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In Part 1 of this piece, I talked about my first observation being that of the absolute importance of sound white-belt techniques. Most of the matches I observed at 'Masters were that of the black-belt competition. And even at this high level, it was the basics that were the pathway to victory or the lack of solid basics that were the pathway to defeat. The second observation I would note at this event was that of the lack of strategy and technique in the area of takedowns. What I saw mostly was immediate grips on the gi and a long stalemate. Also, I noticed that almost nobody was interested in shooting a double-leg or single-leg takedown. Some competitors believe pulling-guard is their ....
Read moreLast month I was able to attend the IBJJF World Masters Tournament in Las Vegas. I was originally registered as a competitor but I had to pull out from this competition due to a back injury I sustained during my training three weeks before the event. What I want to do in this post is list some of the observations I had while watching the competition and experiencing the Masters event: 1. Fundamentals Matter The Most. Almost every submission that I observed happened because of sound "white-belt" fundamentals being utilized and/or sound "white-belt" fundamentals being missed by the person being submitted. The mount and the back control positions were where by far the most submissions ....
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Rickson Gracie becomes a red belt. His speech is very interesting. What I like here is his recognition of his commitment and knowledge of jiu jitsu but also at the same time his humility of not feeling at all entitled. It reminds me of what Rener Gracie once said while demonstrating how to tie a belt. In his demonstration, he uses a blue belt because it is easier to see in the video. Rener is a black belt of course but Rener says, “You can change the color of my belt, but I am still Rener Gracie.” Jiu Jitsu is a journey and path of continuous learning. And paradoxically, the more you learn the more you realize you don’t know. It is one of the things that ....
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One of the things I have learned in my jiu jitsu life is that setbacks and injuries will happen no matter how hard we might try to avoid them. When training properly, BJJ is a very safe activity. But like any activity, there are some risks of injuries. We always do our best to be safe and smart in our training but even with careful training we will likely face an injury. I have learned to not worry about this so much and to realize that injuries must be managed and viewed as part of the journey and in particular are a way to test our perseverance and resolve. Rather than view an injury as something all bad, I try to see it as a way to grow. This applies to life on the mat as well as ....
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