On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on the recent deaths of mixed martial arts fighters Justin Eilers and Justin Levens, and what this might possibly reflect about that sport. We also raise some major criticisms of the Sengoku 7 mixed martial arts card, which takes place Sunday, January 4, 2009, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, near Tokyo. Fighting on that card will be heavyweight Antonio Silva, even though he is currently under suspension by the California State Athletic Commission for steroid use.

In our main interview segment, we speak with three-time U.S. national freestyle wrestling champion and now a mixed martial arts fighter with a record of 2-0, King Mo Lawal. Mo, a light heavyweight, will next be fighting veteran Yukiya Naito on that same Sengoku 7 card.

In a lengthy interview, we discussed what Mo knows about Yukiya Naito, how Mo prepared for this fight by training in Brazil, his plans to continue competing in wrestling and also to become a boxer, the role of freestyle and folkstyle wrestling in mixed martial arts, his attitude towards submissions, his King Mo persona in Japan and his Queens, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called “The Heist”, by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with one of the most well-rounded masters in grappling, Teimoc Johnston-Ono.

Teimoc’s numerous accomplishments include being a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic judo team, serving as head judo coach at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, being the only person to win the prestigious World Masters competition in both judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and holding black belts in both judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Among his various instructional duties, he is now teaching both judo and submission grappling at the Five Points Academy in downtown New York City five nights a week.

We had a chance this week to speak with Teimoc at length right after one of his classes at the Five Points Academy. We discussed what he teaches his students, the key role of grappling in the combat sports and martial arts, the role and changing nature of judo, why the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship is the most important grappling event in the world, the downplaying of the role of grappling by many mixed martial arts companies, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called “The Heist”, by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

Today at work (yes, I was working on X-Mas Eve), a coworker who wanted to be politically correct asked me what I celebrated before wishing me a “happy whatever.” I smiled and shrugged. He said, “oh, ok, you don’t celebrate anything… well, happy winter solstice then!” I laughed and replied “no no no no… you see, I celebrate everything.” Not in the greedy sort of way. I explained, “I celebrate every day.” I smiled again and sat cross-legged in my desk chair, hippy style. “I see no reason why I can’t celebrate every day that I’m alive. No reason to be picky about which days are holidays.”

Happy Holidays everyone
I’m going skiing in Colorado for a week so look for an update after new-years!

Wow, so this is my last post of 2008. It’s been quite a year.

I think back to the start of the year and not really knowing how training was going to pan out. Fast forward to recent months and there have been occasions where there hasn’t been room for everyone to train at once. Just shows what can happen in a year.

This has, by far, been my best year in Jiu Jitsu, some major highlights being:

- Two medals at two tournaments
- Training with John Danaher at Renzo’s in NYC
- Meeting Matt Serra and training at his gym on Long Island
- Training at Eduardo Rocha’s gym in Oakland
- Training with, and getting my Blue Belt from Royce!!!

There have been loads of other great bits and some great training this year, but my biggest “gain” has been in my application of Jiu Jitsu. I feel that since Dean has returned to teaching, my understanding of how Jiu Jitsu should and can be has grown exponentially. Whilst I’m still not great, I’m training and rolling in a way that I’d have once thought off limits to someone like me, in a way that will sustain my interest and development for a long time to come – suddenly, a lot more seems possible. And it’s this that has led to probably my single best moment of the year.

I’ve already written about this, but I’m going to mention it again. Shortly after getting my Blue Belt from Royce, I was practicing with Dean and we were rolling and exchanging positions in a really free and creative way – it felt great. I felt great – like I was actually doing Jiu Jitsu, like I was well and reasonably skilled. At the end of that session, all Dean said to me was “and that’s why you’re a Blue Belt”. Looking back now, that was this year’s best moment. For sure, actually getting my Blue Belt was great, but getting that acknowledgement from my instructor meant so much more. Why? Well, because Dean’s my Instructor and know’s where I’ve come from, my strengths, my limits and also sees what I can do. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need or look for that kind of thing – I love Jiu Jitsu, man, I’m obsessed by it, but nonetheless, it felt like the biggest compliment I could receive. So thanks Dean, for your time, your energy and also for giving me the confidence to adopt a style of Jiu Jitsu that makes me smile.

Thanks to everyone I’ve trained with this year – every single person has added something to my training. Thanks especially to Big Dean and Si for their friendship and concern beyond Jiu Jitsu – it’s nice to feel that there are people out there who care and you can trust…I spend my working week with so many people I dislike and distrust that it would be easy to shut off unless you had a few good friends around you to remind you that life can be good.

A great year on the mat then….what does 2009 hold? One thing I’ve learned this year is that you cannot predict what’s going to happen, so I’m not even going to try or worry about it. I just wanto train and feel good. I did have some hope of a BJJ odyssey, but that seems to have been removed in one swipe by the Billionaire owner of the company I work for announcing a pay freeze and no bonuses (I can see his brand new £180K Ferrari from my office window…hmmm) during 2009 – the credit crucnch hits BJJ! We’ll see – I certainly never expected 2 US trips this year – just the way things can work out!

My quest to be leaner and fitter will continue…as always. Yoga and a better diet will help. I’ve been trying this year, but no path to improvement is ever linear so I’m not perturbed, nor am I going to make any excuses. I’ve got to do something though – three colds in three months (yep, I’ve got another right now) has got to be telling me something and it’s hard to train well when you’re not 100%.

So, I’ll close this year by talking about our last session which took place on Sunday – a few hours training (mainly working on Mount and weight distribution – worth mentioning Richard’s return (with Craig!) – good to see both back. Also good to see Toyah, looking very well on imminent motherhood) followed by a few drinks and a meal at Pizza Express. Despite feeling a bit ropey from this rubbish cough I’ve got, I really enjoyed being with those that could make it – it’s this stuff that makes you feel like a “club” or a “team” so thanks to all for your company. And what a great choice – Pizza…food of Ninja Turtles….a poor attempt by me to create a segway to this. I found this a long while back and thought I’d share it. I just know you will try it. Just one of those things you have to do. Enjoy.

So I finally made it to the first 200 flighthours out of the planned 1000. Damn it is gonna take a long time to get there! However, when I think about it, 200 full hours of sparring is quite a lot, and when I look back on the sparring videos I have uploaded here along the way, I see a very big improvement in my game during the period. Technique-wise, I haven’t changed a lot. 80% of the moves I use are still the same, but what has really improved is my timing, setups and ability to “read” the game when I roll.

This is really one of the most fantastic things about Jiu Jitsu. I often talk to beginners who are frustrated about rolling because they feel “blind” to what is going on. They can’t recognize positions, see the holes or predict what is going to happen. This is one thing, that I really feel has been my biggest improvement over the last year or so. The amount of information that is being processed in my head during sparring is growing bigger and bigger, and I can’t stop being amazed about how the brain can analyze more and more details in such a complex thing as live wrestling. I enjoy every single minute of training Jiu Jitsu more than ever, and I am glad I have this beautiful sport in my life.

This year has been amazing trainingwise. I have improved a lot myself, but even more important is, that the team has really grown to a whole new level. I have so many skilled guys available to spar and train with, no matter if I wanna do BJJ, wrestling, MMA or Muay Thai. All the time, new talents are joining in, and I can’t wait to guide them to many great experiences through combat sports.

I have high hopes for 2009. We are going to expand the gym with double matspace, boxing ring, cage and everything else we have been dreaming about. A lot of our guys are looking at competing. Some guys are going to fight for the first time, and some guys are planning on moving up to professional MMA, so I will be very busy coaching all of them together with the rest of the instructors. My BJJ kids are looking really promising as we have a lot of talent and enthusiasm on the team at the moment. I expect them to demolish any competition they might face by the end of this year. I better hurry up tapping them out before they grow to my own size in a few years!

As far as the blog goes, I have a lot of new videos coming up, both instructionals and sparring. I have had a minor shoulder injury for the last few weeks, so I have not been able to finish them, but they are on the drawing board and will be online soon, so check back often

Oh yes, and dont forget to vote for me in the Best BJJ Blog of 2008 competition!!

http://thefightworkspodcast.com/2008/12/21/bjj-blog-year-vote/

Poll closes at January 5th

Posted 2008-12-24
by David Thomas

Like most long-term endeavors, there are few significant milestones. In a sport like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where the journey from white to black belt only has 3 intermediate steps, the milestones are literally "few and far between." In my case, with 13 years in the making of my recent black belt promotion, simple math will tell you just how far those milestones were set apart.

Much of our time working though intense athletic effort is filled with small challenges, victories, incremental growth, and setbacks. Even if you train 4 times per week, go to every seminar and open mat available, and compete regularly, you will find long periods of time where getting over the smallest obstacle will challenge your resolve to continue the journey ahead. The harder you train, the more likely you will get injured. The more you cross-train with others, the more likely you will find someone who will kick your butt so regularly and with such domination, that you will likely wonder if you can ever get past them. I remember being a white belt, completely sore and beaten up from my previous training day, afraid to face the mats again, wondering if I should return for another brutal work-out. Of course, I returned, but was faced with this constant question for months. The sport is insanely challenging. Everyone you meet on the mats sees you as fresh meat. The target is on your back every single day. As your rank progresses, this target gets bigger.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu rewards people who can get past these big obstacles. The rewards are not just rank, but a knowledge base of skills that are broad and deep.

I remember a karate sensei of mine 20 years ago, in a moment of self-absorption, was boasting about how at his skill level, he could simply toy with his opponents "like a cat playing with a mouse." I was simultaneously disappointed that he shared this with his students and intrigued that a level of skill that advanced was attainable.

Rather than boast that I’m the biggest cat in the jungle, this promotion is a time to remember how many phenomenally talented athletes are in this amazing sport; many of them commanding a skill level that I can only hope to attain in my lifetime. I also hope that I have the ability to translate this wonderful sport into words capable of inspiring my students to stay on the long road. Don’t focus on the milestones. Focus on the gifts that come from the hard work, every day you are on the mats: friendship, fitness, and the skills of a cat just a little bit bigger than it was yesterday.

I just had an interesting 24 hours. Now I am not getting on my high-horse here – but I think this is worth saying. I found out several days ago, there were a couple of people here in Australia, distributing lists of ripped-off MMA and BJJ products via their e-mail database. I was more than a little concerned to discover that my BJJ Curriculum was on that list – and for sale (albeit without the manuals, etc) for a paltry $50.
It didn’t take long for me to track down information on the two individuals doing this – and get in touch with them. After the dust settled, they both just paid me compensation for illegally copying and selling my materials – but they differed significantly in their follow-up e-mail responses.
One did the manly thing – admitted his mistake, apologized profusely and thanked me for allowing him the opportunity to settle this matter easily and quickly. For me it’s not about the money – it’s about the principle of the thing; so I will be magnanimous about the matter and even send him a ‘original curriculum’ in appreciation of his newfound view on the matter. The other guy (and also the worse offender – the one who is sending the list out to everyone and having them pass it on to their mates) although he paid me what I asked for, was less than apologetic. He was more concerned with telling me how bad his health was, how he ‘didn’t need this crap’ – how ‘some people out there were spoiling it for everyone’ (I don’t even know what that means) – what an idiot!
I almost hope he starts distributing his list again …
This whole copywrite thing is a big, grey area. Most people don’t give it a second thought – especially when it involves a blockbuster movie rip-off or a downloaded computer game, etc.
I look at it this way – if one caveman wanders over to another tribe, sees a better way to make fire – then he is entitled (even driven my the survival imperative) to go home and teach his own tribal members how to make fire. If however, he runs into the new camp – and steals their fire – (or bow, axe, etc) then that’s way different. it gets even worse, when he steals their stuff and then goes a HUGE step further and sells it to other people for a profit. That I really cannot condone – in fact, I despise it.
If someone has a ripped off copy of one of my DVD’s, and is using it for their personal use, I’m not as happy as I could be – but hey, I won’t lose too much sleep either. But when someone steals my stuff, then aggressively sells it to others for profit – it’s time to slide down the bat-pole, and head out into the night.
To end on a positive note – these people are in the minority. There are way more people who value the work and effort it takes into creating something beneficial and of great value – and who pay a reasonable price for that work. In my own case – I always pay.
In the past, I have to admit, I have tried some software on occasion that I have bought overseas somewhere – but if I like the program and find a use for it – I invariably go out and buy an original. People should be paid for their work. Once an idea is out of the bag – it kind of becomes public property – like making fire, or cooking rice – but I think each of us, in our won way, knows where to draw the line.
Have a great Christmas everyone – be well, stay safe … enjoy the time with family and friends.
JBW

Just had to share this video I found of this year’s women’s no-gi 48kg finals at the Fila World Championships (Lisa Ward v. Lisa Newton), held just a few days ago. It’s a pretty dominating performance. The only problem is that watching videos like this gives me grapple envy. I want to be able to [...]

Eva is one of the more brutal CrossFit workouts, named in honor of one of the more badass CrossFit women, Eva Twardokens (http://www.skievat.com/). Eva is an Olympic alpine skiier (skier?) and an all around fitness inferno.

The workout is:

5 rounds
-800m run
-30 2-pood kettlebell swings
-30 pullups

A “pood” is a Russian unit of measurement; one pood is 16kg or 35lbs. So 2 pood is, obviously, 70lbs. The story goes that when CrossFit central was trying to decide what workout to name in Eva’s honor and they asked her which workout she liked, she said the Helen, which is 3 rounds of a 400m run, 21 kettlebell swings with a 1-pood kettlebell, and 12 pullups. So they just supersized the Helen, basically, and called it Eva.

Yes, this workout is brutal. I logged a DNF (did not finish) when I did it sometime in late October or early November; at the cutoff point of 45 minutes, I had just finished the 5th run. And I used a 1-pood kettlebell. My hands were torn up pretty badly by the end, but I did not use salt–see the end of the video below:

http://www.crossfit.com/mt-archive2/004384.html

You can see me for a couple split seconds, though, doing pullups and swingin’ my kettlebell in the first minute and a half. I’m wearing a green shirt. You can also see my teachers Andy, Becca, Jonesy, and Dawn, as well as some of my fellow students Zeb, Eddie, Kathryn, Devlin, Shirley, and tons of others!

Sitting here watching the video, I’m all motivated to work out. But then I stand up and hear things creak and feel things ache, and I think maybe a second rest day would be a good idea. I rested yesterday except for my 74 burpees for the 100-day burpee challenge–I was due for a rest and I also spent the day traveling to Illinois for the holidays, where it is SEVEN degrees outside. There oughta be a law.

So we’ll see. I have to do 75 burpees either way, but the question is whether to add them to a full workout or just to do 10 every hour or something. I probably won’t be training for the week I’m in IL, but I will be thinking about it! I have been playing with some closed guard stuff, and it seems to be working. So we’ll see how some time off affects my game when I get back next week. Meantime, I’m sure I can find many ways to kick my own ass. Thanks to Petranek Fitness for helping me develop that skill set!