Paying attention to the time is an important skill to develop for many reasons. In the absence of a submission, we have a limited amount of time to establish something significant. Different time frames have different strategies and levels of effort. This is my general approach. The amount of time we train impacts how muchContinue reading “Using the Timer in Bjj”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
How to Start Bjj as a Wrestler
Every year about this time, a generation of wrestlers retires. District and State Championships define the top of the sport, and the season ends. Few go on to wrestle in college and even fewer become Olympians. As an adult, you can always coach. But if you want to continue gaining new skills and possibly competing,Continue reading “How to Start Bjj as a Wrestler”
Old Book Review: The Magnificent Scufflers
The Magnificent Scufflers: Revealing the Great Days When America Wrestled the World by Charles Morrow Wilson 1959 History tends to record grappling in a strange and sloppy way. First, a character is briefly depicted. Then he goes down a timeline with various challenges and milestones. Finally, the protagonist loses, retires, or dies. Much like whatContinue reading “Old Book Review: The Magnificent Scufflers”
Concepts in Bjj
A concept in Bjj is a description of a mechanism that makes a technique work. We usually cover one position every week. Positions may have as many as three variations that we cover. For more complex movements, I will break it down into three stages. When we progress to another position from week to week,Continue reading “Concepts in Bjj”
Training Sustainably Over 40.
Your first and most important job is to last. Most of these ideas are good advice for younger people too. They are of increasing importance for those training sustainably over 40. I’m currently 41, and have been doing this for 16 years, full time for eight years. Most adults are not in a position toContinue reading “Training Sustainably Over 40.”
Break this rule, but do it in this way.
Almost everyone says not to talk about gym rolls, almost everyone does it anyway. Talking about a roll makes us better. The ability to recall precisely what happened and try to improve based on it is a higher level skill. What we are doing is largely about pattern recognition. Ask questions immediately after the roll.Continue reading “Break this rule, but do it in this way.”
Some of the Joys of Jiu Jitsu
Most of us started training because we wanted to learn how to fight. But we keep training because it’s fun. It’s a place where complex problem solving and an average level of athleticism meet in a unique way. This is a quick list of things that I love about Bjj. We might encounter them inContinue reading “Some of the Joys of Jiu Jitsu”
Emotion in Position
A Position in Bjj is often a trigger for people. As we prepare to watch the customary Black Friday fights on our social media feeds, we will be studying the positions these totally uneducated street fighters will naturally find. Half Guard, Mount, various Clenches from standing will all be explored in extremely dramatic fashion. ForContinue reading “Emotion in Position”
What is Control?
The dictionary definition of control goes on for a while. We use this word a lot, and for many purposes. Basic psychology teaches that you can only control your own actions, and not the actions of others. Jiu Jitsu seems to follow this idea in many ways. In a grappling situation, the word control tendsContinue reading “What is Control?”
Unwritten Rules in Bjj
Nobody likes being the last one to know an unwritten rule. Every single gym has its own set of unique rules, both written and unwritten. Having a set of easily understood rules helps new people to start training with a clear understanding of expectations. We should get these ideas hammered out as efficiently as possibleContinue reading “Unwritten Rules in Bjj”