Anger can seem like a great problem solver at first. People tend to operate in patterns. Our emotional state is interwoven into those patterns. When we take on a difficult task, frustration can easily give way to anger. A sudden burst of energy and focus may actually help accomplish a simple objective. But, we can […]
Do you journal your Jiu Jitsu? Writing to yourself is low pressure, because you are the only one who has to understand it. Proper grammar is only necessary to convey information to others. Explaining Bjj to yourself can still take time and effort to get the hang of. In Taking Notes we briefly discussed a few options […]
The human body is fragile. We learn this very quickly in Jiu Jitsu. The biggest and strongest people in the gym feel the same pain as everyone else when caught in a tight submission. I have to say a lot of obvious things here, but some people honestly don’t know. We have to preserve both […]
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is often compared to chess. But why? The best players can see several moves ahead. You will get a general sense of direction early. But high level competitors seem to read your mind. Let’s look at three methods for growing this type of understanding. Begin with losing. Yup. Losing. You will find […]
What makes a group exceptional? I purposely spend the majority of my time around Jiu Jitsu people. My reason for this is simple. They are a constant source of positive energy. What about them is so different from average? New faces are always welcome. In most environments, people are drawn to similarities. Because of social […]
I honestly thought everyone knew. I love to train, and teaching is the most logical way to train full time. But teaching has a way of showing us exactly how much we don’t know. Because I started in a small town in Missouri, the challenge wasn’t what I expected. Don’t get me wrong, the people […]
Purple belt is the first elite belt. Every instructor has different standards, but nobody worth his salt just hands out a purple belt. I can only speak for myself on this matter, so here is what I look for. You have discovered your training pattern. By this time, you have established that you will probably […]
Cross training is good! I encourage everyone to visit other gyms. We all benefit from the sharing of information, and grow a sense of community. When we do this, a few things are important to keep in mind. Call or message before your first visit, and be clean. Most places are cool, some are not. A […]
Beginning -> Process -> Result Nearly everything we do follows this chain. In BJJ, we study positions and transitions between them. When we learn something, a flood of details is downloaded on us. How do we keep track of these details? Try this approach. Cluster details according to order and hierarchy. The beginning. Every technique […]
What do all these terms mean? I often have new practitioners ask about our terminology in class. In addition to new movements, ideas, goals, and fears; a multitude of new terms comes at us in rapid succession. Today, we are looking at the positions. You may find yourself on either side of every position. Everyone […]