I like this video for two reasons.
The first is how BJ Penn defends his guard being passed. Notice how he always keeps some kind of barrier up to prevent the pass, and how he keeps moving his hips. And the way he uses his legs is really interesting!
The second is how relaxed both of them are throughout the training.
This is a 10 minute video- the first few minutes is probably the best.
Feel free to comment on this video.
I have been training martial arts since 1987. It is not a long time, but one of the things I am most proud of is that I have never quit. The only time I have taken off was due to injury. One thing I can honestly say is that at least 99% of the time that I didn’t feel like training, and I made myself get in the car and go to the dojo, I was very happy that I did it. If I was in a bad mood or dealing with some issue, training cleared my head. I couldn’t think about my ex-girlfriend, money, or whatever the current issue was when someone was trying to choke me or hit me. It actually relieves stress to have someone try to submit me, because I can’t think of anything else other than that! It gives me a break from my problems.
The Challenge
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the hardest martial arts to learn. But it is also one of the most rewarding. There is something really honest about having to tap, and if you don’t, something will break, or you’ll go to sleep. But it can be hard to take.
Continue reading How To Not Quit Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (part 1) →
Expectations and Entitlement
Paying tuition or a testing fee does not entitle anyone to a promotion. Chuck Norris flunked his first black belt exam. He didn’t complain or quit, he just made corrections without complaining and continued to train smarter and harder. Where we think we are at skill wise and where are instructor’s know we are at can be very different views. Let it be a joy to your instructor to promote you when through their experience they deem you are ready. Through their expertise, they see areas that need improvement prior to promotion that we may not yet see. Make improving yourself your main priority and place it above any desire for acclaim and rewards. A black belt in any art is where you are suppose to start the ‘real’ learning. It’s like graduating high school. Many black belts quit shortly after receiving their belt because their focus was solely on achieving a piece of colored cloth.
Continue reading Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Rank (part 2) by Guest Columnist Eric Smith →
Meditation is one of the most powerful tools for improving your martial arts abilities and your life. Here’s how it will help your Jiu-Jitsu:
“This belt only covers two inches of my butt, I have to cover the rest.” -Royce Gracie
“There are no shortcuts on a path worth traveling.” -Unknown
The thoughts below come from several sources and are not all original thoughts of mine but rather information and a perspective that guide me through my training. Therefore I do not take credit for this body of knowledge.
Continue reading Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Rank (part 1) by Guest Columnist Eric Smith →
A few black belt friends of mine talk very highly of conditioning. When they talk about getting better, they often talk about getting in better shape. In this post I am respectfully disagreeing with them!
The Good
I have mixed feelings about mixed martial arts (MMA). One one hand, it keeps the martial arts honest. Before Royce Gracie fought in the first UFC, most martial artists would tell you that their system was the best. If you opened up Black Belt magazine, every month there would be one article that would compare two styles. “Tae Kwon Do vs. Shotokan: Which is better?” Open up the magazine, and in one set of photos, the Tae Kwon Do guy wins. In the other set of photos, the Shotokan guy wins.
Continue reading Is Becoming A Champion MMA Fighter the Pinnacle Of Martial Arts Achievement? →
