Combat Potential from the Gracies

This is from the latest issue of the Gracie Academy newsletter. I like the simple guideline of understanding your progress when learning a new technique/tactic/strategy. Too often, we jump in against an opponent at our level and get frustrated when our new cool technique fails. this might help keep things in perspective. All props should go to the Gracies if you like this, not me!

What’s Your Combat Potential?

Question of the Month: "I have heard people say that strength doesn’t matter if you know jiu-jitsu. My problem is that I have been training for 7 months and I am constantly loosing to stronger opponents at my training center and as a result am starting to believe that I am not strong enough. What are your thoughts?"

-Ivan B. (Detroit, MI)

Answer: First of all you should understand one thing- strength does matter. Hypothetically, if two fighters are pitted against one another with the exact same level of technique, the one with greater strength and size will win every time. In order for you to overcome a skilled opponent who is stronger than you, your technique must be far superior to his so that you can make up in technique what you lack in strength.

In order to better understand what Gracie Jiu-Jitsu can do for you, you must first understand “Combat Potential”. Combat Potential is term used to depict the level of threat that an individual is capable of neutralizing in a physical altercation. There are 4 levels of Combat Potential. An individual who has reached Level 1 Combat Potential is skilled enough to effectively neutralize someone of similar physique who does not have any technical knowledge. Level 2 indicates that the practitioner can effectively neutralize a larger, stronger attacker who does not have any technical knowledge. Level 3 indicates that the practitioner is prepared to neutralize an opponent of similar physique who has some technical knowledge. Level 4 indicates that the practitioner is prepared to neutralize a larger, stronger opponent who has some technical knowledge.

Without knowledge of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, one’s Combat Potential is determined almost entirely by their preexisting physical attributes such as strength, speed and coordination. The reason Gracie Jiu-Jitsu will increase one’s combat potential so rapidly is that the techniques are so based almost entirely on proper timing and usage of leverage so that strength and speed are less important than they would be in any other martial art.

One very common occurrence amongst new jiu-jitsu practitioners is that they test themselves against a level 3 or 4 opponent when they have not yet achieved level 1 or 2 Combat Potential. This can be very discouraging and in many cases cause a new student to quit taking lessons. To prevent this from happening, a you must have a clear understanding of the 4 levels of Combat Potential and be patient enough to progress through them one level at a time.

a real hero

I won't spend much time writing about the shootings at VA Tech last week. There is enough commentary out there about it. However, I do want to bring some attention to the actions of a great man and true hero.

His name was Liviu Librescu. He was 76 and a professor of aerospace engineering at the university. During the shooting rampage, he was conducting a class. Realizing what was happening, he used his own body to barricade the door and held it closed while he told his students to get out. He was shot through the door and was killed. He knowingly sacrificed his life to save others, some of whom he probably barely knew.

I just stand in awe of this man's greatness. To give his life so others can live is amazing, especially when it is so easy to hear only of cynical things happening. I don't know if I would have had his courage if I was in that situation. Maybe being a survivor of the Holocaust gave him a stronger resolve and deeper wells of bravery. I don't know. I do know I don't think I will be so quick to overlook it the next time I hear someone make an anti-semitic remark, or denigrate some professor on the other side of the political aisle from my beliefs.

I will close this post with what Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenathal Center said of Prof. Librescu. The rabbi said "...This man(Librescu) decided he would not let this act of evil occur. He was not going to be a bystander."

Yes, indeed. A very, very brave soul.

MMA role models

I enjoy MMA. I think a competitive match between fighters with heart, skill, or brains, is a joy to behold. I also think that MMA gives us many clues as to what really works in a fight or what is a good way of training your techniques.

However, I don't worship at the altar of MMA, and I am really disappointed that with it's new popularity, it has already taken a step towards big time professional sports and the problems associated with it.

For example, I am really dis-heartened by the MANY, MANY recent drug test failures by a number of fighters. Nick Diaz, Melvin Guillard, Stephen Bonnar, a guy from the IFL. and in three local California shows in a ONE WEEK period, THREE fighters failed drug tests.

Now, I am not passing judgement on their personal choices. That is between them and their own conscience. My point in bringing this up is to point how that what MMA athletes do to get better does not automatically mean it will help me. Just because a guy wins an MMA fight, does not confer on him a magic ability to teach me how to do the same thing, ESPECIALLY if he is on 'roids or meth or other performance altering drugs.

So, will I try to learn all that I can from a professional fighter? Absolutely. But it does not mean that EVERYTHING he does is applicable.

Okay, enough soap boxing for now.

Learning the rules

This past Saturday, I attended a 7 hour referee's clinic put on by Alvaro Mansur, the head referee of the International BJJ Federation. It was long, but somewhat interesting.

I learned some details of tournament BJJ rules that I was not sure of, but, more importantly, I learned the thought process behind ALL the current rules. Basically, they are designed as much as possible to reward the person trying to finish the fight with a definite end (submission or high amount of points) and punish the guy just trying to survive with the minimum. Like any set of rules for human endeavor, they are fallible and not perfect, but at least it is an honest attempt. The fact that you are not rewarded for doing what you should be doing (i.e. escaping a bad situation) and only rewarded for trying something beyond that is kind of cool.

So, after this, I can now referee an official IBJJF event. I am not a certified ref yet, though. I am basically, a ref-in-training. I need to actually get some real world experience, and sometime in the next 2 years, I have to attend another clinic. I don't really want to do too much of it, but every now and then acting as a ref might be fun.

At least, until I make a call that pisses off some famous black belt!

Am I training with technique, or am I a lazy fat a**?

I pride myself on training with an emphasis on technique, and trying to minimize physical attributes as much as possible. Most people who do jiu-jitsu with me will say I roll like I weigh much less. Most of the lighter guys in class have no problem being willing to roll with me, because I will not crush them. I think this is the best way to train. Besides being fun, it gets to the heart of the "art", and will enable me to train for the rest of my life. The guys who tend to use their attributes (size, strength, speed, conditioning, etc...) seem to burn out eventually. I cannot count the guys who have come and gone, while I keep chugging away. The nice thing is, I can always add my attributes when I need to, but they are generally unable to add technique when they want to. So I prefer this way of training. However.........

Recently, I have come to the conclusion that my BJJ game is sort of stagnant. Thinking about how to bring my "slump", I have realized that at some point in the recent past, I made a virtue (training without attribute) into a vice. I have used the excuse of being "technical" to become somewhat lazy and complacent. I think it started last summer when I was bitten by a spider, went to the emergency room to have the venom treated, and I was apparently exposed to MRSA (staph infection). It ravaged my body for the next 6-7 weeks. Even after it was gone, my body was very weak and it was taking me a good amount of time to get back some decent level of conditioning. Just when I was getting my groove back, I had a serious knee injury. The resulting surgery and rehab took 3 more months out of my training time. Since then, I have noticed I am having some real difficulties getting back to where I was last May (when I was bitten). It is not the art, but the artist. I roll without intent or focus, and I have let go of the drive to do extra curricular conditioning workouts. I told myself that it was okay, because I was using "technique". But I wasn't, I was just being lazy and waiting for some magical opening to appear.

Well, that ends now. I have already started to revamp what I am doing. The conditioning work is back on, and now when I roll, I have a definite idea what I am looking to do, and I will be aggressive about doing it. That doesn't mean I will use excess attributes, but I will be working to accomplish a goal, as opposed to waiting for the goal to happen. I have also committed myself to drop 30lbs by the end of August to get down to 190, a weight I have not been at since college. Why August? Because that is when the BJJ world championships will be held in Los Angeles. Since there are no age divisions, I will be competing against guys who will probably be 10 - 20 years younger, so I figure the weight loss (and drop in weight categories) will help me minimize some of the disadvantages I have as an old fart going against athletes in their prime.

The funny thing is, this is only with BJJ. With my CM/striking, I am having almost constant improvements every time I glove up. The cardio part (the lack of) is having a negative impact on my stand up, but I am still feeling like things are working better than before. I am still concentrating on technique, but I have a constant focus and intent when I am hitting my partners. I just need to get that back for the ground, and that is the plan.

So, to sum up. Training with a de-emphasis on physical attributes is a good thing. Just make sure it is not an excuse to dog it. Don't be like me :)