Luke's Training Blog

19/07/09 - BJJ Class

2009-07-19T09:38:00.004+01:00

The growth of Team Ryu in recent times has seen the Sunday class become a main feature of the week's schedule, often drawing as many numbers as the more traditional evening classes. The teacher is Paul Cudmore, who as we discussed in the previous post, is a BJJ Purple belt under Braulio with a great deal of experience in multiple martial arts.

The Sunday class started with Paul going through some movement drills. These included bridges, standing up from a butterfly-like position and returning, and some hip-through drills (i'm sure there's a better name but at the moment it evades me).

We then used these drills in a more realistic situation, using them to escape side control and gain a better position. Paul pointed out that while these techniques aren't 100% guaranteed to land you in a better situation, they are guaranteed to move your opponent, possibly setting up something else later down the line.

Working with Simon was beneficial to me, he's a big guy with a lot of talent that tends to pick up on technique easily, and is good for pointing out your rights and wrongs.

I found that while bridging, i was gaining my power from the wrong leg: where i needed to gain power from my left leg, my body wanted to take advantage of my stronger right leg. Working on the other side, i managed to use the correct leg (now the right one), and picked up the technique a little easier on this side.

After this was a little light rolling, with Simon using the open guard and myself trying to pass. The one time i did, he immediatley used the drill we'd been working in in class and returned to his original guard position: this is exactly how rolling should be!

Very good class, and the 10:30am start really sets you up for the rest of the day.

Until next time,

Keep rolling.

Luke.

14/07/09 - BJJ Class

2009-07-14T14:04:00.003+01:00

So after last night, i picked myself up in fairly good time to get ready or the class Tuesday daytime, the newest addition to team ryu's timetable. With pretty horrible weather, coupled with the fact it was a new class,hopes for turnout weren't too high, but in the end i had a pretty good conception discussing and looking at principles with Paul, one of the club's top BJJ guys. The focus of the session was on the closed guard.

Rather than looking at any particular techniques, Paul pointed out a few principles i'd never really realized before.

Firstly, i learned that grips from the top of closed guard are not just there to hold, but to use to prevent his movement. Paul pointed out that whilst i had got collar control form the top of closed guard, i didn't use that to control his movement, allowing him to sit up into me.

Whilst not a huge technique by any stretch of the imagination, it does utilise a fairly basic method of control in order to stop your opponent from sitting up, and more easily switching into more offensive positions such as the butterfly guard.

I also got the impression that from the closed guard, whilst it is good to be proactive and look for attacks, sweeps and ways to off-balance your opponent, it's also important to keep note of what he is doing.

A personal example here: when rolling about a month ago, i was too busy attempting to gain mission control that i forgot to notice that he'd posted his hand on the mat, which could have led to a much easier and less cumbersome Kimura/Hip Heist sweep combination, rather than looking to initiate the rubber guard sequence.

Also, by more carefully watching your opponents movements while on top, you can feel exactly what options are working for him against you: this not only gives you an idea how you should be defending, but also gives you options to use when you're on the offensive.

To conclude, today's class was less about technique, and more about adopting a more technical, principle-based game than the one i've been playing.

Real eye opener, well worth attending!

13/07/09 - Back training!

2009-07-13T22:30:00.001+01:00

Howdy everyone!

Today, i re-started my training after an exams/injury layoff, and had some real fun, although didn't accomplish what i'd set out to accomplish.

The evening started a bit early: i turned up at the gym, changed into my Gi at the start of the Muay Thai lesson, before Jez made me aware there were odd numbers, so i thought i may aswell take part. A word to the wise: you get hot fairly quickly training muay thai in a gi! The jacket came off fairly quickly, i can assure you.

The class covered mainly punching technique: starting with working on a jab-cross to warm up, defending the hooks, then moving into slightly more exotic techniques with the livershot-left hook combo, some uppercuts, knees, then some clinch work.
Clinch work i always find is pretty fun: there's an element of controlling the opponent that is almost always different with different body types and people's abilities.

The BJJ class started soon after the Muay Thai warmdown, with an emphasis on standup techniques.

Lee showed a throw from standing in a situation where you have an overhook, then almost giving that up to switch to wrist control, then an almost-sacrifice like throw which seemed more effective than first impressions seemed.

When this option failed, Lee then showed a setup from the failure of this technique: if the opponent simply postures up, this gives both the right angle, opportunity and momentum to catch a double leg takedown.

All in all, a good session, although my cardio was a bit of a disappointment: although, after a layoff, i'm pleased at my first night back.

Tomorrow is the debut of the Team Ryu Tuesday daytime class: hopefully see you all there!

Luke.

09/04/09 - BJJ Beginners FAQ

2009-04-09T09:56:00.008+01:00

Hey guys,

A lot of times, beginners have got quite a few questions. Rightly so. BJJ can be expensive, and sometimes this is the first thing that offputs new people. Judging by the emails i receive, quite a few beginners read this blog, so i figured, let's talk directly to the newcomers and answer some questions. These aren't questions i've received, but are perhaps a few things you might be wondering, as i wondered when i first started BJJ.

Q: What does BJJ stand for?
A: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Q: What's the difference between BJJ and Gracie Jiujitsu?
A: Gracie JiuJitsu is a kind of brand name of BJJ: it refers to the teachings passed down by certain members of the Gracie family, who are amongst the most influential martial artists of all time.
Q: Is BJJ for me?
A: Who knows! BJJ is one of the world's most increasingly popular martial arts, and has been used by the police force, and in many movies.
The best advice i can possibly give is get down there. Before i started BJJ, i was nervous: is this for me, am i doing the right thing? The simple answer is that if you want to do it, it's best to try it and dislike it, than to never try at all. BJJ is a fantastic sport with many positive benefits, so give it a go!
Q: How often will i have to train? how long are the classes?
A: You don't "have to" train at all. You should be training because you want to. When you get out onto the mats and start rolling and training, you will soon forget how long the classes go on for. Many's a time i've run sheepishly out to the car, knowing that the "extra short roll" and the end of the class has made me late.

The classes tend to range anywhere from an hour to about 3 hours.

In most classes, there will be a warm up, some techniques, some specific sparring, then some free sparring. If you have to leave early, ensure that your instructor is aware of this so you do not disrupt the class as you go.
Q: You say it's been used in movies? What celebrities practice it?
A: A quick google search will find you quite a few BJJ celebs. Nicolas Cage, Michael Clarke Duncan, Joe Rogan, Ed O'Neill, Guy Ritchie, Maynard James Keenan....

Q: Will BJJ help me lose weight?
A: In all honesty, BJJ is a great all around exercise. I'm not the lightest (or best built!) guy on earth by any stretch of the imagination, but i can confess that BJJ helped me shift several stones (1st = 14lbs). However, it won't do anything if your diet is still relativley poor: as with all exercise, weight loss seems to come down to the simple formula: Diet + Exercise = weight loss.

Q: What's good to eat before a BJJ class?
A: It doesn't matter so much in your first few classes, but tend to stay away from fatty foods, and stick to simple things like pasta or cereals that provide carbs without a fatty edge to them. Also, stay away from things that cause bad breath or excessive wind: there's nothing worse than rolling with a guy who's been at the garlic, or sounds like a man suffering from terminal flatulence.

Q: Am i going to get punched in the face?
A: No. BJJ is a grappling art, and as such, strikes are not used. Many classes will show self-defence techniques to overcome being attacked in these situations, but strikes are never used in BJJ competition.

Q: What's the grading system?
A: It's more simple than you might think.

The belt grades go: White, Blue, Purple, Brown, Black. There is also a red belt, although this tends to be reserved for members of the Gracie family and a few non Gracies such as Osvaldo Alves and Joao Alberto Barreto.

Also, there is a "stripe" system. This is however not uniform accross every academy. Stripes are generally awarded when it is recognised that a student has passed a certain level of progression. They are awarded at the instructor's discretion.

Q: I've heard BJJ uses chokeholds. Surely this is dangerous?
A: Any sport is dangerous. BJJ is no more dangerous than swimming when performed correctly. The kind of choke that is prevalent in BJJ is a blood choke, which is technically more of a "strangle" than a choke. It works by cutting off blood flow to the Carotid arteries, thus depriving the brain of oxygen. In terms of vascular restraint, it is safer than a choke against the windpipe, which can easily snap under relativley little pressure.

If you go unconscious (which is highly unlikely), in most circumstances you will regain consciousness and have no noticeable side effects.

TRAINING IS NOT A FIGHT TO THE DEATH. In BJJ, a submission is indicated by the use of a tap, which brings the fight to an end.
Any form of tapping, whether it be verbal or any physical signal, ie. a foot stomp, hand tapping, finger snapping, or whatever. Be extremely cognicent when you have another person in a potentially dangerous position, like a submission. When applying a submission, do it slowly so it will give your partner a chance to tap before an injury occurs. You should be able to apply any submission that is effective and correctly setup, slowly. Most injuries in your first 1-2 years of jiu jitsu occur because of careless application of a submission.

Q: I've seen nasty videos on youtube of things called Heel Hooks. Will my legs get hurt?
A: Within the vast majority of BJJ Schools, beginners are not taught heel hooks, and are hugely discouraged from using them. Infact, noone can use them in most competitions until the brown or black belt mark, meaning that by that time, you know what you are doing anyway.
Q: What's the likelyhood of picking up an injury?
A: This depends on how you play. Accidents DO happen: however, statistically, the sport is closest to Wrestling, which has fewer injuries than sports such as weightlifting and boxing. We all pick up nagging pains in sports, and i think that is part and parcel of training.

However, serious injuries do not often happen when you exercise care in your training environment.

Q: Where did BJJ originate?
A: Mitsoyu Maeda, a Japanese Kodokan Judo player, travelled to Brazil, and was helped out by an influential businessman by the name of Gastao Gracie. Gastao's son, Carlos, liked what he saw of Maeda's martial arts prowess, and was eventually taken on as his student. From there, Carlos learned the traditional Kodokan Judo (with a large ground influence), which was eventually adapted by Helio Gracie in order to suit a smaller body type, with less emphasis on strength, more on technique.

After many years of development, and with the Gracie's open invitations to any comers to fight them, Gracie/Brazilian Jiu Jitsu became popular in Brazil, and with the introduction of the UFC in 1993, took off in a way that noone could have possibly imagined.

Q: So why not just learn Judo?
A: Judo is a fantastic martial art, with a great deal that can be used in BJJ. However, Judo's newer rule sets do tend to limit the amount of time spent on the ground, which is where, according to rough urban statistics, most fights end up. By spending more time utilising ground techniques, BJJ is highly effective as it allows for an opponent to make a greater deal of mistakes than they possibly could standing.

Q: But are there any techniques that make Judo different to BJJ?
A: BJJ has evolved a great deal since it's incarnation as a Judo off-shoot. In modern BJJ, many practitioners have come up with their own set of movements to fit the requirements of each individual body type. Much like traditional wrestling, each person has different preferences.
Think of BJJ as a journey: the destination is always the same, but how you get there never is.

You will see many of the newer BJJ techniques and developments popularised in competition and in mixed martial arts.

For example, Eddie Bravo has pioneered the Rubber Guard system, which is starting to be used an increasing amount in MMA. Marcelo Garcia, a notable world champion BJJ competitor, has popularised the X-Guard system, which features many techniques that a few years ago, were unheard of.
Q: Are there any supplementary learning materials i can use outside of class?
A: Yes. However, i'd say to stay away from these until you feel they will fit your pupose: to supplement your learning, rather than dominate it. Some beginners find that by watching instructionals, their head gets so full of new ideas that they no longer know what techniques to go for when it comes to sparring time.

However, if you are at that level and you're looking for some recommendations, look no further.
Saulio Ribeiro's Jiujitsu revolution series is fantastic: a Gracie Humaita black belt and one of the world's best competitors, Saulo explains the moves he shows fantastically, and tend to be effective moves for both the beginner and more advanced player alike.

Many videos can be found on youtube, but if you're looking to purchase instructionals, Budovideos seems to be the best site.

I'll throw in a word here about forums: there are some places that (for a fee), provide a great deal of learning resources. This includes sample gameplan outlines, move combination videos, teaching, video analysis of top competitors, and a place to talk about anything BJJ or grappling specific.

One of these sites that i'm a member of is The Grapplers Guide, which is run by a Brown belt in the USA, who runs his own school. I can't recommend this place highly enough, especially given he runs regular promotions, meaning that the materials there are always worth the cost of membership.
Q: Can you recommend some good BJJ guys to watch? Competition footage, etc.
A: Personally, i like to watch a few guys in particular. We all have our own preferences, so just watch around and see what you like. Some good guys to watch are Braulio Estima, Marcelo Garcia, Xande Ribeiro, Andre Galvao, Demian Maia and Roger Gracie.

If you're looking for guys you may recognise from MMA, try watching guys such as Matt Serra compete in the ADCC, where many guys from the UFC also have competed: Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, Ricco Rodriguez, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, etc..

Q: What should i do in a class?
A: Relax, enjoy, and above all listen to the instructor. Don't go hell-for-leather at submission attempts, and don't go 6000% on your opponent. This is how injuries occur, and it will only stall your BJJ progression. Ask the instructor about class etiquette, or if there is anything you need to take note of. For example, if you need to use the bathroom, ensure you put shoes or flip flops on first, so that you don't gain germs from the bathroom on your feet, and then spread them onto the mats. Yuck!

Q: I feel tired, confused, and helpless on the mats. Help?!?
A: We all get like this at times. Plateaus are not unheard of in grappling sports, and this is why it is important to remember that grappling is meant to be fun. If you're not enjoying it as much as you used to, then relax, and remember your performance is not that important. It's better to roll loosely and freely, remembering that this is just a hobby right now!

Explain to your coach how you feel, they've been there and will always have some words of encouragment for you. If you still have trouble, try taking a break for a few sessions. Get your head back in gear, but don't wait too long!

Q: What do i need to bring on my first lesson?
A: If you have a Judo Gi, bring that. In my experience, thinner gi's such as the uniforms provided in Taekwondo tend to be a little too light, and can easily be damaged when being pulled around or used for chokes.

If you dont, not to worry: many academies will let you try spare gis they have, before pointing you in the direction to purchase one yourself.

If your academy doesn't have a spare gi, just try to wear loose fitting clothing (don't wear your armani stuff, things that you dont mind getting pulled about), and nothing with metal or zips that could possibly damage the mats.

BUT, please bring a towel and some water, or at least ask if there is a place in the gym where you can grab some water or other drink. You will sweat a lot, so replenishing these fluids is vital for optimum performance. Plus, if you don't drink enough water, you'll feel a lot worse the following morning, your body needs h20!

Q: Do i need to have prior experience?
A: Most certainly not. Many people enter BJJ with no prior martial arts experience, and do fantastically well. Prior experience in grappling arts may help you out, but by no means consider this essential.
Personally, i came in to BJJ weighing 19st at the age of 16, and with no prior martial arts (or sports) experience. If i can pick it up, believe me, you can!
Q: I want to compete. What's the easiest way to find out what's on, and where?
A: The guys in your academy will almost always know what competitions are coming up, so don't be afraid to ask. This also means that if more than one of you go, car-sharing works out a lot cheaper than individual car or train rides, so if you're on a budget, remember that being social is the way to go!

in the UK, EFNSports tends to be the place where the organisers of events publish their dates and times: the EFN forum is the best place to check out for this.

Q: Competition? The thought of that makes my stomach turn! Do i have to?
A: No. Competition isn't for everyone, although bear in mind it is the easiest way to test your skills against people from other academies, in a truly resisting environment. It always looks good in the eyes of your instructor to have a gold medal, but do not feel that there is pressure to get you to compete. If it's not for you, then it's not for you.

Q: Oh.. there seems to be SO much in the class, should i take notes?
A: Yes. If you think you are going to struggle to remember what happened in class, please take notes! Not only take them, but read them occasionally. It's like going back to school to a large degree: notes are of no use if you don't revise them.

Most importantly though, if you feel you need to, take a small notebook to class and write down the techniques while they are still fresh in your mind. Practice them with a friend, and make sure that they are at your disposal.
Q: What colour Gi is best?
A: To be honest, there are so many colours of BJJ gi now available i've lost count. White, Blue and Black tend to be the most popular from what i've seen, although the occasional Red can't go unnoticed. There are many gi colours available, you can even get a tie dyed Gi now: but it's key to remember that BJJ isn't a fashion statement. If you're a woman (or just like it), you can even get pink gis, which often look fantastic!
Q: What brand Gi is best?
A: This really does depend on your preference. If there's a guy a similar size to you at the academy, ask to try his jacket on before practice, so you can quickly gauge how you feel in it, and how well the cut of fabric fits you.

There are hundreds of Gi brands available at varying prices, both domestically and internationally. Brands you tend to see around are Koral (that tend to be pricey but of a good quality), Atama (which tend to be a little smaller), Blitz (cheap but reasonably good quality, and UK based), Tatami (fairly new UK company, but are cheap and the Gis look VERY good), and Vulkan, who produce a particularly light Gi when you want to cut those last couple of pounds for a competition.

Q: How do i tie the belt? It looks a bit complicated!
A: Don't worry. Help is at hand, YOUTUBE TO THE RESCUE! Good video there.
Q: Why is there a coloured tab on the belt?
A: I've heard people say to me that if a black belt has a red patch on his belt, then he is a red belt. This is quite a misguided, but not unheard of interpretation.

The truth is that the coloured tabs on the belt are a part of the grading system. They are there primarily to hold stripes. These tend to be black on every belt, apart from a black belt, for obvious reasons.

Q: What is "no Gi BJJ"?
A: Nogi BJJ is simply BJJ without the Gi. Many practitioners prefer this, as without the handles and grips that the gi provides, one is forced to use more natural features such as underhooks and overhooks to control the opponent, rather than sleeves and collars. There are many arguments for and against NoGi BJJ, but honestly, dont worry when you're first starting. If your academy runs a class for both, then try both and see how you feel.

Q: I have a medical condition, can i still train?
A: It depends on what you class as a "medical condition". If you have consulted your doctor, and your instructor, and they both say "yes", then it is purely your choice.

If you are infectious, or have conditions that can easily be spread through close bodily contact, then i'd say, give training a miss. Even with blood conditions, cuts do happen in close combat sports, and your training partners wont be too happy if you spread something around the class.
Q: I still have questions. Where can i go for further support?
A: There are always questions that can't be covered in these kinds of guides.
If you are looking for more information, either contact your local BJJ school instructor, email myself at Lukewykes AT googlemail DOT com, or check out another BJJ blogger's fantastic resource for beginners: Slideyfoot's Blog.

26/03/09 - BJJ Class (Lee)

2009-03-26T18:25:00.005Z

The BJJ Class this Thursday covered a few areas.

Lately, the focus of the class has been on the closed guard, and in particular breaking the opponents posture.

Tonight this theme continued with Lee giving the class some time to look at each technique in detail: In all, i believe there were 7 techniques shown. These included:

: Breaking the opponent down using your hips when he stands
: When this fails, using your hips in one of his knees to make a sweep
: When this fails, using feet-in-hips to initiate a sweep
: When this fails, switching to DLR guard to initiate a sweep.
: An Omoplata sweep which utilises the leg aswell
: When this fails, a simple star sweep to knock the opponent off balance and go for a single or sweep.

I'm sure there is one more that i'm missing, but either way, those are the main techniques that were covered tonight.

Just looking at the list you can see exactly why Lee's style of teaching is described as progressive: each movement has a logical life, including a setup, a middle, and a variety of conclusions depending on the opponent's reaction and basic body type. It's always going to be easier to catch an omoplata on a super heavyweight than toss him over your head with the foot-in-hips sweep, particularly if you're the smaller guy.

By giving the choices here, this really allows for everyone in the class to develop a series of attacks from the opponent standing up that suits them, rather than follows one particular line of thought.

Following this, some light specific training followed, again being initiated from the closed guard. Each person had around a minute to work something from the bottom and top of closed guard, in a 50% environment.

This was a great opportunity to test out the techniques, and on a personal level i find that the omoplata setup that Lee showed will be good for my gameplan in a variety of ways, thankfully.

These really are techniques that aren't to miss, so if you haven't been to class for whatever reason, they are probably worth going over, particularly if you are newer to the club.

More updates coming in the next week! Perhaps even with a few shiny videos.

Until then,

keep rolling!

March 23rd, 2009 - Hello world

2009-03-23T15:19:00.003Z

Guys,

It's been a while!

The blog hasn't been seen in a long time, nearly 5 months now. This has been for a variety of personal reasons (health, transport, social and academic) but now, with training back in full swing, i figure it's time to get the blog used as a real resource.

I'm hoping that the site will be more of a training resource than a log: with information, useful tips and hints, videos, and perhaps even a couple of pieces of audio...

Until then stay hot!

Luke.

24/11/08 - BJJ Class

2008-11-24T22:30:00.001Z

Monday's class is always something to be savoured; not only are the techniques always good, but a good bit of training on a monday night can really set you up for a good week.

Given my next normal training day is a Thursday, the gap between training is sometimes frustrating, but on the other hand it does give enough time to consider exactly what you'd covered, exactly what direction you're going and more importantly, the direction you want to go.

Tonight's class was no exception, and it was honestly one of the best sessions that i've attended in many weeks.

Lee started the class tonight by showing the "XXX"; a choke technique which seems a little suicidal at first glance, but after you look into it, it's a seriously effective technique and it looks to be quite a high percentage move; there's not much chance of the guy getting out of it. He also showed a variety of ways of finishing it; just simply pulling, inserting your knee between his head and your body, and the more flashy, reverse-gogo-plata-style setup which i immediatley fell in love with.

Lee showed a setup from this from the top turtle position, then from the sprawl, which is possibly my favoured method. Because of the way that the grip is achieved, you can either go straight for the XXX or tease the clock choke, which is something that i did with some degree of success during the specific training.

The specific training itself was fairly interesting; i trained with a few different guys and got a feel for the movement types. One problem i did encounter was in the XXX choke that Lee showed; as i went to grip his belt, i found this would give him enough space on the hip to turn into me, but i'm sure this is a problem more with my execution rather than the structure of the move itself.

Mixing together the clock choke, the XXX, and taking the back into a rear naked choke seems like a natural combination of techniques, and it's beautiful when in your mind, a series of submissions such as this clicks. This is an area i'd like to look into more, and particularly with the current worldwide turtle renaissance that seems to be taking place, it's good to get to grips with attacking this defensive position.

The class then turned to some light rolling, again training with different people to get a feel for the way people move. It's awesome when things flow, which is something i felt particularly happened tonight, although by the end of this part of the session i found that my lack of fluid intake during the day was adversley affecting my performance.

Training with Adam, i looked to keep my guard and regain guard, and training with Tim i looked to pull guard; as i'm sure this indicates, my current focus is very much on the bottom game, and in particular the closed, rubber and open guards.

After the class finished, and a short water break later, i found myself sparring with the newly promoted Jez Lord, who has become a (relativley) phenomenal BJJ player in a short space of time.

A quick note here; the standard of jiujitsu at the gym has become increasingly high lately, which is only reflected by the promotions that both Lee and Braulio have distributed. With an ever growing intake of new members, the gym seems to be going from strength to strength, an improvement that has showed throughout the class, i think everyone would agree.

Jez raised the most salient point of the night to me, as i was beginning to (read: try my best to) transition to mission control, he pointed out i'd forgotten that he'd posted his hand out, essentially allowing for a Kimura. It's these kind of short-term lapses of concentration (or more likely a short term focus rather than allowing everything to sink in) that can cause issues come competition time, and the mental aspect such as this is something i'll be looking into in the next few weeks.

Regardless, tonight was an excellent training session with some good sparring, techniques and specific training that in my opinion, pushed my game forward.

Until next time,

Keep rolling kids.

21/11/08 - BJJ Class

2008-11-21T22:30:00.002Z

I always look forward to the Friday class because of it's fragrant mix of the weekend, sparring, a smaller class and a chance to get some decent BJJ in before we spend a decadent post-millenium weekend. It also gave me an amazing excuse to get the new gi it's first taste of action, a full review can be found elsewhere on the blog.

Tonight's session was pretty amazing from my point of view; the sparring was good, and although the room was as cold as the McCartney/Mills divorce saga, it's safe to say that i took something away from this class that was certainly missing from a few of my previous sessions.

I rolled with three people tonight; Adam, Mark and Simon. Adam in himself poses a unique challenge because of his strength, with Mark being perhaps one of the most technical fighters at the club, and Simon being the true beast that he is.

I was impressed with my performance, as i managed to swing from move to move with a little bit more fluency tonight, although by the end of the session i was noticing my cardio was beginning to let my mind down a little bit.

I think we've all been at the stage where by the time we've thought of a solution to the problem, the guy's already moved on and poses a new and exciting threat. That's what keeps BJJ fresh.

Anyway, my rolling was okay; i'm continuing to work on my bottom game, with my closed, open and rubber guard now seeming to be a treat in my mind, rather than the chore they were 6-8 months ago.

No techniques were shown (as is the norm on Friday) which gave me a chance to try and work some of the butterfly guard stuff we've been doing, and some techniques that I've picked up from instructional and the endless goldmine of BJJ knowledge that is youtube.

The butterfly guard is an interesting position, because quite simply, it works. It's a position that i never thought would be as effective as a regular closed guard or more exotic open guard variants like the De la Riva, but the guard WORKS. And that's what's important in BJJ, not the flashyness of the move, but the effectiveness of it.

Particularly since Braulio's seminar, there's been a bit of a butterfly renaissance at the classes i've attended, and in my opinion, this can only be an amazingly good thing.

I hope that the butterfly guard is the focus of the coming week's sessions, as i have a sneaking suspicion it will be.

All good, and i'm seriously looking forward to monday. Be there or be square.

21/11/08 - New Gi!

2008-11-21T13:47:00.006Z

With Xmas around the corner i know a lot of guys start buying the Christmas Gi's, and i thought since i've been a good boy all year, i'd make sure Santa got me something new to choke people with. Santa loves a bit of violence!

Scouring around the net wasn't something i fancied this time around, and i couldn't really be arsed paying out ridiculous amounts for shipping which i think we've all faced at one time or another, so the one remaining option is to get one from inside the UK.

Seeing a few tshirts featuring "Faixa Rua" at the club, i thought id check out the brand and was pleased to see they sell Kimonos.

This morning i received my first Gi in a long time, the white Faixa Rua gold weave, which i can honestly say I'm thrilled with.

This is my first a5 Gi, and the top fits roughly the same as my Koral a4 does, which gives you an indication of the cut size. However, I'm expecting a little shrinkage but nothing too major.

Upon first impression, the Gi trousers are well fitting yet loose and comfortable, and the jacket seems to be soft yet strong.

The price was also pretty phenomenal; a Gi of a decent quality for £60 in this country is almost unheard of, so to say my pocket is thankful is an understatement.

The patches that come with it are reminiscent to me of a regular Koral gi, yet they are unobtrusive and look quite professional; i was worried at first that the Gi would look like a generic Judo Gi, but i can most certainly say it has a unique character that I'm more than chuffed with.

There is enough space to personalise it, with the back being just plain white, giving enough room to sport the BJJ version of go-faster stripes: the team patch.

Training with it in the first session was a pleasure, although the sleeves were perhaps a little long for the more technical stand up work, although reportedly these shrink after the first few washes.

It washed nicely on 40 degrees, and i haven't noticed a huge amount of shrinkage, but this is something i'll keep you updated on.

The pricing is competitive, with a gold weave white costing £60, a Blue pearl weave costing £70, and a black double weave costing £80. For more information please see www.faixarua.com or email faixaruakimonos@googlemail.com.

My score: 9/10.

Pros: Pricing, quality of gi, seems quite light, great service, looks and feels good.
Cons: The sleeves are perhaps a little large (although im expecting them to shrink).

This Gi has a serious chance of becoming my first choice gi; if you want to move away from the regular brands, go for Faixa Rua!

More reviews coming this holiday season? let's see what Santa brings!

17/10/08 - BJJ Class

2008-11-17T22:01:00.003Z

And the soundtrack for tonight's update is Muse - Supermassive Black Hole.

So the start of the regular updates is here again, and what an apt time to start updating.

Tonight was a fairly interesting class; started a little late, but the class was one of the best that there has been in a while.

Following on from what Braulio Estima showed us last monday, Lee's focus tonight was on teaching the Butterfly guard, and in particular a potentially gorgeous Gi collar choke, rolling the opponent over during the technique and applying the choke by bridging up and into him. My descriptions haven't got any clearer, have they?

Lee then went on to show the same choke, but from a standing position, where he would grab the collar grip and then roll, when the opponent is in a butt-scott style position.
Steve Boughey and I also found a wonderful way of faking a pass to grab the collar in the first place, so i've got a funny feeling this technique could be winging it's way into the competition gameplan.

For the guys without a gi, Lee showed a little variation of the technique that looks like the lovechild of the brabo and rear naked chokes. I didn't catch this quite as well, although i feel if i found myself with the grip i'd go for it.

After exploring this technique, Lee switched the focus to a little specific training, with each partner starting from top of butterfly, bottom of butterfly, top of buttscoot and bottom of buttscoot.

My bottom game lately has increased from 0 to approximatley 10mph, i'm not exactly overtaking Marcelo Garcia at this stage, but i'm actually catching sweeps and just the entire flow of movement a lot better lately.

After the class ended, a couple of questions were asked about the techniques showed (more questions lately, that's a good thing!) and then Lee said there was something else to cover, which he'd hinted at towards the start of the class.

Luke Monaghan, Tim Lodge received 2 stripes to the white belt, and i received another one, putting us all a little bit closer to that goal that was achieved by a few members of the class just one week previously.

Thanks for that Lee and of course Braulio, and a big congrats to Tim and Luke, and in my opinion the stripes are more than well deserved, particularly given the amount of dedication and effort both of these guys put in.

Once again,

Thanks, and keep rolling!

Luke.

10/11/08 - Braulio Estima Seminar

2008-11-10T20:11:00.000Z

Hey guys, and welcome once again to my blog!

On the 10th of November, we as a club were lucky enough to have current Pan Am NoGi champion (double gold, might i add) Braulio Estima teach a seminar at the club once again, which as always was an interesting experience, but due to a "technical error", Braulio left his black belt at home, which is always pretty handy..

The night started with some warmups, and the customary forward and backward rolls that always get me pretty tired whenever it's a seminar.

Braulio's focus was on the Butterfly guard, with the techniques he was showing obviously taking some inspiration from his recent no-gi direction, with most of the techniques applicable both with and without the traditional kimono.

Braulio's teaching style is best described as progressive; in my experience, he introduces a concept and then expands on it, giving the student more options after the original technique has either failed or succeeded.

Starting with a basic elevating sweep, Braulio then showed us a progressive series of moves including an armbar, defenses to the original sweep, as well as a beautiful way of catching a rolling armbar from the butterfly guard, perhaps even taking the back if you can't get the right momentum.

After the barrage of awesome techniques, specific training started, and this started with some butterfly sparring, with one starting in the butterfly position and one not.

This was also my first time physically "rolling" with a black belt, and Braulio did not disappoint, flattening me with the same armbar he'd showed about 5 minutes previously. I suppose you've gotta prove it works!

Overall though, my personal performance was good throughout the night, my cardio gradually returning to what it was a few months ago.

The real story of the night though was in the gradings.

Graded tonight were 7 members of the club.

Blue Belt:
Jez Lord
Matt Figg
Steve Wright
Mark Dos Santos

Purple belt:
Tom Wilson
Sam Gaunt
Jason Fallows

To conclude, thanks a lot to Braulio for perhaps the best seminar i've been to, and thanks a lot to everyone who showed up and supported both Braulio and Team Ryu.

14/09/08 - Nick Mason, R.I.P.

2008-09-14T13:55:00.004+01:00

Team member Nick Mason was this weekend killed while on service in Afghanistan.

He was a great member of the team and a Blue belt in BJJ under Braulio, whilst being an active fighter in everything he tried.

Our thoughts are with you, mate.

Rest in peace.

30/08/08 - SEMINAR: Nick Brooks

2008-08-30T18:34:00.003+01:00

Okay, let me just start off by saying that this seminar blew me away.

Nick is one of the best teacher's i've ever had the pleasure to learn from, either on the mat or via instructional. Although a brown belt this guy has got a phenomenal amount to offer, and is one of the UK's most successful BJJ competitors.

Starting at 3pm, the session started with some light warming up and straight into some fresh techniques from Nick; starting with the reverse De La Riva guard.

The Reverse DLR is something that, to my knowledge, we haven't done much on; so it was really refreshing to learn something that i'd never even seen.

Starting in this main position, we learned numerous sweeps, with Nick's main focus on showing us moves for almost every situation; depending on his posture, movement, etc. There were a good 6 or 7 sweeps; many similar but with subtle nuances that could seriously change the way i look at the open guard.

Then Nick turned his attention to the "regular" opn guard, where we learned a few new entries into the omoplata, after opening and placing your foot on the bicep (but not in a spider-guard fashion; more on this if i get pictures), giving way to a number of triangles as well as sweeps.

Sparring was intense, and i rolled with 2 or 3 people if memory serves me correctly; Nick being one of them. Even though we were all pretty tired at this stage (we'd already over-run the 2 hours the seminar was expected to last for), the sparring was top quality.

Nick put me on my back early on and from there i stood little chance; realistically speaking, there was little i could do, but hold on and at least attempt to do my best impression of surviving. The guy's a monster.

Overall, an enjoyable day; topped off with some brilliant sparring, that's left me pretty damn tired, it must be said.

Pictures will be up when i get them.

18/08/08 - BJJ Class

2008-08-18T21:57:00.000+01:00

My first BJJ class in a week and by god i felt the lack of training creep up on me with all the subtle, cat like movements of a runaway freight train.

Got to the gym at about 7pm, enough time to stretch out (which i've been doing more of in my absence from the class) and get ready for the BJJ class at 7.30.

Getting back into the swing of things felt good, and we started with a simple drill; breaking your opponents posture while he's sitting in your closed guard. This is a vital part of any guard system, and sadly something that a lot of beginners forget, myself included. I'd quite like to drill this with more active resistance, which i think would help to integrate this into my gameplan.

After this, utilising the Gi, Lee showed the class a technique where, by wrapping the gi around an arm, you can secure a grip which maintains a level of control on the arm for long enough for you to grab an armbar. Failing this, Lee showed us the next technique in the series where you can take the same Gi-grip and if the armbar fails, use this as a gogoplata-like choke which can then in turn be used as a setup for other things, if failed.

This seemed like a very nice little setup and i'm VERY impressed with it. The techniques in class seem to be making more sense to me lately in the wider scheme of things, and for that i'm eternally thankful. Understanding moves is nine-tenths of the game itself.

A little light sparring followed these techniques, with myself and the returning Tim being paired up for a little guard-passing work. Tim's getting much better, and i feel like my guard is getting more effective; i'm no longer just going for double-wrist grips and using the lay and pray strategy, i'm actually trying to set things up. The omoplata has become my best friend, that move is just SO versatile.

At the end of the class Lee spoke to us on the concept of injury; something close to my heart after my thumb was in agony all week. Alright, not the worst injury ever.. shh.

It's true; injuries suck. And the more you put 100% of your strength into every training session the more you'll have. This isn't the finals of the mundials or the ADCC, just tap for crying out loud.

Anyway, after the class i paired up with Jez for some tougher sparring. I'm noticing that he's putting me on my back easily off of the kneeling position; but given that this isn't a natural position that occurs in a fight, this isn't an issue to me. He's developed a pretty solid smashing top game which isn't pleasant to be under, believe me.

I think that's enough said for tonight. Again, sorry for the lack of updates but there you go, that's what happens when you're stuck in the world of technology; "sh*t happens". :).

18/08/08 - Lack Of Updates

2008-08-18T15:22:00.000+01:00

Guys, many apologies for the lack of regular updates.

Between some personal issues keeping me from updating the website (not to mention tech issues) and having a slight injury, i havent been training or posting on here much.

That will all change as of tonight, you have my word.

If not, come and give me a hiding.

Thanks,

Luke.

13/08/08 - New Team Member?

2008-08-13T18:47:00.001+01:00

Congratulations today are in order for Team Ryu BJJ coach Lee Catling and his wife Sonia who today safely delivered their baby girl Lana into the world.

Congrats guys and take care.

07/08/08 - Nogi Class

2008-08-07T21:56:00.002+01:00

Tonight was an exceedingly good night, other than me getting bullied at the end!

The jam-packed session started tonight with around 18 people training which is very good for our club.

Lee started things by introducing, particularly for the newcomers, the concept of holding somebody down when in top guard; following their hip movements, and keeping pressure on their hips or chest to stop them rising up.

After drilling this, we took things to the bottom.

Tonight's technique of focus changed, no longer is the focus on the twister but it is now on a simple arm-crush setup from the closed guard. A little like a good setup for an omoplata, it starts from head and underhook control in closed guard, then passing around their head with your arms; this giving you the leverage to bring your legs into play since his head, thus his bodyweight, is out of the way.

It's a good technique, with a solid foundation and i caught it once or twice in sparring.

Lee then showed a way to take this technique to the next level; if the guy defended this by blocking your hips, Lee showed a way to catch the belly-down armbar and also the Gogoplata, which is the technique i focused more on.

Discussing this with Steve "Dodgy Toe" Wright outside, we both agreed that the Gogoplata feels sort of natural; almost like the neck was MEANT to fit at that particular crook of the foot.

After these techniques it was time for the pass guard drill, an old favourite of mine. I was paired with Tom, one of the best (if not THE best) Blue belts at the club, and a new guy who's name i didn't catch, sorry dude.

I noticed my passing game looked pretty decent tonight, but i still need to work on defending the guard. To remedy this, i'll pull guard more often in training and watch the Demian Maia instructional on it, which i've heard wonders about.

Now to my personal gripe with this session. After the main class had finished, during "open training", Lee showed one of the new guys how to break a guy's grip when going for an armbar from the top; at this stage, both the new guy and Lee had got an arm. Then, whilst defenceless, both of my legs were grabbed by unruly members of the class who proceeded to encourage a fifth party to tickle me. Shocking behaviour, no doubt brought about by the ringleader, Steve Wright. Shame on you.

All in all, great session tonight, some good techniques, some good sparring, what more could you ask for?

31/07/08 - NoGi Session

2008-07-31T21:46:00.002+01:00

So the NoGi tonight was pretty tough. Most of the lads were pretty tired from the Muay Thai which i didn't do tonight, mainly because i had to get some things ready for my social occasion tomorrow. I think in this regard it's important to get a balance between training and social life right; it's all good to be great in training, but if nobody outside of training knows you, what's your headstone gonna look like?

"Here lies Luke Wykes. He had a great stack and liked twister side control".

That's not for me.

Anyway, back to the point.

Tonight's session started with Lee showing us how to attack the turtle with a basic elbow-in-shoulder turnover, nothing new there really.

But then he showed us a technique he called the "catweazle"; a transition from this into the twister, where we simply put the knee in the hip, your free foot locking his near foot, and keeping control of the hand. Possibly the worst description ever but if you want more info, get to class!

The twister is something we've been working on for a while, and it's a totally radical move. It's revolutionary in that since it was re-popularized by Eddie Bravo, it's opened up a whole new system and the Truck position has now become infamous and synonymous with a good reverse kesa-gatame game.

The class then went standing, where we worked on some techniques of our choice. Myself and Steve used a little resistance on each other so we knew what we could get away with, and i was impressed with the results. I felt much better on my feet than i had in months today, and i'm not entirely sure why. I quite like rolling for Kneebars, i sincerely wish that sometime, we can learn some kneebars in class.

The class took a turn back to the ground with some specific training, where myself and Dan trained a little. My focus tonight was on the Z-Guard and playing off the bottom, something i achieved with moderate success.

Within Sparring i noticed my cardio wasn't top notch but i was catching some nice things, some Kimuras from Z-guard, etc.

No update tomorrow as i'm not training!

28/07/08 - Steve Brighton - Video

2008-07-28T14:34:00.004+01:00

Good showing here from both guys, i think our own Steve Wright played a smart game but towards the end i think his head let him down.

Oh well, not bad! Anyone who's got the guts to step out there is a hero anyway.

Luke.

25/07/08 - BJJ Competition Class

2008-07-25T22:00:00.000+01:00

As of tonight, the Friday night class at the main HQ is changing to a more competition oriented class, with an emphasis on drilling and sparring techniques rather than learning new ones. This is perfect for us, as a club this will help our cardio and confidence with techniques, so this can only be a good thing really.

I trained with Adam tonight, and as a general rule it went quite well. I worked a little rubber guard, i'm still a little inflexible but i'll get there in the end. The move i was trying was just to gain mission control, then to transition to the Jiu-Claw (aka omoplata, someone please explain the difference, other than holding the leg?).

this is one of my money techniques now, and is certainly a "go-to" move in my gameplan.

That was my main choice of move to drill, and along with the twister side control setups we've been working, tonight certainly felt like an Eddie Bravo tribute session for me.

I quite like the twister side control and the twister move as i've already alluded to on the blog, but i've noticed with the gi on, it does feel a little more awkward. This may be best saved for a Thursday No-Gi session.

Sparring was interesting, Adam's a very physical guy to roll with, and that's somewhat my weakness. I'd like to think of myself as technical from the bottom and quite physical yet technical on the top, which suits my body and movement type better.

In terms of my performance this was okay, but there were times when i felt drained, this i attribute to a hectic week though. My emphasis from the top was on twister side control and s-mount, and on the bottom on regaining half-guard.

Not much else to say really; Fridays are now a very personal class, and as such, things that are applicable to me may not apply to the whole class, so bear that in mind.

Until Monday,

train hard, kids!

23/07/08 - Brighton - Me - First Video

2008-07-23T20:50:00.002+01:00

In a way i'm slightly embarassed to put this on the blog on the basis that for the vast majority of the fight, i'm stalling.

But by the same token, i'm somewhat proud of this as my first win.

I think i could have done better, i certainly should have killed his inside arm whilst in my side control, but hey, during the adrenalin of the competition, i didn't think.

Oh well, there's always next time.

Coming tomorrow will be the rest of the guys from the gym's fights.

Enjoy.

19/07/08 - Brighton Results

2008-07-19T21:45:00.004+01:00

Got to the King Alfred Leisure Centre in what felt like record time, and I for one was certainly quite pumped up about today's events. With my PSP full of tunes and a good place to sit and stay moderatley separate from the action, i managed to keep my head more in the game than i did at Bristol.

The organisation was pretty good, Gus (the guy who ran the competition) was friendly and helpful, and he certainly put some decent work in which is much appreciated.

What i liked about today was that there was a good atmosphere, i've never been to a place where everyone seemed so friendly, particularly one of the guys who recognised me from this blog (hey, i'm getting famous!) and a few others who genuinley remind you that the BJJ world is very different to the outside world.

Good showing by 3 of the lads today, unfourtunatley Steve Boughey was injured and couldn't compete, shame.

Steve Wright was outpointed in a very close affair in the first round, but put on an extremley good show to reinforce to all in attendance exactly why he is becoming a prolific competitor. or something like that.

Jez Lord unfortunately lost by RNC, but this was in a relativley close fight.

I won my first fight by points (think it was 7-2, don't quote me on this) against one of the big guys from the Carlson Gracie team (Hellboy?), and lost my second to another guy from the same establishment via Americana.

I'm very happy to get my first win, particularly in such a good fashion as a confident points win. I did have the experience of being up against a guy taller and stronger than me, but on the day that isn't all that matters.

I'm happy to have had the experience of my second competition, and i feel this is really going to drive my training along.

For those of you that haven't yet competed or are sitting on the fence as to whether or not "competition is for you", my advice is to do it. I spent far too long sitting on the fence, wondering whether or not to compete, and in the end the worst that can happen is that you lose, and at this stage of the game, who cares about a loss.

Infact, it's the losses that will DRIVE You forward. If you win all the time, you have no desire to improve, the mindset of a pure winner becomes very one-track and this is detrimental to peak performance.

Went and had a drink in Brighton when i realised my t-shirt was on back to front (yeah, you can see it in the picture) but i guess that's what happens when you're knackered from the fighting.

Take care,

Rev. Luke.

18/07/08 - Four Musketeers?

2008-07-18T21:40:00.003+01:00

Tomorrow morning, 4 members of Team Ryu set sail (not literally) for Brighton, where the first "grab and pull" tournament is gonna take place, as i've already stated.

Feel free to leave us some goodwill messages on our mobiles or anything, i think it's gonna be a great day.

Competing from our club are:
Steve Boughey.
Steve "Dodgy toe" Wright.
Jez Lord.
Luke Wykes

Results will be up by this time tomorrow for sure. There'll also be some video from the competition up here on Sunday, so until then, stay safe and TRAIN HARD.

18/07/08 - New Look

2008-07-18T21:39:00.002+01:00

New three column layout i'm playing around with, it's nowhere near finished so please bear with me guys. You still have the same access to all the old posts, etc in the meantime, they're going nowhere.

L.

17/07/08 - Learning to Learn.

2008-07-17T22:49:00.004+01:00

Lee got me thinking tonight. Assimilation and integration of techniques takes some time, you don't just jump from learning the twister to being world class at it overnight.

Same with every technique; how many times have we been shown a technique in class, thought you'd never suit it, then you forget about this? Then a few months down the line you're using it a little, then a little more, and suddenly it's a part of your gameplan. It's crazy.

I think the conscious competence learning model relates extremley well to Brazilian Jiujitsu and Muay Thai, and I always think it's a good thing to know what stage you're at.

When you can break down your learning so you know where you're at and what you need to do, you'll get to your goals faster.

An analogy; if you were to drive to Brighton, for example, it would be easier if you knew the route you were taking in advance, rather than learning as you go along.

Anyway, here's the model in progressive stages. I've put a little note next to each stage as to what *I* interpret this to mean, perhaps you think differently? Feel free to start a debate on this :).

- Unconscious Incompetence - You've just been introduced to the technique, and you aren't aware of exactly how important each movement is.
- Conscious Incompetence - You realise what you're doing is wrong and that you need to use the technique fully, not missing any parts of movements.
- Conscious Competence - You pull the move off well, but having to seriously think about what exactly is going on.
- Unconscious Competence. You can pull the move off without even thinking about it, and it's a technique you go to when you know you need something that you're good at.

Wikipedia Link

17/07/08 - No Gi Class (Twister Edition)

2008-07-17T22:36:00.005+01:00

Tonight i wanted to take it easy and avoid any possible injuries before Saturday, but hey, that all goes out of the window when you get into the ryhthym of the night.

Tonight, carrying on from recent events, we covered the twister roll. Starting from "reverse kesa-gatame" (or twister side control), we entered the truck position first where the first few techniques of the class were based.

These included the banana split and the regular calf crank. It's a shame i can't calf crank at white belt level because i genuinley love them and it's a great way to finish a fight quickly.

I can personally recommend Eddie Bravo's material on this "truck" position, he wasn't the "inventor" of a lot of this stuff but he was certainly an innovative force in this style of Jiujitsu. His Mastering The Rubber Guard book, while at times a little advanced, compliments his system perfectly and shows exactly how things work. Mastering the Twister is an amazing read, whereas i find his "jiujitsu unleashed" offering a little sub-par when compared with his later works.

Anyway, the class was good, i trained predominantly with Adam, who, as a guy close to my size (alright, he's like 30kgs lighter but shh), and he's got pretty good lately. More to the point, we both caught the techniques tonight, and this will be my focus (i say that far too much) after Brighton.

Infact, i'm going to set myself some learning goals. More on this at the weekend.

After we covered the truck, Lee introduced many of us to the wonder that is the Twister submission. Banned in most BJJ tournaments because of it's legendary status as a dangerous hold, the Twister is, for those of you that don't know, a lock that focuses primarily on the spine and forces a tapout horrendously quickly.

Lee showed us this from the truck to the back control, which i feel is a beautiful transition, and the fact i was looking for this setup in sparring is a testament to it's effective status as an easy-to-use hold, once you've found you're groove with it.

Lee's wisdom tonight shone through at the start of the class where he shared a teaching he'd learned with regards to BJJ; that there is a number for every technique you do.

This number relates to how many repetitions are necessary before you fully are able to implement the technique well, without worrying too much about how you pull it off. In competition you simply haven't got time to fret about whether the foot is in exactly the right spot in the lockdown.

A learning model relates to this well, which i will post something on after this.

Sparring was interesting, i'm tending to play bottom game a little more lately and while it's not neglecting my top game, sometimes i really miss it and want to play it far more often.

Oh well. I'm 17. Time is on my side.

17/07/08 - Tim Lodge X Steve Wright (No-Gi)

2008-07-17T15:12:00.001+01:00

okay guys, here's a roll from Steve Wright and Tim Lodge. Tim's one of the newest members of the club and really puts his heart into everything he does, it's pretty inspirational to watch. Keep in mind though, it's no black-belt level superfight, but enjoyable to watch anyway.

The soundtrack is The Prodigy vs Enya, "Orinoco Bitch". Quite an interesting track.

17/07/08 - Brighton Competition

2008-07-17T12:54:00.004+01:00

I'll be there. Registration's now over, but i'll be competing in the Super Super Heavyweight White Belt Adult division.

If any of the guys that read this wanna say hey, i'll be the guy with my name on my tshirt. Not hard to spot :).

15/07/08 - New Tshirt!

2008-07-15T08:04:00.008+01:00

I hate advertising on blogs like this, and this isn't your traditional advertising. Whenever i discover a hidden gem, I'm gonna let you guys know about it.

It's always nice to get some new clothing to check out, particularly just before a competition so you can wear it there and feel like you're a real BJJ player. Competition's just wouldn't be the same without the sea of Affliction and Xtreme Couture tshirts flooding the halls.

However, rather than any of those big-names, i'm trying to keep as British as possible, which led me to order from a new startup company; Respect Fight Wear.

Not only is the design on this good, but the quality of the tshirt is high and if you choose so, it comes personalised with your name, which is always going to be a bonus if you want to be recognised out and about.

The design itself is high quality, and it stands out without being obnoxious. I'm not a big fan of "loud" tshirts, ones that you'd be scared to wear on a Friday night for fear of being arrested for causing a public disturbance. This is why this design is pretty much ideal for me, and i'm sure plenty of you out there feel the same.

The cost is £20, which for a personalised tshirt is sodding good value.

Last time i got any personalised tshirts from a different company, it cost me nearly £15 for a one sided, shoddy-quality print. I know where to come in future.

The company is so fresh that the official website for the clothing line doesn't have much on it at the moment, but they have sufficient contact details and links to their "mother company", Raw Designs, to see you through an order process. Remember to say where you heard about it!

www.respectfightwear.com - The fight wear brand
www.raw-designs.com - General garment printing (good martial arts coverage too)

All of the above will help you on your way..

Thanks to all the guys at the company for sorting me out, it's good stuff. I also ordered a hoody that i'll save to review another time.

Until Thursday,

Train hard, kids!

14/07/08 - BJJ Class

2008-07-14T23:00:00.000+01:00

Tonight's class seemed longer than it was to me because of a heavy day yesterday and a lack of sleep last night, but i think i can safely say one thing.

I'm improving.

I did feel a lot of improvement tonight, particularly with my positioning. Who knows, i could get real good soon. Let's hope.

Tonight's class started with Lee covering a technique for us to ponder, one that a lot of us were already familiar with but had'nt had the chance to put into practice. I remember covering this technique a couple of times before, and with the amount i've read "Jiu Jitsu Unleashed", i should know exactly what this technique is.

It was the twister-roll from "twister side control" (Or reverse-kesa gatame for those of you that don't follow Eddie Bravo's naming conventions), but finishing in the "truck" position i believe, and finishing with a calf crank.

Not the world's most competition-safe technique, but i like it and it's a good addition for when us lowly white belts get the promotion to the leglock world that is the blue belt.

The only issue i had was of where to put my elbow, whether to keep it close to the body and push the arm away, or close to the head. After asking Lee it became obvious that keeping the elbow closer to the body and pushing the defensive option of the arm away was the technique of choice.

Tonight's class was pretty physical too, with only one technique being shown and the rest being specific training and sparring.

First came the pass-the-guard drill, which you're all familiar with. Didn't fare too well tonight in this, but did manage to get some good passes in which i'm pleased about. I'm trying to be a little more relaxed off my back, as i think it does give me a slight advantage when i'm not stiffening up like a corpse and holding on for dear life (how much of an oxymoron is that?!?).

Secondly was just some top-down sparring, with the class being split into the competition team for Brighton and those that weren't competing. I sparred with Adam, because we're the closest to each other's weights in the gym and as such it's the best competition training possible. He caught me with a pretty nice takedown but i was impressed with how quickly i regained guard.

After this sparring everyone seemed pretty knackered, particularly a couple of people who had picked up knocks and tweaks, but i'm sure everyone will be okay for the weekend.

All in all, a good session, well worth it.

13/07/08 - Bristol Open Competition

2008-07-13T22:52:00.002+01:00

Just a short review to fill a space today, i'll edit this with a full report tomorrow. Was a tough day and i'm very tired so yeah, not too much in the way of literary goodness coming out of me.

Both myself and Steve Boughey from the club lost our first round fights on points, both were (i'd like to think) pretty close fights, and could have easily gone either way. Luck wasn't shining on us today, but there's always next weekend at Brighton.

I was forced to play half-guard, which my opponent wasn't able to pass which i was happy about, and i was suprised the fight wasn't stood up or someone penalised, but that's what happens i suppose.

Steve's fight was very entertaining, and he gained mount after a sweep in the dying seconds which unfourtunatley wasn't scored so victory was snatched away from him. No hard feelings though, that's the game!

Cheers for the messages of support guys, hope to see you all at Brighton next week.

Luke.

10/07/08 - No Gi Class

2008-07-10T21:51:00.003+01:00

Tonight's class was hosted by Paul, because Lee was otherwise engaged. Good session all the same, Paul's a great purple belt teacher with some great techniques and a good coaching style.

Since tonight was Nogi, we continued on with the same NoGi techniques we'd been covering for the past few weeks off the overhook and underhook from standing, with the uchi-mata to ankle pick setup. I really like this, it's effective and i can see it being a good competition technique. For those of you that haven't seen it, it's done off the underhook after pummeling,

It's effective, i always wonder whether or not, in some cases, the ankle pick is necessary. Obviously it's not because of the whole uchi-mata thing, it works in isolation, but it does work better with the pick.

Then the same setup we've been covering for a while, the overhook-underhook to high-crutch single leg, drilled it the same as before. I noticed my technique was a little worse tonight, but that could have been to a number of reasonss, not too concerned.

Tonight's focus was though, invariably, side control. Paul had us drill from both top and bottom, killing the arm and switching from knee-on-belly and side control, and from the bottom, escaping. This is exactly what the doctor ordered before competition, and i think everyone benefits from this kind of training. Repetition of simple things like hip shrimps are never going to win awards for looking as sexy as a flying armbar, but hell, they're more useful.

It's function over sexyness i'm afraid. You try telling that to the women though!

Sparred a little with Dan tonight, and for a big, relatively new lad he's got some good movement. Good scrambling in particular.

Didn't do too much of that though, my focus was on defending the shot and keeping relaxed. That's what i need to do on Sunday, too. Tom suggested, quite rightly, that i should just keep relaxed and not worry about the day. It's normal to be nervous the first time around, so i've got nothing to worry about really.

I've done a little public speaking in the past as i've mentioned before, (the perfect guy essex - google this for a picture of me when i was 23st!) so i'm sort of used to the concept of competition, although it's obviously an entirely different ball game.

Also, best wishes to our club's two injured members at the moment, Tim Lodge and Steve Wright, both of whom suffering from some knocks they've picked up in recent times. Get well soon lads.

Off to Bristol on Sunday and i can't wait. Feel free to text me if you've got my number or leave me an email at Lukewykes AT googlemail DOT com if you really wanna wish me luck.

I probably won't be training tomorrow night, but there WILL be a post on here tomorrow so check back - got some things to review.

Until then,

Train hard, kids!

07/07/08 - BJJ Class

2008-07-07T21:56:00.003+01:00

Guys,

No Muay Thai tonight; I've knocked that on the head until after Bristol, i want to be the best i can be, not tired like i normally am at weekends. As such i'm taking it easy this week.

Tonight's class was just what the doctor ordered in terms of basics and more advanced stuff.

Firstly, Lee showed the same hip-switch to kill the arm from side control for the benefit of the new guys at the class, then, passing to the mount when the guy is defending with his knee up.

These were straightforward, don't need to be described in my opinion.

Next, Lee showed a choke that i'd previously seen in Saulo Ribeiro's Jiu Jitsu Revolution tapes, the collar choke from side control with one hand underneath the head and one on the collar. Sounds strange, but this worked great and after competition i'll be experimenting with this in my gameplan. You can also catch it from North South, which Lee showed us, and it worked, although personally prefer the side control option.

Class then went back to standing, and we played around for grips a little. I've really found i'm a pretty good grip player since watching the Jimmy Pedro DVD, but this still needs a little more active, specific training to be 100% in my opinion. It's coming along though.

It's always interesting to gain the grips whilst at the same time defend your own. The analogy of having your cake and eating it too immediatley leaps to mind, but obviously in a more metaphorical sense.

Then rather than some specific gripwork, working for the takedown, which i'm not excellent at but it will get there in time.

You guys will be pleased to hear that tonight i did fairly well at the guard passing drill, which followed the standup, filling me with an enormous amount of glee for some reason. I did fairly well on my back tonight, staying out on the mat for some time, although admittedly i was against newer guys. I feel my guard has become stronger lately, mainly thanks to some great competition within the club.

Everyone's gotten a tonne better lately, ranging from the lowly whitebelts to the more experienced guys there, steel truly is sharpening steel.

In sparring, I just rolled a little fairly lightly, getting a feel for top and bottom guard some more, they're highly likely to present themselves in competition so it's best to work that.

Anyway, coming tomorrow will be a HUGE~! write up of Sunday's session, don't miss it!

PS.

Sorry for the lack of video updates. As i'm sure you'll understand, training has been tough lately and i haven't had much chance to get the camera going. I'll bring you something special soon, i promise. Until then, you'll have to make do with some pictures of me to keep you going.

L.

04/07/06 - BJJ Class

2008-07-04T21:48:00.004+01:00

So the final class of the week ended up being a pretty small number of us, doing exactly what it was that i was looking forward to doing.

Tonight, the class started with drilling techniques of our choice, with my focus being on gaining the rubber guard and some half guard techniques; both of which i did well. I opted to have two areas of focus rather than one on the basis that one gets quickly repetitive, and although it does help your mind learn, it also helps to mix things up a little to keep your head in the game, or so i've found.

After the drilling came one of Lee's new chokes, and I'll admit i didn't quite get it. In theory, the move worked great, but in practice i just couldn't get into the flow of it. I'm not sure if i was the only one, but this certainly needed some work, which can be done after competition season.

It was done off the butterfly guard, and i think the choke has officially been named the "Stoner #3", although there were other nominations in class. Check it out, i'm sure he'll show it in class again sometime soon.

After this, some damned good rolling; some light stuff and some heavier, and i feel that although sometimes i don't perform as well as i should, i'm learning and thinking more activley lately than i have in months, and this can only be an inordinatley good thing.

I'm also learning that it's easier to move myself than to move the opponent, and i now realise that for about a year i've been exacerbating the problem by not following this ostensibly simple principle.

i think i did quite well. I enjoy rolling with Lee particularly, he encourages me to think about what i'm doing, which is a bonus that i sometimes don't push myself to do, and it's something i desperatley need to think about doing.

The blessing and curse of jiu jitsu is the diverse, multifarious range of ways in which we can become more rounded, there's never a simple motorway; it's all off-road stuff, and that's something that is to be savoured, not looked at as a hindrance.

Anyway, good session, all around, some top training.

There's a small session coming up on Sunday i believe, so i'll talk to you then.

03/07/08 - No Gi Class

2008-07-03T21:57:00.006+01:00

Didn't feel so good earlier today, had a stomach upset, so wasn't entirely sure whether tonight was a good idea to be honest with you guys. Infact, at College today, i felt DIRE. Cleared up by about 6pm though, so i thought why not, as long as i take it easy..

The class shifted focus from the x-guard we've been working on tonight into a more basic focus, which was a good thing for a lot of the newcomers there.

The x-guard is a pretty intense position especially if it's your first time and you're wondering exactly what foot goes where.. we've all been there.

Anyway, the class starts tonight with some amazingly effective pummel-to-takedown and underhook-to-takedown drills, both working off the same principle (the uchi-mata fake and then finishing with an ankle pick.. ).

I found this pretty easy to pull off, and these takedowns are now my focus for the one week before competition; who knows, i could learn something that i'd otherwise be doing wrong.

Stopped for a drink and then back on the ground, where tonight Lee explained the basics of the hip-switch from side control; "killing the arm" to gain a better control position.

BASIC Jiu Jitsu 101. This is perfect; tried and tested techniques and the opportunity to drill them more and more. Hip switching is vital, especially in competition, you don't want guys turning into you.

More to the point, advanced basics is all you need. Watch Roger Gracie in competition.. you see him pulling off fancy stuff? Not often, advanced basics is what works; BJ Penn is another piece of living, breathing, ass-kicking proof. You don't need fancy Rubber Guard or 50/50 Guard stuff if you're new.. relax and enjoy the ride.

This was good, and i did learn to keep a better grip on the opponent elbow, something i'm lazy with. Good point here.

Remember the head and arm choke? Something i barely ever go for and to be honest, it had sort of slipped off my radar lately. Thank the lord that Lee showed this again to us tonight, and i've still got the technique pretty much off pat. It's a good thing to use, but i always have the problem of not gripping hard enough or dipping my shoulder into the choke enough, so sometimes i feel the choke is on tight, sometimes i feel like i'm clinging onto it even though there's nothing there.

I'll drill this more with my new drill plan sheets..

Some light sparring, i went almost exclusivley with the new guys tonight, and let me tell you, the standard is higher than expected. A couple of the guys, it was their first time doing anything like this, and their showing was far better than anything i would have done on my first time. I'm only a lowly whitebelt, but colour me impressed with what was on offer tonight.

Then, to finish the class, the guard passing drill; my Guard is getting a LOT better. The Rubber Guard continues to be an interest of mine, and while i should be drilling my basics i find it a lot easier to get certain submissions from a high control position. Why is this? I'm not sure. Crazy world of BJJ.

And thank the lord, i felt alright at the end of the night.

Anyway, that's all from me tonight. I'm sure you guys are wondering what happened to the last Muay Thai session entry, it's not forgotten... just as of now, i've got some work to do and as much as i love training, Education is important too.

03/07/08 - Muay Thai Class

2008-07-03T21:49:00.003+01:00

Was VERY busy tonight, but busy is how i like it. The club's growing, and that can only mean good things.

The class started with some shadowboxing that really brought me to a sweat tonight, could be the heat or could be that i was moving a little more than normal.

Tonight's focus was undoubtedly on kicks. Hooray.. my favourite aspect. Something i've been wanting to work on for a while.

Kick-For-Kick training is interesting, there's a fine line between just doing the technique and a little bit of conditioning. I quite like the conditioning aspect, although i bruise easily it makes me know that i've done something, and that's the sort of feeling i really enjoy.

My lowkicks are much better after Jez's input on Monday, where he was talking to me about stepping into the kick, rather than simply throwing it from your regular stance. I already feel more powerful and my kicks feel more fluid, so thanks for that.

Then, to really work up a sweat, Paul had us defend punches and kicks with punches and kicks; for example, countering a jab with a right straight, or a lowkick with a block then another lowkick. I didn't quite get into the ryhtym of this, but i'm sure with time this won't be an issue.

To finish the class, some Clinchwork, which wasn't as intense as it has been, but was mainly focused on good technique; my emphasis was on not letting my opponent bring my head down, and if he did, to counter this as soon as humanly possible. I feel i did this well, and my re-gaining of the plum grip is getting far greater.

We warmed down as normal with some stretching, and although i'm getting more flexible, i still look to Paul and a few of the others and wonder exactly how some of those things are possible. I've tried some of Kesting's "Yoga For Martial Arts" DVD, i need to get on that more often.

So we warmed down, shook hands, and then it's time for the No-Gi...

30/06/08 - BJJ Class

2008-06-30T23:46:00.004+01:00

The BJJ class tonight was once again focused on the x-guard, and i feel we're coming towards the end of this series of techniques, as we've pretty much covered a technique from every area.

Tonight, Lee showed a setup from the halfguard, transitioning to what i call deep half guard (possibly incorrectly) then setting it up the X from there.

Honestly, i can see myself using this, but not as much as a couple of the other x-guard techniques we have learned.

The technique from the mount, in my view, was the highlight of the night, although in competition it will NOT be as effective; when the adrenaline's flowing i think it will be hard to pull off. Pushing the guy's hips up, and swinging in to gain the x-guard from the bottom may sound like a mean feat, but it's not, however i think it could easily be more difficult in a hardcore competition scenario.

After this, we were then given the opportunity to drill any or all of the x-guard or "braulio guard" techniques we've been doing.

I chose to continue to drill the entry from standup, which i feel is my most successful entry to the position, and my sweep when the opponent postures is becoming increasingly effective.

Pass-the-guard drill wasn't amazing for me tonight, for no particular reason i feel, other than the fact that that i made some simple mistakes, that the high-level guys like Tom and Jason are quick to pounce on; that's a great way to train, if you make no mistakes in training, you won't when you get out in competition.

After this, Lee talked to us about the concept of relaxation within the art, with a particular focus on improved longevity over time.

Training at 100% does nothing for either your body, or, in my view, most importantly your mind.

I think every white belt has been in this situation to start with, when you feel at 100% you feel like you've given it your best, but then you're fatigued, bruised and lethargic for 2 or 3 days after.

I remember after my first lesson, my cardio was so horrific that i was literally ready to drop after doing the techniques in isolation. Since i hadn't done PE at school because of health issues, my fitness was pretty poor. But training at 100% made me feel even worse. I had an overwhelming feeling of fatigue for 2 to 3 days afterwards, and whilst at first it was novel, the "high" point of this feeling soon wore off.

The point here being that training at 50-60% in a TRAINING situation is for the best; you both learn more, the pace isn't as fast, and it allows you to truly shine as a martial artist. Especially for newer guys; you wouldn't get behind the wheels of a Lambourghini and get up to 120 at some ungodly rate of acceleration if you hadn't driven before, would you?

Well, you could, but the result wouldn't be pretty. I think this illustrates the point well.

Sparring tonight was good, i sparred a little with Steve Boughey, trying not to overdo it tonight. It was a particularly hot session, and i'm sure nobody could honestly say the heat didn't make them less energetic, particularly after a heavy Muay Thai session.

I'm detemined to work my guard game, particularly Closed, Rubber (when i can get it) and X-guard; i'm working them all, and i'm liking my omoplata game at the moment. In all honesty though, the next two weeks, i want my game to go back to basics. I'll write about this in a new entry tomorrow.

Anyway, no training again until Thursday, but i'm sure you'll hear from me before then.

Until then,

train hard, kids!

30/06/08 - Muay Thai Class

2008-06-30T21:50:00.001+01:00

...

The report will be filling this space tomorrow. I'm rather tired and i'm snowed under with work, the BJJ report will be up tonight though.

28/06/08 - Bristol Open

2008-06-28T15:30:00.004+01:00

Some of you may be pleased to hear i've just signed up for the Bristol Open.

I'll be competing in the Juvenile division: Super Super Heavy and Absolute, with any luck.

I know myself and Steven Boughey from the club are going, are there any others that are considering it?

I can't say i'm too nervous about my first competition. In a way, i'm excited, but at the same time i'm sort of apprehensive, wouldn't say i'm nervous though.

I'd say because of my past in public speaking, i can take pressure pretty well.
(By the way.. google "the perfect guy essex".. there's a picture of me on the first result.. does that tell you something ladies?)

I'm unproven under physical pressure though, so who knows how things will work out.

Will be working on a clear gameplan this weekend, so i'm mentally prepared, and that's what i hope to be working in class over the next two weeks.

D-Day is July 13th. Unlucky? No way.

I'm off to watch some ADCC DVD action now, so i'll talk to you guys either later or tomorrow. I'll be paying particular attention to Robert Drysdale..

27/06/08 - BJJ Class

2008-06-27T23:23:00.002+01:00

Great class tonight, although pretty small.

Most notable was tonight's heat, which for some bizarre reason i really enjoyed; there's something really beautiful about training with a gi on in the sweltering heat, just trying to keep the pace up, sweating like mad. (Mind you, i don't think i'll ever beat our very own Steve Wright at that; he's made the role of sweating at the gym very much his own).

Only 6 people tonight, which gave rise to a very good sparring session. With no real technique covered, we just rolled fairly lightly with each other, and my emphasis tonight was on working techniques.

Sometimes, it's far too easy to fall into the trap of going 100% at things. I'm guilty as anyone else, but tonight i made an active decision to try pure technique. And i enjoyed it a lot more. BJJ tends to blend together well when you stop and think, rather than use your physicality.

I caught the old school a couple of times tonight, tried out some S-Mount stuff, some half guard, even had a pop at my focus (the rubber guard) for a minute or so.

I'm also trying to work on my knee-on-belly game, because it's a very important part of mounting and gaining points; K-O-B is a beautiful position with many attacking options, and the best person i've seen at the gym at using this is Jason Fallows. With the right grips, it is very hard to escape, and i can envisage this being a big part of my BJJ future, especially since i'm a heavier guy.

When you're not worried about the outcome, it lets you learn. It sounds crazy, but i don't mind being tapped; it means i've let myself be put into a bad position, and i've tried to work my way out of it. I know deep down that i'm better, when working at 100%, than i will often be when i'm just letting techniques flow.

Since there's not too much i can write about sparring, since it's a pretty personal experience, i'll leave it at there for tonight. If there's any questions or anything, let me know.

Also, i think there's a Braulio seminar in Birmingham for team members on Sunday. Contact Lee if you need info.

26/06/08 - No Gi Class

2008-06-26T22:11:00.002+01:00

NoGi time yet again, and tonight felt very good in terms of my personal progression.

Almost entirely standup tonight, something which my game, self admittedly, desperately needs.

Lee showed us the techniques we'd been working on from the underhook position, such as the ankle pick and the high crutch. They are extremley effective, but Lee tonight showed us some more details.

For example, a few options from each position; defences off the high crutch, including straightening the leg and defending it with your own high crutch, both of which i think we'd covered in Gi classes about a year ago.

Tonight was mainly physical.

Rather than doing much in the way of ground technique, Lee instructed us to do some specific training from any of the guards we'd been working, and my X-Guard feels SO natural. It's a natural progression for me because i feel it's easy to sweep the legs from and transition to leglocks.

We changed partners a few times, and my game was really flowing tonight, caught a couple of crazy techniques like the belly-down-armbar, rolling the opponent over for the finish.

Then we took a minute or so to get a drink, and some more sparring, this time just working on takedowns. At this stage i'm pretty much done, but you've gotta dig deep in this game.

I'm VERY gunshy with takedowns, and as Lee pointed out to me, i need to be more proactive. I'm willing to let people get grips on me, and i really need to spend some time on this. Perhaps something at the weekend?

To finish, some pretty nice drills; pummeling to sprawl, pummeling to a shot, pummeling to a shot to a sprawl; VERY nice, working all the techniques together well. What isn't nice is my inability to shoot, my toes feel very unnatural and even uncomfortable. If anyone has any drills i can do to cure this, PLEASE let me know.

Sparring was ace, trained a little with both Lee and with Steve Wright.

I enjoy training with Lee because of the pace; i can think about what i'm doing rather than playing 100%, which doesn't really suit the training environment.

Steve was also a challenge, that guy has got incredibly good incredibly quickly. Oh well, Steel Sharpens Steel.

More tomorrow with any luck..

26/06/08 - Muay Thai Class

2008-06-26T21:56:00.003+01:00

Good class tonight, although VERY tiring.

The class started with some shadowboxing as ever, and this is a great opportunity to work on footwork, which is exactly what i have been doing. After working up a light sweat, Paul introduced us to the focus of tonight's section.

Defending and countering the jab and the jab cross. We did this by changing levels and attacking with a left hook to the body, by both leaning and squatting. Both were effective and easy techniques to pull off.

Then, another similar technique, this time coming inside into a clinch-like phase with a short punch, which i didn't feel there was much power in although the technique worked well.

Not much in the way of leg-kicks tonight which disappointed me, but oh well.

After the jab cross defense, we then sparred with hands for some time; quite a few rounds, really got the blood pumping.

What i'm noticing is that my hands aren't so good, i'm not confident enough, but when mixed with kicks, i do rather well, in my humble opinion.

To "warm down" tonight, we did some kick-for-kick conditioning, and this really cheered me up; i love this with a passion, and it really works the legs, gets them moving.

Stretching was very good, the yoga i did today helped. More on that tomorrow.

Sorry for not writing too much tonight, but i'm VERY tired.

23/06/08 - BJJ Class

2008-06-23T22:12:00.004+01:00

The night of heat and passion. Not like that.

Wahey, some more BJJ. I miss the Gi over the weekend, i really need to train on a saturday or sunday or something. Anyone got any suggestions?

Tonight was one of the nights where everything sort of comes together in terms of the techniques covered in class. BJJ is something to be savoured, and tonight i really did savour the half butterfly stuff.

Although i pretty much despised it on friday, tonight i was catching the sweeps without a hitch, and to be honest i liked them all, although i'm not a big fan of my positioning in that guard.

The sweeps were basically off a style of armdrag, one by punching the hand through the armpit, one by grabbing the inside of the leg (similar to Eddie Bravo's "electric chair"), and then the two specific x-guard ones.

Firstly, simply turning in when the guy puts his foot up, or if you can't move him like that, kick him up with both feet and then slide under. The latter is a very effective technique, and i think it's going to be one for the competition gameplan.

Also, a quick word about new guys. There's been a few new guys at the class lately, and they're really putting effort in. It's well noticed, and keep it up lads. Good progress will be made.

Some specific top-down training then, i started with Tim. Here, we had to throw or pull guard, with both of our objectives being to gain x-guard. I managed to do this a few times, and i think i need to invest in the Marcelo Garcia book more than ever, i'm loving this position!

Then some pass-the guard sparring, i was with the two Jasons and one of the new(er) guys, the name escapes me, sorry mate! Very good stuff, i'm still okay with my passing, but Fallow's open guard is giving me some serious gyp. Need to learn to break his grips.. or else im gonna go flying.

Flying was also a phenomenon i experienced in sparring tonight, Lee throwing me about a bit. I'm trying to work my bottom game a little more, and Lee certainly gives me that opporunity, he's been all over me like Paris Hilton on a home video camera lately.

That's a good thing though. SBGi i think have the philosophy "Steel Sharpens Steel". With the quality of the guys at our club now, i think its fairly safe to say we're gonna be sharp within weeks.

Lee's always a pleasure to roll with, and normally gives a very good insight into what's to improve in your game. I really need to tighten some things up. Infact, i think i need a few extra quiet sessions to work over some holes in the game. Weekend perhaps?

Anyway, everyone's getting better. Team Ryu is gonna be a force. Mark my words.

Until thursday,

train hard, kids!

Oh, and sour sweets are nice.

23/06/08 - Muay Thai Class

2008-06-23T21:52:00.004+01:00

AKA "Jesus, there's quite a few people on the mats tonight".

I think the class peaked at 17 people on the mat, pretty tight for our place, perhaps its because there was no football tonight? Who knows.

Anyway, class was great in my humble opinion. Haven't had so much fun training in a long, long time.

Started with some shadowboxing as ever, just to get us warm. Not too much room to play with tonight, so i tried to focus on my roundhouse kicks, which have been my focus when hitting the bag at home.

In terms of striking, i'm now on a 8 week program; i spend 2 months training one aspect of my game, looking at examples of people using them in competition (ie, Peter Aerts, Ernesto Hoost, Jerome Le Banner) and try to note exactly what it is that makes them so powerful.

The class then transcended into some kick for kick conditioning, and i've noticed that my kicks are getting a little more snappy, rather than being the lame limbs they once were.

Focus tonight though, after some back-kick side kick drills, was on the hands.

Defending the jab was okay, i'm managing to step a little bit more and attack the body, which is my specialty right now.

Defending the jab cross was less successful, i need to keep my hands up when i'm moving my body around. This could be due to fatigue, most likely due to lazy technique. Damn my inability to keep the hands up..

Sparring with just the hands was a bit of a disappointment, i'm not a big fan of pure handwork; mine is pretty poor, i prefer working off the legs, but i've really got to learn to live with it.

Stretching was far better, i can very nearly pull off all the ones we do now; very impressed.

However, theres still room for improvement. Story of the game.

21/06/08 - Leaving a comment

2008-06-21T20:49:00.003+01:00

It's been brought to my attention by a few people lately that there's been trouble adding comments to this site because of the login system.

I once found this pretty tough myself on another blog, but there's a simple away around it.

It only asks you to login if you have a Blogger account; since most of you reading this probably don't, just use the "anonymous" check box and then leave your name at the end of the message so i know who you are.

If you need me to contact you, leave your email address or a contact telephone number.

Bit of a busy weekend since the Grandparents are down, so, perhaps no update until Monday night.

Until then,

train (and comment!) hard, kids!

20/06/08 - BJJ Class

2008-06-20T21:42:00.002+01:00

Might as well be called "Luke's Meltdown #2", but there was a saviour at the end of the class. Check it out.

So the class started with some half butterfly guard, something i totally wasn't prepared for. That's probably my worst position, i don't feel entirely comfortable from it so i tend to avoid pulling it like the plague. However, that's not conducive of good learning technique, so i've gotta bite the bullet.

Lee showed a few techniques, based on trapping one of the opponents arm between you and his body, keeping your head in tight, and sweeping with the opponent's inside leg. That's a pretty poor description, but, given the absence of a picture of this technique, use your imaginations.

I didn't do too well at this, but the position, Lee explained, would later allow the x-guard, my new love. So i stuck at it.

The next technique was that one exactly; going for the sweep, and if the opponent bases with his leg (something which i often do), switching to a 2-on-leg foot grip, then to the x-guard itself. Perfect, i thought, when watching Lee perform it. Then i tried it on Adam and my mind fell apart.

I took a couple of stabs at it though, and in the end, i managed to get the technique with some careful pointers from Lee, and i feel confident enough to use this technique in sparring if needs be.

Then, to finish the class, some specific training, top-down, trying to incorporate the guards i've been working. The guys particularly good at pulling these guards, although i didn't feel that my base had gone completley; perhaps a testament to the size difference in some cases, you never know. Needless to say, this was an enjoyable section of training, even if it was a little tiring.

After this, formal class finished with the hand slap routine, then the real messiah tonight was a sparring session with Jason Fallows.

Very good guy, and he's given me a little inspiration tonight, giving me a few pointers on my guard game, which, in my opinion, is pretty poor to say the least. However, he's given me some ideas to think of, which will work in well with my tendency to pull z and butterfly guards, and i think the results of tonight could easily show a few weeks down the line.

These include the concept of stiff-arming; raising off the floor but pushing into the opponent, not letting him put you on your back, allowing your hips to move. This is a great little technique, and while it's not gonna score any competition points, it will really raise my game and let me try some freaky new techniques.

This is what i need to work on, so i'm thankful i've been given this opportunity to train it.

Will talk to you guys again over the weekend.. new video time i think :).

Until then,

Train hard, kids!

19/06/08 - No Gi Class

2008-06-19T22:04:00.005+01:00

Woohoo, some Nogi.

I'd got some energy tonight, and the techniques covered were exactly what i wanted. Some stuff from standing, and my favourite techniques from the ground. Couldn't be better!

Started with Lee showing us another takedown from standing, we've been working the underhook control for a few sessions now. Tonight was a faked-judo throw type move into an ankle pick, quite a wrestling technique. I liked it though, and i can see myself using it in competition.

Speaking of which. Tomorrow afternoon, i'm going to be working on my gameplan. No messing around this time, i'm going to set out a water-tight gameplan of exactly what i'm doing and train that like mad. I need to be able to think clearly, and theres no better way than to put down exactly what you're doing on paper.

Back on the world of the ground, Lee then showed some techniques from the Sprawl position. Firstly, taking the back when you're underneath the position, and this technique is unofficially named the "front crawl" - i'm sure i've spoken about it before. I haven't had too much success with it, but Lee's showed me tonight why, i wasn't cutting the angle. I got this technique well in the end.

Anaconda. This was the next technique we did, swapping to the top of the sprawl. I've always liked this technique, and i actually prefer it from this position to my favoured "Brabo" choke. If you haven't seen it, it's done off a modified over/under grip on sprawl top, rolling to one side and completing the choke. Tonight, we covered this, and then my favourite move, the Brabo.

Brabo's are beautiful, and are literally everywhere. Tonight we covered three; one off the sprawl, one off the guillotine grip, and changing the one off the sprawl to the brabo from side control.

All three are great techniques, and link very well together. Once you've got the grip, if one fails, there's always the other.

Class ends, the regular hand-shaking occurs, then time for some sparring.

Lee is a great sparring partner, and for all of you non-team-ryu members out there, i seriously suggest that you train with your coach like this whenever you can.

Rolling with Lee is always an interesting experience because he's not only aware of what he's doing, but he knows exactly what to expect from each of his students, and he is particularly good at knowing where each of us is at.

Tonight, i feel i progressed a little as a BJJ player; i'm now determined to stick in combat base, keep tighter when on the bottom, and just generally work on my transitions. I'm already in love with the X-Guard, and i think that's going to improve what i'm doing tenfold.

Great session, my cardio was good, the techniques were amazing and the sparring was intense but enjoyable; everything i could ask for from a class. 5 stars.

Tomorrow sees the return of the Gi, which should be fun. Who knows what will happen!

Until then,

Train hard, kids!

19/06/08 - Muay Thai Class

2008-06-19T21:54:00.004+01:00

Paul was back teaching tonight, and to be honest it was a sodding good class.

Started with some shadowboxing as normal, then the thai pads came out. I'm not the biggest fan of these, but i'm getting better. The round kick/knee from the same leg combination didn't tire me too badly tonight, so it was good.

10 on each side of those, and 10 on each side of round kick, front kick. Got the blood pumping.

Then some shoulder-to-shoulder stuff, i'm getting better at this, i'm tending to favour body shots as i come away, which is my general strategy anyway. It was okay, but, to be honest, i really need to work on the close range striking, my grappling instinct really takes over and i find myself thinking takedown.

Then some clinch work. More close range stuff! It's what i want to work on, so tonight i was thankful. Starting off the defense to the jab-cross, the active guy moves his head into the opponents chest, keeping control of both arms to avoid the thai clinch, before moving into it himself. It was then the job of the opponent to break out of this using any of the breaks we have been doing. This was good, I did feel as if pushing the head off with one hand as a defense would work best for me.

Then some conditioning. Call me insane, but i acutally love getting my legs "conditioned". Taking a few leg kicks at varying power is interesting, and it's the best thing to get your resistance up before active competition. Since i'm thinking about Amatuer MMA, lord knows that i'll take a few there.

And to warm us down, the stretching. It's getting better, less "crazy" stretches tonight, and i think this is actually helping my flexibility. Infact, i'm even looking at Rubber Guard stuff... more on that tomorrow, perhaps..

Until then,

Train hard, kids!

18/06/08 - Me X Steve Wright (Gi)

2008-06-18T13:10:00.004+01:00

one of my favourite rolls for a long time, some good back and forth action here.

I'm trying to play around with the S-Mount, it looks a little creaky but i'll get there :).

Any comments welcomed, or pointers for either one of us.

More to come later today..

*BE WARNED* - This is a big file and could take some time to load on a slower connection; perhaps leave it for a few minutes on pause and let it load. Please bare with me, there'll be a smaller version within the next three hours...

I'll get the hang of this video business one day..

18/06/08 - Steve Wright X Adam Brind (Gi)

2008-06-18T09:17:00.000+01:00

I told you there'd be some videos...

16/06/08 - BJJ Class

2008-06-16T22:52:00.004+01:00

Lee continued with his teaching tonight with the Gi Class, and i actually am really enjoying my Gi lately.

Gi is SO much more technical than NoGi. As i've stated before, i dont want to get into this argument, there are plenty of opinions either side. It's a simple fact that to many BEGINNERS, the amount of perspiration increases the reliance on this sweat, leading to easier escapes that are somewhat less technique and more sheer luck.

Sure, there are beginners that won't do this. There are a lotta people in that wide world out there. But when learning something, i know i'd sure as hell take shortcuts if they were there. Why learn a language when you can get away with saying "Do you do chips, por favor?"..

Would you learn to drive a car by wildly cutting accross lanes, doing about 80, not caring about road positioning or signals? No, you wouldn't. Same principle, different execution. And this is coming from someone who loves NoGi. Same world, two different approaches.

Back on track..

Lee went over some more X-Guard stuff tonight, and one particular technique, i've fallen in love with.

I'll preface this technique by saying that my closed guard game isn't what it should be. It's passable, but not to a standard which i'm happy with. That being said, i'm happy with my Omoplata.

I've never even considered transitioning from an Omoplata to the x-guard before, but Lee showed us how tonight. And good lord, it works so well. Training the technique with Tim, i really feel like it's something i'm going to stick into the gameplan, as X-Guard is working very well for me, and i'm falling in love with these techniques we are doing.

We also entered the x-guard from when the opponent stands in guard, which was nice, but i feel it's a little looser than i'd like it to be, because right now i'm playing a tight game.

Basically, you take both a foot and a hand on the same side as he stands, then use your legs to kick his chest away and make the space to enter the guard, which is quite nice, but a little loose.

And to entertain you all, a solemn promise; there's A LOT of new video that will be put up this week. I've finally found the tape with the no-gi stuff on from the other week, and along with the Gi stuff i had tonight, ive got a funny feeling you guys will enjoy what's coming.

Tomorrow and Wednesday there will be videos popping up, next training is on Thursday.

Until then,

train hard, kids!

16/06/08 - Muay Thai Class

2008-06-16T22:44:00.003+01:00

In the absence of Paul tonight, Lee took the class, which went pretty well for me personally, given i was a little tired after redecorating and a bout of illness over the weekend.

As a fighter, i feel my progression has been fairly fast in Muay Thai, although it is my genuine belief that i need to glue my hands to the side of my face to teach me to keep them up. It's a shocking state of affairs when after all these weeks, i've still not got that basic off-pat.

That being said, tonight Lee's teaching was focused on range, particularly with hands. Being a terrific Boxer, Lee has got a pretty good teaching style with this, and mainly tonight, we worked on the jab, both using it to create distance and to counter it.

Defending the jab, we parried into both a sidestep-combo, and a leg kick of your choice, with most of my attacks coming from below the waist, although i did work my hands sufficiently more than i normally would in this situation.

We then went on to do some flurry defense, coming out of the flurry with a low kick, which worked well, although i need to work on my switch.

Quite honestly, this is all i remember off the top of my head, but it was a great class which i can truly say that i've learned quite a bit from. As always, i think i'm doing pretty well in Thai.

13/06/08 - BJJ Class, Friday 13th Edition

2008-06-13T22:30:00.005+01:00

Howdy all,

Tonight was a particularly good class.

In the absence of Lee, Paul took the class, his first opportunity to teach a BJJ class since his newly gained purple belt (which, by the way, i feel was well deserved; faixa pesada, as the Brazilians would say).

We covered many of the same techniques that we have been doing for the last few weeks.

to start, Paul had us warm up, with a focus on bridging and rolling from side to side, to give us an idea of the movements that we would be using within the class.

Then, Paul quickly went over the Elevator sweep, using the side to side motion; this worked well as ever, and i really like this sweep, although i almost never catch this in sparring.

Also, when i'm going with my right food lead (pulling down to the left), i have no idea where my left leg should be and it feels very awkward, but this is something i'll work on.

Then, in a series i particularly loved, Paul gave us a good idea of three escapes from bottom positions, one from the mount, and two from side control, one from the over-the-body-hug, and one from the hand-on-hip hug. All of these used the bridging motion, so needless to say, bridging was the order of the day.

Then, to really polish off the techniques we've been covering, we drilled both the stand to x-guard and the stand to "Braulio Guard" transitions, which i absolutley adore now, and i'm looking forward to catching these in sparring.

The x-guard does genuinley feel very powerful, and it's a guard i want to learn more of. If any book stores care to send me a free copy of Marcelo's book, feel free!

Anyway,

Next you'll hear from me is on Sunday with a portuguese update.

Until then,

train hard, kids!

12/06/08 - Competition Time!

2008-06-12T22:27:00.002+01:00

...No, i'm not giving stuff away.

This coming Bristol could be my first BJJ competition; i'm seriously tired of not giving it a shot, and i figure what the hell, it's gotta happen someday. It might as well be sooner rather than later.

It's July 13th i believe, so check your diaries.

Is anyone else up for it?

Give me a buzz or shoot me a comment if you are, i'd love to gauge some opinion about it on this here site.

Train hard, kids!

12/06/08 - No Gi Class

2008-06-12T22:11:00.003+01:00

Nogi is a wonderful world, but as i've stated before, i'm more of a Gi exponent these days. That being said, I've found myself preferring both the monday and friday sessions.

Tonight, however, was a great improvement on my monday night meltdown.

Why? The techniques felt very natural tonight.

Lee continued the current series by showing us a few techniques; firstly, an effective way to switch to the high crutch from under/over control when standing, which i found particularly easy, and it even led me to have the belief in myself to shoot in; more on that later.

This was a cool technique, but the next i felt was better. Lee's focus lately has been on the importance of head control, and the subfocus on this technique was on defending when your opponent gained that same control. Using the underhook and by grabbing the back of the head, i had no idea how easy it was to Sprawl and gain a takedown; or at least, end up on top of the guy on the back.

Whilst not my favourite position, in NoGi, there are quite a few Brabo and Anaconda chokes that just scream my name from there, and i've got to admit, it's an area that i feel i could excel in.

The "swimming arm" technique i didn't have much luck with, an escape from the turtle/sprawl position, which i've never been fond of, although i've gotten better at it.

Top-down sparring was an intriguing experience. Looking at it from a philosophical angle, i actually am quite disappointed in my earlier days at the gym. Once upon a time, i took quite a nihilistic approach to the whole concept of "stand up BJJ", thinking it wasn't what BJJ should be focused on. I originally thought, hell, if i was great at every other position, standup wouldnt matter, i could cope with anything. Oh, how i learned!

Lately, i've realised that it's actually a very interesting world, and something which needs to be worked on desperatley, especially given the bad positions a poor standup fighter can put themselves in given half a chance.

Sparring was okay, but at times i feel like i'm hitting a brick wall, other times i feel good; you've got to take the rough with the smooth in this game.

Noone ever said this would be easy.

12/06/08 - Muay Thai Class

2008-06-12T21:53:00.003+01:00

This entry might as well be called "Essex Transport Failure", with the trains being crap, there being a huge tailback on the a12 and Witham itself was absolutley full of cars. For this reason, the class was cut a little shorter than normal, so don't expect an essay.

Tonight's Muay Thai class focused on what i needed to focus on, and that's handwork; there was no kicking at all, which stopped me from relying on my lowkick to keep to a safe distance.

Basically, my hands are clearly my worst feature. This is mainly because of my reluctance to continually create angles, although i find that when i consciously force myself to do this, i have a lot more success in terms of sparring.

Session opened with some shadowboxing, as always, which was good.

Shoulder to Shoulder work isn't something i'm particularly fond of, but as an aspiring MMA player, i should get used to it. I find it difficult not to grab onto something (more of a wrestling instinct), and just go for the strikes.

Paul's progressive style of teaching continued, with the class evolving into some ranged boxing, just light enough to keep a good pace without killing each other in the process. Range is where i feel i excel, and i enjoyed this part.

There's something very interesting about range, and although i'm not a great fan of his Kickboxing, Crocop is a very good exponent of exactly where range is a good thing; he tends to be a precise striker, picking people off without letting them into the pocket, which is an interesting concept within MMA, particularly to those that favour striking.

Class then finished with some stretching; only when i stretch in Paul's class do i realise just how inflexible i actually am. I really need to focus more on this; how often is often enough?

Anyway, tonight was a good session. Perhaps not the best i've had, but still reasonable.

Until BJJ,

Train hard, kids.

11/06/08 - Lee Catling X Jason Fallows

2008-06-11T17:26:00.002+01:00

At last, a video update!

Here's a 10 minute (be warned) video of Jason Fallows, a very good blue belt guy from the academy, having a gentle roll with Lee Catling, the BJJ coach at Team Ryu.

Sorry if it's a little pixellated. It was either that, or upload a 300mb file.. and that's really not happening with my upload speed.

That being said, this is a pretty good match, in my opinion, Lee has a pretty fantastic top game, and Jason put up a pretty decent show himself.

Enjoy! Comments welcomed.

09/06/08 - BJJ Class - Luke's meltdown edition!

2008-06-10T16:14:00.002+01:00

I don't know whether it was the heat, the lack of food, or the intense Muay Thai session before BJJ, but tonight i really lost it. Both mentally and physically.

Not in a horrific sense, but in the sense that my mental game wasn't there; i kept going dizzy and feeling quite hazy, but i managed to stick it through the class and get some pretty good techniques going.

Lee started the class by introducing to the guys that weren't there on Friday, the x-guard techniques. These x-guard techniques start from the standing position, to give us some practice of transitioning from the top to the bottom more fluently.

These techniques worked on a similar basis to those that we have been studying recently. The x-guard shares similar concepts as the "Braulio Guard" we've been working, and it does give us a pretty good base to all bottom guards, particularly since the x-guard is more about balance than many of the other guard positions.

Tonight, we covered some sweeps, both from either sleeve, and when the opponent postures up. There were 4 sweeps in total; with the near sleeve, far sleeve, when he postures up and you trip his legs, and when he postures up and you escape around the back door, flattening him out with leg control.

Although by the time the fourth technique made it's appearance, my mind and body had decided to go off on a little holiday, i got the jist of every technique there, and a part of me wishes i was in much better shape so i could appreciate what we were doing more. As a series of techniques, i don't think it's something we'll only cover the once though, so i pehraps have another chance come Thursday to put a rejuvinated body behind the thought process.

Keeping the classes focused on a particular series of moves is something which i've always liked about BJJ, and particularly Lee's teaching style. You don't have to fall in love with every technique, as there's always an alternative that works better for some people than others; as an example to illustrate this, my regular armbar from guard is weak, whereas my slow, trapping armbar is fairly successful.

It's also this concept of alternative techniques that makes learning as a series so effective; this, i made particular note of when, during "top-down specific" sparring, i pulled "braulio guard", then transitioned into the x-guard without a horrendous amount of hassle.

It's beautiful when you don't just train positions in isolation, but when you can link them together. We can all dirll the armbar from mount 10,000 times, but what's the use if you haven't got any guard passes and you can't get past the guy?

Although i digress, my point remains constant.

Next session, i intend to go over these techniques once more.

Until next time (which will be tomorrow with a PORTUGUESE UPDATE!),

train hard, kids!

09/06/08 - Muay Thai Class

2008-06-10T16:04:00.002+01:00

Good class tonight. Not only was it an interesting class, but it also seemed to go incredibly fast. I'm not sure whether this is an indicator that "time flies when you're having fun", but it certainly seemed, at least to myself, that the session was shorter than normal.

That being said, it was still intense.

The same beginning to the class with some shadowboxing to warm up with. Each time i shadowbox now, i do it with a goal. As i've preached in previous pieces, setting goals is a must for personal development.

Today, i decided to focus on my hands, and keeping them up. All of you at the gym have no doubt noticed the fact that i don't particularly have my hands glued to my face at all times, which is a total curse when you're trying not to get hit, so i figured i'd put a stop to this with some focused training.

What i found was, that my returns from the punches wasn't quite as snappy as i'd like, but thats nothing a few half-sessions of the Bas Rutten MMA workout won't cure, skipping a few combinations here and there and focusing on technique rather than power.

Some kicks and knees on the pads, which, as ever, gave me a little stomach ache, but it's nothing that i couldn't cope with. Any ideas why this is? Just the muscles getting used? What i've noticed here is that, for some reason, i feel more powerful with my left leg, even though i'm an orthodox striker. Odd.

Sparring was nice, although i've noticed that my hands need a lot more work. Right now i'm more than happy to take a more ranged stance and go in with the lowkicks, and whilst this will make my ego feel a little better, it's avoiding the issue that i'm brutally underconfident with my punches, particularly my jab-cross.

Finally, the stretching. It's a nice thing to stretch out at the end of a session, but it's an uncaring reminder that i'm still pretty inflexible, which, i need to work on pretty desperatley. At this rate, i think i need to start a to-do list...

All being said though, it was a pretty enjoyable session, even if a little tiring!

08/06/08 - Portuguese!

2008-06-08T21:31:00.008+01:00

Not a particularly coherent blog entry, i'll tell you that right away. And not particularly relevant to "training", but i'll try my best to keep you guys interested.

Brazilian Portuguese is something which has always intrigued me. It's always sounded to me like a beautiful language that seems far too fast for me to comprehend.

On the GrapplersGuide, there's a particularly nice guide to "Essential Portuguese for Grapplers"; it's a short guide to key portuguese words that are used in gyms in Brazil, but also, i think this is something important to do. Apparently though, there's more to the language than random cornermen screaming "AYYY!" everytime a lowkick is thrown, and hilarious english-portuguese mix ups ("Handy Couture"). So, let's LEARN ME SOME PORTUGUESE!

Whilst i realise that the vast majority of bjj players now speak fluent english, it's still a good life skill to have. I've tried learning languages before (I was pretty good at French and German at school, and had some moderate success with basic japanese on online courses), but i've never really had much of a motivation to follow it through past the basic stage.

Following BJJ gives me this motivation, as there's always a good instructional, event, or news story that comes up about the world of combat sports that's only in portuguese; understanding these, i think, its a step in the right direction for me.

So since i'm young, i thought i'd take the plunge, who cares!

Started the Pimsleur Brazilian Portuguese tapes.. and good lord, they are intense. 4 lessons in 4 days, and i remember about 80% of what has been covered, which is pretty good, considering.

Does anyone have any experience of this kind of learning? Any kind of books you can recommend to me? Any comments? Want to hear about my struggle learning this on this site? It's all yours.. let's make this site interactive!

Until Thai and BJJ tomorrow,

Train hard, kids!

08/06/08 - Steve Boughey News!

2008-06-08T16:25:00.006+01:00

Hey guys,

Just a heads up to let you know that our very own Steve Boughey had his Judo grading (for a different club) this weekend, and performed pretty well, getting 2 Wins and 1 Loss. The loss won't be covered by video on here.. let's try and keep things positive shall we lads?

As such, he's just got his promotion to green belt.

Congrats to Steve!

06/06/08 - BJJ Class

2008-06-06T22:14:00.003+01:00

Okay guys, Friday night session just drawn to a close and I'm happier with my performance tonight than i was last night, mainly due to me not being as fatigued.

Techniques themselves were pretty hot, in my estimation.

Started with some light banter as normal, then the class progressed into some nice techniques, working again on our entries into what I've dubbed "Braulio Guard", and working on the sweep from there.

After some time of working this, Lee introduced us to the same sweep, but from the X-Guard position; this also gave us the perfect excuse to work on our entry to the X-Guard, which is something I've wanted to work on for a little time.

While it looks a pretty tricky position, as Jason quite rightly pointed out to be, it's one of those positions where, the more you're under your opponent, the more his balance is going to be off, which is exactly what you want in the game.

To quote a blue belt i often talk to, "nobody said this shit was ever going to be easy". That's how i feel about the x-guard right now, but with time, i think it will become a valuable tool, particularly as i'm a big guy.

Then some light-specific training, looking for the grips from standing and transitioning to any one of the guards we've been working lately; the x-guard and braulio guard in particular. This was nice, and since watching the Jimmy Pedro "Grip like a world champion" DVD along with the Mike Fowler Seminar DVD, my grip game has been feeling a lot tighter.

In terms of actual sparring, particularly against Jason, my performance when within the closed guard is pretty good; i occasionally get tapped from there, but i think i'm becoming increasingly difficult to move, which can only be a good thing. I'm experimenting with double-bicep control, and although it's primarily a defensive position, i'm just trying to see what it's like along with the knee in the butt, and so far i've been using this with moderate success.

After tonight, i'm pretty hyped about the next training session.

Also, a big happy birthday to everyone celebrating this week; Paul, Tim, and Steve Wright.

Until next time,

Train hard, kids!

05/06/08 - No Gi Class

2008-06-05T21:56:00.004+01:00

Okay, so after the rollercoaster ride that is my cardio, i managed to regain some sort of energy before taking on the night's second hour of fun.

At the start of the class, it was decided that today's focus would be on the standup game. Standup in No-Gi, i've found, is a very different world to that of the Gi. On a personal level, i feel more comfortable with something to hold onto, and if you're not living and breathing on some half-naked beach (you lucky people) then in a street situation, Gi is probably more useful.

But the age-old Gi vs NoGi argument aside (winner is Gi), i think it's going to be much harder to pull guard for a big guy in NoGi. I could be wrong, but hey! Who cares at this stage.

The actual techniques started from the Pummel position, first as a defensive move when he gains double underhooks (into a double leg takedown), and then the class moved into more aggressive techniques.

This included something which i'd covered briefly in my first 2 months as a student of Lee, that is the High-Crutch, which i'd TOTALLY forgotten in the year of sweat that it's been.

I didn't catch the technique horrificly well, but in hindsight, i remember that i'd never caught it superbly before, although now is the time to work on that, obviously.

The high crutch "series" consisted of one with the knee down, the classic entry, and then an entry off the pummel.

This was cool, although by this stage, i was pretty tired and the techniques didn't have my full awareness, which became a problem towards the end of the class.

Specific training wasn't too horrible, all things considered, where we just stood up and attempted takedowns on each other. I'm still VERY gunshy about shooting in, and i really need to work on this. I need to drill this more often.

Sparring was very poor for me, to be honest. At this stage, after the Muay Thai class and the Bas Rutten MMA workout earlier in the day, i'd got very little left in the tank, and i was being tapped all over the place. I realise the taps don't matter, but tonight, i did particularly poorly, although no excuses.

The videos will be up in the morning, i need to get some sleep before i even consider taking on that project tonight. Vids include Tim, Steve, Jez and myself, so keep an eye out!

Until then, train hard, kids!

05/06/08 - Muay Thai Class

2008-06-05T21:46:00.002+01:00

As a reverend for the Universal Life Church, i feel more than qualified to state the following.

JESUS CHRIST.

Tonight was one of the most intense training sessions i'd ever had. This afternoon, before i came out, i did 5 rounds of Bas Rutten's MMA Workout Boxing tape; good just to get the blood going. I don't think this affected my cardio too much, althouh i noticed a considerable decrease on normal performance.

This might be because of the class, however.

Starting with the usual shadowboxing, the class quickly progressed to some more kick-for-kick sparring. And this is where, traditionally, i really enjoy the class; i love lowkicks with a passion, although i genuinley would love to work on their power some more. If anyone has any suggestions about this, give us a shout.

Back to the point, the kick for kick sparring lasted quite a few rounds, and by the end i was starting to show a tiny bit of fatigue. Then came the pads.

Oh good lord, these knackered me. First, i held the pads for Jez which was an experience to say the least. While i don't particularly want to inflate his head as he's already had a mention within these walls, he's got SO much power, which really shows when he's kicking the pad.

But then again, having guy like him in the class motivates me; he's always a good character to push me to my limits, and if it was solo work, i'd have given up long before the final kick/knee combination was thrown.

The rest of the class was pretty much a blur from then on; i'm really attempting to work on my power, but at the same time, i'm finding that i'm not breathing as i probably should. This has always been an issue i've faced during exercise, and it really doesn't do wonders for my cardio. It's How to Gas, 101.

After this, the class "warmed down" with some clinch drills, working from a position where both people have their posture down, coming up to throw knees. Good technique, although it's something i could drill more often.

After a stretch or three, the class closed, bringing an end to yet another session of Muay Thai, and i can safely say this is a session i won't be forgetting in the near future.

Until then,

Train hard, kids!

02/06/08 - BJJ Class

2008-06-02T23:55:00.003+01:00

It's a sod when you're too tired to write down on the blog right away, but it's even worse when the memory of what you did escapes you momentarily. Stick with this entry, and i'm sure by the end i'll remember. (read: i'll text the guys until one of us remembers exactly what happened). (edit: Thanks Steve Boughey for reminding me!)

BJJ class was today focused on working off the single leg takedown and sprawl positions.

It's always good to have a water-tight top game off the sprawl, because it translates brilliantly for both Gi and No-Gi stuff.

First technique was when he shoots in, you grab a guillotine-with one-arm-in-grip and Sprawl; putting your instep of the leg he's shooting on to the floor, meaning he can't disrupt your balance as he could if you were on your toes. This technique and entire principle is a very decent idea, and obviously something to remember if i'm ever shot in on (which is all the time lately, it seems!).

From this grip, one can change to the over-under grip and go for the back control, which is essentially what the second technique of the night showed.

Lastly was one of my favorite moves in weeks, which is where, after being sprawled on, you isolate one of his controlling arms and sit through to that side; allowing you to come up to take the back. I've made a pretty poor job of explaining this, but it's a really common drill and i guarantee you've all seen it a thousand times, although i'm sure none of us really drill this enough. Adam caught this on me REAL nice during sparring.

Lee then spoke about the concept of power and physicality during training; not with techniques, but with light sparring. I think everyone from time to time relies on their physical aspects, but when just trying to learn, this is entirely counter-productive. Something to work on, no doubt.

Sparring was okay, although limited; after the Muay Thai session and 3hr exam, i honestly didn't have much left in the tank, and it really knocked the sense out of me when i got on the mat for some phyiscal rolling. No excuses though, as my performance wasn't as bad as expected, actually.

One thing was proved tonight, and that's that i'm back in love with the Gi; for a while it was irritating me, the adrenaline-high and streamlined speed of the No-gi game is attractive for a while, but as Lee rightly pointed out to me last friday, the Gi game is what makes a technical grappler, as in No-Gi, there is a tendency to rely on the looseness for escapes.

That being said though, i can't wait until Thursday!

02/06/08 - Muay Thai

2008-06-02T21:53:00.002+01:00

Muay Thai!

Can't beat it. I'm REALLY enjoying this lately, particularly this session.

I think the most effective thing about Muay Thai as opposed to a lot of other striking martial arts is the low-kick. The focus of this session was just that; getting the legs working.

And Good lord, those legs were working! We started the class with some shadowboxing, which incidentally, i'm feeling much more comfortable with. There's still a case of how much power to put in the shots; the Bas Rutten MMA Workout has always taught me to go 100%, but i need to remember not to do that for what is essentially a warmup, there's little point in this training situation.

After this, came some Kick-For-Kick stuff, just practicing low-kicks in particular. After time, this developed, under Paul's instruction, to kicks anywhere on the body, although obviously not trying to kill each other with them.

In terms of my own performance, i've noted that while i feel my lead low-kick is probably a little better in terms of speed, my back low kick is much better in terms of accuracy and power; i think i'll be using this more often in the near future. It genuinley does feel more natural, and as such it's something i need to integrate more finely.

Class then went into sparring-mode, with each of us partnering up and getting some light sparring in. I'm trying to focus on my footwork and head movement when sparring, i'm not particularly bothered about landing shots right now. It's the defence which makes any striker good; any guy off the streets can walk in and throw some wild haymakers, but it takes a true artist to defend the more vicious blows.

Sparring went well for me, even though at times i felt like a fish out of water; having trained in Muay Thai for just over a month though, this is to be expected. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Then some clinch sparring, going over once again the plum work that Jez has been having us do, which is a pretty intense, but worthwhile thing to drill. As a K-1 fan, i don't see enough clinchwork, and i think i need to start watching more pure Thai.

Finally, some stretching! I'm no contortionist but my stretching is gradually improving, i'm not feeling as stiff and immovable as i used to be.

Definitley a great session; i'm enjoying this even more lately, for sure this is something i intend to carry on with.

01/06/08 - Sunday Session

2008-06-01T18:11:00.004+01:00

It's always good to train a little whenever you can, and that's why i always try and make the effort to get down and train on the weekends, where normally i wouldn't be able to get any in.

Getting at the club for 2pm, i warmed up with a little work on the swiss ball, which is a great tool for helping your top control game. If you want more information on this, youtube SBGi swiss ball. You'll love it.

Today was basically a continuation of the last training session of the regular week on Friday, where i managed to improve my performance after Thursday's diabolical excuse for a night for me.

So after the warmup, we went on, as a group of 4 (Steve Wright, Steve Boughey, Adam and myself) to cover a few techniques, that we'd both seen on instructionals and particularly the techniques from the Braulio seminar and those that Lee has taught in the past couple of weeks.

We all did pretty well, and i think it's always a great idea to use these sessions to cover whatever you're thinking could be a problem at the time. I took the opportunity to drill the side control escape that Lee showed me a few times, and i honestly think i'm going to be able to put it to use in sparring pretty soon.

Steve Wright brought the "Suicide Choke" to the table, which seemed to cut off the blood flow ridiculously quickly, i was going a bit dizzy after a second or two of it being on, and i'm certainly not going to be a fan of being put in that one.

Steve also looked at the Flower Sweep from Guard, which we've covered in class a few times, but it's always good to remind yourself of that movement, because it's great to link in with an armbar.

Then, some sparring. What i've noticed is, rightly or wrongly, i'm catching a few more achilles locks; i think this is partly due to the fact that i'm activley noticing them now, whereas before i never really gave them a second thought.

It's important to not make them an integral part of your game, but it's also very important to be aware; you're never too far away from getting your leg locked in some way.

We discussed the fact that, at times, Leg locks seemed a little too "easy"; there are many little tricky moves like the one i'd learned from Billy Robinson's Catch Wrestling DVDs, which really don't require any effort. It's not strictly BJJ, but as far as grappling goes, you'd be foolish to say that Catch still isn't a force. If you don't believe me, go watch Sakuraba vs Royce, Renzo, and Royler, etc.

Sparring was good, and i'm happy with where i'm at right now for the first time in a long time. I think part of me has got to learn not to panic so much, and that i can't let the guy get control so much. Even little things like keeping him away from your head in the half guard are very good things to learn.

One note is that i'm having trouble dealing with guys from my back when they stand up in my closed guard and put their weight forward. Anyone got any ideas?

What i've come to love about BJJ is the fact that it's so "meaty"; there's always something to work on. I can't actually imagine doing anything other than Grappling. Regular gym stuff is too boring. Grappling is a constant challenge, and that's what makes the game alive.

30/05/08 - BJJ Class

2008-05-30T22:40:00.003+01:00

The soundtrack for tonight's blog entry is Guns N Roses - Sweet Child 'o Mine - what a track.

I feel a little better tonight. I don't know whether last night was just a bad night, or if it really is the Gi that i prefer; who knows!

But anyway, we're working on Armdrags. We covered a very similar series; Armdrag to the back to warm us up. Then, it was the defense to the armdrag, where you're essentially performing your own buy cutting back into his hip with your knee, which is HIGHLY effective.

Then, after this, a similar "cutting in" technique, only off the Kimura/Hip Bump Sweep defense; it's actually the perfect way to pass if you get some cheeky monkey trying to catch you with the Kimura.

Then, my favourite technique in weeks, though i'm not sure how high percentage it will be in terms of an armdrag technique. When you go for an armdrag, the opponent will often step up to stuff your attempt, and in this case, it's possible to shift the weight of your hips underneath, clasp both his arm and standing leg, and throw him over the top; it's a lovely motion, and to be honest with you is one of the best techniques i've seen in a long while.

Standup was the last area we covered, in particular within a clinch-like position where you're fighting for head control; i found a moderate degree of success grabbing the belt, i first saw this position on Jimmy Pedro's "Grip Like A World Champion" Instructional, it's a true recommended watch for anyone who is interested in Judo or needs a bit of gripfighting in their arsenal. This grip of the belt i feel gives a lot of control, and i think it's going to encourage me to go for more takedowns rather than pull guard.

On another note, Lee is a fantastic teacher; very good to learn from when rolling. Tonight, he gave me a little inspiration with a fairly inventive escape from side control, which i think is going to improve my bottom game a little in both guard and the position itself.

Why in guard? I hear you ask. Well basically, if you're confident with your escapes from Side, there's nothing that's going to stop you mentally from going 100% for the technique from closed or open guard; the worst he can do is give you the opportunity to use your escape.

Another fantastic week of training done, and i couldn't possibly ask for more from the club. There are ups and highs, but that's just another reflection of life in the art.

Until next time,

Train hard, kids!

29/05/08 - No-Gi Class

2008-05-29T22:11:00.002+01:00

Plateau. I hate that word (can anyone actually spell it properly?) , and i hate the concept even more. But that's where i'm headed.

My game feels VERY same-ey right now; it's been a long time since i really integrated anything to a degree of actual proficiency, and to be honest with you it's really beginning to irritate me. There are nights where i feel training has gone great, tonight certainly wasn't one of them from my personal development point of view.

I really need to evaluate where i'm going wrong in terms of actually implementing technique, and addressing this situation before it gets even more out of hand.

I know i'm not exactly gonna turn into Jean-Jaques Machado overnight, but i'd certainly love to show some more improvement, i feel like i'm stuck in a rut. Any suggestions welcome on that one.

Anyway, onto the actual class. We started with the same butterfly series taught last week, except with a couple of new sweeps, including a bit of the classic over/under elevator sweep.

The good thing about the three sweeps covered tonight is that they are all pretty much sequential, in the way that if A fails, switch to B, and if B fails, there's always C that can essentially, if that fails, U-turn you back to A.

That's what i love about BJJ, the actual choice you've got is unreal, yet it's also a huge hindrance when you can't quite decide which technique to use when you're rolling.

Then after a quick water break, we all stood up for some no-gi takedown techniques, and the no-gi takedowns are certainly the worst part of my game overall; all i've got right now is a sprawl and a sloppy armdrag, but i'm working on both; i'm certainly more of a defensive stander than someone who's gonna shoot in all the time.

The techniques themselves were based off a double-handed grip on the wrist, and could either be finished by taking the back, armdragging to over-under back control, or pulling guard. Nice options, once again.

After this, class was finished, and some light sparring ensued; The lockdown is my best friend in half guard, but also my worst enemy. When i get it on, it's fairly difficult for most people to escape; what i have been noticing, though, is that i'm letting people put my back on the mat, making it very difficult to pull off the old school or the electric chair.

So basically, another thing on my to-do list.

To lighten this entry up, Congratulations are in order for team member Sam Gaunt and his Fiancee, who have welcomed their new baby girl into the world!

Congrats Sam!

and until next time kids,

TRAIN HARD!

29/05/08 - Muay Thai Class

2008-05-29T22:00:00.003+01:00

Muay Thai! Oh, how i've grown to love striking. I'm no good at it, but i love it.

Class starts with Paul asking us to shadowbox to warm up, and i'll admit it brought me to a decent sweat, was quite impressed tonight. Then, we did a little bit of head movement and footwork, both of which were a little out-of-the-ordinary for me, i don't exactly rely on technical skill too much.

Then came sparring. I'll say something now, i'm pretty gunshy. I don't like throwing too many because my handspeed is quite poor.

Even so, i'll admit that Jez has been helping my game a bit lately; he's an encouraging guy, and tonight he did encourage me to make some combinations, which in turn made me feel a bit more comfortable and relax more.

Muay Thai is still a new game to me, and i sometimes feel a little bit lost; it's a bit world, and i think that sometimes i'm just on autopilot rather than activley trying to engage.

Saying that, after every class, i'm left wanting more.

The plum/clinch is also a pretty interesting area; i'd say i'm more of a natural grappler, so the pummeling i feel i've had a pretty good degree of success at.

Has anyone got any good examples of Thai instructionals i can watch? I was thinking a little more Rodney King, some Duke Roufus.. any other ideas? Maybe some Aerts or LeBanner?

Until next time,

Train hard!

28/05/08 - New Rashguard Arrives!

2008-05-28T12:02:00.002+01:00

Hey guys! Just thought i'd give you a heads up.

I don't particularly want to use this blog as advertising space, i don't believe in that, training should be about just training. But i've found a pretty neat shop in East Anglia where the head guy is more than helpful, and i think this sort of behavior should be rewarded within the community.

This morning, my "Take A Nap" Rashguard arrived, and it's a loose fit one; I'm normally a 52 inch chest, but this rashguard in XL fits me perfectly, and i honestly can't wait to wear it.

The stitching seems durable, the colour isn't gonna blind you, and

It's great quality, and what's more, it's £16.95 (Which i couldn't believe, last time i payed over £30 for a Tapout rashguard!) delivered, and since i'm VERY budget conscious, i couldn't be happier.

Will West is the guy's name, and he runs West Fight Company; One of the best independent fight wear distributors i've ever seen! http://www.westfightcompany.co.uk/

I'm so ecstatic with this! Will get some pics of me rocking it tomorrow.

26/05/08 - BJJ Rolling Class (With Video!)

2008-05-26T21:59:00.005+01:00

Okay, so tonight was a closed-door session with only a few guys turning up. Wasn't a formal session, just those who wanted to train from the club getting down and letting it flow.

Some nice rolling actually, was mainly a sparring session rather than technique, but i took the opportunity to ask about what i call the "BJ Mount"; BJ Penn used this in his fight against Joe Stevenson, where he hooked his feet together while in the mount position to gain a sort of guard around them.
This worked well against Jez, and although he eventually bucked me off, it's certainly a good way of keeping the mount more secure against wriggly guys, especially when the grapevines aren't working.

Didn't give it my A-Game tonight because of a dodgy stomach; had it all day, think i might have eaten something bad. Who knows. But still, it was a great session, topped off by some great submission attempts.

My eternal problem over the last year has been that I'm far too happy to point hunt rather than finish, which actually irritates me as I'm doing it. I'm now more actively looking for armlocks, chokes and sweeps, which is a philosophy that works well; when you're attacking, he's not.

26/05/08 - BJJ, Life and Change.

2008-05-26T12:12:00.005+01:00

I think that overall, personal development is a big part of the martial arts.

I'll share something with you guys; as a kid, i did some Karate. Given how anti-traditional-martial-arts i am now, that's kind of embarrassing to even say. That was back in the day when the Karate Kid was still cool, and Black Belts seemed to have the aura and mystery that just eluded Pro-Wrestling, of which i was a big fan at the time.

After about two months at one class a week though, i lost interest. It was boring. Learning something and then just drilling it for hours upon end couldn't be more of a turnoff to me; this is why i LOVE BJJ. Everyone is different; after you drill a move and put it into your greater gameplan, there are still times when the move won't be effective, no matter what the technique is. No matter how many times i tried to throw kicks, my legs (i had short tendons, causing me to walk on my toes for the first 12 years of my life) wouldn't let me do it without losing balance. This was so disheartening as a kid, that i simply didn't want to carry on.

This is where the art of BJJ differs from the rest; you make the game suit you. There's no set techniques to learn, no kata, no pre-set patterns to bore the pants off you within the first few weeks.

BJJ is an art where everything changes, and it very quickly reflects on life. The same frameworks that make us who we are are so similar to the frameworks that make us good grapplers, yet people just don't see the connection.

Life is about learning, and taking new things on board; I could very easily spend the next 10 years just doing the same thing over and over again, but where's the fun in that? The beauty of both life and BJJ is change, and change is a very good thing.

Change the game, don't let the game change you.

26/05/08 - MMA KO

2008-05-26T09:52:00.001+01:00

I know this isn't strictly an MMA blog, but seriously guys, check out this clip. I think it's awesome, never seen anything like it in all my years of Combat sports watching.

Thanks to Tim for the heads up on this clip!

25/05/08 - Rolling

2008-05-25T12:50:00.002+01:00

*NOTE - Bank holiday monday training starts at 6.30, with Jez showing some standup, then a BJJ session at 7.30 starting with a short Q&A session with each other; a perfect chance to get some community learning done! BE THERE!*

Hello once again guys,

Today was a very good session; Steve Wright text me to ask if anyone was training today, so i figured i might as well go and play some good old fashioned BJJ. As the wise Steve said himself, "Any mat time is a good thing".

I suddenly remembered that the stability balls/gym balls can be exceedingly good tools for helping side control; it teaches you physically, getting you used to something moving underneath you as you move around. My side control is always a little tighter after i do some movements on the ball.

Since we were kitted out for No-Gi, the No-Gi rolling commenced. The first couple of rolls were fairly fast, and i was impressed with the fact that i caught the Achilles lock both times, something which I've been mentally working on the last week or so, combined with my watching of the Robert Drysdale No-Gi instructional set yesterday.

Steve's side control top game is getting very good, and is a serious threat with armbars whenever he's rolling, which makes him fantastic to train with before a competition.

I'm tending to find that the Brabo choke is still working well for me, even though at times it's more of a Neck crank than a choke, but i think that's mainly a weight positioning issue i need to work on. Setting it up from Knee-On-Belly is my latest brainwave, and it's so easy to set this up with a great number of other threats; if you don't turn in, i'll mount, etc.

Gi rolling was pretty tight aswell, the Lockdown is still my friend when it comes to half-guard, although my whip-up needs some work.

Class tomorrow is looking to be shaping up well, better than the regular bank holiday monday no training; if you've got the day off and no plans, be there! Gonna be a great workout.

Until next time,
Train hard, kids!

23/05/08 - BJJ Class (AKA New Post Overload!)

2008-05-23T21:50:00.003+01:00

*No official training on Bank Holiday monday guys, although i think Steve "Dodgy Toe" Wright could very well be opening up the gym, i'll update you when i learn more!*

This is like the 6th post in two days, so i'm gonna keep it snappy for those of you who really can't be bothered to sit through another load of text.

No video tonight, i think that's gonna be a weekly treat for you hardcore followers :).

Tonight started once again with Lee going quickly over what we were doing yesterday in the No-Gi class, although this time applying it with the Gi; that is the armdrag. A beautiful technique, i'm really getting into these techniques, they are gonna really make my closed and butterfly guard games a force to be reckoned with, even if my back control isn't amazing, its good enough to get the points.

But what to do if the guy stands up? Lee gave us the answer to this in the form of a beautiful flowing sweep that i caught pretty well, even if both Me and Simon were stumped when we started pinching the throwing leg, which basically caused it to be a self-sweep; perhaps a more detailed explanation another time.

After this, i think we were all pretty tired after a hard week's training, and this is why shortly after the techniques, we had some very light sparring until the end of class. One thing i noticed was i managed to catch my patented "Mike Fowler Sweep" on Lewis, i think with a bit more polish, that will be a good takedown technique for me as i don't particularly like shots.

In more important news, i've now got my new Sprawl shorts which fit a treat, and i did a little no-gi rolling with Steve Wright, where he caught me with a nasty triangle from the mount; only the second time in recent memory he's managed to triangle me, and the second night in succession. I'm gonna have to be more careful.

Anyway, i must leave you guys now, i sincerely hope you've enjoyed this week's entries.

Until monday,

Train hard, kids!

23/05/08 - Kimura to Brabo setup

2008-05-23T18:19:00.005+01:00

Cheers to Steve Wright for letting me use him in this vid.

Just another technique that i learned from Bjorn Friedrich's www.Grappling.de, and the technique i used to tap Steve Boughey in the below video.

A great technique, really useful when the guy defends the kimura, and you know he's faster than you and may win a scramble if the armbar is loose.

Sorry for the lack of decent sound, and i'm aware i wasn't sprawling on the Brabo; PLEASE do this when you're trying to finish it, this was merely for illustration purposes.

Usual legal disclaimer at the bottom of the page.

Train hard, kids!

L.

23/05/08 - Steve Wright x Steve Boughey (No-Gi)

2008-05-23T12:51:00.002+01:00

The last of the three NoGi rolling videos for your enjoyment.

I really like the flow of NoGi; i think, in a lot of ways, it's a lot smoother than Gi, although i'd argue you can get away with more at a beginner level, and as such it's perhaps not as technical as when you're wearing the cloth.

Once again, if you enjoy these videos and want to be a part of the interactive community that is (or at least, going to be) this website, feel free to post a message in the comments or email me at revtheluke AT googlemail.com

Train hard, kids!

23/05/08 - Steve Boughey X Me (NoGi)

2008-05-23T07:44:00.001+01:00

As promised, the second No-Gi Rolling video..

Watch for the Kimura to Brabo setup..

Steve X Steve Later!

23/05/08 - Steve Wright x Me (No-Gi)

2008-05-23T07:33:00.003+01:00

A treat for all of you here in a No-Gi rolling video of me and the team's most notable white belt competitor, Steve "Dodgy Toe" Wright.

Any comments and feedback on either of our performances welcomed.

More later.. but in an hour and a half i have a politics exam, and i've just realised i know nothing about any electoral system.. and what's worse, my notebook is full of BJJ spider-diagrams showing move-flow.

Not nice.

More video to come later..

22/05/08 - No-Gi Class

2008-05-22T21:00:00.002+01:00

*REMINDER: No-Gi class is now replacing regular BJJ on a Thursday, 7.30pm onwards; if you're doing the Muay Thai beforehand, however, remember to bring a change of clothing to get into before you start the 2nd training session*

The inaugural No-Gi class started with some focus on the classic Marcelo Garcia technique; the arm drag. I mentioned these in an entry a few days ago, i think they are a marvelous way of really making use of the poor positioning of your opponents arms, and i think a couple of these techniques shown today could really make it into my gameplan.

Starting from butterfly guard, we first looked at and got a feel for both the overhook (with head control) and underhook positions, to get us warmed up.

After this, Lee went over, in some detail, exactly what we should be doing to catch the arm drag; I'd never really payed much attention to the use of the feet before, but using a well placed foot in the guy's thigh can really change the technique, especially if your goal is to take the back. It can totally destroy his posture, which can only be a good thing for those of you like human backpacks.

After this, he then showed us a reversal for the guy being arm dragged, almost like an arm drag in itself; oh, how ironic.

I really enjoyed that particular technique, it really captures and utilises the momentum you'll be feeling after being arm dragged anyway, so it will be a VERY useful technique for No-Gi competition.

Then the class transcended into some specific training, and once again i think that went very well; it's great to be light when you're training, it really does make you learn more, and you tend to realize what you can do and what you can't with a much greater degree of accuracy.

After that, some sparring. The results of which have been video taped, and are uploaded as i type this; i hope you all enjoy, and please feel free to leave some comments or feedback about Me or any other of the guys in the videos, i'm sure they'd love to hear it, and I'll get the info to them ASAP.

Also; i LOVE the Brabo/Darce choke. It's my favourite technique by far, it's just so versatile. For those of you that don't know it, check it out at www.grappling.de or buy Bjorn's DVD! It's good stuff!

Until next time, train hard, kids!

22/05/08 - Muay Thai Class

2008-05-22T19:30:00.000+01:00

* Please remember that the Muay Thai class now starts at 6.30 on a Thursday, the same time as a Monday. Don't come late and be disappointed.*

Well well well, today was a very good day for training, which is why i think there will be about 5 entries on the site for tonight alone.

I got to the session a little later than normal, but was still there in time for the class, which was a relief to start with.

First off was the shadowboxing for a warmup, i'm never quite sure exactly how much power to put in the shots at this stage. It will come to me.

Paul then got us to get even warmer with some shoulder-to-shoulder, in-the-pocket sparring, just some light contact stuff while keeping at a clinch-style range; my BJJ instinct kicked in here unfourtunatley, and i kept wanting to overhook the arm i had control of, leaving me with no arms to punch, but i did however get out of this habit by the end of the session.

After this, punches were the dish of the day when Paul introduced the next drill, which was just staying in the pocket and focusing on a flurry of punches, rather than becoming defensive after every shot. This was okay, but i tended to move out of the pocket and look for a more effective low-kick range, just on my instincts, which i really need to get a grip of.

Then came some kick-for-kick training, my focus at the moment is on my lowkick. My kicks are okay i'd say, but i'm noticing that i seem to connect on my foot more than my shin, which is causing a lot of bruising which doesn't exactly impress the ladies, but oh well (story of my life!).

Towards the end of the session, we sparred and i feel my performance in this regard is improving; my punches are starting to come together a little more, even if i am a little slow on my arm returns and a little gunshy at times.

I guess it will all come with time, but all in all, a good session, topped off by some nice clinchwork that we covered last, working on the techniques that Jez showed us on monday. I'll admit though, i do tend to forget the last step through, which causes the technique to be somewhat incomplete, although thoroughly legitimate.

Overall, a good class. It's also great to see some new faces at the club, with Tim now becoming a bit of a regular, and it seems that on most weeks, there's a new guy or two there to check out the action.

If you're in the Essex area and you're looking for a club, go no further. Team Ryu. Link on the right hand side.

22/05/08 - Making the most of your training

2008-05-22T12:20:00.003+01:00

Now, today I'm meant to be revising for my 3 hour Politics exam in the morning; as you all know, I'd much rather publish some thoughts about BJJ on this here world wide web.

I'm a very lucky person in that i go to college 5 days a week, 9-4; and i get free time in the middle of that. I've also got no outside commitments, so I'm in the lucky position of being able to train pretty much whenever i want. A lot of guys reading this won't have that pleasure.

That's why we should make the most of our time on the mats.

It's all very well to go through training on autopilot, just letting the moves settle into your brain and really turn on when you're sparring, yet you're still only fighting to win.

This is the problem that most newcomers to the sport are faced with, from what I've seen. There's a terrific amount of ego that comes with every fresh-faced newcomer, and the quicker you learn that it's not about your W/L record in the gym, the better.

As a club, i think we're lucky in that all of the regular guys don't have this issue; we all tend to care only about progression, and that's a great thing for a gym to have.

But as a note to all of you out there in Internet-Land, remember that there's something to be learned from the concept of goal-setting.

Goals are aspirations within reach; both short term and long term. If you are serious about your training, i recommend that you make a goal for each and every time you spar and train.

Specific training is just that, and it happens in pretty much every class; light "sparring" from specific positions in the quickest way to learn the ins and outs of attacks and escapes. The term "specific" doesn't only apply to training, it can apply to goals as well.

I'm not talking about goals like "I'm gonna win my next 3 rolls" or "I want to not get put on my back", but goals like "I want to hit the old school sweep from the Lockdown" or "i want to catch a sweep from the Z-guard".

This is just a tip from a lowly white belt; the more you set SPECIFIC goals regularly, the more you'll notice an improvement.

19/05/08 - BJJ Class

2008-05-19T22:09:00.005+01:00

* NOTE - As of this coming Thursday the 22nd of May, the Thursday night class is now No-gi; this is for the next few weeks, until further notice. Please come with either a rashguard or a tshirt, as training without clothing will not be allowed. That's just dirty. :) *

Once again it's time for the BJJ update, and by god how i love this sport.

There are times when, throughout life, cycles occur. This whole circular theme dominates our way of thinking, and situations we find ourselves in often mirror the old, hence there being such an infusion of enthusiasm when "trying something new" - breaking out of the cycle can be rewarding, and a pleasant experience.

Lately, i've found that my BJJ game has become very circular; there have been serious flaws in my game that i haven't attempted to address. Whatever the cause, by addressing these, it breaks the cycle; it allows me to do something new.

Since Braulio was at the club, i've been pre-occupied with the absence of leg-locks in white belt competition. Having seen Seni and the DVD recordings of a few other shows (thanks to Steve for hooking me up with his excellent DVD productions), i've noticed that even though the Achilles lock is allowed, it's very rarely used.

Perhaps this is because leglocks are considered "fools gold" by many old-school BJJ practitioners; going for leglocks can, in theory, lead you to a worse position, and can become a white belt's only "go-to" move in a bad situation, which is a terrible habit for learning new things.

I intend to look at ways of setting this manovre up; i don't particularly like the idea of falling "back in the guard and doing my best Ken Shamrock impression", so i think the new "Braulio Guard" will be ideal for me; sweeps and there's a leglock or three in there also.

Good lord.. all that, and i havent even spoken about the class!

Basically, tonight, we covered some more techniques from the "Braulio Guard" - aswell as troubleshooting the sweep that we've been doing. The armbar drill used to warmup was also a good idea, and it's made me realize how desperatley i need to work on my "weak side" armbars. That's on the to-do list.

Then, class took a turn to specific, "pass-the-guard" sparring, in which i performed with moderate success, using my old faithful underpass.

Class then finished with some regular sparring, and i managed to do a little no-gi, in preparation of Thursdays inaugral session.

Two observations; it's harder to break down the posture in guard for someone who's used to grips on sleeves. Also, i LOVE the No-Gi Brabo Choke.

For those of you that don't know it, http://www.grappling.de has ALL you need; Bjorn Friedrich is an inspiration with this move, and will force you to love it.

Until next time, thanks for reading,

and Train hard, kids!

19/05/08 - Muay Thai Class

2008-05-19T21:47:00.002+01:00

First Muay Thai class entry!

I've been doing this for about a month now, at one session a week; this is now increasing to 2 sessions a week as of Thursday, when the time changes.

So the class started with a little light shadowboxing, followed by some head movement drills.
It's an odd sensation to a newcomer who's used to grappling, to have fists flying at your head every second; the obvious temptation for me, somehow, is to close my eyes. I figure this is commonplace with beginners to striking, if not i could be in for a bit of trouble. It's a problem that i'm addressing pretty quickly though, and i think within a few weeks i may have taken the vast majority of the problem away.

The session then progressed into some kick-for-kick trades.
One observation within this environment is that I'm kicking and LANDING the shot with my foot, rather than my shin; i guess again, that this is a newbie mistake and something that will fade in time. It is however, a painful mistake as a failed liver kick led to food-on-elbow crunch time, something which won't quickly be forgotten. I've got a funny feeling that will bruise pretty badly.. fingers crossed, eh?

My performance in regular sparring is showing noticeable improvement; i'm trying new things that i feared to try before, such as combinations and actually using my feet. I think that's something positive to take away from the session; i'm no longer "gunshy", and i'm willing to try new things.

Paul then handed over to Jez to show a few techniques.
Now, a quick note on this guy; just looking at Jez hit the bags sometimes is scary, for a relativley small guy the power in his shots is unreal. Certainly an inspiration for us youngsters to the striking world.

He showed some sweet techniques from the Thai-clinch, double collar tie, plum, whatever you want to call it. This included a really neat way of utilising the head control to bring his body with your movement, allowing for two EXTREMELY nice knee shots to the body; knees to the liver are always going to be my favourite move.

This was a great class, and i am seriously looking forward to the next time i can put the gloves on.

16/05/08 - BJJ Class

2008-05-16T21:56:00.004+01:00

*NOTE* - Muay Thai Class on Thursdays now starts at 6.30pm, same as the monday session - just a heads up for those who didn't hear Paul's announcement on Thursday :).

Once again it's time for another class update, and tonight was pretty superb to be honest with you. Given i had 6 HOURS OF EXAMS, i feel i did pretty well actually, my cardio was just as good as normal.

Session started with some light fun being poked at Steve's toe; it's in pretty bad shape, i'll keep you lot updated. Perhaps a weekly section of the site dedicate to his delicate digit's rehab? Who knows.

But anyway, the session started by covering the Braulio sweeps again; i REALLY need to get these pictured, they are SO sweet. Lee's new entry to the "Braulio Guard" is pretty intense actually, and it certainly gives an excellent degree of control for the sweep, and i've got a funny feeling there's a leglock or three to be found with a little bit of patience there.

Going over the techniques was good, but i felt i came into my own tonight when we started the sparring; my top control is getting a lot better, particularly my flow between cross-sides and the full mount; my submission attempts aren't always there, but my control seems to stay consistent, and control is half of the game anyway.

I've also remembered what an armdrag is; sounds stupid, but i go through phases of totally forgetting they're there, then it suddenly occurs to me and i start going for them. They are good, but my back game isn't what it could be; i always feel a little tipsy on top, but that will change with experience.

I think to me, tonight was a stark reminder that while some things go well in BJJ, there are always areas for improvement, which is what makes it such an exciting sport. Unlike team games and a lot of other traditional martial arts, there's always a new position, a new angle and a new submission to cope with, and that's what keeps this game interesting.

16/05/08 - Mark X Me

2008-05-16T18:05:00.015+01:00

I promised you guys a surprise.. not much of a surprise when you saw me with the video camera, but hey! It's better than nothing.

Okay, enjoy this rolling session from yesterday here between me and Mark Dos Santos, one of our academy's notable white belt competitors. Please be kind on a poor young white belt ;).

PLEASE comment on this; i'd love to hear some feedback on what i could be doing better :). Thanks guys!

Just a disclaimer, don't try this stuff at home. You could injure yourself, and none of us want that. I accept no responsibility if you break your dog's arm in a paw-bar or something, just behave, alright?

That being said, i hope you enjoy, and sorry if the quality isn't too good, it's my first time video-uploading.

Until next time,

Train hard, kids!

I'm the big guy in the Blue Gi :).

15/05/08 - BJJ Class

2008-05-15T21:52:00.006+01:00

Wanted to take it easy tonight because of the 6 hours of hell facing me tomorrow; the problem with the BJJ bug is, it won't let you do that!

The class started prematurely with a little light technique drill or two with Steve Wright, who gave me a quick brainflash when i suddenly remembered the overhook series i'd been wanting to try out.

Going through this again with Lee, i've found a neat new series which i think i will use in future; as long as i can figure out a way of keeping them from stacking into me. That's sort of a phobia of mine, i do it so much i KNOW what's happening and i guess that it's just developed into an issue for me. I'll sort it.

So the overhook series consists of the regular armbar, triangle, cross choke, and optional omoplata; all from one sturdy base. I like it; makes for easy combinations.

The class then continued after Lee showed us his latest brainchild, a neat way of getting into a position i will dub "Braulio guard" until i am told the real name. It's basically a neat type of control using both of the legs, similar to x-guard but squeezing both legs between your knees; i'll picture this tomorrow night.

Then the specific training with Tim was interesting; i believe it was Rickson Gracie that once said that it was the beginners that were unpredictable; this was certainly the case, i was NOT expecting him to pass my lockdown; he threatened it a few times though, forcing me to go to the top game.

Top game is something i think i'll always love; hell, i'm a 280lb 17 year old, and i'm faster than i look. This makes for a fairly top-heavy game, and i think it will always be my forte. I do need to learn to go for more submissions, rather than just drifting from position to position and becoming happy point-hunting.

Tomorrow is the day of the dreaded exams, but after that there's a treat for you all; some rolling i managed to videotape, including me getting a good old fashioned beating by Mark.

What techniques would YOU like to see on this site? I want this to be an interactive medium for the club; if there are any techniques you'd feel you'd appreciate shown in video of photo form, give me an email at revtheluke AT googlemail.com and i'll get onto it as soon as humanly possible.

Until tomorrow,

Train hard, kids!

15/05/08 - Updates, Promises and Exams!

2008-05-15T14:30:00.006+01:00

Hey guys,

I promise to try to keep this blog as training-related as possible, but sometimes i think explanations about the outside world can give you a greater idea as to the direction of the website.

Just a heads up about updates the next few days; AS levels are gonna be absolute nightmares, and tomorrow my college have deemed that because of a clash, I've got 6 hours of exams! And people say the education system is working fine..

And between them, I'm in isolation to make sure i don't "cheat".. like i'd do a thing like that ;).

As such, I'm not sure about updates tomorrow, but i guarantee something special by the weekend :).

I'd appreciate it if any of you could put the link out there; http://revtheluke.blogspot.com (working on getting a decent domain name soon).

And if anyone has got ANY requests or ideas, please send your emails to revtheluke@gmail.com - I'll get back to you the same day, guaranteed.

14/05/08 - Review: Impact MMA Gloves

2008-05-14T16:38:00.003+01:00

Okay, on a budget you do crazy things sometimes. This wasn't one of them.

If any of you guys were lucky enough to attend the Seni show in April 2008, you'll no doubt have noticed the "Royce Gracie Impact" range there. Sold at £10 an item, i picked up both a pair of MMA gloves and a pair of shinpads, which i will review at a later date. They are all black with red trim; i saw some gloves there with a VERY cheap looking flame effect that were cheap, these looked a little more professional.

The MMA gloves felt tight upon first wear; very tight, infact. I still took the plunge, and over the first couple of training sessions, they certainly felt a little looser. Maybe it's because it's faux leather. I really don't know, it's a mystery to me.

Although i don't use them for any MMA class as such, they hold up well on my bag at home, as well as light MMA "rolls" i sometimes have after BJJ class.

The foam padding is quite excessive; it often feels particularly heavy accross the knuckles, something i never noticed with other MMA gloves. I think this makes them more suitable for training rather than a fight, as it would certainly take away a little snap on the punches; the same way a boxing glove would take power away the heavier it is.

In general, they have been holding out well; the wrapping around the fingers is tight enough to keep them in place whilst going for submission attempts.
The open palm design is VERY nice, i really do prefer these to boxing gloves; i tend to find my thumb has more freedom.

This also means that there isn't as much wear to the material as the gloves where the thumb is attatched to the rest of the hand; my lonsdale gloves have been worn around 10 times, and are already in a shocking state at the thumb.

Overall, i'd say this is one of my best purchases of 2008; great for training and hitting the bag, great movement, can't moan for £10 ($20).

13/05/08 - Homemade Medicine Ball

2008-05-13T13:41:00.005+01:00

Before i get into this post, let me first give a quick shout out to the guys and girls over at the Grapplers Guide; there's a link on the right hand side. It's a real goldmine for grappling resources, and well worth the signup fee to become a premium member.

Here is one of the ideas from the site put into practice.

A homemade medicine ball. As you're no doubt aware, medicine balls can be great tools for power training, but also can be a little touch on the expensive side. After a bit of googling, i found one side selling medicine balls at the cost of over £50 for a 5kg ball.

Since i need to get in much better shape (preferably, getting down to the heavyweight weight class), i figured i'd need the right stuff. As a student though, i'm basically broke all the time; so what to do?

Here, i've taken a cheap (50p/$1) used basketball; bought from a carboot sale/yard sale. Current price: $1/50p.

Then, i've taken this, and filled it with sand from a builders merchant; £1.50/$3.

Using a funnel or an amazing degree of patience, after cutting a small hole in the top of the ball, i filled it with the sand; leaving me with a ball that weighs a cool 10kgs.

To cover the hole, i used regular silicone that we had laying around; no cost whatsoever.

So here's a 10kg medicine ball that cost me under $5; £2.

Any comments or suggestions go to revtheluke@googlemail.com - no spam please!

12/05/08 - BJJ Class

2008-05-13T12:54:00.003+01:00

Due to a family issue, i couldn't quite make it in time for the Muay Thai class - shame, looked pretty intense.

Lee started the class by re-introducing us to the Braulio seminar techniques, which we covered again.

I'm having moderate success with the "achilles" sweep, as I've dubbed it; my only problem is that as i wind back in to gain control of the leg, i tend to make him land in a position where the heel hook is more viable; I think i'll need to work on my backward rolls a little more before i can put my foot accross fully. I'll take some pictures of this on thursday.

After working on these techniques, we were told that we'd do a little sparring; starting from the feet.

I thought this would be an ideal opportunity to try out a takedown i'd seen Mike Fowler put in his gameplan on an instructional. Essentially, you swing yourself around one of his legs, taking yourself into a sort of half-guard position; with one leg behind and one in front of his shin, at slightly different heights. This creates a push/pull pressure on his leg, allowing for the takedown. I've only pulled it off once (on a blue belt, mind you).

Can't quite get it right, but it's one for the gameplan.

Sparring was good; I'm getting much better from twister side control, and it's seriously helping my top game; I'm finding it MUCH easier to float between all the top positions, even a little bit of knee on belly!

If anyone has any ideas for the blog, i'd VERY much like to hear them! Feel free to give me a message at revtheluke@googlemail.com - No spam please!

11/05/08 - Braulio Estima Seminar

2008-05-11T11:02:00.007+01:00

So on the 11th of May 08, Braulio Estima once again appeared at the Witham HQ to teach the group some new tricks, and gauge the progress of those that are advancing in their skills (which is quite a few these days!).

Starting at 3pm (at 25 degrees - quite hot for Essex), the seminar began with a very rigorous warmup, something which i think brought everyone in attendance to a sweat - could just be me!

Braulio then went on to explain some fantastic techniques from the spider guard, including two sweeps and an amazingly powerful sweep that landed directly into the Achilles lock.

By this time, i can safely say that almost everyone was getting into the spirit of the event, which built up with some specific training from the spider guard, split over the two mat areas.

I managed to utilize a variation of the achilles sweep, but the technique certainly wasn't perfect. I can safely say it's one for the gameplan though.

The climax of the seminar was the free sparring, during which Braulio looked on and really gauged the progress of all those in attendance.

Needless to say, there were a few very deserving candidates who got promotions of some description

Sam Gaunt - Blue Belt, 2 Stripes
Lee Catling - Purple Belt, 2 Stripes
Steve Wright - White Belt, 4 Stripes
Jez Lord - White Belt, 4 Stripes
Mark Dos Santos - White Belt, 4 Stripes
Steve Boughey - White Belt, 4 Stripes
Luke Wykes (Me!) - White Belt, 2 stripes
Paul Cudmore - Purple Belt!

And no Braulio seminar is complete without the whipping.. and on a hot day, that's the last thing i'd want.

I'd like to use this platform to thank Braulio for another excellent seminar, and we all hope to see him again in the near future. Also, a very big thanks to everyone who attended, without whom the event could not be possible!

Train hard, kids!

(And yes, that is me looking the total goon in that photo!)

P.S. If anyone from the club or anyone in these photos would like a full version, feel free to contact me at revtheluke AT googlemail.com - i'll send the full versions.

10/05/08 - Bloggin'

2008-05-10T20:37:00.006+01:00

So the first question that immediately hits me upon making this blog is;

Why a blog?

Blogs, i believe, are a fantastic way of not only broadcasting your thoughts to the larger world outside of your own box, but also a fantastic technique for thought and emotion preservation.

Over many years and countless diaries, I've come to believe that digitally saving information is not only superior in quality, it is also much more secure, you wouldn't believe the number of coffee cups spilled all over important slips of paper in this house!

But after this, one immediately thinks.. but what do i have to tell the world? As you are no doubt aware, i train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Team Ryu (under Lee Catling, Purple Belt BJJ/Black Belt Judo)and Braulio Estima (Gracie Barra Birmingham) in Witham.

I intend for this site to be both an informative and personal look into the personal growth and development that life brings to one example.

Anyway, enough about blogs.

Let's have some fun!

Luke.