Arizona Martial Gym

So closed fist is bad?

2010-09-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

I find it funny that all the"combatives" guys spend so much time trying to convince people that relying on closed fist striking for self-preservation ALWAYS leads to shattered hands. It is one of their most cherished mantras.

Yet, one of the heroes of the combatives/RBSD guys is now coming out with his latest DVD series and - SURPRISE! - it is all about closed fist striking for the street! LMAO!!!! What is really great is the guy has little training in it (and believe me, it shows in his movement from the promo clip), but that doesn't seem to mean that he thinks he is not a subject matter expert. Sheesh.

I wonder how the RBSD people will spin this.

Managing Training Time

2010-06-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

Trying to fit in training time might be the most difficult part of training. Unless you are a professional athlete, independently wealthy, or young and without ties, it is tough to manage all the things you need to do while going about your life with family, work, and social obligations. Add in a multi-disciplinary approach (S&C, BJJ, striking, clinch, MUC/awareness, handgun, carbine, knife, stick, etc...) and the problem expands exponentially.

I wrote about one way of dealing with this on my blog back in November of 2008 (No Time). This trick is good for fitting in something, but not the bulk of the work you need. For myself, I need to be more organized and focused.

What I do is use a large desk calender from a office supply store and I write, in advance, what my workouts will be on what day for the next 1-2 weeks. Sounds simple, but I have found most people don't really plan that way. They "know" what they are needing to do, but forget to plan around the things that pop up in everyday life.

For example, it's easy to say you will go to MMA class M-W-Sat, but what if you have a business dinner meeting that you forgot about on Wednesday? How do you compensate? Do you try to push back the schedule? Do you just miss the class? Or do you try to squeeze in multiple workouts on the same day (say the MMA class and a heavy strength session)?

IMO, it's easier to do this ahead of time. If I can see my schedule for two weeks out, I can plan around business commitments, holidays, kid's doctor appointments, etc. If there is a conflict, I can work around it ahead of time, rather than scramble and stress out, or beat myself up for missing a workout.

I like a having a plan. It helps me to focus on the training itself, and not about the when.

I love predictions by stupid people

2010-04-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some quotes by scientists and other experts on the occasion of the first Earth Day in 1970.

Notice that every single prediction is wrong, and even more amusing is that many "experts" say the same things right now about our current situation.

“We have about five more years at the outside to do something.”
• Kenneth Watt, ecologist

“Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind.”
• George Wald, Harvard Biologist

“We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation.”
• Barry Commoner, Washington University biologist

“Man must stop pollution and conserve his resources, not merely to enhance existence but to save the race from intolerable deterioration and possible extinction.”
• New York Times editorial, the day after the first Earth Day

“Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make. The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years.”
• Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

“By…[1975] some experts feel that food shortages will have escalated the present level of world hunger and starvation into famines of unbelievable proportions. Other experts, more optimistic, think the ultimate food-population collision will not occur until the decade of the 1980s.”
• Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

“It is already too late to avoid mass starvation.”
• Denis Hayes, chief organizer for Earth Day

“Demographers agree almost unanimously on the following grim timetable: by 1975 widespread famines will begin in India; these will spread by 1990 to include all of India, Pakistan, China and the Near East, Africa. By the year 2000, or conceivably sooner, South and Central America will exist under famine conditions….By the year 2000, thirty years from now, the entire world, with the exception of Western Europe, North America, and Australia, will be in famine.”
• Peter Gunter, professor, North Texas State University

“Scientists have solid experimental and theoretical evidence to support…the following predictions: In a decade, urban dwellers will have to wear gas masks to survive air pollution…by 1985 air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half….”
• Life Magazine, January 1970

“At the present rate of nitrogen buildup, it’s only a matter of time before light will be filtered out of the atmosphere and none of our land will be usable.”
• Kenneth Watt, Ecologist

Stanford's Paul Ehrlich announces that the sky is falling.

“Air pollution…is certainly going to take hundreds of thousands of lives in the next few years alone.”
• Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

“We are prospecting for the very last of our resources and using up the nonrenewable things many times faster than we are finding new ones.”
• Martin Litton, Sierra Club director

“By the year 2000, if present trends continue, we will be using up crude oil at such a rate…that there won’t be any more crude oil. You’ll drive up to the pump and say, `Fill ‘er up, buddy,’ and he’ll say, `I am very sorry, there isn’t any.’”
• Kenneth Watt, Ecologist

“Dr. S. Dillon Ripley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, believes that in 25 years, somewhere between 75 and 80 percent of all the species of living animals will be extinct.”
• Sen. Gaylord Nelson

“The world has been chilling sharply for about twenty years. If present trends continue, the world will be about four degrees colder for the global mean temperature in 1990, but eleven degrees colder in the year 2000. This is about twice what it would take to put us into an ice age.”
• Kenneth Watt, Ecologist

You better rely on yourself

2010-02-01T11:26:00.001-08:00

Some people will look askance at the idea that you have the right to self-defense. They will say that we can rely on the Police to help. Those people need to read the following news story and take particular note that the victim had NINE orders of protection, for all the good it did.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/arrest-in-slaying-of-queens-job-agency-owner/

Note: this is not a slam in anyway against law enforcement. They have a tough job, but even the best of them CANNOT always be there.

Reading comprehension

2010-01-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

My new pet peeve is the apparent inability of people to simply comprehend what they read. It seems to be rampant on the internet.

I just had an interaction with a semi-well known Martial Artist who, regardless of his education, cannot understand the written word. It left me feeling icky. The fact that there are some people out there who think this guy has a clue about combat boggles my mind. It is especially bad when he posts video or DVDs of himself trying to perform something. He sucks, hands down. But I have to keep my mouth shut because of good friends of mine who like him (not because they think he has anything worthwhile about fighting, but as a person). Too bad, because I would like to expose some things about him he would prefer stay quiet.

Being polite sucks sometimes.

Dredging up the past

2010-01-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

Here is something for anyone who read MMA/grappling-centric magazines and internet discussion boards in the late 90's.

Those of you who did might recall there was a debate between BJJ people and Catchwrestling people (most notably Matt Furey and Karl Gotch) about whether submission holds could actually break bones. The catch guys spoke long and loud on how it was impossible. The BJJ people brought up a lot of actual facts that never seemed to penetrate the Catch guys brains. Ithink the debate has long been won, but this past New Year's Eve in Japan serves as a reminder. On a big televised MMA event, Shinya Aoki broke the humerous of Mizuto Hirota with a kimura. If he wasn't so irrelevant to real combat today, it might have been interesting to hear Matt Furey try to justify that one.

I know this is kind of immature to bring up the past like this, but sometimes I can't help it. Plus, I don't want someone stumbling on that drivel and EVER trying to pull the wool over people again.

The Three Fallacies of "Don't Go To The Ground"

2009-12-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

Many so-called combat authorities like to tell you not to go to the ground in a "street fight". They generally cite things like weapons involvement, multiple opponents, no soft mats to land on, while you are submitting him others will stomp you, etc. as their reasoning. I say B.S. What they are really saying is ""Don't go to the ground because I don't know how to do it myself, and therefore can't teach it. And since I like having my ego stroked with people referring to me as a real world expert, if I can't teach it but tell you it is important, then I lose some standing as a badass. Especially since I am too afraid of testing myself in a grappling environment where I could get my ass kicked". Why do I say that is what they actually mean? Because the reasons they espouse are so easily refuted, they must have a hidden agenda.

I will break this down into three parts to answer the "experts" lies. Here is the first one:

myth: Don't go to the ground because there will be more than one opponent
fact: Really? Where are the numbers to back this up? The RBSD gurus say this all the time. I am trying to figure out where they are getting this. Now I am not saying multiple opponents when you are alone does not happen, just that they are statistically rare. I have gone through a ton of research into this and I just can't find too many instances where an individual 1) is by himself, 2) does not violate the rule of 4 S's (don't go to stupid places at stupid times and do stupid things with stupid people), and 3) manages to get into an altercation with multiple opponents.

Do the research. The RBSD guys (especially in the UK) love to talk about being a doorman and using that as their experience, and they usually cite Geoff Thompson as their touchstone. Well, unlike many of them, I have some grasp of reading comprehension, and I read Thompson's work, including his book that started it all Watch My Back (a really good and valuable book BTW). If you look through, even when he is working in the most violent of bars, it is rare to go against more than one person when he is alone. As a matter of fact, those instances make up less than 20% of his stories. And that number generally holds up across the board when you look at other reports of documented fights/attacks.

And, apparently, most of the RBSD guys have no friends. I don't know about them, but when I go out on the town for the night, I do it with friends, so I have someone to help me. I guess I can only pity some of these "combat gurus" who envision themselves stumbling through this world totally alone. I can't do much about that. I can't teach them how to be social!

Do multiple opponents scenarios happen? Sure, but in statistically small numbers, and even smaller would be the times it is one against the many (outside of Conan movies). So, we should prepare for it and train to deal with it, but don't base everything you do on it.

And in the following two parts, I will show more of how insipid it is for someone to parrot "don't go to the ground in the street".

Jab & Cross - the backbone

2009-10-20T11:48:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-13T10:18:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-09T10:52:00.001-07:00

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.

Father's Day

2009-06-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

I have a tough time on Father's Day.

On the one hand, I love being a dad. There is nothing better in my life than my two kids. They have made me a better person (far better than I would have been without them) and they bring me such joy. Even when I am writing a huge check for another semester tuition for my daughter, or when my son does another dumb boy move, I thank God everyday for having my kids in my life. My heart is much lighter because of my being a dad.

On the other hand, my own father is no longer here (it will be 9 years this coming October). Growing up, especially as a teenager, I butted heads with him constantly. As a young adult, I wanted to be my own man and go my own way. It wasn't until I reached some measure of maturity that I realized my Dad was a far better man than I could ever hope to be, and if I could be half the man he was, I would be a successful human being. The problem is, soon after I finally had that realization, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Fortunately, there was nothing left unsaid between us when he passed away, but the pain of not having him around still leaves an empty spot in my heart. It is not easy to go through a Father's Day without wiping a lot of tears.

So, what is my solution? I don't have the foggiest idea. Every year I just stumble through, concentrating on the joy of being with my kids.

Sorry, no great insight, just something I had to get off my chest.

no media bias here

2009-05-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

Check this out:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-analysis20-2009may20,0,5578614.story

So the voters of California rejected massive tax hikes. and the completely fair, totally unbiased, and without ANY personal axe to grind major newspaper says public ballot voting is a problem. Not massive spending, not a government who can't put their case for more taxes in a better way, and not runaway special interests. No, that can't possibly be a problem, just a democratic process that allows the average person a say in what their government does.

Right, no media bias there. If Fox News had wrote this, every left leaning journalist and media critic or blogger would have attacked them. But it is okay for a liberal paper to write such crap.

The grass is not always greener.....

2009-04-28T10:46:00.001-07:00

Next time you feel things are a little tough in your life, contemplate this story:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2009/04/28/20090428orphan0413.html

BJJ pet peeves, part 1

2009-03-30T17:19:00.001-07:00

Today I want to talk about one of the things that bug me in BJJ. In this case, it is the guy who is so afraid to lose, that he spends all of his energy on holding on for dear life.

You know the type. The guy who hugs your neck with a death grip so you can't posture up to begin passing his guard. Or the guy who clamps on to you inside your guard with no attempt at passing, just trying to not get swept or submitted.

Listen to a piece of advice from an old and broken, but experienced, BJJ practitioner. Unless you are a super athlete like Michael Jordan who is magic with any physical action you do, or someone who is able to train on the mat 8 hours a day, 7 days a week; what causes growth in your performance is LOSING! Nothing on Earth shows you the path to improvement or how to overcome your mistakes by actually experiencing failure. Every session on the mat should provide you with the clues you need to get better. You only get that by opening up and trying something. You might fail at it, but that is fine. Remember why you failed, and try to fix it.

There is no magic moment where a perfect move will suddenly appear, unless YOU have made it appear.

I have seen a lot of guys on the mat. The bottom line with those everyday guys (not the super athlete or the guy who is able to do nothing but train, but those of us who have to deal with the real world) who improve is that they ALL experienced failure, but kept plugging away and kept trying stuff that failed. That other guy who never opens himself up? Yeah, he gets to say "oh, so-and-so didn't tap me" but he also never figures out why he is a blue belt after 4 years.

Don't be that way. Ditch the ego, try to accomplish a positive goal on the mat, and have a light heart. BJJ is fun. Let it be so.

No Time

2008-11-24T09:51:00.001-08:00

"I just don't have time to train"

I hear this all the time. People say this as an excuse not to do some kind of strength or conditioning work, or why they don't train martial arts, or why they take pain killers to deal with back or knee aches.

It's complete crap. What people mean is, I am not willing to give up some leisure time. Everyone has some time to train. No exceptions. Don't believe me? Record your daily activity in a log for one week. Be accurate and honest. I guarantee I can find some time.

Now, that time might have to come from somewhere else. For example, instead of watching the latest episode of Family Guy (I know, I like that show too, but sacrifices have to be made). Or, instead of going to the sports bar on Sunday to watch the NFL EVERY week, you use that time to do something constructive. I have yet to meet someone, even the busiest businessman, who truly has no time. Maybe Mother Theresa. But before you throw that out as an example, ask yourself "Am I really comparing myself to Mother Theresa?"

The other aspect to this is that training time does not have to be some long marathon session. Consistent daily training of short duration will go farther than occasional long efforts done inconsistently.

One of my bread and butter training sessions is the couple of minutes every morning that I have to wait while my shower water heats up. Instead of standing there motionless, I shadowbox in front of my mirror. It is a great way to wake my body up, and it is valid training time. Now, two minutes doesn't sound like much, but think about it. Two minutes a day = 14 minutes a week = 56 minutes a month. That is almost an extra hour EVERY month of solid training. It does not interfere in anything else, and I can do it no matter how hectic my schedule is. What could you do with an extra hour?

I have other times and sessions that are similar. But rather than telling you what they are, I challenge you to find the time in your own life that you can do this. Without a doubt, I know you can do it. It just takes a little thought and the willpower to implement it.

Don't be like the other sheeple out there. Take responsibility for your life and do something constructive.

thieves in the martial arts

2008-11-12T10:46:00.001-08:00

A good buddy of mine gave me a hard time (in a joking manner) recently about how most of my blog posts in the past few months have been me ranting and raging at someone or something that ticked me off. He was right. Making me angry is a good method of making me write here. I told myself that I would try to be a little more positive. I really meant it.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of total scumbags are there. And sometimes, they push me too far.

Case in point. I think intellectual thievery is abhorrent. Unfortunately, it is also rampant in martial arts. I can't police the world, but I can call out those people who do it when it strikes closer to home. So, I will do so now.

There is a new trend of people teaching MMA or Combatives who recognize that boxing is a key to fighting, but they don't have the experience to coach it. Nor do they have the intellectual honesty to try to learn it well from a legitimate source. So they steal the creation of someone better and smarter than themselves and pass it on as their own. There are many people out there who have stolen CM Boxing methods but try to call it something else. Here are a couple of terms they try to substitute for CM - "high guard boxing", "cover & fend", "MMA Shell defense". Everyone of these terms is a direct rip-off.

To be clear, I am not saying that only CM has a "shell" or "cage" structure. There are different boxing and Muay Thai techniques that are similar. But there are certain terms describing CM that are proprietary and have never been used before CM. Terms such as hunchback, dive jab, sinking into the pelvis, etc. If you want to disagree, show me where these terms were used in a fighting context before Rodney King and Matt Thornton introduced CM to the general public in 2002. I am confident such citations won't be found.

But there are people out there, some really well known, who are thieves who have knowingly stolen material that does not belong to them. They use these terms, teach direct CM concepts and principles, but call it anything but CM.

One of these is a world famous martial artist from Australia who has DVD's out where he teaches his "MMA Shell" using words like hunchback stance, yet never mentions Rodney King or CM. It just so happens that I was physically present when this person learned CM directly from Rodney. I also sparred with him and know for a fact his stand up skill was rudimentary. Yet 18 momths later, he produces a DVD set that he charges a very high price for that features his ideas of stand up striking. And he does not have the simple decency to give credit where it is due. What a turd.

Another guy is an "authority" on combatives in the UK. Magazines and websites in the UK always feature him as a cutting edge instructor and street fighting expert who spends a lot of time researching. This ass has written articles on how great CM is and what a genius Rodney King is. Yet when he publishes a book, he shows CM boxing but renames it "cover & fend" and NEVER mentions Rodney's name. And, after the book came out, along with a companion DVD, he has tried to diminish any mention of Rodney. He has even hid and edited the article on his website. Even worse, I know for a fact that he was invited numerous times to come free of charge to a number of Rodney's seminars in the UK and he NEVER responded. Not only is he a thief, he is lazy as well.

There are also a couple of people who Rodney has kicked out of his organization who never actually fulfilled their commitment to actually train in person with him, but still try to cash in on CM. There are a couple in Australia and one in the UK (Coventry). They couldn't do the work to actually learn, but want to be seen as "sensei". They might just be the worst of the bunch.

I don't see how any of these people sleep at night. In my opinion, they are complete scumbags. And if any of them have a problem with me writing this, they are more than welcome to confront me on it. Just be ready for that confrontation to be videoed, and the results then posted on youtube for the world to see.

I doubt any of them will man up.

my attempt to help Hollywood

2008-10-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it helps to be outside of a problem to find an answer. Case in point is today's USA Today. There was an article in the Life section about certain movies not finding an audience (or, in simpler words, they tanked at the box office). In an attempt to do my part in helping the nation's economy, I will offer some insights that might help the movie studios.

Essentially, what the article talked about was how the nine major recent studio releases that dealt with the War on Terror/Iraq all failed miserably. There is a lot of hand wringing and sweating going on inside the studios with executives trying to find out why. Let's look at this. What did they have in common?

1) all directed by successful and critically acclaimed directors
2) all had major movie stars in main roles
3) all backed by major studios so they all had plenty of publicity to get the word out
4) all were, for the most part, critically praised.

But all of that is standard Hollywood. The failure can't be laid there. So what else did they all have as a common thread? Oh yeah, they all, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, all had an obvious anti-U.S. bias! Every single one of these movies (Stop Loss, Body of Lies, In the Valley of Ellah, Redacted, etc....) had as an underlying theme how horrible, stupid, corrupt, greedy, murderous, and on and on the U.S. and it's actions were. The government is evil, the military is evil, the intelligence agencies are evil, the individual citizens are either evil or stupid or selfish. There is no possibility that any action taken by the United States can be for any moral reasons. The single one of these movies that made some money (though not a profit) was The Kingdom, and it was the most pro-U.S. movie (even though the overall tone was of a negative bent)! And these movie executives actually can't figure out why the movies tanked? OMG.

Look Mr. Executive. Whether the general public is against the Iraq war, or is tired of President Bush, it does not automatically follow that the public thinks we as a nation are inherently evil. The people might want out of Iraq, but they place no blame on the military. It is not Vietnam where returning servicemen are called baby-killers. And the people of this country believe that our collective hearts are in the right place. The next time you green light a movie dealing with terrorism or Iraq, you might want to check to see if the director and/or writer actually likes this country or do they follow the Michael Moore/Oliver Stone school of thought. If it is the latter, you might want to plan your excuses now, because the movie will lose money. Guaranteed.

Just a word of warning.

"don't got the ground in a fight" part 1

2008-10-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

"Don't go to the ground in a real fight."

A boatload of "fighting experts/reality based combat authorities" spout this crap all the time. They desperately try to justify why they don't train any form of grappling.

But I have a question for anyone who says this in the future. Before they say it, they need to describe how they will keep themselves from going to the ground, especially when they find themselves up against someone with a modicum of grappling knowledge. Not just the techniques, but how they plan to train it. Because that is integral to the process. Technique without practice is just mental masturbation.

In case they don't get my point, I will clarify. If you don't regularly train against someone who can take you down, and honestly tries to do it, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP IT STANDING. I could care less what magical art or system you practice (WW2 combatives, aikido, systema, silat, etc...). The proof will always be in the pudding.

Anybody I train, or anybody I respect in the martial art world will have no problem producing ON DEMAND. Bring a top notch wrestler to my gym? Cool, I or any of my guys will perform at any time. Not only that we will do it, but even more importantly, WE HAVE ALREADY DONE IT, ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS! **note - I did not say we will succeed every time. What I am saying is we are willing to test ourselves or our theories on a constant basis against someone who is honestly trying to make us fail. My point is that we do not pontificate without performance - end sidenote ** I find it quite funny that the critics of grappling for the "street" can't produce any evidence that they can say the same. I have seen a lot of internet forum threads and blog posts from silat people, for example, how their stuff is so lethal on the ground and it is so devastating to grapplers, but NEVER a piece of video footage actually showing them accomplishing these magnificent feats. You don't have to have a silat player enter the UFC, but it should be mandatory when one of these super-fighters denigrate MMA/BJJ, that they need to have visual proof to back that up. I won't hold my breath waiting for them to put their money where their mouths are. That would require some integrity.

the concept of "tapping out"

2008-09-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

As many of my blog posts are, this one is inspired by an exceptionally insipid internet forum thread. I know that I should let these things go, but sometimes they just rumble around my brain, gradually making me crazy. In order to keep my sanity, I have to write. Rather than get drawn into the thread in question, and get into a long debate that will fall on deaf ears anyway, I would prefer to do my mental relief therapy here.

The gist of this thread was, of course, another endless "don't go to the ground in a fight" pontifications. The author of it is a fat, out of shape, self-proclaimed fighting authority who has never publicly got on a mat and proven his asinine theories in front of unattached third party judges. He much prefers selling 75 cents of paracord for $15 as a "tactical" knife holder. Yeah, here is someone who is up on real world combat. Uh huh.

Anyway, there are a number of idiocies espoused on that thread, but there is one I really want to point out because it really shows how this particular person has NEVER, EVER actually trained BJJ with a reputable coach.

Here is the actual quote so no one can accuse me of lying - "but I think the concentration should be on doing damage and getting up as fast as you can, not using both hands to squeeze a choke or locking a joint instead of breaking it."

What a complete doofus. This is equivalent to saying that shooting at paper targets is dumb because you should shoot at people!

Look dumbass. Since it is blindingly obvious you have no idea of what BJJ entails, I will enlighten you. You lock a joint IN TRAINING so you don't injure your partner! It is not the end move! Do you really think an armbar or a kimura is to hold somebody? It is a break moron. You allow your partner to tap out so you can keep training. You don't actually injure the joint, because you will soon run out of people willing to get on the mat with you.

Also, the above comment also implies that a choke is some long and involved time consuming process. Sorry, again he shows his ignorance. A well executed choke will work in about 3-4 SECONDS. About the same amount of time it would take to get up and move far enough away to create some space. If you are "squeezing" it and it is taking longer, it means you have done it wrong. This is not my opinion, it is FACT. Don't believe it? Good, come to my coaches BJJ gym anytime you want. There are 20 -30 guys on the mat at any given time who would love to demo a choke on you.

One piece of advice. Seek out a qualified, reputable, experienced BJJ coach and actually LISTEN to what he has to say. You will look a lot less stupid.

the greatest mass produced candy bar EVER

2008-09-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.thechocolatereview.net/2007/04/28/nestle-peanut-butter-kit-kat-chunky/

If you ever get the chance to try one, DO NOT PASS IT UP.

I am addicted to these. Thank God I don't live in the UK or I would weigh about 400 lbs.

oops (warning - political commentary - read at your own peril)

2008-09-12T21:08:00.001-07:00

I rarely use this blog to make political comments, mostly because I think all politicians are scum.

However, on occasion, a politician does something so heinous I have to point it out.

Barak Obama has put out a campaign ad mocking John McCain for being computer illiterate. Now, aside from being a cheap and negative shot by someone who supposedly was above that kind of thing, it was also stupid.

The reason McCain is not Mr. Computer is because he can't be! Why? Due to the severe wounds from torture he incurred as a POW! According to a Boston Globe newspaper article from 2000 :

McCain's severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes.

Nice going Obama campaign. Yeah, you are all about the politics of change. Go on, pull the other one.

using "dirty moves" against a grappler

2008-09-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

The following is an answer to a ongoing debate I had through email/IMing. It revolved around the other person's contention that "dirty moves" (i.e. eye gouges, biting, skin ripping, etc...) were a good weapon to use in a fight against a superior grappler who has taken you down and is controlling you so well that you are unable to escape using "regular" moves. It is my experience that the people who think these moves are consistently successful in a grappling situation are the people who NEVER step foot on a grappling mat to actually see firsthand what they are talking about. I feel strongly that not only is it stupid to try "dirty moves", it is a general waste of training time. Here I try to outline why.

In a superficial way, I agree with your point, XXXXX. However, overall, I think it is wrong on two levels. First, I think there is an implication here that as soon as the "dirty" fighter launches his dirty move(s), the non-dirty fighter panics and loses all sense of what he was doing before. In your example of the BG taking you down, putting you in cross side, and holding your there because he is a superior ground fighter, your shredder scenario works only if the BG completely ignores what he has been successful with already, which I find hard to believe. Why would he lose all control at the first sign of pain? After all, he is already so much better than the other guy and is totally dominant. A wussy with a low tolerance of pain he is probably not. And if he isn't a wuss, AND is already completely dominating the situation, shouldn't he be able to make adjustments along the way? If he can't, then he probably is not the superior fighter, and in that case, the dirty moves are probably not needed in the first place because you can most likely escape using "non-dirty" techniques.

Also, and I might be thinking too personally here, but I know that if I am controlling someone in a fight so much so that their only hope of escape is taking it off-road (to use Paul Sharp's fantastic phrase) and they do so, a few thoughts will quickly go through my head:

1) "Oh, so we are moving to more of a lethal force level?" – where maybe I was operating under the idea this was just a "fist-fight", you just told me you considered it more, so I can now act appropriately.

2) "Oh yeah, I can do that too" – even if I didn't spend a lot of time training those moves, and they wouldn't come out under stress as long as it was ME doing the decision making, I am quite sure that anyone who was good enough to be in control at the stage would easily be able to have the brain switch over to "copying". In this case, as my opponent tries to eye gouge me, I defend it, and then undoubtedly the battle computer in my head will fire off the command to "go ahead and do the same thing back". Unfortunately for my opponent, I am actually the one that is in the position to throw continuous dirty moves, and he is going to be able do absolutely nothing about it. Is that really, truly a good thing for him to give me that idea?

Variations on this has happened countless times in training/sparring. For example, I am not a big leg lock guy. I have seen too many injuries result from them to spend a lot of time training them so it irritates me if there is no agreement beforehand to use them. But if it happens that my partner does try it and after I defend it, almost every time I think "okay, your turn" and do it back to them EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT A BIG PART OF MY ARSENAL. If I am a good enough grappler, adding something like that is not difficult, which I am sure you know well. My general point here is that if I am so good that the only way the other guy can escape is to go off-road, I probably have the ability to adjust to what he does as well as the ability to improvise, BUT I CAN DO IT FROM A SUPERIOR POSITION!

I am used to literally hundreds and hundreds of hours of trying to control and submit guys at or near my same technical level who many times out class me physically (bigger, stronger, faster, younger, better cardio, less injured, etc..). I think - no, I know I can because I do so on a regular basis - I can probably handle a second or two of pain while I adjust to maintain my dominance.

The second way I have problems with your idea/point is in this regard and I think it speaks to an even more important overall point on why I think training these kind of moves are a general waste. I think to a large degree, not being able to use dirty moves because I have not trained them is moot. In everything I do in straight BJJ, I am working my counters to dirty moves. The things I need to do to control a position, sweep, take the back, or slap on a submission are the EXACT SAME THINGS I need to do to handle dirty moves. Again, using your example of the BG taking top control in cross-side, unless he is clueless at that point, which makes NO SENSE, he will be looking to move to the next phase. If he is controlling you so well, he most likely has control over your head and /or shoulders, has immediate control over one of your arms, most likely has put your other arm in a situation where it is neutralized, and has blocked your ability to move your hips very well. Where is the ability for you to apply dirty moves uninterrupted? I just don't see it. As soon as you move to apply an eye gouge for instance, he will treat it as any other hand motion and adjust. Whether he thinks you are going for the eye gouge, or just trying to make space for an escape does not matter. The top guy can easily treat it as one and the same and shut you down.

I witnessed my BJJ coach roll with a very well known and successful JKD instructor. After being completely tortured for a few rounds, the JKD instructor talked about maybe using "dirty moves" as counters (he was well known for advocating biting/pinching/gouging type moves as a counter to BJJ). My BJJ coach kind of scoffed at it, which irritated the JKD guy. So, my instructor said go ahead and use them. They proceeded to roll again, and my coach DID NOT DO ONE THING DIFFERENT. And the results were the same. The JKD guy was humiliated. He never got the chance to use his cool moves because the delivery system to apply them effectively are the same delivery systems that work without the "street moves". Basically, if I do what I am supposed to do on the ground, there are very few windows of vulnerability open, even if I don't train it regularly.

play vs. training

2008-08-27T10:11:00.001-07:00

As I reflect on this year's CM trainer's clinic this past May, it has helped me crystallize some thoughts that have been drifting around in my head for a while now.

After years of training in environments and with people that, to put it nicely, were less than ethically optimal, and now train almost exclusively in a fun and playful environment and with people who are decent human beings, I have come to the realization that all improvements in my personal game are directly proportional to how much fun I am having when I train.

Looking back at the days when I was so desperate to become a bad ass, and worked so hard at it that I was generally miserable, I wonder why I kept plugging along (probably has to do with the fact I am not particularly intelligent). I was always down on myself, and I always compared myself to others who I deemed "better". It was an experience that was the exact opposite of fun.

And now when I train, I don't really care what others think of me - do they think I am a walking mountain of bad ass-ness? - now, I only care what my wife and kids think of me. Now when I train, I don't really think of it as "training" - it is, to steal Rodney King's idea, just PLAY. I go out and play with my friends, the same way I did as a kid. It just so happens that instead of playing cowboys and indians, we are punching each other or slapping on a choke. BUT, the underlying spirit of those games of cowboys and indians is there on the mat with me.

So, to everyone who I have played with the past couple of years, THANK YOU. And I look forward to more play as we go along.

a new name

2008-08-26T10:29:00.001-07:00

Bear with me here, because I am having a stream of consciousness moment.

I have been thinking lately that MMA as a descriptive term has become fairly specific. I feel that it does, and perhaps should only, refer to the actual SPORT and those who are training for it.

It seems to me that when you use the term to describe a more general application such as self-defense or as an art done by someone who has no desire to step into the cage or ring, you run the risk of defusing the usefulness of said term. Maybe, for those people, another way of describing the art should be found.

What should it be? I don't know. Maybe NHB (no holds barred)? After all, the was the original acronym, and it is pretty descriptive, and still has the connection to MMA. Of course, that connection might be too strong and it defeats the purpose.

I like Vale Tudo, but again, it still generally refers to the original semi-sport application.

Maybe MFA (mixed fighting arts) or MCA (mixed combat arts). Again, a connection with MMA that suggests the same training methodologies and principles, but with a slightly different emphasis.

Who knows. I have a 30-40 minute commute to work both ways, 5 days a week, so I have sometimes have too much time to contemplate odd thoughts like this.

Yes, I am a total geek. I have come to terms with that.

MMA: bad for the street?

2008-05-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, after ANOTHER person saying how MMA is a sport that will lead to bad things if you try to use it in the street, I have had enough.

This time it was an email newsletter that for the umpteenth time spouted the same garbage about how using MMA ground-oriented tactics will lead to getting your head kicked in by your opponents friends. Rather than deal with the asinine logic of it, let me agree with him for a moment and ask a question.

First, let's ignore the fact that this line of thinking has to assume that you are ALWAYS alone with no one to EVER back you up.
Second, let's forget that this assumes that you will be focused on only the guy you are fighting and will NEVER look around.
Third, let's also assume that this taking someone down and choking them out will require a lot of time (totally contrary to the experience of anyone who has ever done this against an opponent inexperienced at ground fighting- usually the choke takes less than 5 seconds, plenty of time to disengage and deal with others - but I digress).
Fourth, let's also assume that the MMA guy will ONLY go to the ground, totally ignoring the fact that the ENTIRE POINT of MMA is to have some modicum of functionality in all ranges - striking, clinch, as well as ground, and more importantly, no MMAer ever goes into a fight or sparring "knowing" what he is going to do - situations such as your opponent stuffing your takedown and negating your ground game leads to a well rounded fighter who uses the tactics that best handle that given moment in time - something MMA critics, because they refuse to step on the mat are incapable of handling.

Let us ignore all those points for just a minute and let me ask a simple question. Is there ANYONE out there who can provide a DOCUMENTED example of an MMA practitioner getting his head stomped in that was a DIRECT result of his tactics? And not just the typical BS story - "I heard on the internet one time about some guy in Texas" - let's have names, dates, exact circumstances. I, for one, can provide a number of provable situations where the opposite happened, i.e. the MMAer survived because of his tactics. MMA has been around long enough that if the doubters are right, there should be, somewhere in the universe, such an example of failure.

If you have it, send it to me, and I will publicly say I am wrong. Until such time, I will continue to say that those people who say these kind of things about MMA are looking desperately for an excuse not to do the work, because they know they will look like a little bitch tapping out and their egos (especially those of the well known "combat authorities") can't deal with it.

Congrats Luka

2008-04-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

I wanted to say congratulations to one of my BJJ coaches, Luka Dias. Luka is a black belt and the wife of my main coach, Megaton. She is a close family friend, a terrific person, and a great BJJer.

At the Pan-Ams this previous weekend, she took the gold medals in both her weight class as well as the absolute. In the absolute, she avenged her loss at the Mundials by beating the current world champ in what most people are calling the best match of the entire tournament. She also officially now holds more gold medals than any other woman in the history of the Pan-Ams!

Way to go Luka!

Radio Nowhere

2008-02-26T11:13:00.000-08:00

Between my IPOD and satellite radio, I rarely listen to regular radio. I like being able to decide what I get to listen to. About the only time I listen to terrestrial radio is weekday mornings when I like to listen to a local morning show. It is on the main alternative rock station and the host, Chuck Powell is a comedic genius. Why he isn't on a national broadcast is beyond me. He is fantastic. Brilliantly funny without ever having to use raunchiness or vulgarity as a crutch (now don't get me wrong, I enjoy raunch and vulgarity - the main reason I have satellite radio is so I can listen to Howard Stern whenever I want- but it is nice to have someone who can make you laugh with something other than poop or booby jokes).

The drawback to listening to his show is that he is still forced to play some music in between the comedy. Now I like alternative music, and the station is one of the better ones (one of the nice things about it is that it is locally owned; it isn't part of some national corporate chain). However, there is just something wrong with the current radio scene. In a word, the playlists suck. For example, on this station, they constantly play older stuff like Nirvana or older songs by artists like Green Day. Nirvana was a great band, but do we really need to hear "Smells Like Teen Spirit" again? Or, do we need to hear "Holiday" for the umpteenth time?? I mean, how is it different than a classic rock station playing "Stairway to Heaven" or "Freebird" for the gazillionith time or a pop music station playing anything by Elton John?

Here is a piece of free advice to any radio station programmer who might happen to read this. If you listen to me, I think you will take a big step towards doing something different and PROFITABLE.

STOP TRYING TO BE MY IPOD!!!! No matter how much of a genius you are, you will never be able to beat anybody's personal MP3 player. Everyone knows their own taste better than the greatest programmer on the planet. Rather than regurgitate the same old stuff, and bore 85% of your potential audience, try this. Be the source of new music. Be the place everyone listens to in order to know what the good new stuff is. Don't bother with what we already have, turn us onto new music.

And, this is really easy to do. Go to the nearest university, community college, or technical school and bring on an intern (at no charge! - how cool is that) and have their total duties be browsing the internet for interesting songs, or reading the trade journals, or even magazines like Rolling Stone of Blender. What 19 or 20 year old college student wouldn't love to get school credit by listening to music? Every week, they could find 15-20 new songs, put them on a CD and give them to the programmer to check out over the weekend. The programmer could then see if any of them are good enough to add to the rotation. Just think, FOR FREE, any radio station could be constantly adding new stuff. Very quickly, they would be the radio destination for a ton of people, including ones (like me) who don't currently listen. It is a win-win situation.

The music industry is changing, more quickly than anyone could have realized five years ago. The ones who survive, whether they are artists, record companies, producers, or radio stations, will have to be the ones who think outside the box. My idea is one that could very well be the model for the new age of radio.

I am such a genius.

what is wrong with your CM?

2008-02-21T10:04:00.001-08:00

Recently, I read an internet post (I know, I know, I shouldn't even pay attention, but sometimes....) where the poster gave a back handed compliment to CM boxing. He said that CM was okay when you needed a second to handle pressure from strikes, but it didn't work overall. I had to laugh. I actually know a lot about the guy who wrote that post. I know his background, who he trains with, and his overall experience. I know, FOR A FACT, that he has NEVER trained CM with a knowledgeable CM coach. The most he knows is either through DVDs or second hand from someone who MIGHT have trained it. Yet he has no problem making public pronouncements about the system! Amazing. He must be the reincarnation of Bruce Lee to be so insightful.

What is more amusing is the one of the arts he practices is Savate, an art that is often misunderstood. I have seen where this guy gets irritated when someone makes an ill-informed comment on Savate. He will spend a lot of time posting corrections and basically saying someone who hasn't trained in Savate is probably missing a lot of the information. But, it is funny he doesn't see the hypocrisy in his own actions.

As someone who has been coaching CM for awhile, and has conducted or assisted at a good number of seminars, I have seen a lot of people try to learn this system and I have a good idea of the typical mistakes that about 99% of newbies make. I GUARANTEE that the afore-mentioned poster is making almost all of these mistakes and doesn't have the faintest clue he is doing so. Here are the typical problems I see.

1) Too high, not sinking your body down into your pelvis - This is a huge step towards defending against body shots, as well as being able to absorb force without being knocked back off balance. Beginners never realize they are not doing this because they haven't built up their kinesthetic perception.

2) Elbows everywhere but where they should be - Again, newbies don't realize where their elbows actually are. Generally, they are too far forward, not lying on the ribcage, thereby giving the opponent space to go around to land shots.

3) Shoulders down - it takes some practice to learn to keep the shoulders shrugged up. It is easy to let them drop, and forcing the arms to take on more responsibility of the defense which takes away from your ability to go on the offensive.

4) Hips angled - not keeping the hips square to the opponent.

5) Rear foot down - beginners have a hard time understanding the just the act of bringing the rear heel off the ground and leaving it there adds so much to their game in so many ways. It is such a crucial skill, but definitely one that most people lack when they start.

Numbers 1,2,3, and 5 are generally related to fatigue. If you have the proper coaching to make sure you are doing the mechanics correctly, and you actually put in a little time doing the work, they all are easily addressed. Number 4 is just a question of understanding spacial relationships and a basic level of kinesthetic perception, all things that a decent coach can bring out in you.

As you can see from the photo above of the top CM coach in the UK Phil Wright, his torso is dropped down into his pelvis making him look shorter than he actually is, his shoulders are up, his elbows are almost resting on his ribs, his hips are square to his imaginary opponent, and his rear foot is up. This is the right details. Where his hands go at this point is almost irrelevant because everything else is in place to handle the bad stuff that might be coming in.

The key underlying thread to all of them are that most people don't get them from watching a DVD. It generally takes hands on coaching to make them understood.

If you haven't taken the time to actually train it hands on, you might want to pass on public commentary so you don't look like a buffoon.

a good library for today's martial artist, part 1

2008-01-29T08:31:00.000-08:00

To me the term martial artist is a good one. To me it means someone who is trying to become a better human being using the vehicle of combat, combat sports, and physicality. To accomplish this, you need more than knowing how to punch someone, or throw someone, or disarm a weapon wielding assailant. It requires a deep and far ranging study of the human condition, physics, anatomy, political science, history, sociology, exercise physiology, and on and on. There is a lot to it. It requires an in depth focus on research. One method of accomplishing this research is through reading. Besides being informative, it's fun! So, to give some of you out there an idea of books that I think are a good idea to pay attention to, I will start an ongoing series of recommendations.

Now, after saying how you need to know how to do more than punch someone, I will mess you up a little by starting the series with what I believe are some of the most important fighting-centric texts. I know, I know. I just figure I should suck you in with the candy first, and then hit you with a higher level of nutrition. So, here we go.

Groundwork

Mastering Jiu-Jitsu by Renzo Gracie & John Danaher - a really good overview of not just jiu-jitsu, but of the overall fight strategy as well. Some fun history as well.

H2H by Greg Thompson - a very nice technique overview and breakdown (although I hate the first guard pass shown, it should NEVER be done or taught, no matter what). He includes some basic clinch work, as well as some weapon-centric stuff as a bonus.

The Essential Guard by Kid Peligro & Rodrigo Medeiros - almost everything you need to know to get up and running with a decent guard game. Heavy on the basics, and not too much flash.

Mastering the Rubber Guard by Eddie Bravo - outside of his pontificating about his favorite extra-curricular activity, this is a great book. Bravo has a good approach to getting techniques across, and, as far as I can tell, he does not hold back any "secrets" which is admirable.

Clinch

Wrestling for Fighting by Randy Couture - Really the only book that approaches wrestling instruction in the context of total combat. Plus, Couture has actually thought about this, not just relied on his natural ability or experience.

Striking

Championship Fighting by Jack Dempsey - the standard right now on how to hit with power in a realistic manner. The only drawback to this book is it is out of print and hard to find, and incredibly expensive when you do find it. Worth the attempt though.

Muay Thai Unleashed by Erich Krauss - Good stuff, plus it covers some aspects of MT style neck clinching.

and, with some reservations: Championship Streetfighting & The Savage Science of Streetfighting, both by Ned Beaumont. I say reservations because there are some things wrong (like his illustration of jabbing in the first book is an open invitation to getting taken down as well as making it tough to use your rear weapons - conversely, his teaching of the left hook is perfect), and a lot of the good info is taken almost word for word from Dempsey's book. However, these books are much easier to find and much cheaper, so it might be a decent place to start. He also has some fun stories throughout both books as well.

Putting All the Pieces Together

Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge by B.J. Penn - Right now, the best book about the total picture of MMA. The only drawback is a complete focus on the sport, to the exclusion of the idea of self-defense or as an "Art". But still a must have, regardless.

These are a pretty good place to start. Next time I will look at some books that are not directly related to the actual technique of fighting, but are still what I consider foundational.

the myth of the leatherneck in the Philipines

2008-01-22T14:20:00.001-08:00

In the martial arts, there is SOOOOO much B.S. that goes around that it is sometimes overwhelming. People just throw out utter garbage on a constant basis. Sometimes you can't even argue it because you are just dumbfounded at the utter stupidity of it.

BUT, sometimes you can fight it, often with some simple common sense, or even better, the historical record.

I am really anal when it comes to historical accuracy. You can debate the whys and wherefores in history, but you should not be able to argue whether something happened or didn't happen. So, we can use that to fight some common fallacies in the martial arts.

One of my pet peeves is that the US Marines got their nickname of "leatherneck" from the Philippine Campaign. The B.S. legend goes that the Moro fighters were such bad asses that they would fight their way through a hail of gunfire and manage to get in close where they used their native martial art (Kali/escrima/arnis/whatever you want to call it) to kill marines with knives and swords, often by cutting the necks of the marines. So to combat this, marines wore leather collars around their neck to help survive.

That is a really cool legend. Too bad it has absolutely NO basis in fact. The reason the Marines have the nickname Leatherneck dates back to the early part of the 19th century. The uniform of the Corps had what was called a "stock". Simply, it was a leather collar that was designed to forcibly keep the Marine's head up no matter what, so he always looked smart and squared away on duty. The stock was, understandably, hated and was eventually done away with by the 1860's. And, just so there is no misunderstanding, IT WAS NOT BROUGHT BACK at anytime in the history of the Corps.

So all the proponents of Filipino martial arts, PLEASE stop spouting this line of crap. Your art has enough real and authentic stories that you don't need to make up nonsense that only serves to make you look foolish. It is an undisputed fact that the Moros were bad as*es. They don't need lies to appear so. Be truthful and knowledgeable.

In the above picture of an actual uniform, you can just make out the black leather collar.

Here is the actual official tale of the phrase leatherneck from the Marine Corps itself:

“Leatherneck”
In 1776, the Naval Committee of the Second Continental Congress prescribed new uniform regulations. Marine uniforms were to consist of green coats with buff white facings, buff breeches and black gaiters. Also mandated was a leather stock to be worn by officers and enlisted men alike. This leather collar served to protect the neck against cutlass slashes and to hold the head erect in proper military bearing. Sailors serving aboard ship with Marines came to call them “leathernecks.”

Use of the leather stock was retained until after the Civil War when it was replaced by a strip of black glazed leather attached to the inside front of the dress uniform collar. The last vestiges of the leather stock can be seen in today’s modern dress uniform, which features a stiff cloth tab behind the front of the collar.

The term “leatherneck” transcended the actual use of the leather stock and became a common nickname for United States Marines. Other nicknames include “soldiers of the sea,” “devil dogs,” and the slightly pejorative “gyrene,” (a term which was applied to the British Royal Marines in 1894 and to the U.S. Marines by 1911), and “jarhead.”

And, before you start arguing with me, read the following books that prove beyond all reasonable doubt that what I have just written is correct.

United States Marine Corps by John Selby

US Marine Corps by Charles Cureton

USMC: A Complete History by John Hoffman

as well as this website: http://www.usmcmuseum.org/Museum_LoreCorps.asp

These books include DOCUMENTED fact. If you want to debate me, you had better be prepared to cite facts to back you up. I did.

Martin Luther King Day

2008-01-21T19:56:00.000-08:00

Today is a national holiday that celebrates the life and work of a great American. A TRUE American. His famous "I have a dream" speech is one of the most amazing pieces of oratory in history. I am surprised at how many people have never read or heard the entire thing. Here is my favorite part of the speech, but do yourself a favor and go to youtube or google it and actually watch it in it's entirety. If you have any humanity in you, you will be deeply moved.

"Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

closed fist vs. open fist part deux

2008-01-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

I want to revisit this topic for a second. I won't rehash what I wrote about in my earlier post on this topic, but since it is something that continues to be debated, I wanted to throw something else out there that I didn't address before.

One of the concerns the pro-open hand people often cite with striking with a closed fist is the chance of damage to the small bones of the hand. I believe this is a legitimate concern and something that should be taken into account. HOWEVER, the open hand people never seem to follow through on their logic and take it a step further. By this I mean, they never seem to address the fact that while you have a chance of doing damage to knuckles and the other (relatively) weak bones of the hand, I think the chance is even greater of causing great harm to the extremely vulnerable fingers during an open handed strike.

The open hand proponents seem to imply that you have nothing at all to worry about by leaving all those weak digits dangling out there while you ram your palm with full force into the skull of another person. But it has been my experience that not only is it easy and very common to jam or torque fingers past the point of injury, it is extremely debilitating. As I am writing this, I am nursing a jammed thumb that is VERY painful. How did I injure it? During clinch work with an OPEN HAND! Let me tell you, it was not easy to get through the rest of the training session even going fairly light with the pain I was feeling. And I didn't even do it on that hard a surface (it was the floating ribs and waist that rammed my thumb). I am trying to imagine right now what if I had been driving it at full speed at solid bone. I shudder to think about it.

So what is my point? Simply this. Hitting bone with any force and making contact with ANY part of the hand is a crapshoot. You can get injured and possibly your fighting ability severely compromised either hitting with a closed fist or an open palm. This is an important debate and it should be discussed, but only with an even playing field where both sides can present all the pros and cons of their side. Implying that an open palm somehow turns your fist into Superman's is foolish and weakens your overall argument.

no sporting application????

2008-01-08T10:56:00.001-08:00

Recently, I have been reading an interesting book called "When all Hell Breaks Loose" by Cody Lundin. In it, he writes about advice on dealing with large scale emergencies, such as natural disasters, terrorist attack, etc..., that would lead to a temporary breakdown of public services. It is a very good read, and it dovetails with his previous survival handbook, 98.6 Degrees - Keeping your Ass Alive (both the books are available on Amazon).

Lundin is a professional survival instructor in Northern Arizona, and is the best kind of teacher. He is very realistic, and does not try to convince you you will become Tarzan - King of the Jungle, but still gets across strategies that most people can implement.

HOWEVER, the book breaks down near the end. There is a chapter on self-defense. Now, to Lundin's credit, he says this is not his area of expertise, so he turns it over to someone who supposedly does know what he is talking about. I say supposedly because the guy is a card carrying idiot. This guy (I will call him Mr. Combatives) is all about easily learned techniques. And his ideas on mindset are fine as well. But then he makes a completely asinine statement. Mr. Combatives says that when you are looking for a martial arts school, you should only go to one that teaches NO SPORTING APPLICATIONS for their uber- deadly techniques. I just have to shake my head. Is this guy living under a rock for the past 15 years? Or is he the martial art equivalent of the Flat Earth Society?

Let's take this and break it down. There are two HUGE problems with his approach of doing techniques that are "too deadly" to practice and only doing them on a target in a set way. If you do not use "sporting" methods (i.e. sparring) to test yourself and the methods:

1) How do you know that the techniques work? Saying that your chin jab will stun your opponent, or that the side kick to his knee will disable him, and actually accomplishing that are two different things. The human body is incredibly resilient and can take enormous damage and yet still function. A few years ago, there was a news story that was widely circulated about a hiker who was trapped in a rock slide in the middle of nowhere. His arm was pinned under a boulder. Knowing he would die if he did not get away, he CUT HIS OWN ARM OFF WITH A POCKET KNIFE! Now, do you honestly think that hitting that guy with a chin jab is really going to do so much damage that you will be able to follow up with any strike you want (or run away at will)? Come on. And the thing is, those stories of human endurance are very common. People can take a lot of punishment and still keep ticking. Basing your entire self-defense ideas on the (non-tested) belief that your base techniques are SOOOO deadly when you don't really know seems awfully stupid to me. So my techniques aren't as deadly as yours? Maybe, but you know what? I know, absolutely, what will happen when my "less deadly" cross lands on someone. You know how I know? Because I do it, all the time, over and over again. I use that puppy on another person, who is resisting me and trying to not let me hit them while at the same time trying their best to hit me back. I know what WILL happen, not what I think will happen, or what I hope happens.

2) How do you know that great technique will land? It is great to say that is is a simple technique, but in the chaos of combat, so much can happen in the blink of an eye. Hitting a BOB training dummy, or a partner who stands there motionless, has NOTHING TO DO with a resisting opponent. Take the standard boxing jab for example. This might very well be the easiest overall technique to land. It uses maximal reach, it is designed for maximal speed, and it allows the jabber to not have to always commit too far. And yet every boxer or MMAer out there spends literally hundreds of hours of their lives to land it. And even then, it is not a sure thing. Why? Because, just a slight movement of the opponent (throwing a hand or hands up in the way, moving their head, using footwork to change distance or angle) done in a millisecond can cause it to fail. So if a professional athlete who spends that much time training such a basic technique can still fail, why will a non-professional who spends 1/100ths of that time training a possibly more difficult technique be able to pull it off at will? It is an utterly ludicrous concept.

To close, I will try to educate those people who think that Mr. Combatives' approach is the right one. His concept of combat training fails the basic tenet of the scientific method. That basic tenet states that the conclusion of the experiment MUST BE REPLICABLE, ON DEMAND. Otherwise, it is useless. Basic MMA sport style sparring and training methods will, again and again, produce nearly similar results in that they (meaning anybody who practices it, professional athlete or not) all will have similar success rates, that can be predicted before hand. Mr. Combatives uber deadly methods will NEVER be able to say the same.

training to failure

2008-01-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

It has taken me a good amount of time to really understand blogging. At first, I thought of it as almost like an online diary. Maybe someone else might read it, but more useful as a place to write my own ideas and beliefs. It is that, but as I realize that there are people who do read this and (at times) enjoy it, blogging can also be a great vehicle of education. And it functions best when it is linked up with others. So, in that spirit, I would like to join the wide world of blogging and link to something written by another person, but that I think is very valuable and interesting.

This is an article written by a good guy named Chris Fry and he address some really interesting ideas that confront anyone trying to improve their performance in martial arts/self-defense/combative sport. I only know Chris through online interaction, but I have a sneaking suspicion that if we met in person, I would get along with him really well. Anyway, here is the link

http://www.mdtstraining.com/articles.htm

Go to: Training to Failure, Experiential Learning, and Fighting Mindset and enjoy.

After you read the article, if you like it, check out the rest of them on his site. They are pretty dang good.

appreciation

2007-12-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

I think we have, in this country, an inability to show appreciation. There seems to be a general attitude too often of "What else can you do for me?"

What brought this up today was an article I read in the local paper about the NFL's preparations for the Super Bowl, which will be held here. The article reported how the NFL is attempting to offset the energy use and greenhouse emissions involved with this undertaking by planting MILLIONS of dollars worth of trees around the country. In my book, that is a good thing. Whether they did it to buy them good publicity is, to me, a moot point. The fact is, they are doing something good. Golf claps from me.

The problem is, the article quotes a local "environmental expert" who basically says, they should do more! What a tool.

Stay with me on this. I am not saying the NFL shouldn't do more, but how about just being appreciative of the act itself for now? What if, you give someone a Christmas gift of a $50 gift certificate to that person's favorite restaurant, and instead of thanking you, they say "I wish it was $75". You tell me, how would you feel? Would be so quick next time to give that person a gift at all?

There was a great episode of Seinfeld where Jerry got great hockey playoff tickets and refused to thank the person who gave them to him. He missed out (deservedly so) on the rest of the playoffs.

All I am saying is, if someone or some organization does something positive, let's be appreciative and not so quick to criticize.

Just a thought.

being an athlete

2007-11-05T13:10:00.000-08:00

I use the term athlete a lot. I use it a great deal when I am talking about the people I coach in BJJ or CM Boxing. In my head, it sums up everything I think is important when training. One of my guys once said to me that he wasn't an athlete. He is older, a little chubby, and is a computer geek. So, in his mind, the word athlete didn't apply to him.

I read him the riot act. The fact of the matter is, it is not what you say or think, but what you DO, that defines you. And he was an athlete. Why did I say that? Because he TRAINED ATHLETICALLY. He put on the gloves, got on the mat, and put it on the line EVERY TIME against anyone, regardless of whether they were better than he was. Sometimes he did well, sometimes he didn't. It doesn't matter. He was training when most of his contemporaries were watching the boob tube or surfing the 'net for porn. To me, that is the test of being an athlete. Don't talk about it, think about it, or (uh oh) write about it. Just do it (to steal an overused phrase).

There are different kinds of athletes. There are professional, or elite level, or gifted athletes. But, if you actually do your part to fight the scourge of couch potato-ism, YOU ARE AN ATHLETE, regardless of age, ability, toughness, or physical prowess. Wear the mantle proudly.

yoga words of wisdom

2007-10-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

Random Quote 1

2007-09-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

This is the first installment of random quotes that I love. This is one of my favorites.

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit" - Nelson Henderson

There is a TREMENDOUS depth of meaning there.

picking MMA fights

2007-08-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

So, for a good while I was pretty proud of my ability to pick the winner of the major MMA fights. I was on a fairly decent streak. GSP-Hughes, Liddell-Couture 3, Liddell-Jackson, Couture-Slyvia, etc.. The only one I flubbed on was GSP-Serra, and, honestly, who picked that one?

Well, now, I have to stop bragging. I was SOOOOOOO wrong on Gonzaga-Couture that it is not funny. Now, Randy is my favorite all time MMA fighter. He is just an amazing competitor. I was one of the few who publicly picked him against Slyvia. But I thought Gonzaga was exactly the wrong opponent for a 43 old fighter who has been through some wars. I thought the Brazilian's skills were perfectly matched to overpower Randy. Boy, do I look like a dumb ass. Couture proved that not only does he have the physical skills, he also has the mental skills to beat almost anyone.

I will NEVER pick against him again. Even if he matches up against Fedor, I will go with Captain America.

one of my pet peeves

2007-08-18T08:39:00.001-07:00

I just don't understand people who, with little practical experience, feel the need to extrapolate their tiny universe into a macro application. It seems like too many people just have to act as if their tiny amount of experience confers on them the status of expert and that they have just as much right to chime in with their opinion regardless of who they are interacting with.

It is epidemic in sports, and very much so in martial art. I remember an internet arguement where a guy who had been training (on his own, with no guiding coach) for about a year, thought he stood on the same level as someone (one of my best friends) who not only had an ungodly amount of experience and individual performance, but who also coached (successfully) professional fighters. Yet, in the other guy's mind, his tiny bit of knowledge was just as valid as my friend's. Another time, another internet debate involved another one of my best friends and someone else discussing empty hand knife defense. The debate revolved around a supposed medical chart that laid out set bleed times that would lead to death. The other guy, with no medical training, was insisting on the fact that this mythical table existed and had even seen it. My buddy, because of his background, knew it was a myth. He asked to be sent a copy. That was over a year and a half ago, and still no copy has been produced. The other guy assumed because he had heard about this fantasy, he had the same level of expertise as someone who actually had the knowledge.

Imagine this scenario. A doctor says he has to perform emergency surgery to save a patient. Someone in the waiting room says "hey, I have seen every episode of House and Gray's Anatomy, plus I once had stitches in my hand, and I think the patient doesn't need surgery". That person would be looked at like he was from Mars. Yet, that EXACT scenario in martial arts plays out everyday on the internet!

So, the next time you feel like commenting on something, do a quick mental check to make sure you should. There is an old saying that goes something like this:

"better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are an idiot, instead of opening your mouth and removing all doubt"

Combat Potential from the Gracies

2007-04-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

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**?

2007-04-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

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 :)

Pan-Ams

2007-03-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

I have the BJJ Pan-Ams this coming weekend. I am entered in my weight division, as well as the open weight class.

I am not looking forward to it. I am just not mentally or physically ready. I have not gotten my cardio up to my pre-knee injury levels, so it has made it harder to get mentally prepared. I will still go, compete, and try to have a good time. But this is the first competition in a long time where I am not very confident. It is a disappointment because it is my first comp as a brown belt. I was really anxious to get on the Pan-Am mats a few months ago. Now, not so much.

Oh well. I will still be able to eat at my favorite restaurant in the world (Curry House), hang out with one of my best friends Jerry Wetzel and his uber-cool wife Gigi, and watch A LOT of high level jits.

No worries.

meeting the champ

2007-03-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of meeting Xande Ribeiro, the reigning Open-Weight champ from the last BJJ world championships.

My BJJ coach, Megaton, was having a surprise birthday party for his daughter Mackenzie, and Xande and his older brother Saulo came over from San Diego (Saulo and Megaton being great friends for a long time) to participate.

Now, BJJ is not the big money sport of football or basketball, nor is it popular on the level of movies or TV. But, Xande is still the world champ of a world wide sport and martial art. He is a celebrity of sorts. It would be not surprising if he were a little stand-offish. But that could not be farther from the truth. Xande is one of the nicest, most down to earth people you will ever meet. Not only is he approachable, he goes out of his way to introduce himself to strangers. I had the chance to have a nice long conversation with him. He is a great guy.

I bring this up because I am constantly reminded how nice most well known BJJ practitioners are. It is a welcome change from athletes who refuse to sign autographs or celebrities who won't interact with fans. It is just another reason I am proud to be involved with BJJ.

what about the other guy?

2007-03-16T16:45:00.001-07:00

I was talking with my BJJ coach, Megaton, in his office after a class the other day. We were discussing the problem of guys who train like their life will end if they get tapped out by someone. You know, the type of guy who thinks (or who wants to project the image) of himself as a bad ass. Generally these people don't care if they hurt others, and usually they don't last in the long run because at some point their ego takes too much of a beating.

Funnily enough, in Brazil, where machismo and being tough is almost a religion, they don't really have this type of problem. It is the American/European who have it. That is why in BJJ academies in Brazil, if an American /European goes there to train and they don't know you, they will be very cautious at first until you prove you are not one of those idiots.

Anyway, Megaton said something so profound that I was momentarily stunned. Now remember, Megaton is one of the baddest mothers you will ever meet. He loves to train and he loves to compete. He is a legend in that regards. As a matter of fact, he is the ONLY man to compete as a black belt in every single BJJ world championship. Think about that. What it means is that most of his contemporaries who he came in with have long since retired, yet he is still out there putting it on the line against BJJ BB's 5 - 15 years younger than him. So his competitiveness is well documented. Now if anyone alive could be justified in being a little self-centered in his training outlook, it is him. Yet, having said all that, here is what he said to me that shook me:

"The other guy (your opponent in training) deserves a good day too"

Now think about this for a second. Here is a guy who has every reason to go hard every session and try to do his best, yet he is advocating that we should also take into consideration the well being (physical and emotional) of the other guy across from us on the mat. I have tried to be a nice guy when I train (some of my friends tell me too much so at times), yet I have never thought about it in the context that Megaton expressed. Just brilliant.

How much better would ALL of our training experiences be if we all followed this? The gym would be a true place of refuge and solace. The pressure on us would always be OUTSIDE, in the real world, not on the mat or in the ring. And then, what would happen if we followed this philosophy outside as well? Every single one of us would be responsible for some improvement in the world. A nice thought, in my opinion, and a much more lofty goal than making my triangle better.

So, for me, this will be a new mantra for me. Maybe someone else will follow suit. I hope so.

watching vs participating

2007-03-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

In today's USA Today, there was an article on a guy who is REALLY, REALLY into fantasy sports leagues. He has become some kind of super expert and is now involved with ESPN as some sort of commentator. He was bragging in the article how he has been playing since he was 14 (he is now 37) and how he has played in more leagues than almost anybody.

I truly don't get it. How does this matter, and why should I care? I mean, this is about FANTASY SPORTS!! I suppose it can be fun for some people to play in these kind of things, but to this extent? This guy NEVER mentions where he actually played the real version of these sports, or in fact, whether he ever did any physical activity. How can someone get so involved in something as a spectator, but not as a participant? And how in God's name can he be an "expert" when he has no clue at all without first hand participatory knowledge? You don't have to have played pro football, but it would be nice if you had stepped on the field once or twice in high school.

Fantasy can be fun, but it is probably a little more important to PARTICIPATE i the real world every now and then.

what "dead patterns" really are

2007-03-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was watching an instructional DVD from a somewhat known MA personality. The DVD basically dealt with ways of integrating techniques from MA styles that were pretty popular in the '80's and early '90's into a modern MMA paradigm. I have also read a number of internet posts from said personality that followed similar lines. He spends an inordinate amount of time trying to justify his use of "dead patterns". He also spends an inordinate amount of time (on both the DVD and in his internet posts) trying to use the term sarcastically, letting you know he is obsessed with trying to prove they are not, in actuality, "dead patterns". I keep laughing every time he brings it up, because he truly does not understand why those training methods are being critiqued. In case he reads this (a highly dubious assumption), or anybody who sees his work and is curious about that criticism and just happens to stumble over my blog, I will try to clarify some things.

The greatest problem with so-called dead patterns is NOT that they do not work. Obviously, there are a lot of fighters who have come through that type of training and can functionally demonstrate their skills. ANY practice of a physical movement will increase your ability in using that movement in a "real" situation. That is obvious and not up for argument. Rather, the question is, is there a better, more efficient, and faster way of accomplishing the same thing as a "dead" pattern. The answer is a resounding yes. And, even better, that is an easily provable fact. It is actually a weird semantic debate that is pre-loaded with negative feelings because of the term dead. So, getting past that, what we are dealing with is what is a better way of training someone to perform adequately in a fight?

IMHO, modern MMA methods have built up an unassailable history of proof. These methods work because we see, on a constant basis, the results. Watch UFC, Pride, IFL, Bodog Fight, EXC, and tons of smaller local competitions. We can see them in BJJ and submission grappling tournaments, where average people demonstrate the validity of these methods. The methods work because if they did not, these competitors, from the average amateur on up through the top professionals like Chuck Liddell would not be using them. Let's be real for a moment. Right now, there is a great deal of money at stake for the top guys (Liddell made over 2 million from the last Ortiz fight). Do you honestly think that if there was a better way to train, these guys would not jump at the chance, since that might mean the difference between earning $20,000 and $2,000,000? If someone could show Liddell that doing chi sao for 2 hours a day would give him an edge in his rematch with Rampage Jackson, do you not think he would do it? The fact is, there is a better way of training for a fight. And by better, I mean faster, more efficient, more sure, more specific. And that is the crux of the arguement. A professional fighter could devote the time to use "slower" ways. He has nothing but time. But for the average person, who might have 2-4 hours a week available, they don't. They need the most efficient methods. And simply put, the MMA training paradigm is superior, hands down.

As soon as someone can debate that, I will listen. But the debate HAS to be that the "dead patterns" work as easily and as efficiently as MMA methods. Please, let's not base the debate on "dead patterns work too". That is irrelevant. Focus on the heart of the matter. Otherwise, we are wasting valuable free time that should be spent in more productive ways.

what Gracie Jiu-jitsu really teaches

2007-02-08T11:21:00.001-08:00

I have read some internet posts lately by people involved in self-defense/martial arts with a certain agenda. That agenda usually revolves around trying to come up with reasons they don't train in Gracie Jiu-jitsu. You have probably seen the stuff that they propagate. Something along the lines of "you can't go to the ground because ......."

1) mulitple opponents
2) weapons
3) hard, uneven, surface

Those are the "holy trinity" reasons of the anti-grapplers (who usually happen to be completely out of shape and either overweight or sickly un-muscled). We know the real reason they don't train in GJJ is because they are deathly afraid of having their ego destroyed by not being able to perform. They know they will be tapped like a typewriter by some unathletic looking white belt, which will shatter their self-styled image of the bad ass reality based "combatives" expert.

While they do everything in their power to not get on the mat, I believe they are overlooking the most important thing that BJJ actually teaches. In my opinion, the single overriding concept in BJJ is how to deal with a larger, stronger, faster opponent at torso to torso touching range. This is usually expressed on the ground. HOWEVER, it is just as valid when you are upright and on your feet i.e. where nearly all "self-defense" techniques usually begin. I submit that every time you roll, you are hard wiring your system to handle an attacker at contact distances. It is not hypothetical, it is real because you are doing it, over and over. And, moreover, you are doing it constantly with an unending variety of opponents. All the "combatives" training you can possibly do will not be able to say that. And that constant variety will implant a subconscious ability to handle whatever "fighting" situation comes your way.

To sum up, 99% of non weapons fighting will involve some torso to torso attachment, usually with a disparity in physicality. Gracie Jiu-jitsu trains there, day after day, 24/7. You don't want to fight on the ground? Fine, then you better learn how to keep a bigger, stronger opponent from controlling you. I am still waiting for someone to show me another martial art that does that as well as BJJ.

open hand vs. closed fist

2007-01-05T21:37:00.001-08:00

I was recently reading a blog article regarding the virtues of the open hand in a fight versus a closed fist. I think this is a very interesting and important discussion. The article itself was fairly good. Most of its reasoning was well supported. However, there is a really important aspect that not one pro-open hand person has ever successfully addressed (at least to my experience). For all their pushing of the virtues of the open hand strike, they have yet to overcome the single most outstanding virtue of the closed fist. No matter how you throw it, no matter how fast and non-telegraphic, EVERY single viable open hand strike will be circular. Some might be less circular than others, but they are ALL circular to some extent.

Don't believe me? Try it. Hit a heavy bag really, really hard with an open hand. Every possible way of effectively doing it that actually transmits some power has to open up at least slightly on the delivery. If you don't, you either hurt you hand/wrist OR you only hit with partial power. Still don't believe me? Do this experiment. Videotape a sparring session with a partner. The first round only use open hand strikes. The second round use only closed fists. I guarantee the punching in the 2nd round will be more direct and leave you less open for counters. It is a fact that closed fist strikes can be delivered incredibly straight, while keeping yourself defensively covered much better than the most efficient open hand blow. Plus, it is much easier teaching someone to hit straight without exposing their heads than it is teaching them the best method of open hand striking (at least it is if you know CM).

must hear music part 1

2006-12-15T07:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have already tried to inform people about books and little known movies. I might as well add music. This will be the first installment of great music that might have slipped through the cracks. First up.......

Rockpile - "Seconds of Pleasure"

Rockpile might just be the best band of the late 70's and early 80's. Made up of Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremner, and Terry Williams, they played great basic rock 'n roll. They only made one album as a band, but they were always the backing band on most of Lowe's and Edmunds' solo records during that time frame. Another album that is a great example of their technical chops is Carlene Carter's "Musical Shapes". On it, Rockpile showed they could also play blistering countrified rock. Besides that and the single album as a band, Lowe's "Pure Pop for Now People" and Edmund's "Repeat When Neccasary" are must haves. Here is a link to more info http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/rockpile/artist.jhtml

merry xmas motherf'er

2006-12-13T11:09:00.001-08:00

So I am walking through a parking lot at a local mall. A guy is walking past me. Being in the holiday spirit, I smile at him and say "Merry Christmas". He looks at me like I just hawked a big, green, loogie on his face. He stops and says in a tone of complete disgust, "I am not christian!" And then walks away. I was dumbfounded. I was trying to be friendly, and was treated like I was a child molester.

Look, I don't give a crap if you are or are not religious of any faith. I like to think of this season as a peace on earth, goodwill towards man kind of thing. I didn't realize that was a religious thing. I thought it was just a nice way to act. If you are so petty and mean spirited that you cannot take a greeting in that light, you really need to examine your own pitiful life. If someone were to say "happy hanukah" to me, I would be happy, even though I am not jewish. You want to wish me meery kwanza? Cool! I will respond in the same spirit.

In the immortal words of Bill and Ted "Let's be excellent to each other" I think that transcends a particular religion. At least, I hope so.

a good motto

2006-12-11T09:25:00.001-08:00

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO!! What a ride!"

an xmas poem

2006-12-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a poem I received by email. Is it corny? Yeah, but so what. The fact is, there are people in this world who will sacrifice a lot for something they believe in. Whether you agree with them or not is moot. The fact that they can look beyond themselves deserves nothing but respect.

A Different Christmas Poem....

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,

Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack; brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures; he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you a s you mattered to us."

Congrats to my buddy Jerry Wetzel!

2006-12-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

One of my dearest friends, Jerry Wetzel got his well deserved purple belt last week from Chris Haueter. If you know Haeuter, getting a belt from him is like squeezing blood from a rock. It ONLY happens if there is NO DOUBT in his mind that the person is ready.

So besides being a bad a** striking, he will now probably be able to beat me on the ground. Thanks alot Haeuter!

updating

2006-12-02T08:17:00.000-08:00

I know I have not been doing a good job of keeping up to date with this blog. I have had a lot going on, both personal and business wise (and being out of the country for 8 days - which I will blog about soon) , so I have let other things lapse. Besides this blog, I have also been a little lax in talking to my friends. I am have been able to touch base with some, but I have a couple more to call.

One of the things that has been a problem us that I tore some meniscus in my knee and it has caused a good deal of problems in my day to day life. I had to endure some doctor visits, an MRI, and finally surgery, which was yesterday. So I will be down for the weekend (I have to be on crutches until Wednesday morning) and my goal is to play catch up with life in general. A few phone calls, some random thoughts to blog on, etc.. I plan on making at least 3 or 4 posts in the next couple of days. Hang in there with me!

working around injuries

2006-10-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

So I torqued my knee pretty good two weeks ago. I did a good number on it too. I cannot put any weight on it with the knee bended (i.e. squat or crouch type motion). Since that encompass' most of the physical training stuff I do, I have been in an interesting postion. The first week I did nothing but ice and rest it, but now into the third week it is a little better and the swelling is going down. I have been going stir crazy not being able to get on the mat. I have felt like a slug, so I have tried to come up with variations of training methods I can do. Here is what I have been able to so to date.

1) jump rope - this doesn't put any stress on my injury, so this has been my bread and butter for the past week. It has been awhile since I did much of it, and I had forgotten how great it is. I think I will keep doing this regularly even after my knee is back to normal.

2) shadowboxing - I can't go very intensive, because I can't put excess stress on my knee where it hurts, but I can do it around 60% intensity, which is better than nothing.

3) breathing - this is becoming a little bit of a revelation. Focused, dedicated training of breathing patterns actually seem to be doing some good. The one I am working on now is from a book called "Bodyflow" and emphasizes exhalation while letting the inhalation just "happen". I will also keep this up, because being asthmatic, I can use whatever breathinghelp I can get.

I will update my progress in a week or so.

why I like Gracie Jiu-jitsu

2006-10-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

I love brazilian jiu-jitsu. I love it so much that I spend the majority of my training time working it. That is not to say that I don't work the whole game. I do. I train stand up, clinch, BJJ, and (most importantly) the integration of all three. I also spend a little time on the pure "street" aspect, like unarmed weapon defense (all Red Zone - thanks Jerry!), and dealing with sucker punches (using the three point cover- thanks Rodney!) etc. On a rare occasion, I even get out the sticks and helmets and do my impression of the Dog Brothers. They are all important to being well rounded, and they all help to keep training fun. But, I probably spend between 60% - 70% of my weekly training doing pure BJJ. Why? Well, here are the main reasons.

1) Relatively safe - It is functional without being excessively damaging to the body - At 42 and someone who makes my living as a businessman who needs to look professional, this is so important. To have a functional fighting system, you must continually test yourself and your tecniques/ideas. That testing is sparring. Sparring (whether easy or hardcore) is essential. But getting hit or putting your body through the pounding of takedowns is hard on the body. Injuries, cuts, fat lips, black eyes, etc. are typical results. BJJ allows constant sparring but minimizes the risks. Yes, injuries happen (as I am writing this, I am nursing a good knee injury), and there is the occasional bump or cut. BUT, it is must less than a striking oriented art, and the torture your body goes through is nothing compared to wrestling or judo. I must know that what I am doing works, but I would like to be walking when I am 55 as well. BJJ addresses this better than anything else.

2) Fun - Simply put, it just is a lot of fun to do. The challenge of trying new things, pitting my skills against someone of superior physical ability, learning new things, all make this a fun art. Plus the fact that, in general, I have found the people involved in BJJ to be really decent human beings that are nice to be around.

3) Age is no barrier - Where else can I do a sport where I can participate with a world class athlete and my kids at the same time? Everyone can do it. Literally, from 5 years old to 95. One of the best matches I ever saw was in Brazil at the International Masters between two 60+ competitors. I like the idea that I won't have to give this up at a point in the future. I can keep it up as long as I am breathing. Can a Thai Boxer say the same thing?

4) Competition - If this is important to you, you will always find a place to compete. There are kids divisions, old fart divisions (where you will find me), and super athlete divisions. Male or female, it doesn't matter. And you can approach as fun, or as a serious athletic endeavor, where you might make a little money. BJJ has the entire spectrum.

5) It works! - This kind of goes with out saying. The fact that EVERY MMA champion has at least the basics of BJJ, and that the modern Army combatives program is about 80% BJJ pretty much shows it's effectiveness. BUT, the beauty of the art is such that if you disagree, you can challenge it at any time. Just be ready to eat crow at the end.

6) endlessly learning - The art is continually re-inventing itself, and seeking improvements every year. Just when you think you know everything about it, some new aspect reveals itself. And the true wonder lies in the continual improvement in the things you already know. By that I mean, you will always be able to perform that armbar a little better, that guardpass a little cleaner, as you keep training. The fundamentals can be refined almost infinitum.

Anyway, this is my perspective. I love the art. So there.

Chris Hauter seminar

2006-10-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I flew to Athens, Georgia to attend a seminar conducted by Machado BJJ black belt Chris Hauter. All I can say is "wow!"

Chris is simply one of the best coaches I have ever trained with. He actually cares about improving his athletes performance. He shows things that NO ONE shows, and the things he shows that others teach he presents in a new way or with a new training method, or with some subtle tweak that is unique.

The weekend started off with takedowns to warmup. He show some new ways of getting your opponent to the mat off an over/under lockup. One of the methods had the entire 60+ attendees fighting to be the first ones to try it. As a matter of fact, there is a good chance the public might see it this coming tuesday on Spike TV (just a hint ). From there, we went to holding posture in guard where Chris showed a trick that I know pretty much no one does, but makes holding posture so much easier. After that, we moved to guard passing. Again, more "tricks" that anyone can use to perform better. Then, he went to ways to attack that from the point of the guy holding guard. Real good stuff.

The second day was even more of an eye opener. The majority of time was spent on guard retention. I will state this publicly. This material was some of the best, most unique stuff I have ever seen. Chris' way of getting this material across is so good and different, he should patent it. No one presents it in such an easily understood and digestible manner. Just mind blowing. Both days eneded with a lot of rolling where I got to witness Chris Connelly (a great guy from Alabama) get his well deserved brown belt, 3 new purples, and some new blues.

The seminar was put together by Adam Singer at his HardCore Gym. A great facility, run by great people, with a gym full of great guys, both on and off the mat. If you get a chance to go there, DO IT!

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. I cannot wait to train with Chris again. If anyone out there is thinking about bringing him in for a seminar, or attending a Hauter seminar, or training with him one on one, you will be richly rewarded. Training with Chris is on my small list of things to absolutely do, no matter what.

stealing ideas from the Gracies

2006-09-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

My 10 year old son does jiu-jitsu. He does competitions as well as regular training. He loves it. I want him to keep loving it. I have spent a lot of time worrying whether I might become a "little league dad" and push him so much that he starts to hate it. I have tried to make sure that never happens. One of the things I have used is something I stole from Helio Gracie. I have heard Royler Gracie tell a story about the first time he entered a competition when he was about 8 or 9. Of course he grew up watching his brothers and cousins win, so he thought it was important to win as well. His father, Helio, took him aside before the match and said "if you win, I will give you five dollars (actually, the then current Brazilian equivalent). If you lose, I will give you ten." Royler realized that he would win either way, so the pressure was gone.

Before my son's (Ronan) first competition, I used the same tactic. It worked. He went, tried hard, and had fun. Since then, he has competed numerous times, sometimes winning, sometimes losing. But either way he was fine with it. Now, we have a little ritual we go through every time. I say to him, "What is the most important thing today?" He always answers "To try my best!" I then say "What is the second most important thing?" He says everytime " To have fun!" Then I hug, kiss, and headbutt him, and off he goes.

As soon as he comes off the mat, win, lose, or draw, I pick him up and tell him how proud I am of him and call him champ. That is something else I stole from a Gracie, this time Rickson. The first BJJ comp I was at, I noticed how most of the black belts were so passionate about winning, to the point of being sore losers, and argued every point that went against their athlete (not my coach though. Megaton believes in having dignity and letting the athlete do his thing and not overshadow him). If the athlete lost, the blackbelt/coach usually said something nice and then moved on. Not Rickson. Every one of his guys,from the rawest white belt to his oldest student, whether they won or even lost by submission in the first minute, was greeted with a huge smile, a big hug, and the heartfelt words of "great job, Champ!" You could tell he was just happy that his student had the guts to get out on the mat and test himself. Rickson showed me how a real coach acts. So I use that with my son and two of my nephews who do BJJ. So far, so good.

more big oil garbage

2006-09-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

My favorite business entity (he says incredibly sarcastically) is at it again. They are doing everything they can to screw consumers.

Here is the deal. Gas at the pumps is sold by volume. When things get hot, they expand (duh). So, when gas gets hot, it expands and therefore has LESS mass per volume than when it is cooler. So, following that logic, if gas is being bought/pumped when it is hot, there will be less being put into the tank than when it is cooler, BUT the cost to your wallet will be the same. The fair thing to do would be to adjust prices when outside temperatures negatively affect the gas sitting in the pump. Guess what? Because of lobbying efforts by Big Oil, only Hawaii has regulations to that effect. All the other states who have a tendency to be hotter more and longer during the year (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida) have NO such regulations. So those of us in those states are wasting x amount of money every year that go to directly profit Big Oil. By how much? It is estimated as much as $150 MILLION!

Yeah, they are good caretakers of the public welfare. Oooh, more sarcasm. Great job, all you politicians for taking care of us.

You are in charge!

2006-09-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

There was a terrific article in Tuesday's USA Today regarding a Harvard study about American life expectancy.

Essentially, it said there are 8 different America's. They are separated by life expectancy. For example, "America 1", the highest, is asians, whose life expectancy is 85. The lowest, "America 8" is comprised of high risk urban blacks, at 71. Here is what is really interesting. The study found that those things that are always assumed to be the most important factors in living long (higher income, better health care, etc.) actually make only a small contribution. The second longest living group, "America 2" are made up of low income whites in the midwest, an area of the country that traditionally has a lesser level of high level health care. Here is a quote from one of the researchers. "There's no way differences in the quality of health care can explain 20 year gaps in life expectancy".

So what do they say seems to make the most difference in living a long life? Diet, exercise, and smoking! All things that each one of us has direct control over! Basically, eat right, exercise smartly, don't smoke, and manage the stress in your life, and chances are you will live into your late 70's or 80's. Don't gripe about it all being someone else's fault or responsibility. It's yours. Do the right things, and they will pay off, especially in the long run.

new Fight gear

2006-09-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

There is a new fight gear company called Yesithurts (www.yesithurts.com). It is run by a friend of mine, Mike Grandinetti, and they deserve a strong look. First, the owners are completely trustworthy who understand the importance of customer service, and the gear looks good! They have a bunch of different designs and solid prices. Right now they have t-shirts and board shorts (BTW, I know that Mike spent an incredible amount of time to make sure the shorts are as high quality as possible). There are other stuff in the works.

Cecil says, check them out.

My grandmother

2006-09-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

I am going to be a little self-indulgent here. Actually, that is redundant since the very act of having a blog is incredibly indulgent, but usually I try to pontificate about stuff that I think people might find interesting or useful. Today, I am going to be selfish. Most likely no one outside of my family will ever care to read this, but it is important to me.

My grandmother died on Tuesday. Her name was Dee Cope and she was 90. She lived an amazing life, full of activity and happiness, especially in her later years. She was also the perfect grandmother. And that is not a joke. Think of whatever in your head is the ideal grandmother, and I guarantee she fits it. Technically, she had one daughter, two grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. In actuality, she had five kids (4 that were her sister's), 12 grandkids, and a horde of great-grandchildren. She also never met someone who wasn't welcome to join her family, unless you regularly voted republican, and then she would make you wait about 5 minutes before she allowed you in.

It was very peaceful when she passed, for which I am grateful. And she went out on her terms, of course, because she could be bossy. I will miss her, but I can't forget her because she taught me so much, not the least of which was by example.

I could go on and on, talking about Dee Dee stories, but I will just end with this. Dee Cope was the best grandmother ever, and the world is a darker place without her. I love you, Dee Dee.

internet shopping

2006-09-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

It is easy to get ripped off on the internet. Here are some places that I trust because I have shopped there a number of times.

Amazon - For me, the best arguement in favor of the internet. I love this place. I don't know what I would do without it's wishlist feature. I could probably do without the internet except for email and Amazon.

Budovideos - Probably the best one stop shop for martial art videos. If I look into buying a new DVD, I check here first.

Ringside - I have been buying stuff from them since 1987. I have never once had anything but top notch service. Pre-internet, it was the only place you could count on getting quality boxing equipment.

Jiujitsu Pro Gear - Run by some really good people. Friendly, and they actually care about the sports of MMA, BJJ, and submission wrestling.

Atama - Really great customer service. Between me, my daughter, and my son, I have bought A LOT of different gear from these guys. Not only has there never been a problem, but I can count on shipping to be less than a week if it is in stock.

BJJ Mart - Not a huge selection, but fantastic customer service and fast shipping.

Sambazon - Where I get my Acai fix when I am pretending to be brazilian. Good guys here.

Hand Held Items - My first place to check for IPOD stuff. Good prices, and good service (though I have not shopped here as long as the others on the list, I have had good luck so far).

Sportsman's Guide - the best place to start with camping, hunting, shooting, and military surplus. This is where I get my canvas bags to make sandbags for working out. A lot of hard to find stuff at sometimes great prices. Solid service too.

cool movies part deux

2006-08-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

A continuation of my list of great movies that deserve a larger audience.

6) The Yakuza - maybe my favorite movie ever. It deals with honor, loyalty, courage, compassion, and has some kickass fight scenes to boot. Ken Takakura is the coolest actor ever.

7) The Wicked Priest series - a silly, fun, martial art oriented series from Japan that starred Tomisaburo Wakayama, the guy from the Lone Wolf and Cub movies. In this series, he plays a priest who likes worldly pleasures too much, but who has a good heart and will use his fighting skills to protect the innocent. The empty hand fight scenes have a different flavor than the normal kung fu movies, and are campy fun.

8) Brotherhood of the Wolf - A French martial art picture that blows away most fighting movies. Interesting characters, a unique story, terrific fight scenes, and some surprises during the movie. Don't miss this one.

9) The Wind and the Lion - The best Teddy Roosevelt movie. Brian Keith nails Roosevelt perfectly. And, surprisingly, Sean Connery is a great Bedouin chief (I know, it sounds like a joke, but trust me), and when he has his rifle and sword duel on horseback in the middle of the movie, you will thank me for recommending this flim. Also, there a lot of great lines that stick with you. "Mrs. Pedecaris, you are a lot of trouble!" - said in a weird mix of scottish brogue and arab accent!

10) Team America: World Police - an utterly brilliant satire of just about everything. I can never seriously watch a Matt Damon or Alec Baldwin film ever again. In 30 years, critics will be looking back at this movie as one of the greatest social/political comedies of all time, like Dr. Strangelove, I guarantee.

ovation for Megaton

2006-08-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my BJJ coach, Megaton Dias, was in Brazil competing in the International Masters tournament. On Saturday, he fought in the open division at 147lbs. He took silver! He beat 4 others, before losing in the finals. ALL of his opponents were around or above 200lbs. Then, on Sunday, in his own weight class, he took Gold. What he did has never been done i.e. taking 2nd in the open while also winning his own division at such a low weight. He is just an awesome competitor. I feel proud knowing he is my coach. Great job, Meg!

cool movies

2006-08-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of some of my favorite movies that are not that well known. Are all great for different reasons and should be better recognized.

1) Hard Times - Probably my second favorite movie ever made. A terrific story about friendship, honor, and sacrifice. And it has the best non-asian fight scenes ever. Charles Bronson is a bad ass bare knuckle boxer.

2) Shogun's Shadow : IMHO, the greatest action movie ever. Pure adrenaline rush from start to finish. Sonny Chiba is a fantastic bad guy pursuing a magnificent seven type group across Japan. Truly mind blowing, over the top fight scenes. And main good guy Ken Ohta might have the coolest movie moves with a samurai sword ever!

3) Murder By Decree : A scary Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper film that probably has the best movie version of both Holmes and Watson. Watson especially is shown as a capable and brave companion, not a bumbling idiot. Very good fight scene between Holmes and the Ripper, and some really frightening moments. If a filmaker in the 70's had been smart, he would have done a Holmes series with Christopher Plummer as star.

4) Inframan : An early '70's Hong Kong kung fu rip off of Ultraman, that improves on the original. Really fun. Great to watch with your kids. If you can't enjoy this one, you have no heart.

5) The Odd, Angry Shot : A war movie from Australia that is really compelling. It is a "small" movie, not a big-budget Oliver Stone type movie, but it is a better Vietnam movie than anything the U.S. industry has produced. I saw it when I was in high school, and it has stuck with me.

closed guard triple attack

2006-08-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, the most overlooked and under-utilized attack in gracie jiu-jitsu is the triple attack, that generally begins with the hip bump sweep, then follows up with a kimura and then a guillotine, all dependent on how your opponent reacts of course. This is, hands down, one of the best attacks you can possibly use, yet it is relatively uncommon. Here are the reasons I think this is so.

1) Not exploding into the move

2) hips not on opponent

3) not committing weight over opponent's shoulder

If all three of these principles are followed, you will see how your opponent can't help but be forced either into the sweep or have to really go hard to counter, making it easier to flow into either a kimura or the guillotine. But for some reason, most of the failures I see usually have one of these components. It must be that when people first learn it, they only see the parts they think are important, not neccasarily the parts that are important. And, later, when they fail to consistently succeed, they start looking for other attacks, rather than attempt to figure out where they are going wrong on the hip bump sweep. A great mistake. There is a reason this move is generally one of the first things taught.

I love this sequence. I use it all the time. Combined with a pressing overhook attack and constant attempts at armdrags makes your closed guard a really bad place for him to be.

I am also trying to play with the semi-rubber guard attack Dean Lister used against Sakara. I think this is a great tie into my other main closed guard attacks, but the triple attack is the backbone.

I really wished more people would try to work into their game. I think it provides a HUGE vital element.

self preservation/self defense

2006-08-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

I sometimes wonder about the people out there that are so into "reality" self defense/combatives/survivalism. Not that I dispute there are valid reasons to want to train and prepare for certain things (Katrina showed everyone how valid some of their points are), but they seem to concentrate on a misguided hierarchy of importance. What I mean is, they seem to place a great deal of importance on firearms, knives, "tactical" gear (usually meaning cammies), having a store of military or camping food, etc....

Now, they MIGHT someday find themselves in a scenario requiring some or all of that. There is a slight statistical chance. So, being prepared is a good thing. BUT.....they are much more likely to be involved in one of the following scenarios: high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, auto accident, cancer, etc.... I can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are much more likely to be a victim of one of these things than a mugger, or a home invasion, or gestapo arrests, or an urban riot. How many of these people prepare for them? From what I have seen, the answer is very little.

Many of them are execessively overweight, do little or no physical activity, might not wear seat belts, probably eat the typical american diet (fast food, overly processed food, too much sugar, little fresh fruit and vegetable, soda), and most likely either don't regularly see a physician OR see one too much and take too many prescription drugs. So, if you truly are interested in self preservation, do the following:

1) Wear a seat belt everytime you get in a car - ask any firefighter/paramedic how many accidents they respond to where someone would have survived if they wore a seat belt. Tthe number is staggering.
2) If you are above 15% bodyfat, drop everything and lose weight. Diabetes is an epidemic that is somewhat ignored. People are paranoid about the vague possibility that the bird flu MIGHT mutate and jump spieces and MIGHT spread, but there is no might about diabetes. It is here and the fastest spreading type is largely preventable.
3)See your doctor and get the recommended tests when they are due...i.e. prostate check, colon cancer, breast cancer, blood pressure, cholestorol, heart stress test etc...
4) Replace as much processed food with fresh food as much as possible. Cut out sugar wherever you can. And learn where the sugar actually is (there are a ton of easily available books on this).
5) Have insurance - health, auto, homeowners or renters. AND make sure that it actually covers what is likely to happen. If you live in New Orleans, make sure it covers flood, if you live in Oklahoma, make sure it covers tornados (I am shocked at how many people try to cut corners here)

Do all these things first, and then, after they are settled, worry whether you have enough 5.56 ammo to repel rampaging gangs of post-apocalyptic zombies.

movies as a learning tool

2006-08-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

I like movies. I always have. I like all kinds of movies. If they are good enough, I will probably have a couple of lines of dialogue that I can recite verbatim. Once, in a very great while, a movie can actually teach a life lesson.

One of those lessons I use regularly is a line from Batman Begins.

"we fall down so we can learn to get back up"

When I saw Batman with my 10 year old son, I thought it was a perfect way of trying to teach him something. So we talked about that line and what it means. Now, I was hoping for a quick attempt to impart some wisdom. Using superheroes works really well with my kid. To my surprise, the lesson in that form really took hold. Now, months and months later, if I ask my son why we fall down, he will almost immediately chime back with "so we can learn to get back up!". It's a cool thought that hopefully he will remember when he encounters a problem in his life, maybe even as an adult. I keep praying that is so.

See, it isn't a waste to watch comic book movies!

Historical Parallels

2006-08-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

I don't feel like turning my blog into a political rant. It's generally boring, and usually repetitous. However, I do want to point out something. Most people don't know much of history. Many commentators pontificate without any understanding of things that have happened in even the not too distant past. Take the current Iraq war for instance. Many things are said about it, both for it and against it, without any knowledge of similar situations that have happened. If you don't learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it.

Along that vein, I would like to suggest that anyone interested read the book "The Do-Or-Die Men". It is in paperback so it is cheap. Basically, it is the story of the WW2 battle of Guadalacanl from the perspective of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. Throughout the book, as I was reading it, I kept being struck by so many similarities to the Iraq war. So much so, it is freaky. If you can, read it. I doubt very much if you will be disappointed. I think you will be just as shocked as I was.

staph infections

2006-08-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Part of the reason I have been occupied and not posting is I had a massive staph infection. It spread rapidly and knocked me on my a**. I had not ever encountered staph so I didn't realize what it was at first, which allowed it to fester and get really bad. I knew OF staph, but not ABOUT staph. Now I know and it is scary. First of all, it is potentially deadly, and it is more widespread that you realize. Check out the WebMD or the CDC for info. Here is a word of warning; if you have a pimple or red bump appear on your body, get to a doctor or urgent care. Trust me, you will be better off safe than sorry. Get informed ahead of time, and pay attention to your body. You will thank me later.

I'm back

2006-08-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting for a while. Had a lot going on in my life. Way too much drama since March. But now it seems like everything is back on track (knock on wood). I intend to get back to regular posting.

stroke information

2006-03-29T15:32:00.000-08:00

I think this is important information to have. It might save someone's life.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm, Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ - had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed an getting to the patient within 3 hours which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

1. *Ask the individual to SMILE.

2. *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

3. *Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today) If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions. They presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's annual meeting last February. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.

made it

2006-03-03T13:52:00.000-08:00

I made it through the month without ANY diet soda. It was hard. At times, the craving for diet coke was almost too much, but I did it. I was the master of my body. I might in the future drink diet soa on occasion, but, like a recovering alcoholic, I can never pretend I am "cured". Everyday will be a struggle, but I will succeed.

14 Days!

2006-02-14T15:42:00.000-08:00

It has now been 14 days since any diet soda has passed through my lips, and yes, I am surviving. I am not sure how I am doing it, but other than a couple of really bad cravings, I have abstained.

I have heard that the 21st day is the important one. By that time, your body is supposed to have "forgotten" it wants a particular substance. I hope that is true.

Updates to follow.

jab in Crazy Monkey

2006-02-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

this is something I posted on the STWA forum (www.mymalife.com) in response to someone asking about jabs in the CM system.

<< I've heard it many times that having a good jab is one of the most important skills to have in standup fighting. I've also heard that in order to do so, you have to be able to hit from many angles and start the jab from a variety of positions.

However, in the crazy monkey system, all punches should begin from the top of your head.

Isn't it then harder to develop a good jab, because it's a bit predictable that all your jabs will start from the top of your head? >>

Here is the problem with that. Starting your jab from ANY other place means you are leaving your head open. Period. If you have fantastic attributes or have been able to train boxing hours every day for years, you probably can pull it off, MOST of the time. However, at some point, someone else with greater attributes or more experience at boxing will nail you the instant your hand moves away from your head. With CM, defense (specifically, protecting the vulnerable points on the head) is the number one priority. Everything else is after.

So, yes, in a sense, it is harder to develop a jab because you are a little more predictable. BUT..... in actual practice it is a moot point. Because I am protecting my head at ALL TIMES, I have more actual freedom to punch because I know I am covered. I am not going to eat a power shot while I encroach on my opponent's territory. I can throw a commited jab, and not get knocked out. That gives me many, many more opportunities to throw that "predictable" jab. As soon as that happens, I can dictate what is happening in the fight, not my opponent. At that point, more and more targets open up. So I accomplish what a varied jab game does WITHOUT opening myself up needlessly.

Here is one of my favorite demos when I am coaching someone in CM for the first time. It is a good way to show them how well CM defense works, as well as how to be offensive out of it.

I tell them I am just going to jab to their head, nothing else. Their job is to punch me however they want. I make sure I throw a jab while keeping a tight cover with the other hand (as close to perfect CM as I can). Maybe 3 out of 5 times, I don't land the punch, but 5 out of 5 times I don't get hit! So, going easy I can be at 40% success offensively, but 100% success on defense. Then I let them do the same thing. The offenseive percentage drops a little (2 out of 10 times landing maybe), but they don't get hit. They immediately build confidence and they start to have a better "game".

stop the madness

2006-01-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is, but lately I have noticed something about a good number of famous people. There is some really bad plastic surgery out there. What would make an attractive person subject themselves to multiple surgeries? It never works. Yes, maybe one procedure might help, but anymore than one is a guaranteed trip to grossville. Joan Rivers looks like a ghoul. Bruce Jenner is really freaky. Need I say a word about Michael Jackson? I think Pamela Anderson looks like she is made of plastic. The really scary part is what some of these people are going to look like in a couple of years. The human body is not designed to go through what these people are putting themselves through. Eventually, the payment will come due for their faustian pact.

If you are contemplating ANY kind of plastic surgery, look first at a website called awfulplasticsurgery.com, THEN decide. Hopefully, you will decide the smart way.

joy

2006-01-13T10:36:00.000-08:00

I went to a concert Thursday night. It was The Blasters. If you don't know them, they are a great classic roots rock band. It was terrifc concert, but what I noticed really got to me. For the ENTIRE 90 minute plus show, the lead singer Phil Alvin was the focal point. He did all the talking to the audience, he was the obvious music leader calling time and songs, and he sang every song. That must have been a pretty exhausting situation, but you know what I noticed? Not one time did Alvin fail to smile. He was beaming form start to finish. No matter how much he sweated and worked, he was obviously having the time of his life. Now, it was a good crowd, but nothing extraordinary. The band must be performing all the time, yet from watching Phil Alvin, you would think this was one of the greatest moments of his life. And his sheer joy in performing infected the crowd. EVERYBODY was rocking, and everybody left talking about what a great show it was. The other weird thing was there was no physical problems or arguements the entire night. The bouncers basically sat around rocking out with us. I think a lot of that had to do with Alvin projecting such sheer joy. I think it is hard to be in a foul mood when you are watching someone just enjoying themselves. So, I thought while driving home, what would happen if we all just tried to be a little joyful in our everyday lives? Maybe it would act like a contagious disease and spread. I am going to be doing my part in at least a little attempt to find out.

resolution update

2006-01-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick update on the status of my NY's resolution to give up soda. Basically, I am still on track. I am down to two sodas a day. Next week I will drop that to one per day. It might be slow, but I think this is the only way I will get it to stick. The problem is, I realized that not only do I have a chemical addiction, I have an immensely hard to break habit of drinking diet soda, so I need to not only break the dependency, but the habituation as well. So that requires time.

As an aside, my wife is doing even better for her resolution to stop smoking. February is looking good!

truth is not pliable

2006-01-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

So, there is this guy, James Frey, who wrote a memoir of his life. The book is about his drug and alcohol addictions and the criminal trouble they led to. Oprah has had him on her showed and praised the book for it's honesty. The trouble is, it isn't honest. SmokingGun.com has done an expose where most of his criminal stuff is made up. Instead of apologizing for lying, Frey went on Larry King and defended himself. Now, I don't really care about him, except for this asinine quote where he said that "only" 18 pages out of 432 pages were wrong, and that is "an appropriate ratio for a memoir". What??!??! It is okay to make crap up because it is your story? That is complete idiocy. A quick memeo to Frey. Dude, it is either fiction OR non-fiction, not both. Don't try to tell a truthful story that we should pay attention to, and then pack it with lies. It shoots ALL your credibility right in the foot. Either tell the truth, or tell a made up story. Trying to do both makes you a liar. Period.

An important New Years resolution

2005-12-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

I am doing this publicly so it makes it harder to fail. The last thing I want is random people giving me crap for breaking my resolution for next year, so this should help push me when I want to give up. Here we go.

I am giving up soda. Ta-da! Now, you might not think that is a big deal, but trust me, it is. I am a diet Coke/diet Pepsi addict. That first sip of the cold nectar in the morning is like heroin to a junkie. I need to stop, so I am preparing myself mentally for the awful fight. I have almost quit a couple of times, but I keep backsliding like a smoker. This time, it WILL be different. I have a plan over the first 4 weeks of weaning myself off with a really good schedule. By February 1, I will no longer have to have that sweet chemical taste to function.

Wish me luck, I am going to need it!

pay it forward

2005-12-22T13:36:00.000-08:00

I am always amazed when I read great thinkers and scientists talk about deep things. I love to try to figure things out that deal with the macro (i.e. "the universe"). But, on the whole, those things have only a small impact on my life. With the things I feel are neccesary to do, I don't have a lot of freedom to try to "fix" the world. However, I can do one thing on a regular basis that I feel makes some kind of contribution. That is the idea of paying it forward.

I am blessed. I have a great wife, fantastic kids, loving family, loyal and trusted friends. I make a decent living and I have some fredom to pursue the hobby (martial arts) that I love. So, wherever I can, I try to do some good for no reward. Sometimes it is bigger, sometimes it is smaller, but it is always something I try to hold in my heart.

For example, buying a nice dress for a teenage girl who otherwise would not have one because her parents can't afford it. Or, donating money to a charity. Or donating turkeys to poor people for the holidays. These are obvious ones, but there are others as well. Letting a person trying to merge into traffic. You don't think that is the same? Then you have obviously never driven rush hour in Phoenix. Plus it is something that can be done all the time. How about making sure you show the guy you are sparring with what he is doing wrong so he doesn't keep getting punched with a counter cross? Or on the mat, showing your partner how to counter the arm drag you keep nailing him with. These might be little things, but if everyone did them all the time, the cumulative result would be amazing.

Anyway, that is my holiday mesage. I hope everyone out there has a great Christmas . Yes, I know that is not a PC thing to say. So sue me. Merry Christmas and God bless us everyone.

Performance coaching

2005-12-06T17:42:00.000-08:00

Performance coaching. What does it mean? Simply put, it is a way of coaching so that anyone, regardless of level, improves their performance. It will be an incredibly important concept in the months and years to come. It is a giant leap forward and away from "technique" based teaching. I have been trying desperately to integrate it into my own coaching, but it is not simple. It requires a great deal of work and preparation. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to see it done properly this past weekend. I participated in a seminar conducted by Adam Singer that was miles beyond a typical seminar session. He took a diverse group of people, with all kinds of different experiences and games, and, if the feedback from the people I talked to is any indication, ALL of them walked away with elevated games. And that includes stand up striking, clinch, and ground.

He started off with shadowboxing and then light contact sparring. Once he understood the room, he was off. Everything he showed had immediate application and was done in a way that everyone could grasp, even if they could not quite perform it to the highest level. He went through a progression that integrated all the ranges while tweaking the details within the ranges. At all times, even when we were doing some kind of isolation drill, he always kept us focused on the totality of MMA. And, it was also cutting edge stuff, such as ways of getting off the ground back to stand up striking, including clever ways of using a wall or brace. His coaching intelligence also came out when he smoothly found ways of working in wrestling even when the knowledge base for wrestling in the room was low. He still kept everyone going with the right stuff. I don't think anyone ever got left behind. And, he finished up the final 45 minutes with an open Q & A that tied it all together and made sure everybody was comfortable with the material.

In short, it was an amazing experience. Adam is truly a gifted and hardworking coach. If you ever get the chance to find out firsthand, DO IT! You will not regret it.

Congrats to my buddy Adam!

2005-12-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

I was in L.A. this past weekend hanging out with my buddies Jerry Wetzel and Adam Singer. It was a fantastic time involving great training, even better companionship, terrific food, and a fun party. Probably the highlight, besides discussing the scientific properties of helium, was watching Adam get his long deserved brown belt in BJJ. For those who don't know, that is an awesome achievment. Probably less then 3% of all the people who start BJJ stick it out to get as high as brown.

Way to go, man!!!!!!!

no-gi vs gi

2005-11-30T10:37:00.000-08:00

A lot of discussion goes on regarding grappling with a Gi or without a Gi. There is a great deal of adamant opinions on both sides of the aisle and I don't think I will convince anyone of the superiority of one over the other. However, what I would like to do is try to get people to stop being so obsessed with the debate. Both methods work, both methods can help you accomplish your goals of being a better fighter, and both are valid. But what is most important is this; there is far more overlap between the two than there are differences.

I really get tired when everytime a new instructional comes out, someone will invariably ask "how much is no-gi?". Over and over again. The fact is; outside of throws, collar chokes, and spider guard; gi and no-gi is about 98% IDENTICAL! This isn't just my own opinion (as important as that is LOL), it is also the opinion of a friend of mine at my BJJ school. His name is Brad Peterson. He was an all-american wrestler in college, and has been doing BJJ for almost three years. If anyone should have a problem with gi, it should be him. I asked him his opinion. Basically, it was this. It takes a second to make the mental adjustment, so just train. I agree. There really is not a lot of difference, at least, not enough to make a big deal out of it. Case in point. I recently got a really good instructional set. Outside of the throws (which are strong judo takedowns) and maybe two submissions that use the skirt of the gi, everything on there can be done JUST AS WELL gi or no-gi, yet I know there are a ton of people who will never watch this set because it is "gi".

I think this mindset is far too limiting. And it goes both ways. There are just as many people who will never pay attention to a no-gi oriented set. Please don't let this be you. Learn from everything, and THINK about what you are watching. Now go put on that gi! Just kidding.

Thankful

2005-11-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving. The turkey is in the oven, the house is clean, the yard looks good. There is nothing to do for a couple of hours until everybody starts arriving. So I will make a quick list of what I am thankful for.

My kids (best in the world), my wife (ditto), the rest of my family - even my in-laws LOL, BJJ, crazy monkey, savate, BJJ competitions, my close friends -Randy, Doug, Adam, Jerry, etc.., my training partners, Tetley's beer, manapua from Aloha Kitchen, curry from Curry House, green tea ice cream, route 44 diet coke from Sonic, cornbread stuffing (not whitebread!), Kiera Knightley, always learning something about myself everytime I get on the mat, the movies "Hard Times" and "Brotherhood of the Wolf", DVD's over video tape, satellite radio that has an entire channel devoted to alt-country, and really comfortable mattresses at the end of a hard day.

everybody's business

2005-11-23T09:51:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick assignment for everyone to fill up the long holiday weekend. Why is it that so many people think they have a right to know everything they wish to know about someone else's private affairs? What possesses' their minds to make them get angry if they are not told all the sordid details of a given situation? This has come up recently involving some friends of mine who decided for their own reasons to do something, and a number of people who don't even know them are basically demanding to be informed of the reasoning. But, I also think about how celebrity gossip seems to literally pollute the TV, newspapers, and internet as well. Does anyone really gain anything in their lives by knowing how Jennifer Aniston deals with her divorce from Brad Pitt? I just don't get it. If anyone has any fun theories, e-mail them to me, and if they are helpful to understanding this, I will post them on the blog. Have a good and safe Thanksgiving!

Congrats Lloyd

2005-11-23T00:49:00.000-08:00

Lloyd took 4th place at Grapplers Quest. One of his guys lost but competed against younger guys even though he could have fought in the eecutive division. And his other guy was messed up in registration, so he has to wait for next time.

Overall, a terrific day in my book. Afterall, the victory in competition is stepping on the mat. Everything else is incidental.

Big thumbs up to you Lloyd, and your guys!

the secret ingredient

2005-11-15T15:20:00.000-08:00

I am fortunate to be able to train BJJ with some great people, both as instructors and as training partners. The more experience I get rolling with high level people, the deeper my perception of BJJ becomes. One of the things I am finally understanding is that, in my opinion, the most important attribute in BJJ is balance. I am talking about the ability to control your body and tell it what to do no matter what freaky position you find yourself in. After watching the ADCC 2005 tournament, that lesson is only clearer. Really, the difference I keep seeing between a winner and loser is very often who had the better balance. At that level, the technique is fairly even, as are most other physical attributes, but the person who has better balance tends to come out on top. Watch any of the matches from AD 2005 involving Marcelo Garcia, Jacare, Roger Gracie, or Kyra Gracie. They all have amazing balance.

I noticed it myself last year when I was preparing to go compete in Brazil. I trained with an athletic performance coach, and one of the things he had me do was different balance exercises with different pieces of equipment. The elevation of my game on the mat was even more noticeable to me than from losing weight or adding strength. Even better cardio took a backseat to what improved balance did for me.

There are many ways to improve your balance. They range from simple methods anyone can do immediately, to using expensive and complex pieces of equipment. Do searches on the web to find ideas for you, and DO IT! You will thank me later.

Good luck Lloyd

2005-11-10T18:09:00.000-08:00

My friend Lloyd Martinez, who runs a really good MMA school in Albequerque, NM is going to Grappler's Quest in Las Vegas this weekend. He is competing along with a couple of his students. I just want to say good luck. I know he will do well.

Arizona Martial Gym

So closed fist is bad?

Managing Training Time

I love predictions by stupid people

You better rely on yourself

Reading comprehension

Dredging up the past

The Three Fallacies of "Don't Go To The Ground"

Jab & Cross - the backbone

Helio Gracie

A true hero

Someone else's blog

yoga words of wisdom

BJJ pet peeves, part 2

Judo

Father's Day

no media bias here

The grass is not always greener.....

BJJ pet peeves, part 1

No Time

thieves in the martial arts

my attempt to help Hollywood

"don't got the ground in a fight" part 1

the concept of "tapping out"

the greatest mass produced candy bar EVER

oops (warning - political commentary - read at your own peril)

using "dirty moves" against a grappler

play vs. training

a new name

MMA: bad for the street?

Congrats Luka

Radio Nowhere

what is wrong with your CM?

a good library for today's martial artist, part 1

the myth of the leatherneck in the Philipines

Martin Luther King Day

closed fist vs. open fist part deux

no sporting application????

training to failure

appreciation

being an athlete

yoga words of wisdom

Random Quote 1

picking MMA fights

one of my pet peeves

Combat Potential from the Gracies

a real hero

MMA role models

Learning the rules

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

Pan-Ams

meeting the champ

what about the other guy?

watching vs participating

what "dead patterns" really are

what Gracie Jiu-jitsu really teaches

open hand vs. closed fist

must hear music part 1

merry xmas motherf'er

a good motto

an xmas poem

Congrats to my buddy Jerry Wetzel!

updating

working around injuries

why I like Gracie Jiu-jitsu

Chris Hauter seminar

stealing ideas from the Gracies

more big oil garbage

You are in charge!

new Fight gear

My grandmother

internet shopping

cool movies part deux

ovation for Megaton

cool movies

closed guard triple attack

self preservation/self defense

movies as a learning tool

recommended reading 3

Historical Parallels