Article on Tips for Buying Supplements

If you are someone who purchases supplements on a regular basis, Peter on Old Munki BJJ has some helpful tips on what to look for and to keep in mind while shopping for supplements.

Check it out, and have a great day everyone!

Article on Being a Jiu Jitsu “Problem Solver”

BJJ After 40 has an interesting article on being a jiu jitsu “problem solver” and the benefits that come with it.

Check it out, and have a great day everyone!

Great Article on Inject Positive Behaviors into BJJ

Happy Monday everyone! Val Worthington has an article over at Breaking Muscle about 10 ways to inject positivity into jiu jitsu, both in your academy and beyond.

Check it out, and have a great day everyone!

Martial Artist vs Grappler: What Do You Prefer?

I’ve encountered this issue recently, regarding what someone not in the sport might call a person who does jiu jitsu. Both terms are used when talking about jiu jitsu students, but what do you prefer? It does make sense to call oneself a “martial artist”- jiu jitsu is considered a martial art, and so in that line of thinking it makes sense.

I always prefer the term “grappler” though, when talking about jiu jitsu. Probably because this is what I think of when I hear the term “martial artist”:

…If only I could be so cool.

But the term grappler I feel also emphasizes more the sport element of jiu jitsu, which technically isn’t wrong, but doesn’t paint the whole picture. Jiu jitsu did start as a self defense system, and that history should be acknowledged and respected.

I guess it depends on how you view jiu jitsu itself: do you think of it as a martial art and self defense system, or do you think of it as more of a sport?

Let me know what you think- otherwise, have a great day everyone!

Renewing your “Contract” with BJJ

There are several times in our jiu jitsu adventure where we come to a crossroads, if you will. We are presented with the choice of either recommitting ourselves to the sport, or we bow out, say “thanks for all the memories” and walk away.

There’s no set time frame for when these points in time happen- but when they do come it’s up to you to decide whether or not you choose to continue. As much as we talk about the supportive, family atmosphere of jiu jitsu, it’s not up to your coach, your teammates, friends, family or significant others to decide whether or not to continue: it is all on you- it’s your happiness, your progress (or lack, thereof) that’s on the line. At the end of the day you will have to look yourself in the mirror and live with that decision.

Hopefully all of you will decide to continue and “renew” that contract with jiu jitsu: diversity is key to the sport, and I am sure all of you bring unique ideas, questions and points of view to your academy and to the sport in general, which help it continue to evolve.

Just some thoughts for the day- have a great day everyone!

Article on BJJ Women’s “Dirty Dozen”

Hey everyone, BJJ Heroes has an interesting article on the first 12 females to be awarded black belts outside of Brazil, the women’s “Dirty Dozen” of BJJ.

Check it out, and have a great day everyone!

Article on Competition at Walking Weight

Happy Monday everyone!

Dr. AnnMarie has an interesting article on competing at walking weight. She makes some excellent points- personally, I’ve been on both sides of the fence: I’ve loss a substantial amount of weight for competition, and there have been tournaments where I have literally just said “screw it, I’m going in as-is”. It’s really up to the individual and where you feel comfortable.

Check it out and let me know what you think- otherwise, have a great day everyone!

Happy Friday! Fake Black Belt Edition

Happy Friday everyone!

I just read an article on fake black belts in jiu jitsu, and honestly it made me extremely anxious. We talk about how it’s a disgrace, how so many people spend so much time honing their skill and it’s a sham, but there’s also this: not only do people look up to you at a higher rank, but in a lot of ways it’s sort of like pretending to be an airplane pilot, or doctor- there’s a very good chance your actions could really hurt someone, or a lot of people.

Think about some of the techniques that we employ on the mat: the chokes, the joint locks, all of it. Now think of someone with little to practically no experience at all attempting to teach these techniques to someone else with little to no experience. It’s the blind leading the blind navigating along the ledge of a cliff- sure, there is a chance that everything will turn out all right, but there’s a ridiculously high chance that things will go very, very wrong.

Anyway, I know I’m preaching to the choir, but those are my thoughts for the day. Have a great weekend everyone!

Article on Position Before Submission by Science of Skill

Science of Skill has an interesting article regarding “falling out of love” with a finish, and all about position over submission. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Have a great day everyone!

My Favorite Kind of Jiu Jitsu Student: The Ones Who Try

This may sound totally awful, while I do try to treat everyone fairly, I realize I have a favorite kind of student in jiu jitsu.

The ones who try.

Young, old, fat, thin, male, female, the ones who get it with grace and ease, and the ones who don’t and fumble their way through techniques- it doesn’t matter. If you are on the mat and you are honestly putting your energy and focus into learning the technique, I’m a total fan. Fortunately that means I’m partial to pretty much every single person that walks on the mat, so that’s nice.

Regardless of skill level, of physical ability, I respect and admire when someone puts their best effort forward. Not everyone get techniques on the first try, not everyone is in peak physical condition, but there is certainly something to be said for someone who still does what they can, still learning and attempting to apply those skills even when there is a moderate to high chance of failure. That’s what we’re all here for, right? To learn, to try, to fail, to learn from those failures, try again and eventually succeed.

Just a thought I wanted to share with you all: have a great day everyone!