School Review: EMAC Bangkok Executive Martial Arts Center)

Gifts for the BJJ lover in your life…. Part 1

Ahhhh, the holidays Show your family this post, or refer to it for ideas if you’re scrounging on what to get the jitsuka(s) in your life… oh, and it’s a multi-part series, too. Keep tuned here!

1. Sick rashguards from X Liquid: Granted, they will be shipping from Hong Kong, so might arrive in 2011, but they’re cool– some tattoo designs, others with nature scenes, kanji characters, etc. I have one, have worn it 2+ years, and have not had any problems. Very smooth, no fading, the design is sublimated so it doesn’t peel or crack… really nice. I wear a size small and it fits me fine.

2. Rashie and “spats” (a.k.a. grappling rashtights) from Scramble: Scramble is a British company with cute ideas. Fortunately for us Yanks, MMAOutlet.com is distributing them on this side of the pond so you have a good shot at receiving this in time for Christmas!

3. The mighty Guard series: From BJJ blackbelts Joe Moreira and Ed Beneville, this 3 volume series is nothing short of mindblowing and amazing. Each one can stand alone, or you can get the whole kit and kaboodle. Really clear and easy to follow instruction and excellent photography on all aspects of the strategic guard (including, of course, passing and defending the pass, but also addressing how to recover once you are passed or almost passed.)  Joe Moreira, a 7th degree blackbelt, has 37 years experience in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (and is a 3rd dan blackbelt in judo) while Ed Beneville is a black belt under Joe.  I love this series and hope this year Santa brings me volume 2, since I have 1 and 3 already and cart them around with me everywhere.

4. T-shirts that aren’t tacky. Check out the variety of designs from BJJTshirts.com.

5. A new duffel bag. I like this extra-large “Zone” duffel from Under Armour because it has a separate section which I would use for shampoo, conditioner, and all the other junk for taking a shower to keep it apart from my clothes. It is big enough for gi and equipment, or a few changes of clothes and a clean towel.

So, that’s the start of a good wishlist, I think. I’ll be following this up shortly with some recommendations on gis, instructionals, and more goodies.

Bas Rutten ? Setting Up Your Strikes

A little video I put together using Bas Rutten’s instructional video Extreme Pancrase Vol 2 Striking Combonations. It illustrates setting up your kick’s with punches, punches with kicks and body shot set-ups. I’m not affiliated with Mr. Rutten in any w…

MMA Muay Thai Boxing Liver Body Shot

Fight Doctor Mark Cacciamani talks about the anatomy of the Liver, where it is located and how to find it. Brian "Dr. Sick" Yamasaki discusses various methods of attacking the Liver in a MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing or Self Defense situation.

in·er·tia

[in-ur-shuh, ih-nur-] –noun the property of matter by which it retains its state of rest or its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force. It takes serious effort to break through the inertia that sets in when you get sidetracked from your usual training schedule. [...]

Defense In Street Fighting

Defensive techniques for bare-knuckle fighting. Can you use a boxer’s guard in a street fight? Probably not. Learn some tried-n-true methods of defense used by barehanded pugilists. Part seven of a seven part series on bare knuckle boxing.

Ryan Hall Is Staring At Me

Mario Sperry Master Series 1 Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Takedowns

From the Takedowns and Stand Up Strategies Volume, this is a small preview of this feature packed and explosive video series.

Seminar – Carlson Gracie Jr

Seminar #5
Carlson Gracie London, (BJJ), Carlson Gracie Jr, Hammersmith, UK – 04/12/2010

Callum and I headed down to the Carlson Gracie Jr seminar today, as Dickie Martin (one of the black belts at Carlson Gracie London) kindly set up an interview with Carlson Gracie Jr for Jiu Jitsu Style. I was there to ask the questions, while Callum took the photos: he’ll also be writing up a seminar review. Both will be appearing in future issues of Jiu Jitsu Style: if you’d like to keep updated on the latest Jiu Jitsu Style news, best thing to do is join the Facebook page.

Even more generously, Dickie also allowed me to take part in the seminar itself. I won’t be writing up the exact details of what was taught, as understandably Carlson Jr didn’t want them distributed on the internet. Still, I can say that he runs an excellent seminar, with a sequence of connected techniques, building through ‘what if’ scenarios, adding in submissions and a series of variations. So if you get the chance to go next year, I’d highly recommend it.

The new premises for Carlson Gracie London are very impressive: they’re still developing the site, so although there is already a sizeable mat space downstairs, it is due to get much, much bigger when they expand into the huge room next door. Filling up the current space, there was an enormous turnout for the seminar, with a range of belts. There were also a few women present, both white and blue belts, which is always good to see.

Getting to the club is easy, as it is a short walk from Ravenscourt Park tube station on the district line (took me about 30 minutes from Marylebone: down the Bakerloo to Piccadilly Circus, then Piccadilly line to Hammersmith, and finally a short hop on the district to Ravenscourt Park). Turn left out of the station, head to King St and turn right. You’ll eventually see the Carlson Gracie logo on both a sign outside and the entrance, along with a banner visible through the window. The club is directly opposite a Tesco Express.

So, many thanks to Dickie for setting up the interview and allowing me to take part, and to Carlson Jr for agreeing to speak with me for Jiu Jitsu Style, and of course Callum for bringing me along. Congratulations to everyone who was promoted, and thanks also to my training partners at the seminar, two friendly, helpful white belts. They gave me a number of useful technical pointers while we were drilling, regarding grips, angles and the like. I felt very privileged to be able to attend.

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No Holds Barred: John Perretti and Matt Phillips on the Origin of Mixed Martial Arts

On this special edition of No Holds Barred, which is show number 500 for this podcast, host Eddie Goldman is joined by the legendary matchmaker, martial artist, and our senior correspondent, John Perretti, and Matt Phillips of the Martial Arts Resource Group, which has been documenting and spreading the word about MMA online and offline since 1993.

There has been plenty written and said about the origin and meaning of the term “mixed martial arts”, but, like much else about the history of this sport, most of it is inaccurate. We discuss the first documented, written use of the term “mixed martial arts”, in a news release in September 1995 for the first show of Battlecade Extreme Fighting, of which John Perretti was a partner, producer, commentator, and matchmaker. John Perretti also explains that he had been using that term since 1979. We also discuss how this sport developed from featuring fights between martial artists of different styles, to one where, in theory at least, there were complete fighters who had mastered a variety of grappling and striking techniques. This lengthy, rich discussion also includes commentary on recent events, comparisons of the level of athletes in early and present-day fights, the predominant style of fighting today, and much, much more.

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

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

American Top Team. Whether you’re a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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

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

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com