meta name="verify-v1" content="mxUXSoJWEFZKrtw31+uRroeKyRmf49ADfeiAbP3JB2o=" / Arizona Martial Gym: November 2005

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

no-gi vs gi

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.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Thankful

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.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

everybody's business

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

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!

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

the secret ingredient

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.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Good luck Lloyd

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.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

recommended reading 2

Okay, here is the next installment of good books I think should be read. Since the last one of these I did was all escapist fiction, I will now go the exact opposite route.

Angry White Pyjamas by Robert Twigger : this is a really enjoyable book about a non-martial artist (he is actually an Oxford poet) who decides to finally improve his life while living in Japan by enrolling in a year long intensive aikido training course designed for the Tokyo Riot Police. Very entertaining, even if, like me, you are not into aikido.

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford : I have always been fascinated by Genghis Khan and this is the first book that is able to really delve into his story because of the author's unprecedented access to rarely seen mongollian texts. It is a great book about one of the most important figures of history.

Training For Warriors by Matrin Rooney : a physical training book that is written expressly for combat athletes. Rooney knows his stuff. He is the athletic performance coach for the Renzo Gracie team. Easily absorbed information. It WILL improve your game.

Final Gifts:Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying by Maggi Callanan and Patricia Kelly: this book is written by two hospice nurses. They try to explain what dying people go through in order for the living to help and comfort them during the last days. It is an extremely moving book, especially for those of us who have lost someone close to illness or age.

Monday, November 07, 2005

cornerstones for a DVD instructional library

There are a ton of instructional DVD's and videos out there. And practically everyday something new is released. You can go crazy trying to make sure you are buying the right ones. Here is a quick guide to what I think should be the foundation of anyone's functional martial art library.

1) Rodney King :
Street Boxing 101, Clinch Boxing 101, Sparring 101 - All three of these are fantastic. Great material that is presented simply and clearly. The best base for your striking game.

2) Adam Singer / Rory Singer / Paul Sharp :
Clinchin ' 2 -
Everything you need to have a solid clinch game. Anyone can jump right in and start training this material immediately.

3) Matt Thornton :
Funtional JKD (series 1) tape #3 the ground, Functional JKD (series 2) tape #1 top game, tape #2 escapes from bottom, tape #3 guard game - these four tapes are the perfect start to understanding Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Not only do they teach the "techniques" , but they also show the principles and training methods better than any other BJJ instructional on the market today.


4) Jerry Wetzel :
Red Zone 1 , Red Zone 2 -
I have spent literally almost two decades doing weapons. I will categorically state right here that there is no better unarmed against the knife program than Jerry Wetzel's Red Zone. If you think you are doing self-defense and you don't have these instructionals, you are kidding yourself. And it works for anyone, regardless of skill level. Period.



So, here are the DVD's that I think are critical to building a dependable foundation for your personal expression of martial arts. This is not to say that there are not other great discs out there. There most definitely are. But, these are the ones that will make what you learn from other instructionals actually work and just these will give you years worth of training material. Check 'em out!

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

excuses, excuses

Sorry I have not updated this blog in awhile. I have been really busy at work, and I have been working on what I hope to be an article to be submitted to a major martial art publication. I think I have come up with a nice begining to it, so the rest of the article should flow smoothly. I will let everyone know.