Jab & Cross - the backbone

In my view, the jab and cross should be the backbone of a functional striking arsenal. Actually, it's not just my view; it's the view of a lot of extremely knowledgeable people like Rodney King, Paul Sharp, Greg Jackson, Adam Singer, etc. These two strikes are high-percentage, robust moves that work under high stress.

So why isn't it used more often and successfully by non-professionals? Well, there are three factors.

1) Poor Instruction - For some reason, finding proper instruction of how to properly throw these two punches is harder than finding a caring politician in Washington DC. The basic structure of both punches is very simple, but there are a ton of tiny details that are usually over looked. When an instructor who doesn't know these details teaches it to someone else, that someone might then become a coach and starts a vicious cycle of ignorance. Early in my Martial Arts journey, I was shown how to do these moves more times then I care to think about. Almost everyone who was not an experienced boxer got it wrong and screwed me up. Do some research to make sure you are learning it correctly. A key to knowing if your coach has a clue is if he talks about the balance component, how important it is, and how to incorporate it into your performance.

2) Poor Performance - Even when the instruction has been good, it doesn't always ensure success. A problem I see many times as a coach is even when people "know" the material, there is often a dichotomy between mind and body and the person doesn't even realize that they are not doing what they think they are doing. They are positive they are doing all the steps correctly even when they are far off. This is where a coach needs to be creative in order to get the idea across. Also, sometimes just video-ing yourself then watching it, will do wonders for that physical understanding.

3) Poor Spatial Relationship - This is a big one. Even when the instruction is good and the mechanical performance is solid, the technique fails because the person does not understand the proper distance needed between the two opponents. Time after time I watch people be so close that they T-Rex their own arms, or be so far away that they lose balance as they desperately try to reach the target. It is an ongoing learning process that can only be understood through sparring, ideally under the eye of a coach who knows what to look for.

Hopefully, this gives some people some food for thought, as well as some guidelines.

Helio Gracie

Today would have been Helio Gracie's 96th birthday.

Any BJJ practitioner should take a moment to honor the debt we owe to him.

Happy birthday Grandmaster.

A true hero

Last summer, my wife and I went to London. We did the typical sightseeing stuff. One of my favorite experiences was Westminster Abbey. It was amazing how much history was in that place, including the graves of so many famous figures.

We spent hours there. I was on a quest to see and pay my respects at a specific tomb. I walked all over, but couldn't find it. Finally, I asked an attendant where this particular person was buried. He looked at me with surprise. I probably looked my normal sloppy self, three day old beard, old comfortable shorts, most likely a BJJ t-shirt, and with an obvious American accent. He then smiled and said it was in an area that was roped off for a private ceremony later that day. Seeing my disappointment, he offered to guide me back there. After a little journey, I was finally at one of the places I absolutely had to see on my UK trip - the burial spot of William Wilburforce, one of the greatest men that ever walked the planet. I was content.

There is a good chance that reading this you don't know who Wilburforce was. Please, take the time to either read the book Amazing Grace or see the movie by the same name. Actually, you really should do both. I think it is a crime that he is not revered for the great things he accomplished, things that have a direct impact on how we all live today.

Read the book and see the movie. I guarantee you will not regret it.

Someone else's blog

Here is a fantastic blogpost by Andreh Anderson, a BJJ black belt under Rey Diogo. Andreh is a very cool dude, and this post is what I have been preaching to whoever is willing to listen since I have been back from Brazil four years ago. Very well articulated.

Cecil says check it out:

http://andrehbjj.blogspot.com/2009/07/sparring-time-in-brazil.html

yoga words of wisdom

I have been doing yoga (specifically, Bikram Yoga also referred to as "hot" yoga) for a while now. I have been enjoying it, and I think it has given me some really nice benefits beyond flexibility. It has helped my breathing, and it has helped my knee that had surgery on it become noticeably stronger. I like the class as well because since it is done in a heated and humid room (the temp is around 102 and the humidity is around 60%), it helps flush stuff out of your system through immense sweating.

There are some interesting phrases and terms used on a regular basis too. I would like to pass on a few that I think have some carry over to other things in life, like martial arts..

The first one is something Bikram writes in one of his books. He says "You do not do yoga, you try to do yoga, and in the trying is where you receive the benefits." I really like this, because it takes the pressure off in trying to live up to a certain standard as the only way to "succeed". Just in doing it you succeed. How many times do we forget this in our other activities? I know that I myself am sometimes overly hard on myself when I get tapped in jiu-jitsu, or get punched too often in stand up sparring. I am really trying to just learn to enjoy the benefits no matter what the external indicators are telling me.

The second one is that none of the teachers EVER refer to doing yoga as "training" or "working out". It is ALWAYS just practice. You do your practice. You enjoy your daily practice. You practice your yoga. Again, the pressure of living up to your ideal of forcing yourself to train like a maniac is left behind. You just do the practice, and enjoy it. Something else I am trying to remember to follow when I put on the gi, or the boxing gloves.

And finally, this one from Bikram. "Give 100% of yourself to every posture. It does not matter how much of the posture you do, just how much you put into it. If you can only do 10% of the posture, but you are doing it with 100% focus, effort, and intention, you will get 100% of the benefits." This is probably my favorite, because it emphasizes that you are not in competition with anyone, only with yourself. If you give your all when you do something, you are winning. For example, if you are sparring someone and they are completely dominating you, as long as you are trying your best, you will get better. It might take you longer than the guy next to you, but that is irrelevant. All that matters, is that YOU WILL improve.

Anyway, I hope you can take away something useful from this. I am trying to!

BJJ pet peeves, part 2

Okay, so here is another thing that ticks me off involving BJJ.

Why does everyone who watches one UFC think he knows everything about BJJ? Or, why does anyone who has seen a BJJ DVD, or taken a seminar, or surfs the 'net, thinks they have seen and experienced EVERYTHING there is in BJJ, and can make absolute pronouncements?

Let me tell you, I have been doing BJJ for a while now, and I have been fortunate to have constant contact with a world class coach, as well as have had the good fortune of training in a number of gyms with other great coaches. I also have the good fortune to have a couple of close friends who are as experienced whose brains I get to pick. And with all that, I am still learning new aspects of BJJ. There are so many things I "knew" as a blubelt that I know now was wrong. Just last night, I learned a variation on a Brabo choke that explained why I was only having about a 30% percent success rate with Brabos. Even great players like my coach Megaton, or Royler Gracie never says "this is the fact about this". They, with all their knowledge and experience will say this is what they think, but never make it dogma.

And yet, keyboard warriors seem to have no problem saying the opposite "This is the way it is, no ifs, ands, or buts".

Interesting contrast in perspectives to me.

Judo

The more I am delving into Judo and working it, the more I think it is a hugely important piece of the combat puzzle that is missed by the majority of people. I am also thinking it might be MORE important for "street self-defense" than western wrestling. Why? Because I have not been able to find too many examples of street fights where the participants were shirtless, wearing speedos, or nude!

It is a simple fact that clothing/cloth will be available and/or involved in a self-defense altercation. Ignoring the advantages that can give you is short-sighted and foolish, in my opinion.