continued from part 1…
4) Higher level practitioners do them and not lower level because most BJJ practitioners are not good at leg locks. If they are a brown belt, their leg locks are normally at blue belt level. Beginners may be told that they will learn them when they are higher rank, but in most [...]
Are Leg Locks Part of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
There is a bit of controversy on this topic. When I started training and I was originally under the Gracies, I was told that leg locks are:
1) dangerous
2) on kneebars you turn your back, and turning your back is really bad
3) if you train them your guard passes will suffer
4) that only higher level guys [...]
How A Black Belt Can Hurt You
Having a belt system in any martial art has several purposes. One is that students know who to trust as far as who to learn from. Belt color will let you know to trust the darker colored belts and to take advice from white belts with a grain of salt. There are white belts in [...]
Criteria for Rank in BJJ
This is a really touchy subject. I have seen adults act like children when it comes to getting promoted in BJJ!
What creates some of this frustration is that most schools do not have a clear set of requirements for advancement. I understand why students can get frustrated.
It took my 11 years to achieve my [...]
The Meaning of the Bow
In my opinion, bowing is the most important technique in all of the martial arts. In this post I will explain what the different types of bows are why the bow is so powerful.
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Abundance and Scarcity in BJJ
My early years in Jiu-Jitsu were rough in many ways! One of my negative experiences was learning a different way to do a guard pass. One day I was doing the pass where you slide one arm in between their legs and you leave one arm in between their legs. I had learned this pass [...]
How To Not Quit Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (part 1)
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.
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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Rank (part 2) by Guest Columnist Eric Smith
continued from 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 [...]
What's Wrong With BJJ
I have to say that the Gracies have made a huge contribution to my life. I love Jiu-Jitsu. It is one of the most amazing martial arts I have ever encountered, that I am still challenged and mystified by. I am very thankful to them. They have helped make me a more complete martial artist and [...]
The 5 Factors In Who Wins A Match
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!
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