A session with 'Malandro'

Just got back from a session with David Onuma, who was a guest instructor at Nick's BJJ club. David is a brown belt under Ricardo Vieira and also a full time instructor teaching JKD (Jeet Kune do) and FMA (Filipino martial arts) based martial arts. This was a great session, a real privilege for me and the guys who attended. David didn't just show us a bunch of techniques, he got us thinking about the theory behind them. He started off with simple counters when the uke defends knee on belly. He asked us to look at what uke needed to do in order to defend his position. Then, based on his response, it was up to tori to capitalise on uke's defences in order to gain a superior position or submission. Another set up we did was when uke is in your closed guard and you try to perform an armbar on him. Clearly a half competent uke would defend this in one of many different ways. So David got us to look at how uke defends and base the next move, most likely a sweep, on his specific reaction.
The theme of the session was not that we should just be spoonfed a bunch of techniques, but for us to think a little but more about the theory, and experiment a little. David suggested that in order to progress in this manner, we should get into a key position during sparring and let uke counter or defend, and study how he does this. You do this again and again untilyou have worked out what it is that allows uke to do what he does and then you work out ways to negate those early steps. This made a lot of sense to me. In fact, I now have the perfect excuse when I next get tapped out...I was just studying how my opponent was moving!
David finished off by showing us a drill where you can stop uke passing your guard just by pushing his head away from you. It was really funny watching this, and even I managed to make it work, sort of. David is an awesome instructor and gives lots of food for thought.

Well, Meerkatsu life is not all BJJ. I'm still doing traditional JJ. The focus at the moment is on ko-budo (traditional weapons) training. I'm stuck half way through learning sai kata number 3 at the moment and had a go at the katana cuts kata. There are 8 cuts to learn, each one increasing in complexity until you end up pirhouetting like a ballerina and slicing the ceiling lightbulb off. Not exactly the graceful jitsuka I thought I was.

byMeerkatsu

in BJJ

February 27, 2009

A session with 'Malandro'

Just got back from a session with David Onuma , who was a guest instructor at Nick's BJJ club. David is a brown belt under Ricardo Viei...

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Talking 'bout a revolution

The dreaded lurgy has manifested itself in my lungs and I'm hacking great plumes of nasty stuff at the moment. It makes training very very difficult as I feel practically asthmatic with breathlesness. It has lasted several weeks now. Of course my 'man flu' is virtually pneumonia and I'm obviously very brave to be on the mat at all.
Anyhoo, one of the good things I like about the tuition I get with Nick at the Mill Hill BJJ Club is that he usually proceeds a technique with an anecdote or story about how he came to learn the technique. Last week he spoke at length about his private lessons with Ricardo de la Riva Goded. Nick wanted to learn the eponymous de la Riva guard, and the man de la Riva himself said, nah, I've seen you roll, you need to learn defence first. So with that, he then spent the next hour learning, according to Nick himself, a series of defence techniques that fundamentally changed his game forever...and the joy for us, was that Nick then went to show us what those techniques were. And I've used those defences myself and they really do work.

Oi Meerkat, what did de la Riva teach that was so damned good? Ask Nick if you really want to know, or better still, fly out to Brazil and pay for a private. Anyway, my point was that it's not what you say, it's the way you say it that counts. Having lots of little stories, anecdotes, funny and/or remarkable incidents to accompany a technique can really help numbskull students like me remember them a tad better. It also underlines the breadth of experience that Nick has and is so willing to share with us.

So there you go. Back to the Lemsip, Vicks and BJJ videos on youtube.

byMeerkatsu

in mill hill bjj, nick brooks

February 20, 2009

Talking 'bout a revolution

The dreaded lurgy has manifested itself in my lungs and I'm hacking great plumes of nasty stuff at the moment. It makes training very ve...

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The BJJ Police

The BJJ web forums have been abuzz with a recent influx of so-called bogus BJJ schools. Well, they are not bogus per se, rather, they are martial arts schools who claim to include BJJ as part of their syllabus. Like a red rag to a scary bull, various members of the BJJ community have taken it upon themselves to enquire as to the legitimacy of these schools. Some call it a witchhunt, but the BJJ police defend their motives as preserving the purity of the sport...

One martial arts school, based in Rochdale was spotted to claim to teach BJJ together with many other arts that were combined into a whole system. When questioned about the main instuctor's background, the owner replied that he had no formal training in BJJ, just a couple of seminar attendances and watched a few videos. He has since removed all references to BJJ on his website. But before doing sdo, insisted that the term 'BJJ' was not copyright, so he had every right to use it if he wanted.

Another instructor, based in Southampton, also claimed to teach BJJ. The BJJ police enquired as to his credentials and, after a few heated exchanges, the instructor revealed a rather mysterious and unverifiable background. The story goes like this - our man did train in BJJ from a legit school and got to blue belt. Then he left the club to train with a Brazilian black belt who only taught private lessons, but who has since disappeared never to be heard from again. But before the master left, he presented a black belt to his private student. No one in the BJJ community has ever heard of this BJJ instructor. The chap decides he wants to open up a school and apparently gains the accredition of a well known master called Tinguinha. He also claims he is a brown belt under Tinguinha. A few emails from our BJJ police discover to Tinguinha himself discover that our man is not cleared to represent him, but that he did suggest he downgrade his level to brown as his black belt is unverifiable. This is all very strange to the BJJ police, who confront the club owner, who in the end, apologises profusely for alluding to rank and alliegances that do not yet exist. He also alters his website accordingly.

There are probably loads more examples of these exchanges, a visit to any ofthe forums where BJJ is discussed, such as EFN or Bullshido and you can pick up any one of a number of on-going dramas. In most cases, the main ire of the BJJ community is the claim of teaching BJJ when they have no formal rank or record in the sport. Watching a few videos and attending a few seminars does not make you an instructor.

Unfortunately, BJJ is a martial art that has no overall governing body. Anyone can claim anything and in some cases they do. That's why the BJJ police on these forums feel it is important to chase bogus instructors to verify their claims. Anyone who has spent years, sweating blood and tears, on the mat, earning their belts from a recognised instructor, can breathe easy. The BJJ police are on your side. Everyone else, better run or hide.

Of course these situations are different from bonafide BJJ practitioners who are also instructors in traditional martial arts and who feel it appropriate to combine the two disciplines together. Why? I'll explore that in another posting soon.

NOTES:
1. How do you prove genuine BJJ credentials?
Simply state your instructor lineage. For example, mine would be - blue awarded by David Adiv - Royler Gracie - Helio Gracie.
My instructor, Nick Brooks, would be - brown belt from Roger Gracie - Renzo Gracie - Carlos Gracie Jr.

Further evidence of credentials would also include a fight record in all competitions, but since mine is so dire, I'll leave that out for now ;)

byMeerkatsu

in BJJ, bogus, websites

February 13, 2009

The BJJ Police

The BJJ web forums have been abuzz with a recent influx of so-called bogus BJJ schools. Well, they are not bogus per se, rather, they are ...

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European BJJ Championships 2009

Nick (blue gi) - finals mens brown belt senior 1 light (Photo: www.combat-bjj.com)

My BJJ instructor Nick just returned from the European BJJ tournament and filled me in on the results:

Nick Brooks - Gold Brown Belt Senior 1 Light
Mark Warby - Silver Blue Belt Senior 2 Middle Heavy
Lubomir Repasky - Bronze Blue Belt Adult Light
Daniel Strauss - Bronze Blue Belt Adult Feather
Anthony Warby - Gold, juvenile blue super heavyweight
Clint Jones and Dan Jones - R1 in their respective divisions.

So an amazing return of results from just one club. As usual the stats tell just one part of
the story.
For Nick, there was only two in his division. Maybe that is what made it, in his eyes, a very
boring fight, with his opponent locking up tight and refusing to budge in any way. the judges awarded the win to Nick as he was deemed to be the one trying the most. I guess if you enter a division and you know you got the silver straight away, it could kill the competitiveness a bit.
Nick went on to compete at the teams event and met a Polish black belt who was just 22 years old and sh*t hot. Nick lost 11-2.

The vagaries of a massive event such as the Europeans (1,000 competitors spread over 3 days) mean that some divisions get tons of people, some just a couple. For Daniel Strauss and Lubo, they were met with a division of 60 and 57 competitors respectively. Both managed to win four fights (Daniel by triangle in each case) to get to the semis before losing. Daniel also tore his shoulder ligaments prior to the comps so to actually step on the mat was a minor miracle, let alone compete and win!

The Warbys did well, young Anthony, only 17 years old won his division and Dad Mark won his 41-45 year olds division. Which reminds me, I'll be 40 this year, blimey how time flies.

Clint told me he was fighting half guard and down on points but managed to sink a good lapel choke onto his opponent. The bell just ran for timout and, according to his opponent, he was just about to tap...literally saved by the bell!

Purple belt Asif got DQ'ed sadly, emplying a foot lock and twisting it - an illegal move under the rules. Shame as Asif is certainly one of the top guys in his division.

So a big well done to the Mill Hill BJJ crew. To step onto the mat and face an unknown opponent is one thing, to do it at one of the world's biggest BJJ tournaments is another. Respect! and Ooooos!

byMeerkatsu

in BJJ, mill hill bjj, tournament

February 05, 2009

European BJJ Championships 2009

Nick (blue gi) - finals mens brown belt senior 1 light (Photo: www.combat-bjj.com ) My BJJ instructor Nick just returned from the European ...

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Helio Gracie (1913-2009), RIP

A legend and an inspiration for hundreds of thousands.

byMeerkatsu

in BJJ

January 30, 2009

Helio Gracie (1913-2009), RIP

A legend and an inspiration for hundreds of thousands.

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Balls of Power

I wonder if JK Rowling ever used the Powerball? My first impression of this gyroscopic wrist strengthener is that once revved up it seems to take on a life of its own, as if it is about to fly out of my hand - bit like a Quidditch ball. I guess with all that typing of Harry Potter books, she may very well have invested in a Powerball to ease her writer's cramp. Not sure if this thing will help my grip game, but it is very addictive.

Well, onto matters of the jujitsu kind. Last week I trained with some of the guys who will be competing at the European BJJ Championship. One chap stood out in particular, purple belt Asif. Now I did not know of Asif from before but when I rolled with him it didn't take me long to realise what a quality player he is. I can't begin to describe just how many times he made me tap from all sorts of positions and angles. After chatting to him for a bit, he told me he started BJJ back when no-one had ever heard of it. He joined a club run by a then unknown Brazilian black belt who had a teenage, blue belt son. That teenage lad was Roger Gracie and the instructor was Mauricio Motta Gomez. So by my reckoning, Asif has at the least 10 years of BJJ behind him. No wonder I was being mauled like a kitten in a den of lions!

Big things are happening in my trad JJ development. My head of association told me basically to get my act together and start training for my 3rd dan. It was the kick up the arse I needed and I have worked out a schedule for the year ahead. It began last night at my JJ club with the 3rd sai kata. This convoluted twisty turny kata is actually is not too bad to learn, it just contains a couple of assymetric patterns that throw you if you are not concentrating. It's just a start but its a long road ahead.

byMeerkatsu

in BJJ, jikishin ju-jitsu, training aids

January 28, 2009

Balls of Power

I wonder if JK Rowling ever used the Powerball ? My first impression of this gyroscopic wrist strengthener is that once revved up it seems t...

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Im-pus-able

OK, give you three guesses what these are? Mill Hill BJJ guys keep quiet, you know what they are. I found the photo on fellow BJJ mate Dan's Facebook page. For a clue, read this entry in the blog. Ew.

byMeerkatsu

in BJJ, injuries

January 16, 2009

Im-pus-able

OK, give you three guesses what these are? Mill Hill BJJ guys keep quiet, you know what they are. I found the photo on fellow BJJ mate Dan...

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Peruvian What?????

Last night's BJJ class was the best I've rolled in ages. Nick wanted to specifically train for the European Championships, that meant the whole class got to spend more time rolling and slightly less time drilling. This was great with me as I love rolling. Last night was particularly productive as I managed to get several subs in a row. But I got cocky. I was sparring white belt Jansen and started fooling around in turtle feeling fairly safe until he proceeded to choke me out. 'OMIGOD what the hell was that technique????' I asked just after tapping frantically and placing my eyeballs back in their sockets. I thought my turtle was pretty good until Jansen showed me the truth. Jansen sheepishly replied that it was the 'Peruvian Neck-tie'. The Peruvian what? I thought he was making it up. But no, he said he learned it off Youtube. Damn that meddling youtube. Well, here it is for your viewing pleasure as demonstrated by the excellent submissions 101 team:



It's a brilliant submission. Unlike other turtle attacks you don't need a good grip of the uniform and once applied, it is both a neck crank and a carotid strangle (and maybe a bit of windpipe). the legs over the lower back and back of neck prevent any sneeky rolling out so you're kinda of just left to hang and dry. From my point of view, it was the closest I will probably feel to being hung from the gallows, it was horrid. No more turtles for me until I learn the defence to this baby.

Speaking of Peruvian Neck ties and turtles, it occured to me what brilliantly ridiculous terminology BJJ techniques have. I mean in trad martial arts, you have one name per technique, usually in the language of origin, with little deviation.
eg ushiro goshi pretty much translates to rear throw in english .
In BJJ however, someone will 'invent' a technique, maybe christens it, maybe doesn't, but over time, if the new technique is popular, it acquires a lore and in the end, no one really knows where the name came from but it just kind of sticks. It is all so random and free-thinking, true memetics at work. For non-BJJ readers, check out this mini list of strange sounding techniques:

Named after wildlife: anaconda choke, spider guard,turtle guard, mata leo (Lion killer), butterfly guard, flower sweep
Named after people: delariva guard, kimura lock, brabo choke,
Named after objects: clock choke, crucifix choke, keylock, baseball bat choke, scissor sweep
etc etc etc.
Despite their colourful names, most techniques pretty much describe what they do and you can see the obvious connection.
Interestingly, for all their history in creating BJJ as we know it, there aren't any techniques I know of that are named after any member of the Gracie family. There are in fact only a small handful of BJJ experts who are honoured with a techniques named after them. How cool that must be? Watch this space...the Meerkatsu choke is coming to an academy soon.

byMeerkatsu

in BJJ, techniques

January 15, 2009

Peruvian What?????

Last night's BJJ class was the best I've rolled in ages. Nick wanted to specifically train for the European Championships, that mean...

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2009 - Year of the Standup

A new year and a new gi. My new Faixa Rua BJJ uniform arrived yesterday. It is a bit on the big side so it will have to undergo a rigorous series of hot washes in order to shrink it to my exact size. Shrinking gis is a dark art that is not without its dangers. Boiling hot washes with subsequent high heat tumble drying can fray the stitching and cause collars with rubber inner linings to melt. Too much hot washing can also cause the different segments that make up the whole uniform to shrink and fade at different rates, resulting in a lopsided patchwork effect. Oh and lets not forget the initial salt bath soak to make the dye permanent and the sewing on of patches. Yes, gi preparation is a bit of a hassle but when some uniforms can cost hundreds of pounds, its definitely worth the effort.

The new year also brought in a big surge in students attending my JJ club. Some new faces, some old timers and it was good to see them all. Although my JJ club follows a strict laid out trad JJ syllabus, I have a lot of students who arrive extra early to take part in sport JJ training. Since there are about half a dozen guys who also train BJJ, it makes sense that we concentrate on BJJ drills and it's a very popular segment to the class. But I am wary of appearing to just be a club that practices BJJ-lite. The heart of the club is based on self defence work and the syllabus, so we tend to go over techniques that relate to our self defence work, or techniques that we can use in our version of the ground fighting rules. OK, sometimes we try the flash stuff too, but not often. At the end of the day, at least we get to practice a little live sparring, which I think it important for everyone, regardless of style.

Relating to that is my new found admiration for judo. I've been doing a bit of stand-up grappling at BJJ class recently thanks to the judo black belts there and also a bit at my JJ club. Coupled with my fascination with the Dave Camarillo book, I'm really getting in to it. Judo throws are a bit like my trad JJ throws, only you have a fully live resisting partner and you have to fight for good grips, so its pretty tough. If I have time I might see if I can find a local judo club to develop this a bit further. Yes, 2009 looks like it will be year of the stand up.

byMeerkatsu

in BJJ, imperial-club, judo, uniforms

January 10, 2009

2009 - Year of the Standup

A new year and a new gi. My new Faixa Rua BJJ uniform arrived yesterday. It is a bit on the big side so it will have to undergo a rigorous...

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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Books

I have acquired quite a few BJJ books. I can't help it. Whenever a new one comes out, I have to buy it. And Santa was most obliging this year with the provision of two new titles for me to pour over Christmas.
But if I asked myself, how useful are these books actually? I would say that they only offer me a small return on their investment. Mainly because you cannot substitute good hard training on the mats. But also because I am a lazy reader and don't really study them properly, I just browse through random pages when I am on the bog and make a mental note of moves that interest me. If I remember, I may try some of them out in class, but mostly I don't. What they do help with though, is if you have just recently learned a technique and need some pointers for fine tuning, or to reveal variations on the technique. They also reveal stuff you may never have tried before, so you can at least be aware of them. So with that in mind, here are my top recommended BJJ books so far:

1. The winner of the 'I do traditional martial arts and would like to see what all this Gracie stuff is all about' category:

Theory & Technique, Renzo and Royler Gracie - this book was criticised when it first came out for its random assignment of techniques to belt levels. Despite its flaws, it has stood the test of time and is a good introduction to the art. A review can be read here.
Honourable mention: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Basics, Gene Simco - His 'Master Text' is too weighty to be of practical use, but Simco's beginner's guide is not bad. Though the b/w pictures are a bit poor in some areas.


2. Winner of the 'I have been doing BJJ for a few years and need to learn some sh#t hot moves now' category:
X-Guard, Marcelo Garcia - this book is so beautiful it could only be authored by one man. Marcelo Garcia is such a legend I really don't think I am worthy to even try these moves out. A good review can be seen here.
Honourable mentions include:
Advanced Jiu-Jitsu Techniques, Fabio Gurgel (small handy size, great ready to use techniques, but not great pictures).
Black belt techniques, Jean-Jacques Machado - Cool fancy moves that the Machados are famous for.


3. Winner of the 'Oh no my instructor called in sick and said I have to take the class, what now? category:
Guerrilla Jiu-jitsu, Dave Camarillo, Erich Krauss - wanna learn to fly? this book is your flight manual and first class lounge all rolled into one neat package. A whole chapter dedicated to beating judo guys and another on flying submissions...awesome! A good review here:
Honorable mentions should also go to:
Jiu-Jitsu unleashed, Eddie Bravo, what can be said about the man Bravo that has not been said before? Whatever your view, this book introduces his unique take on BJJ. Not very good pictures, but subsequent books offer more detail or free on youtube, a zillion guys trying their rubber guard or Zombie or whatever he calls it. Actually I quite like his stuff, but there you go what do I know?


4. Finally, 'most awesome BJJ book ever award'
Jiu-Jitsu University, Saulo Ribeiro - I only just got this book but already it looks so amazing that I can't take my hands off it. The sheer variety of techniques on offer and more importantly, the philosophical points raised by Saulo make this book stand out. Ribeiro is a brilliant instructor, an elite competitor and now, an author of probably the most definitive BJJ book of them all. Well, until Marcelo publishes his next book.
Full review here.

byMeerkatsu

in books

December 30, 2008

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Books

I have acquired quite a few BJJ books. I can't help it. Whenever a new one comes out, I have to buy it. And Santa was most obliging this...

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My Year

Well the RGA internal comp never happened for me. The two fighters who were in my category pulled out at the last moment. Oh well. Us short guys have it hard you know.
So 2008 is coming to an end and time to reflect on achievements, accomplishments and lessons learned.
The early part of the year was still occupied with trying to juggle work, jujitsu and coping with the newborn. By the Spring, I was able to take a little more control of my JJ life and increase my training. Summer was a bummer - I twisted my ankle in the most horridly public way and laid up for several months. By Autumn I got back into training and was soon fully prepped and ready to compete at the JJJA Nationals, in which I failed to get past in the first round of my division. I learned that a one dimensional BJJ game won't get you very far, and also to tread more carefully when venting spleen on this blog. I did however earn an extra stripe on my blue belt and host a number of excellent seminars at my Trad JJ club. So all in all, a good year MA wise. Next year, I plan to up the training level in an attempt to reach my budo potential. Of course, this Meerkatsu blog will document all the highs and all the lows, so may this Meerkat wish you all a happy Christmas and an awesome New Year. Together we are all Citizen Jitsukas.

byMeerkatsu

in

December 23, 2008

My Year

Well the RGA internal comp never happened for me. The two fighters who were in my category pulled out at the last moment. Oh well. Us short ...

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Keyboard Warriors

As we wind down towards the end of the year, it is probably a good time as any to mention a few blog warriors who I like to read on a regular basis.

In the regular joe blog category, we have:
White Collar Jujitsu: http://whitecollarbjj.blogspot.com/
Steve's BJJ log: http://www.stevebjj.com/
I like reading blogs that reveal bits about the writer's personality, their humour, their trials and general opinions as well as the technical aspects of the sport. To me, I can identify with regular Joe Blogger who has a family, busy job, demanding wife etc but still has time to dedicate to training and of course writing enjoyable blog content.

For Instructional blogs, there is one that is top of every BJJer's favourites list:
Stephen Kesting's Grappling Tip of the week blog. Kesting has written books and produced numerous DVDs and I'm a big fan of his crystal clear instructional style. He is also very generous and by giving away a free e-book and numerous handy tips on his blog, is someone who stands up to be admired for not using his knowledge simply as a way to make money. He wants to share his passion with you and you really get the sense that he is there to help.
http://www.grapplearts.com/weblog.htm

Closer to home, Roger Gracie black belt, Nicolas Gregoriades, has a very informative, if less frequently updated blog here:
http://www.jiujitsubrotherhood.com/
My favourite article of his explains just how awesome Roger Gracie is at BJJ:
http://www.jiujitsubrotherhood.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16:understanding-the-phenomenon&catid=5:miscellaneous&Itemid=8

There are hundreds of BJJ blogs out there and possibly a thousand times more on the theme of martial arts. It is hard to read even a small percent of them and so a good blog has to really stand out. It should have enjoyable content, updated regularly, pretty pictures help and so does spellcheck. So, on that note, if anyone wishes to nominate Meerkatsu in BJJ Blog of the Year award, they can do so here:
http://thefightworkspodcast.com/2008/11/20/bjj-blog-of-the-year-2008/
No pressure...

byMeerkatsu

in blogs, websites

December 16, 2008

Keyboard Warriors

As we wind down towards the end of the year, it is probably a good time as any to mention a few blog warriors who I like to read on a regul...

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