What has occured is a continual analysis of how the principles of one art can benefit the other. Nowhere has a principle of Judo benefitted an aspect of BJJ more, for me, than in the realm of SWEEPS!

I imagine this is initially shocking to you because before you hear my explanation you are probably figuring I am going to have a list of Judo sweeps that BJJ doesn’t have… That is not the case. Instead, a core principle of Judo’s standing arsenal, “Kuzushi,” is highly applicable to the sweeps used in BJJ.

This tutorial will explain how the concept of “Kuzushi” can increase your success rate when effectuating sweeps while on the ground. I will (both through video and text) take you through a number of sweeps and demonstrate how your awareness of (and application of) Kazushi will create more effective sweeps.

WHAT IS KUZUSHI?
Kuzushi is the principle of “off balancing” your opponent. Above I mentioned reading “Judo Unleashed.” It has my favorite explanation of how to think about Kuzushi:

“To visualize the objective of Kuzushi, imagine a large box representing an opponent. While the box can be pushed backward or to one side (…), it is weakest when perched on one corner. (…) In this position the balance of the box is so precarious that it can be thrown in nearly any direction. (…) Part of the benefit of kuzushi is that it often pins the opponent into a vulnerable position from which he cannot regain balance.”

-Picture and above quote taken from: ”Judo Unleashed” by Neil Ohlenkamp, McGraw-Hill, 2006, pg 50.

OBVIOUS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SWEEPS AND JUDO THROWS:

It should be noted that sweeps and throws differ significantly. Because of the lowered center of gravity, increased number of friction points with the ground, and our own decreased ability to generate comparable force, instituting kuzushi is more difficult on the ground. However, if one keeps the concept in mind then troubleshooting your own problematic sweeps might become easier.

SCISSOR/PUSH SWEEP

The Scissor Sweep and the Push Sweep are the two most basic and fundamental sweeps in BJJ. Both are difficult to effectuate unless you have the opponent’s weight loaded so as to off balance him. Once loaded, use your lower leg to block and reap the supporting “corner” while your other leg drives the body over that point. If there is too much stability in that “corner” then use your foot to push the corner back and under the mass of the opponent.

ELEVATOR SWEEP

The Elevator sweep is a great example of using kuzushi to sweep. Imagine your hooking foot is a crow bar under one corner of the box. Your upper body is pulling the box away from that corner so as to make the corner light and the foot is then lifting that corner over the other corner being blocked by your opposite leg. Often students will struggle to elevate with their hook. I have seen that most of the time the reason is they have not drawn their opponent off balance enough.

ARM INSIDE SWEEP

Ohlenkamp said that kuzushi will often leave your opponent in a position from which they cannot regain balance. If done properly, this sweep is just that. Master Caique always emphasizes not engaging the reap until your opponent’s head is close (if not touching) the mat. The reason for that detail is that at that exact point, the opponent is most off balance and the effort you need to exert to finish the sweep is minimal.

HALF GUARD/HALF BUTTERFLY SWEEP

Imagine trying to tip a filled pop machine. You decide to jump up and grab the top back edge and swing until you have it rocked upon its front edge. Then while it is teetering on that edge two linebackers with full pads run and dive into the bottom edge. The pop machine not only would tip, it would somersault. This sweep is very similar to that. Watch how I off balance Neil then send him somersaulting.

DOUBLE ANKLE BUMP SWEEP

When I first learned this sweep, I did not pick up on the suttle angular pressure that increases the sweep’s effectiveness and opens far more options after the opponent hits the ground. Do not focus on driving both of your knees with equal pressure because that will push the opponent on an edge which might work, but if you tip your opponent over a corner, by allowing one knee to drive harder than the other, your off balance is assured to be more drastic.

OMA PLATA SWEEP

The Oma Plata Sweep is a versitile sweep when your opponent stands in your guard. If you do not off balance your opponent in the right direction, you struggle to acheive the optimum position. However, if you conceptualize your legs stretching the corner controlled by your legs as far FORWARD as possible, the eventual sweep and roll happen almost automatically.

COUNTER TO HIP SWITCH METHOD TO MOUNT

While this technique is not a sweep, it is another technique that allows you to visualize kuzushi. When your opponent is getting ready to mount you using the Hip Switch Method to Mount, you have a split second where the opponent (by virtue of lifting one leg to pass your body) places himself on an edge or even a corner. If you are ready and in the right position, you can easily move and end up in cross-side position.

Conclusion:

The above are just examples of how kuzushi can be applied when executing sweeps in BJJ for increased effectiveness. I hope you realize increassed success with your sweeps because of this tutorial.

Caique taught everything from countering the standing guillotine, passing various guards, to continuing to attack an opponent who is playing tight defense from the bottom cross-side. Great material rich in details to refine.

After the techniques, drilling, and Q&A, Master Caique recognized some promotion from each team. The following were the Small Axe members who received promotions:

Tim Sledd (3-stripe Brown Belt)
Brandon Sieg (4-stripe Blue Belt)
Vince Kreipke (Blue Belt)
Joe Compton (4-stripe White Belt)
Aubrey Rawlings (4-stripe White Belt)
Kelsey Wagoner (3-stripe White Belt)
Adam Hayden (2-stripe White Belt)
Brandon Mcguire(1-stripe White Belt)
Jake Waltz (4-stripe Juvie White)

It is always awesome to have Master Caique in town for a seminar. His techniques and insight are invaluable. I encourage all my students to travel to the Caique Jiu Jitsu main academy in California to see why we learn the way we do and experience the great instruction.

Happy Grapping!

On September 26th, 2009, members of Small Axe Jiu Jitsu converged on Northern Detroit to compete in the Michigan Open. We had a competitor that weighed in less than 70 lbs and a couple who cleared the 200 lbs mark with ease. The end result of the day was Small Axe taking home 3 first place medals, 3 second place medals, 2 third place medals and the other two competitors getting some great mat time.

Master Caique, along with Harvey and the Crew from Warrior Way, put on another great tournament. Check out these pics and vids!

PICTURES:

Working to pass Pat's tough guard.

Amasa pao!

Tim's win

Team Caique Sportsmanship

Taking Advice from the Master

Tim Sledd, Master Caique, Pat Spehar

Wiggins Guard Pass

VIDEOS:

THERE WILL BE MORE TOURNAMENT VIDEOS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. STAY TUNED FOR ANOTHER TUTORIAL AND DEMONSTRATIONS BY SOME OF THE GUYS OF THEIR FAVORITE MOVES!

CONGRATS TO ALL THE COMPETITORS!

                It is inevitable that in BJJ you will be told, “Control the hips,” or “It’s all about the hips,” or something along those lines. The advice is sound! What do they mean? This essay is going to try to demonstrate a way to direct your attention to controlling your opponent’s hips. We will first look at what I call the “Hip Control Zone (HCZ).” Then we will dissect several different positions both offensively and defensively with respect and attention paid to the HCZ.

Hip Control Zone (HCZ):

                Imagine you are on your back, under side control. Every time you try to elbow escape, you run into his arm or his knee and you are never able to get your knee to your elbow. Or, you are attacking someone from your guard; each time you move to sweep or swing on an armbar your legs seem too short or your butt feels like it is stuck to the mat. What you’re imagining is probably a past reality and likely will happen again; someone has managed to control your hip mobility and they did so by controlling your HCZ.

Side Control Variations:

                Traditional: In this side control your head-side arm is across his body and controlling his upper body by maintaining a tight pinch. Your hip-side arm is the real key though. If your partner is flat, then you can simply place your hand on the mat at the hip bone and effectively mute the HCZ. However, if your partner bumps or adjusts to his side, you might need to control in another way. This is because the HCZ has expanded. One strategy is to place the person flat on his or her back again and thereby minimize the HCZ.

                100 Kilos: This is a powerful way to keep your opponent flat on his back, but you have to keep your attention attuned to the bottom guy’s HCZ. If your focus is too much on the upper body then escape is easy for your opponent. Use your hip-side knee to block the HCZ.

                Kuzure kesa and Kesa Gatame: If you have trained Judo or wrestled, these positions may be a place you find yourself naturally. They can be great positions to hold and control the opponent, but if you lose sight of the opponent’s HCZ, you might end up in a worse position. 

                Twister Side Control (High Cross-side): I love this position when I am going against a younger, stronger, or more aggressive partner or opponent.  The reason I like it so much is that it allows one to smash a great deal of pressure on an opponent’s upper body while easily controlling the hips. Submissions, transitions, and a position that allows you to breathe easy for a bit make this position a great position to hold when you are NOT against the clock.

Knee on Belly:  

Knee on Belly is a position that many fear advancing to because of the ease with which their training partners are able to escape. I find that sad because Knee On Belly is a great way to attack, punish and advance on an opponent. With some careful placement of the foot and knee coupled with awareness of your opponent’s options for escape with their hips, your ability to submit increases significantly when you use Knee on Belly.

Mount:

Nothing is more frustrating than attaining one of the most dominating positions in an art to quickly lose it and its options in the blink of an eye. With some simple attention to detail and cognizance paid toward the HCZ, your mount will be tough to deal with.

High Side:

Combat Mount, High-Side, or “Rickson” (whatever you want to call it) this position is a great strategy to employ on an opponent determined to elbow escape from your mount. Again, the secret to making the High-Side a valuable position is controlling your opponent’s hip movement.  Watch how I demonstrate a method to tighten down your high-side. 

S-Mount:

If you love to hear your opponent groan and huff and puff, then the S-Mount is worth exploring. Your opponent’s hips are going to be hard for them to engage and utilize against you. Watch how I hold my S-Mount to maximize pressure and minimize risk through awareness of my opponent’s hip movement.

Attacking the Turtle:

 When your opponent turns to the turtle position on you, they are opening themselves up to many submissions and transitions to inferior positions. However, savvy BJJ practitioners will often roll to turtle to prevent you from securing a pass, or obtaining another dominating position. Then, if you do not have control of their hips, they will quickly return to guard, stand up in base, or attack your legs for the reversal or takedown! If you are conscious of the HCZ, you can frustrate their efforts and take advantage of their mistake.

Guard:

 My friend and training partner Kedar Bhat once told me that the reason he was able to work me from his guard was because I was not doing a good job of controlling his hips. Over the next few years of sparring against him I worked to figure out what he meant and develop a solution. What occurred was common sense, but perhaps this video will save you the same frustration.

Butterfly Guard:

There are many details that count in passing a butterfly guard. However, with the Toreando Pass, you won’t be able to finish if you don’t control your opponent’s hips. Here I show how to drop your shoulder low to keep your opponent from elbow escaping or countering with a roll.

Half Guard:

Professor Caique starts all of his Half-guard series from establishing a good posture. In so doing, he has taught me that the secret to preventing getting swept from half-guard is controlling your opponent’s HCZ.  If your opponent tries to come under your leg, they will be met by a tightly cramped knee in their HCZ. If your opponent moves his hips away, he makes himself vulnerable for several pass options.

Back Mount:  

Maintaining back mount is all about keeping a proper proportion of upper body control with hooks that lock hip movement down. In the following video I explain how escaping the back mount is largely dependent on freeing up the HCZ. I also explain why a newly popular back submission is so effective.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I wrote this essay and shot the included videos not because they are the holy grail of grappling. I did this because I was left to discover what “controlling the hips” meant for myself. Perhaps, now that you have seen my discovery you will take less time discovering it yourself.

Happy Grappling,

Tim

The Big Tree will not fear the dull axe, nor will it fear the axe that has been tucked away in cabinet. Rather, the axe must be sharp and ready. To be such in jiu-jitsu, one must have four things. First, one must have a mastery of the fundamental positions. Next, one must be able to organize those moves into an actionable strategy. Then, one’s timing must be right. Finally, the tightness of the technique must be right.

Fundmentals:

In Small Axe BJJ, Professor Caique and I came up with Minimal Objective Requirements for Blue Belt. These are what I feel are the core building blocks of BJJ. They are focused on the fundamental positions in BJJ (i.e. the guard, mount, back mount, cross-side, knee on belly, and the reverse of each position). The techniques listed are those that I feel once mastered, provide the framework for adding the any additional technique.

The fundamental positions and core techniques are easily linked and drilled. For the newer students it is recommended that you drill the sequences taught in class beginning with little to no resistance, then incrementally increase the resistance until you are practicing the techniques live. For the advanced or advancing student, it is important when you train with the less skilled that you take that opportunity to practice limiting yourself to specific sequences, even if that means foregoing an open technique. This will help you learn to build strategies.

Strategy:

Strategy is critical to success. Seldom in anything we do in life will ‘winging it’ really provide us with meaningful, repeatable success. Like the song says, “Playing smart but then not being clever…” Some people have coined the creation of strategy in BJJ ‘gameplanning,’ but I think quality strategy is a little different. For example, I might make a game plan to go out and as soon as my opponent and I slap hands, I will grab his collar and look to dump him. Such a specific strategy could end quickly if the opponent instead shoots for my legs right off the bat. My game plan is thrown off. However, if I have a general strategy to come out and work to take the fight to the ground in such a manner as to end me in the top position, I can work several game plans into that scenario, one of which might include the possibility of the guy shooting in on me.

So, if I want to get a raise at work, I can just wing it and ask for one, or I can employ a strategy of finding the most successful route for me to get that raise. Jiu Jitsu is the same. Some students will learn that they fare far better when they eliminate takedowns by pulling guard. Others will find they are good at throws. Neither is better than the other, both are good Jiu Jitsu, but the students must explore the potential strategies to find what works best for them.

Timing:

Likewise if I want a raise at work, asking for it when the company is in the middle of layoffs may not be a wise idea. Why? The timing is wrong. In BJJ, when employing one’s strategy it is important to recognize the correct timing to do so. Learning the elements of each move makes them seem segmented, but in reality they are fluid motions. This is also the critical element of timing. When someone is keeping his elbow tight to his body and between his body and my leg, it is not the right time to swing around for the mounted armlock. He will surely escape that submission because the defense was in place.

Timing of techniques comes from repetition. Timing of attacks comes from lots of sparring. Timing of defense comes from failing and being submitted. Harkening back to the earlier discussion about leaving your EGO off of the mat, your timing will be weaker if you are too concerned about getting tapped.

Tightness:

Sticking with the raise at work analogy, if I want a raise at work, it is unlikely the CEO will give me a raise if he has no idea who I am or why I deserve a raise. So, just walking up to him and asking for a raise will not end in the result I desire. However, if I prepare a sharp resume, dress nicely, get recommendations from my immediate supervisor, the likelihood that the CEO will consider improving my pay is increased. This is like ‘tightness’ in BJJ. When moving from cross-side to mount by way of the hip switch method to mount, I might have come up the most appropriate strategy (i.e. get mounted) at the perfect time (i.e. opponent is tired and flattened on his back), but if I use predictable or sloppy technique, I may fail due to minimal resistance of my opponent.

I have come to find that there is no better feeling than when an opponent says, “I knew exactly what you were going to do; I just could not stop it.” That means your tightness was perfect. Such tightness comes from understanding the details of the techniques, the ‘whys’ of certain movements, shifts of weight, and progression of attacks.

You will hear me say it again and again in class. We want to be like boa constrictors when we attack. How does a boa kill its prey? It latches on to it; then it begins to squeeze; then it subtly increases the pressure of the squeeze to correspond to the exhales of its prey thereby never letting the prey take in as full of a breath as it just exhaled. Eventually, the prey suffocates. When we are mounting our attacks we should move aggressively for the position we desire. Once achieved, we should work to eliminate all escapes and counters possible. Finally we should employ our final attack and submission.

Conversely, when we are on defense, we should work to escape in the opposite fashion. Our first objective should be to prevent the aggressor from getting the position he desires. If we fail at that, our next objective is to achieve an escape, counter, or prevention sequence which leaves no other option except for the aggressor to abandon his desired position thus giving us the opportunity to escape or mount a counter attack.

Conclusion:

To be sharp and ready the students must be well versed in the fundamental positions, transitions, and submission of  BJJ. More than mere knowledge though will be the ability to employ effective strategies at the right time with the appropriate degree of tightness.

                One of the most exciting parts of teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the experience of witnessing students progress in skill and develop in mental acuity. Part of the progression entails improved physical abilities, but the beauty of BJJ is that, because of its intellectual components, one’s physical limitations can be overcome. This essay will explore the various mental revelations that occur with developing and progressing grapplers.

THE REVELATION OF RECOGNITION:

                To the untrained eye, BJJ, submission grappling, and ground-fighting in general looks like two people pummeling around on the ground hugging, then suddenly it is over. I clearly remember in 1995 when I first saw Royce Gracie fighting in the UFC. I actually rooted against him because I did not understand what he was doing nor why it was ‘winning’ the fights. I wanted to see faces punched, heads kicked, and elbows dropped. I thought it seemed strange that none of the losers was able to shake Royce. I was not recognizing the leverage, the techniques, the skills, and the advantages of mastering grappling.

                The beginning BJJ student is often overwhelmed by the lexicon of art. There are various names for the same positions, submission, and series. Some of the names make little sense (e.g. Americana bears no logical descriptive value to the actual submission) while others (e.g. cross-body) are clear. As the student is immersed in the language, observes matches, listens to his instructor and asks questions, he becomes familiar with the language of the art.

                The “Revelation of Recognition” is different than just a familiarity with the names of the techniques, it is an ability to observe them and predict them or see their place in the match at hand. Frustratingly, it can often be a complete awareness of where a more advanced training partner is taking you and an understanding of the impending ending. I have had countless students say to me, “I knew what was coming and I just could not stop it!” I commend them when they say this because when they begin to “see” or recognize the attacks, they are on their way to being able to appropriately defend them. That is very significant and essential to progression.

THE REVELATION OF TECHNIQUE OVER STRENGTH AND SPEED:

                Royce Gracie, Marcello Garcia, Eddie Bravo, Jeff Glover, and many other highly successful BJJ practioners would not catch many peoples’ eyes when they walk through an airport. They don’t fit the mold of professional athletes. Neither are they big, tall, stacked with muscles, nor are they billionaires who grace pop culture magazines. They are men who have twisted larger, more powerful, faster men into submission and barely broken a sweat. The interesting thing is these guys are the ‘rule’ not the ‘exception.’

                Where I am from, the Mid-west, people are familiar with wrestling. They have probably been forced to participate in a match or two through phys-ed classes, or at least seen a match first hand as nearly every public school has a wrestling program. In wrestling, speed and strength are very important. Given the objective of pinning an opponent, one must be able to exert force over a short time. Again, to the untrained eye, BJJ is like wrestling, so an incorrect assumption is that the same strategies of wrestling are going to be “the best strategies” for jiu jitsu. Here is how one of my students, Josh Britt, puts it:

“We always hear in class to “use good technique” but in this situation (4 hour Blue Belt Pre-test) I was forced to do so, and it really opened my eyes at how much easier grappling becomes.  Using good technique over and again will cause certain positions and moves to become almost second nature.  The way I think of it is like a heartbeat.  You don’t have to tell your heart to pump blood throughout your body, it just does it.  It’s an involuntary action you can’t control.  When someone is on top of me in cross side, I am immediately off my back and up on my side.  I don’t even really have to think about it, it just happens, and since I don’t have to worry about trying to get up on my side, I can now focus more on other defenses and counters.

Because of the way I have changed mentally, I feel my game has improved a tremendous amount.  I’m no longer tired after sparring for long periods of time.  I’m no longer using strength or force, but technique and leverage.  I think when you start out in jiu-jitsu or any form of grappling for that matter, you rely a lot on strength and that’s fine because you don’t know a lot about what you’re doing.  But as you progress, the knowledge to strength ratio becomes more and more unbalanced, and my whole perspective on jiu-jitsu has changed because of it.  I’m more relaxed and aware of what is going on, during a match, or in training. The techniques of this martial art were developed to be used by smaller individuals against a larger opponent.  No matter what size or build you are, once you realize the meaning and purpose of good technique, can retain that knowledge, and can effectively execute against resistance, the game changes completely in your favor.”

                While strength, power, speed, and fortitude to hold someone in a given position play a role in submission grappling, there is a revelation that occurs wherein the progressing grappler learns that techniques when applied with the appropriate strategy, tightness, and timing can easily force a stronger, faster, more powerful opponent to submit. This is the Revelation of Technique over Strength and Speed. A student who is truly realizing this will advance in perspective. A burden will lift from his/her shoulders. They no longer have to match their opponent’s physical abilities! The battle now is to utilize the best technique, at the right time, in the right manner.

THE REVELATION OF RELAXATION:

                The Revelation of Relaxation usually comes rather contemporaneous to the Revelation of Technique over Speed and Strength. It is a change in mindset wherein the student’s approach is no longer to overwhelm the partner or opponent in the first minute of a match. Nor is the approach to resist every single movement of the partner with all one’s might. Instead, at appropriate points in the training, it is the clear and conscious decision to pause, think, and breathe.

                Relaxing allows one to conserve energy, read attacks, evaluate balance, and analyze strategy. From a defensive standpoint, relaxing allows one to circle the wagons, bring the elbows in, protect the neck and move away from square with the offensive player. From an offensive standpoint, relaxation allows for the increased pressure, awareness of exposures that may not have been evident at the outset. Take for example the following:

      You are underneath the mount. It is hot; he is heavy; and you are strong. Instinct tells you to push, bump, and attempt to roll. The guy on top is ready, he feels your bump and snags one of your extending arms and taps you quickly with a belly down arm-bar.

Or

You have just passed the guard and find yourself in scarf-hold position. Your favorite attack is the Americana from there. You choose to relax and cover your bases. In doing so, you notice the partner is already on his side and ready to escape. So you adjust your hips settle your weight and flatten him out. Now the arm is better exposed and ready for the attack.

                The realization that a training session, match, or free spar does not have to be a whirlwind of unbridled and negligent movements greatly increases the efficacy of the art being performed.

THE REVELATION OF LINKAGE:

                The Revelation of Linkage is one clear common experience of people ready for their purple belt. This revelation is often not a conscious one but rather a ‘realization’ that linkage has occurred. “Linkage” is often referred to as ‘flow.’ It is the ability to move from one move to the next in a fluid fashion. To have this revelation take place, the grappler must have an understanding of the larger picture in each position and how it fits into the other positions. Additionally, the grappler will have repeated the technical attacks to a point where he transitions from one movement to the next with little thought.

                Newer students often say that they feel as though their training partners are a few steps ahead of them. Once a student has the revelation of linkage and their game begins to flow, it will seem as though that student is ‘creating’ the mistakes that the newer student is making. That is the beauty of linkage; it does not relegate you to a specific ‘plan of attack’ but rather lets your game be open to options that present themselves during a roll.

                Professor Caique has always encouraged me to make sure I train with white belts and newbies. He told me they will not react the same way as a seasoned student and they will do unpredictable things. Thus, training with the inexperienced really tests your linkage challenges your flow. However, there is a lot of gratification in seeing your game become fluid despite awkward resistance and unconventional onslaughts.

THE REVELATION OF PRESSURE:

                I remember training with Greg Lucas and Adam benShea when they both were brown belts and I was a new purple belt. With everyone else I trained with, even if they eventually submitted me, I could move. With Adam and Greg, there were times where I could not get to a defensive posture. Their pressure just crushed me.

                I firmly believe that the Revelation of Pressure comes from the Revelation of Linkage. As you learn to link your techniques together, flow in and out of positions and transitions, you learn that certain positions afford you a higher percentage of taps. Therefore, you learn to maximize your time in those positions while minimizing the exertion of effort on your part. What you will ultimately realize is that pressure is the mechanism of maximizing suffering for your partner while minimizing your effort.

                If your pressure is right, the other person will almost willingly put themselves into danger. Take for example Cent Kilos. I love to bait the head -arm triangle from this position. I have tapped several black belts with this technique and with good pressure as the secret. If you just smash someone’s chest in Cent Kilos, and they are properly defending their far arm, they have no incentive to move that arm in front of your face to provide the proper position for head-arm triangle. However, if you smash their face with ’shoulder of pain’ and drop your head-side hip low to the mat, you would be surprised how often the opponent will take his far arm out of proper defense to try to alleviate the pressure on his jaw. At that point, sliding knee across stomach to the opposite side is wide open and the attack is on.

  Here you can see the Cent Kilos with Gable Grip and shoulder pressure.

 Here you can see the ‘Shoulder of Pain’ doing its job of causing extreme discomfort.

                Likewise from the guard position on the bottom, I love the arm-inside sweep/arm-inside armbar combination. I rarely get those moves if I go for it from the initial good guard position. What I like to do is break the top guy’s posture down and hug him around the neck with a Gable grip. (Once you have mastered controlling someone’s posture that way and have learned to keep your elbows tight, an amazing number of attacks and sweeps open up.) When I feel the top guy relent to trying to pull up and instead decide to drive forward into me, I then move into my arm-inside series. “I didn’t see that coming,” is a common response I get from the now mounted foe.

                Pressure is wonderful because one second you can have it and then in another you can make it disappear and the whole complexion of game changes. Going from tortoise to hare then back to tortoise can stymie your opponent’s offense and cause extreme frustration.

THE REVELATION OF LESS IS MORE:

                Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is wonderfully organic. I think that is one of its characteristics that separates it from all the other martial arts. As of the date of this essay, no single entity has been able to mandate complete control over its techniques and restrict growth. Even today, a no-gi off-shoot of BJJ, is developing new techniques and strategies. Likewise, old standard techniques are reborn with vitality when experts submit other experts in major tournaments.

                I am a consummate student of the art. I own dozens of books, tons of videos, and have watched more internet vids, read more blogs, and visited more websites than anyone I know. As such, I always hoped that I would find ‘my game’ among the next periodical, or in the next clip, or in the next tournament video.

Then came Adam benShea. Adam is a beast of a human being. He is super intelligent, built like a brick house, and his jiu jitsu is out of this world. The first time I ever sparred with him, he pulled guard, scissor swept me, did knee slide pass to side control, dug my far arm out and Americana-ed it. You might ask how I remember this in such detail. Well, he did it at least ten times in a row! I tried everything I could defend each time. I was a purple belt! Not just a mediocre purple, but one that was winning tournaments!

Later, once I was able to frustrate the Americana, he would step over my head and reverse armlock the same arm. Once I frustrated that, it was kimura time! This was months and months of training and his attacks were the same. He could recognize all the flashy crap we wanted to learn, but they were not part of his game. He was content with using the few moves he was excellent at to reek havoc.

Finding what works for your body, your game, your attitude, your mental demands and honing those to perfection is very important. Being a ‘jack of all trades and a master of none’ will only get you so far in BJJ. At some point you have to begin to develop go-to moves. It is when you make this decision that you are realizing that ‘less is more.’ There is no need for me to learn the inverted guard game. It does not fit my body, my attitude, my philosophy or my common strategy, so I will watch it and admire it, but need not spend precious repetition time on it.

THE REVELATION THAT ALL THESE REVELATIONS REPEAT:

                There are probably other, very obvious, revelations that I am missing. However, the last revelation, the Revelation that all these Revelations Repeat, is the Revelation that led me to realize that all the aforementioned Revelations are real. As you progress through each belt level, you will come to recognize moves, you will refine your technique to accommodate for deficiencies in strength/speed/power, you will continue to link moves in deeper more meaningful sentences, you will explore levels of pressure from different positions to maximize your opponent’s suffering while minimizing your effort, and you will pare away techniques you have learned that don’t meet your needs. I imagine the day these progressions quit happening for me will be the day I quit grappling!

2/28/09 Professor Caique Seminar

February 28th, 2009, Professor Caique ventured to Indiana to give a seminar. After a grueling training session, several of the Small Axe Jiu Jitsu participants were awarded promotions.
New Blues:

Bryan Neal Moves to Blue Belt

Tyler Stocke moves into Blue!

Justin Roberts Moves into Blue!

Greg Hamilton Steps into Blue!

Doug Bailey moves into Blue

Wiggins gets stripe 1 on his blue belt.

Josh Britt gets his first stripe on his blue belt!

 Other Noteable Promotions:

Cody Craig (Lucas Martial Arts/Small Axe hybrid student)

Buddy Mitchell (Lucas Martial Arts/Small Axe) Moves to Purple

Chris Hayre (Lucas Martial Arts) Moves into Brown Belt!!!!

Kedar Bhat gets his 3rd stripe on his Purple Belt

Big Vince from Depauw gets his 4th stripe on his white belt.

 TIM SLEDD AMONG THOSE HONORED

Distinguished IU Alumni Awards (Paul Hogan, Greg Lucas, Professor Caique, Tim Sledd, Kedar Bhat)

Tim Sledd being Honored by IU Professor John Hill!

Tim Sledd looks over Jake as he attemps to pass Lain's half-guard.

Will MMA make BJJ obsolete? My quick answer is no (so long as the rules allow for combat to continue on the ground for more than sixty seconds). Now, it must be noted that when I refer to BJJ, I am referring to the entire artform, not just its sport component. BJJ is a martial art that has three branches (sport-gi, sport- no-gi, and self-defense). Many traditionalists would argue that there is a fourth component, MMA. I believe that MMA is so much of a hybrid that it is not accurate to call it BJJ. However, it is fair to say that MMA is dependent upon BJJ.

While it is possible for a MMA fighter to do well while only being versed in a standing art, wrestling, judo, sambo, or ninjitsu, if the fighter has not spent significant time working on jiu jitsu, his/her reign will be short lived. MMA requires an athlete to be versed and competent in Bruce Lee’s 4 ranges of fighting (Kicking, Punching, Clinch, and grappling).

Another reason MMA will not make BJJ obsolete is that MMA and its training will not be (and is not) appealing to the masses. While many men and women may enjoy watching a great cage fight, I have witnessed first hand ‘tough guys’ cower under a short 5 minute boxing spar session during an MMA training class. BJJ on the other hand, offers a philosophy of defense that encourages the minimization of strikes, the coordinated closing of the distance, the fast and effective takedown, and application of a submission technique that makes an adversary choose the conclusion of the confrontation. There is a philosophical de-valuation of exchanging blows, maximizing harm to your adversary, and ‘going the distance’. Thus, the average Joe can train an effective theory without having to be hit repeatedly in a night.

I actually think that BJJ (at least in the US) has grown significantly because of MMA. Students wanting to learn MMA often hear of their favorite fighters’ abilities in BJJ so they check out the schools. This increases the student base and athleticism of he student body and thus makes the training better too.

What are the differences between MMA grappling and BJJ? First, BJJ has eliminated strikes in ‘competition’ so ’sport-techniques’ have arisen that can leave a fighter vulnerable to strikes. Take for example many of the half-guard techniques. While there are viable sweeps and reversals from half-guard, many fine jiu-jitsu fighters have found themselves on the receiving end of a wrestler’s elbow because of over confidence in this inferior fighting position. Conversely, MMA grappling has developed such that striking from within the guard is now a viable option. In sport BJJ, passing the guard is the method of advancing and proving dominance when one finds himself in the guard. Effective MMA grappling requires awareness of the core BJJ positions, transitions and submission.

TO GI OR TO NO-GI… THE VERY CONTROVERSIAL DEBATE:

Even among jiu jitsu practitioners, there is a debate about the quantity of gi training that should be undertaken, especially for those who focus on entering MMA. For clear and convincing arguments against gi training, look no farther than Eddie Bravo’s texts and forum posts by one of his top instructors Brandon Quick. Since they make their points so well, I will not summarize but rather offer my counter points.

First, running backs, sprinters, and swimmers add elements of clothing (e.g. parachutes for the running backs and sprinters) to increase their ‘drag’ and add friction. This develops their speed and ability to perform against external pressures. The gi offers the same advantages to a no-gi grappler as well as an MMA fighter. If your training partner has hundreds of handles to control you with, your escapes will have to be that much more technical, your movements that much more precise, and your strategies that much better planned in order to pull them off. When the gi is shed, your mind, body, and technique will feel the relief of a sprinter without a parachute, or an olympic swimmer shaved to the skin.

Next, I have yet to see too many abu dhabi champions who has not spent significant time in the gi. Even Eddie Bravo became a black belt in gi jiu jitsu. Can MMA grappling be mastered without training in the gi… YES, but my GUESS is that it will take significantly longer and be less efficient than if the person train a balanced grappling regimen of gi and no-gi.

So, for the potential or current MMA fighters who are reading this, MMA grappling has developed away from the principles of BJJ, but require a knowledge of fundamental positions, transitions and submissions of BJJ. I also argue that training in the gi (in moderation) can benefit the MMA fighter by developing more refined movement and attacks.

There are countless styles of grappling. Boiled down to their essence though the grappling arts can be divided into the following divisions: wrestling, sambo, judo, jiu jitsu. This article will postulate an argument for jiu jitsu. All of these arts have value, are fun, and can be supplemented by the others, but the question was ‘why jiu jitsu’?

What does Jiu Jitsu offer the others don’t? Brazilian Jiu Jitsu offers the fewest restrictions among the group of grappling arts. Very few moves are concidered ‘illegal’ and are prohibited. Therefore, if you want the broadest arsenal of grappling techniques (from takedowns to submissions) then BJJ is art. Wrestling has subsets that offer fantastic takedowns and takedown defenses (Greco-Roman, Freestyle, Folk-Style) but they prohibit ‘potentially dangerous’ positions (i.e. submissions). Judo offers comprehensive takedowns, a number of submissions, but its rules make illegal certain techniques and discourage extended ground fighting. Sambo, like Judo, has great takedowns and submissions, but ground-play has been limited with an intermediary willing to step in and re-start the participants.

Jiu Jitsu allows all the takedowns of wrestling, Judo, Sambo and allows all of their submissions. Jiu Jitsu will allow the participants to continue the contest until a winner is determined by the contestants (except in a timed event). So, from a standpoint of how many weapons do you want?… Jiu Jitsu gives you the most and the platform from which to apply the weapons.

Each of the grappling arts has been used throughout history as a combat system. Reading Jigoro Kano’s Kodokan Judo, one can quickly see that his intent was to keep Judo a functional combat system, but when reading Neil Ohlenkamp’s Judo Unleashed it becomes apparant that the sportification of Judo caused it to lose much of its practical combat efficiency because instruction became sport focused. Likewise, wrestling in its various permutations became so burdened with rules that while it created monsters as men, save for pins and ground and pound, wrestling had little to offer as an effective combat system.

Another benefit of BJJ over the other arts is that it has traditionally not been strictly tied to formalities. By this I mean in wrestling, judo, and sambo the uniforms are formalized. In BJJ a uniform is often worn, but taking the uniform off and training no-gi is common and competition has been created to encourage development of each of the techniques against opponents wearing less than sturdy kimonos. This is not to say that Judoka, and Sambo guys cannot compete well no-gi, nor is it to say that a great wrestler cannot put a gi on and tear through BJJ tournament, it is just that a Jiu Jitsu practitioner will most likely have spent considerable time in both a uniform and without one.

All of these differences sets BJJ apart in my opinion as a martial art. What if my adversary is shirtless? What if I am wearing a bulky winter coat? What if we end up on the ground and no one is there to stop the action? BJJ has the training and the answer to all of these grappling questions. Judo struggles with the first question, wrestling struggles with the second question and all three of the other grappling arts struggles with the last question.

I began wrestling when I was in the second grade. I continued throughout my high school career. When I transitioned to BJJ I quickly learned (though it took longer to break) that the explosive, frantic movements that allowed me to be successful as a wrestler caused me to gas out, or placed me in significant trouble when I went against weaker less athletic jiu jitsu guys.

Early on, I had a negative opinion of Judo because even as a blue belt in BJJ I was able to tap Judo black belts with relative ease (after they tossed me of course). As time has passed, my affinity for Judo has increased and when a good Judo guy who has supplemented his Judo to (let’s say) purple belt jiu jitsu level, he/she is a force to be dealt with. So, it should come as no surprise that in the recent past I have sought judo instruction to keep my grappling game strong.

A last point that I will emphasize is the culture surrounding jiu jitsu. It has become axiomatic that BJJ is a lifestyle. From the obligatory hang loose fingerwave in pictures, to referring to everyone (including one’s instructor) as “bro” BJJ is a very relaxed environment. As such, in large part, bowing is out, as is devout reverence of the instructor.

So, to summarize, a person looking for the most effective grappling art, with the fewest rules and restrictions that has the most combat effectiveness should choose BJJ. However, that is not to say they should forgo training wrestling, Judo, or Sambo!

Happy Grappling!

Tim

The modern American educational system allows for someone to graduate high school with a rudimentary knowledge base. No certain skill need be mastered, nor is there a requirement of ability to teach or even adequately explain “why” things are the way they are.

Next, comes undergraduate college and bachelor’s degrees. Here, significant time is spent learning theories explaining ‘why’ and developing a more detailed knowledge base. Through the use of essay exams and comprehensive exams, by the end of undergraduate studies, analytical thinking has been further nurtured and a moderate degree of expertise in the fundamentals and working ability to apply knowledge to practice is expected.

From there, a few pass through to a Master’s program. Here, intense time is spent on theory, variations, honing the ability to teach/explain/understand nuance. A Master’s degree is specific to a field and the student will be highly knowledgeable in his/her course of study.

After the Master’s, a few move on to the Doctoral program. At this point the students are working on a complete mastery as well as developing their own contribution to the field. There are varying values and practical functions with Doctoral degrees, but universally they are held as the respected by their peer group, capable of explaining and understanding the nuance details of their field as well as a comprehensive knowledge of how the field fits into the larger world view.

BJJ belts can be similar to the above. A blue belt can be equated with a high school diploma, a purple belt might equal an undergraduate degree, a brown belt a master’s degree and a black belt a doctorate degree.

A blue belt is expected to have an ability to know the basics. Basic positions, submissions, transitions and principles should be known. Much as a highschool graduate is expected to be able to differentiate between algebra, chemistry, literature, so too should a blue belt be able to differentiate between mount, knee on belly, and guard. Just as a highschool graduate is expected to have a knowledge of both world and national history, a blue belt should at a minimum know the origins of BJJ (i.e. the JJJ->Judo->Brazil path). While I hold my students to a much higher standard than this, over the past 10 years, the aforementioned adequately describes the majority of students I have seen move from white belt to blue belt.

Just as a highschool education is near compulsory, a blue belt is growing more common and under quality instruction nearly compulsory for anyone willing to dedicate 18 to 24 months to consistent and dedicated training. A college education though is far from compulsory. The percentage of people who have graduated from highschool who go on to graduate from college is low. These facts bare true for the transition from blue belt to purple belt too.

A purple belt in BJJ is considered advanced and in some regions even elite. Not only will a purple belt have a working knowledge of basic positions, transitions, and submissions, the purple belt is able to apply the fundamentals in flowing fashion because of his/her more developed understanding of the principles behind the techniques. I have yet to meet a purple belt who could not thoroughly explain ‘why’ a certain sweep works or ‘how’ to make an armlock tighter. A purple belt is beginning to really analyze  the fine details and hone their areas of interest within the broader picture of BJJ.

Professor Caique told me on the day of my purple belt promotion that I knew enough technique to be a black belt, but improving on strategy, tightness, and timing would be necessary for advancement to the next levels. So, not much should ’surprise’ a purple belt as far as ‘new techniques’ or principles are concerned, even though the purple belt may not be able to apply every technique in the appropriate situation.

To me, a purple belt IS a STUDENT! A purple belt is exploring, reading, watching videos, asking complex questions, and working on understanding, not just blindly following. The purple belt is invested, not only in progressing through belts, but most importantly in getting better. I have often seen white belts who only want to achieve a colored piece of cloth around their waist. They get the blue and within days they are asking about a purple belt. Somewhere around the middle point of blue belt, that inquiry ceases. To become a purple belt, years pass, whining loses value, with personal development and improvement accompanied by flowing performance being the replacement of belt color focus.

A purple belt who wants to continue will undergo a process of refinement. I have found observed that purple belts (while being able to execute fundamentals) will explore non-traditional positions and lower percentage of success attacks in order to find their validity and to increase their bag of tricks. Through this exploration they pass into the next level, brown belt.

The brown belt is committed, invested, and looking toward complete mastery. They have seen the periphery of the sport and are able to discuss/explain/ and demonstrate such, but the eye is most focused on eliminating what works least in their game and improving what works best. Much like a passing from a master’s program to a doctoral program, the brown belt is reducing to minutia the ‘truths’ surrounding their game. They are pushing the boundaries of these truths to test them and through experimentation and elimination they are truly identifying their game, in effect, their jiu jitsu.

The black belt is the culmination of all the foregoing. Time has been spent, details learned, relearned, explained, and questions asked and answered. As with the doctorate degree, perfection of knowledge is on going, but a black belt will be able to teach, teach well, perform, perform well, apply, apply well, and will be recognized and supported by a peer group of equally accomplished individuals.

The value of a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is not $15.00.  It is the network of people who come together behind a promoting instructor to say that an individual has attained a level of knowledge and ability to warrant distinction. The beauty of a BJJ black belt is that no one has yet to walk in, demand, and earn one. There is a distillation process (much like academia) that is undertaken.

So, if you have undertaken the journey of becoming a Jiu Jitsu practitioner, know that it is more than a check the box or fill in the bubble exam. It is most likely it will be more than learning an essay exam formula. Being a BJJ black belt will involve formulating a dissertation (an individualized explanation of the area of study sufficiently demonstrating mastery).

Get to studying and happy grappling!

Tim

P.s. for great viewpoints on this same topic, make sure to check out www.aliveness101.comand/or google Roy Harris’ belt requirements. These have been great insights to me.