has The Babe, boxing has Ali, hockey has Gretzky, basketball has Jordan and so on. Well in the world of Brazilian jiu-jitsu we have Rickson (Gracie). The third son of Grand Master Helio Gracie grew up in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, but now calls Palos Verdes, California home. Rickson made his name in the 80’s and 90’s competing in jiu-jitsu tournaments, Vale-Tudo, and MMA. It’s said by many that Rickson never lost any type of jiu-jitsu, freestyle wrestling, sambo, vale tudo, MMA, challenge or submission matches and has well over 400 wins. Rickson’s career was documented in the 1999
JJM: Can you please explain to us what the JJGF is about? Rickson: The main purpose is to service the community and the sport. While there is plenty of efficiency in terms of winning medals, jiu-jitsu is losing effectiveness in the aspect of real life situations. We promote three pillars of service to the community: communication, education and competition. The competition has to be a little bit modified to translate effectiveness in real life. By changing the competition rules today we will be able to project more dynamic fights with much more objectivity that will better cross over to real life situations. Today’s competition, because of what I call anti jiu-jitsu rules and moves such as advantages, stalling, 50/50, etc… (pauses) I love watching jiu-jitsu fights, but maybe 8 out of 10 today are boring to see because those positions allow competitors to stall the fight to give them better control of the
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Jason Boulanger & Mike Velez
documentary film “Choke.” After the tragic death of his first born, Rockson Gracie in late 2000, Rickson retired from competition. Rickson has two daughters; Kauan, Kaulin, and his son Kron who’s now taking his successful grappling to MMA with a fight scheduled for later this year. Rickson is a private man, but just recently he launched an all out publicity campaign to bring attention to his new jiu-jitsu federation, the JJGF (Jiu-Jitsu Global Federation). If you listen to any sort of jiu-jitsu related podcasts you’ve definitely heard an interview with him on the subject by now. We got the chance to spend some time with Rickson and along with talk about the JJGF we got to know him a little better, his daily routine, his beliefs, his advice and more. You’ll be able to find the complete interview with Rickson on our YouTube channel (youtube.com/ jiujitsumag).
motion, a better pace, as well as rhythm of the fight and a better strategy for the medal. This makes it easier to strategize based on the rules, but realistically it doesn’t transfer over into a fight. The new rules aren’t exactly new and we can go back to the old rules while penalizing for stalling and taking away advantage points. That is the competition aspect.
can be used by women, executives, children, anybody and that totally changes the function of the sport. It creates selfesteem, better ability to handle stress and deal with obstacles that arise in life. I see black belts today that have no understanding of concepts of self-defense and that has diminished the effectiveness of jiu-jitsu.
In terms of education, a lot of people today who are coming from the competition background are being promoted today as they win more and more medals, become famous, open up their own school, which is great, but the element to service their community is coming solely from the competitive aspect. This doesn’t translate to selfdefense and everybody would like some knowledge of self-defense to protect themselves, but not everyone wants to compete. The knowledge of self-defense
In regard to the communication aspect we have a huge opportunity to spread the word. For example, Facebook has only been around for seven years and look at how it’s changed the way we communicate. We can use tools and platforms similar to that for athletes to have their own profiles, have their fights available for viewing, look for sponsorship, etc. We will have a master’s council to have an active voice for the community, as well as a developmental council. These persons may not be masters, but they
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FEATURE 76
Snapshot of JJGF (Jiu-Jitsu Global Federation)
Goals
These are just some of the goals JJGF has. Unify the entire jiu-jitsu community. Restore effectiveness of the art in terms of self-defense. Elevate the sport to an Olympic and professional standard. Provide athletes more exposure.
Founders
The originators of the JJGF. Rickson Gracie Carlos Gama Tony Pacenski
Masters Council
This is an advisory council of esteemed high-ranking Masters who have dedicated themselves to educate the community and assist with the advancement of jiu-jitsu. Grand Masters/Red belts: Joao Alberto, Francisco Mansor, Alvaro Barreto, Flavio Behring Masters/Red and black belts: Rickson Gracie, Pedro Sauer, Rigan Machado, Royler Gracie, Sylvio Behring, Rolker Gracie, Jean Jacques Machado Professor/Black belts: Takamasa Watanabe
Tournaments
Some of the features of tournaments sanctioned by JJGF include, but are not limited to: Video review & coach’s challenges Challenge matches (submission only) + 20 minutes or no time limit Points matches + First competitor to achieve top position after double guard pull will receive points. + If a competitor jumps guard, remains suspended in the air, then put safely on the mat by the their opponent, and controlled for 3 seconds, the opponent receives points. + If the offensive competitor is in the same position for 20 seconds or more without attempting to submit or progress positionally they will be penalized for stalling. + Competitors in elite (not necessarily black belts) divisions are allowed to knee reap, heel hook, neck crank, and do a variety of other moves.
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...my middle name right now is “Motivation.” too can have a voice to share their opinions, fight out what is happening in the community and if they need to change some things. Overall, the idea of the federation is to create an open door policy to follow and listen to ideas to restore effectiveness, to unify the jiu-jitsu community, provide a belt ranking system, bring a unified set of rules to all the events and a complete competitor ranking system. I’m not interested in running a tournament as there is already too many of them, but these changes would allow for a world wide premium circuit where athletes competing in different organizations can truly see who is the best. I believe this would create opportunities for the next level; possibility of the Olympics, possibility of major sponsors coming in and one major association like those found in tennis and surfing. Those associations rank everyone and unify all the competitors in their sports. If we can come together, we can bring the sport to the next level for sure.
JJM: When did the idea for the JJGF come about? Rickson: The idea isn’t new. As I’ve been doing seminars (because of my health diminishing) I noticed a big disconnect of people not understanding the basics. Sometimes
black belts don’t know how to escape the most basic positions. I believe the idea of a federation that can feed the community good information is beautiful. I came to the realization that if I don’t do anything then maybe no one will. Maybe 15 years from now jiu-jitsu will be looked upon as judo or karate (has been); great athletes, great tournaments, but nothing relating to real life situations. So I believe the sport side of jiu-jitsu needs to be redirected to a better effective way. Without one of the three pillars that I mentioned we can’t inform current teachers how they can better help reach more people effectively.
JJM: What made you start teaching class recently at Kron’s school? Rickson: Kron is intensifying his MMA training for his debut and that, along with the time it takes for teaching, I feel was putting more stress on him. So I volunteered to step in to help out with the classes. It works great all around because he can focus on training, I’m happy to teach again, the students seem to enjoy my presence, it’s good for my health, so it’s all positive.
JJM: You’ve mentioned your health diminishing a couple times now. Is everything okay? Rickson: I have nothing to complain
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Even EF Hutton shuts their mouth when Rickson talks.
about because I’ve done so many things in my life; however, my middle name right now is “Motivation.” I have to do everything because I have so many injuries on my back and my hips from the trauma I placed on myself. Now I’m minimizing my efforts in certain things because I have to better take care of my body. I’m still very happy how I function; that I can move as I do and still be able to surf waves.
JJM: What’s a typical day like for you and what do you normally eat? Rickson: Wake up 7:00am to 7:30am, eat well and start with stretching. Sleepwise I try to get 6 to 8 hours a day; it just depends on my schedule and I’ll take an hour nap sometimes. I try to eat 6 meals a day, love superfoods, love organic foods and stay away from processed foods. In the morning I’ll eat whole wheat bread, cheese and have a cup of coffee. Three hours later I’ll have a shake with almond milk, bananas, blueberries and protein powder. For lunch maybe chicken or fish, organic salad and quinoa. Later for a snack I’ll eat apples or dates. My next meal could be like a smoked tuna sandwich and bananas. For dinner I enjoy
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making a homemade pizza or organic whole wheat pasta.
wheat germ, hemp seeds, seasonings, eggs and organic yeast in the dough that I make. Also I make fresh tomato sauce, include cheese, mushrooms and it’s on. (laughs)
meditation & yoga.) at home, have elastic bands, a medicine ball and a physio/stability ball. These are all good for stretching and having a healthy routine, as well as breathing exercises. Through breathing exercises you can understand yourself better, relax more and hyperventilate in a beneficial way. Yoga, working out, proper nutrition… all this helps.
JJM: Do you have any vice’s that aren’t healthy? Rickson: Occasionally I may drink or eat
JJM: Who has been the toughest person you’ve ever rolled with? Rickson: Hmmm… (ponders) I’ve been
JJM: What goes into a Rickson Gracie pizza? Rickson: I like to use whole wheat flour,
ice cream at a BBQ with friends, but these aren’t on a regularly daily basis and in the end what makes you healthy is to maintain a routine.
JJM: How often do you surf? Rickson: Whenever there are waves I try to be out there. (smiles)
JJM: What are other good things you believe the average guy could do to improve his jiu-jitsu? Rickson: Have at least a comfortable area like a carpet (We’re guessing for
training forever with all the tough guys and many guys are very tough. Nobody really stands out. I feel like that at one point the fight becomes so fast and so dynamic that one mistake is all it takes to change things. I’d force guys to make mistakes; sometimes it just took longer. It’s all a chess game. They’ve all been tough and I respect them all.
JJM: In the class we did today you gave a very conceptual approach (this may happen, that may happen, a variety of responses) to teaching as compared to some schools that are specific and say this
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FEATURE 78
is the technique, put your hand here, etc. Is this how you normally teach? Rickson: Well it depends; for example when
So you may ask yourself, “What do I have to do now?” and you must keep an open mind to change.
I show a headlock escape and I explain the shoulder position, this is specific. However, when I show a position like this (or one where you have to escape) you have to not try only one way otherwise you may hit a dead end. You have to keep an open mind to make it work. The concepts of one technique are different than the concepts of a position. For example, the objective may be to pass the guard, but you have to keep in mind when your effort isn’t meeting your objective. So you may ask yourself, “What do I have to do now?” and you must keep an open mind to change. The ability of changing is what makes jiu-jitsu chess. When I teach I have to show both the specific details, but also concepts to make it work. Leverage points are specifics and that’s one thing, but showing the concepts, such as if you can’t push, pull, give you more of a whole idea of how it will work.
JJM: What are the basic concepts of invisible jiu-jitsu? Rickson: Oh, it’s totally feeling, you can’t see it in a picture, you have to feel it. For example, two guys are in a position and one feels awkward, I’ll say put your weight a little more here and adjust this way. Their response is usually, “Oh gosh!” Elements of connection, weight distribution and leverage will create that feeling of invisible force. It’s all adjustments that make it happen.
JJM: As far as conventional wisdom goes do you see a position that’s just not being done right out there? Rickson: Well, the umpa (or bump), nobody does right.
JJM: We caught the “how-to” you did with Budo Jake on that. Rickson: A lot of people do it wrong like that, so they try to do something else like the elbow escape, but then the angle is wrong for that and everything becomes awkward. You’ll end up spending much more time and effort to escape.
JJM: Your black belts teach specifically what you teach, but what about a guy who wants to learn your style of jiu-jitsu yet trains at a school who teaches totally different? Rickson: That’s a hard situation because it depends on the head instructor. That’s
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FEATURE 000
why the JJGF is such a great thing and can provide that knowledge. I’ve heard a jiu-jitsu instructor tell a student to learn Krav Maga because jiu-jitsu isn’t for selfdefense, just sport. This is jeopardizing our culture and lineage. By providing guidance and certification for instructors the students will feel better for applying. That way 50 years from now we’ll still have good directions by implementing these concepts. If everyone does whatever they want 50 years from now jiu-jitsu will be completely diluted.
JJM: Do you ever see yourself competing in the JJGF at all? Rickson: No, I’m completely out of competition. Kron will though.
JJM: What advice would you give someone nearing 40 in terms of jiu-jitsu? Rickson: Well, injuries take a toll on the body. I look at jiu-jitsu as a religion, so you need to train smarter as you get older. You need to find a good set-up of training partners, not just young, explosive guys or guys that may put you in a scenario to get hurt. You’ll need a capable instructor to provide you with proper knowledge and understand that this is a lifestyle. This is the same for any age really.
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JJM: Can you explain the JJGF Challenge Rules to us? Rickson: These are geared to submission only matches and would be done when a promotion chooses to do so. This doesn’t mean I’m for submission only. Points matches will still be part of the format, as these are needed to further evolve the sport and put jiu-jitsu in the Olympics if possible. There’s nothing set in stone for Challenge Rules matches. It could be one match that goes 20, 40, or 60 minutes and with or without weight classes. It may be set up like Metamoris with multiple individual matches, a tournament like Dream’s The Baddest (whatever belt color) or could be one match during some time of a point tournament.
Well, injuries take a toll on the body. I look at jiu-jitsu as a religion, so you need to train smarter as you get older.
JJM: I’ve run into the situation and have it happen to others where a referee doesn’t award points because the individual (or a teammate) may have beaten their teammate, so it becomes almost a personal issue. Will there be referees in JJGF who aren’t necessarily affiliated with a school, such as in amateur wrestling to avoid this conflict of interest? Rickson: No, first thing to do would be to certify all the referees and provide them with the proper knowledge. My suggestion is taking away the advantages system.
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This would make things simpler as this is a big complication because it’s based on the interpretation of the referees. Referees would have to make specific manual gestures to display the time that the position was held for before awarding points. Now, say the referee still counts too fast or too slow against a competitor. Per the request of that individual or coach he or she can challenge the call after the match before a decision is reached. We will have replay and be able to review the entire match and change the points if need be. It will be similar to the challenge rules of American football, so if the competitor or coach is wrong they can’t challenge anymore. I’d also like to see penalties for stalling.
JJM: Will those individuals 30 and above who compete at Masters and Seniors levels be provided the same time limit per match as those age 29 and under? Rickson: I don’t see the point of increasing
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the time limit if there is no stalling; however, dependent upon what is happening on a consistent basis may make me change my mind. I’m not trying to set the rules in stone, but do whatever is needed to return effectiveness to jiujitsu. If that means getting rid of, then possibly bringing back advantages, or increasing time limits, so be it.
JJM: Are there any individuals outside of jiu-jitsu and martial arts that you’ve looked up to or taken any ideals from and incorporated them into your own life? Rickson: Oh, definitely. The mind has to be open like a parachute or it doesn’t work. You cannot be closed minded and think you are the only truth. A long time ago my good friend Erik Paulson gave me a tape showing knee locks; the next day I was submitting everybody in the school with knee locks. Staying open minded, using wrestling moves, using judo moves, whatever works to make things more
effective is great. Outside of jiu-jitsu, outside of martial arts my best learning came from Orlando Cani, my master, who taught me breathing and yoga. It gave me a profound perspective of how to control my body and be more focused. Of course, the great masters, Buddha, Jesus, Sun Tzu, Miyamoto Musashi, and my father always have something amazing to say about life that gives us perspective of enlightenment.
JJM: Is there one phrase or piece of advice that your dad gave you that stands out? Rickson: Yes. “If you want to be a good teacher, you show the movements you know. If you want to be an excellent teacher, try to understand the student and teach him what he needs.” That changed the way I teach because before I would fit the student with what I wanted to teach him, not what he needs. That’s a very profound way to find growth for both him and you.
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84 TECHNIQUE
WORKING THE 50-50 GUARD WITH FELIPE COSTA Hywel Teague
50-50 IS A CONTROVERSIAL POSITION; SOME PEOPLE LOVE IT, SOME PEOPLE HATE IT. As a BJJ competitor and coach, I prefer to leave the emotions out of it and make sure I understand the techniques. By having a good understanding of it, I can choose whether to apply it in my game or not and if I face someone who loves doing it, I know what to expect and how to defend it. If I face someone who is clueless about the 50-50 (maybe because they choose to adopt the “I hate it, I don’t need it” attitude), it usually means I will play with that person and make the 50-50 look like it’s 100% in my favor. If it happens that I face an opponent who is also familiar with it, then it means the little details may make the difference between winning and losing. It’s a mistake to think the 50-50 is made just for stalling because it’s not. What happens is that when two fighters have a similar knowledge about it, it becomes very hard to progress, as the position allows both sides to use the same principles.
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Bio
Felipe Costa Age: 35 From: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Weight Division: Rooster (126.5lbs) Height: 5’ 7” Training Since: 1990 Black Belt Under: Rodrigo “Comprido” Medeiros Team: Brasa Team Notable Titles: 2X BB World Champion, 3x Master BB World Champion, European Champion, Brazilian National Champion
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You ever find yourself in 50/50 by accident?
DOMINATING THE POSITION First, it is important to understand what you should look for once you are in the 50-50 position. This understanding will give you a better chance of progressing. Check out these fundamental details:
01
Make sure your left hand controls your opponent’s knee. This way it isn’t as easy for him to step out of the ‘trap.’ Also, turn to face the outside (toward the free leg).
02 Squeeze your legs together for extra control. Face completely to your right so he has no chance to reset the position.
03
If you did everything correctly up to this point it will be difficult for him to come on top, but if he does, just kick your left leg parallel to the ground, pushing him back. This way your weight will press on his hip and render it impossible for him to establish top position.
04
Use the motion of putting your opponent’s behind back on the ground to bring yourself up, make sure to use the movement just like a technical stand up drill. It’s important to open your right knee at an angle to get a better base and avoid your opponent turning to his right to take your balance away, just as you did with him.
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TECHNIQUE 86
SWEEP AGAINST STANDING OPPONENT Sometimes your opponent is familiar with the basics too and it becomes harder to stand up first. Here is what to do if you are one step behind:
01
You were too late and your opponent managed to stand up, possibly because you failed to face the correct way and make your leg heavy on his hips, but you still have a chance.
04
Keep the motion going as if you will pass through the legs towards his back.
06
Once he falls, do not follow his motion and come up on top. If you do he will trap your leg and maybe do the same back to you. I only come up if it’s the last few seconds of the fight and I need to score.
05
When you feel him starting to lose his balance, stretch your right leg forward. That’ll be enough to make him fall.
As you sweep him you will create space for your leg to retreat; take advantage of this moment and hide your foot.
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Yeah, me too.
02
Reach for his leg that is not trapped and make a palm-up grip close to his knee. The grip is important to help finish the sweep.
07
Once you have done this, you will be able to come on top in a position similar to a leg enabling you to pass to side control.
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03
Use this same grip to help bring your head to his leg, making a movement as if you were going to pass between his legs.
Gloss 50/50 GUARD; The fifty-fifty guard is a position popularized by notable black belts Roberto “Gordo” Correa, Ryan Hall, Bruno Frazzato, Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles, and the Mendes brothers among others. It’s regarded as a neutral position since both combatants are essentially performing outside leg triangles on each other. With the legs locked there is one fighter whose leg is on top of the others. This could be considered an advantage, however the position is considered neutral. The position is considered by many as a stalling position and recent rule changes have looked to reducing its use for this reason. However, many competitors have found it useful in mounting an attack, notably those mentioned earlier.
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TECHNIQUE 88
TAKING THE BACK AGAINST STANDING OPPONENT
01
Once you are comfortable with the first two techniques, you may feel confident to let your opponent move a bit more to open up attacks. Here is another option that is a great shortcut to take the back:
When you feel your opponent trying to stand up, let him do it and start to enter your left hook on the far leg as if you are going towards the X-guard.
02
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Once he stands up, swing your upper body to your left and that same hook will give you the extra leverage you need to move toward his back.
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TECHNIQUE 90
03
05
08
If you can, reach for his pants. Secure this grip so he can’t turn to face you again.
Bring it under his hips and put the hook in the back of his leg.
06
04
The grip on his right knee will hold his leg still so you can stretch your leg and kick it free.
Keep your left grip, but reach up with your right hand and grab his belt.
07
Pull him in and make sure to keep your legs bent and close to your body using it as a ‘chair.’
Keep your hooks active to control him while you transition to the seat belt grip. You can then insert the hooks in the traditional way.
Who Knew? Favorite Finish? Legmura (Leg Kimura) Favorite Guard? Y guard Most memorable jiu-jitsu moment? World Championship black belt title. Why did you start training jiu-jitsu? For self defense What are your feelings on 50/50, when do you like to use it, do you use more offensively, or defensively? Just another BJJ situation that can't be forgotten. I use offensively if necessary, defensively if needed.
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TECHNIQUE 92
CALF SLICER FROM 50-50
01
If you notice your opponent is closing the leg with the triangle, hold his shin in such a way that he can no longer unlock his legs.
This is a tricky technique, the kind of move you get everyone with once! Then, of course, they ask what you did; you show them and never get them with it again! But it’s still fun to know. Usually only legal for brown and black.
02
04
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Bring your right leg and trap his foot as shown, shin to shin.
03
Now, use your hands to pull his knee towards you at the same time as you apply force your right leg.
This will put a lot pressure on his calf, but remember that calf slicers are only allowed for brown and black belts in competition.
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Footlock or toehold, take your pick.
WATCH OUT FOR THE FOOTLOCK!
In this sequence I’m showing a common mistake people make when attacking for the toehold from 50-50. My training partner, Erick Raposo, will take advantage of this situation to apply his own footlock.
01
My first mistake is to triangle my legs when in the 50-50, as this allows my opponent to be open to attacking my foot.
02 03
Notice that while I’m trying to attack, my left foot is near his hands. All Erick needs to do is grab it and crank, and because I have the triangle closed, it is difficult for me to escape.
04
Even worse is to try and attack the foot of the leg that is trapped. As my back is on the ground, my ability to apply pressure is limited. Also, the fact that his leg is stretched makes it even harder. Of course, is not impossible to get the tap, but it’s not an efficient or effective position.
Here, Erick has the angle that when he applies the toehold he will tap me out first, even if we are both attacking each other’s feet.
If you want to see videos of all of these techniques and many more, visit www.BrazilianBlackBelt.com. Please be my guest to try it out using the code ‘BBBFREETRIAL’.
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96 GEAR LAB
STORM Kimonos
F-LITE GI www.stormkimonos.com
Mike Velez
OPEN ANY MAGAZINE, LOG ON TO ANY WEBSITE, ATTEND ANY WORLD CLASS EVENT AND ONE SURE BET IS THAT YOU’RE GOING TO SEE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF JIU-JITSU – MANY OF THE BEST WEAR STORM GI’S. STORM Kimonos has been around since 1996 with some of the best in the world, past and present, regularly competing with the Storm logo across their chest. Their current line-up of athletes is one for the ages that includes names such as Romulo Barral, Victor and Braulio Estima, Otavio Sousa, Comprido, Cobrinha, Claudio Calasans, Felipe Costa and even Renato Laranja. The F-Lite that I am reviewing is one of that latest gi’s released earlier this year. Let’s not waste anymore time and get to it.
Pants
The more I roll the more I’ve become a fan of rip-stop pants, especially in these summer months. The F-Lite pants use a very lightweight Storm BreatheTech military rip-stop. Marketing hype or not, these pants are lightweight and comfortable, made from a 55/45 cotton/polyester blend the pants feel soft and durable with triple-stitched seams. Storm branded tape runs around the entire waste stitched into place for durability. A rip-stop drawstring runs through two belt loops that are used to keep your pants in place. The gusset is roomy but not baggy. There’s a fair amount of branding on the pants including a large embroidered Storm shield on the right thigh and a smaller Storm logo across the left hip. The cuffs at the bottom have a nice amount of fabric on the inside for durability.
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Whatever you do please don’t look at his feet.
Jacket(s)
Did you notice the “s” on the end of that headline? Yup, this gi comes with two jackets (and for a limited time at www.stormkimonos.com an extra pair of pants as well). The first jacket is made from soft and comfortable 420gsm Storm-Weave fabric, you’d know it as a pearl weave. The second jacket is made from the same rip-stop material as the pants. From there the two jackets are identical in their features. Both feature triplereinforced stitching throughout and a non-warping collar that has a nice firm feel to it. Inside the jacket rip-stop is sewn into the shoulders and in different areas of the jacket. Reinforcement material can be found at the base of the sleeves, around the side slits and along the bottom of the jacket. The insides of the sleeve cuffs are reinforced with rip-stop also. Branding on the outside of the jacket is simple, a large Storm logo runs up the left collar and a Storm Shield can be found in the back near the neck and on the right sleeve. A small Storm patch is sewn on to the bottom of the left collar. One very useful feature found on the jackets is a little pocket for your mouth guard for those times when you’re not rolling. The F-Lite is available in both blue and white and in sizes A1 through A4.
A
Fit and Feel
D
B
E
A B C D E
68” 34.5” 22” 21.5” 37”
After 3 washes at 40º C
C Brand New(420)
My weight hasn’t changed since my last review, I’m still 5’ 8” at right about 200lbs. The A2 fit a little big on me, I managed to get it shrunk a tiny bit with some time in the dryer. Storm says that the gi is pre-shrunk, and they mean it. Even though the cut is identical on the two jackets, the rip-stop fits me smaller. I credit this to different shrink rates in the materials. The Storm-Weave jacket is 100% cotton as opposed to the blend in the rip-stop. Most of my testing was done in the Storm-Weave jacket. The cut seemed to fit me a bit long compared to other A2’s I’ve tested, although sleeve length was good in both jackets. A couple inches taller and I’d say the length would have been perfect on me. The length of the pants was perfect on me. So much for those extra two inches. Fit was good with no restriction in movement. Storm has multiple videos posted on their website about the gi, showing the cut on a shorter Cobrinha, or a taller Braulio, very nice touch.
A B C D E
67.5” 34.25” 21.5” 21.25” 36.75”
Continued on page 116
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98 GEAR LAB
COMBAT X TRAINER www.combatxtrainer.com
Travis Guesnon
WITH THE GOAL OF BECOMING THE BEST JIU-JITSU PRACTITIONER YOU CAN BE, CHANCES ARE YOU’RE DOING MORE THAN JUST TRAINING AT YOUR SCHOOL. Your regimen may include watching your nutrition, a strength and conditioning program, reading literature (I hear Jiu-Jitsu Magazine is the best!), watching videos (especially those on www.iroll.tv), yoga to increase your flexibility and anything you can plug yourself into when you can’t be in class and don’t have a partner readily available. Another activity to increase your level of performance in recent years is drilling. Drilling movements and submissions has become a mainstay for a decent amount of practitioners, but if you don’t have a partner, what options do you have?
Grab a Dummy
No, I’m not implying one of your training partners, but a grappling dummy. There have been a variety of models on the market over the years; however, most (not all) of them have limbs that are extremely thick and don’t move. Essentially, you end up with something that you can only practice rear naked chokes, triangle chokes, armbars from mount or knee on belly, throws, and a variety of strikes on. While a variety of strikes are great, the actual grappling experience is less than stellar. Not only that, but chances are you will be filling the dummy with stuffing that you purchase (or can find), as well as paying anywhere from $150 up to $450 or more. In that regard, you’re really not getting a whole lot back on your investment, unless you’re willing to shell out $500 plus for the top of the line models you’re probably better off buying a heavy bag, as it’s just as good as those.
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New Kid on the Block
Don’t give up on the thought of purchasing a dummy just yet however, as there’s a new player on the market. Battle Ball LTD has created the CXT (Combat X Trainer). The CXT is described as, “The ultimate training tool to allow you to develop the basic movements of BJJ and MMA, while developing relentless pressure and explosive reactivity.” At $179 (shipping and handling included) it’s a much better price point than the majority of the same type of products on the market. I had the chance to test it out and here are my initial thoughts on it. In the mail you’ll receive a medium sized box that contains the CXT, an air pump, three valve stems, and a drawstring backpack. Unlike most dummies the CXT doesn’t require any stuffing (saving you time and money) and you can blow it up fairly quickly using the included air pump.
Since it’s deflatable, you can let the air out and have an easier time storing it some place as compared to other dummies. It’s a bit difficult to fold it and honestly, the drawstring backpack becomes pretty useless because of that. Once blown up it looks like a stability ball with five nubs; two representing your partner’s legs, two for arms, and a wider one for the head. At first glance it looks like a life-size Pokemon character or Kirby from the Nintendo video game (I have a kid, so cut me some slack.). The skin of it is made of thick 5 kgs of PVC (much thicker than a stability ball), appears to be very durable and is said to be able to withstand 500kgs (just over 1100lbs). I don’t suggest testing that, but unless you actually go out of your way to pop it with a sharp object, it seems pretty sufficient for what it is supposed to be used for.
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GEAR LAB 100
How It Works In regard to usage, the CXT works well (for the most part) for learning transitional movements, mostly from the top, such as passing guard, hip switches, moving around a turtled opponent, etc. In regard to actual submissions training that’s not what it’s designed for. The four limbs are each 9” to 10.5” in length from the base to give you an idea. If you’re looking to work arm locks, leg locks, chokes, or sweeps then this product probably isn’t for you. Granted, you can do butterfly sweeps on it, but it’s so lightweight you can literally push it over with your hand. You can practice half guard pulls from your knees and go in reverse to work toward a stand up. That may not be a big deal to you, but also realize there’s not a lot of other dummies on the market you can do this with. The lack of techniques from the bottom may turn you off, but think of it this way (especially you white belts): you can’t perform a submission if you don’t know how to get to it or set it up. Remember: position, control, submission; in that order. In favor of the CXT, though I’ve either seen or thought of different ways to use it while doing this review (I figure out more each edit; this is my 3rd.) so that makes it more intriguing if you are the creative type. If you got one of these early (like myself) it didn’t come with a DVD or an instructional manual on the movements you can do with it. These are available on the website, as well as can be seen in random YouTube uploads from customers with creative ideas who’ve purchased it. However, the
#23 & 24); however, it doesn’t move like a stability ball and serves a completely different purpose. You’re not going to do “Top Spins,” “Around The World,” or some other moves and get the same feel because the nubs don’t let it roll around, but you can work variations.
company has now produced a DVD that you can get for free with a purchase of the CXT by entering the code “GLOVER” at checkout. I recommend checking out the variety of moves in “The System” section on the website beforehand as this will no doubt give you a much better look at how you can apply this product to improve your game. Without viewing the content of this DVD I’m sure it will have all of these moves, plus bonus features from Jeff Glover. Again, the purpose of the CXT is to teach you movement while providing it at a high work rate, which it does very well. It is challenging to use because of the roundness of it, so as advertised, some movements throw off your balance. The roundness of it is made to unbalance you and simulate your opponent attempting to move underneath you. This is great in theory and I like that they’ve taken a page out of Glover’s playbook (check out issues
FINAL THOUGHTS
In comparison to other dummy products on the market, the CXT (at least in my opinion) is a much better deal considering the cost, time it takes to put it together, portability and for its space saving properties. While the CXT may not be for everyone it has a 60 day, 100% money back guarantee (minus shipping and handling) offer on its website if you’re not happy with the product. I suggest reviewing this and the return policy so you have an understanding of all the terms prior to purchasing. I’m telling you this because this is great user-friendly opportunity, considering most companies don’t offer this for any type of products. That alone stands as a good reason to give the CXT a try.
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So here’s where that “for the most part” I mentioned earlier comes in. The ball portion is so big and round that you are much higher up than you would be drilling with a partner, another dummy, or a heavy bag. For example, when you are side mounted on the CXT it is not the same as being side mounted on a partner. Let’s say your partner is lying flat on his back. He would maybe be 10” to 12” in height from the mat to his chest or abdomen that you would be side mounted across. The CXT on the other hand is 27” from the mat to the top of it when on its back. I should also mention that these measurements were taken after I let some air out of it because I was having issues reaching around it as shown in the technique videos. In the end, the point I’m trying to make is that you’re not really side mounted with all the pressure you can be using so it’s a little awkward. If Battle Ball LTD had made the CXT more like the shape of a heavy bag, kept the roundness features, was 11” in height (to better simulate a person) and had the same limbs, in my opinion the value of this product would increase drastically. Am I saying that it’s a bad product? No, but like anything, some will love it and others not so much.
Verdict Overall the CXT is a well thought out product that can enhance your top game movement. It’s durable, lightweight, and portable and isn’t too expensive.
PERORMANCE: VALUE: OVERALL:
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102 GEAR LAB
BEYOND TECHNIQUE www.gobeyondtechnique.com
Travis Guesnon
RECENTLY JJM HAD THE PLEASURE OF FEATURING KIT DALE IN ISSUE #23 AND NICOLAS GREGORIADES IN ISSUE #24. At first glance the two appear to be polar opposites. They live miles apart with Nic being the tall, clean cut, blonde in London and Kit the tattooed, bearded, shaved head Aussie. However, if you dig deeper they are actually alike in that they are both very intelligent individuals, who articulate well, are innovative, and have a deep understanding of variables in regard to jiu-jitsu. These similarities have driven both through an exhaustive search to find the best possible ways to learn, practice and teach jiu-jitsu. They have a
The Format
Along with an introduction, there are 20 different concepts and principles from a variety of different positions (including takedowns), with 10 being presented and demonstrated by Nic and the other 10 by Kit. My viewing went straight through, but Nic advised me that each of these will be their own separate chapters on the DVD. Within each chapter the concept is first titled in bold white on the screen, then explained in detail what it does, how it is applicable, what positions it can be utilized from, when to perform it (timing), and why it will help you. After the explanation of the concept is given a scenario is demonstrated with further instruction. Once completed, the same concept is presented in another scenario so the viewer can grasp how it can work in a variety of situations. The pace of each chapter moves relatively quickly, so you may want to go back and review something you missed. I was informed that this will be a single DVD set.
The Content
You’re not going to find specific, detailed techniques on this DVD like the breakdown of an armbar or where your hands and
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more conceptualized approach to the art rather than focusing on specific details, therefore, they are able to better adapt and respond to whatever an opponent presents. They’ve done this with great success as each of them received their black belts in 4 years; Kit from Lucas Leite and Nic from Roger Gracie. If you appreciate this mode of thinking then you’ll be happy to know that a meeting of the minds between Nic and Kit has happened as they collaborated to create a new DVD titled, Beyond Technique.
feet should be during the movement of a berimbolo. Unlike any other DVDs I’ve ever seen to date (and to my knowledge), this is the only one that focuses purely on concepts and how to apply certain principles in order to reap the benefits from them. As an added bonus, you’ll get Kit looking directly into the camera at times as he appears to be having a staring contest with you using different expressions; sometimes angry, sometimes blah, sometimes.... Well, you’ll see. While some of the concepts are simple (you may have some, “Why didn’t I think of that?” light bulb goes on, or ah ha moments), they are extremely effective and can be incorporated into your game immediately. In my opinion these are the best times in learning because it (what is “it?” What expands your thought process?) expands your thought process and game exponentially. I tried some of these concepts earlier this week and was successful with them in advancing and gaining better positions against my sparring partners. Some concepts you may have seen before, so they may be nothing new to you. Others go completely against the grain of “what is the right way to do ______ (fill in the blank) in jiu-jitsu,” but
they appear very valid and applicable. If history has taught us anything, it’s that the game keeps evolving. Without giving anything away, the “Post, Posture, and Leverage” concept for sweeps is cool. It logically breaks down how you can still pull off sweeps from uncomfortable, awkward positions. Other concepts that I particularly enjoyed were the “Size Specific” and “Spinal Torque” (a way to get the mount from side control without stepping the leg over. Wrap your mind around that.) concepts. It’s hard to go into detail without a visual, but that’s why you have to see it to really get a grasp of these. I should mention there’s a “Nullifying The Guard Pull” concept that I’m sure some of you will love. Things that I would have liked to have seen differently were simply how Nic was positioned with his partner during the “Quadrant” and “Porcupine” (particularly the scarf hold) concepts. If he had faced the opposite way it’d be more user friendly to the viewer. My viewing ended at 56 minutes and 19 seconds so I didn’t get to fully see the last concept unfortunately, but again, it was a rough cut. Continued on page 116
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104 GEAR LAB
SHOULD I WASH MY BELT? Mike Velez
IT’S A QUESTION AS OLD AS TIME, SHOULD I OR SHOULDN’T I WASH MY BELT? Ancient jiu-jitsu lore has it that the black belt started out as a white belt, and with time and lots of training, the black signifies the years of practice as a symbol of the time invested. What that anecdote doesn’t tell you is that an unwashed black belt that has accumulated years of knowledge and experience, would be a Petri dish of germs, bacteria, fungus, blood, sweat, and maybe even a little e-coli for good measure. Recently, a few videos and info graphics went around the interwebs talking about the need to wash our belts after every training session. I personally don’t do this, although I’m not in the camp that says you should never wash your belt for any reason; the interwebs exploded with plenty of opinions on both sides of the discussion. With that in mind, I decided to do a little research on the topic. I’m going to share the facts with you, give you some tips that will allow you to reduce the risk of germs to you and your training partners and allow you to still be able to hold on to some of those ancient traditions.
On our Jiu-Jitsu Magazine Facebook page someone made the comment that they don’t sweat on their belt so they don’t need to wash it. Even though you may not sweat directly on your belt that doesn’t mean that it’s not wicking sweat from your gi, not to mention collecting little bits off everything and everyone you roll with. Bacteria, fungus, and viruses can be transferred from you to a buddy, or a buddy to you using the mats as a conduit. So even if you don’t roll with someone suffering from a skin condition, or unsavory hygiene, all it takes is for them to deposit a little something on the mats, and a couple rolls later you’re face down on the same mat they just deposited on. Sounds pretty bad. “But the mats were dry,” you say. That doesn’t matter. At normal room temperature, microbes can actually live on surfaces for hundreds of years. Bacteria, like Escherichia coli (E. coli) can live for a few hours to a day depending on the conditions. The dreaded staphylococcus (Staph) virus can live for a few hours or a few MONTHS! Yes, MONTHS! So yeah, you wash your gi after every training session, great. You never wash your belt; it’s a Petri dish, just waiting to infect your training partners, or you. Imagine it wiping down the mats every time you roll.
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Vinny Magalhaes’ staph infection that caused him to withdraw from Metamoris 3.
Photo Credit: Twitter
The Facts
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After researching this article I think I’ll be washing my belt between rolls even.
But Washing Isn’t Cool
Okay, I get it, you’re a little too macho to wash your belt after every roll, I get that. Maybe not for that reason, but I don’t wash mine all the time. Either I’m lazy, I don’t want to lose a stripe in the wash, or I just forgot, it doesn’t matter, very few of us are going to wash it every time. I’m going to share some various tips with you that you can use to reduce the chance of infecting yourself or someone else with some possibly deadly, or at the very least, disgusting bacteria.
Air it out! The bag that I use to transport my gi has a little side pocket that’s unventilated. I’ll throw my belt in there and maybe forget about it only to open it up a day or two later and it’s damp and moist. Aside from smelling like @$$, it’s gross and if that’s the case, I definitely wash it. To avoid this circumstance don’t put your belt in your gym bag, especially if the pocket isn’t ventilated. Instead, keep it out and let it air dry. Bacteria likes damp, humid conditions to multiply. So let it air out immediately after training and don’t shove it back in your bag until it’s totally dry.
Don’t put a damp belt in any sort of sealed pocket, let it breath!
Ideally you’d wash your belt after every training session, but if you’d prefer not to the occasional wash will do you good.
Give it a tan. This is the easiest one you can do and gives you the greatest bang for your buck, and although not 100% effective, it will help a lot. It’s called “Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation” or UVGI for short. Essentially means leave it out in the sun. Microbes are vulnerable to the light wavelengths at or near 2537 Angstroms (scientific term for a measurement of ultraviolet light produced by the sun). Although the die-off rate varies depending on the type of bacteria, or pathogen, anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes of direct sunlight can kill off 90 to 99% of contagious bacteria or viruses. Some spores and some bacteria can survive much longer, but simply putting your belt out in the sun for a couple hours is a simple way to help win the war on bacteria. Wash it once in a while. Okay, this one goes against ancient tradition, but once in a while throw it in the wash. If you lose a stripe, so what, put one back on. When you do, make sure you use a detergent that helps to kill bacteria. Last month we reviewed Rock’n Green Athletic Laundry Soap. That stuff works pretty good, and we’ve been using it ever since. If that’s not handy pick up some oxygen bleach, aka OxiClean. It won’t harm the color and will help kill bacteria. Use the hottest cycle your washing machine has. Also, you can try putting a half-cup of either lemon juice of vinegar in the wash. They’re both acids that will help kill germs and remove stains.
Recruit some science. Defense Soap makes a product called Super Shield Plus Laundry Treatment. Although we have not scientifically tested it, the claim is that Super Shield effectively treats fabric with an anti-microbial barrier. You use it with your regular detergent and add it to the rinse cycle. It’s intended to use on your gi, rash guards, undergarments, stuff that you wash regularly. Defense Soap says that it lasts up to 30 regular washes and guards fabrics against MRSA, staph, ringworm and herpes.
Available from www.defensesoap.com and other retailers.
WRAP UP
If you’re insistent on holding to the ancient traditions then at the very least follow the first two tips to help keep you and your training partners safe. If you’re not a fan of washing your belt all the time, which will probably mean replacing it before your next promotion (no biggie - belts are cheaper than doctor’s bills), then try washing every couple weeks or maybe with the Super Shield. If you’re not doing any of these steps then at some point it’s going to catch up with you. Who knows, maybe you’ve already contributed to someone else getting sick because of some germ that was on your belt from two weeks ago! No matter the case, help make the world a better place and practice some proper belt care starting now!
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106 HOW-TO
DIETS DEMYSTIFIED: A LOOK AT INTERMITTENT FASTING Matt Corley ASK ALMOST ANYONE THAT IS SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR JIU-JITSU “HOW MUCH DO YOU WEIGH” AND THEY’LL BE ABLE TO TELL YOU IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. If they’re an active competitor they can probably go so far as to tell you in the morning vs afternoon. Ahh, the joys of competing in a sport with weight classes. Our weight is always on our minds, especially if there’s a tournament or fight coming up. What do you eat? When do you eat? What works best? Will this work for me? At the end of the day there are a lot of right answers to how you can diet and it’s crucial that you understand that most diets will work if you follow them. The real questions should be: what diet is going to be the easiest for me to follow? And possibly, what diet is most suited to my training schedule? In this article we’re going to look at intermittent fasting, also known as IF, and educate you enough that you’ll be able to answer the above questions for yourself.
WHAT IS IF?
Fasting is simply not eating for a specific period of time. Before you start saying, “Fasting will slow down your metabolism,” remember that this is intermittent, of a relatively short duration and changes to your metabolism are based more on the amount of food that you eat, not the schedule in which you eat it. You may be wondering what the benefits are of this style of dieting. This is where IF starts to distinguish itself from other diets. A body that is operating in a fasted state works differently than a body that has a constant stream of nutrients. When a body enters into a fasted state there are hormonal changes that occur which encourage preferential use of fatty acids for energy. This switch from carbohydrates to fats for fulfilling caloric needs increases your ability to burn stored fat during exercise and even as part of your regular metabolic needs. There are natural increases in growth hormone
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due to the suppression of insulin. I think we can all agree that both of these adaptations are good things. Since this article is intended as a primer for IF, I’m not going to get into the science involved, but if you are interested, I’d recommend Mark’s Daily Apple as a website to peruse and Fast Diets for Dummies by Pat Flynn as a good book. Each of these sources go into exhaustive detail on the physiological changes and adaptations that you go through when fasting and also address common misconceptions, such as “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
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CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE ANY DRASTIC CHANGES IN DIET.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FLAVORS?
Now that you have an idea of what IF is it’s time to start figuring out what version of IF is a good fit for you. There are a couple of things to consider first. With fasting, you will be hungry. Seems obvious, but not everyone fully grasps what that means or is able to adjust to it. When you are in your eating phase you should do your best to eat quality food. Again, this is common sense, but it’s very easy to tell yourself that since you haven’t eaten all day a little pizza and ice cream is OK. Resist the temptation.
Vanilla IF
The most basic version of fasting. In this version you will be fasting once a week for an extended period of time. The fasting period is usually 24 hours. The day that you fast doesn’t really matter, just do it once a week. On the days that you’re not fasting you should follow healthy eating guidelines. By cutting out 1 day of eating per week you will be decreasing your caloric intake by 14%, which is enough to lose weight at a steady and healthy rate. An additional day could be added, if needed, down the road.
5:2
The 5:2 diet is a version that allows you to eat a limited amount of food, 500 to 600 calories, on the days that you are supposed to be fasting. Initially, you’ll be “fasting” twice a week and eating your regular healthy diet 5 days a week. Based on your results, you may add more fasting days. On your fasting days you must stick to foods that won’t trigger an insulin surge. These meals should be protein dense and low in carbohydrates. This is crucial to reap the benefits of fasting. For a lot of people this is a very sustainable diet because it requires minimal changes to their current eating habits and prevents long periods of hunger.
Warrior Diet
The Warrior Diet is an example of a fasting diet in which you fast every day. This diet was popularized by Ori Hofmekler
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in his book, The Warrior Diet. Ori heavily emphasizes the possible historical roots of this method of IF. Putting all of the editorial information aside, the Warrior Diet has you under-eating (fasting) throughout the diet and then overeating in the evening. During your period of under-eating there are certain specific snacks that can be eaten in small quantities. Your overeating phase is unique because there are virtually no limits on how much you can eat during this time period as long you consume it all in a single meal.
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Is There a Variation That Works Best for BJJ? We know that everyone has their own training schedule and goals. Are there options for athletes who train just a few times a week? What if they’re training several times a day? Or something in between? To answer these questions I enlisted the help of Pat Flynn. If you’re a hobbyist, and training 3 to 4 times a week, you’ll be fine with any of the IF options. The only rule of thumb is to make sure that your fasting days coincide with your rest days.
An option for athletes with a more rigorous training schedule entailing multiple sessions a day and training 5 or more days a week, is Micro-Fasting. Put into simple terms,
Micro-Fasting involves fasting several times a week, sometimes every day, but only for 14 to 16 hours at a time. This type of fasting is commonly associated with skipping breakfast, working out on an empty stomach and then eating regularly, starting with lunch.
A couple of nice features to this time is that it is flexible, allows you to time your workouts and is only minimally noticeable from a social perspective. That last one may seem silly, but how often have you had to field comments about your diet during lunch or dinner? By fasting overnight and in the morning you’re able to enjoy normal, healthy meals at lunch and dinner.
Example Schedule for 1 Week To illustrate a possible schedule for Micro-Fasting, we’ll look at an athlete who trains 5 days a week with 2 sessions on Monday and Wednesday. SUNDAY
MONDAY
Train at 9:00am
Train at 9:30am
TUESDAY
Start Eating at 11:00am Begin Fasting at 8:00pm
Train at 6pm
WEDNESDAY Train at 9:30am
THURSDAY
Start Eating at 11:00am Begin Fasting at 8:00pm
Train at 6pm
Begin Fasting at 8:00pm
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Train at 9:30am
Train at 8:30am
Start Eating at 11:00am
Start Eating at 11:00am
Begin Fasting at 8:00pm
WRAPPING IT UP
Intermittent Fasting is one of the more unique diet options out there and with dozens of versions available. You should be able to find something that fits your needs. For more variants on IF check out Lean Gains, Carb Backloading and Mark’s Daily Apple on the web. No matter what you choose for a diet, remember that it needs to be a plan you believe in and one that you can follow for an extended period of time. With this primer on IF you’re ready to make an informed decision and see if it’s right for you.
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110 GAINS
MAKE EVERY MOVEMENT COUNT BEING ECONOMICAL WITH YOUR STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING Naveed Shan
I’M WILLING TO WAGER THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF JIU-JITSU MAGAZINE READERS ARE NOT FULL-TIME ATHLETES. You have a full-time job/school, a family, friends, and other responsibilities off the mat. Jiu-jitsu is your therapy; it is where you can escape for a few hours and continuously improve yourself. It would be naïve to think that after training 6-10 hours of jiu-jitsu each week,
WHAT IS EFFICIENT TRAINING?
Your time is valuable, so it is best to use it wisely in the gym. Training economically refers to the most efficient (or economical) exercises one can utilize in the gym. You can walk into the gym and perform a cable chest fly for the pectoralis major, a cable press down for the triceps brachii, and a dumbbell front raise for your anterior deltoid. Or you could just perform a bench press, which activates all of these muscle
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Kirana Rivera
you have an additional 4-6 hours to perform resistance training and still fully recover to be your best on the mat. I’d also be willing to bet that, despite a busy schedule, you are still looking for ways to improve your jiu-jitsu game, whether it is improving technique, strength, mobility, or conditioning.
groups and more. The more muscle groups active during an exercise, which are typically compound, multi-joint movements, the less time you have to spend on mundane (and unnecessary) exercises.
WHAT TO WORK ON
Many people make the mistake of simply picking up a bodybuilding routine to “blast their biceps” or play spider guard with a barbell, believing it will somehow improve their game. It could be argued that any type of resistance training will benefit you,
but it is best to find the most useful and effective exercises for your sport. Make no mistake about it, you are an athlete; and as such, you should train like one. Any resistance-training program you follow should meet several criteria. It should: 1) Transfer to your sport 2) Progressively improve your strength, conditioning and power output 3) Be performed in a time efficient manner without wasted energy 4) Allow ample time to recover for skills training and competition
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We used to call this one Strength and Condition.
THE SUPER SIX
I’ve worked with several jiu-jitsu competitors, from fresh white belts looking to improve their game, to black belts attempting to rehabilitate injuries and add some prowess to their technique. Regardless of their skill levels, they all benefit from several foundational movements. Including these exercises will allow for a well-rounded and balanced physique:
1
Hip dominant variation
This category strengthens the muscles of the posterior chain. The hamstrings, glutes and spinal erectors are not only important for powerful hip extension, but also allow stabilization at the hip, knee, and lumbar spine; which may prevent chronic pain and injury. Deadlift variations, kettlebell swings and hip thrusts/bridges all fall into this category.
2
Squat variation
Compared to the hip hinge variations, the squat is a much more knee dominant movement. It primarily strengthens the quadriceps muscle group of the thigh. Split and single leg squat variations, such as the Bulgarian split squat or pistol squat should be implemented in your program, as well as traditional bilateral squats with a barbell.
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3
Upper Body Push
The bench press, shoulder press, push up and dip all fall into this category. These are the most popular exercises performed in most commercial gyms and are useful in the grappling arts. Muscle groups that are trained during push exercises vary depending on the angle of the press, but typically train the pectoralis major, the triceps and the anterior deltoid.
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GAINS
4 112
Upper Body Pull
These exercises are vital for any jiu-jitsu athlete’s programming. The pulling movement is apparent in judo throws, submissions from guard and transitioning to various dominant positions. Rows, pull downs and pull ups are the primary movements of this category and train the entire musculature of the back. Looking at the physique of any top jiu-jitsu competitor, it is apparent how much these muscles are utilized in the sport. Some toplevel strength coaches advocate two upper body pulling exercises for every upper body push, as we are typically imbalanced and more anterior chaindominant.
5 Carry
Popularized by the World’s Strongest Man competitions, weighted carries have become a foundational movement for athletes from a myriad of sports. This movement has been described as a weighted plank, as the musculature of the trunk is highly active to keep you upright while walking with a heavy load. Rack walks, farmer’s carries, waiter’s carries, and suitcase carries are all fantastic exercises that will not only work your “core,” but also your isometric grip strength with certain variations.
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6
Trunk Stabilization
While many variations of the previous exercises will engage the abdominal and oblique muscles, added emphasis on these muscle groups may be necessary for those lacking trunk stability. Flexing at the lumbar spine (lower back) is quite common in various guard positions, so it is important for jiu-jitsu athletes to focus on isometric static exercises in which the spine is in neutral position and not sit up (spinal flexion) exercises. Plank/bridge variations and anti-rotation exercises are ideal movements.
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ONE MORE REP?
Repetition ranges can vary depending on the difficulty and demand of the exercise as training goal. A barbell deadlift is much more demanding on the body, so a set of 5-7 may suffice. Comparatively, the kettlebell swing is less demanding, so sets of 8-12 repetitions may be ideal. Repetition range will also vary depending on the goal of the person. A lower repetition range (3-6 reps) with more weight will increase overall strength. A moderate level of repetitions (7-12 reps) will focus primarily on hypertrophy (muscle growth). Repetition Ranges above 12 reps will increase your muscular endurance. Ideally, you vary your workouts with specific goals in mind, not just focusing on pure strength, endurance, or hypertrophy.
THE EFFICIENT WORKOUT
For a jiu-jitsu athlete, a training week may look like this:
Workout One:
Workout Two:
A1) Deadlift 3-5 sets of 5-7 repetitions (resting 2 minutes between sets)
A1) Front Squat 3-5 sets of 5-7 repetitions (resting 2 minutes between sets)
B1) Bulgarian Split Squat 2-4 sets of 5-7 repetitions
B1) Kettlebell swing 2-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions
B2) Gi Pull Ups 2-4 sets of 6-8 repetitions (Alternate between the two exercises, resting after B2 for 1-2 minutes)
B2) Pendlay Row 2-4 sets of 8-10 repetitions (Alternate between the two exercises, resting after B2 for 1-2 minutes)
C1) Farmer’s Walk 2-4 sets of 40-50 yards
C1) Rack Walk 2-3 sets of 40-50 yards
C2) Kettlebell Press 2-3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
C2) 1 arm Floor Press 2-3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
C3) Long Lever Plank 2-3 sets of 20-30 seconds (Alternate between the three exercises, resting after C3 for 1-2 minutes)
C3) Band Dead Bug 2-3 sets of 15-20 (Alternate between the three exercises, resting after C3 for 1-2 minutes)
Efficient Like A Boss
At the gym, which exercises have the greatest impact on your jiu-jitsu?
Rafael Lovato Jr Deadlifts, Kettlebell Swings, and all variations of pull-ups, especially with the gi or ropes.
Henry Akins Deadlifts, squats, and pull-downs with a rope or rope climbs.
Once completed, you will have trained every major muscle group of the body in an efficient manner. Performing routines such as this 2-3 times per week with a day or two of rest in between will increase your strength, training capacity, and transfer well onto the mat without significantly impacting your recovery for jiu-jitsu. You may never look like Arnold or squat 800lbs, but you will become a better athlete, which is the ultimate goal. This frequency allows for recovery, time on the mat, and no excuses to stay away from the weight room!
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Continued from page 102
Production Value
While I wasn’t able to get the actual DVD itself, Nic sent me a digital press copy before its release. Since I viewed a rough cut I wasn’t able to see the DVD, case, or any contents within it. Based upon what I see on the website, however, Nic and Kit are visibly featured well on the front cover with KitDaleBJJ.com and Jiu-Jitsu Brotherhood logos in the bottom corner. I’m not sure what’s on the back cover so I won’t comment on it. Let me say kudos to the camera operator whoever you are! The picture is steady throughout all of the filming, with Kit and Nic in frame and I didn’t feel like I was in the Blair Witch Project. Sound quality is great, easy to understand and there’s no background noise. Again, this was a rough cut, so I don’t know if there are subtitle, angle, audio, or slow mo replay options available.
PURCHASE OPTIONS
You can purchase it from the above website in the following formats: DVD for $59.95 (plus shipping and handling), digital download for $49.95, or DVD + digital download for $59.95.
Conclusion
I really enjoyed viewing this and ended up wanting more. If you’ve ever been told by someone your technique won’t work because you’re positioned wrong, gripping incorrectly, pushing when you should be pulling (or vice versa), but then you successfully do it anyway or you’re a critical thinker who enjoys breaking down scenarios logically, you will probably enjoy this DVD.
Verdict Good production quality, excellent explination of concepts, strong value and very good overall. Would recomend to anyone.
AUDIO/VIDEO: CONCEPTS: VALUE: OVERALL:
Continued from page 96
Rolling With It
Overall performance of the F-Lite was good. I was reminded the hard way a couple of times that the lapels were a bit longer than I’m used to (meaning lapel chokes). The Storm-Weave jacket is light and breathes well as claimed. I noticed that it seemed to dry fairly quickly after a tough roll. The rip-stop material in the jacket took a little getting used to. Although it was pretty nice and light, it felt more like pajamas than a gi. Too bad most federations don’t allow rip-stop tops, otherwise I’d definitely compete in this one. Why everyone doesn’t have a mouth guard pocket I’ll never know. This was one of those things that you don’t know what you’re missing until you have it. Having worn a mouth guard since my first day of class, I may have to keep this gi forever or sew on my own pocket on any other gi. Good job Storm on this one!
Verdict
CONCLUSION
The Storm F-Lite is a solid performer, the quality is good and it held up well to everything I threw at it. The cut fit me a bit large, but nice none-the-less. The long lapels could be good or bad depending on your style. If you’re aggressive with your lapels then perfect, if not, be aware that there’s a little more fabric that can be used against you. In the value department this gi is a steal, especially with the current offer they have going on. Essentially two gi’s for $200.
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Unbelievable value, lightweight and durable. LOVE the pocket.
PERORMANCE: VALUE: OVERALL:
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118 MIND GAMES
KEEPING A JIU-JITSU JOURNAL Travis Guesnon
If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. –Benjamin Franklin STUCK IN A RUT?
Have you ever had goals that you wanted to achieve, but never quite did? Lost motivation for training, competing or staying healthy at times? Ever felt stuck at a certain level or felt like you were going backwards in your training? Can’t quite grasp a technique? These are feelings I believe all of us have experienced at one time or another during our jiu-jitsu journey. You may be wondering why you haven’t been promoted, feel as if your game isn’t progressing, are suffering from injuries, are juggling outside stressors that are pulling you away from the mats, or you’re so busy competing, teaching and running a business that things sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Regardless of your belt rank, you will probably deal with some type of adversity during your jiu-jitsu journey. However, a useful tool to help you stay on track would be to journal/log your experiences on and off the mat.
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LEARN OFF THE MAT AS WELL
Think about this... Nic Gregoriades (who is Roger Gracie’s first black belt and earned it in 4 years) wrote “The Black Belt Blueprint,” which touches on various aspects (taken from his journals) that can both positively or negatively affect your training. He goes far in depth and detail about subjects, like breathing. Kit Dale loves concepts and finding the best way to do anything. Andre Galvao’s “Drill To Win,” as well as other books by high-level practitioners are available so you can learn and review information as you see fit. We use guides to show us around, directions to figure out how to get where we want to go and read instructions in order to put things together; so why not jot down all of the above in order to map out your own personal experience?
THIS IS YOUR BRAIN... ON JIU-JITSU
When you perform repetitive movements over time, you gain muscle memory, as well as subconscious thinking that will allow your body to adjust accordingly to different circumstances. For example, when we’re driving a car or riding a bike somewhere, our subconscious goes into work and directs us. You may not have ever been on a particular road before, but you are able to direct your vehicle in the proper direction or react to unforeseen circumstances because you’ve grasped the concept, ie. you don’t think about driving, you just do it. The same goes for jiu-jitsu; once you firmly grasp a concept you’ll have more memory that you can utilize to learn more techniques until you grasp those concepts.
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Call it what it is, your jiu-jitsu diary.
HOW THE JOURNAL HELPS When you document these experiences in a journal/log and then go back to look at them repeatedly, you can focus on reengaging your mind with those techniques or details that you “only sorta” remember or don’t remember at all. You’re able to do this because you can store techniques within it that you’ve come across (but don’t yet grasp) until you’re ready to internalize them conceptually and retain the technique. If you’ve ever taught a class before, the perspective is a lot different, and more often than not, you realize you’re learning just by viewing others, responding to questions and demonstrating adjustments. Seeing is believing and the impact visualization can make on your game is invaluable. By reviewing your
notes and playing out scenarios in your mind you can see how you would execute a technique, adjust a grip, angle, foot placement, etc. to radically alter the move, or provide yourself with back up options to counters from your opponent and more. With this in mind (literally) you can further add to your notes for adjustments. Providing that you’re completely honest with yourself, a journal/log forces you to evaluate yourself head on. It allows you to plan your time more effectively, monitor your progression, help push through plateaus and set you on a path toward your goals. You can make it as personal as you like and record info like when you feel at your best based on factors such as weight, diet, what time you’re training, if you’re training too much or too often, how
well you handle a certain position, if you’re not sleeping enough or too much and many other things. This allows you to alter your methods, make elements of your life come together and help you achieve your goals. Chances are that techniques you wrote down in the past will be more understandable than when you first put ink to the page as well. Things that you want to keep in mind while journaling are to use whatever works best for you. Whether it’s brief notations, charts, abbreviations, graphs… the list is endless as to how you want to document your journal. There is no right or wrong way, but find a format that works for you. Be sure to date everything and post your thoughts on how you felt and why you felt that way.
WHAT MAKES A USEFUL JOURNAL? Date
What worked, what didn’t.
What we went over in class.
Drills/Techniques and amount done
Who I sparred with and how I felt.
My eating habits for the day.
Strength and Conditioning.
Goals.
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STAYING O.G.
You’ll need to consider what best suits your wants, your bank account and ultimately what will keep you involved in the process, but a plain notebook will give you the freedom to write your excerpts about training however you see fit. You can easily purchase one from a variety of retailers and prices vary. If you want a notebook with something relating to jiu-jitsu on the cover you can find a variety on www.cafepress.com.
FOLLOW THE LEADER Pre-printed options are great because they set you on your path based on the questions or logs inside. Essentially, they are helpful guides that can provide direction into details you may have otherwise not thought of. Here are two great options that we found handy.
The front cover illustration of “Jiu-Jitsu Journal” sums up how most practitioners live. It’s a Meerkatsu drawing by Seymour Yang of an octopus juggling items, such as a gi, kettlebell, protein shake, journal, etc. The early pages are broken down into four steps to show your present state, where you want to go and what you need to do to get there. The journal touches on other personal interests, such as school, work and if you have a family, etc. This allows you to list your highest priorities in order. After all, not everyone is training to be a world champion, MMA fighter, or a bad ass. Some practitioners enjoy training for exercise purposes or for the sport. Whether you’re a hardcore competitor or an individual who trains once or twice a week, this works nicely. Other sections include an area where you can list your short and long-term goals, mind maps and a cool motivational quotes section from some of the best jiu-jitsu competitors. Most of it is a weekly planner allowing you to track the amount of water you drink each day, your goals on the mat, the techniques you’ll use to achieve those goals, what you should do more/less of, a to-do list and a drilling section. For more info and/or to order go to www.thejiujitsujournal.com; it’s $29.99 plus shipping/handling.
Fight Log Media’s “The Jiu-Jitsu Log” has a plain front cover with the title and a black belt running down the side. While it may not be as nice to look at, it has more available pages for you to write in. It contains pages that explain how and why you should use a journal/log, sections to develop a wellrounded game, goal planning, obstacles that may limit you or maximize your strengths and improve your weaknesses, etc. It contains 10 sections of 18 day increments where upon completing one you can re-evaluate yourself based on positive/negative contributing factors and make adjustments going forward into the next 18 days. An open notes section, private lessons, seminars and competition sections are also included. You can find more info and/or order it at www.budovideos.com for $14.99 plus shipping/handling.
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Travis refuses to get a smartphone. Smart guy actually.
For The Selfie Addicts Some of you may hate the idea of lugging around another item in your gear bag. Thanks to technology, phones are essentially mini computers now. Now you not only can take that selfie with the newest issue of JiuJitsu Magazine, you can also download apps to journal your progress as well. One of the best apps around is “BJJ Training Journal.” This app is very comprehensive as it allows you to record techniques from your phone straight to the journal, then saves and catalogs them. It can also do this with videos that are on the Internet so you can further analyze the same technique from another person’s teaching. Other features monitor your training and mat time, provide advice based upon these factors, track your competitive win/loss ratio, allow you to take daily notes and more. It is available on iTunes and works on any computer, tablet and smartphone should you not have an iPhone, iPod or iPad. More info is available at www.bjjtrainingjournal.com. The app is free. I recommend taking a look at their YouTube page.
Another app available is the “Jiu-Jitsu Trainer.” It allows you to log your training, mat time and notes about techniques. This lets you build training logs by tracking techniques you more commonly use. A database of techniques is categorized by position, type and difficulty. Those listed have videos that are contributed and found across the Internet. Android 2.3.3 and up is required. The app is free and more info can be found at www.jiujitsutrainer.com.
YOUR 15 MINUTES OF FAME
You can further supplement your training by utilizing a camcorder. The camera won’t lie to you, so if you don’t like something, work to change it. Check with your instructor or the person teaching the seminar first prior to clicking “record” as some individuals don’t allow this. As you can see, you have a variety of options available that can help improve your game. Happy hunting.
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122 SUCCESS
DOUGLAS FULWIDER “DEAR JIU-JITSU MAGAZINE,
IN THE SUMMER OF 2012 I RECEIVED SOME DISHEARTENING MEDICAL NEWS AS A RESULT OF A ROUTINE PHYSICAL. I was aware that I had put on weight, but completely oblivious to the affects it was having on my health. My weight had reached 230lbs and my doctor gave me approximately three years before he believed I would be dead from a heart attack. AND SO, MY TRANSFORMATION BEGAN. I changed my diet and began running. I lost a few pounds, but nothing noteworthy. In August of 2012, my two sons began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu to supplement their wrestling training. My son, Ryan was 12 at the time and weighed 132 pounds. I really wanted to train with them and began my actual transformation in October of 2012. As with a lot of people, I quickly became addicted to the art and began competing. My first competition was in March of 2013. For this tournament, I had to cut weight to make the 205lb weight class. My kids began training in both the kid’s classes at the gym and the adult classes. The true beauty behind my story is that it is not mine alone. Ryan now wrestles in the 106lb weight class and I am competing as a welter weight, under 170lbs. I’d be honored if you’d share my story.” Top: Before at 230lbs. Far Right: Competing under 170 at NAGA. Right: First competition with my son, weight 205.
How did you discover jiu-jitsu? I first discovered jiu-jitsu watching the first UFC1. As a police officer we had trained some ground fighting in the academy. I felt it was an important aspect of fighting and would help me in the performance of my duties. It wasn’t until my health scare that I decided to get into a school and more organized training with my boys.
What motivates you to train? I compete as often as I can. Competing is a great motivator to train and stay healthy. I also train because I love the workout, which I believe is key to sticking with any workout program.
How often do you train? I try to train jiu-jitsu four to five times a week.
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Age: 39 | Height: 5’10” Starting Weight: 230lbs Current Weight: 172lbs Belt Rank: White Home Town: Columbus Ohio Home School: Grove City BJJ Instructor: Dave Freetage
What else do you do for physical fitness?
What’s the best thing about the life change?
Occasionally I will run on the days when there are no jiu-jitsu classes at the gym. I also take Muay Thai and MMA classes offered by Grove City Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but jiu-jitsu is by far my favorite.
Where to start... knowing that I’m healthier and will be around longer for my kids. On that note, getting to train and participate in jiu-jitsu competitions with my kids has been an incredible experience.
Have you changed your diet and how?
What advice would you give to someone looking to make the same type of change?
My diet has been the biggest and probably the hardest thing to change. I have to limit sugar, sodium and carb intake, but I love all that stuff.
What’s been the biggest challenge so far? Sticking with my diet. I love training jiujitsu, rolling is the easy part. Getting me away from the gym is much harder than getting me to the gym.
Find a type of exercise that you love and don’t get discouraged with your diet. Like I mentioned earlier, that’s really been the biggest obstacle for me. It’s a lifestyle change and will take some time, but the end result is completely worth the initial pain and sacrifice.
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