BE THE PERFECT JIU-JITSU PARENT - DO IT FOR THE CHILDREN!
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NUTRITION, CONDITION, TECHNIQUE, SUBMIT
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! S U L P ERBS + ER OF H INE A P E H TBUSTAMANT G N I R B URILO WITH M
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ESS? R G O R YS TO P E K R E OW E PROP P H E T H E T C I + PRACT S UNITE! U O Y O EPORT IST R F +D I S C N A A P 15 P ! STU + JIU-JI THE BEST – 20 ND STRETCH ’S RA May 2015 Issue 32 + WHO OUR PARTNE Y + GRAB
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ON THE COVER: The Warmaster Josh Barnett shows us what Catch-As-CatchCan Wrestling is all about. Photo: Jason Boulanger
CONTENTS May 2015 // Issue 32
46 Spotlight
Life 8 Editorial Get comfortable in discomfort
10 News
Isaac Doederlein Makes Rank
86 How-To Jiu-Jitsu Parenting
New stuff, gossip, old stuff and some strange stuff.
20 Promotions Belts and Stripes
86 Event Coverage 2015 IBJJF Pans
Skills 52 Cover Feature Catch Wrestling Hand Control With Josh Barnett
66 Old School Submission Game With Murilo Bustamante
98 How-To Keys to Progress and Setting Goals
MEET THE STAFF
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Mackenzie ARRINGTON
Matthew CORLEY
Dr. Ethan KREISWIRTH PHD,
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.
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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“Naw, it’s not a toothpick, man.”
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102
Mind
Body
102 Mind Games
40 Warm-Up
Pacifism and Jiu-JItsu
Partner Assisted PNF Stretches
114 Success
110 Gains
Jodie Bear Loses Lots of Stones!
Top 3 Core Moves For Jiu-Jitsu
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106 Medic
Fuel
Wrist and Hand Injuries
24 Grub
66
Herbs
32 Supplements Make Every Z Count
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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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 is WhiteBeltProblems. com, a free open-source resource devoted to making jiu-jitsu more accessible for beginners.
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8 EDITORIAL
LEARN THE HARD WAY OUR SOCIETY TODAY IS IN A NEVER-ENDING QUEST TO FIND COMFORT. So many challenges that our ancestors faced, prehistoric and even just a few generations ago, are gone. Today, technology and innovation primarily work on things that bring us additional comfort, like faster cellular service so we aren’t waiting more than a few seconds to watch a video while we’re waiting for someone to make us a coffee. Or drones that can deliver us a new phone case in minutes rather than traveling to the nearest big box retailer filled with all sorts of items just waiting to bring us comfort. Comfort is something we all desire, but in our training, what most people would consider comfort is the enemy. It robs of us our potential, deprives us of improvement and eventually, will defeat us. When we spend time on the mats, we’ll look to avoid getting in a tough position. Maybe as white belts or when rolling against someone much larger or more skilled than us we have no choice, but when our skill level reaches that point that we do have a choice, many grapplers will work like hell to avoid being in an uncomfortable position. Yes, this is a goal within jiu-jitsu. However, if you’re not embracing discomfort when you’re put to the test, either in competition or in a real life situation, you may not know exactly how to respond. When you roll with someone less skilled than yourself, or not as physically powerful, you’re not really learning too much by dominating the roll. Instead, put yourself in the worst position possible, make a couple key mistakes so your partner is on your back or mounted and then work to escape or counter. You’re challenging yourself and your training partner. Your goal is survival then escape and theirs is to finish. Despite the sign at so many dojos around the world that reads, “Leave your ego at the door,” let’s face it – nobody likes to get beaten by a peer. We can take it, we can accept it, but deep down inside we don’t like it. When you find yourself in a really uncomfortable position against an equal or more skilled training partner, embrace those uncomfortable positions. If they’re working hard for a pass that maybe you could have defended or avoided, it’s okay to “allow” them to pass once in a while or accept the inevitable. Put yourself in this unenviable position and while there, embrace the discomfort. See how it feels, notice how you’re breathing, notice whether or not your muscles are clinched. Think to yourself that you will learn to be comfortable when it’s uncomfortable. Training this way will take away a huge weapon from any opponent you should face in competition or in a real life situation. Think about it, when you mount someone and they’re fighting and struggling, breathing hard and using every ounce of energy they have, you know you’ve won. As soon as they settle down you know it’s go time and you can dictate what happens next. But when you move to mount and they’re calm, relaxed and don’t look very stressed, your mind goes to, “Oh no! What’s this guy gonna do next?” Being able to operate from a position that many find uncomfortable and finding comfort in that position will give you the grit and strength to weather any storm. This holds true, not only in jiu-jitsu, but also in life. Find comfort in the uncomfortable. Until next time – keep rolling!
MIKE VELEZ Editor/Publisher
mikev@jiujitsumag.com
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor & Publisher Mike Velez Associate Editor Deb Blyth Assistant Editor Travis Guesnon Contributing Authors Matthew Corley, Dr. Ethan Kreiswirth, Will Sanford, Mike Calimbas, Marshal Carper, MacKenzie Arrington Dave Costello, Will Thompkins
ART & PHOTOGRAPHY
Art Director Dave Palacios Contributing Photographers Jason Boulanger, John Cooper Kenny Jewel, Mike Lee, Mike Calimbas,
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: 909.517.1601 email: info@ jiujitsumag.com. Subscription rates are $39.99 for 12 issues (1 year), $59.99 per year Canada, and $89.99 per year for foreign airmail. All rights reserved, The entire contents are copyright 2015 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 12 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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TRAIN FOR LIFE Caio Terra 9 Time World Champion www.facebook.com/GamenessFightwear @GamenessFightCo www.gameness.com Caio Gameness.indd 1
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10 NEWS TAKE YOUR GAME EVERYWHERE
The all new Gameness Jiu-Jitsu backpack is specifically designed for all your jiu-jitsu needs. It has enough pockets to accommodate a heavy gi, a rash guard and fight shorts in the largest pocket area. Between the large pocket and the middle pocket is a liner that has multiple opponents grappling in a camouflaged format. You’ll find three more pockets in there, making it a great place to store your tablet, phone, wallet, and other items. Roll up your jiu-jitsu belt and it will fit perfectly into the front circle pocket that has breathable mesh on the bottom of it. To the left nd right are two outer pockets that can hold your keys, tape, mouthguard, and other personal items. Large mesh water bottle pockets are on each side and the adjustable shoulder straps, as well as padded back support, complete the backpack. Head over to www.gameness.com and order yours now for $65.
Get A Grip Dude! You may already have heard of JitsGrips, but if you’re not familiar with the product they can be used to work and improve your spider, lasso and De la Riva guards with the use of the latex resistance band as a mock opponent/partner. The handles aren’t what you’d normally think of per se, but instead are two sleeve ends made of gi material to give you the same actual feel as that of grabbing with a gi. This allows you to grab with either a collar, pistol, or spider grip. So, you’ll be simultaneously improving your grip strength. You can also step up your conditioning program by attaching the gi sleeve pieces to any pull-up bar, barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, pulley systems, etc. The complete set is $49.99 and looks to be a great deal. For more information and to order check out www.jitsgrips.com.
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Mark Your Calendars
The date has been set for this year’s ADCC, and it will take place from August 28-30 in San Paulo, Brazil. Champions from the last event in 2013 will receive automatic entry and include the likes of Joao Assis, Kron Gracie, Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles, Michelle Nicolini, Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, Romulo Barral, Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, and Gabi Garcia. The ADCC has always produced an amazing tournament format, but what sets it apart from other events are the super fights that go along with it. This year will pit “Cyborg” against an always game Andre’ Galvao, but they may be taking a back seat to the old school legends who laid the foundation for submission grappling and jiujitsu competitions, as Renzo Gracie looks to exact some revenge on Matt Hughes from their previous UFC fight, while former Brazilian Top Team teammates, Ricardo Liborio and Ze Mario Sperry will battle it out.
www.adcombat.com
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I wonder if Helio would take Haleo?
DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT MINDSET? Haleo is a newer sports nutrition and supplement company, but rather than simply focusing on nutrients that are solely for physical benefit, they’ve delved into the world of the often overlooked mental game. One of their first products, MindSet is an all natural product that looks to improve alertness, focus, cognitive thinking, motivation, and calmness with no side effects like those in chemicals such as caffeine. It’s worth looking into, considering your goals must first be achieved within the mind, before the body can execute them. You can find this product on sale at www.haleo.com.
Has Skynet Invaded Jiu-Jitsu? GRIPS Athletics has released a limited edition gi that looks great and is packed with features known as “The Cyborg.” Some of these features include a COOLMAX® padding of mesh fabric on the shoulder and knee areas so you stay nice and dry, while feeling cool. Triple stitching, reinforced slits, as well as double layer patches run throughout the gi and it’s been steamed and pre-washed for a better fit. The jacket is 100% cotton pearlweave with an extra thick collar. The pants are made of 100% cotton Japanese twill weave and an elastic padded pant drawstring. You’ll also get a drawstring gi bag with your purchase. Total
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damage to your wallet will be $189. Looks good, feels good, expect a gi review soon. Not a gi player? No problem! There’s also a limited edition Cyborg rashguard. It’s made of quick-drying active 4-way stretch Poly Spandex fabric, nylon mesh on the back and obliques areas, has smooth flatlock seams to prevent chaffing, nd has great sublimated graphics where you can see the internal wires, screws, pistons, etc. of a cyborg. The same style graphic is in the shoulder area of the gi jacket. This cool rash guard will run you $64.90.
www.gripsathletics.com
A NEW PLAYER IN SCHOOLS EVERYWHERE
Jimmy Pedro’s FUJI Sports has official thrown its hat into the industry of mats to bring the best quality product for martial arts and yoga flooring systems around. Pedro is a 4x Judo Olympian, a 2x Judo Olympic Bronze Medalist and a 2012 Olympic Judo Coach, so he’s got a pretty good understanding of what grapplers look for when it comes to quality mats. He and his team have done their research, tested their mats and believe they have developed a superior flooring system with the best warranty. There will be two types of surfaces offered. Consumers can choose either the Smooth Series with its smooth, non-slip surface or the Tatami Series that has a traditional textured tatami surface. Both styles of mats come in a standard size of 2 meters x 1 meter (78.75” x 39.38”), incorporate new unique foam core technology for increased performance and superior durability, are made in the USA and are available in either 1”, 1.5”, or 2” of thickness. For pricing check out www.fujisports.com.
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Just A Tease
CTRL will soon be releasing its new lineup of t-shirts. We know, we know… you only care about those awesome, exclusive, limited edition gis that CTRL brings out from time to time. Well, there are two collaboration projects in the works. The first is with Ewokone, depicting a New York theme, that will come in black and will be out either late April or early May on CTRL’s website. If you’re in the New York area however, you will have exclusive access to the grey version of the gi. It’s next project with FMHI (Farmers Market Hawaii) will involve a couple of gis set to release late May. Pics of the gis aren’t available just yet, but we have no doubt they’ll be amazing.
www.ctrlindustries.com
No Lion Is Safe!
TROUBLE IN PARADISE AVERTED
When this year’s upcoming ADCC event decided to change its original dates to that of August 28-30 it appeared to sink (pun intended) the Grapplers Escape before the ship left the dock. However, the staff there has made accommodations for its already scheduled guests and those still interested in attending by rearranging their calendar. The new dates for this amazing cruise are October 4th-11th and it appears that Andre and Angelica Galvao, JT Torres, Felicia Oh, Saulo and Xande Ribeiro are on board (pun intended) to make this one of your best getaways ever! For more info go to www.grapplersescape.com.
(Photos Courtesy: Blanca Garcia for Drex Photos)
It seems to be a recurring theme for us here at JJM with placing “The Lion Killer” Garry Tonon in the news, but he is consistently on the warpath every month terrorizing the competition. His most recent destruction of opposition took place at EBI3 (Eddie Bravo Invitational), where he took home the $10K grand prize from the 16 man welterweight tournament, defeating Atos black belt Josh Hinger in the finals by RNC, after already stopping teammate Eddie Cummings, Karen Darabedyan, and Josh Valles. Going back to Tonon and Cummings, it was awesome to see two teammates willing to go at it in order to advance, rather than one bowing out, which could have easily been done. EBI appears to be a consistent and great event with lots of top level guys competing and a plethora of submissions taking place. There’s no stalling at EBI! We’re very optimistic that the event will draw more black belts and fans in the future.
www.eddiebravoinvitational.com
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NEWS 14
METAMORIS MADNESS The Road To Metamoris (RTM)
Recently Metamoris held a secret tournament that was geared toward super heavyweights and appeared to be the answer as to who would meet Josh Barnett for a shot at his title. Instead the tournament was filmed and will be produced as a reality/competition show that will see the combatants go at it for the title, name recognition and a competitor contract. With all submissions legal, each participant competed in four 15 minute matches, where points were tallied at the conclusion of each match to determine who moved closer to the contract. Season 1 is a pilot, but if successful looks to be the start of many more in a variety of weight classes. One of Season 1’s competitors is an imposing figure named Adam Wheeler. Adam captured an Olympic bronze medal in Greco-Roman Wrestling in ‘08; not
Friedrich, William Wheeler and Warren Brooks.
M6 Card Announced
to mention that he’s a black beltin jiujitsu. Another competitor is the always interesting and fun Travis Newaza, the CEO of Newaza Apparel. Newaza has a ton of grappling achievements and interestingly enough has helped Barnett prepare for many events, including his match against Dean Lister at M4. Others include Daniel Pollaccia, Rick Camarero, Justin “The Creation” Colburn, Tosh Cook, Ray “Kong” Seraile, Jeremy “The BAMF” May, Joseph Moku Kahawai, James “Jimmy”
GET SWEPT OFF YOUR FEET
Senso has come out strong early this year with their lightweight competition gi, “The Sweep.” It’s a beautiful looking gi that includes a 420gsm Pearl Weave 100% cotton jacket. The brushed jacket has an EVA foam collar and a ripstop lapel. The 10oz. 100% cotton twill pants have reinforced knee pads and a lightweight elastic drawstring. High definition embroidery and zig-zag stitching (an exclusive) on all inner tapes run throughout this slim fitting gi. The Sweep is available in sizes A1-A4, as well as an A2W for a great price of $135.00 You can also purchase The Sweep t-shirt to go with the gi or maybe something different, such as The Wakai or The Stamp to clash with it. Each is made on a 50/50 Hanes ComfortBlend EcoSmart T-Shirt with sublimated graphics that will never fade, peel, or crack and is priced at $19.99. If you prefer something a little warmer, the Script Hoodie features the same graphics on an Ash Heather hoodie sweatshirt with a tubular front pocket at $37.00. It may look and feel like cotton, but this 100% spun polyester piece wicks moisture away from skin, dries faster and is odor, bacteria, fungal, and mildew resistant, making it great for warming up in the bullpen.
www.sensobjj.com
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After much speculation that this month’s cover athlete, Josh “The Warmaster” Barnett would meet the winner of the RTM, Metamoris did the old switcharoo’ on us and Barnett will face none other than Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu in the main event, while Jeff “The Snowman” Monson will meet the RTM winner. Rising star Keenan Cornelius will tangle with legend Xande Ribeiro, the American Gangster; Chael Sonnen looks to exact some revenge from 2005 against another fellow former MMA fighter Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Clark Gracie plans to put a stop to Roberto Satoshi going Super Saiyan, and Dillon Danis meets UFC star Joe Lauzon.
www.metamoris.com
R.I.P. NICHOLAS RECANATI The staff here at JJM would like to send our condolences to the Recanati family and friends of Nicholas. At the young age of 18, Nicholas was a 12 year veteran of our beloved art, an exceptional competitor, and the co-owner and head instructor for the Little Ninja and Warriors program at Xtreme Gracie/Fight Sports Jiu-Jitsu in Clermont, Florida. We hear that Nick was an amazing person and he will be dearly missed. It’s only fitting that his former instructor, Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, took his own black belt and symbolically presented it to Nick at the memorial service. His family has put together a Memorial Scholarship Fund, with 100% of the donations guaranteed toward its use. If you’d like to donate to the cause, you can do so at:
www.gofundme.com/ogbf0g. www.facebook.com/nick.recanati
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“THERE YOU GO, YOUNG BLOOD”
David Elliot of AOJ (Art Of Jiu-Jitsu) wanted to give back to the sport that has given him so much. With connections from the Mendes brothers, he was able to do so through the help and vision of Ricardo Vieira’s jiu-jitsu program to keep kids out of gangs and drugs. Eventually, David traveled to Brazil with 30 gis and $1,500 he accumulated through fundraising, that were all donated to the cause. For the full story check out tinyurl.com/jjmnews32
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WANT TO BE AN OJIMASTA? We’re not quite sure what “Ojimas” means for sure, but one thing we do know is they have a new apple flavored drink mix designed specifically for jiu-jitsu athletes. The OSU drink mix is a pre-roll supplement catered to providing more energy and bumping up your endurance so you can roll more frequently, while simultaneously fighting muscle fatigue. It contains Spirulina, Siberian Ginsent, Creatine, Beta-Alanine, L-Tyrosine and more. For more information check out their website. www.ojimas.com.
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We especially like the Strawberries and Cream.
ANYTHING HELPS
There’s a lot of politics within the jiu-jitsu community, but the one thing everyone can agree on is helping those in need. Luis “The Bear” Morales suffers currently from 8 different autoimmune diseases and is in desperate need of a Bone Marrow Transplant. It’s difficul for us to explain, so we suggest you read his story on www.gofundme. com/oe37s8. With a little help from the jiu-jitsu community, we can lighten the load for this young man and his family.
www.facebook.com/HopeForLuis
KILLIN IT WITH BARS!
KILL CLIFF is known for making some mighty tasty recovery drinks. Well now they’re gettting into the bar business with their new line-up of KC BARs. Each bar contains between 20 and 21 grams of protein, only 2 to 4 net carbs, is gluten free, with no sugar added, no artificial colors, and no artificial flavors. Available in four flavors we’ve been testing them for a while and they’re good! www.killcliff.com
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NEWS 18
AGE AIN’T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER Scott Penley and Myles Klein are proving that it’s never too late to start training in the beautiful art we all know and love. These two gentlemen and grandfathers are truly inspiring. They took up jiu-jitsu and train under the Valente brothers in Florida. At the young ages of 75 and 76 both hold the rank of purple belt. Check out video coverage from Fox WSVN, Channel 7 News on www.iroll.tv and enter the title above in the search box.
Spreading The Word When someone mentions West Africa, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t jiu-jitsu, but that may soon change thanks to the Lion Heart Initiative and its creator, Armand Rupert. The Lion Heart Initiative is a non-profit endeavor to introduce and grow regulated MMA in the area. A nearly 30 minute long prequel film titled, “Rollin’ In Dakar” previews just some of what takes place as five members of KOA Martial Arts (www.staffordbjj.com) immerse themselves into the culture. The short film can be viewed on www.iroll.tv by putting “Rollin’ In Dakar” in the search box.
EVERYTHING’S BIGGER IN TEXAS
There was a slew of competitors that came out for NEWBREEDS first of three scheduled visits to the Dallas area. With such a great turnout, expect the next two events to be even bigger! In the Youth/Teen Division, Team Sidekick ended the competition by edging out Bushido MMA and Vagabond BJJ, while Alvarez BJJ grabbed their own Shogun Team Trophy in the Adult Division, followed by Octagon MMA and Oak Cliff Kickboxing Academy. Leave June 13th on your schedule open, so you can be part of the next big event in Dallas!
www.newbreeduc.com
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We wouldn’t want to say that you look like a certain “man” that would be “batty.”
Holy Kimono’d Crusader From the mind of designer Jon Bonalow and Modern Flow comes the new “Forever” gi, that takes a page out of one of, if not the most iconic superheroes ever. If you’re a fan, this may just be the gi for you. After all, it’s not important who you are underneath, but what you do on the mats that defines you.
Always Seek To Progress Order and Progress is a relatively new apparel brand making a big splash within the jiu-jitsu community. The companies gear is appealing to the eye, comfortable, durable, and great whether used for athletic purposes or just hanging out.
www.seekprogress.com
www.modernflowbrand.com
DA FIRMA BLACK GOLD
Da Firma Kimono Company says that if you wear black you’ll win gold! If that holds true then you’re definitely going to want to scoop up one of these limited edition kimonos set to be released soon. Not a lot of details yet but from the looks of it, it looks pretty solid. Chances are they’ll have a size to fit you, Da Firma prides themselves on more sizes available for most of their gi’s than anyone. Up to 12 sizes in some cases from A0 to A5 with lots of short, medium and long sizes in between. Check out their site for more details on Black Gold.
www.dafirmabjj.com
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20 PROMOTIONS
ALL FOR LOVE AFTER LEAVING HER FAMILY IN LOS ANGELES FOR A NEW LIFE WITH HER FIANCE’ IN THE MIDDLE OF WISCONSIN, JANINE CALARA STARTED JIU-JITSU AS A WAY TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HER JIU-JITSU OBSESSED COUNTERPART. She was awarded her blue belt by UFC veteran and Pedro Sauer black belt, Jeff “Big Frog” Curran and is rapidly gaining on her future hubby, while training at One World Martial Arts in Appleton, WI. Not to be outdone, Courtney Pratt, along with her partner in crime, Steven Greencorn, convinced her to try jiu-jitsu out, and not only did they get promoted to brown belt with each other by Edgard Lucke of the Cia Paulista Lineage at Bushido Kai in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Steven proposed to her on the podium at last year’s IBJJF Montreal Open. Congratulations to all of you on your promotions and we wish you much happiness in your marriages!
Respect!
“Blood Makes You Related,...
...But Loyalty Makes You Family.” Newbie practitioner, Cory Williams could have stayed close to home to train, but after his instructor Joe Baize returned back to his roots under Josh Johnson and Luiz Palhares at Team1BJJ, he opted to follow him instead. After many daunting hours of training, his decision paid off and he says it’s one of the best he’s ever made, as he was promoted to blue belt. Good stuff, Cory!
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Always nice to hear when someone’s peers choose to honor them, just as Tony and Pamela Flores of Evolution MMA in San Antonio, TX have done so here. The two would like to congratulate Tim Holman on his black belt promotion from Mike Budnik after many, many years of training. They describe Tim as a very humble individual who gives credit to so many others before himself and instructs others extremely well, while making the learning experience easy and very rewarding. Oss!
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“High Res” people!
Judo…No…Jiu-Jitsu?
Congratulations to Richard Allen of Coachella Valley Judo and Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Palm Desert, CA on receiving his purple belt from owners and instructors, Anthony Mantanona (left) and Daniel McCown (right). Awesome job, Richard!
The Doctor Is In
Better In Blue
Out with the old and in with the blue! Greg Zabinski, Kevin Kao and Winthorpe Burke are all happy now that they’ve got out of the white belt stage and they look forward to bigger and better things while training under the watchful eye of Sam Joseph of Buckhead Jiu-Jitsu in Atlanta, Georgia. Great job to all three of you!
Dr. Tom Deters (center) has been featured in a couple of videos on www. iroll.tv speaking about PNF stretching and dealing with injuries while training in jiu-jitsu. Well, now he can add another title to his name, as he recently completed a 10-day training camp with Eduardo Guedes and at the conclusion of it he was promoted to black belt. He may be a doctor, but like many of us he’s suffered strains, sprains, dislocations, muscle ruptures and a concussion or two after 7-½ years, but says he wouldn’t trade it for a second. Now as an instructor, his mission is to instill the passion and lifelong love of jiujitsu to anyone and everyone he can. Way to represent, Tom! Congratulations and OSS!
We Salute You!
We’d like to thank Sgt. EJ Weeks for his service! As a practitioner at Dojo1 Martial Arts Academy in Utica, NY, EJ was promoted to blue belt by Len Sonia after many years of training. He had some breaks in training due to being deployed to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum and was injured by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device), but we’re happy to hear that after receiving a Purple Heart medal of honor he’s found his way back to the mats. We have no doubt that he’ll soon have a new belt that matches it. Congratulations, Sir and thank you again!
“I Am The Law!”
After 6 years of training, full-time NYPD officer, Ryan West was promoted to brown belt by Alexandre “Soca” Freitas of Soca BJJ in Long Island, NY. Nice job, Ryan!
Email SEND US YOUR HIGH RESOLUTION 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
“HERB” YOUR GREEN BELT
IN THE ART OF SUBMITTING YOUR TASTE BUDS. MacKenzie Arrington
FOOD SHOULD TASTE GOOD, RIGHT? In past articles I have mentioned that we have taste buds and foods have flavors for a reason; eating should be a pleasurable experience. The simple detail that is often overlooked and truly makes one recipe stand out from another is the seasoning, that’s right, herbs and spices. The same applies with Jiu-Jitsu, everyone can do a guillotine, but the subtle nuances and details are what make the move work for you. Understanding the basic flavor profiles and uses of the most common herbs will bring your rice from run-of-the-mill to Marcelo-super-star status! (Get it? I am still on the guillotine reference here.)
much like going into any war, we know that it is won by who wins the right battles. Nothing can turn the tide of your culinary war than winning the pivotal Battle of Seasonings. Besides salt and pepper, the most important seasoning agents would be herbs. There are so many different types out there and if you are just now mastering how to cook a chicken breast correctly how are you supposed to know which herb goes with fish best? Well, that is what I am here for. Gather around because today’s demo is all about how to understand and best use the most common herbs on the market to elevate your kitchen game to new heights.
Some days cooking a meal can be looked at as a war. It can be painstaking, messy and leave you feeling like all hope is lost, but
“Knowing is half the battle” – G.I. Joe Grub - Herbs.indd 1
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10th Planet fans are probably really disappointed at this point.
WHAT IS AN HERB?
Herbs are the leaves of a plant that are commonly very aromatic and used in cooking. The seeds, bark and roots of similar plants fall into the category of spices, thus we have “herbs and spices.” We will save the spice category for another day. Since we are focusing on herbs we need to figure out the difference between dried and fresh herbs. So, which should you buy? Well, the applications are very different for each.
FRESH: A fresh herb is exactly what it sounds like, fresh. You have seen them in nice green bunches lining the vegetable aisle of the grocery store. Fresh herbs have very bold flavor and aromatic qualities when used in cooking. They are ideally used for roasting, sautéing, and chopped raw to be mixed into finished foods, such as salads, grains and starches.
STORAGE TIP
Don’t want your fresh herbs turning to mush the next day? Wrap the stems of your herbs in a damp paper towel and store in ziplock baggies in the fridge to extend their shelf life and maintain healthy, happy herbs…that you are then going to eat.
DON’T THROW MONEY AWAY
When working with fresh herbs you will notice you cannot buy “only what you need.” More often than not you will go into the super market needing only 1 Tbsp of chopped herbs and you will leave with a giant bunch of herbs in your hand. Don’t use only what you need and let the rest of the bunch spoil in the fridge. Make your own dried herbs!
1.
Separate the herbs into a few smaller bunches and tie the stems together tightly with a bit of string. As the herbs dry the stems shrink, so tighter is better, just like your triangle.
2.
Hang the bundles of herbs upside down in a cool dry area of the house that has good air flow and in about 2-4 weeks, Boom! Dried herbs!
3.
DRIED: Herbs that have been dried lose a bit of their robust flavor and need help to bring out their deliciousness. You will need to reconstitute the flavors of dried herbs by slightly crushing or rubbing them with your fingers and then adding them to a liquid, be it water, fat or oil. In water the herbs essentially make a tea and in oil or fat they infuse with the oil. So, the best way to use a dried herb is by steeping or infusing.
LIFE HACK ALERT: Need those dried herbs now or hate waiting? Pop the herbs onto a plate making sure not to overcrowd it. Then microwave them for 1 minute.
Steeping Defined: To soak in water or other liquid, to extract flavor. Infusing Defined: To imbue flavor.
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MOST COMMON HERBS Parsley
General Info: A useless herb that is just used for decoration. April Fools! Well, there is some truth in that statement. A lot of people commonly view Parsley as a decoration herb used just for color, so they use it liberally and unknowingly are adding one of the most nutritious and healthy herbs there is! Boom! Who knew, right?
Flavor: Parsley is the most universally used herb there is. The flavor is fairly welcoming and vibrant. What do I mean by that? I have never met anyone that has said, “Yuck! Is there parsley in this?” That is because it has an excellent supporting flavor that does not stand out on its own when used for cooking, but rather helps elevate and enhance the flavors around it.
TIP
When using fresh herbs, such as Parsley it is always a good move to rinse them lightly under cold water and shake them dry to get any left ver dirt or sand off the leaves. Sand is not a spice, don’t season your food with it.
Cilantro
General Info: Cilantro (coriander) is one of the oldest known herbs being used up to 5,000 years ago all across the globe. Cilantro is fresh coriander and has a similar look to parsley, but the leaves have a little more frill to them. The biggest indicator to tell the difference is the smell and of course, the taste. Cilantro is widely used for its citrus-y taste and bright flavor. So the smell of it will be easily distinguished from the grassy smell of parsley. Cilantro is unique in the way that I almost always use both leaves and stem in cooking; full utilization, baby! Flavor: Pungent and citrus-y for sure. Imagine that authentic taco you had that one time and kept thinking, “This is delicious, but what is that flavor?” That was cilantro more often than not. Or on the flip side what makes cilantro unique is some people have an aversion to it and instead of being citrus-y and delicious, it is soapy and metallic tasting. In this case, maybe cilantro isn’t for you.
finish your foods to maximize flavor. Cilantro can get bitter if over cooked, though so be careful if you are going to cook with it. Tastes best with: Avocado, chicken, fish, ice cream, lamb, lentils, mayonnaise, pork, rice, root vegetables, salsa, tomatoes, and yogurt.
Dried or Fresh? Fresh parsley should be your introduction herb. Imagine that learning how to cook with herbs is like learning BJJ. Parsley is your guard, the first thing you should learn how to use. Tastes best with: Eggplant, eggs, lemon, lentils, mushrooms, pasta, potatoes, poultry esp. chicken, seafood esp. fish and mussels, tomatoes and zucchini. Season: Year-round Benefits: Rich source of Antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Also, parsley is a great source of folic acid, which is one of the most important B vitamins when it comes to promoting a healthy heart. Another bonus is the fact that there are two unique compounds found in Parsley that inhibit tumor formation and help eliminate molecules and carcinogens that would otherwise damage the body.
the same time of year. Benefits: Contains an antibacterial compound that hates Salmonella. I wonder if this is why cilantro is so commonly attributed to cuisines that are heavily chicken influenced…Man, ancient civilizations were smart even before the Internet!
Season: Hit or miss. Cilantro is grown Year-round, but there are so many variables that affect its flavor. One summer your cilantro could be rich and flavorful, the next the same plant could produce bland, weak cilantro during
Dried or Fresh? Fresh is the way to go. Use the leaves and chopped stems to
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Thyme
General Info:
Flavor: Thyme is very tricky flavor-wise because there are so many damn varieties. The most common thyme you will be buying will have a subtle dry flavor that is slightly mintlike. The flavor is a bit more subtle than the smell, so do not be fooled and use it too sparingly. Dried or Fresh? Fresh is the best! But here I will say it is a very close call because fresh vs. dried have their own flavor profiles. When I imagine what I would think dried herbs would taste like, that is what thyme is like. It is a very universally applicable dried herb. I would always
opt to use thyme you dried over store bought, though. Tastes best with: Beef, carrots, chicken, figs, fish, lamb, lentils, onions, peas, pork, potatoes, soups, tomatoes, and venison. Season: Year-round Benefits: I don’t know where to begin, besides being loaded with vitamin C, A, iron, copper, and dietary fiber, thyme has natural antibacterial and antimicrobial properties! You heard me correctly; thyme has been long used in teas as a remedy for coughs, chest congestion and antimicrobial activities against some heavy hitters, such as Staph.
Basil
THYME FOR A TIP
When you see thyme used in a recipe it will most often than not be referred to as a “sprig.” This is what thyme is sold as, a bunch of sprigs. A sprig would consist of one “branch” out of the bunch of thyme you bought. Remember to remove the stem after cooking. Don’t want to add the stem in? Simply gently pinch the top of the sprig and run your fingers down to the root end and the leaves will pop right off!
General Info: Very picky herb. Basil is very commonly found in both fresh and dried forms. Fresh Basil requires some TLC because if handled incorrectly it turns to garbage really fast. There are many different types of basil, but most commonly you will be buying “Sweet Basil.”
Dried or Fresh? If you are cooking recipes that call for basil often and have a sharp knife, use fresh basil. The flavor is hard to beat. For average cooks go with dried basil, it is less of a headache. Also, use more than you would think you will need or more than a recipe calls for because it loses a lot of its gusto.
Flavor: If you want to think of what basil tastes like, imagine Italian food on your taste buds. Basil has a bold, mildly sweet flavor that also has hints of sharpness. It can easily be mistaken for mint on some days until you get the peppery bite.
Tastes best with: Cheese, especially mozzarella and parmesan, chicken, crab, duck, eggplant, eggs, fish, lamb, olive oil, onions, pesto, pizza, pork, potatoes, rabbit, salad greens, shrimp, sweet peppers, tomatoes, veal, and vinegars.
Season: Year-round. Basil is a hardy plant with a ton of hybrid variations. So, there is a guarantee that throughout the year, you will be able to find one if not many varieties. Benefits: Natural anti-bacterial and antiinflammatory properties are associated with basil. Along with those awesome qualities basil contains beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A), along with magnesium, iron, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins K and C, all of which are key in a healthy cardiovascular system.
FREEZE RIGHT THERE!
If you are not feeling like hanging herbs up around your house like a witch doctor or your crazy hippy aunt, there is an alternative. Freezing your left ver herbs is a great way to utilize leftovers. Make sure to chop the herbs up and place them in airtight containers before freezing.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: If you are going to freeze herbs do not thaw them before you use them, just add them in as is or else you might be left with mushy herbs. “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”
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Hopefully your gym bag has a compartment to keep your mint fresh.
FUN FACT
Rosemary will spark a distant food memory of yours not just because of the taste, but because rosemary has a reputation for improving memory, to the point that it is used as a symbol of remembrance during commemorations and funerals by being worn or tossed into a grave.
Rosemary
General Info: Prickly and aromatic herb that will remind you of pine needles. That is because they are in the same family, evergreens. Rosemary is a very pine-like herb in appearance and scent.
January when, of course it is still sitting in your house all withered up and dry, does it still smell as refreshing? Smell and taste are closely related, especially when we are talking herbs.
Flavor: Rich, bitter and astringent when raw, charred wood and mustard-like flavors when cooked. Rosemary has the ability to always spark a memory of a roasted dish of some sort you have had in the past.
Tastes best with: Beans, fatty fish; especially mackerel and salmon, grains, lamb, mushrooms, oranges, peas, pork, potatoes, poultry; especially chicken, spinach, steak and veal.
Dried or Fresh? Opt for fresh. Dried rosemary loses a lot of the flavor because it is losing essential oils which transmit the flavors to our taste buds. Think of a Christmas tree, when you first get it how does it smell? Amazing, right? Now think of that same tree in the middle of
Mint
General Info: Not just for desserts and bubble gum! Mint is sold in two forms, peppermint and spearmint. Peppermint has a purple hue and the leaves are a bit more “spear-shaped” and confusingly enough spearmint has rounder leaves with paler color. Flavor: Both are great in desserts as we know, but I really love what they can add to a savory application. Both have a bit of a vegetal flavor mixed with peppery notes. Imagine what you would think chlorophyll would taste like seasoned with pepper. Spearmint is less peppery than peppermint and more of a refreshing and cool flavor. I prefer using spearmint for lighter dishes that are steamed and peppermint for my roasted and rich flavored dishes. The subtle flavors of the spearmint are muddled easily.
salad, goat, ice cream, lamb, lemon, lentils, mushrooms, oranges, peppers, pork, potatoes, rice, salsa, salad greens, and yogurt. Season: Year-round Benefits: Both contain antimicrobial oils that will help prevent the growth of certain bacteria. Also, mint is known to be a great source of vitamin C and copper. The oils found in mint have also been shown to help prevent against certain types of cancer and stop the growth of tumors. I am not saying if you have a tumor drink a tub of mint oil, but a little safeguard added into your diet never hurts.
Season: It is part of the evergreen family…let that soak in for a second. Ok, ok, Year-round. Benefits: Rosemary is associated with circulatory health and promoting your immune system. Also a great benefit is the fact that it makes roasted chicken taste fantastic.
MINT, YOUR NEW PRE-COMPETITION RITUAL
Why has peppermint been dominating the cough drop and chewing gum circuit? That is because mint has a substance called rosmarinic acid that encourages cells to create prostacyclins that aid in keeping your airways clear. In addition to that, mint has been shown to relieve symptoms of indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome and upset stomach. Before the next IBJJF tournament, mint sales will be through the roof!
Dried or Fresh? Fresh, I don’t think I’ve seen dried mint besides “candied mint” which you can make by melting equal parts water and sugar together; let it cool and then dip mint leaves in it. Slap the leaves into a dehydrator for a few hours and presto! What a delicious snack. Tastes best with: Black beans, carrots, chocolate, cream, duck, eggplant, fruit
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Dill
General Info: Do you like Salmon or pickles? Then dill is right for you. Dill is a very bright flavored herb. Dill is part of the celery family and is most commonly associated with Russian and Scandinavian cuisine. A very refreshing herb that is perfect for the summer. Flavor: The smell is very strong and delicate and the taste is spicy and borderline tangy, but not offensive. Dried or Fresh? Fresh, fresh, fresh. Dried dill loses almost all of its flavor and the amount you have to use really becomes a hindrance because you will be picking it out of your teeth for days and never truly getting the best part, which is the flavor.
Tastes best with: Beets, bread, cabbage, carrots, chicken, cucumbers, cream, eggs, fish especially salmon, lamb, pickles, potatoes, scallops, sour cream, tomatoes, and veal. Season: Summer – Early Fall Benefits: A natural anti-bacterial spice that is also a great source of calcium. That means strong bones! Also, dill shares the same protective qualities against carcinogens as basil, but in lesser quantities.
ARE YOU A SOUP ENTHUSIAST?
If the answer is, “Yes,” then you are going to love this trick. Take an ice cube tray and fill each cube with chopped herbs or a special blend of herbs, add enough water to cover and then pop them into the freezer. Now when you are making soup, sauces or your slow cooker simply pop a flavor cube or two into the mix!
Grappler Gourmet Master Herb Blend Mint | Basil | Cilantro 1 Tbsp | 1 Tbsp | 1 Tbsp
1.
Chop the herbs fine with a sharp knife.
2.
Mix the herbs together.
3.
Add a pinch or two to your quinoa, vegetables, salad or meat. It will, without-a-doubt, reshape any boring diet or elevate any meal. Best fresh, ok dried, better frozen.
CONCLUSION
We all have those recipes that we cook time and time again. Whether it is once every couple weeks or every single night, we will get bored. Cooking is much like a relationship, it is much better when done with love and sometimes you need to learn how to spice things up a bit. Herbs are the answer to your prayers, not only do they pack an endless combination of flavors that will enhance any dish if used properly, they are adding a ton of nutrients and minerals that you would not be getting otherwise with minimal effort. Go buy yourself a bouquet and present it to your kitchen, she will be happy. If you are itching for more tips, guides and recipes remember to get out GrapplerGournet.com. Until next time, eat well, train hard. Oss.
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32 SUPPLEMENTS
MAKE EVERY Z COUNT! Will Tompkins
YOU’VE HEARD HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GET 7-9 HOURS OF GOOD SLEEP EACH NIGHT. This is when your body heals itself. When thinking about recovery most athletes think about sore muscles, but you also need to consider your structural system of ligaments, tendons and joints, your hormonal system, and your neurological system.
You can purchase all of the individual supplements listed in the article, but we’ve found several products that combine ingredients to offer a ready-made solution for athletes. Here are our favorites:
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The demands of daily life and heavy training take a toll and if you skimp on sleep it will cost you. So, in addition to making sure your schedule allows enough time, here are some additional things you can do to make your sleep count and maximize your overnight recovery. Imagine going to sleep as Clark Kent and waking up as Superman!
Ronnie Coleman’s Resurrect-P.M.
Resurrect-P.M. is the unique combination of ingredients that Ronnie took while competing in order to maximize his recovery. Ronnie was known to sleep only 5 hours a night, and when questioned about how he managed to recover with so little sleep, he replied that he slept HARD. This formula is designed to replicate his experience and pack 8 hours of sleep into a 5-hour night.
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What are you doing with your phone in bed?
THE BASICS Stay Hydrated
Make sure you are getting enough water throughout the day, especially before, during and after training. In order for your body to be effici t with repairs and growth it needs to be hydrated properly. Drinking water throughout the day is better than trying to drink a large amount right before bed.
Avoid stimulants after 3pm
A lot of athletes have a bit of a slump a couple hours after lunch and might grab a coffee, energy drink, or energy supplement. Caffeine can stay active in the bloodstream for up to 5 hours and has a greater effect on men than women, according to recent studies. Some stimulants popular in
Q5’s Overnight Recovery MaxiStak
herbal energy supplements can remain active as long as 8 hours. No stimulants after lunch is the best policy, but the later in the afternoon you take them, the more chance they will interfere with your natural sleep cycles.
Avoid Electronic Screen Use for 1 hour before bed
Studies show a dramatic improvement in overall sleep quality and time to fall asleep when participants avoided all electronic screen use for at least one hour before bed. This means turning off the TV, iPhone or computer a little earlier. You can use this time to catch up on reading (perhaps JJM?) or doing some…
MaxiStak is designed to help your body produce the maximum possible natural level of growth hormone during sleep, so that you wake up well rested with fewer aches and pains. Your body produces less growth hormone as you age and this formula was designed to offset that loss. It works best on grapplers over 30.
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Bedtime Yoga
Yoga before bed improves sleep. Even if you don’t have time for a full practice, a simple slow yoga sequence just before bed will help you physically and psychologically prepare for a good night’s sleep. If you only have 10 minutes, try this simple practice just before climbing into bed. You can thank me in the morning.
Lizard Pose for 10 – 15 breaths each side.
Locust Pose for 10 – 15 breaths.
Standing Forward Bend for 10 breaths.
Head of the Knee Pose for 15 breaths.
Savasana to finish for 3 minutes.
SNAC ZMA -5
SNAC ZMA-5 combines a unique formulation of zinc, magnesium, vitamin B-6, and 5-HTP to increase slow wave sleep (deep sleep stages 3 and 4) and REM sleep (dreaming). This formula is designed to help improve the quality of sleep without making you sleep longer or wake up groggy.
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SUPPLEMENTS 34
NUTRITION AND SUPPLEMENTATION
Your body needs the right building blocks to speed its recovery and repair. Here are the top supplements you should consider incorporating into your bedtime routine if you want to wake up feeling like Superman instead of Clark Kent.
Casein Protein Casein makes up about 80% of the protein in cow’s milk. Casein is a solid protein that forms a gel when ingested, making it very slow digesting. (Casein’s cousin whey is a very fast digesting protein.) This fact makes it ideal for providing your muscles with a steady trickle of vital amino acids for hours after you go to sleep.
ZMA
ZMA is a blend of zinc, magnesium and Vitamin B-6 in a special form and ratio. Many athletes are deficient in both zinc and magnesium, which are critical minerals for a variety of processes, including testosterone production, which is extremely beneficial for recovery. It’s important to remember that calcium interferes with zinc and magnesium absorption, so ZMA should not be consumed with calcium. Casein protein listed above is high in calcium, so take your ZMA about an hour before bed and your casein right before bed.
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Glutamine
L-Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue and plays a crucial role in many processes related to protein synthesis, energy production and recovery. Studies show that taking Glutamine before bed can help to raise growth hormone levels, which also has a huge effect on your overall recovery. Mix 5 grams of powdered L-Glutamine into your casein protein just before bed.
Amino Acids as Growth Hormone Secretagogues There have been numerous studies showing that some amino acids administered in the correct dosage and combination can act as growth hormone secretagogues. This means that they can stimulate your body’s natural production of growth hormone to help accelerate repair and recovery and lock in muscle and
strength gains, as well as improve sleep; specifically, the amino acids L-glutamine (mentioned above) and the pairs L-arginine with L-ornithine and L-lysine with glycine. It’s important to emphasize that this is a natural effect and not the same as injecting HGH. You won’t test positive for PEDs or experience negative side effects by naturally encouraging your body to raise your growth hormone levels. L-ornithine also has the added benefit of helping you to fall asleep and calming a busy mind.
Melatonin
If you’re having trouble falling to sleep even after taking the above steps, you can try the supplement melatonin. Melatonin is produced in very tiny amounts by the pineal gland when we see it’s
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You should be reading JJM on the Jiu-Jitsu Mag App!
getting dark. The melatonin helps regulate the body’s sleep cycle, but we don’t always produce enough, especially as we get older. Melatonin works differently for everyone, so it’s best to start off with very small dosages (larger doses are not helpful and may not work as well) and see if your body responds. Take your melatonin at the same time as your ZMA.
Valerian Root
Valerian root has been used for at least 2,000 years to support healthy sleep and relaxation. The Greek physician Dioscorides mentioned it in 400 AD. You can take valerian in a tincture or as a tea, but most people don’t enjoy the taste so
capsules are more popular. It is safe to take valerian with melatonin and the two can work synergistically to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
GABA
GABA is actually an amino acid with a unique role. It is called an inhibitory neurotransmitter for the central nervous system. In other words, it settles down excitability throughout the nervous system and calms the mind.
CONCLUSION
Good sleep is the single most important thing you can do to help your body recover from tough training. If you wake up groggy, feel sluggish throughout the day, or seem to take too long to heal from minor injuries, make sure to take a look at your sleep habits and try to improve them.
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40 WARM UP
PARTNER ASSISTED PNF STRETCHES A BETTER GUARD… HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT? Dave Palacios
“YOUR GUARD IS LIMITED. The faster that you can move your feet around, and to more spots, the better your guard is. If your guard is like this (demonstrating a limited ROM aka range of motion), people are going to blast through your guard,” Eddie Bravo said when speaking about flexibility and work ethic (to gain better flexibility) in a YouTube video, courtesy of Submissions 101, back in 2007. He touched on being flexible in the hips and also within your knees and the groin area as well.
WHO DOESN’T WANT A BETTER GUARD?
I know I certainly do. I’ll be the first to say that my flexibility isn’t all that, but hearing “30 minutes” when there’s 1,440 minutes in a day doesn’t seem unachievable at all! I don’t think I’m going too much out on a limb when I say that the fact of the matter is that all of us want to be the best we can possibly be in jiu-jitsu, right?
TOO MUCH GOOD STUFF
Though it may not be in a jiu-jiteiro’s initial plans and goals of becoming more flexible, through stretching our bodies we also reap other benefits, such as increases in ROM (which is actually the real goal), improved posture, enhanced muscular relaxation, better blood circulation, lubricated joints from the production of synovial fluid, aligned joints for better coordination, improved mechanical efficiency and
Travis Guesnon
Though the video is nearly 8 years old, it’s very telling in terms of the landscape of today’s jiu-jitsu. While some practitioners may not have the flexibility of Bravo, there are quite a few at the highest level who have more than enough and certainly more than the majority of us. Initial wisdom may have you thinking that you can never get there, but one thing that Bravo also mentions in the video is “30 minutes a day.”
functional performance, decreased muscle stiffness, reduced risk of injury and low back pain, reduced or managed stress, reduced muscular tension, and relieved post-exercise aches and pains.
MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
There are a variety of stretches and they all have the same goal, which is to improve your muscles’ elasticity in order to become more flexible, as well as to increase your range of motion and muscle control. However, science is and has been backing up one particular type of stretch as being the best of the best if you had to choose only one. PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) has shown with amazing results that it promotes the greatest increase in ROM in the quickest amount of time. It has also been proven to reduce injuries since the muscle must adapt to the stretched position. Com-
pared to dynamic, ballistic and static stretching it is the way to go. Active PNF stretches are comprised of a shortened contraction of (an) opposing muscle(s) to passively place the target muscle in a stretched position. Once the position is reached, the target muscle should then be isometrically contracted, ie. it should remain in the same position, but flexed at a maximum of 50% of effort for the duration of the stretch. Upon the conclusion of the timed cadence, you would relax the muscle that you were just contracting and use either the opposing muscle, a tool (such as a stretching band or your belt), or a partner to place the limb into an even deeper stretch. What happens now is that the tight muscle becomes relaxed, lengthens and can be stretched even further. This is called the Contract Relax method and though you can perform it by yourself, for optimum results it should be done with a partner.
Warning: Flexing/contracting your muscle at 100% effort can cause injury and is not recommended.
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Dave had a little fun with the illustrations.
KNOW WHEN TO SAY WHEN
Now that you’ve finally got your PNF stretching routine planned out, you should know when the most optimal time is to execute it. There’s nothing wrong with stretching before class, after a warm-up or prior to getting into technique, drilling, or sparring as long as it’s dynamic in nature. Dynamic stretching involves movement and prepares your body for the physical tasks to come. We recommend 10-20 minutes of this, easy cardio, a mixture of both, or taking some time after you finish sparring and your class is over on training days to utilize PNF stretches. Performing any PNF stretches before class will actually hinder more than help you and drastically increase your chances for injury.
HAMSTRINGS
1.
Lie down on your back, with both legs extended and bring one up in the air. You can either keep the other leg flat on the mat or bend it slightly.
2.
Have your partner kneel down on one knee with his other leg posted and place your calf against his shoulder. The two of you work together to find your current ROM by your partner gently pushing your leg forward until you feel tension.
TIP
4.
Your partner will then assist by gently pushing slightly further to increase the ROM until tension is once again felt. Upon reaching this tension hold the position for 30 seconds.
While doing the stretch keep your pelvis down. It’s common to want to lift your pelvis up and take your hips and glutes away from the floor.
5.
At the conclusion of the 30 seconds, repeat steps 3 and 4 for three to five times, then change legs and repeat the process on the other side.
3.
Contract your muscle by pressing in the opposite direction for 8-10 seconds against your partner’s shoulder, then gently relax.
GLUTEUS MAXIMUS
Often ignored in stretching, your glutes act as a primary hip extensor to produce speed and power, help maintain posture and act as both an adductor, as well as an external rotator.
1.
Lie down on your back, with both legs extended, then begin bending one knee, drawing it toward your chest, and cupping it.
2.
Your partner should place his hand on top of the knee and the other at your ankle or both hands on the knee. Once again, find the current ROM where your partner gently pushes your leg until you feel tension.
3.
Follow the same protocol of steps 3-5 of the first stretch.
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CALVES
1.
Lie down on your back, with both legs extended and allow your partner to bring one up in the air. You can either keep the other leg flat on the mat or bend it slightly.
2.
While your partner is standing, he will rest your elevated leg on his lead leg while in the position of a fighting stance squat. One of his hands will cup your heel, while his other palm will be against the sole of your foot. Your partner will gently push forward with his top hand until you feel tension.
3.
Follow the same protocol in steps 3-5 of the first stretch.
PIRIFORMIS
What the heck is that you may ask? Well, the piriformis works in conjunction with your glutes as part of the external rotators of the hip.
1.
Lie down on your back, with both legs extended, bring one leg up, and bend your knee so it’s at a 90-degree angle.
2.
Your partner will have one hand on your knee and the other at your ankle. He will then gently push on the outside of your ankle, while supporting your knee, to externally rotate it until you feel tension, so your calf is suspended across your body.
3.
Follow the same protocol in steps 3-5 of the first stretch.
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WARM UP 44
QUADRICEPS (BASIC)
Tight quads are one of the top creators of knee, hips and surprisingly back problems.
1.
Lie down on your stomach, with both legs extended. Bend at the knee bringing one of your feet up in the air, so your heel goes toward your glutes.
4.
Your partner will then assist by holding around the sole of your foot with one hand and gently pushing the ankle further with his other hand to increase the ROM until tension is felt. Upon reaching this tension, hold the position for 30 seconds.
2.
If you aren’t able to touch your heel to your glutes, place the top of your foot against your partner’s shoulder and allow him to gently push forward to bend your knee until tension is felt.
3.
Contract your muscle by pressing in the opposite direction for 8-10 seconds against your partner, then gently relax.
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5.
At the conclusion of the 30 seconds, repeat steps 3 and 4 for three to five times, then change legs and repeat the process on the other side.
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We pitty the fools that don’t get in a proper stretch.
QUADRICEPS (ADVANCED)
In the event that touching your heel to your glutes is easy, you and your partner can turn it up a notch by stretching both your quads and hip flexors at the same time.
1.
From the same starting position in the basic move, slightly lift your knee off the mat so your partner can cup your knee from its lateral side and have him stabilize the same side of your lower back with his other hand.
2.
Your partner will now begin to lift your knee while keeping your hips down with his opposite hand supporting the back until tension is felt.
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3.
Follow the same protocol in steps 3-5 of the first stretch.
TIP
Don’t push too hard into the back of your partner during the stretch and don’t pull too hard on the knee to prevent hyperextension of the back.
ADDUCTORS
1.
2. 3.
Get into a butterfly stretch position and hold your feet. Your partner will be behind you pushing down until tension is felt. Once you feel the tension, contract your muscle by attempting to bring your knees together for 8-10 seconds against your partner’s resistance, then gently relax. Follow the same protocol in steps 4 and 5 of the first stretch.
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46 SPOTLIGHT
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Searching for it.
ISAAC DOEDERLEIN MAKES RANK WITH CONFIDENCE Deb Blyth
ALTHOUGH FEATHERWEIGHT, ALLIANCE BROWN BELT ISAAC DOEDERLEIN IS ONLY 22 YEARS OLD, HE’S HAD A LONG, HARD ROAD CLIMBING HIS WAY UP TO THE TOP OF THE IBJJF RANKINGS. He finally made it last November, after the Long Beach Pro, when he was cited as the #1 IBJJF featherweight brown belt. He was ranked #7 in the absolute and then got bumped up to #1 there as well after his stellar performance at the Europeans this year. Isaac is riding high these days, but it hasn’t always been that way. Plagued with doubts about his abilities, Isaac often sabotaged himself during training and in competition, but once he paired up with Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles as a purple belt in November of 2011, everything changed. He says that Cobrinha is the world’s greatest life coach, and because of his support, guidance and wisdom, Isaac now understands what it means to have a champion mindset. This is evident when you look at his many successes of late. Most recently, Isaac won gold in his featherweight division for the first time at the Pan Ams and he could not have been happier.
Mike Calimbas & Isaac’s facebook
Isaac started training at 14 and has been a brown belt since November of 2013. He says this has been his most successful and fulfilling belt to date. He’s improved a lot, mentally and physically, but mentally in particular. As mentioned, he is the 2015 Pan Ams brown belt featherweight champion; he is a 3x featherweight European Champion (once at purple belt in 2013 and twice at brown belt in 2014 and 2015) and he won silver in the absolute in 2015. Isaac has won the Worlds twice in light featherweight (once as a juvenile blue belt when he was 16 and again as an adult blue belt at 17). He came in 2nd at last year’s Worlds as a brown belt, losing to Marcio Andre’ in a controversial decision. At the 2015 Pan Ams, Isaac had 5 fights. He won the first 2 with a bow and arrow choke, the third by 2 points, his semi–final by 2 advantages (against Adam Benayoun), and gold in the final (60) against Silvio Duran. “This was my first time winning the Pan Ams,” Isaac says, “I’ve tried to win it repeatedly, but never have. I’ve competed in it every year since 2008. It’s taken me 7 years to win gold. This has always been my kryptonite.”
The Pan Ams may have been his kryptonite, but Isaac is very forthcoming about his past battle with low self-esteem in training and in competition. This is a common source of discussion in the jiu-jitsu community and a widespread problem for many, but Isaac seems to have overcome this adversity to take his place at the top of the podium and the IBJJF rankings. How has he done it? This is what he had to say: Tell me about the struggles you’ve faced during your jiu-jitsu career. One of my biggest struggles was at purple belt when I went to Cobrinha’s in California. I was 18, almost 19 years old and I didn’t know anything about living on my own. Everything hit me at once. I was trying to learn Cobrinha’s complicated system, and I was also trying to figure out who I was, how I should see myself, and how to take care of myself. I’d been living with my parents up until then, so living
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on my own was a huge shock. I was very emotional and had a lot of anxiety. I had to find the strength to figure out how to survive in the world on my own.
You moved to California from Arizona, right? Yes, I was with Megaton for 4 years. I’d only seen jiu-jitsu one way. Then I went to Cobrinha’s and I was overwhelmed by how different the technique was. I focused only on what he taught me. I had to figure out his system and overcome a lot of bad habits. Once I was able to put it all
together, things got better for me, but I was still struggling mentally with competition. I had so many doubts about myself. I was getting down because I was allowing the pressure to get to me. I lost to people I knew I could beat or I was barely getting by people I knew I could smash.
What changed your mental outlook? Cobrinha gave me books to read about the champion mindset. I learned what to put in my mind when I was going to compete and I learned how to overcome my doubts.
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SPOTLIGHT 48
Now, I can deal with them. Mentally, I’ve matured a lot. I know how to make my training more effici t. In competition I used to have a lot of anxiety and negative thoughts. I’ve learned how to deal with those problems and be more positive when I go out on the mats. I can be real with myself. I tell myself that competition is nothing different than what I do in class. The only difference is that people are watching and there’s a ref on the mats, but the jiu-jitsu itself doesn’t change.
So, self-talk works well for you?
“Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.”
-Rocky Balboa
Yes, it works really well for me. I talk to myself like, “Hey Dude, nothing changes at all in competition. Why are you so nervous? You do this every day, 7 to 8 hours a day. Nothing changes when you go out on the mats to compete.” These days, I also never put anyone on a pedestal. Even if I’m fighting a guy who’s accomplished a lot, it doesn’t matter. He’s just a guy; he’s not a god or anything. I have a motivational quote from (the movie) Rocky that I say a lot: “Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.” For my birthday, my wife got me a brown belt that had that stitched on it. I wore it to every competition up to the Pan Ams. It became so faded I had to stop using it, but every time I looked down at it, it motivated me a lot.
What are some important lessons you’ve learned in jiu-jitsu? How to stay positive. That’s extremely important in jiu-jitsu. If you’re negative, jiu-jitsu is really difficult You’re always going to have good and bad days. If you let one bad training day affect how you see
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your overall self, it can really affect your confidence, and you really need confidence to be good in jiu-jitsu. It’s an individual sport. It’s all improv. When one thing goes wrong and you become negative, it can ruin your whole flow. In jiu-jitsu, when you get into a tough spot, you have to accept that you’re in a hard situation and you have to figure out how to get out of it. If you become negative, you will lose your confidence in that situation and you will start to give up or you’ll let your opponent get the better of you. The negativity will take over.
Has this happened to you? Yes, it has happened while I’m competing, when I’ve made a mistake, but it used to happen more to me on a day-to-day basis while training. In the past, I could have had a good week, and then one bad training day and I’d think, “I suck…oh my God, what am I doing?”
I know a lot of people who do that. Yeah…a lot of people deal with this. To be a champion in jiu-jitsu today, you have to be the whole package: strong… physically strong, with great cardio, and you have to have a strong mind, a lot of confidence, plus really good jiu-jitsu or something will catch up to you. I learned all these things from Cobrinha. He’s a great life coach. He encourages all of us.
You mentioned to me that your technique has changed with Cobrinha. Can you explain that? Yeah. My guard passing has improved, my theories have changed, my action/ reaction to situations has changed… everything has changed. I’ve learned new
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moves, removed old moves, perfected and tweaked existing moves, and perfected my style. The things I was really good at, like my omoplata, I only did it to one side. Now, with Cobrinha’s help, I’ve figured out how to perfect it on the other side and I’ve drilled it until it’s become second nature to me. I was always good at the leg drag, but Cobrinha helped me fine tune the details, so I’m better at that now. I wasn’t so great at the berimbolo, but I always tried to get it. In truth, I didn’t understand it. Now I do it all the time. I can do it in my sleep. Cobrinha taught me an enormous amount of techniques, but more importantly, he’s helped me understand why some moves work and others don’t, because of weight distribution, angles, pressure, leverage, and all that. He’s helped me understand jiu-jitsu. Now, I really understand positions and situations. Now, I can tell people why positions work and don’t work based on grips or hip control; based on the details of the move. Even when you finish a pass, for example, it’s the last 3 details when you establish control that are the most important. I understand that now.
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Do you learn jiu-jitsu technique easily?
“When you compete you have to be extremely real with yourself. If you lose, you can’t blame the ref for the decision or other people.”
No. It takes me a while to understand things, and I have to understand something to be able to do it. When I train, I will ask my partner why he’s having trouble with a certain technique; we discuss it and then we drill it to try to find different ways to defend it and to do it. It’s how I learn. Everything becomes a discussion. It could be a white belt I’m training with. I just drill with them and ask them their thoughts about it; what they’re comfortable with, what they’re not comfortable with and drill those details. Sometimes I ask a question and Cobrinha explains it and I still don’t understand it. Six months later, I hit it in drilling and it just clicks in my brain and then it flows. I used to think I wasn’t talented because everyone would get the move in class and I wouldn’t. I would get really stressed, but months later, it would click and then I would get it. The best thing about this is that it’s made me a really good teacher. I teach moves so broken down – every detail to make it work – I explain everything about it. I’ve failed it so many
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You ever wonder what cold blooded looks like? Well there it is.
times, I can better explain why it works and when it doesn’t work.
What advice do you have for up and coming jiu-jitsu athletes? When you compete you have to be extremely real with yourself. If you lose, you can’t blame the ref for the decision or other people. Always study your fights. Whether you win or lose, if you didn’t submit your opponent, you should always ask yourself why you didn’t finish him. You should never be satisfied with winning unless you finish. When I was younger I had all these excuses. I would tell everyone - including myself - that I lost because I didn’t feel good, or because I’d lost too much weight, or I’d say it was the ref’s fault. You can’t lie to yourself or you will sabotage yourself. That behavior held me back for a long time.
Do you think everyone should compete? I think even if you do jiu-jitsu as a hobby, if you want to improve, it’s the best way to learn the most about your jiu-jitsu. It
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allows you to study what you’re doing and fix your mistakes. It’s the fastest and best way. It’s why competitors get better faster than the average student. It teaches you how to think straight in survival mode. Competing has helped me immensely in my personal life. I’m able to think clearly and calmly in any type of situation. It’s incredible how much jiujitsu helps you in your life.
thank my sponsors: Moya Brand, Stock MMA, Jits Style, Uba Tuba Acai, Armbar Soap, and Bass Chiropractic. If you want to follow Isaac, please do so on Facebook: Isaac Doederlein or Instagram: @isaacdoederlein.
What are your goals in jiu-jitsu? My goals are to win the Worlds as a black belt as many times as I can. At brown belt I wanted to win all my weight class fights and absolutes. At black belt I want to win my weight as many times as I can and ultimately, I want to open my own school. Jiu-jitsu is my future and my life. It has completed me as a person.
Anything else you’d like to add? I just want to thank my wife and family for all their support and Cobrinha and Fabio Passos for pushing me and helping me become the best I can be. I also want to
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52 TECHNIQUE
“THE WARMASTER” JOSH
BARNETT Mike Velez
GOES TO WAR WITH HIS HANDS!
Jason Boulanger
SOME CALL HIM THE WARMASTER, OTHERS REFER TO HIM AS THE BABY FACED ASSASSIN, BUT WHATEVER YOU REFER TO JOSH BARNETT AS, HE IS THE EPITOME OF A FIGHTER. Born and raised in Washington State, Josh found himself getting into fights as a kid. Josh explains, “My dad was a fighter, not a professional, but got in a lot of fights.” It seems the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Josh has turned that energy and grit into a pretty successful career, fighting all over the world professionally (we’re guessing there have probably been a few other battles that don’t show up on any records). Josh’s professional debut dates back to 1997 where he racked up an impressive 9-0 record before being invited to fight in UFC 28, which he won. Since then, Josh has fought and won everywhere, including the UFC (he’s a past heavy weight champion), PRIDE, Pancrase, DREAM, Strikeforce, and in other promotions and events. The list of fighters Josh has defeated reads like a hall of fame roster; Dan Severn, Bobby Hoffm n, Randy Couture, Alexander Emelianenko, Mark Hunt, Minotauro Nogueira, Frank Mir, and many others. Josh considers himself a catch as can wrestler and has been training under the supervision of Erik Paulson at CSW Training Center in Fullerton, California. Erik is legendary martial artist with over 30 years of experience, training with more than 40 different instructors over the years and is a black belt under Rigan Machado. I know what you’re thinking, this is all great, but what does Josh have to do with jiu-jitsu? Sure, you might not find Josh Barnett on BJJHeroes.com, however, you should. Josh is actually a jiu-jitsu black belt under Paulson and an IBJJF No-Gi World Champion (2009), beating Bruno Paulista in the final. He’s also defeated Otavio Sousa by footlock and narrowly lost a decision to Romulo Barral at the 2009 California Classic in the gi. Most recently he submitted Dean Lister at Metamoris 4 with a choke that he shows us later in the article. He’s the current Metamoris Heavy Weight Champion. And despite the fact that you’ll rarely see Josh in a gi, his is a true mixed martial artist taking the techniques and concepts from various arts to create his own style and fighting DNA. The concept of hand control that Josh shares with us may not have its roots in Brazil, but it’s something that we can employ in our jiu-jitsu or on the street if necessary.
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You’ll be seeing Josh up against Cyborg at M6.
THE CONCEPT OF HAND CONTROL
Josh explained to us the concept of hand control. Like many concepts in grappling, it can be used both offensively as well as defensively. Throughout this article I’m going to show you different applications of the concept. Most of the examples will be from an offensive posture, as Josh likes to be on top. Every demonstration of the hand control concept is from a dominant or neutral position. If Josh finds himself on his back to his opponent his goal is not to counter with some attack from the guard, it’s very simply... GET UP! The idea of controlling your opponent’s hands might seem pretty obvious and on some levels it is. In jiu-jitsu we think about our grips, not letting our opponent make grips on our gi’s for instance when standing up. However, the simple goal usually is to just break the grips. The concept of hand control goes one step further; it would be to break the grip and then control the hand. If your opponent breaks your grip, get it again, and again, and again. Fight for control of the hands. Regardless of whether you’re in a gi or not, this concept is to control your opponent’s hands, period. Your opposition will find it much, much harder to mount an attack with you controlling both or at least one hand. Defense of their position becomes that much more difficul when you’re controlling one or both hands. In this article, as I mentioned earlier, Josh only demonstrates this concept from top and attacking positions. I can attest to the fact that the concept is very useful on the bottom, or in defensive situations. After interviewing Josh, I devoted a few weeks to really focusing on the concept in my training and found that it had a great impact on defensive positions as well as offensive. So let’s not wait any longer, let’s get into the concept of hand control.
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TECHNIQUE 54
ON YOUR FEET!
STANDING HAND CONTROL TO TAKEDOWN, OR SHOULDER LOCK When standing, it all starts with hand control. Whoever has this advantage can dictate much of the fight standing up. All of a sudden the person with control can pull the arm across, open the arm up for a throw, arm drag, and can basically control the fight standing up. On his feet, Josh will look to do two basic things. Control his opponent’s hands and keep his opponent from controlling his. If his opponent gets control of Josh’s hand he immediately focuses on breaking that grip then getting back on offense to control his opponent’s hand.
Josh uses the term “hand control,” however under close inspection, he’s really grabbing the wrist joint with a very tight grip. In a gi you could substitute this grip with a grip of the sleeve at the cuff. Maybe a pistol grip, or four-fingers grip, however it wouldn’t allow you to perform many of the techniques Josh demonstrates in this article. So the quick lesson, lock onto that wrist.
In Action
Here’s a perfect example of Josh using the hand control concept in action while standing:
01
Josh and Karl tie-up with Karl controlling Josh’s wrist.
02
Josh rotates his wrist and pulls it away to break Karl’s grip then comes back in to control Karl’s wrist.
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03
The grip of the wrist gets tightened and Josh’s left arm shoots over Karl’s neck and behind his left arm, the arm on the side that Josh is controlling.
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Poor Karl, it only gets worse.
04
Rather then lock up a Kimura type grip as you might expect, Josh uses his left arm to pull up underneath Karl’s left shoulder, while leaning back to pressure Karl down at the same time as he’s pulling Karl’s shoulder up near his head.
05 Josh places pressure on Karl’s elbow by keeping his left arm firmly against Karl’s armpit and straightening Karl’s controlled left arm. The control that Josh has on Karl’s hand gives him the ability to direct Karl’s entire body towards the ground. If the angle on the arm is correct, Josh could armbar Karl from this position while standing.
06
Instead of finishing on the feet, Josh uses his hand control to circle towards Karl forcing him to the ground.
07
Josh continues the move all the way down and into a side-control position.
08 Josh spreads out his feet to secure his base and then uses his left arm to pull Karl’s shoulder up and to his left. This puts Karl’s shoulder in a bad position and limits his range of motion, making the eventual tap from the Kimura (Josh and catch wrestlers call it a double wristlock) that much quicker.
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TECHNIQUE 56
ON THE GROUND
Key Points
TIGHTEN THE TENDONS
Ok, this one is worth its weight in platinum. When Josh showed us this, I felt like a kid in a candy story - I was literally blown away. Sure, some of you are going to say, “Come on, Mike I learned that the first day of class!” That might be true, but I think most of you are going to love this one as much as I did. When performing the doublewrist lock (Kimura) or Americana, or pretty much any type of shoulder lock, you can greatly reduce the range of motion needed to finish the lock by tightening the tendons and ligaments in your opponent’s arm before you go for the finish.
01
03
04
In this example, Josh adjusts his grip of Karl’s wrist before his hand so that he can twist Carl’s wrist before anything else.
02
Josh pronates (turns the thumb down) Karl’s wrist by using his grip and wrenching on it like he would to accelerate a motorcycle.
Using hand control, Josh stuffs Karl’s hand up towards his armpit and reaches over with his left arm to get the double wristlock. At this point, Karl’s arm is jacked up; it’s in a weakened position thanks to the twist and the angle of the elbow.
With Karl’s wrist twisted and elbow bent, Josh only needs to pull up on Karl’s shoulder to get the tap.
I’ve shown this adjustment to a couple black belts who have great knowledge of joint manipulation, and they were both impressed by this simple adjustment and its effectiveness.
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This technique of pretightening the tendons works in the other direction as well, turning the thumb out (supination).
Karl’s a strong guy, if Josh relies simply on hand strength to keep a grip of Karl’s hand, he might lose it. Instead, it’s important that Josh goes “over the top,” so to speak, on the wrist so that if Karl tries to break free he’s met with Josh’s palm and all the power in his arm to keep hand control.
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TRAIN FOR LIFE
Yuri Simoes 2014 Double Gold NoGi World Champion www.facebook.com/GamenessFightwear @GamenessFightCo www.gameness.com Yuri Gameness.indd 1
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TECHNIQUE 58
DOUBLE WRISTLOCK (KIMURA) FROM NORTH-SOUTH
Here’s an example of Josh’s use of hand control to execute a double wristlock that you might get from northsouth or an other top position. He’s not going to show us how to get there, but once there, this technique will show you the hand control concept in action and how it can help you get this finish more often.
02
01
In this position on top, most people would put all their might into pulling back on that arm to break their opponent’s grip and then crank the arm to the back to get the finish. This is definitely one way to get it done, but I think you’ll find Josh’s method much more effective and although much more controlled, it’s much more violent...in a gentle sort of way.
03
04
Josh points to Karl’s shoulder joint indicating where the upward compression is being applied
The next thing Josh does is grab his own wrist for the double wristlock and pulls up on Karl’s armpit so that his shoulder is compressed upwards. This severely limits Karl’s range of motion.
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The first thing Josh does is adjust his grip of Karl’s hand. Like before, Josh adjusts so that he can wrench Karl’s wrist to pronation. The first thing this does is probably break Karl’s grip, or at the very least it severely weakens it. Secondly, it preloads the tendons in his arm to help make the finish that much swifter.
Without torquing the wrist or compressing the shoulder Josh would need to bring Karl’s hand all the way behind his back before getting the tap
Now with the wrist twisted and shoulder locked, Josh doesn’t need to go very far to get the tap. If Karl was in a gi he could still be holding on to his belt, or attempting to defend in some other traditional way, but unable to withstand the pain.
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When Josh calls you and says “hey you want to be in a magazine?” it’s probably best to hang up.
HAND CONTROL ATTACKS FROM THE SIDE AMERICANA FROM SIDE CONTROL
Imagine yourself with your back to the mat and Josh Barnett crushing down on top of you. What do you do? Maybe cross your arms in front of you? Maybe not.
01 Karl is caught with Josh in side control. Josh scoops his left arm under and around to control Karl’s left shoulder.
02
Key Points If Karl were to stretch out his arm to defend the Americana, Josh can use his left hand to grip the bicep and pull Karl’s arm in to put it in a weakened position. Then, once the controlled hand is closer, he can move to the double wristlock to finish.
Josh looks to establish hand control by targeting Karl’s far side hand. It doesn’t matter if Karl hides it, that’s the hand Josh wants, that’s the hand he’s going to get. Josh digs his left shoulder under Karl’s right elbow and pushes up to weaken his resolve to protect that arm.
03 Josh turns into Karl, pushing off on his toes and forcing Karl’s hand to the mat.
04 While locking up the double wristlock (Kimura grip) Josh makes sure Karl remembers he’s on top by ensuring his knees are off the mat and driving his weight into Karl. At this point, Josh likes to go with a “monkey grip” with his right hand, no thumb.
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05 To finish the Americana, Josh turns toward Karl’s feet, pulls up on the shoulder with his left arm, while dragging Karl’s hand down below the shoulder with hand control.
If Karl had a good grip of his hands together and wasn’t giving up his arm so easily that’s ok, don’t rush it. Apply downward pressure to the bent arm and wear him down. It’s uncomfortable and will eventually weaken his resolve.
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TECHNIQUE 60
CHEATER AMERICANA
Josh is a big fan of understanding joint mechanics. He says and we agree, once you understand how a joint works, and how to debilitate it, you can figure out submissions from everywhere and not have to subscribe to an “A into Slot B” type mentality. One such example of this is what he calls the “Cheater Americana.” It shows up when Josh is going for the Americana on Karl, but Karl stretches out his arm and Josh has him in side control. Now, this isn’t a sure thing submission. If your opponent’s determined to resist the tap, he might be able to unless everything is perfect. Keep that in mind when executing.
01
Josh has hand control, this is the key, as with all the techniques in this article.
02
Karl’s not letting that arm bend, so Josh scoops his right hand under Karl’s upper arm.
Next, Josh brings his right foot forward to get some leverage to peel back on Karl’s body, bringing his shoulder off the mat while torquing Karl’s shoulder. It might look like an armbar, but it’s actually a shoulder lock. The key is the position of the elbow, Karl’s elbow needs to be pointed up. If Karl manages to rotate his arm to get the elbow down, Josh might attempt an armbar.
04
05
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03
Josh drives his right hand through to get the double wristlock on his left wrist. He’s careful that his forearm doesn’t go below Karl’s elbow, this is important.
Key Points In step 5 it’s very easy for your training partner to roll his wrists and do some major damage. It’s fine in competition, even encouraged, but when training it just makes you a jerk, so be careful.
If Josh were unable to get his right arm through, he would hug the back of Karl’s shoulder with his arm and pull him up off the mat by that connection.
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TECHNIQUE 62
CROSS SIDE CHOKE
02
Josh uses his control of Karl’s arm to drag it over his head and across his body
In the Americana technique, one way for Karl to defend would have been to straighten out his targeted arm. Thanks to Josh’s hand control this presents the perfect opportunity for a choke from side control.
01 03
Karl defends the Americana by straightening his right arm. Once the arm is across Josh, he lets go of Karl’s hand and quickly scoops his right arm behind Karl’s neck. Josh is trapping Karl’s right arm with his body weight that he’s applying on top.
04
With Josh’s arm behind Karl’s neck and Karl’s right arm trapped underneath Josh, he brings his arms together for a figure-four lock.
05
To finish, Josh uses his arms and weight to squeeze for the choke. Karl’s right arm is trapped underneath Josh.
Catch Tricks
Before professional wrestling became theatrics, its roots were based in catch as can wrestling. We’re not saying the Baby Faced Assassin is a dirty fighter, but here are a few little tricks you can use that won’t win you any friends at class, but might be good to know should you ever feel the need to use one. ELBOW TO THE SHOULDER. This one looks awesome, as illustrated by the look on Karl’s face. When in side control, get the point of your elbow and dig it into that little point where the upper arm and front of the shoulder come together. This is the opposite of therapeutic and will have your opponent tapping and crying in no time.
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WHILE JOSH WAS SHOWING US THE HAND OFF PASS, he used his left knee to pin Karl’s right leg to the mat near the ankle. From there, Josh reaches down with his left hand to grab Karl’s right foot and pulls up for a toehold. It was pretty crafty. Since he showed it to us I haven’t gotten a submission with it, but have used a variation to successfully complete a few passes, but I smell a submission coming soon!
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TECHNIQUE 64
SCARF HOLD CHEST CHOKE
This is a choke you may have seen before. Josh used this choke to submit Dean Lister at Metamoris 4. It was the first time anyone had submitted Dean in competition in 16 years. This is a technique that “should” be legal in all forms of grappling competition. If you’re on the receiving end of it you’ll know that it’s actually a wind choke. The pressure is focused on the chest, not allowing the diaphragm to work. Think of it as what it would feel like to drown. However, to some, it could look like a neck crank. The actual tap comes from the inability to take in oxygen, not cervical pain. Try arguing that to a ref should you attempt this one in competition.
01
03
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The position starts with Karl, who has his back to the mat, beneath Josh in side control. Some people call this a “sit out” or “scarf hold.” Josh is controlling Karl’s right arm, and Josh’s right arm is wrapped around the back of Karl’s head.
Josh wants to get Karl’s right arm across his body so Josh uses his left h nd to reach back and scoop it under Karl’s right arm to pass it across his body.
02
To get a firm grasp of the position, Josh grabs the inside of his right thigh with his right hand. This traps Karl from turning towards Josh to escape because his leg is in the way.
04
Once the arm is across, Josh uses his chest to keep the arm stuck and brings his hands together in an S-Grip.
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I’ve ordered Warmaster tights for all of us here at the office!
05
06
To make sure that Josh’s right bicep is up against Karl’s neck, Josh will “loop” his hands and arms around to get deeper against Karl’s neck.
At this point, Josh is in no rush to finish, and Karl’s in a bad spot. If he does escape he would have to expend a ton of energy compared to Josh to get out of the position. If that happens, the odds are pretty good Josh would be able to regain the position. So, once Josh decides it’s time to finish, he pulls back on his grips, brings his butt off the mat, and squeezes on Karl until he’s unable to breathe and taps out.
WRAP UP
After doing the interview for this article, I immediately began to make a more conscious effort to gain hand control in my rolling. So far the results have been great. I’ve noticed it throws others off their games. The first reaction from my opponent is usually to break my grip, which is no problem. I don’t fight it too hard. Instead, I just get it again as soon as they expose their hands. Doing this for a little while typically frustrates them. Eventually, they concede and quit resisting. Once they do this, I lock down the grip, using my weight to control just as Josh does. In the month of rolling since doing this interview and paying more attention to hand control, I think I’ve successfully used maybe all, but one or two of these
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Key Points Once Josh gets to step 2 the odds are pretty good of him keeping the position, but if he has to he can turn his hips into Karl and grab onto his left thigh as shown to save the overall top position.
techniques, along with many others just by completely embracing the concept. Of all the interviews I’ve done over the years, this is one that’s definitely in my top five as to effectiveness and usability in so many different situations. I really hope that you’ll give this hand control concept a try in your training. There’s a portion of this article that due to space constraints we had to hold back, Josh showed us three separate guard passes using hand control. You’re going to love them, look for them next month in the June issue of JJM. One more reason to subscribe today if you haven’t already. Until then – control the hands!
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66 TECHNIQUE
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Your training partners are going to thank you.
A TAP IS A TAP Travis Guesnon
Mike Velez
WHICHEVER PARENT CAME UP WITH THE PHRASE, “THIS IS GOING TO HURT ME MORE THAN IT’S GOING TO HURT YOU,” OBVIOUSLY NEVER MET MURILO BUSTAMANTE. If you know who Murilo is then you may understand this, but in case you’re not familiar with the name, let me enlighten you on just a bit of his history.
Let’s Get It On!
Murilo is a MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) veteran who fought in both PRIDE Fighting Championships and the UFC. Not only did he compete in both these organizations, but at one time he was the UFC champion. During his stint there, Murilo faced Chuck Liddell in his prime, losing by decision according to the judges, but not according to the audience, viewers at home, or the UFC President, Dana White who told Murilo after the fight that he believed he won. That confirmation is pretty impressive considering how close White and Liddell have been over the years.
Smash Mouth Jiu-Jitsu
Part of the reason Murilo had so much success in MMA is that there is nothing nice about his jiu-jitsu (except the winning). It is hard-nosed, tough, rugged, gritty, and will flat out grind you out. I can attest to this thanks to the seminar we participated in the day before this shoot under Murilo’s watchful eye. This type of technical detail is what he learned during his time with arguably the best jiu-jitsu team of all time, the Carlson Gracie team. Unlike Grandmaster Helio’s style of jiu-jitsu, which is more defensive based, Carlson’s brand is attack, attack, attack, and meant to inflict punishment. Some
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things that practitioners complain about today would get them mopped up on the mats back then. Like all good things though, the team’s dominance in both sport jiu-jitsu and MMA ultimately came to an end, forcing Murilo onto his own path.
in ADCC where he reached the semis, but unfortunately had to withdraw, competed impressively in the CBJJ (now IBJJF) World Championships, placing 2nd in 1996, 3rd in 1998 in both his division and the absolute, and finally secured a world title in 1999.
Producing A Top Team
A Rough Weekend
After the split from Carlson Gracie’s team, Murilo, along with Mario Sperry and Ricardo Liborio, created Brazilian Top Team (BTT). The team was a “who’s who” of the very best submission artists in MMA that included its founders, along with the likes of Ricardo Arona, Vitor Belfort, Allan Goes, Paulo Filho, the Nogueira brothers, and Rousimar Palhares, just to name a few. If you’re not familiar with these names I highly suggest you do your research on all of them. Though the former members have gone their separate ways, Murilo is still the leader and head coach of the very successful BTT.
Not Just An MMA Guy So it’s obvious by now that Murilo was no slouch in the cage/ring, but he wasn’t one on the mats either. Murilo was a champion in both combat sports, making him a legend. Within sport jiu-jitsu this sixth degree black belt captured Brazil’s national title on four occasions, competed
As I mentioned earlier, I had the chance to experience Murilo’s jiu-jitsu first hand. He performed the “Pressure Mount” on me that you’ll find in the next few pages and I’m still surprised my eyes are in my head. It was very cool to get back to the roots of jiu-jitsu; especially considering that if you’re like me, you began the art because you saw a skinny, undersized guy named Gracie beat everybody up that he wasn’t supposed to, back in 1993. While it’s not the same as Rickson’s “invisible” jiu-jitsu, it is similar in that this article won’t do it justice. You have to feel it, so I recommend you experience first hand if you have the opportunity. P.S. Bring your mouthguard, some ibuprofen and an ice pack. If you’d like to find out more about Murilo or BTT, you can check out their website at www.braziliantopteam.com and on Facebook. You can also follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/murilo. busta and Twitter @murilobusta.
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TECHNIQUE 68
WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO MOUNT
The large majority of the time when we’re able to establish side control, either from passing guard or off of a scramble, more often than not our opponent blocks any mount attempt by placing their leg up, their knee against our ribcage and the sole of their foot on their opposite knee. Transitioning to mount or knee on belly can be frustrating to say the least, but Murilo doesn’t let this get to him at all. Juliano (Prado) does this in typical fashion, but it’s no big deal because whether he likes it or not, Murilo is going to mount. From side control, Murilo underhooks Juliano’s head and far arm, drives his shoulder into Juliano’s head, forcing it to turn. While doing so, Murilo brings his knee close to and just past the top of Juliano’s head, connecting his elbow to his knee and trapping the arm. Murilo then windshield wipes his right calf/shin inward, placing it against Juliano’s body and sits on his own heel. He slightly adjusts his weight to the right side, forcing his shoulder harder into Juliano’s head and brings his left knee ac oss Juliano’s stomach, but doesn’t bring his left foot past the hip. By doing so, Murilo won’t get caught in half guard. Instead, he places the top of his left foot against the side of Juliano’s blocking leg like a hook. From here, Murilo drives his left knee forward and down, with the top of his left foot forcing Juliano’s leg down and his back to torque. Once Juliano’s legs can no longer move to the side, Murilo drops his foot to the mat and brings his feet behind Juliano’s butt.
01 02
Start with your partner from this position.
Windshield wipe your leg underneath you.
03
Bring knee across body.
Foot next to partner
REVERSE Foot doesn’t pass hip
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Travis didn’t like the more PC term of “upper rear thigh.”
04
Hook foot against side of thigh and bring down.
Hook pressures forward and down
REVERSE
05
Bring foot behind butt to control hips
Feet cup around butt
Gloss WINDSHIELD WIPING - means to pivot at the knee so that one’s calf/ shin can be used as a blocking mechanism. This allows a player to transition from one position to an even more dominant one, while not relinquishing superior positioning of the legs.
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TECHNIQUE 70
PRESSURE MOUNT Now that Murilo has the mount, he doesn’t relax there for a second. Rather than sitting up for the attack, “grapevining” the legs, or pinching his knees together, Murilo opts to crush Juliano. While this may not appear so clearly in pictures (think Rickson’s “Invisible” jiu-jitsu), due to personal experience of Murilo using it on me, I can attest to the extreme pressure and discomfort that it places the person on the bottom in. Murilo does this by bringing his hips slightly upward, then pressuring them downward directly into Juliano’s solar plexus. He doesn’t worry about his knees being planted firmly on the mat or grapevining the legs, but instead opts for his feet to remain behind Juliano’s butt, so the pressure is tremendous. Juliano grimaces in pain, but to make it even more uncomfortable, Murilo uses his right hand to cup and lift uliano’s head.
02 Notice the facial expression change
Press your hips down into your partner’s solar plexus.
03
01
As you can see here there is no pressure being applied, so begin like that in the final step of the previous move.
Continue pressing down and monitoring your partner’s facial expressions.
Grip the back of your partner’s head
Pull up on your partner’s head
TIP:
Know Your Pressure Points
The key to putting an insane amount of pressure on your opponent is knowing where the solar plexus is. You may have to maneuver a tad bit here and there to figure out the exact spot. Once you do, your partner’s face will go from relaxed to a look of discomfort immediately.
Go Superman on your opponent. Murilo advises that you should feel like you can have the feeling of flying if you’re positioned properly.
Push N’ Pull When employed, this principle can put a ton of pressure on an opponent, like that of a knee on belly; pulling up on the belt and collar, while driving the knee down. It can also be used during sweeps where an opponent’s ankle is being pulled and hips or legs are being pushed away.
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4/14/15 3:34 PM
PREPARE SOMEDAY YOUR CHANCE
WILL COME
Yuri Simoes Preparing For Victory
TAPE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR ATHLETIC FINGERS www.tapeandroll.com facebook.com/tapeandroll Tape and Roll.indd 1
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TECHNIQUE 72
CROSS COLLAR CHOKE: UNDER/UNDER
More often than not, when attempting a cross collar choke where both grips are four fingers in the collar and palms up, it may seem difficult to execute because your opponent blocks the attempt beforehand. Things don’t work like that when trying this on Murilo. Juliano crosses his arm, with his hands near his neck to shield it from any collar chokes. Instead of going over Juliano’s hands, Murilo uses his right hand to tug on the middle of Juliano’s left lapel, pulling it towards himself. This takes out any slack and allows Murilo to feed his left hand up the collar and right underneath Juliano’s defense. Now that he has his grip established, while still keeping his hips heavy, Murilo moves up Juliano’s chest, using the arm that’s inside, along with his hips to create space. This space allows Murilo to place his right hand deep in the opposite side of the collar with his four fingers in. From here, Murilo turns his wrists, performs a rowing like movement with his arms and drops his weight over Juliano’s head, toward the floor. The extreme pressure forces Juliano to quickly tap.
01
Take the slack out of your partner’s lapel, then feed your hand deep inside the collar.
Arms supported by hips push elbows up
Pulling on lapel
Four fingers in, thumb out grip Opposite hand slides in
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Boa Constrictors look to Murilo for pointers.
02
Insert opposite hand in opposite collar and turn wrists so palms go up.
Second grip established Lower head to mat
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TECHNIQUE 74
CROSS COLLAR CHOKE: OVER/ OVER
This variation (performed how Murilo demonstrates) eliminates all defenses that your opponent may hand you, even if they’re defending their neck. Once again, Juliano goes to his defense, but this time, clamps his arms to his chest. Murilo isn’t having it and reaches his right thumb into the inside of Juliano’s right collar and grips it tightly. He then brings his right elbow directly across and into the left side of Juliano’s sternum, digging the tip of it into him. If Juliano’s hand is there, Murilo does the same thing and Juliano must choose to remove it (opening him up for other attacks) or endure the pain. Either way, this makes Juliano extremely uncomfortable, while also preventing him from answering the phone. With his left hand Murilo grabs the gi material over Juliano’s left shoulde , brings his forearm against the neck or close to it as possible (usually it’s across the jaw), executes a rowing movement with his arms, while at the same time lowering his head over Juliano’s and toward the mat. The choke or immense pain hits way before Murilo even gets his head close to the mat, forcing Juliano to tap.
01
Allow your partner to defend his/her neck while you have the mount.
Bring elbow across the body
Get a thumb in the collar grip
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If it’s either Murilo or Josh on the phone don’t answer!
02
Grab gi material on opposite side of partner’s neck.
Forearm/elbow smashes hand
Gloss ANSWERING THE PHONE - a lapel choke defense in which an individual places the palm of their hand against their ear to form a half triangle between their head and arm. The forearm portion becomes a blocking type style of defense against the opponent’s forearm that is attempting to push into the neck.
Pull elbows back
Lower head toward mat
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TIP:
During any mount attacks, Murilo suggests always keeping your hips heavy, relaxing your knees and letting them widen, but always, always cup your opponent’s butt or hips with the feet to limit their hip movement.
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TECHNIQUE 76
CROSS COLLAR CHOKE: UNDER/ OVER
In the last move, I mentioned that if Juliano moves his hand he’ll be open for more attacks. Well, here’s one of them. Like the previous move, Murilo reaches inside of Juliano’s collar with his right hand, utilizing a thumb inside grip. Once again, he drops his elbow on top of Juliano’s right hand, digging into it. Thinking this will alleviate some pain (and it does to an extent), Juliano pulls his hand out. To counter, Murilo simply now digs the elbow into the sternum (that’s the extent), putting all his weight over it. With his left h nd, Murilo grabs the same side collar, allowing him to switch his right hand from a thumb-in, palm down grip, to a four fingers in, palm up grip. Now, Murilo turns his wrist so that his palm is completely up and he can choke Juliano with the sharper part of his wrist.
01 02
Squeeze your elbow/ forearm down
Reach into your partner’s collar with a thumb-in grip.
03
Switch your grip.
Finish choke
Partner escapes hand
Grip with four fingers in
Pull up on the collar with free hand
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TECHNIQUE 78
MOUNTED CROSS ATTACK AKA CROSS CHOKE
As in the past techniques, Murilo feeds his left hand into Juliano’s collar. Next, Murilo places his right hand, forearm and elbow down on the mat past the right side of Juliano’s head. This allows Murilo to turn into a position that looks like the combination of side control and the mount. Murilo’s right hip is heavy into Juliano, pressuring Juliano’s arms upward, and the heel of his left foot blocks just behind Juliano’s butt, while his right leg is sprawled out. Dependent upon how rough he wants to be, Murilo may drag his right arm across the mat, his elbow going tightly into and across Juliano’s face/jaw, following it with his forearm, until he is able to reach his thumb into the collar, or he can just immediately put the thumb in. Threatened by the choke, Juliano may try to bump or elbow escape, while keeping his head down, Murilo quickly returns to full mount, executing a vicious choke.
02
01
Establish your grip in the opposite side of the collar.
Secure grip Turn your body across your partner. Drop hip toward mat
Foot blocks hip movement
Leg sprawled out Post arm to prevent reversal
03
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Thumb goes inside the collar.
04
Return to mount and finish choke.
REVERSE
Sorry, Partner! In order to get the thumb in on the collar to establish the second grip, it’s actually easier to do so by being rougher (as described earlier) with your partner/opponent. Murilo demonstrates this in the video for this technique that is featured on JJM’s YouTube channel and iRoll.tv.
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TECHNIQUE 80
S-MOUNT TO CROSS COLLAR CHOKE
Murilo brings his mount up high onto Juliano’s chest, so that it forces his elbows and arms upward. He then grabs just a little lower than midway on Juliano’s left l pel with his right hand, pulling it toward him, while feeding his left h nd inside near Juliano’s neck with a four fingers inside grip. Once he establishes the grip, Murilo digs his elbow into the sternum (like in the Over/Over choke), pushes Juliano’s left elb w to the left toward Juliano’s right) with his right hand. Shifting his hips to his right, Murilo’s left leg emains posted over and across Juliano, while his right knee is near the head and his right hip secures Juliano’s left rm. Murilo focuses all of his weight downward on his left thigh, compressing Juliano’s ribcage to make him uncomfortable and making breathing much more difficult He then secures the far arm at the elbow with his right hand and brings his left leg inward toward him, so that his heel is behind Juliano’s shoulder, trapping him. With Juliano secured, Murilo gets a thumb-in grip on the opposite side of the collar, with his forearm in the neck (but again, more than likely against the jaw). He then returns his left leg back, going to a very high full mount, turns his left palm upward, and pulls at the grips, while simultaneously dropping his head toward the mat to execute the choke.
01
02
Transition to S-mount, get opposite grip, return to mount, and finish.
Hip traps arm
Secure opposite elbow
Move to high mount and establish collar grip.
Heel traps shoulder
Push elbow across
Get opposite grip Secure grip
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I got sore just reading this.
S-MOUNT TO ARMBAR
01
Start from S-mount.
Now, if you’re having difficul executing the collar choke, you can use this set-up to transition smoothly to the armbar or you can just go straight to it. Murilo already has his left h nd inside the collar and has established S-mount. With his right hand, Murilo underhooks Juliano’s left rm, pulls his own left arm out of the collar, and then underhooks Juliano’s near leg with it. He then leans toward his left knee to create space for his right leg to move. As he is doing so he swings his right leg over Juliano’s head, pinches his knees together, falls back slightly to his left toward Juliano’s left knee, nd then swings his upper body to the right so he may finish with the armbar.
02
Attack the arm.
TIP:
Keep your head lower so that you make yourself heavier to your opponent. Too high and you actually lessen the weight. Lean toward your knee
Underhook partners arm
Underhook partners leg
03
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Fall towards partner’s leg.
04
REVERSE
Adjust body to opposite direction and finish.
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82 HOW-TO
JIU-JITSU PARENT KEEPING KIDS ON THE JIU-JITSU PATH Dave Costello
WHEN I WAS A KID, WE WERE INSPIRED BY BRUCE LEE, THE KARATE KID AND OF COURSE, ROCKY. Nowadays, as I think about kids and martial arts, I often wonder, what do they watch that would inspire them to train? There’s no more Bruce, Daniel-san, or Rocky Balboa. It seems that they would need to be inspired by their parents, the same people who guide them to the soccer field, ice hockey rink, or T-ball diamond. While many kids, with their parents’ blessings, might show an interest in martial arts, many parents don’t know where to start: What does little Joey train in and what school should he attend?
THE CHILD
The potential student might have an issue that he/she would like resolved by training in self-defense or the decision has been made that jiu-jitsu would be a great program to help shape his/her life. Here are the specific reasons why kids gravitate towards jiu-jitsu:
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1
Kenny Jewel
In comes jiu-jitsu. Young students can practice in jiu-jitsu and immediately have fun, improve fitness, gain confidence, and learn self-defense. Given this backdrop, let’s consider why a young boy or girl might consider jiu-jitsu. Further, let’s take a look at this from the parent’s perspective and how they can help provide encouragement along the way.
1.
PERSONAL HOBBY. Many children are shy and have trouble making friends, while others do not care for team sports. Perhaps the answer is simply an individual sport that will begin building character and confidence from day one. Is there any better training ground than jiu-jitsu? With the right instructor and environment a kid can prosper. Having jiu-jitsu as a hobby can help transform one’s personal identity outside of school life and provide a sense of achievement.
jiu-jitsu provides another benefit. If the child does decide to play sports in school, the jiu-jitsu training will be invaluable and will strengthen their mental and physical abilities to participate and succeed.
Once the child grows and matures through the jiu-jitsu experience, the parents can, again, encourage other activities, such as the team sport they might have shied away from at an earlier age. With that in mind
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2
As seen on Facebook - if a kid takes his pants off while being bullied look out!
2.
SELF-DEFENSE. Many types of martial arts systems offer anti-bullying programs which cover role playing, scenarios, physical assault, verbal abuse, and taunting. At some point, selfdefense will be taught, but if the instructor’s technique lies in a kick or a punch to the face or body, rather than a controlled move learned in jiu-jitsu, the inflicted damage can cause a dicey situation after the incident. Jiu-jitsu training not only teaches kids to defend themselves standing up, but also against an aggressor if the altercation hits the ground and without doing severe damage. Even more, there is a strength-building element in jiu-jitsu and being strong certainly doesn’t hurt when it comes to self-defense. Other martial arts training typically includes core exercises, pushups and sit-ups, but grabbing, pulling, and sweeping a body with weight similar to yours builds superior strength, fitness and mental toughness.
3.
FUN. In competitive youth sports, there’s always the discussion about “having fun” vs. “playing to win.” Another great aspect of jiu-jitsu is that students can tailor their approach based on desire. If they want to simply go to the academy and enjoy the environment in class, that is fine. If the student wants to enter a tournament and finds that level of competition to be fun, it’s readily available. The key is that children can decide how they want to shape their jiu-jitsu hobby without others impeding the natural course for enjoyment. Even in class rolls, where there’s a bit of competition with a classmate, jiu-jitsu emphasizes learning over winning. Any good jiu-jitsu school will offer a kids program that encourages fun, good spirits, no pressure, and friendships.
3
THE PARENTS
Although one of the key attractions to jiu-jitsu is the individual participation for the student, parents are obviously still part of the process. One of the challenges that might arise from the jiu-jitsu journey is when a child loses interest, or perhaps becomes more involved with school, local sports and friends. Given that, what can parents do to help encourage children to stay with their jiu-jitsu training?
1.
SET GOALS. Inspire the child to stay with jiu-jitsu for a certain length of time or a level of accomplishment and then make a decision at that point. The old adage about “quitters never win and winners never quit” might not be fair for an extracurricular activity that could go on for years. Thus, setting a timetable or achievable goal and working with the child to stay with it until achieved, followed by a period of re-evaluation, seems reasonable. With that in mind, jiu-jitsu should not be all encompassing and it’s important that a youngster have a balanced life between school, extracurricular activities and down time.
1
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2.
2
RECRUIT A BUDDY. Ask around and see if there’s another friend who might want to attend jiu-jitsu. This friend could come from the son or daughter or by parents reaching out to other parents in the community. After attending class and making friends, the child might find a new buddy to team up with.
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HOW-TO 84
3.
MENTOR. Children often look up to kids who are a couple of years older with more experience. Sometimes it makes sense to work with the instructor and discuss the child’s needs, after which a class mentor can be assigned to help with the transition into the school and along the way.
4.
COLLABORATION. If a child is considering leaving jiu-jitsu, it would be good to have a conversation with the instructor about how the child is feeling rather than simply leaving the program. An instructor who understands the maturation process for a young student, emotionally, physically, and educationally, will listen and be attentive to the parent about their child’s needs. It might even be prudent to have the child take a solo private lesson or with a friend to get more one-on-one instruction.
5.
Jiu-jitsu is a way of life. For adults, it can become a centerpiece for better health, conditioning and day-to-day living. But for young kids, it means something different: an opportunity for finding confidence and self-assurance. With parents encouraging their children to participate in a suitable jiu-jitsu program, under the tutelage of a qualified children’s instructor, the benefits can be plentiful for years to come.
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5 6
WRESTLING. Depending on the child’s interest in grappling, a wrestling lesson on the side could be quite beneficial to jiu-jitsu as a complement and as an incentive to stay with jiu-jitsu. The student might even decide to enroll in a more formal wrestling program at some point and train in both jiu-jitsu and wrestling.
6.
CHOOSE AN INSTRUCTOR WISELY. Parents will want to observe classes and ask around about the instructor’s temperament and class culture prior to enrollment. Instructors should be encouraging, always praising, positive, and focused on building confidence. Safety should be paramount to anything that happens in class and should be a common theme that is discussed. Instructors typically insist on good sportsmanship and respect and although some might encourage tournament competition, look for a school where it is an option and not a requirement. The school environment should be enjoyable and fun, and kids like it when the class ends in some form of non-jiujitsu game, such as tag, dodge ball or team challenge. Some instructors even go above and beyond and offer programs like special events, summer camps, school vacation clinics, press releases in hometown papers about promotions, patches for grades/ class attendance/leadership, and sharing success on the website, social media and in the school.
About The Author
DAVE COSTELLO
Dave Costello is a blue belt in Jiu-jitsu at Boston Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Woburn, Mass. and a black belt in karate. He has coached boys and girls in various youth sports in AAU, school travel leagues, and camps and clinics.
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86 FEATURE
Mike Calimbas
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The “Pan” logo is a trademark of the IBJJF.
THE 2015 PAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP CONCLUDED AFTER FOUR DAYS OF NON-STOP ACTION MARCH 12-15. Athletes from the world over descended at UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center with dreams of gold in this, the 20th edition of the games. There were dominant performances, surprising upsets and a whole host of eager young guns with dreams of glory. In the end, the crowd got a little bit of everything. Perhaps the only thing missing was the presence of some of the sport’s biggest stars, as established names including Marcus Buchecha, Andre Galvao, Rodolfo Vieira, and the Mendes brothers decided not to compete. But one athlete’s absence is another athlete’s opportunity and those who did show up in Irvine were definitely looking to capitalize.
LET’S LOOK AT SOME OF THE DOMINANT STORYLINES OF THE WEEKEND:
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FEATURE 88
The Black Belt Absolute Divisions: Alliance Dominates In 2015 The black belt men’s absolute divisions were a thrill to watch from beginning to end. Thirty-two black belts put their names in the hat for the open this year. With previous winners like Galvao (2014) and Buchecha (2013) out of the competition, it was anyone’s ball game this time. Facing off in the final were Alliance’s Bernardo Faria and Leandro Lo representing Cicero Costha. Faria ascended through the ranks by defeating opponents, including
Luiz Panza, AJ Agazarm and Alex Trans. Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, Leandro Lo used his amazing guard work to score wins over heavyweights Leo Nogueira, Yuri Simoes and James Puopolo. The final went to the heavier fighter, however as Faria was able to pass Lo’s amazing guard en route to a choke from north-south to complete his run towards double gold.
Aside from the story of the finalists, there were other interesting match ups in the men’s black belt open division as well. Chief among them was the third round matchup between Atos representative Keenan Cornelius and Team Lloyd Irvin’s Tim Spriggs. With the pair recognized as two of the fastest rising American stars in Jiu-Jitsu, this was definitely a match worth watching. Keenan and Tim being former TLI teammates did nothing, but add to that intrigue and the match delivered. It was a battle between Keenan’s innovative guard
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play (worm guard anyone?) and Tim’s relentless pressure passing. Both fought tooth and nail, but in the end it came down to a referee’s decision, with the nod going to Keenan. Definitely a foreshadowing of many future battles between these two, to be sure. Keenan went on to lose 0x0, 1 advantage to Leo Nogueira in the quarterfinals, but experienced more success in winning his weight division, while Spriggs placed third in his.
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Just a little bit of a size differential.
On the women’s side it was another much anticipated match up between perennial powerhouse Gabi Garcia and Mackenzie Dern. Gabi defeated Luiza Monteiro and Leanna Dittrich to get to the final, while Mackenzie beat Megan Nevill and Tammy Griego. Following up on their awesome match up at the IBJJF European’s that saw Mackenzie get closer than ever to submitting her dominant opponent, all eyes were on this one, but it was not to
be this time. Mackenzie fought an aggressive match to be sure, but Gabi was patient and worked to first pass then maintain position from side control. Mackenzie put up a valiant effort in defending Gabi’s attacks from there for a short while, but eventually was forced to tap out, giving Gabi her fourth Pans open weight gold.
Men’s Black Belt Division Highlights In what went down as perhaps the most amazing submission of this year’s tournament, Bruno Malfacine was able to defeat longtime rival Caio Terra with a choke from the back to win the 127 lbs. roosterweight division. Bruno was relentless from the jump in this one as he quickly worked a leg drag to the back to get the finish in just under two minutes to secure his third Pans black belt title. The brothers Miyao, Joao and Paulo, would close out at super feather running fairly unopposed en route to the final.
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FEATURE 90
Things were more competitive at featherweight. Despite the absence of Augusto Tanquinho and Rafael Mendes, the field was still strong with young guns like Vitor Genovisi and Vitor Paschoal and veterans such as Oswaldo Quexinho and Gianni Grippo. Quexinho and Grippo had a close battle in the final, won 6x4 by Grippo in a match up characterized by trading sweeps. Moving on to the crowded lightweight division, JT Torres finally got the gold medal he’s
In another competitive division, Leandro Lo accomplished his third Pans title in four years by beating a pair of world champions in Vitor Oliveira and Otavio Sousa, amongst others. Like his run in the open, Lo was also able to impose his game in his division and won out by 3 pass points over Sousa in the closely contested final.
been working towards for years. The Puerto Rican-American scored a dominant win over AJ Agazarm in the final 10x0 to earn himself the medal. It’s worth noting that this year was AJ’s first Pan Am experience as a black belt and he distinguished himself well, making it to the final against his fellow American. Look for both these athletes to make a run for the world title in a few months as they’ll face an even more robust field that will most likely include guys like Lucas Lepri and Michael Langhi, to name a few.
division saw Keenan defeat Murilo Santana 4-0 in the semifinals. Another exciting match up early on saw Thiago Sa defeat Inácio Neto by score of 11-10 before falling to Santana by choke later on.
The crowd would see another closeout in the medium heavyweight division, as Guto Campos and Keenan Cornelius clinched the win for team Atos. The most thrilling match of the
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FEATURE 92
At super heavyweight an emotional Lucas Leite was able to bring a fourth Pan Am title home to Checkmat with his 20x2 win over Lucas Rocha. Leite methodically made his way to the final with solid wins. Meanwhile, Rocha was riding the wave of his semifinal win by takedown over Tim Spriggs. That win was no doubt one of the biggest of Lucas’ career so far, but ultimately the day belonged to the expert half guard player Leite. In the final two divisions of the day, Bernardo Faria would close out with teammate Leo Nogueira at super heavy while Alexander Trans was able to score gold for the UAE Jiujitsu team by virtue of his kneebar finish over James Puopolo.
Women’s Black Belt Division Highlights Though certainly not as plentiful when it came to sheer numbers, the women black belts showed they also came to compete at Pans this year by virtue of some super exciting matches. Marcela Lawton, Gezary Matuda, Mackenize Dern, Bia Mesquita, Monique Elias, Ana Cordeiro, and Dominyka Obelenyte all scored gold medal finishes at the Pans this year. A few of them were also involved in some of the most intriguing match ups of the final day.
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FEATURE 94
For starters, Gezary Matuda was absolutely sensational in her run at U53kg gold, first beating Ariadne Oliveira 4x4 with 9 advantages as she attacked from the get go. She would then go on to beat Bibiana Silva by bow and arrow choke in the final to round out an exciting day. Speaking of excitement, the final between Mackenzie Dern and Tammi Musumeci certainly had that. The two faced off previously in the finals of the 2014 Pans (after Mackenzie’s knee surgery), which was won by Tammi. Not sure if that was on Mackenzie’s mind this go-around, but she certainly started off like it was,
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quickly threatening Tammi with a triangle and staying relentless from there. Tammi was valiant in battle and had her own moments in the match, but in the end it was Mackenzie winning by toe hold that secured the gold medal. The match between Bia Mesquita and Angelica Galvao also proved to be an amazing one with the two epitomizing the strategic aspect of BJJ throughout the entire duration of the match. Although there was no score, there were exciting moments galore including an impressive armbar attempt by Galvao. In the end Bia was able to win the score on advantages
4-2 but Angelica proved she’s here to stay as an established power in the women’s black belt categories. Also of note at women’s black belt was Monique Elias’ gutsy effort in fighting and winning her division. Elias competed in the open the day before and popped her ankle pretty badly late in her match with Tammy Griego. In her own words on the final day, she said that “It hurt pretty bad,” but she taped it up and went to battle despite the injury, first winning by triangle over Leanna Dittrich, before winning 6x4 over Luiza Monteiro in the U69kg final.
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Saturday is always a good day.
Dynamic Duo From Marcelo Garcia Close Out Brown Belt Open Weight Division; Other Brown Belt Highlights The highlight of the men’s brown belt divisions this year undoubtedly had to be the performances put on by the duo of Dillon Danis and Matheus Diniz from Alliance / Marcelo Garcia. The pair closed out an open weight field that included GB’s own duo of Garbiel Arges and Pedro Arauajo, Team Lovato’s Jared Dopp, Admilson Gobi Junior of TLI and many others. Danis and Diniz also won their divisions at middleweight and middle heavy respectively as well. Danis in particular had a rousing performance in submitting Alec Baulding to win gold, while Diniz had to deal with the likes of Hunter Ewald and Tye Murphy to come out on top. On the women’s side at brown, some of the winners included Samantha Faulhaber who won her division at brown and achieved black belt on the podium. Kristina Barlaan was another winner at light feather, while Jennifer Case of Renato Tavares Association won the belt level over the entire field by virtue of her win in the open class. Also performing admirably at men’s brown belt were division winners Edwin Najmi (light) and Isaac Doederlein (feather). Michael Musumeci, Jr. also performed well to win his division at light feather, and it’s safe to say the aforementioned names above will all be threats at black belt down the road.
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FEATURE 96
Notables Notes From the Lower Belt Divisions; The Best of the Rest
It would be hard to wrap up any recap of the 2015 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship without mentioning the purple belt run of Alliance’s Nicholas Meregali. The Brazilian training out of Porto Alegre, Brazil overcame a solid field to win double gold at this year’s games once again, repeating the same feat he accomplished in 2014. Meregali would face fellow Alliance teammate Isaque Bahiense in the final, winning by triangle choke. Nicholas also submitted the likes of Devhonte Johnson on his way to gold. Also of note was one of the more exciting matches at adult male purple, his clash with Atos’ Michael Anthony Perez that saw him win by a pass late in the match. Other top performers at purple this year, of course, include all the gold medal winners, but some of the names that stick out most include Paulo Gabriel Martins da Costa, Horlando Monteiro and Alex Hodi. As for the women’s side at purple, Tayane Porfírio de Araújo of Alliance and Bianca Basilio of Ryan Gracie Team put on a show like a mini Gabi vs. Mackenzie battle. That comparison illustrates the size differential, but cannot adequately explain the heart and fun Basilio put into her performance. In the end, Tayane’s size advantage proved to be a little too much as she won by points, but Bianca showcased why she’s going to continue being one of the best in the world with both her performance in the open and her division gold. Other big winners at women’s purple included Danielle Alvarez winning at lightweight, Tara White scoring gold at medium heavy and Mayssa Bastos flying around to win her division at light feather. Blue belt winners included Gustavo Espindola Batista of PSLPB Cicero Costha winning the adult male open and TLI’s Michelle Welti winning the adult women’s absolutes. This recap could go on forever in this issue with all the names that won at all age levels and divisions, but let’s just close with a congratulations to all this year’s competitors and look onward to upcoming competitions, including the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship and of course, the upcoming IBJJF Worlds. That wraps up this year’s Pan recap. Enjoy the photo’s and make sure to subscribe for more!
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Mike’s a triple-threat; he can write, shoot, and put you to sleep!
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98 HOW-TO
KEYS TO PROGRESS “Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be.” CS Lewis Matt Corley
Goal setting is a powerful tool for accomplishing milestones and improving your skills. That being said, the majority of goals set are never met. Estimates indicate that as many as 90% of all New Year’s Eve resolutions fail. At first glance that number is staggering; however, take a step back and look at the goals you or your friends are setting. I asked a few friends if they were working
on anything right now. “Be a better person,” “eat healthier,” “train more often,” and “lose weight” were the most common objectives I heard. These statements are admirable, but they’re also examples of why most goals are never met. They lack the key elements of an actionable goal. If you want to achieve a goal it should be specific, measureable and have a timeline.
“What gets measured and clearly defined does get done.” Mike Schmoker A goal can be likened to a road trip. The journey is measured in distance and/or time from point A to point B. The longer the trip, the more checkpoints along the way and the more planning you’ll need to ensure success. If you don’t know where you’re starting or where you’re going how will you determine your path from beginning to end? How will you know when you’ve gotten to your destination? What mode of transportation are you taking? Do you need to stop for bathroom breaks, gas, food or sleep? Can you even get there?
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Bounded?
ARE YOUR GOALS S.M.A.R.T.?
What can a Human Eesources manager teach you about getting better at grappling? Unless you work at Google, chances are their knowledge of armbars and omoplatas will be lacking. One thing HR knows a lot about, though, is working with people to improve their skills. My HR manager introduced me to the SMART methodology over a decade ago and I have found applications for it in many facets of my life. SPECIFIC: My goal should not be ambiguous. It should not contain platitudes and it should tell others exactly what is expected. If 10 people read my goal and interpret it differently, it’s not specific enough. MEASUREABLE: I have a specific goal. To measure progress towards my goal I need to assign some unit of measure to it. Measuring progress towards my goal keeps me on task and motivated. I can show others how I’m doing for more accountability. Last, but not least, I use these measurements for my next set of goals as I build upon my previous successes. ATTAINABLE: My goal is specific and measured regularly to assess progress. I’ve also guaranteed that my goal is
something that I can achieve (with hard work and persistence). If I don’t have a realistic chance to achieve my goal I’m probably going to abandon it sooner than later. RELEVANT: My specific, measureable and attainable goal has been written down and I’m almost ready to get started. There are many other things that I can work on. How do I choose what to do? I have just one question to ask: Does it matter to me? The likelihood of working on my goal is certainly influenced on how important it is to me personally.
TIME-BOUNDED: I have to have a deadline or it’s not getting done. If my goal was something I already liked doing enough that I didn’t need to make a change in my life to achieve it, it wouldn’t be a goal. It would be an accomplishment. The other reason I like to have a time component is so I know when I’m going to reassess my situation and adjust it if needed.
MEASUREMENT GOALS
Creating habits and awareness is key to successfully implementing change. The following goals are for a relatively short period of time. They give me the information that I need to make an informed decision on my next set of goals and will create habits that are easy to build on. I will record my belly skinfold measurement weekly for the next month. I will record my HRV(Heart Rate Variability)/ resting HR(Heart Rate) daily for the next month. I will keep a journal of my training for the next month. This list is intended to provide a complete picture of where I am with my fitness (HRV), body fat (skinfold test), and training volume (journal). This data can be used to see their effect on one another.
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STRENGTH & FITNESS GOALS
Goals related to strength and fitness are great because they’re easily quantified. You either lifted the weight or you didn’t. Your total is what it is. Having a goal is not enough for success. You must also have a plan to achieve that goal. There are a dozen strategies and progression plans to achieve each of the statements listed below. I will do a pistol squat within 3 months. I will do 100 burpees in 10 minutes within 3 months. I will run a 5k in less than 24 minutes in a spring race.
GRAPPLING GOALS
You’re reading this because you want to get better at grappling. There is debate on what should be done to improve your grappling. That said, there are a few things that almost everyone agrees on. Instead of focusing on your next stripe focus on what needs to be done to earn it. Namely showing up, getting better and putting in the work. I will go to 3 classes every week for the next 3 months. I will drill on my own time for 1 hour every week for the next 3 months.
Tips & Tools
I’ve touched on two keys to success: forming new habits and having a logical plan. The last tip I have is one that I personally struggle with: keeping track of what is done and my progress doing it. I’d much rather be rolling or drilling than writing down what I learned or that I did 5 rounds of sparring today. Who wouldn’t? I know this is a problem for me, so what do I do? I automate whenever possible and I use technology to make it as painless as possible. I have a wifi scale that sinks to my iPad, my HRV app includes journaling functionality and tracks everything for me. I have an app on my phone that I use in place of a paper journal. I use Outlook and Google calendar to schedule reminders so that I don’t forget to do something. Go to the App store, pick something simple and use it.
I will do 10 rounds of live rolling every week for the next 3 months. I will compete twice this year.
WRAPPING IT UP
This is the year that you’re going to achieve your goals. They will be Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-related. To aid you in your pursuit you’re going to stay organized by using the tools available. You have a logical plan of attack and will make it a habit. Now all you have to do is put in the work to make it happen. Good luck!
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102 MIND GAMES
CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?: PACIFISM AND JIU-JITSU Marshal D. Carper
I TEACH JIU-JITSU CLASSES. I train MMA fighters. I referee jiujitsu matches. I have devoted a writing career to fighting. I even worked the door at a nightclub in Pittsburgh for a brief period to earn some extra money.
That perplexes many of the people I talk to, both inside and outside of our sport. As contradictory as this philosophy and my career may seem, this to me is an important, deliberate choice that we do not discuss enough on the mats or in our community in general.
And I consider myself a practical pacifist.
DEFINING VIOLENCE Traditionally, pacifism is strictly anti-violence. At the same time, I cannot deny that jiu-jitsu is a violent art. I treasure a strong cross face and am well-aware that what I practice is specifically designed to dismantle the human body in the most effici t manner possible. My life pursuit, it would seem, is to master the ability to systematically destroy every functioning joint that a person has. When I train MMA fighters, we talk about strikes as well, using the control of jiu-jitsu positioning to launch vicious punches and knees for maximum damage. Photo: Mike Calimbas
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Knowing you caused a fellow jiu-jitero an injury can weigh on your conscience.
That is violence. Within the context of sport, however, it is a completely different kind of violence from a mugging. The intentions are completely different and our community is instinctively aware of the divide. In almost the same moment we can applaud a beautifully executed leg lock and shake our head in disgust at a fighter’s refusal to release the submission when his opponent has clearly conceded. We recognize that consensual violence between two rational adults can be quite safe and even healthy. The majority of jiu-jiteiros
even feel a deep sense of guilt and self-disgust when they accidentally injure a training partner. There is generally no active malice. The violence is scientific and controlled. Within the boundaries of play—as intense as that play might get—we can participate in an extremely violent pastime without any intention of inflicting lasting harm. Jiu-jiteiros then can proudly champion sportive violence while remaining vehemently opposed to malicious violence. Therefore, we can at once love fighting and still champion non-violence.
JIU-JITSU IN THE STREETS, THEN AND NOW In practice, I avoid violent confrontations at all costs. Recently, I was at a local Mexican restaurant and as my wife and I waited to pay I noticed a gentleman that looked like John Hackleman, the famed coach of Chuck Liddell for many years. I was a ways south of the city, had enjoyed at least one margarita, was tired from a long work week and was pretty far from where the Hackleman doppelganger sat. So like the socially awkward man-child that I am, I stared a bit too long to see if it was in fact the Pit Master. A burly man with tattoos looked at me, narrowed his eyes, and said, “You got a problem?”
I have plenty of problems, but none of those were at play at this exact moment with the exception of my social ineptitude. In that cinematic fight-scene way, everything slowed down. A good portion of the restaurant was now looking at us. Another human being made me look and feel small in front of a person I cared very much about. He postured and his hands clenched. In a small way, this was a challenge. I could stand up for myself against someone who clearly wanted to fight or I could pay my bill and leave. I left and now the consequences of this event only live on in my memory.
knife-wielding attacker, but if this confrontation had taken place on a beach in Brazil in the 90s my jiu-jitsu might have been featured on a grainy VHS highlight tape that underground fight fans copied and traded. That reality, the fact that our sport has its roots in challenge matches and street fights, makes it difficul to
authentically preach nonviolence. It was not too long ago that our fighting heroes would stomp on an unconscious opponent at the end of a fight or allegedly use a younger sister to spark a fight in a night club for the fun of it. Even now, when the viral video of a basketball trashtalking session turning into a fight spread across the web, it took a depressingly long amount of time for anyone to point out that the jiu-jiteiro in the video made no attempt to deescalate the rising tension. Was it cool to see 50/50 guard in a street fight? I suppose it satisfied some degree of curiosity about the position, but aren’t we beyond the point of needing to see jiu-jitsu prove itself in street fights? I’d like to think so.
This story is hardly on par with being assaulted in a parking garage or facing off against a
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MIND GAMES 104
PRACTICAL PACIFISM I do not deny that we live in a violent world with dangerous people. I openly recognize that the purest forms of pacifism, while completely admirable, are probably not the best selfdefense solutions. The moral victory of enduring an assault, in my mind, is almost as unproductive as a philosophy that skews toward the uberviolent end of the spectrum. Before the historians in the audience send me hate mail: I am speaking specifically about one-to-one violence, not nonviolent activism in a grander political context like we saw with Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. If I or someone I love is attacked, I will defend myself and/or them. What I love about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, however, is
that I can match the intensity of my response with the intensity of the situation. In the case of striking arts like Krav Maga, the reaction is to always assume that your life is in danger so bite his balls and scoop out his retinas. With jiu-jitsu, I can subdue a friend that has had too much to drink or I can permanently cripple someone that has every intention of ending my life. In this way, jiu-jitsu gives me the tools to practice pacifism in the most practical way that I can imagine. I only need to be as violent as the situation warrants. I can use what I know about violence to attempt to defuse the problem rather than escalating the situation with my own aggression.
DON’T GET DEAD Ultimately though, the more I train the more I appreciate just how fragile the human body is. I was raised by Rambo movies and spent many nights stealthily watching Tango & Cash while my parents slept, so for some time I had this idea that fights were these grand endeavors where two guys could duke it out for 10 minutes and then limp away to recover. I now know that our bodies are horribly designed fighting machines. We break easily and it is far too easy to die, even if you are a talented fighter. When I was a freshman in college, I faced this reality when my childhood neighbor (who was a year older than me and attended a larger school in another state) got into a fight at a party. The argument escalated, it got physical and the night ended with my neighbor bleeding out on a trashy college town porch. One day R.J. was my cocky soccer team captain, the next day I was looking down at him in a coffi For many months after that, I obsessed over knife defense and the more I dug into
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the subject the more I had to accept that death was a much closer probability than I had originally thought. A knife is a simple weapon to wield and we are covered in soft flesh and essential life-sustaining pieces. Even without knives involved, hitting your head on the pavement or the edge of the bar is a quick way to go dark forever. Factor in the potential for broken bottles or buddies that sneak up behind you or the random patriot with a handgun tucked in his pants and you have a slew of potential life-enders that have almost nothing to do with how fit you are or how long you have trained.
In the end, the best form of self-defense is to avoid violence altogether. That’s an old saying, but so few in our community actively live and promote that pacifist notion. If one of the goals of jiu-jitsu is to protect ourselves and the ones we love from violence, we need to talk more about the value of leaving machismo behind and seeking peaceful resolutions. To end, let me share one of my favorite pieces of hate mail: “Marshal. You seem like a pussy.” There, I saved you an email.
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FEATURE 105
RESPECT 1 Matt Corley
Joe Nuelle
WITH THE SUCCESS OF METAMORIS AND POLARIS IT’S INEVITABLE THAT MORE PROFESSIONAL GRAPPLING EVENTS WILL POP UP. The challenge for the upstarts will be showcasing high-level talent in exciting matches and presenting the polished product that we’ve come to expect. Respect 1 is the first such event in the Midwest. The 15 matches featured athletes of all belt levels from blue to black. Matches followed Five Grappling rules with the exception that all matches were 7 minutes long. The fighters competed on a raised stage and the capacity ground were all close enough that they didn’t miss any of the action. The blue and purple matches were excellent and showed the depth of talent that the Midwest has to offer. A notable match included the battle between brown belts Nick Shrock and Ilya Bodnya. Shrock was the aggressor early on and built a solid lead coming to the half way point. Switching tactics Bodnya began attacking the feet of his opponent using the transitions to set up sweeps and escapes. In the end Shrock was able to stave off the resurgent Bodnya and cemented his win with a late sweep. The night ended with Kyle Watson vs Piet Wilhelm, Ezra Lenon vs Joao Faria and JW Wright vs Renato Tavares. Watson wasted no time, immediately taking Wilhelm to the canvas with a power double. Watson maintained dominant positioning
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throughout the match but Wilhelm utilized Watson’s lapel and a solid defense to prevent the finish. Lenon and Faria worked throughout their match and showed the crowd what world class jiu-jitsu looks like. Lenon’s guard work kept Faria on his toes and instigated several scrambles that had the crowd on the edges of their seat. Faria nearly capitalized off of a failed Kimura attempt with a transition to mount but Lenon quickly reestablished half-guard. A subsequent attempt by Lenon to sweep off a toe hold had both fighters almost off the stage. Lenon won the fight with a last minute sweep and Faria was left fending off submission attempts from quarter mount as time expired. In the final fight of the night Wright was the early aggressor working a knee cutter pass. Tavares
BLACK BELT MATCHES Renato Tavares defeats JW Wright by submission Ezra Lenon defeats Joao Faria by points Kyle Watson defeats Piet Wilhelm by points Nick Sanders defeats Shawn Hammonds by points Roli Delgado defeats Jason Bircher by points Mark Vives defeats Shawn Woods by
weathered the storm and was able reverse positions. Tavares methodically improved his position eventually earning the submission with a choke form mount. Respect 1 represented our sport well and showed that a card consisting solely of jiu-jitsu matches can be successful and entertaining. Attention to detail, spectator friendly rules and athletes that wanted to put on a show for the crowd made Respect a huge success and left the crowd wanting more. When asked what’s next JW, the founder of Respect, had this to offer, “I don’t want to share all the details of Respect 2 but let’s just say that St Louis will see another even in 2015 and we are in talks to bring Respect to Florida, Chicago and maybe even San Diego.”
technical submission Mark Commean defeats Mike Cimm by points Mike Harris defeats Jeff Serafin by points
BROWN BELT MATCHES Nick Shrock defeats Ilya Bodnya by points Josh Littleton defeats Brian Stuebner by points
Eazelle by submission Kirk Huff defeats Joey Walters by points Clay Mayfield defeats Chadd Vogt by submission Zach Freeman defeats Jon Perrine by points
BLUE BELT MATCH Andrew Wilte defeats Teddy Lopez by submission
PURPLE BELT MATCHES Drew Hill defeats Vince
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106 MEDIC
CONSIDERATIONS OF WRIST INJURIES: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW Ethan M. Kreiswirth, PhD, ATC
MAYBE IT DOESN’T HAPPEN TOO OFTEN AS A WHITE BELT, BUT ASK ANY GRAPPLER WITH EXPERIENCE WHAT THE ONE AREA IS TO ATTACK THAT PEOPLE OFTEN AREN’T PAYING ATTENTION TO AND THEY’LL TELL YOU IT’S THE WRIST. Wrist locks present themselves all the time, maybe not as the first option, but as a close runner up. Say you’re going for an armbar and your opponent moves his elbow or rotates his arm, then go for the
wrist. Or you mayb working on that omoplata and his shoulders are like Gumby’s, but there’s a wrist just waiting to be locked. Submissions aren’t the only way to find yourself struggling to work a keyboard on Monday. In this article I’m going to talk about many of the various common wrist injuries grapplers are faced with and how to deal with them.
THE ANATOMY OF THE WRIST
The hand/wrist complex is comprised of a multitude of intrinsic bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The wrist complex is an amazing structure that forms many movements and ranges that adapt to touch, as well as stress. Due to the complexity of the wrist, it is possible that injury can occur, whether it is traumatic or chronic. To better appreciate the wrist complex, understanding your basic musculoskeletal anatomy can guide you in identifying problems associated with pain, discomfort and loss of range.
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The wrist is comprised of eight irregular shaped carpal bones that are more like oddly shaped rocks. Conveniently, these bones articulate with one another seamlessly when there is no trauma or abnormal wrist patterns. Other bones that play an integral role in the wrist are the distal ends of the ulna and radius, along with the five metacarpals. These are the longer bones that make up the forearm and the hand bones, respectively. Unfortunately, due to BJJ submission techniques, in addition to a fighter’s position of constant hands on the mat, chronic injuries are common within the sport.
RADIUS
SCAPHOID
TEAPEZIUM
ULNA
LUNATE TRIQUERTUM HAMATE
TRAPEZOID
CAPITATE
PROXIMAL PHALANX MIDDLE PHALANX DISTAL PHALANX
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You came looking to learn some Portuguese but all you got was Latin.
As all these bones articulate with each other, they are tied together through very small intrinsic ligaments that allow for small, but stable movements. When an injury occurs, these ligaments can become stressed and create laxity within the articulation (joint), resulting in pain and discomfort. What moves these joints are long tendons that travel through tunnels, bypassing the irregular carpal bones and attaching and influencing movements at the hand (metacarpal bones) and ultimately, the fingers. Interestingly, the small wrist bones are not influenced by tendinous attachment, but merely held together by a network of ligaments. This makes for an extremely detailed linkage system that must be strong, yet mobile.
TYPES OF WRIST INJURIES AND TREATMENT
Wrist injuries can be classified into two groups; acute (new) and chronic (ongoing, repetitive). Acute injuries occur due to increased force or load at an instance of time. In other words, being the victim of a quick wrist lock, and/or Fallen On an Outstretched Hand (FOOSH injury). Both of these injuries cause acute trauma and disability of the wrist. Upon a medical evaluation, pain may be specifically located within one area, which can determine a sprain of that specific carpal joint. These sprains can occur in between the irregular carpal bones or they can occur to the distal forearm bones. Never the less, a sprain typically transpires from wrist locks and FOOSH injuries. In contrast, if a wrist lock and/or FOOSH injury is substantial, a fracture to any of the wrist bones can also occur. More than likely, an audible crack will be heard along with immediate pain and disability.
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MEDIC 108
When trauma occurs at the wrist joint, it is important to find a clinician that understands both the injury and BJJ activity. Most clinicians will guide the conservative route of treatment, such as rest, ice and immobilization for 4-6 weeks. As this may be good advice for some, maintaining rotator cuff and forearm strength is needed, in addition to soft tissue and manipulation for better outcomes. The Supination Lift Test: The patient places his/her palms on the undersurface of a table and attempts to lift. Onset of pain upon stabilizing body weight indicates a positive supination Lift test.
WRIST TENDINITIS/ TENOSYNOVITIS
Chronic or repetitive trauma in the wrist is quite common in BJJ. Due to the persistent use of grabbing the gi or grip techniques, overuse of the long tendons that pass through the wrist area can become inflamed and debilitated. These conditions cause hand and wrist weakness, in addition to, long-term pain. Addressing the issues of tendinitis, or similarly, tenosynovitis, should consider hand, forearm and shoulder stretches or soft tissue massage. Getting these tissues to do the opposite of what is normal for them; i.e., gripping, can create a better environment for the tendons to glide more affectively, in turn, decreasing pain.
TRIANGULARFIBROCARTILAGE COMPLEX (TFCC INJURY) The triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) is an articular disc and ligament structure that sits at the end of the ulna bone. Its job is to articulate with the small carpal bones and provide stability between the irregular carpal bones and the long ulna (forearm) bone. Similarly, injury can occur to this structure from a FOOSH injury (typically when the palm or hand is face down) or blunt trauma from a wrist lock. A way to address if you have a TFCC injury is called a Fovea Sign. This test applies external pressure to the lateral wrist area where the patient may have pain. The examiner compares the involved wrist with the uninvolved wrist. Tenderness and pain during this test is indicative of an injury to the TFCC. Other signs and symptoms of a TFCC injury may be clicking of the wrist coupled with pain with active wrist rotation. Treatment for a TFCC injury may include immobilization to the wrist, such as a wrist splint, so scar tissue can create some stability. If pain continues and stability does not occur over a 6-8 week period, surgery is an option to debride the TFCC of frayed cartilage.
Placing your hand on patients TFCC area (just below the 5th metacarpal bone and on the styloid process of the ulna bone), clicking, excessive movement and pain may be present if the TFCC is unstable due to injury.
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And just think, some of you drive a CTS to work each day.
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME (CTS)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is commonly diagnosed by a specialist for a majority of wrist problems that involve paresthesia (numbing and tingling) into the hand and fingers. Typical diagnosis involves compression of the median nerve at the wrist via the transverse carpal ligament. Current research has driven various theories regarding median nerve or other nerves being compressed in the neck and or forearm locations creating the same symptoms of CTS. It is imperative that the diagnosis for CTS be correct prior to treatment via surgery. It is possible that surgery to release the carpal tunnel via resection of the transverse carpal ligament has little effect on the CTS symptoms.
Transverse Carpal Ligament
Median Nerve
MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
My injury will go away with time
This may or may not occur. Structures of the wrist are primarily avascular (little to no blood supply). This means that structures will not truly heal. Scarring may occur to create a sense of stability, but the area is susceptible to reinjury if normal motion is not restored.
Wrist pain is a direct relationship to its location
Depending on the injury, wrist pain can occur because of poor posture, poor cervical alignment and tight musculature in the upper extremity (elbow and shoulder). Treating pain at its exact location may have temporary effects. Treating the entire neck and upper extremity will have best results.
WRAP UP
Whether your wrists are healthy and pain free right now or not, at some point in time you will injure them. Use this article as a guide to help you determine the proper course of action and whether or not to consult a physician. Now go train and protect those wrists!
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110 GAINS
TOP 3 CORE MOVES FOR JIU-JITSU Will Safford C.S.C.S
IT’S NO SECRET THAT A STRONG CORE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITIES OF HIGH-LEVEL GRAPPLING. It’s the ever so important component that generates and transfers power, stabilizes and flexes the spine, facilitates rotation, and more importantly, with respect to jiu-jitsu, resists rotation. One of the
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Larry Ranches
great benefits of jiu-jitsu is that it significantly works and trains the core in a very functional way. With that said, there is no better training for jiu-jitsu than actual time on the mat. However, here are three exercises you can do off the mat to develop and strengthen your core that will directly transfer to the mat.
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Now you know how the Turks get up every morning.
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SPINAL FLEXION
First, let’s look at one of the primary functions of the core: spinal flexion. This simply means bending your spine forward like you would getting out of bed. Many experts in the health and fitness industry believe too much flexion of the spine can lead to lower back issues, such as, herniated discs and therefore recommend against repetitive flexion exercises like crunches or sit-ups. As grapplers, we get a ton of flexion work as it is playing from the bottom position, so adding in these types of exercises is overkill. The better recommendation would be to practice low repetitions of the Turkish Get Up. This exercise (when done properly) forces a hard contraction of the core musculature, developing strength, while minimizing “over-use” issues from flexing the spine. The benefits of the Turkish Get Up have tremendous carry over to jiu-jitsu performance on the mat. As mentioned, low repetitions and heavier weight with perfect form are your best bet here.
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SPINAL STABILIZATION
Next, we’ll look at spinal stabilization, an extremely important function of the core musculature. Nearly all day your core is working to stabilize your spine in your body. Many times, when the core muscles are weak or underdeveloped, stability of the spine is compromised and injury ensues. The core should not be viewed in individual parts, ie. the rectus abdominus (6-pack muscles), obliques (side stomach muscles), etc. and should not be trained in that way, ie. individually. The core actually includes all of the muscles of your midsection, including those mentioned and also those of the lower back, upper glutes, deep core muscles near the spine, and
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even the lats. All of the muscles of the core work together to stabilize the spine and should be trained together. Since these muscles must work for long periods of time to stabilize your spine, it’s best to train them for strength endurance with isometric movements. Exercises like planks and side plank holds are excellent options for this type of work, however there is a better option that not only trains core stabilization, but also core anti-rotation; the Pallof press.
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GAINS 112
The Pallof press is an excellent option for grapplers for a few reasons. This exercise, as mentioned, hits two of the primary functions of the core, stabilization and anti-rotation, while being performed with a neutral spine. Core exercises featuring a neutral spine have gained popularity as of late for the exact reason why crunches and sit-ups have fallen by the wayside; they don’t promote injury-provoking flexion of the spine. The Pallof press requires the user to maintain a neutral spine while resisting rotation of the body. When enough resistance is used, all of the core musculature is activated, including the glutes, low back, lats, and stomach muscles. In training, I’ve found the Pallof press makes me much more stable on my feet in a passing position and significantly helps me from being swept. This exercise can be performed using even tempo repetitions, isometric holds and/or a combination of both.
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ROTATION
About
Finally, the last core function we’ll cover is rotation. Simply put, rotation is a twisting of the torso. With respect to jiu-jitsu, we can effectively work this movement through an extremely functional exercise called the sit-through. This exercise involves maintaining a tight core while rotating the lower body from a quadruped (hands and knees) position from left to right. The reason this move is so valuable to the jiu-jitsu player is because it forces the user to maintain tension in the core while the heart and respiratory rates are elevated. Being able to maintain a tight core and breathe deeply is a skill unto itself and needs to be practiced. This movement is excellent for passing and executing transitions on the mat, not to mention it develops excellent hip mobility, balance, coordination, and rotational abilities. Higher repetitions are suggested for this one, with an emphasis on speed and fluidity of movement.
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WILL
Will Safford is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach who trains under Andre Galvao in San Diego, CA. Will specializes in mobility training, injury prevention, and kettlebell strength and conditioning. For more info visit his website at: www.ironwillathletics.com
GO ROLL
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Adding these three exercises to your arsenal will develop an extremely strong and functional midsection that will directly translate to your efforts on the mat. These exercises can be performed together in the coretraining portion of your routine, or individually, on separate training sessions, which is a good recommendation in preventing injury and overtraining. Again, with so much flexion of the spine involved with grappling, it’s a good idea to limit high-rep flexion based core exercises. Instead, make your core strong and resilient with these three exercises that will be sure to up your game on the mat.
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TAKE YOUR OPPONENT’S BACK
EVERY TIME! The Jiu Jitsu Lab Series#2 DVD “30 WAYS TO ATTACK THE BACK” Matt Baker, One of Jean Jacques Machado’s most decorated Black Belts shows some of the most effe tive tricks to take your opponent’s back. Back control is the most dominant positon to finish our opponent, and in this series you will effe tively learn how to take your opponent’s back from various positions without the need of Strength or athleticism. Take Your Opponents Back from: + Closed Guard + Half Guard + Open Guard + Spider Guard + Quarter Guard + Deep Half + Sitting Guard + All Top Positions!
ALSO INCLUDED!
Advanced Sitting Guard recovery and Counter Attacks! A complete guide to overcome every way your Opponent attempts to fi ht your Sitting Guard! Answers for: + + + + +
When When When When When
your your your your your
opponent fl ttens you out Opponent Runs Away Opponent Grabs your Ankles Opponent blocks under hooks Opponent Pins your Legs
2 DVDs, over 50 Techniques with alternate angle viewing!
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114 SUCCESS
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JODIE BEAR THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
JODIE BEAR IS A 19-YEAR-OLD TATTOO ARTIST LIVING IN CHESIRE, ENGLAND. She was pretty physically inactive to the point where she reached a peak of 336 pounds. She dreaded the thought of working out in front of others. It wasn’t until she happened to come across jiu-jitsu that she found something that would put the positive change in her life that she desired. Age: 19 | Height: 5’ 10” Starting Weight: 152kgs (336lbs) Current Weight: 95kgs (210lbs) (still losing weight) Belt Rank: Blue Home Town: Cheshire, England Home School: Warrior Martial Arts Instructor: Keith Hipkiss
How did you discover jiu-jitsu?
How often do you train?
A tattoo artist by trade, Keith was in the studio and we got talking about UFC. Me, knowing nothing about martial arts, said I always liked the idea of MMA, so he invited me along to his gym the next day. Never expecting to haul my backside to the club, I ended up there. Walking through the door was the worst bit; Keith and Mandy really didn’t expect me to walk through the door! But from lesson one I was hooked on BJJ. I continued to train a few days a week for around 3 weeks, then I started to do more classes. The most memorable time for me was when I was in the middle of a warm-up, probably doing the worst pushups in my life. Everyone had finished them and was already on their feet running around, I felt so humiliated with myself, I felt I looked like a complete slob and that everyone else was thinking the same, but then I heard one of the guys say “Go on Jodie, you can do it!” That for me was amazing, and I soon quickly learned that everyone was there for the same reason.
I train jiu-jitsu between 2 and 4 times a week or more if I can help it. I also train kickboxing around 4 times a week and in between I try and get some weight training in also.
What motivates you to train? Mainly my teammates, wanting success and being the best I can be. Being motivated 24/7 can be hard, but my teammates, family and friends help that.
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What else do you do for physical fitness? Mainly the classes, warm-ups at the club are pretty intense, but I also do weights and interval training.
main things that stick out in my head are that I have made some amazing friends, traveling around the world, meeting new people, and mainly knowing the fact I’m not putting my life at risk anymore.
What advice would you give to someone looking to make the same type of change? Be your own inspiration; erase negative thoughts and people, but most of all, actually want success and to better yourself! The rest follows after.
Have you changed your diet and how? I have gone from eating horribly, to trying to eat really, extremely healthy. The way I see it is, I’m not on a diet, I am changing the way I look at food, and this is a life long thing rather than some “quick fix”.
What’s been the biggest challenge so far? Personally, I would say staying motivated 24/7. It is very hard to do so if you have negative people/things in your life, so for me, I had to figure out what was best for me.
What’s the best thing about the life change? Ha! Pretty much everything, but the
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