Mar 13
There were four tickets to Abu Dhabi out of North America that I could have won. I made every effort to succeed at three of the trials, and I would have tried for the fourth too. Unfortunately, I hear that it’s not quite possible to be in two places at once. Damn…. Anyway, let’s focus …
Mar 05
Some time has past since my last attempt to win the opportunity to compete in Abu Dhabi again, but I am still committed to the goal. So far I’ve competed in San Antonio and just recently I was in Montreal in pursuit of the same goal. The trip up to Canada was relatively uneventful except …
Mar 04
Competition Tested Techniques is like no other instructional that I have ever seen. I say that not because of the techniques, which are undeniably great, but because of the format, which is quite unique. First of all, every technique demonstrated is preceded by footage of Royler Gracie applying the technique or close to it in …
Feb 19
Within the next few months, there is a short list of tournaments that I really want to win. So I’ve been focused on two things in order to succeed. First of all, preparing myself mentally and physically so that I can perform to the best of my ability, and secondly, just physically getting to the …
Jan 30
Originally, this tournament was scheduled for November 5-6 in 2011. Even from the very beginning though, details were hard to track down. Soon enough, it was clear that the NY Trials just would not happen on that date. For a time, I would often surf the web, hoping to find some information here and there, …
Jan 30
When it comes to competition, I have a blueprint for the major tournaments that I want to do in 2012. On that list, the IBJJF Europeans is on the very first line. Now the main obstacle that stood in my path was financial, and it is entirely probable that I wouldn’t have made it if …
Dec 22
I have a high level of interest in partner drills because they are undeniably useful in developing both skill and conditioning. In addition, once you get the hang of them the drills can be quite fun. So they can serve as a good distraction from the fact that you are doing work, and that’s always great. Now …
Dec 04
Earlier this year, I won the trip to go to Abu Dhabi for the 2011 World Pro Tournament. It was a incredible experience, but I didn’t accomplish what I wanted to accomplish. I competed in three different divisions while I was there, and each time I ran into the same obstacle. His name was Luke …
Nov 16
I stumbled on this video earlier today, and it was interesting. It’s a clip from a movie that I’d never heard of before now called Facing the Giants, but it just exemplifies a concept for achieving success. It’s the idea that you never know what you can truly do until you try wholeheartedly. We place …
Nov 12
For many years, I had a lot of trouble sitting on my heels. So that was a range of flexibility I just didn’t have. It’s only recently that I started figuring out what contributes to that specific range of motion, and now I’m rectifying the situation. Thus, the hook game is opening up to me, …
Oct 24
Personal Assessment: Strengths – Mobile on the ground Good understanding of basic guard concepts Relatively flexible Decent guard recovery Decent conceptual understanding of the triangle and armbar Good at applying the ezekiel choke from mount with or without the Gi Conceptual understanding of top and bottom half guard Ever-increasing effectiveness with the arm drag Weaknesses …
Oct 20
I experiment a lot, and lately I’ve been thinking about how to teach technique better. I’ve tried various ideas, but I keep coming back to one in particular. It stems from the understanding that technique is formed from the fusion of concept and movement. Of those two components though, one is harder to teach to …
Oct 15
The No-Gi Pan was the first IBJJF tournament I ever competed in. The year was 2008, and I was a white belt at the time. There were no white belt divisions though, so I went in as a blue belt. In the first match, I lost. I got taken down in the first few seconds …
