Last week in Fundamentals, we learned:
1) Standing foot lock.
2) Mounted back choke.
3) Figure four foot lock.
Archive for the ‘Jiu Jitsu’ Category
Blue Belt Week 121, April 11, 2014
Posted in Jiu Jitsu, tagged fundamentals, Gracie Jiu Jitsu on April 14, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Rickson Gracie’s Thoughts Upon Modern BBJ
Posted in Jiu Jitsu on April 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Blue Belt Week 120, April 4, 2014
Posted in Jiu Jitsu, tagged Advanced bjj, Gracie Jiu Jitsu on April 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »
This week in advanced class, we learned three moves:
1) How to do a guillotine choke from the side mount while using your own kimono lapel.
2) How to escape being pinned against a wall in a head lock and into an arm lock.
3) How to escape a standing double collar choke by executing a throw.
Blue Belt Week 119, March 28, 2014, Standing Head Lock Defense Wide Base, And a Warning About Motorcycles
Posted in Jiu Jitsu, tagged blue belt, Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Head lock defense wide base, motorcycle accidents on March 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »
This week in fundamentals, we learned how to get out of a head lock when an attacker has a wide open stance. See picture. In fact, the bigger the attacker and the stronger the neck crank, the easier the take down. As in the picture, grab the hip of the attacker, the arm that was on the back, and the other hand hooks under the knee of the attacker. Next, swing the back foot through the attacker’s legs as far as possible, the other foot stays side by side the attacker’s foot, and the victim would end up in the side mounted position.
The school gave us a warning the other day. Motorcycles are dangerous and should be avoid. From our school, a purple belt died two months ago and another purple belt is in critical condition both from motorcycle accidents. They mentioned that even Master Helio Gracie, when he was nineteen, was in a serious motorcycle accident. The doctor wanted to amputate his leg but obviously didn’t. Motorcycles are dangerous.
Blue Belt Week 118, Pins Can Buy Time
Posted in Jiu Jitsu, tagged Gracie Jiu Jitsu, judo pin, judo tournament, nine pins, norm miller on March 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »
This month, we worked on pins in advance grappling. Control before submission.
Regarding pins, an event that changed my life. when I was ten in 1978, my first tournament, I won third place in the Chicago midwest regional judo tournament. My coach was Norm Miller of Wisconsin, a recognized U.S. National Judo Coach.. I did a quick osotio gari and used an arm and shoulder pin. I won on a thirty second pin, the one in the picture. He fought most of the pin. I rode it out. Unfortunately I lost a friendship that day. We were from the same school. He would beat me regularly at the dojo; however, that day, I defeated him in front of a thousand people. After that, he didn’t want to car pool. I was accused of cheating. I didn’t think of the consequences, not for a second. I was too young.
If in a street fight, depending on how well the fight was going, a person has options, to talk to the attacker, an escape, a decision to break a limb, or choke. Breaking someone’s arm, or any limb, has consequences; mostly negative, police, law suit, revenge.
I know a guy that had his arm broken while sparring. The arm breaking wasn’t intentional. Unfortunately, He no longer attends jiu jitsu. He was out of work for six months. He said he lost $60,000 in revenue. Every time I see him and we talked Jiu Jitsu, the arm incident would come up with a lot of anger. ” He never said he was sorry!!! I am coming back and I will get that guy!” That guy was on his mind daily, revenge. I remember reading a quote about anger. Anger was like holding onto a burning hot piece of coal in order to throw it at the enemy. In the end, the person that held onto anger hurt themselves more than the other guy.
Blue Belt Week 117, March 14, 2014 Time to Heal
Posted in Jiu Jitsu, tagged blue belt, bruised organ, Gracie Jiu Jitsu, jersey finger, white belt injury on March 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »
To be honest, I took the week off. At 45, I felt I needed to give myself some time to heal.
What happened? Two white belts did me in. While practicing the single collar grab, thumb down, I lost my balance, fell, and put my hand on the floor. The nervous practice partner stepped forward onto my hand, the heal of his foot came down on top of index finger. I heard a loud pop. I felt bleeding but no cut. Blood pooled under the nail of my index finger. Gui taped up the fingers and I finished the class. I didn’t go to the doctor. On the internet, I found the injury. It was called, jersey finger, the opposite of a mallet. The finger has been healing and no deformation. I went to class with the fingers taped up but on the third week, I wanted sometime out. I was having trouble typing. Not to worry, the finger has almost completely healed. Last week, a bouncer, while doing knee on bellie drill fell down hard and bruised an internal organ. Perhaps I need to do more exercises out side of class.
Sorry I am not trying to make a blog of aches and pains. It has been a long time since , I had a physical. Nevertheless, I eat very healthy and am very fit.. I want to make sure the veins and arteries are clear. I need to find a new doctor in my area.
Blue Belt Week 116, March 7, 2014
Posted in Jiu Jitsu, tagged Gracie Jiu Jitsu, signs of aggression on March 10, 2014| 2 Comments »
This week in fundamentals, we had learned about signs of aggression. When a person yells at you, swears, clenches the teeth, sways with the shoulders, a closed fist, swaying finger, be prepared for violence. We worked on defensive strategies. How to talk to an aggressive person. Controlling the center. Getting distance. Self defense.
One thing that wasn’t covered was a surprise attack which comprises 60 % of attacks. I asked a Sheriff, a fellow student, what he thought. As soon as the eyes noticed the fist strike, if you’re so luck, raise the hands up to block the punch. The best scenario would be to survive the strike and go into defense mode. Common sense, don’t be a target. Knowing when to be in a state of self high alert. If traveling into a bad neighborhood, area, be more alert. Don’t be overly dressed. Don’t flash money.
Blue Belt Week 112, Feb 7, 2014 Upa Defense
Posted in Jiu Jitsu, tagged Gracie Jiu Jitsu, low mount fist attack, upa defense on February 10, 2014| Leave a Comment »
This week in advanced grappling, we worked on defense from a fist attack while being low mounted and a defensive head lock.
Without escaping, we trained to remain calm in the uncomfortable position for the purpose of defense. Most untrained fighters think defense came mostly from arm blocks of the fist strikes while on the back; however, that would not be completely correct. Defense, while low mounted, was mainly with the hip which would raise into a bridge, the Upa defense. Remember, during the upa defense, once the hip was up, the hip stayed up. We worked on two drills: trapping the striking opponents arms behind the attackers back, and a head lock.
Blue Belt Week 111, It is not about winning, it’s about surviving.
Posted in Jiu Jitsu, tagged controlling the center, Gracie Jiu Jiitsu, self defense on February 3, 2014| 3 Comments »
Just because we study Jiu Jitsu, we are invincible – false!!! wrong!!!!!! What we have is a false sense of security. There are a lot of tough people walking around that can do a lot of harm.. . It is not about winning, it’s about surviving.
Don’t engage in give and take fighting. Sporting events encourages this for entertainment. Stay out of range. Frustrate the aggressor who wants the give and take fighting..
Wait for the attacker to come. as they step in, crash in or step out of range. Arms length fist to fist distance.
BJJ self-defense against a boxer is crashing in. Defense is not with the arms and legs, blocking, it’s with the feet. One foot back or one foot forward. To be able to move quickly, be on the balls of the feet. Be able to move back and forth with ease. Move in 90 degree angles. Strong leg 1st. Practice this. Ready to use the side kick.. If you are doing a mirror image of the attacker, always step wide then adjust. Arms close. See through hands. Chin down. shoulder slightly turned, and Don’t shrug when chin is done..
Decide right now, if you need to fight, you will. Stay out of trouble even if a person says something stupid. When the line is crossed, defend. Don’t debate in the moment. Don’t try to figure it all out while under attack.
Blue Belt Week 108, The 4th Stripe
Posted in Jiu Jitsu, tagged choke defense, Gracie Jiu Jitsu, intense fasting, Ketones, mct, pinning, valente brothers on January 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »
This last stripe marked the last stage of the blue belt journey before the next stage of the Gracie Black Belt experience, Purple belt. Right afterwards, a brown belt, told me that I needed to step it up on everything. I agreed. As of right now, I needed to get in a lot more classes.. I had been doing a lot of technique class and less with the practical, sparring and advanced techniques class. I hope to get in a lot more time with sparring in the next six months.
This week in advance grappling, I learned advanced pinning techniques from the mount. When I wrestled in high school, the coach always told us to have body on body. Use your body weight to pin the opponent. Well, I learned to use my hips more. I also learned my lower back was very weak and not very flexible. However, I am confident that my lower back can be fixed just like my shoulder injury but it will take time at the yoga studio. One thing I like about Jiu jitsu is that it is forcing me to look at my aging body and do something about it. Another technique was to drive the shoulder, from the mount, into the face of the opponent and pin their face on the mat. This would make it very difficult for the opponent to move much less bridge to the other side. I have been forgetting to do this
One thing that I need to practice more is tightening up the neck and chin down to slow down a choke attack. In fact, if anyone goes near your neck for a choke, tightening of the neck and chin down, should be automatic.. I always try to put the chin to my chest if I know the choke is happening, judo technique from the 70s that I learned, but the neck tightening is new and difficult to do. I didn’t learn that. You don’t shrug the shoulders while tightening the neck. . I haven’t fully mastered the technique.
Perhaps some of you have noticed my weight loss. Three weeks ago, I went on a super intense fast. I went without eating for five days. I would drink lemon water with maple syrup, or coconut water, whenever I got super hungry. In the mornings, I would do a salt water flush. Another thing I did was work out. I would work out and acted like I had eaten a big meal. I did lose 10 1/2 pounds. When the body couldn’t get energy from food, glucose, sugar, it would switch to energy from fat, ketones. This ketone energy helped mankind survive famine or days without food. The fat conversion to ketone energy process will happen if you don’t eat after 14 to 16 hours. The human body can go without eating for 30 days or more. It will consume the fat before it will consume the muscle. I wasn’t going to take the diet that far where it would damage muscles.. I don’t recommend this to anyone and it may not be safe.
journeyjjbluebelt 