Source: http://abetterself.blogspot.com/2012/12/purple-belt.html
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Marcelo Garcia Highlight 2012
One of the best Marcelo Garcia Highlight…
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/kDKs4cscId4/
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-05-21
all saturday was spent watching season 7 of The Ultimate Fighter # Bookmark and share this post: More »Post from: my BJJ blogTwitter Weekly Updates for 2010-05-21 Related posts:Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-22 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-10-30 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-04-23
Post from: my BJJ blog
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-05-21
Source: http://mybjjblog.com/2010/05/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2010-05-21/
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-05-28
so, BJJ tweets is up – check out http://tweets.mybjjblog.com/ to see an archive of #bjj tweets # Bookmark and share this post: More »Post from: my BJJ blogTwitter Weekly Updates for 2010-05-28 Related posts:Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-22 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-04-30 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-15
Post from: my BJJ blog
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-05-28
Source: http://mybjjblog.com/2010/05/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2010-05-28/
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Analysing BJ Penn guard pass (6 videos)
A nice video of Pro fighter Jeff “The Inferno” Joslin explaining this guard pass. After seeing the video above posted by a fan showing BJ passing the guard in some cool ways, Jeff decided to break down and explain his perspective on the techniques found in that video.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/3_vnH7W1oOM/
Seminar: Jake Mackenzie and Vinicius Marinho, GF Team
Summary
GF Team black belts Jake Mackenzie and Vinicius Marinho taught a three hour seminar at GF Team, Richmond, London. Jake concentrated on half and deep half guard while Vinicius taught passing the aforementioned techniques. Both instructors offered intense detail on techniques that have been honed though their vast tournament experience.
[Disclaimer, this report only describes a few techniques and even then, the possibility of me erroneously describing them accurately is probably quite high, so bear with me.]
Jake Mackenzie
Jake is a Canadian who spent much of his early BJJ career training half the year in his home in Nova Scotia and the other half in Brazil. He also spent several years in Florida, training under Roberto Abreu 'Cyborg' who promoted him to black belt. A keen competitor and winner of many titles (see Jake's BJJ Heroes entry here) he told us last year alone he had competed in 24 BJJ tournaments!
Jake began his portion of the seminar with his tips on how to maintain a basic half guard position. Immediately I picked up a number of pointers that I did not know before. He quickly moved on to how best to deal with the top guy having flattened you out and acquired underhooks on the far side, aka, my worst nightmare when playing half guard. Jake's answer was actually very simple - bridge, reach far over your head slightly to the far side, shrimp back and tuck your head low while securing your own underhook on the top guy (and gripping his belt). It was a neat illustration to me of how basic BJJ warm up drills, like bridging and shrimping are actually incredibly relevant and vital components of how one has to move in jiu jitsu.
From the now newly acquired underhook half guard position, Jake ran through several different versions of a sweep from this position. All the sweeps were based on an initial exchange of position of my own legs, thus leaving the half guard to end up on both my knees. From here, Jake showed several techniques dependent on how the opponent reacts from here. I had been taught one of the techniques before, but Jake's addition of extra fine little details made it a much richer experience for me and I really absorbed the new information (team mates beware!) The other variations were new to me, but again, with Jake's excellent instruction and encouraging help during drilling of the techniques, we were all able to nail the correct sequence quickly.
Jake next moved on to teaching deep half guard. I have nightmares about the deep half. Despite many attempts by various instructors to teach me it, it's simply a technique my mind cannot get around. Unluckily, my training partners seem to have picked this guard with ease, compounding my misery as attempting to escape. Today was ideal then for me to once again, attempt to understand how deep half guard (and the follow on sweeps) really work as Jake is widely recognised for his powerful and extremely effective deep half attacks.
I have not watched too many instructionals on the topic, so I don't know if the deep half tips Jake showed were of his own invention or fairly standard among deep half players but it looked to me like he had adapted several aspects to make them his own. I really liked what he showed and I felt a big wave of relief as I successfully managed to drill these without fumbling around like a dispraxic. One of the techniques ended by taking the back, it scored highly in my mind as a flashy but cool technique.
Just as I was really getting the hang of all this flipping people over whilst appearing to resemble someone just having a lie down, Jake commented on the fact that many many times, opponents will be doing something in their attempts to resist that would make you have to start all over again or switch to another technique. It still seems a bit low percentage to me, but I am at least one step further than I was before the seminar so hopefully I'll get to try some of these out in normal class.
All the while Jake spent a lot of time with each pair, correcting and encouraging them during the drills. Jake is a very energetic and fun character, his North American accent just hinting at its Canadian origins. At the end of class he entertained us with stories of life training in Brazil as a gringo and other amusing anecdotes. He's an example of someone truly living the jiu jitsu lifestyle, eating, living and breathing the sport and art every single day.
Vinicius Marenho
I had already read about Vinicius's rare talent to work his BJJ from strange creative angles and positions beforehand. You can read his BJJ Heroes entry here. I was eager to see how this would translate to passing the guard.
Vinicius kicked off his portion of the seminar with a basic half guard pass. Despite seemingly not containing too many moves in the sequence, there were actually a lot of small details that once executed correctly, made the pass highly effective. Vinicius instructed in Portuguese while Jake translated. It seems he likes to begin his passing with one knee raised from within the opponent's half guard- that knee ideally travelling away from the opponent's legs and on top of his stomach before continuing as a knee slice pass! He demonstrated options from this position and made us aware of the opponent attempting to reach for our outer leg. From here, the passes he showed involved meting out some pretty tough weapons - the aforementioned knee and a forearm across the opponent's jaw line to make his turn his head away. I liked these passes. They were straightforward and fancy free.
Vinicius next moved on to passing the deep half guard. He explained that in order for a deep half guard to work and for you to be swept, the opponent ideally needs to straighten out your leg. Vinicius showed us how the first port of call when under (on top?) someone's deep half is to bend at your own knee and prevent your leg being straightened. Pushing his bottom knee to the ground then took away the deep half guarder's ability to rotate underneath and effect the sweep. From this position, we were shown how to switch leg positions and pass to the side mount. It made perfect sense to me and again, Vinicius had taught us techniques that were seemingly simple but highly effective. I wondered however, when would we see the weird and strange angles and positions he was renowned for? After a few more deep half guard passing scenarios, it was time for q&a and then sparring.
Sparring
After a couple of nice sparring bouts with Benny from GF Team and Gavin from Roger Gracie, I managed to spend five minutes rolling with Vinicius. It seems I got my answer on the weird angles and strange positions question. As a lightweight, he nimbly danced around any of my feeble attempts at sweeping him or pulling any type of guard on him. The pattern would be - he would take whatever position he felt like and I would squirm and scramble as frantically as I could in an attempt to (a) escape and (b) vaguely look like I knew what I was doing. Like all exceptional BJJ practitioners, I could tell he actually gave me a lot of space intentionally so I could at least conform to (a) and (b) above while all the time he knew I would move to whatever finish he was waiting for. There were moments when I literally had no idea where he was positioned around me. It was a thrilling experience for me and a great privilege to roll with someone of his high caliber.
 |
| Left to right: Jake, Gabriel, and Vinicius |
After we wrapped up the session, we all headed off to eat at Rodizio Preto in Putney. It's fair to say I completely stuffed myself with meat, meat and, yeah, more meat. All in all a most excellent day out training with high quality black belts where were also great company too.
My thanks to Gabriel Rainho (head of GF Team in London) and Benny Sootho for kindly inviting me to attend today.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Meerkatsu/~3/fPcrlK4cRkU/seminar-jake-mackenzie-and-vinicius.html
Monday, January 28, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Marcelo Garcia and Demian Maia training
Marcelo Garcia and Demian Maia training. Training session between the great grappling idols. Subscribe to www.mginaction.com to learn Marcelo Garcia’s game! He is the best!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/vkAHGUm2CJs/
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Pregnancy and BJJ: Postpartum
Pregnancy and birth takes a substantial toll on your body (and mind) and the conventional wisdom is that it takes a year to fully recover from the experience. Keeping active through your pregnancy can help you to perform well during the birth as well as to maximise your recovery postpartum. In the UK, the guidance [...]
Source: http://www.megjitsu.com/pregnancy-and-bjj-postpartum/
Friday, January 25, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Acrobatic DeLaRiva guard pass by Alexandre Puga
Acrobatic DeLaRiva guard pass by Alexandre Puga
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/l35WhM9epIE/
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-06-25
RT @graciemag: An example of BJJ devotion: Rafael Lovato Jr is getting married in 3 hours! And still trained today! # Bookmark and share this post: More »Post from: my BJJ blogTwitter Weekly Updates for 2010-06-25 Related posts:Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-15 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-05-28 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-23
Post from: my BJJ blog
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-06-25
Source: http://mybjjblog.com/2010/06/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2010-06-25/
Interview: David Jacobs
David 'The Rock' Jacobs is a highly decorated BJJ black belt from the USA. He is an instructor at the Fairfax BJJ Academy in Virginia.
He will be here in the UK teaching a seminar on November 24th at Mill Hill BJJ Academy in London. I figured it would be a nice opportunity for me to re-print the interview I did with him for Jiu Jitsu Style Magazine last year.
Q: Hi David, welcome to the UK! for the readers who may not have heard of you, please give a little introduction about you, your BJJ rank and your academy in the US?
As far as athletic background goes, I started wrestling when I was 11 years old and then wrestled in junior high school, high school, and at a Division 1 college. After college, I lifted weights obsessively for about 12 years, did some rock climbing and, believe it or not, kickboxing until I finally and thankfully (I think I was the world?s worst kickboxer) discovered jiu jitsu.
Currently, I?m a 2nd degree black belt. My academy is Fairfax Jiu Jitsu and it?s located in western Fairfax County, Virginia. It?s in the suburbs of Washington DC. I own it along with my 2 partners: Mark Jones (a 1st degree black belt) and Sam Kim who also owns NHB Gear. We have 3 black belts who teach jiu jitsu at the academy: Mark Jones, Abmar Barbosa, and me. In addition to the jiu jitsu program, we have three other successful programs with fantastic and experienced instructors: MMA, Muay Thai, and Capoeira. The website for our academy is: www.FairfaxJJ.com.
Apart from running the academy, I also have a full time job as a lawyer.
Q: How and when did you first find BJJ?
Q: How and when did you first find BJJ?
I was invited to friend?s house in late 1997 to watch the UFC and I thought that the jiu jitsu reminded me of wrestling so I wanted to try it. In early February of 1998, I finally took my first class at the Yamasaki Academy after finding it on the internet. I walked in to my first class thinking I was going to crush everyone because of my wrestling and weightlifting. Well, not surprisingly, my expectations turned out to be not so realistic. I got tapped repeatedly mostly by guillotines that day by guys who were much weaker than I was. That experience really lit a fire under me to learn jiu jitsu. I received my black belt in April of 2005.
Q: As one of the first BJJ gyms in your area, tell me what it was like when you first started up? How easy or hard was it to teach and train jiu jitsu when the sport was less well known as it is now?
When I first started training, the Yamasaki Academy had only 2 locations: (1) the main location which was more or less in a garage-sized warehouse that had tatame mats and (2) the satellite location where I did most of my training. It was in a fitness gym and we practiced on the aerobics floor. Believe it or not, we didn?t even have mats! We had a vinyl tarp that we stretched across the carpeted aerobics floor. I never hesitate to tell my students how good they have it now with the luxuriant plush mats we have at Fairfax Jiu Jitsu and that, back in my day, you had to be REALLY tough to practice jiu jitsu? J
I opened my own location in early 2004. I started teaching in the aerobics room at a Gold?s Gym a few times per week. We had wrestling mats that we rolled out before class and then rolled back up after class. At the time, there were only a couple of other academies in the area. As the number of my students increased, I wanted to add more classes and add an MMA program so I partnered up with Sam and Mark and, in 2007, we opened the gym where we?re currently located.
I don?t think there?s been any difference in the difficulty or ease of teaching. Training was more difficult when I started in 1998 because of the distance you had to travel to find a location. I think the number of people who train casually or as a leisure activity has increased and that a higher percentage of students wanted to compete back when I started.
Q: We talked about the BJJ scene now, describe how BJJ has proliferated in your neighbourhood, and in the US in general? and what are the difficulties running a full time academy in such a competitive neighbourhood?
There is no question that the sport has grown dramatically in our area. I joke that it?s like little Rio around here because of all the academies. Potential students have many more options with respect to where they can train compared to when I started training and then teaching. Not surprisingly, I like to think we present them with the best option and I encourage potential students to come visit us and check us out. The best way to evaluate an academy is to visit it and participate in the classes.
Q: Tell me more about the instructor under whom your team is affiliated to, Mario Yamasaki?
Mario was my first instructor and was the first in the DC metro area to teach BJJ. Mario was a great instructor who emphasized the importance of the basics but also recognized that jiu jistu is constantly evolving. Because of the Yamasaki family?s judo background, we did (and still do) a lot of throws and takedowns. I think a lot of academies neglect this aspect of jiu jitsu. From a competition perspective, the stand up game is extremely important. Plenty of BJJ matches are won by 2 points or less. Fernando Yamasaki ( 5th degree black belt in BJJ and 4th degree in judo), and Francisco Neto (3rd degree BJJ black belt and judo black belt) currently run the Yamasaki Academy in Rockville, Maryland, and have done so for several years. The Yamasaki Academy is about a 35 to 40 minute drive from Fairfax Jiu Jitsu?s location. In addition to being a UFC referee, Mario now runs TRX Brasil. That?s the company that sells the TRX throughout Brazil. I still train with Mario when he visits.
Q: You received your black belt back in 2004/2005? Tell me how it felt and what it meant at the time?
Q: You have a very impressive tournament record - how many BJJ and grappling matches have you fought in roughly? and what would you say are your competition highlights? What match or trophy meant the most to you?
I have no idea how many competitions I?ve fought in but I think I can say pretty confidently that there aren?t too many people on the east coast who have competed more than I have. I will say that my competition record is impressive only if you ignore all of the losses I have which greatly outnumber the amount of victories. As far as competition highlights are concerned, that?s changed over time. I'd always wanted to medal at the Pan Ams in the adult division, so I was very happy when I got bronze in the brown belt division at the Pan Ams in 2005 at 38 years old. Also in 2005, I got 2nd place in the 2005-2006 Grapplers Quest U.S. National No-Gi Submission Grappling Championship . I beat some very tough guys in the prelims before losing to the eventual Abu Dhabi champion and UFC fighter, Rani Yahya, in the finals by guillotine. Yes, that?s me on the cover of the DVD getting guillotined by Rani. This past summer, I finally got gold in the International Masters & Seniors down in Rio. In previous years, I?d won 2 bronzes and a silver at that tournament so it was nice to get the gold finally.
Q: At 45 years old, you still compete a lot. Why do you compete so much still?
Competition and especially victory is absolutely exhilarating to me. I?ll keep competing as long as I can and will still compete in the adult divisions as long as I can properly train for them. Hopefully, I also lead my students by example. When I tell them about what competition is like and what is necessary for correct competition preparation, they?ll know I?m speaking from lots of experience.
Q: do you feel tournaments are important for a typical student in order to progress in their BJJ journey?
Competition is only 1 component of jiu jitsu, but it IS a component. In other words, it?s not the only part of jiu jitsu, but is a part nonetheless. You can certainly progress without competition but, in my opinion, your jiu jitsu wouldn?t be as well rounded as it could be. Additionally, competition can be an extremely effective teacher. Nothing can teach you not to do XYZ like a competition. If you?re competing and you do XYZ and get hammered for it, you?ll learn your lesson and never do XYZ again. It?s very difficult to recreate that kind of intense learning experience in a class or even in sparring when nothing is on the line. We encourage our students to compete and all the Fairfax Jiu Jitsu instructors make sure our competitors are as prepared as possible.
Q: You regularly travel and teach seminars and one thing I noticed is that you often bring in a very personal touch to your instruction - how much of your jiu jitsu would you say are techniques you have discovered and formulated by yourself, and how much is classic by-the-book technique?
The idea to teach seminars with a ?personal touch? is actually something I got from my training partner and friend, Abmar Barbosa. At one of his seminars a few years ago, he made the point of explaining to the students that the moves he teaches are the moves that he actually uses. I thought that was great. Abmar?s style is very different from mine, but I knew the moves he liked to do in competition and in sparring and the things he was teaching in the seminar were absolutely the stuff he really did. Lots of seminars are filled with instructors showing lots of fancy stuff that looks cool, but how much of it had they actually tried and tested in competition or in hard sparring?
In response to Abmar?s comment, I decided to focus my seminars on stuff that I knew worked regardless of how cool it looked. Additionally, I decided to teach techniques that I was intimately familiar with so that I could present all the fine (and essential) details. As far as how much of it I invented, probably none of it, but I know that for a few of the techniques, I stumbled onto them through trial and error without having been taught them by anyone else. As you may remember from the seminar, I?m waiting for someone to name those moves after me. Only then will I have ?arrived? in jiu jitsu. J So, I guess whether they?re moves I figured out myself or classic ?by the book? techniques, the techniques I teach in seminars are those that I?ve found to have a high percentage of success. I think that?s the correct seminar formula for me because I got the best seminar feedback I ever received in response to the recent seminars I did in Europe. Several students (and instructors) who attended told me that, instead of a just the few helpful nuggets they?ve gotten at other seminars, the vast majority of techniques and details I showed were applicable and helpful to their jiu jitsu. That?s probably the highest compliment I could have received.
Q: As a smaller, lighter, player what tips could you offer dealing with larger, stronger opponents?
I compete at the pena weight category.
Although there are exceptions, I generally try to stay on top of bigger and heavier opponents. When I am on top, I try to be very aware of and anticipate getting rolled or swept. If I am on bottom, I try to keep my opponent?s weight off of me as much as possible. Next time I?m in London, I?ll show you the specifics. J
Q: Thank you for your time David, is there anyone you would like to give a shout-out to?
Thank you. Shout outs to Nicholas Brooks and David Onuma for hosting me for my seminar and shout outs to the guys (including you) who attended. I hope to be able to visit as much as possible in the future. My trip to England was far too short. When are you coming to visit me in the US?
ENDS
(First published in Jiu Jitsu Style - Issue 6.)
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Meerkatsu/~3/x7SenRx1VNc/interview-david-jacobs.html
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Lucas Lepri DVD Preview: Butterfly Guard Hip Drag Pass
click player to close Lucas Lepri — Championship Guard Passing 2 Disc DVD set Preview Clip – Butterfly Guard Hip Drag Pass In recent years, competition driven Jiu-Jitsu has focused on modern guards such as the De La Riva Guard, Berimbolo, X-Guard, and Spider Guard to name a few. Now, in his first ever [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/A81gXhkI2pU/
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
ADCC 2011 Submissions Highlight
click player to close ADCC 2011 submissions highlight. Just the submissions. Enjoy !
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/CtjhA89LbDA/
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Q1 London BJJ Women?s Open Mat: 3 February 2013 at Total Dojo
Date: 3 February 2013 Time: 12:00-16:00 Location: Total Dojo, The Brunel Centre, Milton Keynes MK2 2ES Address: Cost: Free Our Q1 2013 London BJJ Women?s Open Mat will be held on Sunday 18 November 2012 and will be hosted by Hayley Carter and the good people at Total Dojo. We are pleased to invite women, [...]
Source: http://www.megjitsu.com/q1-london-bjj-womens-open-mat-3-february-2013-at-total-dojo/
Rickson Gracie: Just Like You (from Citizens of Humanity)
Rickson Gracie: Just Like You from Citizens of Humanity on Vimeo. Rickson Gracie: Just Like You (from Citizens of Humanity). More infos here : http://citizensofhumanity.com
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/a2DueFW6RJ8/
Review: WaMaDa Genesis 'Bamboo' fabric rashguard
Summary
Super comfortable and soft rashguard made mostly from bamboo textile. Excellent tight fit marred only slightly by slightly itchy stitch thread inside. However overall a very fine product that is made in America.
Disclosures: I have no personal or business links with WaMaDa.
Information:
Available from the website: http://thewamada.com/
More information from Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/TheWaMaDa
Cost: $65 plus shipping
Introduction
As the grappling apparel market matures, some manufacturers are seeking novel textiles and methods in order to differentiate their products from the others. US company WaMaDa have used bamboo-viscose fabric (cellulose from bamboo mixed with a small percentage of synthetic fibre) to produce the Genesis rank coloured rashguard. Bamboo is purported to offer superior sweat absorption and wicking effects and antimicrobial properties. It is also claimed to be a more ecologically friendly product, requiring less herbicides and pesticides to grow and farm. Wa MaDa sent me their long sleeve rashguard in size Small.
The WaMaDa rank coloured rashguard sent to me was the black coloured version. Other belt ranks are coloured in the body and sleeve accordingly. With the plain styling and white arm hoops, it has a retro sport apparel style to it, like a school rugby jersey that I think really looks good.
The main unique selling point of the Genesis is the novel textile used. Bamboo viscose is made from bamboo plant parts that have been pulped and then treated to extract the cellulose - which is the hard stuff that make up all plant cells. Cellulose is both incredibly tough and structurally strong. It is then spun into a yarn and woven into textiles. It is claimed to offer great sweat absorption properties and is very comfortable. Read more about bamboo viscose here.
When I wore the rashguard over several sessions, it did indeed feel incredibly soft and comfy. It actually felt more like wearing a thin, tight fitting woollen jumper, than it did a standard rashguard. Due to the very cold weather, I didn't get the chance to really sweat it out wearing the product. The brand owners own testimony suggests that it is much better at holding and wicking away sweat than standard rashguards, especuially in very hot and humid weather. He explained to me: " We were constantly getting frustrated during No Gi class because after 15 minutes of hard training the mats were too covered in sweat for effective grappling to continue. So we sought out a fabric that would retain more water and keep a high level of traction. Bamboo is also anti-fugal, anti-bacterial and anti-oder. "
Graphics on the rashguard are screen printed directly onto the surface. I assume dye-sub printing, as found on polyspandex rashies, was not possible on bamboo viscose. The graphics are nice but I worry the screen printed ink used might fade, peel and crack over time.
The bamboo textile panels are stitched together using what I can presume to be normal synthetic thread. Whatever this thread was made of I felt was a bit itchy on my skin. Especially on top of my shoulders. However I should note that I only wore this item as an under garment during gi class - so the weight of my gi ontop may have accounted for the extra itchiness. When I wore the rashguard without anything on top, I did not feel any abrasiveness. I mentioned this to WaMaDa who explained to me that this rashguard is really designed for nogi grappling.
The side panel features a larger, screen printed, company logo.
The best feature I liked about the Genesis was the very comfortable yet tight fit over my torso. It stretches over my body perfectly and I walked to class feeling like a Super Hero. Another interesting observation was that during cold weather - which we have been having recently - the fabric doesn't feel cold to the touch when you first put it on. This contrasts with standard lycra/spandex rashies which are freezing in cold weather!
WaMaDa are offering novel new products on the market and for that I do applaud their bravery. At $60 a pop plus shipping, the price for this product is marginally more than most standard rashguards out on the market cost these days. However the clean simple design is actually used very well here and the sheer soft comfort factor of the fabric is a joy to wear. It's a shame that the stitch thread used in between panels is mildly abrasive (when worn under my gi, but not when used no gi) and I am also dubious of the claimed antimicrobial properties of the bamboo fabric. There is also some debate over the actual ecological friendliness of bamboo viscose - read here for an essay. Having said that, here is a product that is made in America designed by an American company. For my US readers, this may be an important factor to consider to them, especially in light of the recent movement to protect and grow local manufacturing and industry.
I'm keen to see how WaMaDa grow their brand and if they continue their mission to make products in the USA.
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Meerkatsu/~3/CvljuDji3e8/review-wamada-genesis-bamboo-fabric.html
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Xmas Gift Ideas #1 (biased version)
1. Art prints and display posters
The above image features just a small selection of my designs that are now available to order as photographic prints or wall posters. The difference being that photographic prints are printed on nicer paper and the colours are a tad richer. The posters are giclee printed and available at up to A2 in size. Giclee is like a pro-level inkjet printer suitable for museum and art gallery display.
You can see my poster and print portfolio by clicking this Red Bubble link.
2. Rashguards
If you hunt around the net, you can probably still find some of my older designs from this year. But the ones that are more recent and therefore more likely to be available include:
- Kingz Kimonos - koi and dragon rashguards (two different designs). You can buy these from Fighters Market in Canada. I believe they have an offer at the moment of a free rashguard with every kimono ordered.
- Katanapus rashguard by Strike Fightwear. Available from the Strike Fightwear store.
- Dragon Fly rashguard by Tatami Fightwear. This is a newly reprinted batch of rashguards so all sizes should be in stock at the Tatami Fightwear website.
- Honey Badger v2 rashguard. Only a very very small number of these are available so you'll have to hunt around. But I see Tatami have relisted this so hopefully all sizes are in stock too.
3. T-shirts and hoodies
As you all know, I have my own online store - store.meerkatsu.com. We've run out of Mandrill tees completely, and are running very low on hoodies. The grey Tengu tees are down to single figures but we're healthily stocked on all the other designs apart from one or two sizes. Sorry for the vagueness, my trusty store manager is in charge of the stock so this is all I know for today.
If you want to investigate my other designs still available, then you could try the Tap Cancer Out store for my Gentle Omoplata tee, Scramble store for my Hanuman dishoom tee and Aesthetic for my Naginata Girl tee.
Finally, in the next couple days I will be releasing details of my collaboration with Mr Bong Abad from Gawakoto. We joined forces to create the new Raspberry Ape v2 t-shirt for Daniel Strauss. Stay tuned on that design very very soon...
4. Tattoos
I'm getting a hella lot of requests from followers who wish to have one or more of my designs tattooed on their bodies. I'm utterly flattered by the requests. If you want one of my designs on your body just email me to let me know. I can usually send a cleaner and better quality version of the image you like for your tattooist to use. Do respect however that the art is still my copyright and should not be shared around, resold or redistributed without my consent.
5. Magazines
You might want to purchase a subscription to these awesome BJJ magazine titles - Jiu Jitsu Magazine (from USA) and Jiu Jitsu Style (printed in the UK). I write for both publications so I can confidently say the content within is first class :)
So there you have it, hang something on the wall, ink something on your skin, wear something over your bodies, read something while you are on the bog...there's a Meerkatsu Xmas option for every BJJ-loving guy or girl. Enjoy!
Coming in Part two - my suggestions for Xmas gifts that have nothing to do with Meerkatsu (hard I know but they do exist, out there ;)
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Meerkatsu/~3/CWd13GnmN2w/xmas-gift-ideas-1-biased-version.html
My kids begin the grappling journey, sort of.
I've trained in some form of martial arts since I was 18 and seeing as I am 43 now, I guess that means I've been doing it for a very long time. And yet I know practically nothing about kids martial arts training. I do know that it was always my intention for them to try out martial arts but not at the expense of pushing them to do it if they don't want to.
So it was handy that a new judo club aimed at kids opened up close to my home with a working parent friendly timetable and cheap prices. I checked and they are totally legit members of the British Judo Council and British Judo Association and their head dojo in St Albans has been running for some 60 years!
Another benefit of them learning judo is that I am less likely to jump in and 'take over' as I know little about judo compared to BJJ. Still, witnessing their very first lesson, I couldn't help but feel a swell of personal pride. Y'see my kids are very shy and hate doing anything or going to anywhere new. It's a trauma taking them to swimming lessons even. I knew that taking them to something as strange and alien as a dojo staffed by people wearing white pyjamas was a risking putting them off for life.
In the end, my fears were unfounded. The class was run in an excellent manner. There were lots of seniors around to look after all the kids. There was some technical instruction (attacking a person who has turtled up ha!) and then a ton of fun grappling related games and drills. My kids finished the class beaming and eager for more!
Kids being kids, I have no idea if my two will keep up with judo long term but for now, I'm so chuffed they've taken their very first baby steps onto the tatami.
.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Meerkatsu/~3/4f9jkQ6Gb-0/my-kids-begin-grappling-journey-sort-of.html
Monday, January 14, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Marcelo Garcia and Demian Maia training
Marcelo Garcia and Demian Maia training. Training session between the great grappling idols. Subscribe to www.mginaction.com to learn Marcelo Garcia’s game! He is the best!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/vkAHGUm2CJs/
Xmas Gift Guide #2 (unbiased version)
Part two of my Xmas gift guide features a pot pourri of BJJ related products that I think would be worthy inclusions on any Xmas list. In most cases I have tried or sampled the product but I've also added stuff that I thought was just interesting though I have not used/tried the product myself.
1. Something to read:
Top of the list for something BJJ to read would be Christian Graugart's BJJ Globetrotter book. I've just finished reading my copy (bought from Amazon) and it's a very entertaining and informative journey of the more obscure regions around the world where BJJ has made a mark. Christian describes each destination with wide eyed wonder and interjects the travelogue with a moving personal biography about his own background. It's a BJJ fanatic's dream to travel the world and train in exotic locations, Christian's book brings this dream to life and shows how our beloved sport connects people from all races, cultural and political backgrounds.
If you liked Christian's book, I would also highly recommend The Last Wrestlers by Marcus Trower. It's been out a while but you can still buy it from Amazon. Marcus is an excellent writer and he covers not just wrestling, but BJJ and other grappling arts as well.
2. Something to learn from:
There are a gazillion opportunities to learn BJJ through online, DVD, or app friendly platforms. Some titles are very popular, some are better suited for beginners, others are more suited to advanced players. Whichever you choose to use, they only really work if you use them as a supplement to your normal training on the mat.
For a good old fashioned DVD disc set, a lot of people love the titles produced by Caio Terra. His latest set is called Modern Jiu Jitsu. I haven't seen a copy myself but I really liked his previous effort - 111 Half Guard Techniques. According to my friends, the new set is even more lavishly produced and excellently put together. For those who are just starting out in BJJ, I'd also like to give a shout out to 50 Common Mistakes to Avoid in BJJ DVD set, produced by UK brown belt Adam Adshead.
Learning techniques through DVD discs seem to be fast being replaced by learning via online websites and mobile apps. One example is the recent trend for learning BJJ via mobile and tablet apps. The aforementioned Caio Terra is available via this platform, so is Roy Dean's Blue Belt Requirements set. Roy's set of instructionals are consistently rated by others as among the best of those aimed at beginners and intermediate BJJ folk. Another app cited by folk are those made by Draculino.
Learning BJJ via websites is well supported. Popular sites include the slick MGinAction by Marcelo Garcia, Grapplers Guide by Jason Scully and by BJJWorldChampion.com Roberto 'Cyborg' Abreu.
3. Something to roll on:
Jiu jitsu is a fairly equipment free sport. All you need is another person, a gi and space. Everything else is extra, but if you are intent on training at home, ala old skool garage BJJ days, then some mats would be handy.
Zebra mats seem to look the business. You roll them out for training and roll them back up when finished. They look thick and chunky too. This is their website: http://www.zebramats.com/catalog/zebra-home-mats
In the UK, you can buy them here: http://www.fightnfitmma.co.uk/
If you have more cash to spare, Dollamur are the Rolls Royce of training surfaces. I had the opportunity once to roll in a gym fitted wall to wall with their pro mats and they are incredible! I see they too offer roll out home mats so perhaps someone should write a side by side independent review of these two brands.
4. Something to wear outside
The BJJ lifestyle and leisure wear market is hotting up more and more as each month goes by. I guess I'm part of that scene too with my own clothing range. Here are a few cool brands and products I've noticed online recently:
Scramble 'Strong Spirit' T-shirt - featuring gorgeous Japanese tattoo artist koi and hand written calligraphy, this tee is about as Scramble as you can get.
Strike Fightwear 'Gentle Art' hoodie - Strike Fightwear continue their impressive run of form with the release of their graphics heavy hoodie design.
Oss Shinobu t-shirt - an update to their first run of shinobu t-shirts, this red version is very funky and looks great I think!
Tatami Fightwear Red Monogram hoodie - I saw a lot of these being worn by fighters at a recent BJJ tournament I attended. I like the classical design work and simple layout.
5. Something to wear for training:
Gawakoto 'Kalabaw' short sleeve rashguard - featuring the cool comic artwork of Bong Abad, the kalabaw is a water buffalo, a powerful work animal from Bong's original homeland of the Philippines.
Kingz Kimonos - 450 Comp navy gi. I've been road testing this gi from Kingz plus their newly revamped 420 Light gi. I must say I absolutely love the 450 navy. They sent me an A1L which has a great jacket fit on me, though the trousers are a bit long. I'm posting a very thorough and detailed review in a week or so but I wanted to mention it here as I like it a lot so far and recommend it as a Xmas gift.
Scramble Urban Camou Spats - winter is truly here in the UK and I absolutely cannot train without wearing a pair of grappling tights under my gi pants. I have Scramble's previous offering (the black spats) and their new camouflage inspired design looks pretty good.
Fuji All Around BJJ gi - When I reviewed the Fuji gi earlier in the year I was really impressed with the quality of product coupled with the basic price tag, I pretty much recommend this gi to every newcomer who asks me what gi I suggest they should start off with. In the UK, you can buy it at Made4Fighters for �63 and in the US, look out for it on BJJHQ as it is a regular offering for a very good price.
1. Something to read:
Top of the list for something BJJ to read would be Christian Graugart's BJJ Globetrotter book. I've just finished reading my copy (bought from Amazon) and it's a very entertaining and informative journey of the more obscure regions around the world where BJJ has made a mark. Christian describes each destination with wide eyed wonder and interjects the travelogue with a moving personal biography about his own background. It's a BJJ fanatic's dream to travel the world and train in exotic locations, Christian's book brings this dream to life and shows how our beloved sport connects people from all races, cultural and political backgrounds.
If you liked Christian's book, I would also highly recommend The Last Wrestlers by Marcus Trower. It's been out a while but you can still buy it from Amazon. Marcus is an excellent writer and he covers not just wrestling, but BJJ and other grappling arts as well.
2. Something to learn from:
There are a gazillion opportunities to learn BJJ through online, DVD, or app friendly platforms. Some titles are very popular, some are better suited for beginners, others are more suited to advanced players. Whichever you choose to use, they only really work if you use them as a supplement to your normal training on the mat.
For a good old fashioned DVD disc set, a lot of people love the titles produced by Caio Terra. His latest set is called Modern Jiu Jitsu. I haven't seen a copy myself but I really liked his previous effort - 111 Half Guard Techniques. According to my friends, the new set is even more lavishly produced and excellently put together. For those who are just starting out in BJJ, I'd also like to give a shout out to 50 Common Mistakes to Avoid in BJJ DVD set, produced by UK brown belt Adam Adshead.
Learning techniques through DVD discs seem to be fast being replaced by learning via online websites and mobile apps. One example is the recent trend for learning BJJ via mobile and tablet apps. The aforementioned Caio Terra is available via this platform, so is Roy Dean's Blue Belt Requirements set. Roy's set of instructionals are consistently rated by others as among the best of those aimed at beginners and intermediate BJJ folk. Another app cited by folk are those made by Draculino.
Learning BJJ via websites is well supported. Popular sites include the slick MGinAction by Marcelo Garcia, Grapplers Guide by Jason Scully and by BJJWorldChampion.com Roberto 'Cyborg' Abreu.
3. Something to roll on:
Jiu jitsu is a fairly equipment free sport. All you need is another person, a gi and space. Everything else is extra, but if you are intent on training at home, ala old skool garage BJJ days, then some mats would be handy.
Zebra mats seem to look the business. You roll them out for training and roll them back up when finished. They look thick and chunky too. This is their website: http://www.zebramats.com/catalog/zebra-home-mats
In the UK, you can buy them here: http://www.fightnfitmma.co.uk/
If you have more cash to spare, Dollamur are the Rolls Royce of training surfaces. I had the opportunity once to roll in a gym fitted wall to wall with their pro mats and they are incredible! I see they too offer roll out home mats so perhaps someone should write a side by side independent review of these two brands.
4. Something to wear outside
The BJJ lifestyle and leisure wear market is hotting up more and more as each month goes by. I guess I'm part of that scene too with my own clothing range. Here are a few cool brands and products I've noticed online recently:
Scramble 'Strong Spirit' T-shirt - featuring gorgeous Japanese tattoo artist koi and hand written calligraphy, this tee is about as Scramble as you can get.
Strike Fightwear 'Gentle Art' hoodie - Strike Fightwear continue their impressive run of form with the release of their graphics heavy hoodie design.
Oss Shinobu t-shirt - an update to their first run of shinobu t-shirts, this red version is very funky and looks great I think!
Tatami Fightwear Red Monogram hoodie - I saw a lot of these being worn by fighters at a recent BJJ tournament I attended. I like the classical design work and simple layout.
5. Something to wear for training:
Gawakoto 'Kalabaw' short sleeve rashguard - featuring the cool comic artwork of Bong Abad, the kalabaw is a water buffalo, a powerful work animal from Bong's original homeland of the Philippines.
Kingz Kimonos - 450 Comp navy gi. I've been road testing this gi from Kingz plus their newly revamped 420 Light gi. I must say I absolutely love the 450 navy. They sent me an A1L which has a great jacket fit on me, though the trousers are a bit long. I'm posting a very thorough and detailed review in a week or so but I wanted to mention it here as I like it a lot so far and recommend it as a Xmas gift.
Scramble Urban Camou Spats - winter is truly here in the UK and I absolutely cannot train without wearing a pair of grappling tights under my gi pants. I have Scramble's previous offering (the black spats) and their new camouflage inspired design looks pretty good.
Fuji All Around BJJ gi - When I reviewed the Fuji gi earlier in the year I was really impressed with the quality of product coupled with the basic price tag, I pretty much recommend this gi to every newcomer who asks me what gi I suggest they should start off with. In the UK, you can buy it at Made4Fighters for �63 and in the US, look out for it on BJJHQ as it is a regular offering for a very good price.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Meerkatsu/~3/rbiWFGBDG9E/xmas-gift-guide-2-unbiased-version.html
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