So now for the big news… I am opening a brand new fulltime Jiu Jitsu Kingdom gym in Sydney hopefully on 12th December. (I say hopefully because I had hope to open earlier but have not been able to put in the time to get it up and running yet but I am 99.9% sure we’ll be ready to go on the 12th! 2012 is going to be a huge year for Jiu Jitsu Kingdom and believe me, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

On a personal note I’d like to take a moment to congratulate my good friend and fellow Gracie Sydney Team member Liam Resnekov on achieving his black belt recently. It’s been a long, hard journey and no one I know is more deserving so congrats mate!

I hope everyone continues to train Jiu Jitsu during the festive season, learn, share, grow and continue to sharpen the sword! Please stay safe over the holidays and see if you can get at least one person you know to start learning Jiu Jitsu, believe me you will change their life and may even save it!

Good Luck With Your Training And Happy Rolling!

Felipe Grez

Jiu Jitsu Kingdom

www.jiujitsukingdom.com

Ok so here is another cool clip of Marcelo Garcia staying back after class answering questions and teaching at his New York Academy. Marcelo’s passion for training, teaching and competing is awesome. He is a true gentleman and a role model for us all. Special thanks to John Ricard for editing and uploading the video. Enjoy!

If you liked this video please feel free to sign up to MGinaction and use “Jiu Jitsu Kingdom” as a promo code for a free week. Also please check out Marcelo’s YouTube page which is also done by John Ricard. Stay tuned for some more great videos and posts this week and have a great weekend!

Good Luck With Your Training And Happy Rolling!

Felipe Grez

Jiu Jitsu Kingdom

www.jiujitsukingdom.com

Helio Gracie was the pioneer who applied the theory of leverage to the techniques of Jiu Jitsu and in the process began a revolution that allows men, women and children of all ages, shapes, size and athletic ability learn techniques to defend themselves with maximum efficiency and minimal effort. Gracie Jiu Jitsu was the catalyst for modern MMA competition and the UFC. And although MMA is soaring in popularity, it is important that we do not forget Helio’s original teachings and intention for Gracie Jiu Jitsu and that is Self Defense.

One of Helio’s many famous quotes regarding Gracie Jiu Jitsu is: “Always assume that your opponent is going to be bigger, stronger and faster than you; so that you learn to rely on technique, timing and leverage rather than brute strength”. Through the techniques of Gracie Jiu Jitsu, an individual is able to develop confidence, awareness and a sound technical arsenal to protect themselves should the need ever arise. Another great Helio Gracie quote is: “Jiu Jitsu is personal efficiency to protect the weaker, which anyone can do. It is the force of leverage against brute force”.

Just last Friday I began training a new student, Kimberley who had no prior Martial Arts experience, yet was keen to develop more confidence and learn how to protect herself. Kimberley took to Gracie Jiu Jitsu training like a fish to water and within the first 10 minutes was starting to develop some serious base! I at around 95kg was not able to push her or drag her around once she understood the basic principle of dropping her weight and establishing base even though I outweighed her by around 35kg!

Once Kimberley saw the results of good technique and the correct application of leverage we moved onto Bear Hug defenses both Front and Rear. Within minutes Kimberley was able to escape and throw me with remarkable ease and confidence! Again no small feat considering this was her first exposure to Gracie Jiu Jitsu and Martial Arts in general. After being beaten up and thrown to the mat over 50 times we moved onto mount Escapes, specifically the “Upa”. Again we started slowly and gradually added progressive resistance as she her technique improved and she gained confidence with her “Upa”. To say I was impressed with how fast she learnt and understood the movements would be an understatement… Shocked actually! Kimberley soaked up the techniques like a sponge and was showing some real promise, all while smiling and having fun… As a coach I felt both proud and inspired by her progress and her new-found confidence in Gracie Jiu Jitsu!

On a side note in case you missed it, there was a little secret to success mentioned in the previous chapter and that is the idea of having fun while you are training. If you don’t enjoy what you are doing you wont put in the necessary time required to learn the techniques and develop your reflexes. A teaching principle I try to apply to every class is that of “S.S.L.”. “S.S.L.” stands for Smiling, Sweating and Laughing. If you can have your students doing all three while working hard on developing your technique you have the recipe to develop lifelong Martial Artists and Jiu Jitsu practitioners. Remember Gracie Jiu Jitsu has so much more to offer than just physical self-defense techniques, it can literally change your life as it has mine but that is a topic of another post! For now always keep in mind that Self Defense is the foundation of Gracie Jiu Jitsu and should always remain so.

Good Luck With Your Training And Happy Rolling!

Felipe Grez

Jiu Jitsu Kingdom

www.jiujitsukingdom.com

I look forward to seeing Toquinho put on another clinical display of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at UFC Rio! One of the best submission artists in MMA today!

Good Luck With Your Training And Happy Rolling!

Felipe Grez

Jiu Jitsu Kingdom

www.jiujitsukingdom.com

 What I want you to do is choose one technique and do 500 repetitions of it in your own time over the next four weeks. That’s it, it’s that simple! And believe it or not, this simple idea has the ability to really take your game to the next level.

 For beginners I recommend you start with a basic technique that you have already worked on a lot with your instructor. The reason for this is simple; I don’t want you to drill a bad habit or incorrect movement. So if you are a beginner, forget the latest rolling knee bar you saw on YouTube or in the UFC and focus on the basics, something like a “Hips Escape from Side Control”, a “Double Unders Smash Pass” or an “Armbar from Closed Guard”. Now where do you find the time to do these reps? Easy, either you get to class 15 minutes early and ask your instructor’s permission to drill the technique before class. Or you stay back and drill the technique after class for 10-15 minutes. If you are able to do this you may even be lucky enough to get additional input from your instructor while doing your reps. Believe me if you start doing this regularly your instructor will sit up and take notice as it is not often that a student dedicates time to drilling the fundamentals!

 If you are at an intermediate level say blue/purple belt then a good idea for you would be to choose an area that you have trouble with when rolling. For example defending the “DoubleUndersSmashPass”, or developing you squeeze and finishing the “Guillotine” choke. While these areas may not be the most fun to train, they are generally the ones that will help lay a solid foundation and pay big dividends when you roll! Again the emphasis here is drilling, not rolling. I say this because intermediate level students tend to get the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu bug and want to roll every chance they get as it is so much fun and their minds are like a sponge soaking up information!

 For advanced students, I highly recommend that you focus on a transition between techniques. In my opinion with regards to high level Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Transitions is where it’s at! Choose one position and work on your transitions from there, get your timing and execution down and keep sharpening your techniques! Enjoy the challenge and remember that ultimately, you are responsible for your progress. The only person you cheat is yourself by not taking up the challenge and following through so step up, hit these 500r eps in the next thirty-day and watch your game transform!

Good Luck With Your Training And Happy Rolling!

Felipe Grez

Jiu Jitsu Kingdom

www.jiujitsukingdom.com

On that note, I’d also like to take a moment to thank fellow Marcelo Garcia student, Mark Ronquillo for stopping by and training at Jiu Jitsu Kingdom while he was over here on business. It was a pleasure to have you on the mat training with us mate and you are most welcome to stop by anytime you are in Sydney, Australia! Otherwise I am sure I will see you again on the mat at Marcelo Garcia’s New York Academy in the future! 

The Monday night Coaching Course group are coming along nicely and are starting to look very sharp! I’m excited about the rapid progress you are all making. Keep up the great work guys and I am sure you will all go on to bigger and better things in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world!

Training at Jiu Jitsu Kingdom has been great this week and everyone’s guard passing is starting to look a lot sharper. Stay tuned for more guard passing next week and let’s take our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu game to a whole other level! There are a few competitions coming up so lets continue to work hard and put our skills to the test! Remember its all learning and experience. And as great as it is to win, we learn far more from losing so don’t be disheartened if you lose a match, learn from it and bounce back hungrier and better than ever!

Finally I’d like to take a moment to thank Marcus Flanagan for helping me out and teaching Friday’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class at Jiu Jitsu Kingdom for me while I was at home looking after my son Hunter. I heard it was a great class, thanks again mate! Well that’s it for now, have a great week-end and I hope to see you on the mat next week!

Good Luck With Your Training And Happy Rolling!

Felipe Grez

Jiu Jitsu Kingdom

www.jiujitsukingdom.com

There are a lot of elements to  keep in mind while training, so that you maximise your chances of playing your game and getting the “Submission“, even against an explosive and aggressive opponent. The use of strategy and tactics will often allow you to surprise your opponent and cause confusion which in turn will allow you to capitalise on his mistake and get the finish, sweep, pass or escape.

Three basic ideas that I encourage all my students to keep in mind while training are “Control“, “Position” and “Submission“. They are sequential and are meant to be thought of in that particular order. A simple example of hitting an Armbar from Guard would involve the following concepts. Firstly establishing “Control“, “Control”  of the opponent’s base and posture, as well as their arm that is being attacked. “Control” of direction and momentum of the fight is also something to keep in mind. Get your opponent playing your game and you greatly increase your chance at success! Secondly “Position“, in order to apply any technique you need to be in the right “Position” to begin with. In this case the Guard (preferably closed) as a secure and stable launching platform for your attack. While utilising ”Control” of your opponent’s arm you need to get in “Position” to execute the armbar (actual mechanics and technical details of the armbar). Finally we have “Submission“… The ultimate goal! In order to apply a “Submission” in this case the Armbar from Guard, we have to “Control” our opponent at the very least their arm, get into correct “Position” and finish the “Submission“.

On a deeper level, even when applying the “Submission” there is a lot more going on under the surface, that is not always visible or apparent to the casual observer. It’s kind of like the mass of the iceberg that goes unseen and is the reason why great Jiu Jitsu players are much more effective with their technique even though their game and techniques may appear simple. Higher level Brazilian Jiu Jitsu players often internalize these concepts so well that when they attack they are fusing the three concepts into one. For example when Roger Gracie hits the Cross Choke from Mount not only is his “Position” from which he launches the attack perfect but his technical application of the “Position” (or technique) is also flawless. By having almost perfect “Position” he is able to really “Control” his opponent, beyond just applying that particular technique. His body combining the principles as one, also “Controls” his opponent in such a way that his timing, base and “Position” nullify his opponent’s ability to escape the “Submission“. In effect he has closed off all possible escape routes while applying his technique and is in complete “Control” of both the direction of the fight and the actual technique being employed. This level of skill is achieved through his perfect “Position” and total “Control” of his opponent making his “Submission” look both effortless and unstoppable. The same can be said of Marcelo Garcia’s Back Attacks and Mata Leon.

I hope you have found this article useful and that you are able to apply these concepts in your game!

Good Luck With Your Training And Happy Rolling!

Felipe Grez

Jiu Jitsu Kingdom

www.jiujitsukingdom.com

 1. Learn Where to Grip and How to Handfight: What this means is that most grips taken in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training involve some type of Gi grip. Here is a brief and simple breakdown of where certain grips translate to:

 - Collar (Gi) = Cupping the Neck/ Chin or Posting on the Shoulder (No Gi)

- Elbow Seem (Gi) = Cupping the Elbow (No Gi)

- Cuff of Sleeve (Gi) = Gripping/Palming the Wrists (No Gi)

- Pinning/Posting on the Body (Gi) = Underhooks & Overhooks for Control (No Gi)

- Pants Grip at Knees (Gi) = Underhooking the Knees or Palming the Knees (No Gi)

- Pant Grip at Cuff (Gi) = Gripping/Palming the Ankles (No Gi)

Handfighting is the art of fighting and pummeling for the grips that are most favourable for you and disadvantageous for your opponent. Handfighting is the launching platform for your No Gi game, whoever is able to control the tie ups and get the better grips will usually be at a distinct advantage in the High Speed Game of No Gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!

2.  Focus on Gross body Movements not Moves. When training No Gi, try to think more in terms of Gross Body Movements as opposed to smaller “More Technical” moves. I use the phrase “More Technical” moves loosely as often people think so much about perfect technique and getting everything right in a particular technique. Now while it is important to use technique in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training, in the high speed pace of No Gi training it is often better to at least be moving in the general direction that you want to go even if all the “technical” pieces of the move aren’t yet in place. No Gi training revolves around movement and reaction, without the Gi it is harder to slow down and control an opponent so often you are forced to improvise with a slightly less technical “movement” instead of hitting the “move” perfectly!

3. Develop the Ability to Scramble. Being able to hustle and scramble when neither of you are in ideal position will allow you to dominate and control more opponents. For example don’t willingly go to your back. Fight, scramble, recover your balance and try and take the top position against very sweep or takedown that your opponent attempts. This will make him work harder, get tired quicker and will be demoralising for your opponent. Another example is every time your opponent attempts a submission that you are able to defend, you must immediately scramble and attack. Turn the tables and put pressure on your opponent and he will think twice about attacking again or taking risks.

4. Control The Pace (Attack). In No Gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu it is important to impose your will on your opponent. With the lack of a Gi, it is much harder for your opponent to slow you down, stifle your movements and shut out your game so always aim to attack as much as possible and keep the pressure on your opponent! When your opponent is focused on defending against your attack, it takes their mind off imposing their will and drawing you into their game.

 5. Become a Better Athlete! Now while it is true that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu revolves around the use of technique and leverage to survive against, control and submit bigger, stronger and more aggressive opponents, it can only benefit you to be in the best physical condition possible. Is it absolutely necessary, No. But is it extremely beneficial, HELL YES! The more flexible you are, the better your aerobic and anaerobic conditioning is, the stronger, faster and more explosive you are, the harder you are going to be to control, wear down and ultimately defeat! Do yourself a favour in more ways than one and get into the best physical shape you possibly can! Your health will improve, your risk of injury diminishes, you can spend more time training and less time off the mat recovering and that means more learning and faster progress!

Marcelo Garcia is a Master of the Five Tips mentioned in this article!

 Now finally for the controversial part… Train Gi as well as No Gi! Gi training will help your No Gi training as No Gi training will help your Gi training! The very best in the world train both so you should to and don’t get caught up in the petty arguments of which is better. Do whatever makes you happy, have fun, train consistently and you will get better!

Good Luck With Your training And Happy Rolling!

Felipe Grez

Jiu Jitsu Kingdom

www.jiujitsukingdom.com

The EventsBJJ  NSW Gi Championships is on Sunday Week (Sunday 7th August)here in Sydney, Australia. For those of you who want to put your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills to the test be sure to sign up online ASAP! Click on this link to signup. Also there are a few more competitions coming up over the next couple of months so keep training hard!

The Mendes Brothers seminar at VT1 Gym is coming up very shortly in November, I am very excited about that! Check out the poster for details below and contact Liam if you wish to attend!

Finally I’d like to offer a huge congratulations to Liban Akil for earning his brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt from none other than Brazilian Jiu Jitsu phenom Marcelo Garcia! Awesome achievement, you earned it the hard way! Hearing that Liban got his Blue Belt from Marcelo made my week!

Liban gets his Blue Belt from Marcelo Garcia!

 Good Luck With Your Training and Happy Rolling!

Felipe Grez

www.jiujitsukingdom.com

The definition of the word Desire is: “A strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen”. Now can you start to see the application of the word Desire to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA training? A strong feeling of wanting to….

-  earn your black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

- master your closed guard triangles

- improve your base and guard passing skills

- win a National BJJ or World BJJ Championship

- be stronger, more flexible or have better cardio

- develop KO power in your punches

- develop a lightning fast double leg

- become a UFC Champion

and so on. Desire is the fuel that drives us, our motivation so to speak. The stronger the desire the hungrier we are to work hard and make the necessary sacrifices to achieve our goals! Think about the legends in our sport… or any sport… What they all have in common is a “Burning Desire” to work hard and achieve their dreams!

Take Marcelo Garcia for example, he has been on the mat for several hours a day for over a decade to develop the devastating skill he displays on the mats! He moved out of his house as a teenager to pursue his dream of becoming “Great” in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! As a kid he would take 2-3 hour-long bus rides (sometimes by himself) and skip lunch just so he could train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with better quality coaches and training partners. His “Burning Desire” led him to seek out the very best coaches and training partners he could find as well as study and learn all he could with the resources available to him.

Georges St-Pierre is one of the greatest UFC Champions because of his “Burning Desire” to improve and be the greatest MMA fighter of all time! He seeks out the very best in each individual Martial Arts Discipline and spends hours working out with them learning from them and adding what he can to his MMA game. GSP trains wrestling with the Canadian Olympic Wrestling team, works his MMA Strategy and Gameplan with Master MMA Coach Greg Jackson, has been working on his Boxing with Boxing legend Freddie Roach and trains with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Legends Renzo Gracie and John Danaher. All of these guys are masters of their crafts and possess a higher level of knowledge and skills in their areas of expertise yet GSP remains humble enough to seek out the best and continue to evolve as a fighter and athlete!

Now for the second word, commitment. Commitment is defined as: “the act of committing, the state of being committed, a pledge or promise; obligation”. Again self-explanatory! It is kind of hard to really have one without the other. If you really have a “Burning Desire” to achieve a goal, it is imperative that you make a commitment to yourself and to the realisation of that goal or dream! I personally like the words “pledge or promise; obligation” to define commitment. You make a pledge or promise that you will do whatever it takes to achieve your goal, you will make sacrifices, you will work hard, you will succeed, you will make mistakes along the way but you will learn from them and get better.

So how many of you have really made a commitment to your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or MMA training? What sort of commitment have you made to your Coaches, your Training Partners and most importantly Yourself? Are you holding yourself accountable and what sort of commitment have you made to really living your dreams? How many of you have the Desireto achieve greater things in your life be it a BJJ Black Belt, a Devastating North South Choke, Becoming a UFC Champion or even just becoming a well-rounded Mixed Martial Artist?

If you combine a “Burning Desire” with unwavering Commitment there is nothing that can stand in your way. Anything is possible, we all have virtually limitless potential and are powerful beyond measure. So why not take it to the next level. Make a commitment now to yourself on what you “WILL” achieve over the next 6-12 months. Start small, gain some momentum and keep picking up steam. Before you know it you will have lit the fire of a “Burning Desire” and will things to happen in your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA journeys!

Good Luck With your Training And Happy Rolling!

Felipe Grez

www.jiujitsukingdom.com

P.S. For those of you that noticed I kept using the phrase “Burning Desire” and are wondering where it came from or just want to learn more about the power of Desire please check out Napoleon Hill’s  world famous best selling book “Think & Grow Rich”. This book really has the ability to change your life! I highly rcommend you read it!