Complete Results from ADCC 2015

So the ADCC tournament did actually happen this past weekend- unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to watch any of the matches, but from what I hear there were some pretty exciting matches.

You can check out the full results on BJJHeroes.com, and if you did watch any of the matches, let me know which ones you found to be the most interesting.

Have a great day everyone!

Happy Friday! Tournament Musical Chairs Edition

Happy Friday everyone!

So what the heck is going on with the ADCC? I feel like every time I turn around someone is dropping out of this tournament and being replaced by someone else. So far all I can tell you with any certainty in regards to who is competing is Xande and…some people. Maybe. For now. Who the hell knows.

I guess check out the ADCC website for the most updated list? Or watch the event and see who shows up, I guess.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Flu Season is Early This Year….

For love of all that is holy, wash your hands, get your flu shot, take your vitamin C, and if you end up getting sick anyway, please stay home until you feeling better, or at lease are no longer contagious.

We appreciate the dedication, but really you’re just going to feel awful, you’re going to get other people sick, and really…

Just a friendly public service announcement- have a great day everyone!

Article on BJJ Skin Conditions

So it’s not something we really like to talk about, but there are some skin infections that we grapplers get that everyone should be aware of, for more effective treatment and prevention.

George-jitsu posted an article on four basic skin problems that grapplers tend to experience. Good hygiene is pretty crucial in the fight against these conditions- wash on a regular basis, and make sure to wear a clean gi.

Check out the article, and have a great day everyone!

Both Ends of the Spectrum: Focusing on the Short Term and the Long Haul

Jiu jitsu has a pretty interesting progression, when you think about it. On the one hand we understand this is an art that takes twice as long to achieve your black belt as others: 8-10 years is a tremendously long time to do anything, really.

One the other hand there is a very steep learning curve in the beginning, and progress comes in jumps and spurts, not just a steady progression. So we focus on the short term- making sure we get to class, drilling a million times and training all the time, building ourselves up to that next level of progression.

And I think problems arise when someone focuses too much on one or the other. You focus too much on the short term, you become frustrated at the lack of progression, you focus too much on the long term you run the risk of becoming complacent or quitting.

By maintaining a balance between the two, you can focus on those little steps, but also keep in mind they are the smaller pieces to the (much) bigger picture, which will take some time to build.

…Those are just my thoughts for the moment. Have a great day everyone!

Article on the Role of Your Professor in Jiu Jitsu

Good morning everyone! Grace Barra has an article on the role of the your professor. Check it out, and let me know if there are any other ones you can think of to add to the list- and have a great day everyone!

Happy Friday! Awkward Shaka Edition

Happy Friday everyone!

There’s a pretty funny blog I highly recommend reading, called The Awkward Shaka. It’s pretty funny, and I think you guys will enjoy it.

Have a great weekend everyone!

BJJ Shower Thoughts

Have you heard of Shower Thoughts from Reddit? Just random musings that people come up with that are just random musings that can potentially be brilliant? For example:

“I have a feeling that Bruce Wayne would be better at fixing Gotham than Batman. Batman spends hours a day punching college dropouts when Bruce Wayne could create jobs by building the infrastructure that Gotham desperately needs and funding major job training initiatives.”

I’m sure we’ve all had random thoughts about jiu jitsu that could also qualify as shower thoughts. For example:

-Velcro on belts to keep them tied

-If you had to fight your BJJ twin (someone with literally the same game, submissions, etc) how would that match go?

-Does Eddie Bravo ever get confused by the all the different names he comes up with for techniques?

-if I change my name to something Portuguese sounding, will that make my jiu jitsu .02 percent better?

-Would you ever really be able to pass the guard of a professional contortionist?

These aren’t really meant to be taken seriously, obviously. Let me know if you’ve had any jiu jitsu shower thoughts of your own recently. Otherwise, have a great day everyone!

Funny Article on the Types of (Annoying) People You Meet on the Mat

Your team is your second family, but let’s face it, you can definitely pick out who is who in this list of the 7 most annoying types of people in BJJ. 

Even with these character flaws, you learn to enjoy the company of all (ok, most) of them. Sort of like that relative at holiday dinners, sure they are kind of annoying in the moment, but something would definitely be missing if they no longer appeared in your life.

Check it out, and have a great day everyone!

Science! Scientists Discover Where the “Gist” of Your Memories are Stored

Scientists believe they have found where we keep episodic memories stored in our brains. Which is pretty exciting, when you think about it.

Personally, I’m hoping we can some sort of enhancement for this part of the brain, and maybe get back some previous episodic memories. There are so many techniques from seminars that I’m sure I have forgotten at this point- just laying there, waiting to resurface- and it would be sell to get those back.

Sigh. One can only hope.

Check out the article, and have a great day everyone!