SMITHYS BJJ QUEST

Vitor 'Shoalin' Ribeiro

2011-04-24T16:27:00.000+10:00

Inspiration

2011-01-29T11:53:00.000+11:00

I pinched this off of Dutch Assassin BJJ blog.

At Careca's academy, my first real jiu-jitsu memory was that I was not one of the talented students. Careca confirmed this to me, and oddly enough, I beamed with pride. How strange to be happy about a lack of natural skill? For me, this elation stemmed from my strong performances, both in class and at my first few tournaments. When I had to work three times as hard as my classmates to learn something, I knew I was not the wunderkind. When I saw new students excel where I struggled, I understood that my time in jiu-jitsu would be all about determination.

Nowhere was this more obvious than when examining my relationship with Chuck, one of my closest friends at Careca's. He was so flexible and fast (and flexibility is a talent), but he did not train like me. He didn't need to. What took me days of training to learn took him only minutes. However, as time went on, he drifted into drug use and focused less on training and more on his own talent. He knew that he could always "just pick things up." As a result of our two diverging attitudes, I started to win even more championships, while his performance plateaued. The reason is simple, I slept, trained, ate well, focused, resisted partying, and excelled.

Talent can help so much in the beginning, but you cannot reach the top without hard work.

You always hear, "This guy is so talented..." but then some average guy beats him. I know this because I was that average guy, and I worked hard to beat talent.

This was written by Andre Galvao, who is one of the top BJJ competitors in the world.

Jiu-Jitsu Mindset

2011-01-29T10:16:00.000+11:00

Its been a little while since I have posted anything and I thought that this area of my game is lacking somewhat at the moment so I'd add some content. I know I'm not alone here but I have been sort of in a blind patch not really knowing how to address it. The penny sort of dropped for me last Thursday night when Coach JD took the class again for some excellent half guard work. Sitting around towards the end having a bit of a debrief as to what we got out of the lesson and once again pointing out to me that I am still playing to defensively, I realized that I have been looking for whats not there instead of what is there! By this I mean looking for a submission, sweep, pass, etc then going back to being defensive when it's not there instead of looking for a reaction to then allow me to apply the above.

How do I now get into this mindset? I've identified the problem so how do I overcome it? How do I get my thought process to tune in? I googled it and found some pretty good stuff out there. The following is from www.thejiujitsufighter.com

The Winning Jiu-Jitsu Mindset

I’ve been thinking about this for some time, trying to come up with a good way to write about developing a winning Jiu-Jitsu mindset. I keep coming back to thinking about this from a military or law enforcement stand point. I know I touch on this in small segments during class, delving out maxims or ways to think about your attacks and defenses, but I’ve always wondered if there was a way to mold all of these aphorisms together.

This is not intended to be a guide or all inclusive list of strategies for winning. These are simply some of the things I think about and have passed on to my students to help them build their winning mindset.

We’ve all heard Rickson Gracie’s analogy about how Jiu-Jitsu is like a chess match. When I start a match, my opponent and I have equal options. My goal is to whittle away my opponent’s options until he has none. In other words, obtain a check mate.

You must insist on what you want: Whether it’s a guard pass or a defense or an attack, you have to insist on getting it. As hard as your opponent insists on getting what he wants, you must insist even more on getting what you’re after.

You have to win: There is no second place on the battle field. There is no time out or referee to call foul when you’re losing the fight. If you’re not winning, there isn’t anyone who is going to come in a take over the fight for you. You have to dig deep and persevere. Of course this sounds harsh in light of the fact we’re not trying to do bodily harm to our fellow human beings, but put into perspective, this makes sense.

Never accept a bad position: When your opponent is fighting to pass your guard and finally begins to squeak past, don’t accept it. Continue to defend as long as he continues to attempt the pass. This goes hand in hand with insisting on what you want. Your opponent certainly is, so you should also.

Have empathy: It is the capacity to recognize or understand another's state of mind or emotion. It is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes", or to in some way experience the outlook or emotions of another being within oneself. It is important to note that empathy does not necessarily imply compassion. You know what it’s like to be defending a nasty choke or any submission attempt. It sucks! You know what it’s like to be dominated while your opponent has you mounted. You need to remember how that feels when you’re attacking and dominating as well. Don’t be too quick to give up the arm lock or choke. Don’t be too hasty in backing off of an attack. As soon as you do, your opponent is feeling relieved and will start thinking about his next attack. You know how thankful you are when your opponent gives up on his submission attempt. Don’t afford him the same kindness.

Make your opponent pay for trying to make you hurt: One of my favorite Fedor quotes goes something like this.

When I'm dominating my opponent, and I can see they're in pain, I ease up on them so they can see I don't really want to hurt them. But sometimes they take advantage of my kindness and try to come back and hurt me, so I have to make them pay for their mistake.

If they try to triangle choke you, it is your duty to defend in a manner that will make them think twice about ever trying to submit you in that way again. Remember, they are trying their best to dominate and submit you, so you shouldn’t feel bad. Besides, you don’t have to worry about really hurting them. If they’re feeling too much pain, they can always tap out.

Make your opponent pay for his mistakes: If he stands up in your guard and gives you a foot, take it! If he gets sloppy with his guard, take advantage of it and pass. If he tries to buck you off of the mount and extends an arm (or two) submit it.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew: In other words, sometimes you can’t get from point “A” to point “D” in one movement. Sometimes you have to take smaller steps to make sure you’re covering all of your bases.

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast: Don’t try to go too fast, too soon in training. Even when you think you know the movement. Forcing yourself to do the movement or technique faster often times creates a negative result. Always start slow and the speed will come naturally. Going full throttle after ten reps because you think you have the move down will not make you better. Maybe after you’ve down a few thousand reps, you might be ready.

Let your body do what your brain is telling it to do: This is an interesting one. Often times you’re in one of those positions where you know what you need to do next, but you can’t seem to get your body to go that way. You might feel like you’re too exhausted or don’t quite have the right leverage. Sometimes you just need to listen to your brain and do it. Even when you think you can’t muster the strength or leverage, you just need to move. In my mind, I tell myself, “move forward.” That’s not to say I’m literally wanting to move my body in a forward direction. I’m simply telling myself to take the next step.

Don’t hesitate: This applies to many areas, but let’s focus on submissions. Sometimes you may have a limb isolated, but don’t feel like you’re quite in the absolute best position to execute the submission. You hesitate for a moment and your opponent wiggles free. Now you’re back to square one. Don’t hesitate. It’s not a perfect world. The dynamics of a grappling match rarely afford you with pristine positioning, so you must take what you have. I can’t tell you how many times my opponent told me afterward that I had the submission ready to go, but didn’t take it. I hesitated and he protected himself. I believe the tendency to hesitate comes from the feeling that one doesn’t want to jeopardize a dominate position with a failed submission attempt. The result is that we play it too safe. Now I’m not saying you should take unnecessary risks or recklessly go for a submission when it’s not practical.

Get on and get off the mat: One of the most profound bits of advice is when Shihan talks about what you need to do in a bout. He says; don’t spend too much time on the mat. Get on the mat, do what you need to do to win the fight, and then get off the mat. Stay focused and get the job done quickly. If you mess around on the mat too much, you’ll start to get tired and you won’t be as effective.

Take the path of least resistance: When you come up against a brick wall, don’t try to move it. Go around it. There are many paths; you just have the find the best one. Sometimes it doesn’t have anything to do with moving your opponent, but rather moving yourself.

The bait and switch: you must become a master of deception. Make your opponent think you’re going for one thing, when in fact you’re going for something else. It may be nothing more than a distraction to divert your opponent’s attention away from your true target. Or you may be implementing the standard “double attack.” You may have an armlock hooked up and ready to go. While your opponent is focused on defending this submission, you maneuver his other arm into position for a submission.

Lead the charge: Attack immediately. This is especially valid when you’re going against a more experienced opponent. You may have only a few seconds to go for the attack, but you must begin the sequence. As long as you are attacking, your opponent is defending. The simple math here is that you are dictating the fight. You must maintain the charge as it were in order to maintain control of the fight. As soon as you’re not doing this, your opponent is attacking, forcing you to react to his movements. Do not allow your opponent to lead the charge. This is also valid in other situations. If you have your opponent in your closed guard, and you do nothing, your opponent will begin working towards passing. If he is successful in opening your guard, he will most likely pass. Conversely, if you’re leading the charge and opening your guard at your discretion, you’re forcing your opponent to react to you.

Attack after the attack: This is a solid bit of advice from one of my students, Ryan, who also coaches high school wrestling. For example, when you take someone down, both you and your opponent often have this thought for a second or two…to take a break. "Oh, I got taken down so I need to regroup." After you take someone down, that is the best time to capitalize on that. Take them down, then immediately pass their guard. To take this a step further, after you pass your opponent’s guard, go for a submission right away. Too often I see someone pass an opponent’s guard to side-control. The top person is trying like heck to control the guy on the bottom, but the bottom fighter just won’t settle into a position that allows you to start working on a submission. Start working on the submission! This may very well be the key to controlling him. He is now forced to defend and is not thinking so much about escaping your side-control.

This next one I learned from some Systema training I did awhile back. It’s not as much a mindset, but rather something I try to do in a fight whenever I can.

Rearrange your opponent’s spine: In other words, put your opponent’s body in the worst possible position. Whenever you can maneuver your opponent’s body into a position so as to twist his spine into an unnatural position, this greatly reduces, if not eliminates, his ability to move and/or develop power. Now I’m not talking about trying to break someone’s back or neck. Eddie Bravo has been doing the Twister for years and his victim’s have survived. A good way to put this into perspective is when you have someone in side-control and they begin to turn into you. When you hook your arm under their head and straighten them back out, you can place them flat on their back or continue controlling their head back even farther. In this way the spine is “rearranged” so that your opponent loses his power. Similarly, when you turn your opponent’s head away from you, this works on his spine.

In many respects, this is a difficult subject to write about. Most or all of these will make perfect since to some, and not so much to others. It’s really all about perspective. A newer student may not have the experience or perspective to make sense out of some of the strategies. The more experienced students will have a better shot at it. The masters of the game might look at this as an incomplete montage of disconnected thoughts. Whatever the case, these are just my thoughts on the subject and I’m certain I’ve not included every aspect or strategy.

2010 December Gradings

2010-12-11T22:22:00.000+11:00

Congratulations to all the boys who graded today fantastic effort fantastic result. Andre, Miz and Yaz have begun the journey with their first stripe, Shannon picks up a well earned second! Marco and I added a stripe to our blues and Travis achieved a well deserved and truly overdue bullseye on his back in attaining the most important BJJ belt of all, his blue belt!!! Welcome to the club mate!!

Future Champions!!

2010-09-09T12:21:00.000+10:00

IBJJF NO GI CLOTHING REQUIREMENTS TO BE IMPLEMENTED FOR 2010 PAN PACS

2010-08-23T02:06:00.000+10:00

IBJJF NO GI CLOTHING REQUIREMENTS TO BE IMPLEMENTED FOR 2010 PAN PACS

Following the 100% support from the iBJJF, The AFBJJ now imposes the full International rules and regulations issued by the IBJJF. The excerpt has been taken from the IBJJF.

THE ATHLETES WILLING TO COMPETE IN JIU-JITSU NO-GI EVENTS SHOULD WEAR A BLACK BOARD SHORT (SEE REQUIREMENTS) AND A BLACK OR WHITE RASH GUARD HAVING AT LEAST 10% OF THE FABRIC WITH THE COLOR ACCORDING TO HIS/HER BELT RANK.

BOARD SHORTS :

MEN: THE COMPETITORS CAN ONLY COMPETE WITH ANY BLACK BOARD SHORTS (MUST BE ALL SOLID BLACK COLOR, NO OTHER COLORS WILL BE ACCEPTED).

WOMEN: THE COMPETITORS CAN COMPETE WITH ANY ALL SOLID BLACK BOARD SHORTS, ALL SOLID BLACK LYCRA SHORTS OR ALL SOLID BLACK LYCRA PANTS (MUST BE ALL SOLID BLACK COLOR, NO OTHER COLORS WILL BE ACCEPTED).

Taking the back from the closed guard....

2010-07-30T12:01:00.000+10:00

Crash test dummies, headaches and bruises...

2010-07-24T22:55:00.002+10:00

Over the last few weeks I've had the opportunity to roll with Jeroen and Jason during some extra training days and it has been very rewarding. I end up getting squashed, cranked, choked, battered and bruised and fuck they don't get out of first gear otherwise I'm sure body parts would fall off. Through all of the pain I acknowledge that my role in the roll is one of a crash test dummy for techniques to be practised on, etc. The positives are added toughness both physical and mental that one gains from "enduring", the occasional light bulb moments and the feeling of being alive and not giving in to father time... Dave and I spent 45 odd minutes after training the other night with Jason going over different aspects of our game and it was sensational so thanks heaps Jase!! Through all the crushing I get from Jeroen and the headaches I get from Jason (a triangle so tight my head hurt for 24 hours straight) I wouldn't be anywhere else.....

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....... What happened???

2010-06-09T23:09:00.000+10:00

Haha well it finally happened I popped my choked out cherry at training Tuesday night!!!! Being the demonstration dummy for Coach Lynders' triangle from guard I managed to have a quick nap. I remember the first demo and tapping cos I was feeling the tingly head sensation and coach apologised and relaxed his legs then I remember thinking why am I sleeping at training? Why is it so hard to move? I gotta get up the guys will think I'm a dickhead what am I doing laying down? I must be dreaming..... hang on a minute.... what happened? Then I was back in the room feeling a little sheepish but none the less very relaxed!!!! I absolutely have no recollection whatsoever of even getting to that tingly stage again, it was simply lights out. thank fuck it happened at training and not in a comp and really, thank fuck I didn't piss myself!!!! See ya on the mat!

Fabio Gurgel teaching class at Marcelo Garcia's school

2010-05-22T22:47:00.002+10:00

PRO: Daniel Moraes vs. Andrew Mcinnes at 2010 Grapplers Quest Europa Orlando

2010-05-22T22:22:00.002+10:00

Mick's Visit

2010-03-24T08:48:00.000+11:00

Last night Mick MALONEY owner and head honcho of Mildura Martial Arts and a mate of mine for around 15 years came down to the club and had a roll with the boys at training. Fresh off of a very succesful campaign at the recent Victorian Championships ( 2 gold and a silver in the purple belt division) Mick very happily took part in the first hour of beginners skill training then another hour and a bit of advanced training and rolling. Mick is a John DONOHUE blue belt and is extremely profficient on the mat. He is a very forward thinking and unselfish martial artist and this was evident with his sharing with us a couple of his "secret weapon" moves which were sneaky, painful and did i mention sneaky and painful?? Great stuff! Anyway Mick is keen to host any of us at his club and we've sort of discussed maybe a bus trip up there and incorporating paintball, drinking, cow tipping, banjo picking, cousin dating and whatever else the country folk do for entertainment!!! See you on the mat.....

Wong's Top 10 Ways To get Lean Fast!!!!!!!!

2010-03-17T13:34:00.000+11:00

The following is from Eric WONG my online strength and conditioning coach who's programmes are really specific for what we do.

Not sure if it's got to do with the nice weather we're having and the imposing shirtless days at the beach, but I thought I'd give you my Top 10 ways to get lean fast...

Everyone loves Top 10 lists right?

This one will some good, actionable advice mixed with irreverent humour. Thanks CagePotato.

Well OK then let's get at it:

1. Drink only WATER all day, everyday (and maybe some herbal tea without honey or sugar)

2. Dedicate 1 day a week to eating whatever the heck you want

3. The rest of the time, eat nothing but meats you cook yourself, fruit, vegetables and carbs only after training

4. Set a time to go to the grocery store twice a week

5. If you're gonna drink, do it only once a week, but make sure you go to a bar to do it and hit on the girlfriend of the biggest guy in the bar... you're bound to burn off some of the calories in the scuffle (or at least you'll diet in jail)

6. Stick to a training program and make PROGRESS every workout

7. Eat at half the speed you currently eat and if you feel kinda full, ask yourself, "Am I satisfied now?" and if you are, stop eating

8. Fail to plan, plan to fail - PLAN ahead the night before what you're going to eat and when and make sure you have it

9. Before continuing, drop down and do as many pushups as you can... Do this every time you find yourself browsing the internet mindlessly.

10. And the #10 strategy for getting lean fast is...

10. Set a goal and a date, then give someone $500 (or better yet, $1000) and tell them they get to keep it if you don't hit your goal. If you don't have the cash, give them something you value more than the cash.

That's it!

Hopefully you can take something away from this if your goal is to get lean. But if you just take 1 thing, do #10!

Best Hip Flexor Stretch

2010-03-09T11:13:00.000+11:00

Here's a great stretch from my Strength and Conditioning Coach Eric WONG Really good for us old warriors as well as you young punks!!!

Record numbers on the mat at Mornington Extreme JJG.......

2010-03-03T13:54:00.000+11:00

Last night was a huge night in terms of numbers on the mat with 35 students occupying practically the whole area. I think there was an additional 5 guys watching as well so the club is really going forwards in a big way. Great to have a female rolling as well and hopefully this will attract a few more..... I think this growth can be attributed to many factors, one obviously being the massive interest in MMA and the recent UFC in Sydney. However I believe the reputation that Coach Jeroen has made for himself is certainly spreading as is evident with the interest of a couple of senior members from Chaddy expressing a desire to come train with us.

Onwards and Upwards!!!!

Bodyweight Exercise—Full Body Leg Thread From Body-Flow

2010-02-23T13:19:00.000+11:00

There seems to be more and more "body weight" type training coming out on the net and having done some of the more functional ones over the last 4 months I can attest to their effectiveness. This is one from http://www.bodyweightcoach.com/ and it speaks for itself in terms of its usefullness in BJJ. I think one of the best things about "body weight" type training is that you can do them practically anywhere at no cost and get an incredibly purposeful workout in.

Randy COUTURE Seminar at Extreme Chadstone.

2010-02-23T13:09:00.000+11:00

Me and Coach John DONEHUE

Me and Randy COUTURE

Great seminar, loved Randy's view on everything from techniques and training to mental preparation and coping with a loss. An all round nice guy which was shown with his willingness to have his picture taken with just about everyone at the end.

Demian Maia The Best BJJ in MMA

2010-02-19T12:12:00.002+11:00

Slowly slowly catchy monkey.....

2010-02-15T22:41:00.000+11:00

This is how I would accurately describe my BJJ journey and I'm sure I'm not alone. For me, the lightbulbs do not go off as often as I would like them to, however when they do there is much rejoicing in the Smithy brain!!!!

To others I guess the response may very well be "well duh what did you think you were supposed to do?" but to me when things fall in to place, it's like I've discovered the meaning of life! I had one such moment while competing last Saturday. Playing off my back is where I seem to be at the moment and while I enjoy preventing my opponent passing my guard, I'm really (and honestly) doing fuck all else! So the penny dropped, the heavens opened and shit fell into place and I realised the next step that i need to take is to push the game from this position a whole lot more.

This is what my coach Jeroen and others (Jason) have been telling me I'm sure but sometimes you (I) cant see the woods for the trees!!!

I comfort myself with the old saying "you have to identify a problem before you can address it" or words to that effect that and "you can't teach an old dog new tricks!" I guess it just makes the journey that much more interesting.....

So my mantra for the time being will be sweep, consolidate, submit..... that's the plan anyway your assistance will be greatly appreciated! See you on the mat....

Armbar Spin-Out from Guard

2010-02-14T21:10:00.000+11:00

Another Stefan KESTING gem!

MG Summer Tournament No Gi 2010

2010-02-13T21:11:00.000+11:00

Marco, Shannon and I rocked up to the latest MG Tournament at Dominance which was a No Gi affair. Not as well patronised as past competitions however the guys and gals that did show up were of a pretty high caliber!

Shannon started with a quick guillotine win for his first ever comp roll. Unfortunately he lost the following 3 matches via guillotine so plenty of guillotine defence practise to come!!! Well done mate for having a crack.

Marco and I were up next. Marco in the under 86.5kg category and me in the over. I lost my first roll via kneebar right at the end and then won the next by triangle and the third on points for the silver.

Marco won all of his matches by points for the gold.

Bobby from Chady was in Shannons division and ended up with a silver.

Fights being posted on youtube as quick as I can upload them!

Rigan MACHADO vs Judo Black Belts

2010-02-06T19:45:00.001+11:00

"Tom relax relax listen stay off the mat with this guy!"

Ah Kimbo... he sorta grows on you after a while!

2010-02-02T17:32:00.000+11:00

Nino "Elvis" SCHEMBRI - Omoplata from Mount

2010-02-02T14:25:00.000+11:00

Anyone with the knickname "Elvis" has got to have some very cool jits!!!!

Gustavo Falciroli

2010-02-01T13:07:00.000+11:00

From Paul MCVEIGH'S Facebook - Notice to all extreme boys. We have Gustavo Falciroli coming over from Perth to instruct all classes from mon 8th feb to sat 13th feb. Make sure you get down there. We also have a special guest coming over from the USA at the end of feb and will be announced shortly

More Marcelo GARCIA

2010-01-31T21:31:00.000+11:00

Marcel GARCIA

2010-01-29T11:07:00.001+11:00

I never get tired of watching Marcelo roll he makes it look so effortless. I especially like spotting techniques we've been drilling recently and then rewinding back to study everything he does before during and after!!

Look out all you underhookers!!!!!!!

2010-01-20T12:43:00.002+11:00

Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro vs. Rumina "Moon Wolf" Sato

2010-01-19T11:13:00.002+11:00

HAHAHAHAHAHA......

2010-01-17T16:26:00.002+11:00

Big Mick Wilson

2010-01-17T16:10:00.000+11:00

2008 Pan Pacs

2010-01-17T06:18:00.001+11:00

Dave and I were talking with Coach at training on Saturday about the importance of pushing the game and maintaining control by eliminating spaces and we drilled a really sweet move that emphasises all of the above points. I was having a look at some of our old comps and thought this one of Jeroen at the 2008 Pan Pacs is a great example of this. What I enjoyed was spotting some of the techniques we've been drilling of late and their application in a comp. 2:04 was sweet and then the elimination of space from about 2.40 on to set up the choke was really nice.

Daniel Cherubin V Thiago Braga Australia cup 2009

2010-01-17T05:56:00.001+11:00

Jose ALDO - Nova Uniao Black Belt

2010-01-15T08:35:00.000+11:00

Andre Galvao Open Guard Sweep

2010-01-15T07:23:00.000+11:00

Ryan Hall - Finishing The Choke: Stomp And Curl BJJ

2010-01-14T11:12:00.000+11:00

Abby's 10 tips for female grapplers

2010-01-13T14:05:00.000+11:00

Found the following on dutchassassinbjj.blogspot.com/ and considering we had a female enquire about training the other night I thought i'd post it as it's pretty common sense stuff.

1. Don’t be afraid of stronger bigger training partners. If you can sub them you can sub a 110 lb girl.

2. Wear headgear and a mouth guard. You really don’t want cauliflower ear. If you have no idea what I’m talking about just look at the higher ranks at the gym who don’t wear it.

3. Don’t be afraid to tell your training partner he is rolling too hard or light with you. At competitions female grapplers are out for blood. This was a huge shock for me the first time I competed. Having a partner who is afraid to touch you won’t prepare you for competitions, but having a partner who injures you or just smashes you won’t help either. Tell the guys you are rolling with the amount of resistance you want. It’s also a good idea to roll with higher ranks. They usually have better control and won’t injure you.

4. Be prepared to see chunks of your hair on the mat. You can’t really help this. All you can do is tie it back. Headbands won’t work either. They just fall off. You also need to remove any jewelry or earrings you’re wearing. I’ve seen earrings get ripped out. It’s not pretty. It’s also a good idea to cut your nails. If they are too long they will get bent back which is very painful.

5. Avoid grappling with ringworm guy, the smelly guy who never washes his gi, the MMA guy who wants to kill anything he encounters, and the creepy guy. The creepy guy is usually the guy who is overly enthusiastic you joined and constantly asks you to be his drilling partner. He usually outweighs you by 30lbs and still insists on drilling with you even though there are smaller people closer to your size you could drill with. It’s a good rule of thumb that if everyone avoids a certain person it is usually best to do the same.

6. Some guys may refuse to roll with you. Just accept it. They may just feel uncomfortable rolling with a female or there wife or girlfriend may have issues with it. You’re not training to break up a relationship so it shouldn’t matter if they do or don’t. For every guy who is like this, there are fifty guys who are more than willing to roll with you.

7. Don’t use the gym as a hunting ground. If you’re going to date one guy from the gym that fine, but when you try to sleep with the entire team it’s a problem. This not only gives you a bad reputation, but it’s promoting a horrible stereotype about female grapplers. It makes it extremely hard for girls who are there to actually train to be taken seriously.

8. Buy a female specific gi. It will fit a lot better than a male gi and be a lot less baggy. It’s also good idea to wear a rash guard and shorts under your gi too. The rash guard will stay tight to your skin and won’t ride up or absorb excessive amounts of sweat. CatFight Gear makes custom female gis that come is very amazing colors. They are just releasing a new line of rash guards and shorts too. http://www.catfightgear.com/ I’ve heard Atama makes a good female gi, but I haven’t tried it yet. Fight Chix another clothing company makes a wicked clothing line dedicated to empowering women and female fighters. They have the coolest designs I have ever seen and sell a few rash guards and shorts as well. http://www.fightchix.com/

9. Be aware you will never just blend in. Every new guy who comes in will facebook you and know your name. This isn’t that bad because you get a lot of extra help and your bad techniques will be corrected faster. Your can’t really change this unless you chop off your hair and change your name to Ron ;)

10. Grappling will seem really awkward at first, but after a while you will get used to it. If you stick with it you’re going to get into the best shape of your life. Your team is going to become like a second family to you and you’re going to have 30+ older brothers watching your back.

Open Guard Drills

2010-01-12T17:13:00.000+11:00

Interesting Facts About Chuck Norris You May Not Know!

2010-01-09T18:52:00.002+11:00

Left Hook!!!!!!!

2010-01-09T18:20:00.002+11:00

Priscus Fogagnolo vs Clinton Joyce CFC4

2010-01-06T15:04:00.002+11:00

7 REASONS WHY

2010-01-05T15:36:00.001+11:00

Here are the top 7 reasons why being in top shape is KEY to being a successful mixed martial artist from strength and fitness coach Eric WONG :

1) Because you'll pick up techniques and skills faster because you're not sucking wind in class, accelerating your development as a fighter

2) Your coaches will respect you more and spend more time with you because you pick things up faster and you're always ready for more

3) You're less likely to get injured because your muscles do a better job protecting your joints

4) You'll be able to beat guys with more skill because you can tire them out then take advantage of them

5) Your physique will throw your opponent off mentally, especially if they're not confident in their conditioning

6) You'll be able to push the pace of the fight and do what you want to do

7) You'll be more relaxed and confident knowing that you can go the distance and still maintain a high level of output

December 09 Gradings

2009-12-10T12:51:00.002+11:00

Well done Trav!!!!!

Grrrrrr

Nice

What the???

3 stripes well earnt Trav!

Jeff Glover vs Leo Vieira ADCC 2007

2009-12-03T13:54:00.001+11:00

What a contest this is between 2 of my favourite grapplers. The pace and intensity is amazing as is the constant counterattacking/defending by both.

Half Guard Sweeps and Counters

2009-11-23T21:59:00.000+11:00

Abu Dhabi Pro Jiu Jitsu Australia Trials Highlights 15 Nov 2009

2009-11-21T20:24:00.002+11:00

Transition From Full Guard to Butterfly Guard to Sweep

2009-11-19T14:56:00.001+11:00

This is from a series of instructional DVD'S from Professor Marcos R. Schubert who is a Carlos Gracie Jr black belt. I really like the setup here from full guard into the sweep and controlling the arm throughout. It's all in Brazillian but very easy to follow.

Mildura Martial Arts Modified Submission Grappling Comp 31 Oct 09

2009-11-10T13:21:00.000+11:00

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers - Fight Video Strikeforce

2009-11-09T09:42:00.002+11:00

WTF???????

2009-11-03T18:37:00.000+11:00

Denis Kelly vs Nick Patterson PArt 2 of 2

2009-11-03T18:36:00.002+11:00

ROSCO!!!!!!!!

2009-10-28T04:59:00.000+11:00

Don't Hate me Coach.......

2009-10-28T03:59:00.000+11:00

I'll put up Part2 when it's posted!

Shades of Dave CASSAR!!!!!!!

2009-10-27T00:03:00.002+11:00

ROBBED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-25T23:40:00.000+11:00

THIS MAN

MAURICIO SHOGUN RUA

WAS ROBBED BY THREE CROOKED AND BLIND JUDGES

WHO AWARDED

THIS MAN

LYOTO 'THE DRAGON' MACHIDA

THE FIGHT

Hang your head in shame Lyoto Machida you did not win the fight!!!!!!!!!

Day 2 - Smithysquest to Improve!!!!!

2009-10-22T08:48:00.001+11:00

Corrective Exercise / Stabilization Program – Day 2

1) Bulgarian split squat - Surprisingly harder on my right (stronger) leg

2) Back extensions - Need the next size down Swiss ball
3) Forward SB roll - As above. Great for the Abs this one.
4) 1-leg hip extensions - Harder than they seem.
5) Supported external rotation - Good for resisting Kimuras!!!!
6) Lower ab / leg raise - The secret is to suck your abs in through the entire range of movement.

Bellator IX Highlight - Chad Leonhardt KOs Dan Keenan

2009-10-21T14:07:00.000+11:00

Part of an interview Eric Wong did with Chad Leonhardt regarding this fight and his training.

Eric: You’ve been following my Ultimate MMA S&C program for a couple months now, so what was your S&C training like before? And what is the difference you feel physically?

Chad: Before Eric I just kinda winged me S&C from a lot of things I had seen and thought might work. A lot of half ass circuits that really hurt me more than they did me good.

Since starting with Eric my cardio has been sick I mean I can do a 5 round fight with UFC caliber guys and hold my own just because I have the cardio to keep it going on the ground or standing.

But more than anything it’s been the mental part that has helped me most. I know my cardio is great so I just get after it knowing my opponent can’t keep up with me and knowing he knows I wont stop coming at him.

Best MMA Highlight Video

2009-10-21T10:48:00.001+11:00

Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Program

2009-10-20T19:31:00.003+11:00

Found this Strength and Conditioning Program online the other day at ericwongmma.com along with a bunch of other stuff and ended up buying it. For $65 you get the following downloadable pdf and mpeg files:

1. Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Program
2. Nutrition-itsu
3. 7 Day Quickstart to Nutrition-itsu
4. Crazy 8s Bodyweight Workouts
5. No Sweat Weight Cutting
6. Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Program - Ipod Videos

The Strength and Conditioning Program is MMA/Grappling specific and it includes a 16wk, 12wk and 8wk workout programme. They each include the following phases:

Phase I - Corrective exercise
Phase II - Base conditioning
Phase III - Strength
Phase IV - Strength and power
Tapering

I started the 16wk programme yesterday and although the exercises appeared simple on paper, doing them correctly really was a challenge. They included "supermans", "cobras" and "prone bridges"!!!

I'll have a copy at training so have a look and see what you reckon. I'm pretty sure this will actually benefit me this time unlike the many pills, potions and shit I've pinned my hopes on before!!!!

2009 Pan Pacs

2009-10-20T19:22:00.002+11:00

Well done to all of us who competed in this years Pan Pacs. Slym was much more Slymlike in both blue belt gi and no gi this time around. A nice win in his first gi match and then got held in guard for a ref's decision loss in his second. Then a no gi match against a Carlson Gracie guy who competes in just about everything for a points win (15 - 4). Johan did exceptionaly well for a gold in novice no gi and a silver in the gi. Trent was his usual explosive self for 2 wins in the gi and Trav drew a very good competitor first up and lost on points. I cant believe I struggled in half guard in both gi and no gi when I'm usually so comfortable in that position. Still the blue belt 85kg division was stacked with a lot of really good guys so I was happy to a. not lose by submission and b. get my first blue belt comp win under my belt!! Here's to the Vics!!!!!!!!!!!!

PAIN AWAY!!!!!!!

2009-10-08T15:40:00.002+11:00

Got put on to this product yesterday and brought a bottle to test it out. It is pretty bloody good let me say! Sprayed it on my fingers and felt an almost instantaneous relief from the stiff soreness I've suffered since taking up the gentle art of BJJ!!! I've further trialed it at work on a few of the old blokes (like me) who have various old footy ailments (knees, shoulders, etc) and they are all a big wrap for it. Dave had a crack at it last night and also was pretty impressed with it. It retails for around $16 at the Chemist Wharehouse and the ingredients include:
Arnica Montana Flower
Rosemary Oil
Eucalyptus Oil
Emu Oil
Give it a go and see what you reckon!!

Bad Half Butterfly Guard (Pass Prevention)

2009-10-04T14:25:00.003+11:00

Thanks to aesopian for these guard pass prevention options. I for one mind myself in this position quite often with guys like Coach Lynders and Slym and Judo Pete so I'm going to give them a red hot go when next we meet.....

Anaconda Choke:Escape

2009-10-01T15:37:00.001+10:00

Slyms been red hot with the anacondas lately have to give this a whirl!!!

ADCC 2009 *BARCELONA, SPAIN

2009-09-30T16:01:00.001+10:00

No-gi MMA guard pass

2009-09-30T13:37:00.000+10:00

For all of us who suck at guard passing.....

Jason proof??

2009-09-30T12:57:00.000+10:00

Dr Dave saves the day!!!

2009-09-15T18:48:00.000+10:00

EGO Techniques- Mario Roberto "Cossack" Triangle

2009-09-12T13:10:00.000+10:00

HUGE illegal KO slam!!

2009-09-12T12:39:00.000+10:00

And you wonder why I hate take downs!!!!

Cauliflower Ear!!!

2009-09-12T11:55:00.000+10:00

I plan on letting Dave do this to me tomorrow.......

Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu vs Jonathan "Spiderman" Torres at $1000 Grapplers Quest Black Belt Absolute

2009-09-11T13:05:00.000+10:00

Submission Spirits - Komuro Koji vs Hayashi Shunsuke

2009-09-08T17:24:00.001+10:00

A very fast paced match with neither opponent giving an inch!!!

Groin strikes, Head Butts and Hair Pulling!!!!!

2009-09-08T16:59:00.000+10:00

Ken Shamrock vs Ross Clifton(R.I.P)

2009-09-08T16:43:00.001+10:00

Now here's the complete opposite of a once great fighter coming to the end of his career picking his opponents a little more wisely.....

What happened to Mark Kerr?

2009-09-08T16:02:00.002+10:00

The following article sort of puts this humiliating loss in to perspective.

Eduardo " Portugues " Vs Leo " Argentino " Training BJJ

2009-09-07T19:20:00.000+10:00

Carlos "Portugues" Vieira X Tulio 2009 Australian Victorian BJJ Championships

2009-09-07T19:01:00.000+10:00

DREAM 8 April 5, 2009

2009-09-01T20:35:00.000+10:00

Andre Galvao vs John Alessio

A message to all club members!

2009-09-01T10:44:00.002+10:00

For all of you who couldn't make the first Monday morning competition training morning because of work, family or alien abduction no worries there's 6 more to go!

For the rest of you who had no excuse and "couldn't be fucked getting out of bed" does not count, see below!!!!!

Kurt Osiander - Loop Choke

2009-08-26T00:29:00.001+10:00

UFC 102

2009-08-24T12:50:00.000+10:00

Australian Cup 2009, Adelaide

2009-08-24T12:38:00.002+10:00

8 of us rode a Virgin all the way to Adelaide and back for this years Aus Cup and had what I think was a sussessful trip even if the medal count didn't reflect it. I think Jeroen was the stand out making all of his matches look easy, even the two that he lost and Trav in his first gi match of the tournament also looked very confident. Marco and Slym were both unlucky getting bullshit decisions against them and Chris cant wait to face the big fella in the gi who did nothing until the last 2 minutes then stalled. I didnt see all of Pete's match but heard it was a good battle even though he lost. For me I lost my gi match to an experienced competitor and was pleased that I didn't get submitted and learnt the value of a game plan. he had one I didn't!!! My no gi match was the most intense role I've ever had again losing on points but scrambled well and I pushed the pace or kept up with it!!!! I'm seroiusly considering becoming a referee for the pan pacs so that I can A. understand the rules more thoroughly B. Be unbiased C. Get a free t-shirt!!! Lets all try and have a big contingent for the Pan Pacs this year and get amongst it again.....

Anderson Silva caught flying scissor heel hook

2009-08-15T18:40:00.000+10:00

Anderson "Spider" Silva vs. Tony "Freak" Fryklund

2009-08-07T20:35:00.000+10:00

Anderson SILVA going Ong Bak!!!!!!

ARTURO GATTI heart of a lion......

2009-08-07T20:25:00.002+10:00

RIP - 11/07/2009

Marco at the 2009 QLD Jiu Jitsu Cup - BLUE BELT U79kg Gi

2009-08-04T15:53:00.001+10:00

Intell......

2009-08-04T15:42:00.001+10:00

A Lesson In Keeping Your Mouth Shut!!!!!!

2009-08-03T22:01:00.001+10:00

Judo Newaza Grappling International Fights

2009-08-03T21:52:00.000+10:00

Matt Serra vs Gomi Grappling

2009-08-03T21:12:00.000+10:00

Jiu Jitsu Fundamentals : Situp Sweep & Kimura

2009-08-03T21:09:00.000+10:00

A nice little variation here.

Don't Mess With The Ref!!!!

2009-07-31T14:11:00.001+10:00

F....king Tap Man!!!!!!

2009-07-31T13:59:00.001+10:00

Fedor Emelianenko vs Vitor Belfort is Official

2009-07-31T09:21:00.000+10:00

Fedor Emelianenko vs Vitor Belfort is Official

Here at World of Combat we have just been notified that the fight between Vitor Belfort and Fedor Emelianenko has been confirmed. Our USA correspondant has just spoken to Emelianenko's camp and they have just confirmed that the fight has been signed by Fedor.

This fight despite a huge weight disparity will almost certainly be an excellent fight. It almost within the realm of possibilty that Belfort may cause a huge upset by beating Fedor. It is the view of this author, that he has a better chance of winning than Fedor's previous designated opponent, Josh Barnett.

Stay tuned for more updates

RIP DOREY

2009-07-30T16:21:00.001+10:00

LAZY HANDS AND FEET

2009-07-27T14:56:00.002+10:00

Got this from a guy called Paul GREENHILL who has a website called http://www.thewisegrappler.com/. Nothing new and it's not rocket science but the basic concept is pretty straightforward.
Lazy Hands and Feet

Joe "Daddy" Stevenson vs. Bill "The Grill" Cooper Superfight at Grapplers Quest at UFC Fan Expo 2009

2009-07-23T15:11:00.001+10:00

New Club Photo's

2009-07-17T14:23:00.007+10:00

I am not an Eddie Bravo nut hugger!!!!!

2009-07-16T11:54:00.002+10:00

The Fighter's Arsenal's Jacen Flynn: Driver Seat Mount

Bill "The Grill" Cooper

2009-07-15T10:01:00.003+10:00

I like this guy's grappling style. He seems to follow the same game plan in all of his matches so his opponents would have a sense of what he's up, but dealing with it is another matter altogether. Plus it's disconcerting rolling with someone who likes to fight upside down!!! To me he exemplifies control of his opponent at all times with his hands and his feet especially when transitioning.

And Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu is certainly no slouch!!!

Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu vs Bill "The Grill" Cooper Finals of Grapplers Quest Black Belt Absolute 2009