My Jiu-Jitsu Journey

It is often said, "Life is a journey, not a destination." The same can be said of anything that one dedicates their life to.

Sometimes I am asked, "How long have you trained Brazilian Jiu-Jistu?" Because it is a simple answer I say about a decade. But honestly my journey in began in 1999 when I met John Castillo. Prior to our meeting I had trained a little Judo and a little Muay Thai. I have always been interested in the martial arts, but nothing traditional like Karate or Tae Kwon Do. Growing up in the midwest limits the choices of study for exotic martial arts. Usually the schools lacked the commercial viability to stay open very long.

It had been a few years since the first UFC and I was out of high school, had a 3rd shift job, and was looking for a hobby. One of my friends had a younger brother who had just started training BJJ. The mysticism of the Royce Gracie beating up guys 40-50 pounds heavier than himself intrigued me. I enjoyed Judo the short time I got to train in it was a natural transition.

I started training with John. His martial arts background was extensive and he was a blue belt in BJJ but more importantly he was the only guy in town who taught jits. His gym was a nice space in an older strip mall. He shared mat space with some Escrima and Akido guys. It was exactly what I was looking for.
My first BJJ memory is training with guys far more athletic than myself that concluded with being on a receiving end of a flying armbar. Much like college, my first attempt at studying BJJ was wrought with financial difficulties and I had to suspend training for a while.

After a wild period or my 4-year "semester off," that included a year of professional wrestling, I returned to the mats. Thanks to a friend who was interested in trying jiu-jitsu I realized how much I missed BJJ. And since 2004, I have been training consistently. No more excuses.

Along the way, I have cross-trained in Muay Thai with Andy Zerger, trained with Eric Payne for MMA fights, and most recently met Andre "Tim" Monteiro in 2009. Andre is a great instructor, my mentor in BJJ and business, and a good friend. He is what I strive to become as an instructor.

Why give this long personal history? Because I feel it is important for my students to know. This is a hard road. It is not simply the hobby I was looking for, it is a lifestyle. If it were easy, I would have been a black belt in 6 simple lessons. But it is not this. I have trained in nice places, bad places, on dirty mats, warehouses, and in garages. I have trained through two bad knees, cauliflowered ears, a dislocated rib, separated shoulders, broken toes, countless sprains, and a permanently strained neck. But these are small things to the experience. Because regardless of the situation, I still trained. When jiu-jitsu became the priority, the excuses stopped, and I still found a way to train.

I want to offer students new to training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu some advice:

1. Jiu-Jitsu will be here. If you have to take some time to tend to your family, or your responsibilities, it is okay. Any instructor who says otherwise is not very good. Some may even try to accommodate your situation if they can. When jiu-jitsu becomes a priority, you will find a way. I am fortunate to have a wife that understands my commitment to BJJ. But I also know plenty of guys who have been successful balancing training/fighting with a wife, work, and kids.

2. Commit to the long, slow road. You must decide early on, what you want from jiu-jitsu? Is it self-defense, sport, exercise, hobby, knowledge, etc.? There are so many individual goals. If it is simply for the black belt then you should understand that many quit after earning their blue belt, even less make it to their purple belt. So if the black belt is the ultimate goal, commit to the long slow road, and enjoy the journey.

3. You are not alone! Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has exploded in popularity since I started. There is a planet of grapplers out there with very similar but very different stories. Each of our journeys is different but the camaraderie among grapplers is amazing and we are there to support each other in pursuit of growing the art. Oss!

Myofascial Release Techniques

Myofascial release is used to treat trigger points, muscles that are painful, characterized by taut bands or where the tissue has become thick and knotted, that can occur due to developing a poor kinetic chain, injury, or overuse.

You have fascia all over your body. It is a specialized connective tissue that surrounds the muscles, bones, and joints giving supports and protection. There are superficial, deep, and subserous layers as well as 3 types: dense connective tissue, ligaments, and tendons. The dense connective tissue extends from the tip of your head down to your last little piggy in one continuous piece. People generally don't think about there fascia, but it does a lot, transmitting mechanical tension (caused by muscle activity).

Self myofascial release is relatively easy and have been shown to reduce pain and increase Range of Motion (ROM). Spend 1-2 min per area and unsure your abdominal muscles stay tight to protect the spine.

Adductor:

1. Extend the thigh and place foam roll in the groin region with body face down.
2. Be careful when rolling in the adductor origins of the pelvis
3. If you find a tender spot, stop rolling and hold on that spot 45sec or until pain is reduced.













Hamstring:
1. Place roller under legs with hips unsupported
2. Feet can be crossed if you want to do one leg at a time.
3. Roll from knee toward posterior hip
4. If you find a tender spot, stop rolling and hold on that spot 45sec or until pain is reduced













Quadriceps
1. Body is face Down with foam roller underneath legs
2. Make sure you keep your core tight to protect your back
3. Roll from pelvic bone to knee, make sure you get the outside thigh good
4. If you find a tender spot, stop rolling and hold on that spot 45sec or until pain is reduced

Iliotibial Band
1. Lie on your side with the foam roll positioned below hip bone.
2. Raise the bottom leg, this can be painful so do this move sparingly
3. Roll from the hip joint down to the knee, you should be hitting the outside of the leg when your rolling.
4. If you find a tender spot, stop rolling and hold on that spot 45sec or until pain is reduced








Upper Back
1. Hug your chest or place your hands behind hour head (like a sit up). This will open up your shoulder blades
2. Raise your hips till they are unsupported.
3. Roll mid back ensuring that your head remains supported.
4. If you find a tender spot, stop rolling and hold on that spot 45sec or until pain is reduced.

31 Days of Christmas Submissions: Day 7

Triangle Variation: I use this a lot, especially when training with men. If you find yourself in the position where you are trying to finish an arm bar but can't for whatever reason, this is a great move.

Position 1: start from the arm bar, slide your right leg (leg closest to your opponents hips) through your opponents arms and Down to the floor. Make sure that the back of your ankle is flush to the persons neck.

 Position 2: Let your other leg relax and fall to the mat. Reach your left hand under your opponents neck to grab your own ankle.

Position 3: while still holding on to your ankle fall backwards onto your right side, pulling the person with you as you fall. Hook your free leg over your foot. Squeeze your knees together. Note: DO NOT let go of your ankle, holding onto the ankle is what is creating the choking 

effect!!!

31 Days of Christmas Submissions: Day 4

Anaconda Choke: This is essentially an arm triange from the headlock position. It works well with the snapdown or as an aid to transition to mount.

Position 1: This version will be initiated from the snap down, shoot your L/R arm across the neck to the opposite armpit. Your biceps should be pressed firmly against the side of your opponents neck.

Position 2: Grab your own biceps and cup the persons back, making sure there is no space between your chest and their back. Then tuck your head down.

Position 3: You will roll/fall to your side, head tucked (this keeps them from rolling over your head)

Position 4: As you finish your gator roll start to walk your legs toward your opponents legs, keeping you arms tight. Think about squeezing your elbows together rather than just pulling back on their neck.

Position 5: Wait for gurgling sounds and a feeling of triumph... Then say nanny-nanny-boo-boo!!

 

 

 

31 Days of Christmas Submissions: Day 2

Day 2: Americana From Mount

This is a great submission though sometimes difficult to get, especially if the persons upper body is stronger than yours. It is important that you learn to use your body weight as an aid in these types of situations.

Position 1: Your opponent is in a defensive position after you have achieved mount.

Position2: Choose an arm, go 2 on one to press the arm to the floor. You should keep your arms straight when doing this using the weight of you body to get the arm to the floor.. We like to work smarter not harder.

Position 3: Drop you elbow down to the mat as a brace to keep the persons arm at a 90 degree angle. If the person is trying to roll you, you can also grapevine the opposite leg to maintain your base. 

Position 4: Run your arm underneath the elbow and grab your own wrist (figure 4)

NOTE: To make this easier after you achieve the figure four grip roll your hand forward as if you were revving up a motorcycle. This will put their hand/wrist flat to the mat. 

Position 5: Begin to pull their elbow in to their body as you lift up on the elbow. Their wrist should stay touching the mat as you do this. Keeping their elbow tight to their body will ensure a faster submission. 

31 Days Of Christmas Submissions: Arm-Bar from Side Mount

As always, we are a giving bunch. What better way to give back during the holidays than a little woman on woman submission series? Amanda and myself will be demonstrating a submission series for the holidays.

Day 1:

Armlock from Side Mount - this is one of my favorite armlock. Primarily because I love side mount, it is a great position for a smaller defender or a woman. You can initiate good pressure and control from this position and create a tight armbar. If you're really nasty, you can overhook the arm and sit back with it. (Warning: Do not tuck the arm during training. You may hurt your partner but for self-defense definitely an option. Be ready for the snap, crackle, pop part.) This is especially effective on red heads but not as effective as the the ginger cross-face. 

Position 1: 

Position 2: Raise the inside arm and bring your knee in tight to the persons body. 

Position 3: 

post on your right forearm and bring your right shin/knee up to the armpit/chest. Pull up on the triceps of the trapped arm and swing the left leg over the face. Placing it up against the side of the neck. Holding on to the the opposite shoulder as you sit down into the armbar pulls the person to you keeping the armbar tight. 

Position 4: Finish the Armbar- sit back into the arm bar ensuring the thumb is facing toward the ceiling or in the opposite direction of the elbow. Ensure you squeeze your knees together as you sit back to keep the armbar tight.

Jiu-Jitsu The Anti-Bully

Bullying is a problem. And it goes unchecked for a variety of reasons. The question is what can a parent do? You could walk behind your child every moment of their day to prevent the bullying. But this is more likely exasperate the situation. Kids are often encouraged to run and tell an adult but that does little for a child's self-confidence.

Jiu-Jitsu is a system of self-defense that offers the means for a child to develop the self-confidence to stand up to a bully. Bullies operate from a position of power through intimidation. In the end, they only keep taunting because nobody stood up to them. Eliminating your child's fear of injury through learned techniques and drilling gives them the ability to confidently confront a bully and tell them, "No. Stop."

Of course the preferred outcome is that when confronted the bullying stops. But there is always the case that a bully may retaliate by becoming verbally or physically abusive. Jiu-Jitsu offerers the child the ability to push back, take the bully to the ground, and subdue them without use of violence.

The idea here is to first stand up to the bully by assertively, not aggressively, telling them to stop. Then tell a teacher or adult that the bully will not stop even after you have told them to. The final lesson is, if physically assaulted, to subdue the attacker and take control. This not only stops the attack but it instill more self-confidence in the child.

Check in with Fox Fitness about upcoming anti-bullying classes.