OK, so another year has passed and my blog has kind of fallen by the wayside while I have focused on other tasks… That changes now! My goal for the next 12 months and onwards is to post 1-2 new posts a week and get back on track helping people and building our community! 🙂
Over the last couple of months I have been extremely blessed to meet and train with a lot of really great people and I am itching to share what I have learned with you and hope that it helps and inspires you as it has done so for me! Jiu Jitsu training really has the power to help change and improve your life if you let it so sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!
On Sunday 16th September, Fari Salievski and KMA Champion Martial Arts in Liverpool hosted Eddie Bravo for a seminar while he was in Sydney, Australia. And what a great seminar it was!!! The controversial No Gi Jiu Jitsu exponent taught a great seminar revolving around the half guard using the lockdown.
Eddie Bravo and Felipe Grez
Eddie’s teaching style was amazing! His system was taught in a very methodical and structured pattern that was easy to follow and surprisingly easy to get everyone going through the motions by the numbers! The focus of the seminar was Eddie’s Half Guard system using the infamous “Lockdown”.
Eddie Bravo took the time to answer all my questions! 🙂
The format of the seminar was interesting with Eddie teaching a Sweep called the “Half and Half” from the “Dogfight” position after starting in a “Perfect Double Underhooks Lockdown” Half Guard position. From here he moved onto dealing with what he called “Shity Double Underhooks” which was any variation that was less than perfect and how to pummel and hand fight back into “Perfect Double Underhooks” position. From here we worked backwards to learn how to get into Half Guard against someone who knows what you are doing and doesn’t want to play in your half guard. The entry technique was called the “Black Mamba” and not only was it effective as an entry point, Eddie thoroughly dealt with the most common problems and attacks that you will encounter when using the technique. Eddie finally closed with the “Electric Chair” Submission and Sweep as a complement to the “Half and Half” sweep and when your opponent is really fighting to avoid the “Dogfight”.
Eddie Bravo Seminar 2012 (Sydney, Australia)
All in all a really great seminar, Eddie Bravo is a gifted teacher and I really liked the way the whole seminar was kind of taught in a reverse engineered pattern! Eddie Bravo definitely made a believer out of me with his Half Guard system, I cant wait to add them into my repertoire and our curriculum I look forward to his return!
The Royler Gracie seminar at Gracie Humaita Sydney HQ last saturday was awesome! Always a pleasure to learn from the master himself and his ability to engage and entertain the group is second to none! We were lucky to have such a great turn out from the entire Gracie Humaita Sydney team too!
Royler Gracie Seminar (Sydney, Australia 2012)
Not only did Royler teach a great seminar but he held some special coaches only training sessions in which he reviewed a lot of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu self-defense curriculum, other positions and business planning. It is amazing just how technical Royler is even with the most basic of positions. Everyone in the room learnt a lot and got to brush up on some of the finer details across various positions and techniques.
Gracie Humaita Sydney Coaches
The Gracie Humaita Sydney connection has been strengthened further after Master Royler Gracie’s visit. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of Gracie Jiu Jitsu with us Royler and we look forward to your return next year. A huge thanks also to my coaches Bruno Panno and Marcos Nevel for bringing Royler out and working tirelessly to build and strengthen the team!
Marcos Nevel, Royler Gracie, Felipe Grez, Bruno Panno
6 time World Champion and one of the best Women pound for pound in the Jiu Jitsu world, Michelle Nicolini is coming to Sydney, Australia! Jiu Jitsu Kingdom is proud to bring you the very best and have Michelle Nicolini teaching some seminars (Women only and Open), classes and private classes!
Michelle Nicolini is a legend of Women’s Jiu Jitsu and it is our pleasure to bring her to Jiu Jitsu Kingdom in Sydney, Australia! Check out her Highlight Reel below and learn a little more about her phenomenal guard game and attacking style!
So if you want to learn from this amazing Jiu Jitsu star from Checkmat and add some new techniques and refinements to your game please see the posters below and get in contact with me ASAP to secure your spot! Michelle is conducting both a special 2 Day Women Only seminar:
And an Open seminar (All seminars are in the Gi). Both are priced very generously thanks to Michelle so please don’t miss this awesome opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business!
I hope to see as many of the Jiu Jitsu Kingdom team there as possible supporting and learning from Michelle as these opportunities don’t come by often!
In our quest to learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and attempt to master the techniques and positions taught to us, it is extremely important to always seek a higher level of training and instruction. “Specialised Knowledge” as it is sometimes referred to can save us tremendous amounts of time and head aches especially when we are able to tap into the minds of those who are further ahead and more experienced in their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu journey than we are.
As a student, competitor and even a teacher it is important to always strive to maintain an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Learn from experienced coaches, take private lessons, attend seminars, watch dvds, study online and work with more advanced training partners whenever you can!
You don’t even have to be working on new techniques/positions when you are learning from or training with a Higher level training partner… Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs in you training will come just through situational drilling/rolling even in the most basic positions and unlocking a deeper understanding of what you are trying to achieve and how you can better apply your techniques and leverage! When you work with a higher level training partner, not only will you see what they are doing but you will feel their movement which will greatly aid you in attempting to replicate this feeling in your own techniques!
For me, the less techniques I work on and the more thoroughly I work on a technique or position the better I develop my understanding through “Deep Cell” learning. And for some strange and unexplained reason the movements just become internalized and automatic much quicker when you spend enough time working with higher level training partners. Perhaps it is due to the additional concentration and engagement of the brain as you are being pushed or tested by a more experienced partner, who knows but I do know that I really do feel like I absorb movements into my game much faster than when I just drill reps with a partner.
So the lesson for the week is to seek Higher Level Training as much as you possibly can in whatever way that suits you best. And most of all, have fun when you are training! You will learn faster and retain more if you enjoy what you are doing.
Ok so a lot has been going on behind the scenes at Jiu Jitsu Kingdom as of late and I thought it was about time that we share some of the great and exciting news and things that we have planned for the very near future! Firstly if I seem like I have been a little disorganised as of late I apologise. My wife is due with our second child any time now so between family time, Jiu Jitsu Kingdom, work and a whole bunch of other stuff I may have been spreading myself a little thin as of late!
Ok so first things first. With regards to seminars Andre Galvao will be teaching a two-day seminar (Gi and No Gi) on the 11th and 12th August at Liam Resenkov’s VT-1 Gym in Chatswood. Liam is a friend and supporter of Jiu Jitsu Kingdom so let’s do our best to support him and keep the latest Jiu Jitsu talent coming out to Australia to share their knowledge with us. If you can make either day or both I highly recommend them as Andre Galvao is one of the best Jiu Jitsu competitors on the planet at the moment!
The next upcoming seminar is the legendary Royler Gracie, son of the founder of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Widely considered one of the most technical people in the Gracie family and arguably the most accomplished in Gi, No Gi and MMA competition. Royler Gracie will be teaching a seminar at Gracie Sydney/Humaita headquarters in Alexandria on the 18th August. Another seminar not to be missed!
Then we have 6 time World Champion Michelle Nicolini, arguably the best female Jiu Jitsu competitor in the world coming to Sydney, Australia to teach a series of seminars and classes at Jiu Jitsu Kingdom! Michelle will be teaching a special two-day women’s only seminar as well as an open seminar while she is here. In addition to this Michelle will also kindly be helping out and teaching some classes at Jiu Jitsu Kingdom for our members and seminar attendees only! Michelle will also be available for a limited number of private lessons. Please talk to me if you are interested in booking some! Pretty exciting!
The second half of 2012 is going to be HUGE for Jiu Jitsu Kingdom so get ready… Because you aint seen nothing yet!
So today’s post is about the great Anderson Silva defeating Chael Sonnen by TKO in the second round at UFC 148. I will start by saying I like and respect both fighters a lot but I’m glad that Anderson Silva, the Martial Artist prevailed. Again I like Chael, he’s tough as nails and never takes a backward step. I find him entertaining, funny, witty and great at hyping up a fight but he crossed the line with this one. He insulted Anderson Silva personally, his family, his friends, his coaches and even his country… And that was a mistake!
The Anderson Silva that we saw today showed tremendous focus, determination, killer instinct and a fierce will to win that allowed him to decimate the UFC’s number 1 contender in Chael Sonnen. Chael simply could not match Anderson’s intensity and spirit on this night and learnt a tough but important lesson. “Don’t Add Fuel to the Fire”!
The question you have to ask is, how would this fight have gone had Chael been more humble and respectful after their previous encounter? I believe all the trash talking by Chael woke a sleeping dragon and added a tremendous amount of motivational fuel to the fire! Even if Anderson was hurt in their first encounter (which I truly believe he was, just watch “Like Water”), Chael still fought a hell of a fight and pushed the champion into deep waters like no one else before him. Chael Sonnen fights great but Anderson Silva is a Great fighter and the last thing you want to do is piss off and motivate a great fighter to take your head off in the octagon! I believe Chael’s trash talking backfired and not only did he not get into Anderson’s head the way he wanted to, Anderson got into his head especially during the Weigh In… Chael was shocked and you could see the hint of doubt and dare I say it “fear” in his eyes!
The lesson to take away is “Don’t Add Fuel to the Fire” and it applies to a Martial Artist’s life in many ways. From the simplest of things such as going hard against your training partners after saying you will go light and getting injured or injuring your partner when you both turn it up and roll too hard. Both outcomes suck and just shouldn’t happen. The Gym is a place of learning and you are supposed to help each other sharpen the sword and get better not hack each other apart with them!
You can apply this principle in a potentially volatile situation when someone is getting angry and becoming aggressive. You need to remain calm and deflect their aggressive energy with a relaxed and confident demeanor. Talk to the aggressor, don’t interrupt them, be polite but firm and most importantly take your ego out of the equation. Every fight that you can walk away from is a fight won! Learn the art of “Verbal Jiu Jitsu” and go around the aggressor’s energy. Defuse the situation rather than add fuel to the fire with ego even if you are in the right morally. No one really wins a fight especially if it is a serious one. If you walk away the victor after a physical encounter, consider yourself lucky but realise you just missed an opportunity to strengthen your spirit and you quite probably hurt another human being which is never a good thing. It takes a lot more courage and confidence in yourself to walk away from a fight than to go all “Axe Murderer” on the aggressor! Martial Arts training is about character building and strengthening the spirit so take every opportunity to do so, set the standard and be a positive example for everyone around you!
One of the things that you learn in Jiu Jitsu is that there is always someone bigger, stronger and more athletic than you… If you are strong and athletic then you often get away with combining your athleticism with technique to be successful very early in your Jiu Jitsu journey. However the beauty of Jiu Jitsu lies in the use of technique and leverage over strength and power.
Therefore it comes as no surprise to find that often the smaller and weaker individuals and women really start to focus on learning and mastering technique early in their Jiu Jitsu journeys. And although they may not fare so well at the beginning sooner or later a few years have gone by and they are terrors on the mats rapidly climbing the belt ranks! One of the reasons the learn so fast is that they “Never Contest Strength”, not necessarily by choice but because they aren’t physically able to do so and are forced to find another way to survive and go around their partners’ power.
I think it was Roy Dean who I first heard use the phrase “The Curse of Strength”! What he meant by that is because stronger people are able to get away with executing their techniques half correct and their attributes doing the rest for them it often happens that their technique doesn’t develop nearly as fast as those who never contest strength. Now the funny thing is that in the beginning the stronger individuals will be way more successful when rolling than the smaller weaker individuals particularly when training No Gi. But in the long run if they don’t learn to shelf their attributes and master technique and leverage, the smaller and weaker individuals will continue to sharpen their techniques and eventually run rings around them!
So the lesson for the day is “Never Contest Strength” or never use strength in place of correct technique. Learn to shelf your attributes and strive to understand and master the technical aspects of Jiu Jitsu. If you can do this you, not only will you get better faster, but you will be more fun and safer to train with for everyone!
So I have been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for almost 13 years now and the one thing that amazes me is the infinite amount of knowledge that is out there to acquire in Jiu Jitsu. Just this week alone I have learnt so much about attacking the back and understanding transitions from there between positional changes and submission attacks and all because I have done a dozen rounds of positional rolling from there with a training partner! It truly astounds me just how deeply some people understand the basics… I can only imagine the skill level, depth of understanding and timing that someone like Rickson, Royler or Roger Gracie have in these and all positions in Jiu Jitsu. It is truly remarkable!
Another basic concept that I utilise and teach my students about is mirroring and shutting down an opponent’s offense and techniques. Well this has certainly sunk into my sub-conscience through some “Deep Cell” learning this week as well and I am surprised at just how little I now realise I understood about it previously! While training with a training partner coming back from injury, he was remarkably successful in shutting down a lot of my offense through the use of mirroring and resetting his base, grips and position. I got to truly feel and experience some high level Jiu Jitsu tactics and have them explained to me in simple terms afterwards!
Now I have always been one to say “there are No Secrets” but you know what I am starting to seriously question that! I am not saying there is a mystical technique that makes you unstoppable or submits everyone but I do believe there are levels of understanding in Jiu Jitsu that separate even good black belts from great black belts and Masters. Sadly I believe that very few people actually put in the time to learn and understand techniques on such a level and that s why they sometimes encounter problems applying what they know against athletic opponents… Although their techniques may be correct, their angles are wrong so they don’t move as efficiently or effectively as they possibly could and as such have trouble applying them against a resisting opponent. So next time you see someone roll their eyes when told they are practising Hips Escapes, Armbars from Guard or Escaping Side Control, smile, keep an open mind and reap the rewards of really learning and understanding how and why the techniques work!
One of the things about Jiu Jitsu that a lot of people don’t realise is that you will meet many people on the mat who will become lifelong friends and have a positive influence on your life for many years to come! Jiu Jitsu training is tough and when you go through the hardships of training with someone you form a strong bond based on trust and respect, both of which are great starting points for strong friendships!
Over the years I have met many great individuals through Jiu Jitsu. Some of them I am in contact with regularly others not so much but their influence on me and friendship will always be there. These days 95% of my circle of friends have something to do with Jiu Jitsu whether they train, used to train or I met them through Jiu Jitsu.
I am lucky enough to have one of my original coaches Luke Picklum as a training partner whom I still learn a great deal from and am always happy to bounce ideas off. Another original coach Adam Kayoom (based in Thailand) just beat Gregor Gracie last night at ONE Fighting Championship in Malaysia last night and his influence on me is still evident through my hunger for knowledge and a deeper understanding of Jiu Jitsu techniques and positions. Chris De Weaver was the Head coach of the three when I first started and has influenced me in my attitude and approach to the importance of developing Self Defense, Vale Tudo(MMA) and Sports techniques equally and not overlooking the arts humble fighting origins.
My coach Bruno Panno has influenced and helped support me in teaching and sharing the art of Gracie Jiu Jitsu as well as guiding me in my training and always making sure I attempt to master the basics of Jiu Jitsu. Coach Marcos Nevel has also influenced my Jiu Jitsu with his smooth and fluid style, and taught me the finer point about one of my favourite sweeps in Jiu Jitsu.
Mario Sperry and Marcelo Garcia are both huge inspirations to me as competitors, coaches and all round great individuals. Only in Jiu Jitsu is one able to have such easy access to learn from and be directly influenced by the legends of their sports! We are so lucky….
I have many friends who have come up the ranks together, travelled internationally on training trips, done seminars with, took private classes from and taught whom I share many priceless memories with. Jiu Jitsu has become a huge part of my life far beyond the ability to protect myself and my family. It has given me the greatest gifts of all which are true friendships and the ability to share this great art with others and hopefully make a positive impact on their lives too!
I guess what I am trying to say here is that if you are thinking about learning Jiu Jitsu for any reason at all, then there is no time like the start. You will push yourself, sweat and work hard in training but the rewards in life far exceed anything you can ever imagine possible! Jiu Jitsu will change your life and make you a better person so if you are ready to start your journey we would love to have you come by our gym Jiu Jitsu Kingdom to begin your journey!
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