THE CARDIO SECRET - WHY YOUR RESTING HEART RATE MATTERS!
E H T R E MAST GUARD - rld LFW HA th 5X o Wi Champion
E T I E L S LUCA FEEL THE CONNECTION
With Henry Akins
DEFEND YOURSELF!
Master Pedro Sauer Shares Techniques for On or Off the Mats
PLUS
How To Save Thousand$ On Dental Work!
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December 2014 Issue 28
But It’s a Dry Heat How To Cook Anything
Terere Gives Back To The Kids of Brazil
Escape Hip Pain Diagnose and Treat
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ON THE COVER: Lucas Leite stakes his claim as one of the best around. Pictured at his school in La Habra, CA. Photo: Jason Boulanger
CONTENTS December 2014 // Issue 28
46 Spotlight
Life 8 Editorial Guest Editorial - Love the Gi!
10 News New stuff, gossip, old stuff and some strange stuff.
20 Promotions
Fighting for a brighter future Terere’s Social Project.
100 Gear Lab Guide
Skills 52 Defend Yourself
Why you need a mouth guard
Techniques for the street or the mats with Master Pedro Sauer
104 Gear Lab Tests
70 Cover Feature
Belts and Stripes
• Manto Vai Finaliza! Gi • Grips Gi Sack
Lucas Leite shows us how to master half guard!
40 The Life
110 Event Coverage
92 Henry Akins - Invisible Jiu-Jitsu
Marshal Carper explains why white belts are people too!
BJJ Tour Florida
112 Event Coverage
It’s all about CONNECTION.
2014 IBJJF Masters Worlds
MEET THE STAFF
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Mackenzie ARRINGTON
Matthew CORLEY
Dr. Ethan KREISWIRTH PHD,
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 his articles and reviews is at facebook.com/ MappingMyBjjJourney
ATC of “Kreiswirth Sports Medicine” is the Medical Director for the International/ United States Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Dr. Kreiswirth is a Black Belt in BJJ and has provided medical coverage for BJJ events since the mid1990s. Ethan can be reached at ekreiswirth@gmail.com
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Got your resolutions ready?
24
32
Mind
Body
104 Mind Games
32 Warm-Up
10 Tips to be a better coach
Loosen up your quads
130 Success
116 Gains
Life or death, jiu-jitsu may have made the difference
Improve your grappling with kettelbells
Fuel 24 Grub How Hot is Hot?
30 Grub Interview
116
52
122 Medic Diagnosing and dealing with hip pain
126 Medic Understanding your resting heart rate
110
Ottavia Bourdain
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 trains under Giva Santana and is currently finishing his postgraduate studies in Exercise Science and Psychology at ASU. You can contact him at naveedshan.com
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Travis GUESNON began his love for grappling and fitness more than ten years ago here in Southern California and has turned that passion into a career helping Mike steward this fine publication. He has been training jiu-jitsu since 2009 under John Munoz at C-quence JJ/MMA in Norco, CA.
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8 EDITORIAL
DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE GI?
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
I OFTEN HEAR THE COMPETING ARGUMENTS THAT GI OR NO GI TRAINING IS BETTER FOR YOU. The No Gi camp states that in MMA no one uses a Gi so it is better to train without one. Their second argument is that it better represents the reality of a fight since you have nothing to grip and you don’t have to rely on gripping cloth to control your opponent. While I do respect that argument, I have to disagree. First of all, not many of us will ever fight MMA. Of course, if I was fighting MMA and I had a good base of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu I would train without the Gi in preparation for the fight. I would also train wrestling and some form of striking like Muay Thai or kick-boxing. But since I am a normal person with no aspirations of ever getting in the ring, that is out the window. Now, the argument that No Gi better represents a real fight situation, I am not sure what you think, but most of the time, unless I am at the beach, I wear clothes, like shirts and pants while walking around, so there is always some form of cloth that you can grab onto to apply chokes, sweeps or other techniques. In addition to the rebuttal of those arguments I go further; look at the majority of the winners of ADCC tournaments since the first event: The majority of them had a solid Gi background. In my opinion, the Gi forces you to be much more precise in your posture, your defenses and your escapes. Since the opponent can control the Gi and use it against you, you have to learn the proper way to posture and how to position yourself. And since your opponent has many more attacking options, like collar chokes etc, you have to be more aware, more precise and more cautious in your movements and that forces you to develop better technical skills or else you’ll become a tapping machine! Now that I have made some good arguments for Gi training, I have to add that I do enjoy and do train without a Gi from time to time. And there are many benefits one can derive from that kind of training, the strongest one being that you really develop your timing when you train No Gi. The fact that you and your opponent sweat and become slippery, so grips are not as solid and controlling, forces you to sharpen your timing and quickness much more than in Gi training. So, regardless of what attire you use in training, continue to do so... but if you have a chance, train in the Gi more often. See you on the mats!
KID PELIGRO
Editorial Note I’m swamped right now making sure our new website launches on time, so this month I’m handing the reigns for my editorial to none other than Kid Peligro. I think he can handle it just fine, enjoy.
Mike
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Art Director Dave Palacios Contributing Photographers Jason Boulanger, John Cooper Kenny Jewel, Mike Lee, Mike Calimbas, Kristen Mendes
PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING Production Director Paula Fountain Advertising Sales Mike Velez Circulation Manager Tom Ferruggia
ADDRESS CHANGE & SUBS Phone: 1.877.834.3552 ext. 227 Web: jiujitsumag.com
ADVERTISING & SALES INFO Available upon request, Contact: Jiu-Jitsu Magazine PO Box 2405 Chino Hills, CA 91709 ph: 1.877.834.3552 ext. 221 fax: 909.591.1251
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWSSTAND DISTRIBUTION The Curtis Circulation Company
Jiu-Jitsu Magazine (ISSN 2157-6173) is a publication of Recon Media Inc., PO Box 2405 Chino Hills, CA 91709; Phone: 877.834.3552; Fax: 909.517.1601email: info@jiujitsumag.com. Subscription rates are $37.99 for 10 issues (1 year), $57.99 per year Canada, and $87.99 per year for foreign airmail. All rights reserved, The entire contents are copyright 2014 Recon Media Inc, and may not be reproduced in any manner in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. The views and the opinions of the writers and advertisers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Recon Media Inc., the Publisher, or the editorial staff. The Publisher assumes no responsibilities for advertising claims, errors, and omissions. Some of the techniques described in this magazine can be dangerous. Always practice safe procedures and use common sense. Recon Media Inc., and the Publisher can not be held responsible from any injuries or damage caused by these techniques. Perform at your own risk. Jiu-Jitsu magazine is published 10 times per year. Application to mail at Periodicals Postage rate is pending at Chino, CA and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Jiu-Jitsu Magazine PO Box 2405, Chino HIlls, CA 91709.
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10 NEWS
BRINGING JIU-JITSU BACK!
IF YOU’RE NOT AN AVID MMA FAN, YOU PROBABLY HAVEN’T NOTICED THAT THERE ISN’T A CHAMPION IN THE UFC THAT REMINDS OF US DAYS PAST WHEN JIU-JITSU CONQUERED ALL. Maybe by the end of this year or the start of the next that will all change. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza has been on a tear recently, winning his last 7 bouts, avenging a loss to and being the first man to ever finish #8 middleweight, Gegard Mousasi (via guillotine choke). With a record of 21-3 (15 of those submissions) the #2 ranked, Jacare may soon have a gold belt to go along with those world jiu-jitsu titles. Photos Copyright Zuffa, LLC
www.rjacare.com
Game On at Gameness
Gameness is striking hard and fast with its new 2015 Elite gi. Its jacket is a 550gsm Pearl Weave that has a camo design, built-in rash guard liner. It’s smooth, cool to the touch and if you look closely you’ll notice two combatants engaging in various positions during a tough battle. More than combat ready, the pants are made of military grade rip-stop fabric, with a rope draw cord that runs through six belt loop holes and unique knee reinforcement stitching that runs horizontally, diagonally and vertically. Both pieces of the gi have high quality embroidered graphics, unique and stylish color contrast and reinforced side splits for enhanced mobility. The model just went on sale and is available in white, blue, or black and runs from sizes A0 up to A5.
www.gameness.com www.bjjwarehouse.com
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It’s about time...
New Look, New Feel, New Everything! PRACTICE AND PLAY IN PARADISE How would you like the opportunity to learn from and train with one of the best competitors today, and enjoy the scenery, relaxation and new experiences an overseas vacation can provide? Well, here’s your chance as Casa Kickapoo (in El Salvador) and Clark Gracie have teamed up for this amazing event! Each day your trip will include surfing lessons, open surf from 6am to 10am, 3 meals a day from a professional chef, open mat available to you 24/7, optional strength and conditioning
sessions with Maurizio Tangari, paddle boarding, and kayaking. You can pick and choose what and when to do things as you like, as well as enjoy two one-hour yoga sessions, one 45 minute massage from a CMT, water ski, wake board, or fish during the week. It’s happening February 7th-14th, 2015, so if you’re a couple who trains this may be the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift.
It’s finally upon us, the launch of jiujitsumag.com 2.0. Look for our totally new website to launch by December 1st! Our new site will feature tons of Jiu-Jitsu Magazine archived content, news stories, blog posts and many new stories that will appear daily! Be sure to check it out and sign up for our new newsletter while you’re there.
www.jiujitsumag.com
www.casakickapoo.com/bjjsurf-camps/clarkgracie
Have It Your Way
Former manager of Atama, Jason Crossland, recently started his own brand of kimonos, Falcon. With some slick designs, as well as traditional looks and really great pricing, Falcon appears to be more than on the right path. The biggest eye catcher however, is the “design your own gi” program. That’s right, you design your own kimono. You can get a blank gi, use your own logos or Falcon’s, pick your colors, and have it embroidered how you like.
www.falconbrandltd.com
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NEWS 12
THE HISTORY OF SUBMISSION FIGHTING
MMA film director Bobby Razak is currently working on what looks to be an amazing documentary that takes us from the earliest of times to present day with a deep introspective look at the progression of grappling arts. The film is currently scheduled to be released early next year and features Gene Lebell, Jean Jacques Machado, Andre Galvao, Eddie Bravo, Bruce Buffer, Joe Rogan, Marcelo Garcia, Marco Ruas, Matt Serra, Robert Drysdale, “Cyborg” Abreu, brother combinations of the Mendes’, Estimas, Ribeiros, a variety individuals of the Gracie family, and more. You can watch the trailer here at iroll. tv/?p=8634.
www.bobbyrazakmovies.com
DON’T BE PATIENT ZERO! No one wants to be the the one to introuduce something bad into their gym (ringworm, staph, MRSA, impetigo… you understand). But there is a solution to your problem…GET ARM BARRED… AND DO IT A LOT! No, that doesn’t mean jump on the mat with a skin infection, but instead use The Arm Bar Soap to rid yourself of any symptoms or prevent them to begin with. Through a variety of natural oils, juices and other properties processed during the making of each bar of soap, your skin will be cleansed of those nasty little infections, as well as, feel and smell fresher. There’s also no shortage of scents with 6 different bars available as well as a body wash, all at extremely competitive pricing. Now go practice getting arm barred!
www.armbarsoap.com
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CTRL
Basic Gi
There are a few gi companies that have people eagerly anticipating the arrival of a new gi. Like high-demand concert tickets, these newest gi designs can be sold out in a matter of minutes. It’s not uncommon to have three of four browser windows open on the drop date with the refresh button being hit repeatedly in hopes of landing one of these rare kimonos. CTRL Industries is one of those brands whose limited edition gi’s have been known to sell out in minutes. Knowing that not everyone has the desire to don a rare gi at class or in competition, nor can everyone keep track of release dates and pre-sales, CTRL has come up with the new Ultra Basic. As the name implies, it’s your basic white gi. It’s available year round and has traditional styling, a 450 gsm pearl weave jacket, rip stop pants, white stitching and black embroidery. It’s available in 11 different sizes, so there’s one to fit everybody. The Ultra Basic is available from CTRL at their website for $149.99 plus shipping.
www.ctrlindustries.com
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NEWS 14
COMPETITION FOR METAMORIS? The saying goes, “Imitation is the best form of flattery,” and being the first of its kind, Metamoris has spawned a like-minded concept with Polaris. Polaris will follow a similar format of 20 minute, submission only, super fights between some of today’s best and brightest stars. Their first event is currently scheduled for January 10, 2015, will take place in South Wales and will have a streaming PPV (Pay Per View) available. The current lineup is scheduled (but not limited to as more matches may be added) to showcase the following match ups: JT Torres vs Victor Estima (a rematch from Metamoris 1) Dean Lister vs Pablo Popovitch Mike Fowler vs Eduardo Telles Michelle Nicollini vs Angelica Galvao AJ Agazarm vs Dan Strauss Kit Dale vs Victor Silverio
www.polaris-pro.org
Sophia Drysdale Women’s Camps
Sophia Drysdale, wife of Robert Drysdale, is an active black belt competitor. In fact, in some circles, Robert is referred to as the husband of Sophia. Sophia’s fresh off a Masters Worlds win in her division. Sophia’s been doing seminars around the world, and has a regular women’s class at Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu in Las Vegas. So, if you’re in Las Vegas, be sure to check her out for some of the world’s best
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS Shed those holiday pounds and start your new year off right with one of these tournaments in 2015:
NABJJF (www.nabjjf.com) 1/24-1/25: All Americas, Carson, CA
IBJJF (www.ibjjf.com) 1/21-1/24: European Open, Lisbon, Portugal
GRACIE TOURNAMENTS (www.gracietournaments.com) 2/7-2/8: Gracie Nationals, Los Angeles, CA
You can find other tournaments going on throughout the year at: fivegrappling.com bjjtour.com dreamjiujitsu.com newbreedgear.com bjjhome.com grapplingx.com usgrappling.com grapplersquest.com nagafighter.com subleague.com uaejjf.org thegoodfight.tv hawaiitriplecrown.com americangrapplingchallenge.com amateurgrappling.com professionalgrappling.com unitedgrapplingfederation.com submissionchallenge.com tapcancerout.org usabjjtournaments.com circleofironbjj.com grapplingtournaments.com.au
women’s jiu-jitsu training around. www.sophiadrysdale.com
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CONGRATULATIONS TO YURI SIMOES! + Double-Gold Champion + 2014 IBJJF No-Gi World Championships + Ultra Heavy Champion + Absolute Champion Gameness Congrats.indd 2
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NEWS 16
Looking Good Off The Mats Tatami Fightwear, based out of the UK, wants to bring some British Style to our shores with their new line of Authentic Joggers (we call those sweat pants) made from super softbrushed cotton. They’re available in sizes Small to XXL and are extremely high quality with subtle artwork on the left thigh. Top off those joggers with the new Cross Belt Hoodie shown. It’s a zip up hoodie made from an 80/20 cotton and polyester blend. Looks pretty comfortable. It is also available in Small through XXL. For pricing and availability be sure to check out Tatami’s website. Adding to the whole “off the mat” theme here, check out the new Meiyo gear bag. It’s a large bag big enough to carry a couple gis and all the gear you might want to lug
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around to and from training. The word “Meiyo” means “respect” in Japanese and that’s what you’ll be showing your gi when you transport it around in this thing. The bag is available for around $60. Check out more Tatami gear at their website.
www.tatamifightwear.com
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Sidebar caption thingy goes here.
It’s A Jungle Sometimes
Submission Fight Company is keeping pace with the evolving world of jiu-jitsu inspired clothing. Their latest Tee’s to make a splash are these nature inspired designs. Whether you see yourself as a shark hunting the open waters, or a lion on the prowl to take your place as the king of the mats there’s something for everyone. Both of these shirts are made from a very unique 55% Hemp and 45% organic cotton blend. They’re super soft nd comfortable. Each are available for $39.95.
www.submissionfc.com
ALOHA!
The folks at 31FIFTY are giving us a glimpse of their next gi to drop. No word yet, but we managed to get a photo of the bag. According to 31FIFTY founder Derek Okahashi, Batch 50, as in the 50th state, is a true representation of the land that he loves, his birthplace, Hawaii. Derek’s been waiting to do a Hawaiian inspired gi for a while, but wanted to get their manufacturing process dialed in. He says they’re now ready and Batch 50 will be dropping soon. So, keep an eye out for more details at their website and on their social media.
www.31fifty.com
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NEWS 18
Before each issue goes to print we pose a question to our fans on Facebook and share with you some of the best answers. Clearly this month our fans are killing it in competition with interesting tactics like these:
What are your pre-competition rituals? Michael Touger 2 beers and sex the night before.
Giovanni Gironda watch Bloodsport on my iPod, pray to Crom and drink espresso.
Bennett Lang I eat a cup of pudding, cover myself in baby oil and sob.
Ryan Jackson Listening and singing along to Susan Boyle. She’s a babe.
93 BRAND GETS RANKED
Josh Shonias Walk in to weigh-ins naked, and do it as the other guys in your weight class are weighing in. Just have a really serious look on your face, and act like everything is normal.
The popular Choking Hazard rashguard from 93 Brand designed by Meerkatsu is getting the ranked treatment. The new long sleeve rashguards are IBJJF approved and available in white, blue, purple, brown and black. Each color is available in small through XXL. We tested this rashguard out a few issues back and were impressed with its quality and fit including its unique 7/8 sleeve format. The new ranked rashguards are available for $49.99 each at Rollmore.com
www.rollmore.com
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Danny Bohigian Grow an epic beard.
Phill Dill Watch 300 in my underwear and Vaseline my body while eating vegetables. “Snappin neck & cashin check!!”
2014 IBJJF No-Gi Worlds
The 2014 edition of the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds recently took place on October 4th and 5th. Not only was the date pushed up compared to previous years, but there was a change in scenery, the event was held at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. It was a great weekend of competition and may have developed a new rivalry that will present many high level technical matches in the future between two of todays top black belts. In a rematch from their past encounter in FIVE Grappling, Yuri Simoes extracted some revenge on Keenan Cornelius defeating him in the absolute division. It was double gold for Yuri who also won gold in Ultra Heavy. As fate would have it the two will have met once again at Metamoris 5 (by the time you read this), as Keenan replaces an injured Rafael Lovato Jr.
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20 PROMOTIONS
DIVING RIGHT IN JERARD SIMPSON IS A COMMERCIAL DIVER WHO DOES NOTHING HALF WAY. Like his career, Jerard jumped into jiu-jitsu, training 6 to 7 times a week at Gracie Barra Westchase in Houston, Texas under Ulpiano Malachias, when he’s not out to sea. Thanks to that tenacity, within his first four months and much to his surprise, he was awarded two stripes at once by his professor. Awesome job, Jerard!
It’s Magic!
Taking his magic skills to the mat, Jethro Alcuaz (http:// www.jethroalcuaz.com) transformed his old blue belt into a brand, spanking new purple belt. No illusions here as he was awarded the promotion at Gracie Barra, Upland, CA. (Left to right: Ana Laura Cordeiro, Jethro Alcuaz, Rafael Novais, and Adrian Mendez) Nice trick magic man!
More Than Just The Belt
Earning a new belt and moving up in rank is a wonderful thing, but better than that is when someone transforms their entire life in the process. Once a lazy, smoking, couch potato, Mike Weaver found jiu-jitsu in 2006, got hooked, cleaned himself up, and never looked back. Recently, he received his brown belt from Shawn Hammonds’ black belt Craig Wallace of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of Cincinnati. Way to set an example, Mike!
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Working His Way Up
Congratulations to Jon Rohn for receiving his 2nd stripe on his blue belt from Kroyler Gracie. Jon trains in Muskegon, Michigan at Masko Jiu-Jitsu under Robert Masko; a Kroyler Gracie affil te school. Keep climbing that ladder buddy!
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That’s a lot of degrees!
From Pins To Submissions
Former wrestler, Max Torres Acevedo has made a smooth transition into jiu-jitsu. With his awesome attitude and intensity, Samuel Joseph of Buckhead Jiu-Jitsu in Atlanta, GA recently awarded him his blue belt. Great job, Max!
Mission Accomplished
Modern Martial Arts Family
You don’t want to pair up with them on the Family Feud. Lola is a brown belt National Champ in Shorin Ryu Karate, Giuseppe is a nationally ranked judo orange belt, and father, Elvis is a judo brown belt. All three were recently promoted in jiu-jitsu (Lola: gray, Giuseppe: gray and Elvis: purple) by Andre Campos of the Carlson Gracie Team in Illinois. Congratulations to you all!
She Provided The Spark
Watching from the sidelines in New Breed Academy in Santa Fe Springs, CA, Jorge Gomez watched teammate Amanda Sparks’ mat knowledge grow; giving him inspiration. After a layoff due to a broken finger she helped him get back into the groove of things, as he helped her further improve as well. Their hard work did not go unnoticed (by instructor, Richard Lopez), as he earned his blue stripe on his belt while she earned her fourth stripe on hers. Congrats to you both!
If you know anything about the Carlson Gracie HQ in Chicago, then you’re well in the know of how many great black belts have come out of and are still at this school. The newest to the bunch is Armando Reyna, who is the instructor and owner of Maxim Gym (an affil te school) and is seen here with Carlson Gracie, Jr. To you, Armando we say Ooossssss!!!
The Journey Never Ends
Gael “Fox” Coadic has done many things in his life. He’s been teaching jiu-jitsu in France since 1996, took part in the very first Worlds, has lead the Gracie Barra Fox Team, and so much more. Recently, he earned his 2nd degree on his black belt from 8th degree red and white belt, Master Mauricio Robbe de Almeida. Congratulations, Sir! Ooossssss!!!
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
GETTING A GRIP ON HEAT HOW TO SUBMIT FOOD WITH THE PROPER TECHNI-HEAT MacKenzie Arrington
THERE IS THE SAYING, “IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT, GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN.” Let’s go ahead and smash past the naysayers and learn how to, not only handle the heat in our kitchens, but master it. We spend our days in hot, humid and stuff gyms with pounds of non-breathable fabric on. Not only are we spending time there, we are trying to work up a sweat. How do we survive? Turning a fan on, drinking cold water or sitting out a round. Who am I kidding? None of us do this! So, how does this relate to cooking? Well, all of those steps are a form of “heat
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management.” With cooking, the skill that will get your cooking up on the podium with a gold medal around its neck is also “heat management.” Knowing how to utilize, implement and control the heat is possibly the most crucial skill you can have. It can take years to master, but only a few minutes of reading to understand. Understanding the basic methods of using heat within cooking is as simple as learning an armbar, triangle or omoplata. With that being said, let’s get cooking!
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But how do you cook a good salad?
THE CONCEPT
When we gather all of our ingredients to make a dish, the only thing we truly have control over, flavor-wise, is how we cook it. A steak will taste like a steak. The way we apply heat to it is how we can enhance or ruin the flavor of the steak. For example, which would you rather have? A perfectly pan-seared, dry, aged rib eye steak cooked medium-rare, or the same steak boiled in water? Exactly, on the flip side of the coin, you wouldn’t want pan-seared pork shoulder because it would be like chewing on a gi, as well as bland, rather than the succulent pork shoulder braised in stock with vegetables and spices. Not all ingredients are treated
equally, thus they should not be cooked equally. The same goes with submissions, you do not try and slap on a rear-naked from bottom of the mount.
THE TECHNI-HEATS
Cooking is not rocket science or the worm guard. It is simple, and as a chef I used to work with would say, “It’s just cooking.” Wow, that doesn’t have the same impact when it’s not being screamed across the kitchen, in the middle of a Friday night dinner service in Manhattan. I am not here to yell, I practice the gentle (culinary) art. The primary methods of using heat are broken down into 5 categories:
Direct Heat Method:
Direct heat cooking is pretty, dare I say, direct. It involves cooking with your ingredient in direct contact with the heat or “directly” above it. The primary benefit to direct heat is that it is fast and develops the delicious seared flavor. Also known as the Maillard Reaction, which I have mentioned in previous articles. And if on the grill, you develop charred and smoky flavors from being in close contact with the source of the heat itself. This is best use for any food that can be cooked in less than 15 minutes.
Foods and Cooking Methods for Direct Heat Sauté, broiling, pan-seared, and grilling/BBQ. Burgers, eggs, sausages, and vegetables, tender meats; chicken breast, legs, steak, pork chops, fish and other seafood that cooks quickly
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Indirect Heat Method:
With an indirect heat method, you are focusing on cooking the ingredients, not directly over the heat source or in contact with it. Primarily used in “low and slow” cooking recipes because without direct contact, there is no way to burn or crisp the outside of your ingredient. That being said, you will not get the same flavors as with direct heat. Used for delicate ingredients that take a long time to break down.
Foods and Cooking Methods for Indirect Heat SEAR
INDIRECT
DIRECT
Dry Heat Method:
Without the use of any water, we find ourselves using “dry heat.” Have you ever been to Arizona in the summer? Then you know what I’m talking about. The dry heat method is when we use ambient heat or direct heat, usually at high temperatures, to cook our food. Any method using oil is still considered dry heat, especially since oil and water do not mix, unless you want to use the dry heat method on yourself and your surroundings. These methods are best used on foods to develop flavor through changing molecules of the outside of the food. Once again, the Maillard Reaction shows up. To get “browning” you must use dry heat.
Cooking Methods for Dry Heat
Sautéing, frying, pan-searing, grilling, broiling, roasting, and baking.
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COOK SAFE
Baking, smoking, slow cookers Tougher meats; pork or beef shoulder, ribs, brisket, fish, such as baked salmon, cod or halibut, vegetables, potatoes, and pastries
THREE ZONES
Wet Heat Method:
Take a wild guess. Any cooking method that uses water as the primary heating source rather than open air or direct heat is considered wet. This one is pretty simple and very commonly used, but note: you will never develop rich brown or roasted flavors using only wet heat. Tougher meats take longer to become tender and require long term cooking at lower temperatures. If you are cooking something for a long time, it will lose moisture, if you have no liquid for it to reabsorb you will be making jerky and it won’t be as good as juicy, tender, braised meat.
Cooking Methods for Wet Heat
Boiling, simmering, blanching, steaming, poaching, stewing and braising.
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Available At:
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I don’t know about you but I’m craving some chicken!
Combination Cooking:
Sometimes you just need the best of both worlds. Combination cooking can occur with any combination of cooking methods. Go figure, right? There are times when you want to get a good sear on the short ribs you’re going to be braising because we want that flavor, but cannot get browning within the wet heat method. Now, if we think about it, what is that also combining? That’s right, direct and indirect heat. The same goes for finishing a thick cut steak on the top rack of the BBQ after we get good grill marks on it, but do not want it to be as tough as shoe leather. This is how you chain your attacks together flawlessly and instead of being a one trick pony, you are now a Swiss army knife of ways to cook.
Combination Cooking Examples
Dry to wet: Searing for flavor, braising for temperature Wet to dry: Blanching for temperature, searing for flavor Indirect then direct: Roasting covered for temperature, uncovering for flavor Direct then indirect: Grilling for flavor, finishing for temperature.
CONCLUSION
Cooking is the same as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; the devil is in the details. And with the devil comes heat. Knowing how to understand and control the heat is fundamental to your success. Whether you are simply struggling through your dinner after class, or your BBQ in the park with your training partners and family, the methods never change. What does change is the outcome, based on how you use the methods. Treat your flavors as you would your submissions, set them up properly and utilize the proper techniques. Eat well, train hard, OSS. Grappler Gourmet
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GRUB 30
Let’s Talk Food
Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing some of the top-level competitors to every day training partners about food with GrapplerGourmet.com. What I noticed is that much like styles in jiu-jitsu, there’s a lot of variety. Just because I eat a certain way day in and day out, certainly doesn’t mean it is what the next person does or should do. The “Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle” that many practitioners speak of is more than just mat time; it’s about fully embracing all aspects of life to better yourself with the focus on your jiu-jitsu. I set out to really touch on all walks of life within the community and find out how a variety of individuals routinely eat and embrace this portion of the lifestyle. Each month I’ll share with you a different interview.
Ottavia Bourdain
Renzo Gracie blue belt, active competitor and wife of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. Q: What is an average day of eating like for you? This would include any supplements along with all of your meals. OB: I don’t really do breakfast. They say it’s the most important meal of the day, but not for me. I’m not hungry most mornings and the last thing I want to do is train with food in my stomach. I DO need coffee, though. Two or three cups with a touch of heavy cream. Then, maybe a whey protein shake made with almond milk. Lunch is a different matter. While I’m not exactly sitting down to a three-course meal, I DO hit the buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto cotto pretty hard. It’s not always pretty. I’ll balance a plate full of ham on my laptop keyboard while I’m watching jiu-jitsu videos. If I’m not training, I’ll eat a jar of high-test Spanish or Italian tuna, sometimes smashed up with pickled pearl onions. It’s a solitary vice. My husband sees me eating this and he runs in the opposite direction with a look of undisguised revulsion. So, I never indulge before training out of respect for my professors and teammates. Life is hard enough. Who needs cat breath in your face? When I need a snack I usually huddle over a big gob of peanut butter or almond butter with salt. Dinner is the big meal of the day. It’s also tricky diplomatically and logistically. Though my daughter and my husband both train, they have a wider range of menu options. So, I either fend for myself—or we have to agree on an overlap of interests. This can be tough. I’m perfectly happy to pan sear a big steak or two for myself and that’s it. My husband (who thought that by marrying an Italian he might look forward to some good pasta now and again) is generally craving something in particular after being away. By default, we often order out for Japanese. I’ll have a pile of sashimi, some kabocha squash.
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that Italians don’t use and enjoy butter. Good quality olive oil. That’s a must. It’s a birthright! I have family who travel with their preferred olive oil. Sriracha sauce. I’ll mix the stuff with mayonnaise and eat it right out of the bowl.
Q: If today was your last day, what would your last meal be and what song would be playing in the background? OB: A steak. A nice one. Maybe a nice,
Q: What part of your diet do you feel is the most important to your training? OB: Most importantly, I try to keep myself hydrated. I drink gallons of water every day. Also, light meals are key with an emphasis on LIGHT.
Q: What do you eat the night before and day of competitions? OB: If I’m cutting weight, I might have a small beef filet or a piece of grilled salmon, nothing else. I cut salt completely out of my life three days before competing. If I’m NOT cutting weight, though, then bring on the shellfish towers and the porterhouse steaks. I’m an animal! Mornings of competition I usually have hard boiled eggs and coffee, but I will pack a jar of Nutella and some Kinder chocolates for afterwards; because win or lose I’m going to want it.
Q: What are your five favorite foods/ ingredients? OB: Beef — usually fatty beef, like a ribeye or short rib, but occasionally a filet. Salt, because there is no life without it. Butter, of course. Don’t believe for a second
thick, dry-aged bone-in ribeye. Seasoned with salt and pepper only. NO rosemary or herbs or flavored oils or rubs or any of that crap. Medium rare, please. Also some very lightly seared otoro tuna sushi. They run a blowtorch over it for just a few seconds. Some fresh uni, and a jar of Nutella. The whole thing. F**k it! I’m about to die! I may as well indulge. I’d like to hear the Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy In the UK” before they hit the switch, open the hatch or pull the triggers. That song has been the soundtrack of my life, it may as well be my walk-off music.
Q: What would you like to learn or improve on the most in terms of your cooking skills? OB: I’m a pretty good cook. My grandmother and my father are both excellent cooks and taught me when I was a little girl. I cook for my daughter every day, but I’m rarely up at 5AM toiling over fresh lasagna or a slow cooked ragu of necks and oxtails. Frankly I’d rather spend time on the mats. Also, my husband is a chef and he IS absolutely passionate about exactly those things. All I have to say is, “I’ve been thinking about a slowly cooked veal shank” and his eyes get all glassy and happy looking and he’s off to the butcher. He cooks with our daughter all the time. They’re very cute in there together.
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32 WARM UP
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DON’T BE A TIGHT QUAD! Mike Velez
WAY BACK IN ISSUE 3 WE TOUCHED ON HOW HAVING TIGHT HAMSTRINGS CAN AFFECT YOUR FLEXIBILITY, MOBILITY AND CAUSE BACK PAIN. Typically, the natural response by most athletes is to stretch the hamstrings on a consistent basis to become more limber. While this is obviously beneficial, all too often the quadriceps muscles are neglected in the process. Your quadriceps may not feel tight compared to your hamstrings whatsoever. It’s very easy to feel the pull and strain within a tight hamstring, but with your quadriceps, not so much. If overworked,
WHAT THEY DO
Our quadriceps muscles are responsible for the majority of movement at the knee. They are located at the front of our thighs and are comprised of four muscles, including the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and sartorius. Though you may not think it, the rectus femoris also plays a role in the flexion of the hips.
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Travis Guesnon
these muscles tighten, lose elasticity and then cause muscle imbalances that may lead to any of the following: PFPS (Patello Femoral Pain Syndrome) Back pain (It may not have been your hamstrings after all) Hip pain and injuries Poor posture Negative effects of your body’s mechanics ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) tears
RECTUS FEMORIS
VASTUS LATERALIS
SARTORIUS
VASTUS MEDIALIS
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Wow! Careful where you put that ruler.
TQT (Tight Quads Test) You can perform a quick and easy test to check for any tension within your quadriceps with or without the help of a partner. If you’re wearing shoes, take them off, as they’ll add a few inches and give you an inaccurate measurement. Lie down on your stomach, with your legs straight and knees together. Either bend one of
your legs, or ask your partner to bend one, bringing the heel of your foot toward your butt as far as possible in attempt to have the two touch. Even if you manage to touch your heel to your butt, if there is a pull going on through your quadriceps, then they are not as loose as they can be. If you are unable to do this, only go to the
What’s PFPS?
to take place, as your one unaligned joint effects others by causing them to overcompensate, which in turn, affects your body’s mechanics. Fun, right?
PFPS stands for Patello Femoral Pain Syndrome, which is a pain in the area and around the knee that is due to the patella (your knee cap) being misaligned. This is caused by an imbalance of tension within the muscles at the joint that pulls at your patella. More than likely this will cause a domino effect
How Tight Quads Affect Jiu-Jitsu
When attempting a power double leg or when you change levels to snatch
point where resistance from the muscle’s tension is met. A ruler or protractor can be used to measure the distance between the two so you can monitor future progress. Now, perform the same steps with your other leg. *WARNING: If you hear any clicking of your knee stop immediately and see a physician.*
up a single leg, the majority of your power is focused directly on your quads and knees. Now that you understand what PFPS is, imagine trying to perform these. But it only affects takedowns, right? Wrong! For any sweeps or pushing movements that involve your feet, you are directly placing stress to these parts of your body.
Be Dynamic!
Dynamic stretching gets your body warmed up and ready for the events you are intending to partake in. Performing stretches in this manner will increase blood and oxygen flow to the muscles, as well as other soft tissues within your body and increase range of motion. This will assist with reducing injury and can lead to improved performance.
BUTT KICKERS
1.
Start running by flexing your knee, bringing your heel back toward your buttocks in an attempt to touch them.
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2.
Slightly lean forward, while staying on the balls of your feet.
PRESCRIPTION: Do 20 to 30 kicks or up to 30 seconds up to two times.
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WALKING LUNGES
1.
Step forward and bend your lead leg, while simultaneously lowering your back knee toward the ground. Make sure that your front knee doesn’t extend past your toes and your back knee doesn’t touch the ground.
2.
Push downward with your front heel, pressing upward, while stepping your back foot past your other to the front. You should now be in the same type of position, but with your legs in an opposite stance.
PRESCRIPTION: Repeat this motion 10 times (20 lunges total) up to two times.
Isolate Yourself
Isometric stretching (also referred to as static stretching) is best to use after you’ve completed your entire workout, sparring, or competition. When performed, your muscles are elongated and held so that some strain is felt. While holding the stretch, or even after you’re done, there may be some discomfort in the area due to your muscles not wanting to deal with the tensions. Eventually, receptors within your muscles begin to allow the muscle to be relaxed, so they may be stretched further.
STANDING QUAD STRETCH
1.
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Stand on one foot, with your suspended leg bend at the knee, so your heel begins to go upward toward your butt.
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Yeah, feel that!
2.
Keep your upper body straight. With your free hand hold the ankle of the stretching leg behind you and pull it to your butt if possible.
3.
For a deeper stretch you can push your pelvis forward and slightly bring your knee further back. Your upper body should still be straight.
PRESCRIPTION: Hold this position for 30 seconds and then alternate legs. Perform this two or three times. *NOTE: If you have balance issues, you can hold onto the back of a chair, the wall, a table, etc. You don’t want your body to be swaying during this stretch.
Be Passive
By being passive, I mean to utilize passive stretching, which is using either the assistance of a partner, bands (or jiu-jitsu belt), or other device so you can stretch further.
LYING QUADS STRETCH W/ BELT
1.
Lie on your stomach and loop your belt around your ankle.
2.
Reach behind you and grab both ends of your belt with one hand.
3.
Gently pull on it so your knee bends, your heel goes toward your butt and you feel a stretch in the front of your thigh. If possible, attempt to bring your heel to your butt. PRESCRIPTION: Hold this position for 30 seconds and then alternate legs. Perform this two or three times.
*NOTE: If you bring your belt over your head to the opposite shoulder you can get an even deeper stretch.
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STABILITY BALL QUADS STRETCH
1. 2.
Kneel on floor in front of the stability ball.
Step one foot forward with your knee bent 90 degrees and place your foot in front of you.
3.
Bend your opposite knee until the top of your foot is able to be on top of the stability ball with your shin against it.
4.
Push your hips forward slightly until you feel the stretch.
PRESCRIPTION: Hold this position for 30 seconds and then alternate legs. Perform this two or three times.
Roll With It
Though it’s not a stretch, if you still feel that your quadriceps muscles are tight, and you’re looking for added relief, I highly recommend a foam roller. It’s an excellent addition to these stretches, will relieve tension and help improve your flexibility.
1.
Place the foam roller under your quadriceps just above your knees.
2.
Your arms will be carrying your body weight. Use them by slowly moving your body forward and backwards along the front of your thighs.
If you’re already stretching routinely, great! If not, we recommend that you choose at least two of these stretches and incorporate them into a routine. As with all things, consistency is key, so keep working at it, don’t be a tight quad and loosen up!
PRESCRIPTION: Do this for 30 to 90 seconds dependent upon on how comfortable you are. This can be performed with both legs on the roller, one on one off, or for a more intense release cross one leg over the other.
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40 THE LIFE
HUG A WHITE BELT WHY NEWBIES ARE THE MOST
IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THE SPORT Marshal D. Carper
Mary McDaniel
WHEN A NEW STUDENT STEPS ONTO THE MAT FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH A SPARKLING WHITE BELT TIED INCORRECTLY AROUND HIS WAIST, HE’S AT ZERO. He has no technical knowledge. No mat sense. No fighting experience. And no real concept of what it means to be a part of the jiu-jitsu community. In that moment, that white belt is the most important person in the sport. He is more important than the latest batch of black belt world champions. He is more important than sponsors or mega-academy owners. A fresh white belt is pure potential, a bubbling ball of “what if” wrapped in a gi that still needs a few washes to fit properly. As jiu-jiteiros, our natural inclination is to fixate on black belts. Black belts are critical players in the growth of the sport to be sure. They are at the top of the pyramid, after all, but we should not ignore the base of the pyramid: the army of white belts who step awkwardly through the doors of academies around the world every day.
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Stick with it white belts - it only gets better - or worse.
WHITE BELTS KEEP THE LIGHTS ON
Anecdotally, we know that white belts occupy the majority of the jiu-jitsu population. The attrition rate in jiu-jitsu is high. Where traditional martial arts build entire marketing plans around three-year black belt tracks, black belts in jiu-jitsu are so far into the future for a new white belt that we shrug off any questions about timelines or promotion schedules. We like it this way, but it means that the sport is not accessible for casual enthusiasts.
that the average purple belt can probably recall 100 faces that have drifted off of the mat never to be seen again. In light of this staggering attrition rate, new white belts are the key to keeping an academy afloat. If the white belts stop coming through the doors, eventually the tides of life will steal away even the most loyal students, leaving the mats empty and a gym owner with few options for paying the bills.
Even those of us who can only train three times a week are functional addicts. Our fix may not come twice a day like our competition-minded counterparts, but we still drift into daydreams about positions and transitions when we should be paying attention to a presentation or a new list of action items. Unfortunately, the attrition rate often bleeds into the upper ranks, meaning
White Belts Have More Friends By the time you reach blue belt, everyone in your life is sick of hearing about jiu-jitsu. At purple belt and beyond, your training will no longer come up in conversation. Your friends have asked all of the weird questions possible and you have nothing new to say. The friends that are interested in your training are fellow jiujiteiros. In fact, after five years of jiu-jitsu, you should not be surprised if the majority of your social circle is comprised of people you met on the mat. For the sport to grow, we need new blood and a brand new white belt has more people
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to invite to the mat than a tattered purple belt. In this way, every white belt is a potential advocate, the key to unlocking awareness for the sport in an untapped circle of friends and family. White belts then become an outlet for the surge of excitement that builds in our sport for fancy highlight reels or unorthodox new techniques. Where upper belts talk to other upper belts about the awesomeness of our sport, a white belt is more likely to grab an uninitiated friend and say, “Isn’t this cool?”
counts, and they can add up to another white belt signing up for an introductory class,
perpetuating the momentum of our growing art.
These interactions can seem inconsequential, but each one
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THE LIFE 42
TODAY’S WHITE BELTS ARE TOMORROW’S WORLD CHAMPIONS
As cliché as this point sounds, it still rings true. That poorly coordinated white belt that makes weird noises when he tries to escape triangle chokes could mature into the next big thing. Keenan Cornelius’ story of being a mediocre grappler up through much of purple belt is well known at this point, and now he has become one of the key innovators in competition jiu-jitsu. Cornelius, like every super-star in today’s tournament scene, started as a lowly white belt. Outside of the spotlight, the potential of a white belt is no less important. A white belt could become a gifted instructor, a trusted friend,
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or an empathetic mentor. Having ambassadors for the sport may be just as critical (if not more) than having charismatic world champions. Ambassadors make the sport accessible. They nurture new relationships and provide helpful advice. Their work may never make them famous, but ambassadors are champions in a different kind of fight. Any white belt, regardless of his starting point, has this potential. If this potential is ignored or overlooked, we as a community may miss out on having some very special people in our sport.
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We were all white belts once.
A NOTE ABOUT HYPERBOLE Before you fire off an angry email, you should know that no jiu-jiteiro would seriously say that any belt is more or less important than another. Every individual in our community is playing an important role in the growth and evolution in the sport, whether you train twice a day or twice a week. Unfortunately, however, the value of white belts is too often overlooked. If you are a white belt reading this, don’t let your importance go to your head, but start thinking about your role in the jiu-jitsu community at large. Even now you are a representative for the art. That’s a big responsibility
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that should not be taken lightly.
If you are an upper belt reading this, take a moment to hug your white belts. Maybe not actually hug them (that could be weird), but metaphorically hug them. Do your part to make their transition into the sport less rocky and
give them the support they need to continue training through challenges and hardships. A little bit of your time could mean that one less person gives up on jiu-jitsu. That’s powerful. White belts are the seeds of jiu-jitsu’s future. Everyone should help those seeds grow.
About The Author Marshal D. Carper is a purple belt under Sonny Achille. In addition to owning Artechoke Media, Marshal is the author of books like The Cauliflower Chronicles and Marcelo Garcia’s Advanced Jiu-Jitsu Techniques. His latest project, WhiteBeltProblems.com, a free open-source resource devoted to making BJJ more accessible for beginners.
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46 SPOTLIGHT
FIGHTING FOR A BETTER FUTURE TERERE’S SOCIAL PROJECT AIMS TO CHANGE LIVES WITH THE POWER OF JIU-JITSU Hywel Teague & Nico Ball
IT’S A LITTLE AFTER SIX ON A MONDAY EVENING IN RIO. Kids start appearing at the gym door in small groups of twos and threes. As they enter they kick off their flip-flops and quickly take to the mat. Before the session has even started most are energetically rolling around on the floor. A few sit around someone’s phone watching one of their matches from the weekend. Conversation, laughing and giggling fill the air.
Hywel Teague & Flashsport Brasil
time best competitors. Ranging from tiny five year olds to lanky teenagers, their gis are mismatched and almost always the wrong size. Some of them were sent from overseas by friends and students of Terere; almost all of them are hand-me-downs. Gis are expensive in Brazil and the economic situation of the young students makes buying one impossible for their nearimpoverished families.
The children of Fernando Terere’s social project come here every weekday evening to learn jiu-jitsu from one of the sport’s all-
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Like a phoenix.
Gabriel Carvalho
A 15-year-old orange belt, Gabriel began training two years ago at another academy in Copabacana with a cousin of Terere. Switching gyms several times, it wasn’t until he came to Terere’s academy that he finally felt he’d found a home. “Terere’s wasn’t like the other jiu-jitsu academies that show preference to the top students or the best competitors,” he says. “I like it here because even the students that aren’t as good or the ones that don’t compete still get attention.”
Terere’s gym sits at the entrance to the favela known as Cantagalo, which is an impossible-looking collection of shoddy houses that clings to a hill overlooking the wealthy Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Ipanema.
reputation draws many youngsters to his gym. Often they are the children of friends. There are even a few relatives from his large extended family; all are neighbors.
“The gym is a little hidden,” Terere says with a shrug, almost apologetically. Not that the location matters – his reputation in the local community is big enough that he could be teaching on the moon and everyone on the hill would know about it.
Cantagalo is a place where Terere knows everyone and everyone knows Terere. It’s a poor, but tight-knit community. For years the hillside favela was controlled by vicious drug traffi ers; life was cheap and the beleaguered residents lived and died in the crossfire of police raids and shootouts between rival gangs.
Fernando Terere was a giant on the mat, and he’s something of a local celebrity. Born and bred in Cantagalo, he was the first jiu-jitsu practitioner from the favela to make it big. He won the world championships at every belt from blue to black in a four-year period. Even though his last Mundial win was in 2003, his
Things have changed for the better in the last couple of years. A city-wide police affir tive installed stations within the favelas as part of a large ‘pacification’ program. The gangs (and the drugs) still exist, but they no longer openly sit on doorsteps brandishing automatic rifles. Still, it’s all too easy
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Gabriel also practices muay Thai and boxing, but he prefers to dedicate most of his time to rolling on the mats. An avid competitor who often trains two or even three times a day to prepare for competitions, his results have been astounding. After only two years of training he has won over 10 medals to become a national and state champion, but perhaps most importantly, Gabriel credits jiu-jitsu as helping him lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle.
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SPOTLIGHT 48
for a young person to go down the wrong path in the favela – something Terere himself knows all too well.
Maria Eduarda Silva
One day around a year ago and left with nothing to do but watch TV, 12-year-old Maria Eduarda decided to tag along with her brothers to the gym. When asked why she decided to leave dance and start training with Terere she not only talked about the opportunity to have fun and play with her friends, but she also talked about how jiu-jitsu helped her learn new things. “It’s not a rough sport and it also teaches a lot,” she says, “You can lose, but even so, that’s part of the sport and it helps a person learn more. You tap and then you get up and roll again – you get better every time.”
At the height of his athletic career Terere began to suffer from an undiagnosed mental health condition that saw him end up out on the streets and addicted to crack. “I had problems in my life,” he says, “I stopped training, I was involved in drugs for five or six years. It could have been longer. I fell as a man and was lifted up by God. It was an education for life.” It is Terere’s hope that the young members of the community look to his story as a warning – it could just as easily be you. “The defeats that we have on the mat in jiu-jitsu, I also had in my personal life. It’s good that a student of jiu-jitsu knows that this could happen in their lives, too,” he says.
One of the most important elements of Terere’s rehabilitation was a return to practicing jiu-jitsu. The time on the mat acted as both therapy and a way to avoid destructive influences. It is this transformative power that Terere hopes to harness in his project. Jiu-jitsu keeps the kids out of trouble and offers them an outlet for problems in their lives. “The project teaches kids martial arts and promotes respect for their master and their training partners,” says Julio Nogueira, one of Terere’s instructors at the gym. “The sport not only helps in the physical growth of the child, it also works mental aspects, like discipline. It’s an immense satisfaction to see the evolution of the students in the social project. They start off shy, but as they continue training they begin to feel more confident.”
There aren’t too many young girls currently training at Terere’s, but that doesn’t stop her from getting on the mat with the boys. “It doesn’t make a difference. Jiu-jitsu is for everyone,” she says. With a year of jiu-jitsu behind her Maria has already decided she would like to continue. Her plans? “I want to continue with jiu-jitsu and be a nurse for the Navy.”
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SPOTLIGHT 50
Terere has always been known as good a teacher as he was a competitor. He was formative in the development of Andre Galvao, Rubens ‘Cobrinha’ Charles, Michael Langhi, Lucas Lepri, as well as other extremely successful competitors of the modern era. His philosophy for teaching the kids is simple: “I think the basics are most important – the base, posture – and I think the children have to have a happy game, you know? Independent of whether they submit or are submitted, they have to be happy in their jiu-jitsu. I try to pass to them to enjoy what they’re doing, not to be obliged to do it. It has to be for love – and if they love it, they’ll be good at it. If they’re obliged to do it they’ll get sick of it.”
sulking if someone gets tapped. “I always look to take out the competitiveness, as that creates an insecurity in them. I try to loosen up their games,” he says. “It’s cool if they compete, they use what they learned with me in the
competition. They’re already champions at their belts – yellow, orange. When they get first place on the podium, others want to get to the same level.”
The joy for jiu-jitsu is evident in the kids as they roll. Their enthusiasm is matched only by their focus. Terere encourages them to be diligent as they drill and to ensure the technique is done to perfection. They execute moves that would have many adults struggling and they roll with intensity, but there are no sad faces or
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Looks like a very worthy cause.
Like many social projects in Brazil, Terere’s jiu-jitsu club for children receives no government support. The club exists thanks to occasional sponsorships from local businesses and donations from supporters, both in Brazil and abroad. All money raised goes directly into assisting the children, from tournament sign-up fees to travel costs. Among the project’s initiatives is a program where every child who attends training receives a healthy snack pack. For those whose families struggle to put enough food on the plate, this is a particularly welcome benefit of the project. Particularly of need are gis. It is the project’s goal to provide free kimonos for the students and the project is currently raising money to purchase a number for the gym. Donations of child-sized kimonos are gladly received and mailing details can be found at www.TerereKidsProject.com.
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Francisco Junior da Cruz
A 15-year-old white belt who lives in the community, Francisco started training with Terere three months ago after some of his friends told him how much they liked the academy. He decided to switch from another gym as the training was more competition-based and also because they have more fun! Francisco trains five days a week in both the kids and the adult classes. When he isn’t doing jiu-jitsu, he likes to spend time with friends from the academy. He also practices capoeira at another social project in the Cantagalo community. Francisco’s story is a perfect example of how the project enables kids to achieve success. Donations allowed him to sign up for his second jiu-jitsu tournament recently, and he was able to submit his opponent in 30 seconds! When asked if he thinks he will continue with jiu-jitsu he says, “Yes. It’s had a big impact on my life. Since I started I began to like it more and more. I mean, three months and I already have a gold and silver medal.”
11/14/14 9:19 AM
52 TECHNIQUE
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 1
11/12/14 12:34 PM
He might not look it, but Master Sauer is one of the toughest guys you’ve ever met.
JIU JITSU OFF THE MATS
Self Defense with Pedro Sauer Travis Guesnon
IF YOU WEREN’T SIGNED UP WITH JIU-JITSU MAGAZINE PRIOR TO AUGUST OF 2012, YOU MAY HAVE MISSED OUT ON ONE OF THE BEST INTERVIEWS AND TECHNIQUE ARTICLES WE’VE HAD TO DATE IN ISSUE 9. Our co-feature that month was on Pedro Sauer. In the article he touched on a variety of topics from his humble beginnings, how he came to finally teach, his first experiences in America, his constant fighting for years defending the Gracie name in the Gracie Challenge, and more. As a short recap (and if this is your first introduction to Pedro), he is the first red/black coral belt who isn’t a Gracie. He’s received promotions from Relson, Royler, Rorion and Grandmaster Helio Gracie. While this is quite a feat, it should be noted that Pedro’s main experience from white to black belt was under the guidance and tutelage of Rickson Gracie. We were able to experience a very, very small taste of that when prepping for Issue 26 (with Rickson) and it was more than eye opening and definitely mind blowing to say the least. Due to being so highly technical, and holding jiu-jitsu so dear to his heart, Pedro is the first non-Gracie outside of the family to be allowed to use the title “Gracie Academy” for his schools.
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 2
Mike Velez
This is but a small glimpse into the profound life of the 8th degree Rickson Gracie black belt. Should you need more evidence of how truly great his spirit is we suggest you check out his fight against a former Mr. Utah bodybuilder who outweighed him by 100 lbs through this link http://iroll.tv/?p=6468, listen to his wisdom about why it’s important to deal with an opponent who does the unexpected (http:// iroll.tv/?p=4126), find a way to get a hold of Issue 9 (one of our three best selling issues), and check out other videos by searching “Pedro Sauer” on www.iroll.tv. His teachings emphasize simple movements that are effective and can translate into useful tools on the competition mat, MMA, or in self-defense situations. Through his diligence toward, not only preserving the art, but also sharing its positive aspects and teaching technique to the highest degree, through worldwide online polls he has been named in the past as the “Best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor.” To find out more about Master Pedro Sauer or to find one of his affil ted schools near you, please check out www.pedrosauer.com.
11/12/14 12:35 PM
TECHNIQUE 54
FRONT BEARHUG OVER ARMS COUNTER (Applicable to BJJ, MMA and self-defense)
First, Pedro settles his weight down by slightly squatting to give his body a firm base so he is heavier should Luis attempt to lift him or take him down. He then places his hands on Luis’ hips and straightens his arms to create a frame. This frame provides him the space to execute his counter attack. Walking to his right side Pedro positions his foot next to Luis’ left foot, grabs Luis’ belt with his right hand and Luis’ right triceps with his left. Next, he pushes his weight forward so Luis’ left foot becomes light and all of his weight is on his right foot. Pedro now brings his right leg through the earlier mentioned space, pivots slightly on his left foot and places his feet directly in front of Luis’. With his hips directly in front of Luis’, he pushes upward with his legs from the squatting position, lifting Luis in the air, and twisting his torso to throw him to the ground. Keeping control of Luis’ extended right arm with his left, Pedro places his right knee on the ribs and shin into the armpit, while his left knee pins the other side of the arm. To finish he quickly swings his left leg over Luis’ head, leg curls it down toward the mat, maintains control over the arm, secures the wrist with his right arm, sits back, pinches his knees together, and raises his hips to finish the armbar.
01
Starting position
02
03
Create frame
Walk to side
Foot next to attacker’s
REVERSE
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 3
Grab belt
12/2/14 4:03 PM
Hip throws might look difficult but it’s all in the mechanics.
04
Foot steps through
05
Hand grips triceps
Hips underneath attacker’s
REVERSE
06
08
07
Squat upward
09
Swing leg over head
Keep arm secured Knee pinched against arm
Sit back for finish
Wrist secured
Secure wrist with arm
Knees pinched
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 4
11/12/14 12:35 PM
TECHNIQUE 56
FRONT BEARHUG DOUBLE UNDERS COUNTER (Applicable to MMA and self-defense)
Once Luis establishes control using the body lock, Pedro uses the palm of his left hand to push the bottom of Luis’ noise upward, creating instant pain to drive Luis’ face back, and providing some needed space. Now that Luis’ head isn’t against his chest, Pedro slides his right arm in against Luis’ neck and grips the area where the shoulder and triceps meet. He then places his left hand on top of his right to create the frame. Taking a step back with his left leg breaks the grip and creates space for Pedro to attack. Still gripping with his right hand, Pedro drives his right knee with great force into Luis’ solar plexus. Stunned by the blow and hunched over, Pedro wraps around Luis’ neck with his left arm, positions the bony part of his forearm against the Adam’s Apple, and pins Luis’ head to the left side of his body. With his right hand gripping over his left, Pedro squats upward to finish with a guillotine choke.
01
Starting position
02
03
Push nose up and forward
Slide arm in against neck
Establish handgrip here
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TECHNIQUE 58
04
06
05
Create frame
Drive knee into solar plexus Keep grip so attacker is close
07
Step leg backward
Maintain frame to create space
Wrap neck
REVERSE
08
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 6
Squat upward
NOTE: Never lean back during this entire move, otherwise your opponent will take you down to the ground.
Gloss FRAME - Creating an obstruction using the straightening of your arms that allows for space to be opened between yourself and your opponent or attacker.
11/12/14 12:35 PM
Zebra.indd 1
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TECHNIQUE 60
HIGH COLLAR GRIP COUNTER
01
Attacker/opponent grabs high near/on the collar
(Applicable to BJJ and self-defense)
This technique begins with Luis grabbing both sides of the collar with a very high grip. Immediately, Pedro drops down in base. He then grabs around Luis’ wrist with his right hand, wraps his left over his right and will keep the grip the entire time. Pivoting off his left foot, Pedro swings his right leg back so his left side is facing Luis. Continuing with the movement, he steps out with his left leg to bring Luis toward him and to place himself directly in front of him. With his hips now connected and underneath Luis’ hips and Luis’ elbow on his shoulder, Pedro leans forward slightly, while pulling downward on the wrist to break the arm.
02
Grip and secure the wrist
Elbow stays high
03
Pivot off of foot until aligned sideways
Pivoting foot
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 7
12/2/14 4:05 PM
Sidebar caption thingy goes here.
04
Other foot steps out so you are facing away
07
05
Connect hips with your opponent/attacker
06
Slightly bend forward
Pull down on wrist to break
Elbow directly over shoulder
WHAT WENT WRONG? Bad Connection: If you don’t step out in front of your attacker/opponent and aren’t lined up hip to hip, he can walk around you.
Too Far: Should you pull your opponent’s/attacker’s arm too far and his elbow isn’t above your shoulder it will be hard to break the arm.
Wrist control
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 8
Not Even Close: Self explanatory.
11/12/14 12:36 PM
TECHNIQUE 62
LOW COLLAR GRIP WRIST LOCK COUNTER (Applicable to BJJ and self-defense)
Since the grip is lower, Pedro cannot bring the arm over the shoulder, so instead he turns his body and brings his arm over Luis’ wrist using what looks like a downward elbow. Pinching the arm to his body, Pedro begins turning toward Luis to do a duck under where his head goes underneath the trapped arm. Simultaneously, he catches Luis’ waist with his free arm, so Luis can’t run away from him. Pedro now drives his head upward forcing Luis’ wrist to bend beyond its breaking point.
01
Attacker/opponent grabs lower on the collar near the sternum
02
Turn your body and bring your arm over your opponent’s/attacker’s
Trap the wrist
03
Duck under entry
REVERSE
03
Begin looking upward to finish wrist lock
Look up
Wrist securely trapped
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 9
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Da Firma.indd 1
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TECHNIQUE 64
LOW COLLAR GRIP TAKEDOWN COUNTER (Applicable to BJJ, MMA and self-defense)
Continuing from the previous move, if Luis opts to release the collar, Pedro can move to his back. Immediately upon the release, Pedro body-locks Luis and goes toward his back. Next, Pedro extends his left leg behind uis’ legs and sits down to trip him. Upon hitting the ground Pedro brings his right leg over Luis to secure a high mount while Luis is on his side. From here he quickly secures Luis’ right arm with his own, slides his left knee up toward the head, posts his left h nd on the mat so his arm is against Luis’ face, leans slightly to his right, and then swings his leg over for the armbar.
01
Attacker/opponent releases grip and pulls arm out
02
Trip attacker/opponent to take them down
Extend leg out for trip
03
Come on top of attacker/opponent
Sit down on leg
Secure torso and drive forward
Push off of posted hand and foot
REVERSE
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 10
11/12/14 12:36 PM
Thanks to Budo Videos for the use of their dojo.
04
06
05
Lock legs to prevent escape
Bring knee toward the head
Use hand to trap face and post hand
Bring arm in front of face
Place foot tightly against abdomen Hand posted
Arm secures attacker’s/opponent’s
07
Lean slightly to side and swing leg over to finish
Wrist control
Distribute weight here
Prevent escape
Gloss Counter - An attack made in response to one by an attacker or opponent.
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 11
11/12/14 12:36 PM
TECHNIQUE 66
STRANGLEHOLD COUNTER (Applicable to self-defense)
If an attacker attempted to strangle you while standing would you know what to do? Most people would say to hit him with a groin shot, but what if the attacker still didn’t release the hold? Pedro demonstrates how to initiate some serious pain through the smallest of limbs when Luis forces him against a wall. While doing his best to tuck his chin, Pedro brings both of his hands up and reaches behind him to Luis’ fingertips. As soon as he gets the first good grip on a finger with one hand, he uses his free hand to grip Luis’ wrist. Clamping the secured wrist to his body so Luis can‘t pull away from him, Pedro hyper-extends the selected finger until it snaps.
02
Tuck your chin
Reach behind the back of your neck and grab first available finger with a pistol grip
REVERSE
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 12
01
Attacker attempts to strangle you
REVERSE
12/4/14 10:52 AM
Look for a great article with Luis “Limao” Heredia, our attacker, in next month’s issue of JJM!
03
Grab attackers wrist on the same side
04
Pull finger backward to hyperextend
Pistol grip Hand stays connected to chest
Hug the wrist to your body
Warning Be extremely careful and perform this technique slowly if practicing. It doesn’t take a lot of pressure to break a finger in a couple of seconds.
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 13
11/12/14 12:47 PM
TECHNIQUE 68
SINGLE HANDED STRANGLEHOLD COUNTER (Applicable to self-defense)
Instead of attempting to only strangle Pedro as seen in the last technique, Luis holds Pedro’s neck with only one hand, while pushing his weight forward for control. He may be verbally threatening him by pointing his finger at him or preparing to punch him with the free hand. Immediately, Pedro tucks his chin, raises his right hand so it is level with Luis’ arm, aggressively turns his entire body to his left, and strikes Luis’ arm with an open hand palm strike. This forces Luis’ grip to break and for him to fall forward. Pedro reacts quickly by turning forcefully to his right to elbow Luis in the head. Upon being struck Luis’ head drops slightly and Pedro becomes the attacker using the same guillotine choke as executed in the second technique shown earlier.
01
Attacker is taunting and verbally threatening you
02
Bring your arm up to the same level as your attacker
Open Hand
03
05
Tech - Pedro Saurer.indd 14
Explosively turn your body and strike your attacker’s arm with your palm
04
Twist your body in the same manner in the opposite direction and elbow your attacker
Wrap your attacker’s neck and apply the guillotine.
11/12/14 12:47 PM
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70 TECHNIQUE
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 1
11/12/14 10:53 AM
Quite possibly the longest article in our history.
MASTERING HALF GUARD WITH LUCAS LEITE Mike Velez
WE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING LUCAS LEITE BACK IN ISSUE 3. In case you’ve forgotten, Lucas is a five time World Champion with three of those titles being in No-Gi. Lucas won his 5th title just a few months ago at the No-Gi World Championships. Lucas began training as a young teen with the late Ryan Gracie. After taking a year off, Lucas rediscovered jiu-jitsu when he moved to Sao Paulo and started training with the legendary Leo Vieira. That is where Lucas’ game took shape. Lucas has been known for having a very dynamic half-guard game. Three years ago when I first interviewed Lucas, much of the technique was lost on me. When I found myself with someone in
Jason Boulanger
my half guard, it was usually me trying to defend a pass and having to settle or me trying to slow things down so I could regroup and figure out where I wanted to go. As my skill-set has expanded, Lucas’ article back in Issue 3 is one that I often find myself referring to. When we got the opportunity to interview Lucas again, there was no question that we wanted him to show us more of his half-guard game. In this article Lucas, along with the help of his brown belt Patricia, shows us some dynamic techniques from the half-guard, including a couple passes, each of which should easily fit into anyone’s game no matter your belt rank.
RAW DATA Powered by BJJ Heroes.com
Full Name: Lucas Jonas Gomes Leite Date of Birth: November 3, 1982 Nickname: “Loucura” means craziness in Portuguese, because of Lucas Leite’s wild side. Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Leonardo Vieira > Lucas Leite
Notable Grappling Achievements:
World Champion (2007, 2005 brown belt) World No-Gi Champion (2014, 2011, 2009) Pan American Champion (2012, 2009, 2007) Grapplers Quest Pro Division Champion (Del Mar 2009, 2007) Sao Paulo State Champion (2006) European Champion (2006) World Silver Medalist (2013, 2011) World Pro Cup Silver Medalist (2012) Pan American Silver Medalist (2014, 2011)
Weight Division: Currently Heavy Favorite Position: Half Guard Affiliation: CheckMat BJJ
Lucas Leite BJJ
Lucas has lived in Southern California since 2007. Today, he has his own school in La Habra, CA. He has a growing student body and it’s often times home base for the CheckMat team when large competitions are in town.
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 2
11/12/14 1:04 PM
TECHNIQUE 72
KNEE SLICE COUNTER TO BACK
This first technique is a perfect example of Lucas using the half-guard as a transitional technique. In this instance, Lucas is sitting up, his opponent standing. The opponent is looking to get around his hooks and avoid any sort of butterfly guard, or any guard, for that matter. In this circumstance, the knee slide pass is a very viable option. To do this, his opponent, Patricia, wants to get a far side under hook to keep Lucas from going for her back. When Lucas anticipates that this is his opponent’s desired pass, he performs this unique sweep followed by a simple back take.
01
02
Lucas is sitting and Patricia wants to move in to pass.
She steps in and looks to get an under hook on Lucas.
Lucas posts his right hand to the mat.
03
Lucas hooks his left arm around her leg, getting his bicep against the back of her knee.
REVERSE
Lucas hips out to his left as he hooks the leg.
04
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 3
Lucas brings his left leg down to capture Patricia’s right foot between his legs. This also brings her butt in contact with Lucas’ knee.
05
With the foot trapped, he brings his right hand over her knee so she can’t continue the pass.
12/2/14 3:58 PM
And it couldn’t be with a greater champion.
06
With her knee secured, Lucas brings his left hand out to grab around her hip.
09
Patricia stands to avoid the sweep.
11
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 4
07
With the power of his arm and leg, Lucas pushes her up and forward.
10
08
Lucas switches his hips so her knees are on the mat, keeping her leg trapped.
Lucas pivots on his right knee bringing her leg along with him, and uses his head to push her back.
Key Points Using the power of your knee and arm is important in step 7 as is using your head to push into your opponent on step 10. Engaging your entire body is important.
The momentum causes Patricia to fall back to the mat, completing the sweep.
REVERSE SEQUENCE 1
2
3
4
11/12/14 10:53 AM
TECHNIQUE 74
GOING TO THE BACK FROM SWEEP
Once Patricia is on the ground it might be easy for Lucas to simply move into side control. That may very well be what he settles for if the opponent accepts the position and attempts to square up to Lucas. However, in this example, his opponent looks to scramble by turning away to get to her knees to avoid losing points for the sweep.
01
02
After completing the sweep, Lucas brings his leg up and over to clear Patricia’s guard.
Lucas moves up towards her back to get into a more secure position, but anticipates Patricia turning away to escape.
03
As she turns away, Lucas secures a collar and slips his left leg in to hook her left leg.
Lucas also brings his right arm over.
04
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 5
With the bottom hook in, Lucas pulls back and secures the seatbelt.
05
With the seatbelt secure he brings his right leg over to get the second hook in and takes the back.
Key Points In competition this would be a 6 point move, 2 for the sweep and then 4 for the back. However, if Patricia were successful in getting to her knees in a turtle position after the sweep, no points would be awarded to Lucas.
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TECHNIQUE 76
KNEE SHIELD SWEEP TO BACK
Lucas effectively uses control of his opponent’s leg to complete this sweep with minimal force. If you remember back to Issue 3, Lucas showed us a side control escape that’s extremely effective using this same leverage on your opponent’s leg. In both instances, if the opponent chooses not to comply, they risks injury to their knee. That, coupled with the shift in balance he demonstrates, makes this an almost effortless sweep once you have all the finer points locked up.
01
02
Lucas has Patricia in his half guard with a knee shield.
Lucas sits up posting his right elbow to the mat and under hooks her right arm with his left.
REVERSE
03
Lucas doesn’t stay in the previous position for long. He pulls her back with his right arm and dives his left hand between her legs.
04
Lucas passes control of Patricia’s right leg from his right leg to his left. He now has the ability to apply a lot of pressure to her right leg.
Patricia posts her left hand to the mat
REVERSE
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 6
As Lucas pulls her forward, he hooks her right leg with his right leg.
12/4/14 2:14 PM
As always proper grip is important.
05
07
06
Lucas makes a grip of her pant leg at the knee.
Lucas brings Patricia’s weight on top of him by applying pressure to her right leg with his leg, pulling back on her with his left hand, and lifting her knee off the mat with his right.
Lucas doesn’t have to use muscle for this sweep; instead, he uses his feet to walk his hips out to his right side. This shift in balance and the minimal force being applied, drops Patricia to the mat on her back.
08
After the sweep, Lucas brings his right leg over to move into side control.
He keeps a grip of her left knee to dictate her next move.
09
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 7
The pressure on her knee and the space Lucas leaves gives Patricia an escape route, again to go to turtle to avoid the points of a sweep.
10
Once again, Patricia turns to her knees, and Lucas sinks his left leg through to get his first hook in.
11
Next, he brings his right leg over to achieve the second hook, while at the same time, securing the seatbelt for back control.
11/12/14 10:54 AM
TECHNIQUE 78
BACK TAKE VARIATION
01
02
Patricia’s having none of that, so, when Lucas begins to lift her knee she posts her right hand out and steps to the mat to avoid the sweep.
When she posts he doesn’t go to the back; instead, he continues to give her resistance and walks his feet to his right.
03
By walking his feet to his right a little he’s able to get a little more perpendicular to Patricia. At that point he pulls his shoulders out from under her and quickly places his right leg as a hook on her leg.
When he makes his move he uses his left hand to push her away to help get the proper distance.
04 Finally, he brings his left leg over to hook and locks up a seatbelt for back control.
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 8
Key Points Lucas doesn’t immediately try to go to the back when she posts. His angle is not correct yet. Instead, he keeps the charade going by applying the force of the sweep, while walking his legs away and his shoulders out to get the proper angle to take the back.
11/12/14 10:54 AM
BJJ Tour.indd 1
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TECHNIQUE 80
Lucas gets a firm grip of her collar at her neck. He’ll use this to keep the distance from her moving forward or moving back with pressure on her shoulder.
KNEE SHIELD TO X-GUARD SWEEP
For Lucas, this is a great option if it’s difficult for him to get that left side under hook. Often times when playing half-guard, the under hook on the side of the leg that you’re trapping is very important. In this situation it’s not an option, so he uses this transition to X-guard that eventually turns into a sweep and back take. For extra brownie points, Lucas shows us a collar choke finish.
01
Lucas starts with his knee shield up and Patricia in his half guard.
02
Lucas brings his left foot from outside to inside her hip, a butterfly hook.
He gets a grip of her right knee.
03
With his left foot between her legs, Lucas brings his right knee in deep between her legs. Sort of like a reverse hip escape.
REVERSE
04
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 9
Lucas uses both arms, his hips and his knees to push Patricia forward.
His grips and his left hook of her leg keep her from getting away.
12/2/14 4:01 PM
Cross your foot over and they’ll back out.
05
06
Lucas brings his right foot to her left side, above her hip.
Lucas uses his right arm to slip it underneath Patricia’s left leg and curls it onto his shoulder.
Do not cross your foot over her thigh
07
08
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 10
From here, Patricia stands with her right foot on the mat. Lucas brings his right foot from her side to under her right thigh.
Lucas lets go of the collar and grabs a hold of Patricia’s left arm at the sleeve cuff along with the pant leg at the knee.
09
With his right leg and using his grips, he pushes her forward and brings her leg over his head to his right side.
10
Lucas keeps a grip of the left arm at the cuff and brings his right arm over to control the far hip.
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TECHNIQUE 82
11
With control of the hip, Lucas pulls her back to his right side until she falls back to the mat.
He keeps his grip of her sleeve.
Maintain pressure against the leg with the left hook.
12
15
Lucas brings his left arm around her leg and grabs the far collar.
13
Next, he gets his right knee on the mat, turning towards her and gets to a leg drag position.
14
Lucas allows enough space for Patricia to turn away and dives his right leg through to get the bottom hook.
He brings his left leg over for the second hook.
Key Points At Step 5, if you don’t put your foot on her hip, she’ll be able to step over and escape the leg when you go to perform Step 6. At the end of Step 15 Lucas could lock up the seat belt for control of the back or immediately go to a finishing technique.
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TECHNIQUE 84
COLLAR CHOKE FINISH Working off the X-guard sweep, Lucas decides to go for an old-ashioned collar choke from the back.
01
02
He opens up her left collar and gets a thumb in grip.
After getting his hooks in, Lucas pulls Patricia to his left side.
03
Lucas gets a grip of her right side collar with his left hand.
MASTERING THE GUARD PASS AND ITS SUBMISSIONS by Master Pedro Sauer and Kid Peligro
Now Available in Paperback! Available at www.bjjmart.com Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 12
11/12/14 10:55 AM
Not a very comfortable position to be in.
04
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 13
Next, he brings his right foot to her thigh to push her down and away, creating a more perpendicular angle.
05
Finally, he brings his right leg over her right arm, pulls back on his right grip, and across with his left to finish the choke.
11/12/14 10:56 AM
TECHNIQUE 86
NEAR SIDE UNDER HOOK GUARD PASS Whenever a half guard situation arises, there’s immediately a race to see who can get the under hook. It’s vital for both the person on the bottom and on top. In this technique, Lucas loses out and Patricia gets the under hook she wants. She now has the option to sweep or go to Lucas’ back. He must settle for the nearside under hook, but that’s okay…
01
04
06
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 14
Patricia has Lucas in her half guard. She’s sitting up and has an under hook around Lucas’ right side.
02
Lucas settles for the near side under hook and grabs a hold of her left pant leg at the knee.
Lucas walks his right foot up until his knee is closer to Patricia’s. This makes it easier for him to push off her knee to escape his.
Lucas stabilizes the position, posting with his head if necessary. If she goes to push down on his leg, he removes her hand.
07
03
05
He drives forward and off to his left side, putting pressure on her shoulder to put her to the mat. At this point, Lucas grips the back of her collar with four fingers inside the collar.
Once Lucas’ knee is out, he shifts his weight to his right, using his under hook and his grip of her leg to pressure forward, bringing his knee to the mat.
Lucas gets his right arm under her left for a double under hook and walks his hands up on the mat. He brings his hands together behind her head.
12/2/14 4:02 PM
The tip in step 10, pulling up to go deep, is worth the price of admission.
08
10
09
At this point, Lucas can use his free left foot to apply pressure to her knee freeing his right foot.
Lucas posts his left foot for more power and pulls Patricia’s right shoulder up off the mat. This allows Lucas to get his right hand grip in much deeper.
11
Lucas moves into a full mount and opens up the collar to get a four finger inside grip.
Bringing his left hand around the back of her head, Lucas grabs a hold of the shoulder fabric, or if he can, a thumb in grip of the collar.
Once the grip is in place he uses both hands to push her shoulder back to the mat.
12
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 15
With grips secure he brings his left arm in front of Patricia’s neck, below the chin and flattens out to apply the choke.
Key Points Remember the finer points of this choke at Step 12; everything is below the chin. Curl the wrists, pull your elbows across and away, and push your hips in to finish.
11/12/14 10:56 AM
TECHNIQUE 88
HIP OUT PASS TO ARMBAR
This pass works off Lucas standing and maybe going for a Toreando pass, but for some reason he can’t make it and has to settle for a half guard position where he’s straddling Patricia’s leg. This is a fast technique, so the actions must be deliberate. Lucas wants to dictate the movement of his opponent the entire time. Towards the end, he gives her the escape to turn away so he can get his hooks for back control.
01 02
04
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 16
Has grip of her right collar.
Lucas was going for a Toreando pass, but ends up in Patricia’s open half guard straddling her right leg.
Lucas grabs her left pant leg inside the knee.
Patricia pushes off to get away from Lucas.
03
Lucas drops his left knee to the mat, punches his right arm out with his grip and steps his right leg up and over Patricia’s right leg.
Lucas pushes her leg down and gets to his feet.
12/2/14 4:02 PM
Step 5 is actually a jump, not a walk.
05
06
09
Tech - Lucas Leite.indd 17
Once on his feet, Lucas directs her leg to the left, while he jumps to his right, ending up on her side with a knee drag-like position.
Lucas lets go of the pants and brings his right hand to the mat behind Patricia’s head while reaffirming his grip of her collar.
Next, he steps his left leg over for the top hook.
07
Lucas gives Patricia enough space to turn away, but controls her speed with his left forearm against her side.
10
08
As soon as there’s enough space, he feeds his right foot in for the bottom hook.
With both hooks in and a hold of the collar, he posts his right hand and pulls her back to his left side.
11/12/14 10:57 AM
TECHNIQUE 90
11
As Lucas pulls her across, he brings his right arm up and looks to secure a Kimura grip of her left rm.
12
As soon as the grip is secure, Lucas brings his right leg up and against Patricia’s head.
14
Finally, he moves his hands to her wrist, extends his hips, squeezes his knees and finishes the armbar.
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13
Next, Lucas gets perpendicular to Patricia and pulls back on that arm, hugging it tight to his chest.
Key Points If, at Step 13, Patricia had a firm grip of her hand to defend, Lucas would have brought his left leg up, and “scraped” off the grip with the back of his leg.
11/12/14 10:59 AM
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92 TECHNIQUE
HENRY AKINS INVISIBLE JIU-JITSU THE CONCEPT OF CONNECTION Mike Velez
THERE’S A CERTAIN MYSTIQUE THAT SURROUNDS RICKSON GRACIE, MUCH OF THAT AURA CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO WHAT HE CALLS “INVISIBLE” JIU-JITSU. It’s the jiu-jitsu that you cannot see, but you can feel. Having had the pleasure of being the “demonstration dummy” with Rickson, I can personally attest to the powers of his unique brand of invisible jiu-jitsu. About a year ago I had the chance to roll with Henry Akins. Henry is the third American to have earned his black belt under Rickson Gracie. Henry teaches the fundamentals, as well as the finer points of invisible jiu-jitsu. The first time we met Henry, the purpose was to learn the concept of weight distribution. The interviews and the training with Henry that allowed me to write that article (Issue 19) have had a profound impact on my own jiu-jitsu. Just that one element, weight distribution, has changed my approach to my side control, mount, and some bottom positions. Even a year later I feel like an absolute novice employing this concept. So,
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Jason Boulanger
when the opportunity arose to train with Henry again and learn the concept of “connection,” I jumped at the chance. Henry explains the idea of connection this way, “The idea of connection is at the essence of what Rickson calls “invisible” jiujitsu. At the core level of jiu-jitsu that’s all we’re trying to do. The connection is what enables us to be effective. The connection is the ability to transfer your energy to another person so that when you move, your opponent feels the effects of it.” In this article Henry is going to tell us about the core elements of connection and illustrate some of the finer points during various examples. I will do my absolute best to explain each one in words however, if there were ever an article meant for video, it’s this one. Head on over to our new website, jiujitsumag.com, to see the videos associated with this article.
11/12/14 12:21 PM
It’s clean shaven Mike.
THE BROAD CONCEPT Think of connection as being fused with your partner. Think of the scene in any sci-fi movie where the alien comes down to earth and he places his hand on top of the human’s head. There’s that point that’s beyond just simple touch where the hand melds to the head and the alien is downloading every memory, every thought, experience, etc. That’s connection; it’s not just contact. In jiu-jitsu, at the highest level of connection, it would be like being so connected with your opponent that you can feel or sense their movement even before their intention is visible. You’d feel
the muscles tightening before they fire. Of course, that would be a huge upper hand for the person realizing the intentions before they happen. On a simpler level, connection would be having no slack in your grips of your holds. You can grab someone’s sleeve and have a good grip of the fabric, but that slack between their arm and your fingers is different than having a grip so tight there’s no slack in the gi and your clenched fist is against their elbow. There’s no room for them to move without you having something to say about it.
STANDING
To illustrate connection while standing the two of us squared up face-to-face and Henry placed his hand on my shoulder. He asked me to walk towards him. His common neutral stance was easy for me to progress into, causing him to take a step back as I pushed forward. When Henry made a connection to my shoulder, with the same stance, he started by anchoring his feet to the ground by slightly shifting his weight to his forward foot. His muscles tensed to be in a state of readiness to apply more weight distribution to his forward foot, anticipating that I would come towards him. The tightening of his body made it nearly impossible for me to move him from his position when I walked towards him with the same amount of force, or any force for that matter. Henry essentially took all the slack out of his body so that the moment he felt the application of force, his resistance was immediate. The harder I pushed the more planted he was.
Application: The obvious application for this is in
During my time with Henry on this subject it was amazing how simple some of the minor adjustments he made were. Many of which I do already, but not consciously knowing it. After our session I went back to my own training and focused solely on recognizing connection versus contact, when I could employ the concept, and when I was missing an opportunity. This simple idea has brought me back down to feeling like an absolute beginner as I look to expand my jiu-jitsu with the recognition and use of this concept. So, let’s get on with some of Henry’s examples of connection in use.
With Contact
With Connection
a tournament situation or any sparring starting from standing. Even though we might be amped on adrenaline and in our minds, ready for anything, it’s plain to see that this idea is not in use during most matches. When we see two competitors pulling and pushing each other around the mats the story might be different if one were to connect to the other. The other application is in a self-defense situation. Maybe you’re in a crowded environment and you’ve got your 95-year-old grandmother trying to make her way behind you, or a young child. The crowd is pushing towards you and them. Making connection might help avoid a disaster.
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12/2/14 3:56 PM
TECHNIQUE 94
THE GUILLOTINE Henry put me in a standard guillotine with a solid grasp of my neck, his arm wrapped around the back and his legs around me in a closed guard. Henry first applied downward force to his legs to stretch me out while peeling back on his grip of my neck to finish. There was a lot of movement in Henry’s legs and body that I could “feel” and see when I watched the video. To employ connection, Henry made no adjustments to his hold on my neck, but instead, tightening his legs, squeezing his knees together, to the closed guard. Starting from the same beginning position, it was crazy how quickly I felt the choke set in.
Application: We’ve all seen it before, someone’s going for the guillotine, they’re all stretched out, but the tap never comes. Maybe at the end, after they’re fully stretched, they squeeze their knees, but at that point it’s too late. Henry tightened his grip on my body before putting his hips into the stretch. Whenever you have someone in your closed guard, you shouldn’t just rely on the fact that your feet are crossed behind them. Instead, stiffen your legs, and squeeze your knees together to lessen the amount of movement needed to finish that guillotine, or kimura. This will also help your ability
With Contact
THE MOUNT This example goes along with the previous one on the guillotine. There are different ways of playing on top in mount. For me, I was unsure of the mount; I felt that my balance wasn’t acute enough to avoid the escape. Interviewing Xande Ribeiro for Issue 7 helped out my mount a lot, but for the most part I’ve looked as my weight as being the downward force to apply on my opponent. My movements from there were typically reactionary to avoid a reversal while figuring out what I wanted to do with the position. To illustrate the connection in the mount, Henry had me mount him and position my body how I would normally. He then had me close my eyes while
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to maintain a closed guard if that’s what you want to do. The lack of space between your legs and your opponent might mean his favorite opening technique is useless. Experiment with this. Don’t go crazy trying to squeeze out a tap, you’ll burn yourself out and waste a lot of energy. Find that balance where you can feel your opponent enough to anticipate his next move, stymie his plans and be better positioned to impose your will.
With Connection
he would begin to move his body as if he were going to attempt an escape. I had to indicate which direction I thought he was going as soon as I could tell. He did this a few times with my answer being correct, but typically not until he was already far into the escape. Then he had me make a simple adjustment. He had me move up a bit higher on the mount with my inner thighs near the rib cage and tighten my legs so that I was squeezing on his ribs. We repeated the process with my eyes closed. This time I was able to accurately feel which way he was turning before there was any actual movement of his body. I could literally feel his muscles tightening.
11/12/14 12:22 PM
How do you show “invisible” jiu-jitsu?
The fact that my eyes were closed may have heightened my sense of touch, but even with my eyes open it was crazy how the lack of any slack between my legs and Henry’s body allowed me to literally feel his intention before it was visible.
Before
After
Application: If you move into the mount and (sort of) relax a bit until your next move, you’re going to have to break that habit when employing connection. It took a little getting used to for me, squeezing those legs together. However, since doing this photo shoot I’ve been practicing this concept regularly from the mount. It’s allowed me to recognize the direction my opponent wants to turn quickly enough for me to set up for technical mount, and from there it’s bow and arrow all day! It’s also helped me secure the mount position by being able to sometimes instantaneously counter any attempt at an escape.
RIGIDITY
Our bodies are a collection of muscles, that with the right impulses, can become soft and limp, or strong and rigid. Henry illustrated this point with a simple escape from side control. I had Henry in my side control and he used his left rm under my chest. In the first example, Henry contacted my chest with his arm and bridged as if to throw me off towards his head. With his arm simply contacting me I was able to react and count Henry’s bridging motion before it had any impact on me. The second time around, Henry made the connection and engaged his arm prior to bridging. Essentially, Henry took the slack out of his shoulder joint and chest making his torso and arm one solid piece. That time, when Henry bridged, I had no forewarning and it was much more difficul to defend his escape. Henry’s arm, along with his torso, was engaging me and greatly increased his odds of a successful escape.
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Application: This concept is similar to the rigid concept that Nic Gregoriedes shared with us back in Issue 24. The applications are limitless. It can be used in almost any situation, especially in those cases where you must explode with force to get where you want to go. Tightening up prior to the explosion will have a huge impact. Another example could be in a choking situation. Let’s say with a cross collar choke, stiffening the wrists so there’s no slack prior to engaging the arms can help set the choke in immediately.
With Contact
With Connection
11/12/14 12:22 PM
TECHNIQUE 96
DISCONNECTION
As important as connection – is disconnection. As the aggressor is looking to impose his will on his opponent by use of connection, the target of that force can reduce its influence by breaking the connection, or disconnecting. Henry illustrated this point to me by two ways. The first was actually a refresher on something I learned during weight distribution. Henry put me in full mount and had me place my hand on his chest, post an elbow, and sit up, pushing him off me. We did this a few times to find the moment when connection was made. Once I was comfortable making that connection, Henry simply changed his angle by pulling one shoulder back while driving the other one forward. This instantly killed the connection.
The other example of disconnection came while demonstrating a simple hook sweep. Using my arms and my leg, the emphasis of my connection to Henry was through the leg. I performed the sweep a few times and Henry defended the sweep as most people would, first fighting it, then basing out, but every time I was able to sweep thanks to force being transferred from me to him through the connection. Then Henry proceeded to disconnect. Rather than remaining rigid and fighting the connection through his leg, Henry relaxed the muscles in his leg and allowed it to sort of flop over, essentially not giving me anything to push off of. Time after time this disconnect was effective in thwarting my sweep attempt.
Connected
Disconnected
Application: Henry describes jiu-jitsu as a game of manipulation and how you can manipulate your opponent through connection, and stop it through disconnection. This concept of disconnection is applicable in almost every grappling situation. One person wants to move the other, and if you’re on the receiving end, break the connection. Resisting your opponent will often times strengthen his connection. If his angle and leverage are solid you’re only helping him get what he wants. The real test is being able to recognize when the connection is taking place and how to eliminate, or at the very least weaken that connection. Try training as you normally would, but pay special attention to connecting and disconnecting.
Connected
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TECHNIQUE 98
Disconnected
About
HENRY
Henry was at one time the head instructor at the Rickson Gracie Academy. Today, he’s partnered with former UFC fighter Antoni Hardonk as owners of Dynamix Martial Arts in Santa Monica, California. If you don’t live near the Southern California coast nor plan on being in SoCal any time soon, you can catch Henry on the seminar circuit.
There are so many facets of the “invisible” jiu-jitsu that Henry teaches, thanks to his years with Rickson. This article, like the previous one on weight distribution, really just scratches the surface of that knowledge. Once you’re aware of the concept of connection, you can begin to recognize its application every time you train. As you get a greater feel and ability to recognize connection, you’ll be able to use it in almost everything you do. Don’t expect this to happen overnight, because it won’t, it might take years, but sticking with it and continuing to sharpen that skill will bring your jiu-jitsu to an entirely new level. For more on this concept check out the series of videos we produced with Henry available at www.jiujitsumag.com.
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11/12/14 12:22 PM
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11/12/14 2:46 PM
100 GEAR LAB
PROTECT YOUR GRILL WHY NOW IS THE TIME TO INVEST IN A MOUTH GUARD Matt Corley
I’VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN SOME FORM OF SPORTS FOR THE LAST THREE DECADES. In that time I’ve had to adjust to different types of protective gear. In some cases it was easy, others took a while. One thing I’ve never been able to use is a mouth guard. My early attempts at using boil and bite guards resulted in frequent gagging until I’d cut it down so much that it barely covered my canines. I’ve tried a nano-sized gel mouth guard and, while it did
The Gag Reflex
Roof of the Mouth
The most common reason someone doesn’t want to wear a mouth guard is because it causes him or her to gag. The gag reflex is triggered by certain sensations on the roof of the mouth, back of the tongue, tonsils and/ or back of the throat. This reflex is intended to prevent harmful substances from getting into the throat and more specifically into the airways. This reflex involves the involuntary contraction of the muscles in the neck. The muscles close the airway, causing the tongue to jut out of the mouth and in some cases, trigger vomiting. The reflex can also be made more sensitive in times of stress. It is possible to desensitize this reflex through repeated exposure to the stimulus that invokes it.
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fit better, I couldn’t roll in it at all. I felt like I was choking myself, especially when my opponent was pressuring me or I was tired, which are fairly common occurrences when rolling. In this article we’ll look at the options you have for mouth protection, why you should consider wearing it, and how to find one that’s right for you.
Back of Throat
Tongue Tonsils
11/12/14 12:03 PM
Why doesn’t everybody wear one?
Why?
The American Dental Association recommends mouth guards for those playing contact sports. Mouth guards are intended to prevent broken teeth, jaw injuries and cuts on the lips, tongue or face. My own moment of clarity came when I tucked my jaw to defend a baseball bat choke and ended up chipping several teeth. Other than the obvious benefits of wearing a mouth-piece there are a few more that may surprise you. Did you know there have been studies that show an increase in muscular endurance for athletes who wear a mouth guard? Other studies have demonstrated improvements in strength, recovery, reaction time and even pitching velocity in baseball players. Before we add mouth guards to the IBJJF banned substances list, it’s important to note that placebo controlled studies are not possible, as the athlete will know if s/he’s wearing mouth-piece or not. We should also consider what it is that’s happing while you’re training: you’re clenching your jaw and consequently, increasing tension throughout your body. The mouth-piece allows you to do this with a lot of force, while also protecting your teeth and jaw. The increased tension in your body helps you to more effectively use your strength. This is the reason why many power lifters and weight lifters wear mouth guards for training and meets.
The Options
Chances are, your first experience with a mouth guard involved one that cost less than $10 and was purchased in the sporting good’s section of your local department store. This initial exposure has probably shaped your opinion of mouth guards; luckily they’ve come a long way in recent years. There are two main options when choosing a mouth guard. Option one is a mass-produced product that is intended to fit most athletes. These are generally referred to as “boil and bite” mouth guards. Your second option is to have a custom mouth guard created for you that is built based on an impression of your mouth. There is a third option, the stock mouth guard, which is preformed and doesn’t change in any way to fit your mouth. These are the cheapest ones you can find, but I’d never recommend for anyone to roll in one.
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Who’s wearing them?
Athletes in (almost) all sports wear mouth-pieces. The top fighters in BJJ, such as Keenan Cornelious and Buchecha, wear them during training and competition. They’re a requirement for fighters in MMA, boxing and kickboxing. Just looking around my gym, I see that over half of the adults wear mouth guard and a third of our kids do as well. When the cost of minor dental work, even with insurance, far exceeds the cost of a mouth guard, it should be a fairly easy decision. The question is, “What kind of mouth guard should I get?”
BOIL AND BITE: Boil and bite mouth guards have improved a lot since I first tried one. There are dozens of models to choose from, some of which are customized to a specific sport such as football, basketball or even grappling. The difference in the models is primarily the thickness of the guard itself, and sometimes there is an area for the lower teeth to set in. The guards are purchased at the store and then fitted to your mouth at home. The process of fitting involves cutting them to fit your mouth and then immersing them into hot water. The hot water causes the plastic in the mouth guard to soften. It is then placed into your mouth where it will mold itself to your teeth. Boil and bite mouth guards are readily available and range in price from $10 to $50.
11/12/14 12:04 PM
GEAR LAB 102
SISU: A newer boil and bite option is the SISU mouth guard ($19.99-34.99, www. sisuguard.com). When purchased, these mouth guards are flat, roughly U-shaped strips. There are three advantages to the SISU mouth guard. The first is that it can be reshaped multiple times. If it’s not right the first time, just repeat the fitting process. Your kid’s mouth grows? Not a problem. The second advantage is that they can be fitted to someone wearing braces. Braces and impacts to the mouth are awful and having a mouth guard that actually fits you is a godsend. The final difference between SISU and other boil and bite mouth guards is that they are approximately half the thickness of traditional mouth guards, fit much like whitening strips and are comfortable enough that talking, breathing and drinking are easy while wearing them. CUSTOM: Custom mouth guards are produced in a dental lab and are specifically created for you. As the name implies, almost everything about these guards can be customized to the wearer’s preference. Custom mouth guards are generally accepted as the most comfortable appliance to wear and
Custom mouth guards come in a wide range of prices, but with a little research, you should be able to find a reputable company that can provide one for less than $150. I have personal experience with Damage Control ($129, www. dcmouthguards.com). Custom mouth guards should not come out at any point and are the most comfortable to wear. I can even whistle while wearing mine.
offer the most protection to the athlete. The process for creating a custom mouth guard involves creating impressions of your teeth with dental putty. After that, you’re done and the lab gets to work. They’ll create a plaster mold, which is used to create your mouth guard. The total time from start to finish is a few weeks.
Maintenance
Caring for your mouth guard is just as important as choosing the right one. Your mouth guard should be stored away from excessive light and heat, preferably in a carrying case. It should be stored away from other gear and the carrying case should be ventilated, do not use a sealed plastic bag. High temperatures can distort the shape of a mouth guard. After each use rinse the mouth guard thoroughly with either water or mouth wash. Another option is to use toothpaste and a toothbrush and scrub it gently. If you use toothpaste, rinse the mouth guard afterwards. Periodically cleaning with soapy water is also recommended.
WRAPPING IT UP
You should consider a mouth guard a piece of essential safety equipment. The athletic benefits to a grappler are a little gray, but it will absolutely protect your mouth from potentially costly injuries. You know that guy in class with the chipped tooth? Well, he wasn’t wearing a mouth guard. Don’t be that guy. If you can afford it, I whole-heartedly recommend a custom mouth guard. They’re comfortable, will never come out and can look pretty cool. For those with a strong gag reflex, the custom fit is your best chance at finding one that you can wear. If you choose to get a boil and bite mouth guard, just make sure it doesn’t obstruct your breathing, stays in as tightly as possible and has a small profile.
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11/12/14 12:05 PM
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11/12/14 2:40 PM
104 GEAR LAB
Manto
VAI FINALIZA! GI www.mantousa.com
Mike Velez
Jason Boulanger
IT’S A CRAZY LIFE, BEING THE EDITOR OF A JIU-JITSU MAGAZINE. There are definitely perks along with headaches. One perceived perk to many would be the fact that nearly every day the UPS driver is showing up with a box that, minus the wrapping paper, makes every day feel like Christmas. With each delivery, there’s bound to be something that fits me that I can test. If I were a gi collector who liked to post photos of his gi closet on social media, I’d be in heaven. But what might seem like a dream come true is, in reality, a struggle for me. Like the guy that complains that winning the lottery ruined his life. Sure, most of us would call him crazy. For me, when I go to a competition and I see gi’s that have been worn to death and look oh so comfortable from wear and tear that only countless hours on the mats can produce, I’m jealous. With my obligation to test and keep up with all the different gi’s hitting the market I don’t have that option to settle down with one gi for the long haul. Call it failure to commit. So every time a new gi comes in I imagine, “Is this the one?” Is this the gi I can finally settle down with? Enter the Manto “Vai Finaliza!” which translated from Portuguese to English is, “Go Finish!” Everybody knows that coffee is for finishers, and who doesn’t want to finish? This is the first Manto gi I’ve ever worn. I’ve always liked Manto’s clean gi designs. So, when the Vai Finaliza! came through the office in an A2 (usually my size) I jumped at the chance to give it a roll and see if this is the gi I can finally settle down with.
Pants
I’m not sure if I’ve told you guys yet, but I’m big fan of rip-stop pants. They don’t stretch like twill does, so as long as they fit my larger-than-average backside, I’m happy (5’ 8”, 202lbs). The pants are made from rip-stop material made from 100% cotton. The MVF is a limited edition and available in both black or white with red contrast stitching. As you can see, I tested the white model. The pants, like the jacket, feature red contrast stitching throughout. All of the seams in the gusset and throughout the pants are triple-stitched. Doubled up knee padding runs from about mid-shin to mid-thigh. The padding material is the same rip-stop that the pants are made from. The stitching is clean, and
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for the most part, straight and well done throughout the pants. A nylon rope drawstring loops through the waist of the pants and four nylon belt loops help keep the drawstring in place. The side slits of the pants are finished with the same nylon material to add a nice clean touch. Inside the waistline is nylon tape with “Manto Vai Finaliza!” embroidered on it. That same tape material can be found down south at the cuff-end of the pants. A Manto Jiu-Jitsu logo patch can be found up high on the left side thigh and a “MVF” logo on the right shin. Both of these patches are made from very soft material and shouldn’t pose any negative impact on the feel.
11/12/14 1:06 PM
We don’t have to explain the “Coffee is for closers/finishers” reference do we?
Jacket Let’s face it, this is where the magic happens, when you’re about to hit the mats and you pop your arms through the sleeves and drape the lapels over each other. You want a gi that gives you that burst of confidence that says, “I will be finishing today! I’m going to earn that cup of coffee!” From the first time putting it on I can say that the MVF is that type of jacket. The jacket is what Manto calls their Adjusted Fit. It’s cut from 550 gsm pearl weave cotton. From my experience I’ve seen that spec before and found that the feel of the material can range from stiff and rough, to soft nd smooth. The MVF falls more towards the soft nd smooth side of the spectrum. However, sometimes soft an be too soft if the gi stretches under use. We’ll have to wait and see about that. But back to the jacket. Manto made a huge fan in me thanks to this Adjusted Fit. The A2 jacket fit me “perfectly” with a great sleeve length, it closes completely in the front without looking like a double breasted suit, good length, I won’t be overly concerned about my lapels being used against me and full range of movement up in the shoulders. The jacket features the same contrast stitching found in the pants; all of the seams where the fabric comes together are triple-stitched. The
lapel/collar is filled with EVA foam; I’d consider the feel of the foam to be medium stiffness. The shoulders are reinforced with a sublimated material that features the MVF logo and the silhouette of a fighter after a victory. The jacket is a single piece cut, which means there’s no need for any reinforcement in the armpits. Reinforcement can be found in the side slits. The same finishing tape found on the pants runs along the bottom inside skirt of the jacket and a strip of ripstop on the outsides. The sleeve cuffs also get a strip of the branded tape along the insides. The look of the MVF is clean, white and red are the only visible colors on the outside of the jacket. A Manto logo with two combatants squaring up can be found on the left side sle ve, an MVF logo below the neck in the back, another MVF logo on the right side sleeve, a larger MVF logo on the left side rib age, and finally a “Vai Finaliza!” script is embroidered on the front of the left side. When I started to document all these logos I was surprised there were so many. I was surprised because the gi has such a clean look I didn’t realize how much branding was on it. I guess that’s a testament to good design, all the logos are nicely done and none are too overpowering or gaudy. Lastly, there is a logo patch with washing instructions on the inside right lapel.
A
Fit and Feel
Gear Lab - Manto Gi.indd 2
D
B
E
A B C D E
67” 33.75” 23.75” 22” 38”
After 3 washes at 40º C
C Brand New
Manto’s Adjusted Fit offers guidance on washing the gi to your desired fit: wash in hot water to shrink until you find the fit you like, then lock it in with cold. The claim is that the product has a natural shrink rate of about 3-5%. From the first time on, the gi fit me nicely so I washed it in cold from the very beginning and have been washing in cold ever since and hang drying it. My observed shrink fits within that window. Sometimes hang drying can cause your gi to dry stiff as a board; this has to do with the detergent you use and the fact that when the fabric dries it wants to keep the position it was in when it was wet. That stiffness softened up again after just a few minutes when putting the gi on each time. Overall, the fit and feel was very comfortable and had a lightweight feeling to it.
A B C D E
65” 32.75” 23” 22” 37.75”
11/12/14 1:06 PM
GEAR LAB 106
Rolling With It
During testing I rolled with the MVF for about a dozen hours, broken up over about 8 training sessions, with a washing each time in between. Overall, my experience with the gi has been great. It’s nice and soft, I thought this could be a problem if I found myself looking like a kid in his dad’s best suit if the sleeves stretched, but this was thankfully not the case. I even wore this gi with my time on the photo shoot with Henry Akins in this issue. So, if you want to see
more of me in “action,” check that article out. As for the quality and wear and tear, there have been no signs of any premature wear, or tears for that matter. Twelve hours isn’t a long time to get a real feel for how a gi’s going to perform in the long run, but I honestly don’t foresee any problems with the MVF, there’s no fraying in the material, or stitching coming undone. This is a gi that should last me for countless hours on the mats.
Specifications
CONCLUSION
This is definitely a gi I could see settling down with. Unfortunately, the life of perpetual gi bachelorhood precludes me from settling down for too long. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you should catch me at a competition or in a photo shoot sporting the VAI FINALIZA! Hopefully, I will have earned that cup of coffee. The MVF is not an inexpensive gi, but it’s not at the high-end of the spectrum either. Its $174.95 price tag is in line with gi’s of comparable quality. This being my first Manto Gi, I’m excited to discover that their cut fits me so well. I’ll definitely be looking to start another romance with a Manto gi soon!
Available in sizes A0 through A4, along with A1L and A2L Available in white or black both with red contrast IBJJF legal Comes with a nice black drawstring bag you can use for all sorts of duties. Detailed sizing chart available at their website. Tested A2 weighs 3.75lbs total (1.2lbs pants, 2.55lbs jacket)
Verdict Comfortable, great fit, clean styling. Ready for a cup of Joe!
PERORMANCE: VALUE: OVERALL:
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GEAR LAB 108
GRIPS ATHLETICS GI-SACK www.gripsathletics.com
Travis Guesnon
WITH A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET TO TRANSPORT YOUR GEAR AROUND THESE DAYS, ONE OF THE TOP CHOICES HAS TO BE THE GRIPS ATHLETICS “GI-SACK.” This bag can easily store your gi, belt, rash guard, grappling shorts, spats, micro fiber towel, wipes, mouth guard, tape, headgear, and much more. That claim may bring an image to mind that the Gi-Sack is unbearably huge (like a hiking backpack), but on the contrary, it’s not. Neither too big, nor too small, it’s just the right size to adequately suit most needs.
The Look
Compared to other bags I’ve seen, this one is actually very stylish. It’s not over done with a million crazy jiu-jitsu logos, sayings, or brightly colored tie-dye colors. Its outer shell is made primarily out of cotton, while the other 20% is made from PVC. Like other bags, it has the feel of a gi, with contrast double stitching throughout and a drawstring at the top for closing, but its cotton canvas is smoother and doesn’t grind against your skin like a heavy duty double-weave bag. I’m speaking from personal experience. The entire inner lining is 100% polyester with a stylish graphic portion at the top of the bag.
The Pros
Its adjustable shoulder straps, with a built in Shock Absorption System, are soft nd will alleviate shoulder strain more than other backpacks as they have added padding under ventilated mesh. This also provides for better breathability and less sweat build up against your body. The main compartment has three zippered inner pockets (to separate your smaller items from your larger ones) that are
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easily accessible. There’s also an outside pocket. A water-resistant bottom with a zippered compartment can be used for other items, especially to divide soiled and unsoiled linens. It also prevents water from entering the bag, in case someone spills a frozen, half-gallon water bottle next to your bag. Again…personal experience. Should you need more space, you can unzip this bottom, pull out an extension of polyester, turn it into a duffle and carry it around via the side handle. When weather acts up there’s even a rain cover to protect it from wetness or dust.
The Cons
My only complaint with the “Gi-Sack” is the price, suggested retail is $109. That’s a lot. We suspect that you’ll be able to find the bag for less on-line once it’s available.
Conclusion
GRIPS Athletics has done an awesome job with the care and quality they’ve put into the “Gi-Sack.” It’s lightweight, durable, takes care of all your gear transporting needs, and looks good doing it.
Verdict Great product! Get yours before they’re gone!
PERORMANCE: VALUE: OVERALL:
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110 FEATURE
BJJ TOUR F Matt Corley
THE BJJ TOUR CAME TO ORLANDO FLORIDA RECENTLY AND WE WERE THERE. BJJ Tour was founded in 2009 with Professor Claudio Franca as the President. Professors Igor Andrade, Alvaro Mansor and Marcus Vinicius are also the guiding forces behind the organization. The BJJ Tours Florida event was organized by Tournament 360 and Thomas Tupper (www.tournament360.net). BJJ Tour has been known for their flagship events: the American
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Cup, All Star Tournament and U.S. Open. This year marks the beginning of a planned multi-year expansion of the Tour series that will go international in the next few years. This year’s events are in Texas, Florida, Connecticut and at Jiu Jitsu by the Sea in San Diego. Next year’s expansion will see additional events in New York, California and another undetermined spot.
11/12/14 11:59 AM
Look for coverage from the US Open in next month’s issue of JJM.
R FLORIDA Tournament Basics
All BJJ Tour events follow IBJJF rules. Weigh-ins are immediately before matches, there are uniform restrictions, submissions are allowed, and match length and scoring conventions are all the same as the standards put forth by the IBJJF. Each match has a single referee, and if you’re a regular on the IBJJF tournament circuit, you’ll probably see some familiar faces. The Florida event had almost 160 competitors and was divided evenly between kids and adult competitors. Kids were allowed a consolation match when possible and participation medals were given to those who didn’t make the podium. Each tournament has a posted schedule and brackets for all divisions and like other well-run tournaments, they do a very good job of sticking to that schedule. In the event there are not enough competitors to fill out a bracket, the athletes are given a few options: they can
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accept the medal in the division they were registered in, take a best fit match (I saw this a few times with the kids and they were very conscientious about matching up kids based on size, gender and skill level), the athlete can take a credit for a subsequent tournament or they can request a refund.
Tournament Recap
finals featured athletes who would do well on any stage of competition. Matches in all divisions were technical, even the kids, and highlighted the strength of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the Orlando area. A full list of results can be found at on the BJJ Tour website. The BJJ Tour has even bigger plans for next year and shortly after this event was the granddaddy - the US Open. Look for coverage of that event in next month’s issue. www.bjjtour.com.
We’ve all been to small tournaments that started late, ended hours after expected and had matches that left you thinking, “Who in the world let those two step on the same mat?” I was happily surprised when none of these things occurred. I was also impressed with how competitive the divisions were. In particular, the lighter weights in the blue and purple belt men’s divisions were excellent. The two best matches of the tournament were both in the absolute division. The men’s master brown belts and the women’s blue belt
11/12/14 11:59 AM
112 FEATURE
2014 MASTER WORLDS CHAMPIONSHIP: Just Like Fine Wine, BJJ Gets Better With Time… Deb Blyth
THE 2014 MASTER WORLDS BROUGHT OUT EVERY BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU ATHLETE FROM THE AGE OF 30 UP TO THE “TWILIGHT” YEARS FOR A LITTLE FRIENDLY COMPETITION…BUT THESE GUYS AREN’T SOFT-BELLIED, WEAKKNEED, GERIATRIC DUDES SHOWING UP WITH CANES AND BUSTED HIPS…ON THE CONTRARY, WE WITNESSED NOTHING, BUT NONSTOP, ACTION-PACKED, PUSHING THE PACE, FIGHT-TOTHE-END SUBMISSIONS-STYLE JIU-JITSU. No sitting in 50/50 or stalling for this crowd. Even Xande Ribeiro commented on his social media sites, “Watching Worlds Masters way more entertaining. Takedowns, guard passes and guard submission attacks. No 50/50s. Jiu Jitsu Appreciate it.” If Xande gives the Master Worlds his stamp of approval, it must be good! Shorter match times equated to feelings of urgency for competitors, regardless of who was ahead. They fought until the buzzer sounded, and sometimes, it ended up costing them. Black belt James Foster from Foster Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Seattle said, “I was winning with a minute to go, but I didn’t want to stall or hold the guy in that position until the end of the fight, so I kept fighting and ended up losing, but that’s ok…I feel good
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Kenny Jewel
about my match and I’d probably do the same thing if I had to do it over again.” It was that attitude that made this event so much fun. The athletes threw themselves into their matches, and smiled and laughed at the end of them…as usual, the sportsmanship at IBJJF events is always top notch, and even more so at the Master Worlds, since with age usually comes wisdom, and by this time, these guys realize that the friendships made in the jiu-jitsu community far outweigh just about anything else achieved here. Many superstars were on hand taking in the action; coaching their students, socializing with friends and watching the action...a few even competed over the weekend. Buchecha made an appearance, along with Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, Fabio Gurgel, Andre Galvao, Cobrinha, the Mendes Brothers, Vinicius Draculino, Jean Jacques Machado, Clark Gracie, Leticia Ribeiro, Rafael Lovato, Jr., Sophia and Robert Drysdale, Flavio Almeida, Felipe Pena, Fabio Leopoldo, Abraham Marte, Rodrigo Comprido, Eduardo Telles, Lucas Leite, Joao Assis, Megaton Dias, Johnny Faria, Marcelo “Lapela” Mafra and Laercio Fernandes, to name a few of the big names hanging out at the event.
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Respect your elders.
There were some notable double gold tournament winners across the weekend, and they are as follows: BLUE BELT
Master 1; Rana Qubbaj of The Source MMA Team won her heavy weight division and the absolute.
Master 2: Abongo Humphrey of Brasa won his ultra heavy division and the open class.
PURPLE BELT
Master 1: Anthony Ferrara
of Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu won his heavy weight division and the absolute.
Master 1: Jennifer Case of Renato Tavares Association won her heavy weight division and the open class.
Master 2: Laban Propst of Gracie Barra won his super heavy weight division and the absolute.
Master 2: Sunny Munn of Legacy won her feather weight division and the open class. Master 5: Joao Carlos Silva of Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu won his medium heavy division and the absolute.
BROWN BELT
Master 1: Benjamin Nelson of Relson Gracie won his medium heavy weight division and the absolute.
Master 2: Mike Colon of Gracie Barra won his heavy weight division and the absolute. Master 5: Gay Elgin Cobham of De La Riva Jiu-Jitsu won his heavy weight division and the open class.
Master 6: David Loyst of Gracie Barra won the medium heavy division and the open class.
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BLACK BELT
In the Master 1 black belt division, Abraham Marte, who is a staple on the IBJJF (adult division) tournament scene, took double gold in his ultra heavy division and in the absolute. In his ultra heavy final, he almost finished Comprido with a kimura to win gold and in the absolute final, he submitted Tiago Almeida in 25 seconds to pick up his second gold medal.
Master 1: Leanna Dittrich of Fight Sports won her medium heavy division and the open class.
Master 2: Two legends and fan favorites, Saulo Ribeiro of Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu and Roberto Godoi of G13 BJJ competed in the super heavy final, with Saulo taking gold. Roberto turned around and entered the absolute, edging out Ranieri Albuquerque to get the #1 spot on the podium.
Master 2: Luciana Dias of Gracie Humaita won her heavy weight division and the absolute. Master 3: Richard Martin of Carlson Gracie had a great day, beating Elvis Sinosic of SPMA in the heavy weight division and then defeating Stephen Hall in the absolute final to take double gold for the day.
Master 4: Megaton Dias accomplished quite a feat winning both his feather weight division and the absolute.
Master 6: Brian Beauchamp of Fabricio International won his medium heavy division and the open class.
11/12/14 12:14 PM
FEATURE 114
In one of the most heartwarming stories of the tournament, Master 6 blue belt Marco Pena of Gracie Barra won his first world championship. What really made this story special is that his son, Felipe Pena, also of Gracie Barra, just won his first black belt (gi) World Championship in May after defeating Andre’ Galvao. Felipe was one proud son, holding his dad’s medal out for everyone to see. In another story, Master 1 black belt Marcos Torregrosa of Yemaso BJJ came down to Long Beach to continue his 2014 undefeated tournament roll. Unfortunately, once he got there, he discovered he had a raging staph infection that landed him in the hospital overnight instead of on the mats in the Pyramid. Unable to compete and told by the doctor that his condition was extremely guarded, Marcos ended up driving back home to Sacramento on Sunday just happy that the meds he took
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worked and his condition didn’t get any worse (JJM wishes you a speedy recovery, Marcos!). By the end of the weekend, the team points results were in. Gracie Barra took 1st place in the Male World Master Championship, with Ribeiro JiuJitsu coming in 2nd and Brasa coming in 3rd. In the female division Alliance came in 1st place, Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu 2nd and Gracie Humaita 3rd. The Master Worlds may not have all the “hoopla” surrounding it that the World Championships do in May, but one thing is for sure, this event is motivational, inspirational and educational. With so much talent and so many years of experience on the mats at one time, there is so much to admire and so much to learn, if only just from watching. If you haven’t attended the Master Worlds or competed in it, if you’re the right age to do so, then you must check it out. You definitely won’t be disappointed.
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116 GAINS
Model: Kamuela Kirk Location: Siege MMA/Lotus Club AZ
USING KETTLEBELLS TO UP YOUR GAME Naveed Shan
Karina Rivera
MANY OF THE MOST NOVEL AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS IN THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING INDUSTRY HAVE BEEN AROUND MUCH LONGER THAN PEOPLE REALIZE. Medicine balls, Indian clubs and even exercise bands have been used for more than a century, even though they have increased in popularity in recent years. Another piece of equipment that falls into the category is a kettlebell (KB).
FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE
In both MMA and jiu-jitsu, the kettlebell has been a very popular tool since its re-emergence in the last few years. Many current programs use it solely as a conditioning tool and ignore the strength and power benefits of the kettlebell. While studies have shown that certain kettlebell exercises can increase maximal oxygen uptake (VO2); if used properly, kettlebells can improve strength, power and even joint stability, which are all necessary for jiu-jitsu. Greater difficul occurs due to a mechanical disadvantage since you are using less weight while still creating stress on the body. Due to the lowered weight from kettlebells, you require less recovery time before your next training session in the weight room or on the mat. Kettlebells are not the panacea for all fitness needs, but they can be a great addition to your current training program.
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11/12/14 11:31 AM
Sucks to be a dumbbell, they get no love these days.
KNOW THE BASICS
Below are some of the most effective exercises for jiu-jitsu practitioners. Before you begin, several cues should be mentioned and practiced before performing each exercise in order to prevent possible injury.
DOCTOR’S ORDERS Neutral spine: This is one of the
To begin: stand upright with
most important cues and will ensure safety and effectiveness of the exercise. The spine has a natural curvature, which should be implemented while training without overarching or flexing it. Some have a more rounded thoracic vertebra, which is typical in fighters, while others have a less pronounced curvature.
an abdominal brace, pushing the abdominal wall outward without lifting the chest and ribs excessively upward causing a hyper-extended spine. Your head should be straightforward, tuck your chin without looking down.
Rack Position: This refers to holding the kettlebell in front of the body by creating a shelf with the arms. The elbows should be bent; the wrists straight and your grip should be firm when holding the kettlebells in these positions.
Screw your feet into the ground: This is an optional cue, which is advocated by the top kettlebell practitioners and coaches. During standing exercises, externally rotate (“screw” your feet) to create greater gluteal activation, prevent the knees from caving in and to increase the foot arch. The feet shouldn’t move from this position, but you should develop the tension in your feet. This is more of an individualized cue, as beginners tend to find more benefit from this.
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GAINS 118
ALL THE RIGHT MOVES KB Swing: One of, if not the most fundamental of kettlebell movements is the KB swing, which utilizes the posterior chain for a safe and effective exercise. Hip extension is vital for jiu-jitsu and this is one of the best exercises to increase power. Stand in a hip width position with the kettlebell a foot in front of you. Begin by hinging at the hips, pushing them back until tension is felt on the hamstrings, while grasping the kettlebell handle. You should do your best to keep the shins vertical, as this will prevent it from turning into a “squat swing.” “Hike” the kettlebell back between your thighs, then quickly extend the hips forward. Once the hips are fully extended at the top position, pull the kettlebell back by aggressively reversing the movement, hinging at the hips. Ideal repetition and set scheme: 4-6 sets of 10-12 repetitions
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KB Pull Up: Here’s a fantastic
KB Front Squat: While an athlete
upper body exercise with an added twist that challenges the grip necessary for grappling arts. Most jiu-jitsu practitioners would agree that a healthy grip is vital for the sport and this exercise is perfect to strengthen the muscles of the wrist and finger flexors. Begin by gripping the sides of the kettlebell, which is attached to the pull up bar. Make sure the fingers are not overlapping at the top of the bell, which takes the challenge of the grip away from the exercise. Begin the movement at the bottom position with elbows extended and hanging off of the kettlebell. Pull yourself towards the kettlebell and imagine you are “tucking” your elbows into your sides. Once you have retracted your shoulder blades at the top, slowly lower yourself to bottom position. Ideal repetition and set scheme: 3-4 sets of 6-10 repetitions
may easily be able to perform a 200 lbs barbell front squat, many experienced trainees would find a kettlebell front squat with half that weight very humbling, as this exercise is deceivingly difficult What makes this variation so great is the necessary stabilization required to perform the movement without being as taxing as a barbell squat. Hold the kettlebells in a “racked” position, firmly grasping them and pressing the upper arm into the sides. Begin the movement by breaking at the knees and hips and squat down as deep as possible without pain or posterior pelvic tilt (butt winking). Once you’ve reached appropriate depth, stand back up quickly by pushing the hips forward, and extending the knees. Ideal repetition and set scheme: 4-5 sets of 8-12 repetitions
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NOW PLAYING www.iRoll.tv
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GAINS 120
KB Renegade Row: The renegade row is an effective exercise requiring a high amount of trunk stabilization and control. In most “core” exercises the movements isolate the obliques, rectus abdominus, or transverse abdominus via rotational exercises or spinal flexion exercises like crunches. The renegade row utilizes these movements as stabilizers, while engaging
the musculature of the middle and upper back as well. Jiu-jitsu competitors are often in positions where trunk stabilization is necessary. Begin in a push up position, while firmly grasping the handles of the kettlebells. The Kettlebells should be directly under your shoulders with a moderate-to-wide foot stance (depending on stability and comfort). Begin the
movement by lifting one ettlebell off the ground in a rowing movement, while contracting the upper back and retracting the shoulder blade. Extend the arm back down until the kettlebell is stable on the floor and alternate the movement to the other side. Ideal repetition and set scheme: 3-4 sets of 8-10 repetitions
KB Bottoms Up Press: This is another phenomenal
KB Rack Walk: Loaded
“shoulder friendly” exercise that requires grip strength and shoulder stability, both of which are vital for grappling sports. Begin in a half kneeling position holding the kettlebell on the same side that the knee is down. Firmly grasp the kettlebell upside down or “bottoms up.” Maintain a neutral spine, squeezing the glute of the leg that is down and begin pressing the kettlebell until completely overhead. You should not hyperextend the spine and compensate with the upper pectoral fibers in order to maintain the position. Ideal repetition and set scheme: 3-4 sets of 5-7 repetitions
carrying exercises are great additions to any strength and conditioning program and the KB rack walk is no exception. This movement utilizes the musculature of the upper back similar to a traditional front squat and taxes the trunk and hips as well. Jiujitsu fighters with back issues, who cannot perform crunches or sit ups, can use this exercise to strengthen their cores in an isometric fashion. Begin the movement by standing with the kettlebells “racked” with your spine in a neutral position. Ensure that the ribs are down and that you are not hyper-extended, which is typical when the weight is in front of you. Walk for a set distance and un-rack the kettlebells once the set is complete. Ideal repetition and set scheme: 3-4 sets of 25-40 feet repetitions
THEY’LL MAKE YOU BETTER
Similar to a dumbbell or a barbell, the kettlebell is an incredibly versatile and effective tool in your toolbox. Whether you’re training for strength, power, or overall athletic performance, the kettlebell is a phenomenal piece of equipment that can give you the extra edge you may be looking for on the mat.
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11/12/14 11:36 AM
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11/12/14 2:45 PM
122 MEDIC
HIP PAIN: “Should I Be Concerned?” Dr. Ethan M. Kreiswirth, PhD, TC
PICTURE THIS: YOU’VE INCREASED YOUR TRAINING VOLUME AND INTENSITY FOR AN UPCOMING TOURNAMENT THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED YOU SOME HIP PAIN. Although you have general soreness after a hard training session, your hip pain has not diminished and continues to linger. The question you may have is, “Am I just sore or do I have an injury?” Typically, soreness, which is called “delayed-onset muscle soreness” or “DOMS,”
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lasts for approximately three to five days. Pain and/or soreness in the hip can stem from many structures. These structures can be contractile such as, muscle or tendon, or non-contractile, e.g., ligament, cartilage, bursa, or bone. If your pain lasts longer than DOMS, then an approach to evaluation and assessment should follow.
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You’ve heard about the man with no face?
PSOAS MAJOR
The Anatomy
The hip is considered a deep ball and socket joint that is responsible for a large amount of force transmission to the pelvis and core area. Its ligaments are extremely strong and structured for a wide array of support, as well as movement. The hip joint should have a considerable range of motion in multiple directions (sagittal, frontal and transverse planes). This amount of free motion involves the ability to flex, extend, abduct, adduct, and outward/inward rotate. When motion is restricted, structures may become tight and other structures, such as muscles, may compensate and become injured.
ILIACUS
PIRIFORMIS
TENSOR FASCIAE LATAE ADDUCTOR BREVIS
ADDUCTOR MAGNUS
PECTINEUS
GRACILIS
A
B
ADDUCTOR LONGUS
LLIOTIBIAL TRACT
A
B
Hip Rotation, Prone Medial (A) Lateral (B)
A
B
Hip Rotation, Sitting Lateral (A) Medial (B)
EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT
Evaluation and assessment of the hip can be broken down to issues regarding contractile or non-contractile structures. Muscle and tendon are structures that can become tight or weak causing compensatory movement patterns within the pelvis and hip. Areas that are typically weak or lack response time to engage reaction to forces are the deep hip rotators, core and glutes. In turn, this can cause hip pain due to dysfunctional movement within the hip joint. Additional structures that become tight and painful are the hip flexors and low back. When these structures are “turned on” it can cause the hip joint to “jam” or become tight leaving the feeling of pinching inside the hip joint and persistent pain. In contrast, non-contractile structures, such as bone, ligament, bursa or cartilage can become injured or irritated due to poor hip alignment from the hip muscle tightness.
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Hip Adduction (A) Hip Abduction (B)
Self-Evaluation Made Easy!
While it may be cumbersome to figure out which structure may be injured, there are basic principles to sort through the differences.
1.
If the pain is consistent with self-movement (active) and subsides if another person moves it for you (passive), than you can be fairly certain that there is a contractile (muscles or tendon) issue.
2.
In contrast, if pain is consistent with active and passive movement, in addition to persistent, then non-contractile structures may be involved. In addition to structural pain, an appreciation of movement should be understood. A quick assessment of normal weight bearing and gait analysis (walking) is necessary. If you or the patient is avoiding full weight on the involved hip (fear avoidance) or cannot walk normally, these issues should be identified.
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MEDIC 124
Assessment of Hip Pain
Hip pain can refer to the groin (adductor) region, as well as posterior or lateral hip regions and lower abdominal areas. It’s important to understand location of pain. There are many provocation tests that can be done to better understand which structures may be injured.
C SIGN Test: This test is easily done by placing your hand in a C shape over the outside of your hip. Your hand would land where a person will have the most prominent pain if the joint was injured.
FABER Test: Lie on your back on a table or floor while a therapist passively brings your hip into full flexion, lateral rotation and full abduction as a starting position. Relax. The knee should drop to the floor or table. A positive sign is pain with or without a click in the hip region.
SCOUR Test: This test screens for femoral acetabular impingement or labral tears. Lie on your back on a table or floor while the therapist passively flexes and adducts the hip. The therapist then applies a compressive force at the knee on the knee cap driving directly down to the floor. The hip is then moved through an arc of flexion motion. A positive test is pain in hip region.
REINFORCEMENT OF TREATMENT
SINGLE LEG ROMANIAN DEAD LIFT: While standing on the involved leg, hold a weight in the opposing hand. Tighten your glute while hinging at your hip, providing a teeter-totter affect. Do 2 sets of 6-8 reps.
Once treatment has been covered, theses tissues may now have a new found length that needs to be addressed. Many times, lengthening joints and muscles by distraction places stresses on other muscles if not reinforced through quick corrective exercises. Here are some correctives that may help guide the patient.
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11/12/14 11:54 AM
The Glute Ball Roll can also be done with a foam roller.
Treatment of Hip Problems
Once the issue has been identified, relieving hip joint issues can be as easy as restoring normal motion in a restricted joint or surrounding soft tissues, such as muscle and tendons. Here are some self-treatment ideas prior to training that may help.
Banded Hip Distraction: Let the band pull your hip joint laterally and posteriorly. Do repetitions of 20.
Alternate: For a more intense effect try crossing the leg with the band.
BALL PSOAS (hip flexor) RELEASE:
Banded Hip Flexor Stretch: Tighten your glute on the downed leg while the band pulls anteriorly. Hold for 1-2 minutes.
CORE ACTIVATION WITH HIP FLEXION:
1
2
3
Start with core activation by pressing band into floor. Hands should come down to waist area. Once core is activated, raise the affect leg into hip flexion. Release tension on band after one rep and then restart. Do 3 sets of 6 reps.
4
5
6
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GLUTE BALL ROLL: While sitting on one side, find tender point on glute and perform small oscillations for 1-2 minutes.
Place ball in-between crest of hip and belly button. This is where the psoas muscle lies. Find tendon spot and breathe while placing pressure on the ball. Perform for 30 seconds to 1 minute intervals.
7
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126 MEDIC
HOW DO YOU RATE? UNDERSTANDING YOUR HEARTRATE “Conditioning is your best hold.” Karl Gotch Matt Corley
WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO HAVE LOST A MATCH BECAUSE WE WERE TOO TIRED TO PERFORM UP TO OUR CAPABILITIES. In the eyes of the athlete their perceived problem is a lack of conditioning. The athlete’s thoughts immediately move to adding more conditioning to their current regimen. At a certain level this makes a lot of sense, but like most things in jiu-jitsu it’s never quite so simple or straightforward. We’re going to explore two ways you can measure your current level of conditioning. This
information can be used as a starting point to access how your training is affecting your baseline cardiovascular fitness. For others it could be used to determine if you should allocate your training time to other aspects of training such as strength or technique. Finally, the next time that your jogger friend say she’s in better shape than you are you can give her empiric proof that she’s probably not right.
Resting Heart Rate (rHR)
As your conditioning improves, your heart gets stronger and is able to move a larger volume of blood with each beat. This in turn allows you to meet your body’s needs with fewer beats. Measuring your resting heart rate (aka basal heart rate) is the most commonly used method to objectively measure a person’s overall fitness. Basal heart rate is so common because it is the easiest method, requires the least equipment and has a long history of use for this purpose. Lower heart rates typically correlate with a higher level of fitness and have historically been used as a rough estimate of overall fitness. Measure it first thing in the morning as soon as you wake up. Before any caffeine or excessive movement. Always measure with your body in the same position. For example, always measure while lying down or sitting in a chair. Changes in body position can affect your heart rate.
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Use the same measuring methodology each time. Do not switch between manually taking your pulse, using a heart rate monitor and/or using an app on your phone. Pick one and stick with it.
11/12/14 11:04 AM
Yeah, Mike’s a little prehypertensive, you got a problem with that?
There are many, many ways to measure your resting heart rate. Regardless of the method that is used to measure the beats per minute there are a few factors that should be constant. For more consistent results you should do the following: You’ve set up a consistent environment in which to measure your resting heart rate and it’s time to get to business. The least expensive method is to take your pulse at the wrist or neck for a given period of time and do a little math to determine your beats per minute. There are also dozens of apps that measure your heart rate with the built-in flash. Moving a step beyond that is to pair your phone with a chest strap. Chest straps can transmit information to your phone, iPad or a dedicated monitor and are considered to be the most accurate and versatile tool for measuring heart rate. I mentioned earlier that a low resting heart rate correlates with a higher level of fitness. Your next question should be, “What is low?” In Joel Jamiesons book, Ultimate MMA Conditioning, he states that the majority of the fighters he works with have a rHR in the mid-to-low-50s. For the general population a resting heart of 70 is the standard; below that is good and above it is not.
TAKING YOUR PULSE
Wrist: Finger tips of your index an middle finger on the opposite wrist, slightly below the base of your thumb.
Neck: Finger tips of your index and middle finger on either side of the neck, just below the angle of the jaw. Press lightly to feel the pulse and record the number of beats in 20 seconds. Multiply that number by 3 to determine beats per minute.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) “Providing a glimpse into an individual’s autonomic nervous system profile, heart rate variability measurements accurately pinpoint an athlete’s location on the fatigue-recoverysupercompensation curve.” Joel Jamieson
Your heart beats at a different rate based on your breathing patterns. Your heart rate (HR) may be 60 beats per minute (BPM), however that doesn’t necessarily equate to the metronome-like pattern of 1 beat every second. Sometimes you’ll have more or less time between each beat. Typically, HR speeds up with your inhale and slows down as you exhale. The difference between these two rates is your heart-rate variability (HRV). HRV is a quantitative measurement of how your body is reacting to stress, physical or mental. Higher HRV scores are associated with athletes that are better conditioned and changes in HRV can be used to assess an individual’s recovery from previous training and to determine efficacy of the athletes training regimen.
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Like rHR it is crucial that you have a consistent methodology when measuring your HRV. Some products will provide specific suggestions, but if there aren’t recommendation use the guidelines outlined under rHR on how to consistently measure. Measuring HRV is more complex than rHR and requires some specialized equipment. There are two HRV products that I’m familiar with: iThlete (www.myithlete.com) and BioForce HRV (www.bioforcehrv.com). To use the iThlete HRV app ($9.99) you’ll need a Bluetooth capable chest strap (~$50.00) or an adapter for the strap you already have (~$25) and a device to run the app.
Resting Heart Rate vs Heart Rate Variability There’s really no reason why you can’t test and track your resting heart rate. It’s free, takes a very short amount of time and can give you some good information on your overall health and fitness. If you’re a hobbyist there’s no reason to go beyond rHR. This is also what pretty much everyone who’s not a dedicated athlete uses to determine if they’re “in shape.” In the immortal words of Nigel Tufnel, HRV “turns it up to 11.” To decide if HRV is useful you’ll need to answer the following questions: first, can you commit to measuring your HRV every morning and track fluctuations (the app does the tracking)? Next, are you going to adjust your daily training based on the information you’re given? Finally, can you afford whichever product you choose?
BioForce HRV is purchased for $198 to $258 depending on the package. BioForce HRV is the only product I’m aware of that includes a conditioning manual and that manual is written with fighters in mind. While there are established standards for resting heart rate, HRV is unique to each individual. The rule of thumb is that the higher your HRV the more conditioned you are. Joel Jamieson has mentioned that most of the professional fighters he works with have HRV scores in the 80s and 90s. I want to stress again that the number isn’t as important as the changes you see due to your training.
How Blood Flows Through The Heart Left ommon carotid artery Brachiocephalic artery
Left subcl vian artery Aorta
Superior vena cava Right pulmonary artery
Left pulmona y artery
Right pulmonary veins
Left pulmonary veins Left atriu Right atrium
Atrioventricular (mitral) valve
Atrioventricular (tricuspid) valve
Septum Left ventricle
Right ventricle Inferior vena cava
Superior Vena Cava Inferior Vena Cava
Right Atrium
Rest of Body
Tricuspid Valve
Right Ventricle
Pulmonary Artery
Aorta
Left Ventricle
Lungs
Mitral Valve
Left Atrium
WRAPPING IT UP
I’m a huge fan of HRV monitoring and training IF you’re going to be compliant with data collection, understand the information you’ve been given and make the correct adjustments. If you’re not going to commit to all of those things, just stick with resting heart rate. Do you need it to be successful? Of course not. It’s just another option in the toolbox. The utility of that tool is going to be determined by the end users. For more information on HRV I’d highly recommend the websites already mentioned, as well as Andrew Flatt’s blog:
www.hrvtraining.com
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The Story of
JOE RUDD Normally the majority of us look at how jiu-jitsu helps us in terms of health, confidence, or selfdefense; Joe Rudd’s story is entirely something different, but the story remains the same… Jiu-jitsu changes you for the better.
At approximately 4:30am on July 27th, 2013 Joe Rudd was on his way home from Iowa to Herndon, VA and pulled into a truck stop outside of Columbus, OH. He noticed a couple of teens walking around who appeared to be out of place. After purchasing snacks and exiting the building, the two teens were sitting on the curb right outside the door. Here’s his account of the events as they unfolded: “I see them again, but don’t feel threatened and I walk by. I don’t see them, I don’t hear them, nothing is said, but instantly I feel a tap at the back of my head; it’s a .22 caliber pistol. Without hesitation I jump, turn to face them and the kid pulls the trigger. I’ve been shot, I hear the loudest sounds I’ve ever heard before and my mind is thinking at supersonic speeds. This is all before I hit the ground. The sounds are my eardrums blowing apart and I feel a huge amount of pain on the left side f my face. For whatever reason I’m calm and able to make quick decisions. One of them is standing over me with the gun pointing at my head. I still don’t understand how I heard him say, ’Give me your keys and wallet.’ Maybe I read his lips. I felt that if I just gave him my keys, what would stop him from just finishing me off? So I throw my keys and wallet toward my car, jump up and run to the building as fast as I can. I remember reaching for the doors and waiting to be shot in the back, but the shots never came. Every detail about the door handles are stuck in my memory forever. Inside I kneel down with another customer, who asks me what happened, but I realize the left side f my jaw-bone has been blown apart. I’m still very calm and don’t feel like passing out yet, but it’s probably from not being able to see the damage to my face. Looking down
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into a pool of my own blood, I thought, ‘I may bleed to death.’” It turned out that the teens were on the run and had already killed three people. Joe’s injuries kept him in Ohio for a month and doctors removed one of his ribs to replace his jaw-bone. The bullet shrapnel hit his C1 vertebrae, 1/16 of an inch away from one of the main arteries to his brain. That’s 1/16 of an inch from life or death! He was in a cervical neck brace, had his jaw wired and a tracheostomy tube in his throat for months; all while losing 40 lbs. Infection plagued his face, forcing him onto antibiotics for months. He was unable to sleep flat for fear of choking on the tube, and once removed and able to do so, Joe began having violent episodes of vertigo. For three to four days a week Joe attended both physical and psychological therapy in hopes of stopping the vertigo, regaining muscle, jaw mobility, battling PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and panic attacks. Nothing stopped the vertigo and his panic attacks became more frequent. At one time, Joe’s son trained in jiu-jitsu. He began bringing him back to the mats where he reconnected with friends, but was unable to train himself, so he sat and watched. He was getting his strength back, his panic attacks were fading, but the vertigo was still an issue. Eventually, he pushed himself back into class, but he had troubles getting up from his back. Sometimes he sat in the corner just staring at the mat. No one could see that he was flipping upside down in his head due to the vertigo. Doing jiu-jitsu pushed his mind to adjust to his new equilibrium. His ground state was no longer the same, he kept working supported by his teammates’
encouragement and eventually his vertigo was gone. Joe tells us that his panic attacks subsided as well. He also believes that jiujitsu is responsible for his calm reaction to being shot and is what saved his life. “Jiu-jitsu did what physical and psychological therapy couldn’t for me. I feel if I didn’t have jiu-jitsu on my side I wouldn’t be writing this right now.”
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