Germs and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

I am a little late to the party, this came out last month and has been making the rounds but it's a great read on germs and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from a microbiologists stand point!

www.bjiujitsu.blogspot.com/2011/09/microbiologists-take-on-bjj.html


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Master Pedro Sauer on Self Defense-New Video

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Should You Weightlift in Jiu-Jitsu?

In my early days as a Jiu-Jitsu student I was told that to be good at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu that I shouldn’t lift weights. I was told it adversely effects your technique because you want to use the proper angle instead of muscling through a position to be most effective.

I don’t know if I totally agree with that but I do think that weightlifting is bad for your jiu-jitsu if you are lifting really heavy weights to bulk up like a weightlifter. That much muscle takes up a lot of oxygen in a match leading to quicker muscle fatigue. You need to be lean and mean to go the distance Baby! You're even starting to see extremely slim and toned fighters in the UFC.

If you do want to weightlift then Kettle bells and Bulgarian Power Bags are an awesome accessory to the grappler’s tool box. This kind of weightlifting gives you strength at different angles and exercises muscles important to good grappling that regular weightlifting won’t train. Body weight exercises are also excellent such as pull ups and pushups to help improve your game.

So is weightlifting good in Jiu-Jitsu? Yep…just make sure it’s the right kind of weightlifting.

P.S. If you do steroids to enhance your performance then you’re a dumbass.

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10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu

I want to say for the record that I am an unapologetic Gracie jiu-Jitsu Gi practitioner. I love the gi and will never abandon it. I know that many of you hate the very mention of the words “10th Planet” and the name “Eddie Bravo.” My personal goal in Jiu-Jitsu is to get better technique and I will study Judo, Wrestling, Sambo and yes, even the dreaded 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu in order to do it. I am unapologetic of this as well.

When I think of Eddie Bravo I think of a quote from Fredrick Nietzche, “Every Profound Spirit Needs a Mask.” Eddie Bravo’s mask is that of the Rock and Roll Messiah that has come to free us from the confines of the gi. I personally think of him as someone who has helped me to explore my gi game better.

Eddie Bravo hasn’t done himself any favors by alienating the gi practitioners in our sport but if you get past the rhetoric and the moves that require great flexibility you can find a lot of gems that will make your game better, especially since it appears to me that gi pants make a very positive impact on getting friction for many moves. Perfect for gi Jiu-Jitsu!

I am not a big fan of Eddie Bravo as a “Jiu-Jitsu Messiah.” but I am a fan of him as a very solid Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and innovator. If you ignore 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu then you are doing a disservice to yourself. So just grab one of his books and a flashlight, go hide in your closet and read it. You don’t even have to tell anyone.

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The Language of Jiu-Jitsu

I was going to blog on the Language of Jiu-Jitsu but why blog when my friend Roy Dean can tell you about it. Roy's website is www.roydeanacademy.com



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How Many Days a Week Should you Train?

This question gets asked frequently by many students. I try and break it down to my students depending on what goals they have.

If they are a casual jiu-jitsu practitioner then I always suggest two to three times a week. If they are crazy about Jiu-Jitsu then I suggest three to four times a week and If they are trying for world competition domination then I say 5 to 6 times a week. This doesn’t always mean that you should roll in EVERY class although you have no choice in some schools, but in our school I never force anyone or make them feel bad if they don’t want to roll that night. I’m in the minority.

I suggest that if you only come once a week then you should quit Jiu-Jitsu because you are only going to get left in the dust by everyone else and you will forget what you have learned from the week before. I know there are exceptions to this but really..why waste your time? It’s called Goal Setting. You should try it. Jiu-Jitsu should be a life style not something you freakin dabble in.

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Self Defense Techniques in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Pedro Sauer

Here is my Professor, Pedro Sauer (www.pedrosauer.com) explaining why Self Defense Techniques are important in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He also talks about his vision of what a black belt should be. I really like this video! I will only leave this up for a week or two and then I will be taking it down. Share it with others.





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