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Dec
14
Defend. Reverse. Submit.
Filed Under Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory, Philosophy, and Technique | Leave a Comment
Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the world, but we should always see past any present misery; it’s like when you get caught in a bad situation in jiu-jitsu and you’re sure your opponent is about to tap you, but you have confidence and patience and you end up reversing the position and now it’s your [...]
Dec
6
The Octopus and Jiu-Jitsu
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I’ve talked in the past about what animal best represents jiu-jitsu and even though I love the pit bull and Matt Strack (Soma Academy) brought up the story of the porcupine as told to him by Master Helio (I love that by the way). I think, at least for me, the animal that best represents [...]
Dec
2
Chasing Your Opponent
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Chasing your opponent is not good; it shows a certain amount of desperation—you shouldn’t do it. I was watching some students train and as I watched I noticed one student trying to tie-up with another student and he was having a difficult time of it. He kept reaching for the collar, then the sleeve, then [...]
Nov
18
Tapping sucks—I don’t like to make a habit of it, but it’s something that I do from time to time. Last night for example, one of West Side’s outstanding blue belts, Grayson Greener, made me tap with an armbar—it sucked (the tapping, not the armbar). The competitor in me hates to tap and takes it [...]
Nov
13
This Saturday West Side Academy will be competing in a local submission-grappling and jiu-jitsu tournament. I have two schools, and both schools are going. I’ve been thinking lately about how some of the guys that train in Logan have never met some of the guys that train in Ogden, and many will meet for the [...]
Nov
12
Surviving the Smother
Filed Under Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory, Philosophy, and Technique | 2 Comments
There’s nothing more terrifying to me than not being able to breathe, but I use that fear as motivation for movement. If you’re being smothered from someone on top of you, you better move, if you can’t move, you better pray, and then find a pocket of air. I suspect it’s kind of like being [...]
Nov
4
There are people in your class that no one wants to roll with: the 300 hundred-pounder, the guy who is super strong that squeezes your head and muscles through everything, the guy that refuses to tap, the guy with super-human flexibility, and the guy who smells really bad. They’re the anomalies of the class, the [...]
Oct
28
Last night the power went out at my house. I always forget how much I depend on the electricity until it’s out, and when it’s out, there’s a mad dash to find things I need: flashlight? candles? A match for Pete’s sake?…nope, I’m unprepared. Now I’m fumbling in the dark looking for the flashlight my [...]
Oct
27
If you’re a Sloth, be a Sloth
Filed Under Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory, Philosophy, and Technique | 1 Comment
. . . I was on the phone last night with a buddy of mine, Richard Cesena, and we were talking about the tournaments he was entering this year which include: the Worlds in California, a small tourney in Tokyo, Japan, a couple in Europe, Portugal specifically, and one in Dubai in the United Arab [...]
Oct
21
Smiling and Jiu-Jitsu
Filed Under Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory, Philosophy, and Technique | Leave a Comment
There’s nothing more inviting to me than a smile, especially a genuine smile. In the Academy I like smiles, and laughs, and friendship. I used to sing when I trained (I’ve since stopped because sometimes people think I’m bored, and it hurts their feelings, but in my head I’m singing) because I am happy, happy [...]
