A video about the “core” of Jiu Jitsu.

Thanks to Brad for showing me the video.

I recently snagged the 2009 Pan Jiu Jitsu Championship DVD set from Jiu Jitsu Progear. As hinted in a previous blog post I have been watching more Jiu Jitsu related videos in my spare time. I like the DVD very much so far although I haven’t been able to watch all the fights yet.

I was excited to get the DVD because I wanted to find a solid set of fights to watch and learn from. Instructionals are great for learning, obviously, but it’s hard to have techniques sink in when you are doing other things when watching TV. With this DVD set I can intermittently watch at my leisure.

Some people have complained that videos/DVDs like this fall short because the fights are not narrated (there are no announcers). I disagree: it is one of my favorite features (or lack of feature); I like being able to watch and make my own observations. If I where watching it live I think announcers would be appropriate.

I hope in watching these fights I will be able to pick up little nuiances and techniques. Will it work? That’s the topic for a future blog post.

Below is the official promo for the video.

The next Pan Jiu Jitsu championships are in March.

Last week I injured my shoulder grappling and practicing takedowns – nothing serious, but it forced me to sit out for a while.

Because of my enthusiasm for the sport, I wanted to think about what I could to for minimal impact on my Jiu Jitsu. So  I began to think about some ways to continue to “improve” when you can’t train.

The quotes above are intentional: the best way to get better is to spend time on the mat – but when I can’t train I do the following to keep my mind in the game.

Watching Class

I believe watching class is the absolute best way to learn when you can’t train. I’ve done this a few times now and almost always something new will “sink in.”

I enjoy walking around the mat, making observations and asking questions, but I’m always conscious not to disrupt the lesson plan or pace of the class.

When I watch class I learn at about 1/8th to 1/12th the pace of actually participating. A slower pace of learning – sure – but at least it’s something. And it it may do the trick for you when you are anxious to learn but can’t train.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougsparks/856169816/

Watching Video

The next best thing to do is to watch instructional Jiu Jitsu videos.

I think everyone interested in Jiu Jitsu has tried watching video clips of the sport on the Internet at some point. Online videos have their place and may help in learning or reviewing different submissions, escapes and passes, but I’ve found that I do much better watching professionally produced DVDs. I find DVDs provide greater context – and, as a consequence, better educational effect – than most lone clips on the Internet. They are also viewable at a higher resolution.

I probably learn around 1/80th the pace watching a video than I do participating in class. While it may seem almost useless, I’d rather watch video about something I’m interested in rather a then a random show on TV.

Yesterday I competed in my first Jiu Jitsu tournament – the 4th U.S. National Cup, put on the by the Rocky Mountain Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation. In addition to fighting, I got to meet Cris Cyborg. Mixed-martial artist Cameron Dollar was also on hand, as was the legend himself, Relson Gracie.

My take on it?

It was awesome, even though it didn’t go my way. The loss of my match in this single elimination tournament left me with much to  think about and digest.

The fight was awesome; intense and resolute. I loved it. Still, I’ll be “haunted” – and I hope that adjective is not too dramatic to explain how I feel – by things I wish I had done differently.

But that is the point, isn’t it?

Part of the appeal of tournaments – especially your first ones – is that a main objective is to simply “learn how to compete”, rather than to win.  A coach explained this to me at the tournament. By the way, the Relson Gracie Colorado coaching staff was (and is) great. Thanks, Van and Jason.

While reflecting on my tournament, I feel myself getting pumped up. So much to build on from this experience, so much to learn, so much to accomplish…

Damn, I can’t wait for class tomorrow.

For my first six or seven months of Jiu Jitsu I was convinced it was smart to wear a cup when training. This was confirmed when I racked my training partner with my knee – on accident, of course – and when my cup protected me from various impairments to my reproductive compacity when people passed my guard with various knee passes which would have otherwise may have been quite painful.

I was able to overcome the discomfort and considered myself wise for wearing one – and for better or worse – my Jiu Jitsu was probably a little more fearless because of it.

My thoughts on the issue remained consistent until I had a conversation with an instructor. He mentioned the following two points about wearing a cup when training:

1. In a street fight you won’t have time to put on a cup – and if you find yourself somehow wearing a cup you should consider yourself lucky – lucky enough to go buy a lottery ticket. As much as possible, you should be able and used to defending yourself without having a dependence on a piece of a equipment. This is a common-sense reality of street fights.
2. When you don’t train with a cup, you get accustomed to it. He said you “develop radar” and sensitivity – you begin to make adjustments that reduce likelihood of injuries to groin.

I pretty much immediately stopped wearing a cup after the conversation. I was a bit nervous at first, but he is right: you really do begin to account for your sensitivities when you don’t wear protection down there. And the more I think about the arguments for not wearing a cup when training, the more obvious and true they  seem.

I have done a complete 180 on the issue and I think my Jiu Jitsu and self defense is better because of it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronalddevillaphotography/ / CC BY 2.0

Tying a belt is something we all do as Jiu Jitsu folk; personally, I know it is something I could do better. While it is inevitable that your belt will come undone with enough time when rolling proper technique may help it keep tight a little longer.

Below are some of the more helpful or interesting videos I have found one how to tie a belt.

First, my overall favorite:

I love this second video. Very clear instruction and very helpful:

This is a good video with some good basic info. It could be zoomed in a little more but it still good to learn from.

Lastly, a video from the man himself, Relson Gracie. Since I am with a Relson Gracie affiliated school I couldn’t let this one slip by.

While Jiu Jitsu Kit is a Jiu Jitsu centered blog, I don’t think all my visitors will be familiar with the sport and martial art. That’s why I put together this post. It is a guide to acquaint those who don’t know what “rolling” is or what the term “gi” means. It is also meant to be passed to friends, family, girlfriends, boyfriends, wives and husbands who have no idea what Jiu Jitsu is about.

If you have ideas for updates or additions please let me know. I’ll update as corrections or suggestions roll in.

Jujutsu

Jiu Jitsu finds its roots in Jujutsu, a martial art which originates from Fuedal Japan, and means “art of softness.” Jujutsu evolved among Japan’s samurai and was a martial art to help a person survive when they have no weapons in combat. Judo evolved from Jujutsu.

Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – which I normally refer to as just “Jiu Jitsu” – evolved from Judo after Mitsuyo Maeda brought the sport and martial art to Brazil in 1914. “Jiu Jitsu” and “Jujutsu” can refer to the same thing (the Japanese martial art), but in the context of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and grappling, Jiu Jitsu is the body of techniques and knowledge, primarily originating from Brazil, that tend to focus more on grappling and ground fighting.

Ground Fighting

“Ground fighting” refers to fighting or hand-to-hand combat on the ground – unlike most other martial arts, which focus on stand up fighting. Jiu Jitsu, obviously, tends to focus on ground self-defense. Examples of martial arts that focus on stand-up fighting include Kung Fu, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, and boxing.

Gi / Kimono

A “gi” or “kimono” (the term is often interchangable and referes to the same garment) is the traditional clothing people wear when practicing Jiu Jitsu, although some practictioners/schools do not use or wear gis. Judo and karate practitioners also wear gis but sometimes the cuts or measurements are different.

Belt

Many martial arts have belts. In Jiu Jitsu, belt rank may sometimes vary per school or tradition, but usually the belts are the following, in order from beginner to advanced: white, blue, purple, brown, black, black-red, and red. Red belts are exceptionally rare – last I heard there are only five red belts in the United States.

Professor

“Professor” in Portuguese means “teacher” is typically refers to a black belt instructor in most schools or traditions of Jiu Jitsu.

Rolling

Is “sparring” in Jiu Jitsu and may refer to an “educational” fighting session. “Rolling” can be “full speed”, but sometimes people roll at a slower pace to practice and focus on learning techniques.

Tapping

“Tapping” or “to tap” is the physical or verbal act of tapping your opponent when he or she has you in a hold or position that, if held, will break a limb, have you pass out if he or she holds it, or is extremely uncomfortable, and/or otherwise cannot be maintained. This communicates that the he or she has “won” the match or rolling session. Both the opponent or ground can be tapped. At my school, to verbally tap one says “tap” out loud.

Arm bar

Is a hold and advantageous position in Jiu Jitsu. In an arm bar, the person who is performing the arm bar is attempting to extend the elbow joint beyond 180 degrees. Obviously, if the hold is intensified, the elbow will break. A competitor wants to get an arm bar so his or her opponent will tap. There are many holds in Jiu Jitsu.

Leg bar

Is another hold and advantageous position in Jiu Jitsu. In an leg bar, the person who is performing the leg bar is attempting to extend the knee joint beyond 90 degrees. Obviously, if the hold is intensified, the knee will break. A competitor wants to get an leg bar so his or her opponent will tap.

MMA

Is “mixed martial arts” and although there might be no direct relationship between Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, most competitors who compete in MMA will train in Jiu Jitsu to better equip themselves for dominating the ground portion of their bouts. Most MMA fights, when they go the ground, will see the application of Jiu Jitsu.

Wikipedia was consulted when writing this post.

Update (7/6/9): Edited belt entry. Thanks Caleb!

Update (8/30/9): Edited arm bar entry. Thanks Georgette!

pic credit(s): Via Flickr by San Diego Shooter at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathaninsandiego/2561704120/.

Sambo is an up-and-coming grappling-focused martial art with Russian roots.

Like Jiu Jitsu, Sambo has a lot of appeal and is experiencing impressive growth since its gain in popularity  in the US in the early 2000s. Wikipedia describes Sambo as a “modern martial art, combat sport and self-defense system” and broadly categorizes it as a “grappling/mixed martial arts style” of self defense.

Because Sambo has a lot of appeal to students of Jiu Jitsu and other grappling-focused martial arts, I reached out to Stephen Koepfer, president of the American Sambo Association, to get up to speed with Sambo and how it compares with Jiu Jitsu.

Thanks to Steve for answering my questions.

I have attempted to give a general introduction to Sambo. Did I miss anything?

I would add that besides the basic facts of where, when, and why Sambo was created, Sambo is a pretty broad term. Like the word “Karate” which encompasses many different styles, the word “Sambo” covers a wide variety of flavors, styles, and approaches. Sambo does not mean simply one thing.

You may have five different Sambo clubs that go about things five different ways and practice five different approaches to training. Of course there are common denominators, but you may have a combat Sambo club which mainly focuses on practical application such as the military style. You may have a club that is purely sport oriented and only trains throwing and grappling. You may have a competitive combat Sambo club which focuses on MMA type of competition. There may also be combinations of these. To consider Sambo as one specific thing is misleading.

Common to most Sambo clubs, however (I have trained in all these variants), is the lack of formality and utilitarian approach to training. It is very different from the experience in most of most martial arts originating from Asia. You don’t see bowing, titles, ranks, and all that sort of thing. It is a much more casual environment where people simply come to bust their butts in training. It is much more akin to a wrestling club in that respect.

If a Jiu Jitsu student were to take up training at a typical Sambo academy, what are some things that may be most surprising to him or her?

I find that the lack of formality is one thing that sticks out to cross-over students. Some people feel really freed up by it. Others seem to need the rank structure and formality.

In terms of technique and training, it depends on the club. At our club, many BJJ folks comment on the aggressiveness and quickness of the game, different ways of using movement and body weight, and importantly, the different way to play the game because of differences in rules.

The throwing and leg lock game usually brings most BJJ guys in the door, but they are often surprised that we do chokes too and that Sambo is more than throws and leg locks. It is a real misrepresentation to say that Sambo does not include choking. But, again, if a club is purely sport Sambo oriented, they may focus less on chokes. However, just about every US club I know practices choking.

I think the approach to training often seems backwards to many BJJ guys that train with us. Sometimes they may be used to a “here’s a submission, now go roll and practice it” type of approach. We focus much more on movement before itemizing a list of submissions. We train submissions and situational sparring, of course, but the idea is that you have to move properly first. We focus very much on improvisation and flow; learning to identify openings for submissions improvisationally while rolling, not hunting for a particular submission when you are a noob. We don’t want people submission hunting and missing other opportunities that may be staring them in the face. The idea is that if you can’t move properly and sense how another person moves in your space, you will not nail any submissions.

It is a different story when you are advanced and have learned what your go-to submissions are. It is the advanced guys who can either nail a submission on you even when you know what they are going for, or be able to nail a submission from any position they happen to find themselves in. You have to be able to do both.

Jiu Jitsu grew from Judo, which obviously is about throwing your opponent to the ground. From there, Jiu Jitsu focuses on grappling and ground fighting. Does Sambo also have a common set of techniques or strategies for taking the opponent to the ground?

Well, I would say that we want to throw people right into a solid position. I always say that a throw is not complete until you have position on the mat (in sport circumstances). The worst thing to do is nail a sweet throw and lose the guy on the mat. Therefore, we always train throws in combination with follow-up positions.

In terms of techniques, I would say we have many similar throws to judo, but we also have more wrestling style takedowns. Our angles of attacks are also bit different.

Jiu Jitsu seems to benefit from interest MMA, where Jiu Jitsu is commonly discussed by commentators and trained-in by fighters. Do you see same thing happening for Sambo, or has it already begun?

Yes, for sure. But, I have to say that it irks me when I see commentators call every solid throw or sub “good Jiu Jitsu”…even if the fighter never trained Jiu Jitsu before. The term Jiu Jitsu has become synonomous for general grappling in my opinion. Most fans can’t tell the difference. This is starting to change, however, with guys like Fedor Emelianenko coming into common fan awareness. Some commentators who are more educated, like Bas Rutten for example, will note differences, but most just call all the grappling they see “Jiu Jitsu”.

What are some popular Sambo moves or techniques to search for online at places like Youtube or Vimeo to get a taste of what Sambo looks like? Do you recommend any online resources to learn more about Sambo or find places to train?

I would suggest the series of videos I filmed for expert village.

Basics:

http://www.expertvillage.com/interviews/Sambo-beginner.htm

Advanced:

http://www.expertvillage.com/interviews/advanced-Sambo.htm

Sambo combinations:

http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/4424_Sambo-strikes.htm

For techniques, event, and training footage, you can also visit my youtube page: www.youtube.com/usSambo.

For info on Sambo, you can visit the American Sambo Association (ASA) forum at www.worldwidegrappling.com or the ASA website at www.usSambo.com.

Anything else?

Thanks for the opportunity to talk with you. I would add that I don’t think Sambo, or BJJ, or catch, or judo, etc., is better than the other. I really believe students need to find a coach and training method that works best for them. And of course, cross train. No system has everything, so get what you can get from wherever you can get it!

pic credit(s): Pictures are courtesy of Stephen Koepfer of the American Sambo Association.

This evening I was watching the film Blindness. There is a scene early on when two blind people get in a sort of tussle, a small fight. I thought immediately of Jiu Jitsu.

When I first started Jiu Jitsu there where some moments when I thought how successful one could be when rolling with their eyes closed. In fact, when I roll know, I often think about how much Jiu Jitsu relies on feeling. I contrasted this with my previous martial arts experience where “forms” (like Karate’s “katas”) were a primary form a learning. Obviously, these exercises, like other drills in most other martial arts, rely heavily on vision as you see what you do, and do it, in three dimensional space.

Jiu Jitsu – especially on the ground – is tremendously different. Feeling – more than any other martial art I can think of – has a tremendous role in what happens.

If you have rolled even once you probably understand this. You feel the person trying to manipulate your body and vice versa. Of course, vision has its importance in Jiu Jitsu, too.

Blind Rolling

The natural corollary of this is the idea of having drills or rolling sessions where both participants are blindfolded. It could be a fun experiment. Both participants would have an equal handicap – and both would have the opportunity to improve the “feeling” part of the game. Obviously, safety would need to be considered; having “ground rules” could make the experience safer.

Update (5/31/9): As this video from Jiu-jitsu 365 proves, perhaps “blind rolling” really does have its importance.

pic credit(s): http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewmcvickar/8021849/