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Check this site out. A compilation of reviews of almost all BJJ DVDs out there.

The Grappler’s Guide – Video Reviews

Got this site from Sidecontrol’s Blog. Great Find!

Quick plug: Looks like Zeus BJJ is going to try to get a team together to go to Truckee, CA for the Lake Tahoe Open Team Challenge. Very cool idea, with 10-person teams. Every team has to have a white, a blue, and a kid, and you get points for having…

To really learn something, you must know the principles and apply them in a creative way. That is applied knowledge. All good BJJ players have their own unique BJJ and to become great you need to create your own style. You can even look at someone like Roger who we say has the basics down, yet no one else currently on the competition scene has his style. All the greats are unique, that’s what makes them great. So before you try to learn someone else’s system or think being good at their game is your key to getting good or even learning everything step by step is good…

That tend to make good white belts but it always stops them from making that giant step to purple belt where they need to be creative. You will be excited to be a good white belt but it will ultimately stifle your game.

Something that makes you a great BJJ player I think is your creativity. Your ability to take all your mat hours and create your own BJJ, create your own set ups, or create your own combination of moves that you were taught. It’s something every BJJ school needs, to promote creativity. Listening to Ricardo "Franjinha" Miller of Paragon, he says that you don’t want it to be like Simon says. Where I tell you this, and that’s the only way you do it. Or take something the way he does it or any instructor does it and assume it is law and you always have to do it that way. You need creativity.

In chess and other strategy games like Go, the thing that the computer programs always lacked was creativity. Even when the computer finally beat Kasparov, it was when the computer was able to be creative and why Kasparov taught there was human involvement involved. It’s something that programs for Go still haven’t been able to do. Be creative with no bound rules.

It’s when you learn math, the difference between being given a problem and figuring it out on your own, to turning to the back of the book and just copying the answer down. Passive learning to active learning. Active learning where you figure it out on your own is the only true learning and knowledge. It’s why in science you always have to apply it and try experiments.

If an instructor told you all the answers or played Simon says, you’re BJJ will become stagnant like an old computer program with no creativity. If you take knowledge or are put into a situation and figure out things on your own with the guidance of your teachers, then you will be like Big Blue vs Kasparov.

If your take a butterfly out of its cocoon for it, it will never learn how to fly. We know this with other things right? Teach a man to fish instead of just giving them fish. The same is even more true to BJJ…but maybe you never figured it out because you always had your answers spoon fed.

The ULTIMATE FITNESS CENTRE & EKBJJ are pleased to announce new Daytime classes for march 2010.
We will now be running lunchtime BJJ & THAI-BOXING classes daily from the first week in march as well as new evening classes running every evening.

Also Kids classes will be back from the beginning of march too.

Please stay posted or email us for more news.

Friday’s practice was, from my perspective, one of the best ones we’ve done. My perspective was skewed, however, by the fact that I wasn’t rolling or drilling with the normal rogues’ gallery of delinquents. Instead, I was given a completely different …

Ive been stuffing my face with pizza and takeaway the last 2 weeks, felt abit shit at training (an incentive to eat well!)but was mystified at somehow losing weight. Am now 67kg. Ive noticed two things of interest recently:

Been using the cross choke from guard and mount a huge amount, practically every single roll multiple times and have been getting it quite tight. My hands are feeling pretty strong, hopefully if I can get some more climbing wall practise itll get even better.

The other note of interest is the psychological aspect. I was successfull a few times and some people gave me some compliments and it gave me a massive unconscious boost to carry on with that tactic. Which has led to me improving it through practise and now forms a big part of my arsenal. All down to positive reinforcement really. So give a training partner a compliment on something they did well and see what effect it has. Ive made it a habit of always trying to give a compliment on something they did well after every roll. You run the risk of sounding condescending but the good vibes are worth it I think as these are the things you draw on when you are at a low point.

My instructer doesnt give compliments very often but when he does they hold more gravity. I very specifically remember the first time I got to roll fully, Id been waiting for a long time and was very determined. Landed a triangle quickly on a larger opponent. After the roll my instructer told me I did well, very simple and understated but I still carry that with me.

We put alot of effort into taking care of our physical health so that we can train but the mental aspects are just as important. If you attack every less experienced partner with the aim of submitting them as often and effortlessly as possible then you are gonna kill their confidence, which may hurt their ability and even their enjoyment of the art. Which is unforgivable.

Let me know if you see any interesting effects after giving someone some positive feedback.

(http://www.jamesjean.com/)

I have been fortunate lately to train with a lot of good passers lately and I have had to revamp how I played my guard. Actually I had to break it down and reassemble it.

1. So first when they are standing above me and I am down on the ground I must break all their grips.
2. Then I must sit up, if I stay on my back it’s only a matter of time before they pass my guard.
3. Now that I am seated I have to get my grips, whether is hand grips on their gi or wrist, or its my ankles or knees on their hip or legs.
4. I must break them down onto their knees one way or another, ugly or clean. This is essential. Now I limit their pass to low passes.
5. From here I must break their posture, do not let them sit up and have room for their shoulders to gain more ground or their hands to get your head.
6. Do not let them control your head, get underhooks, drop their weight on you.
7. Fight their hands, fight their head, fight their, shoulders, fight their hips in that order.
8. Use stiff arms to keep them away, either on their head or shoulder or bicep. Wrist control will lead to them passing.
9. Once you’ve done all this (which will take about 6 seconds in a real match) play whatever guard game you’d like!

Head instructor and Royler Gracie Black Eddie Kone will be heading to

EKBJJ BJJ NORTH
On Febuary 28th to teach a 3 hr seminar / focus group covering all aspects of Gracie Jiu Jitsu.
Everyone welcome no matter what style or school you belong to.

Dtae : Febuary 28th 2010

Time: 13:00

UNIT 1
THE CROFTS
QUARRY HILL
ROTHERHAM
S60 2DN

for further info contact

Mark(07939972758)
John(07716222630)

March 2010
Date TBC
Eddie Kone will be Teaching seminars in
Romania , Ireland, Paris.

stay posted for more details and new academy locations opening.

One of Coach’s favorite sayings is “I am a dominant top fighter.” It’s equal parts self-motivation and a restatement of your goal in a fight, not to mention it echoes the idea of his other favorite saying: “If you’re on the bottom, get on top. If you’…