open hand vs. closed fist

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

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

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

"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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.