Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/bxY8jv6KAa4/
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Meerkatsu Art: Jiu-Jitsu Drug Warning T-shirt
These tees were a huge bundle of fun to produce. I came up with the idea after I saw this very famous t-shirt design and thought, hmm, maybe I can do something similar using BJJ terminology.
I wracked my brain for reasonably amusing puns and plays on pharma themes plus twisted some known hazard and warning symbols. With a little help from my BJJ Artist friends, the final design was complete.
I'd like to thank BJJHQ and 93 Brand for supporting me on this design. It's a big departure from what I normally draw. When the initial batch went live on BJJHQ, their entire allocation sold out in less than 40 minutes!
I would also like to thank CTRL Industries. Unbeknownst to me, they had previously produced their own jiu jitsu as a drug themed t-shirt. When I emailed the owner to see if was ok with my design, he was again utterly supportive.
As they say in BJJ drug circles: Prescription before Submission! (that came from one of my contest winners).
This t-shirt is available from 15th May 2013 at my Meerkatsushop store from 1pm GMT.
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Meerkatsu/~3/wPVZmc2irhc/meerkatsu-art-jiu-jitsu-drug-warning-t.html
How to teach to different skill levels
This question came in response to The case for dividing classes by belt rank, given my�flexible stance on “the basics.”
Q: Does your new�approach to divided classes change your “anything can be a fundamental�technique” stance?
Thanks–I’m appreciating that you’re making your expertise so available to�the community.
A: The divisions between classes have less to do my philosophy about basic versus advanced techniques and more to do with the right way of teaching and structuring classes for different kinds of students. Even if I think all …
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aesopian/~3/nK7SiBERQzA/
Monday, May 20, 2013
Rener Gracie shows techs to remove the lock down
Rener Gracie shows techs to remove the lock down.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/SSXeGQwwj2I/
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Tournament Report: SUBF15TEEN Championships, Redcar, 9th March 2013
The recent high profile submission only grappling events such as Metamoris and the Gracie Nationals have led to a resurgence of interest with extended time or no time limit submission only contests. The invitation only SUBF15TEEN tournament in the UK is one of these. This, their second show, was to be a bigger tournament, featuring 15 fighters, each to fight up to fifteen minutes with a win decided by submission only. If there was no submission after the duration, then the match was to be considered a draw. I drove up from London to photograph the event and support my team mates, five of whom were competing...
Redcar is not an insignificant journey (4-5 hours of non stop driving) but I was keen to both support my team mates and report on how the grappling and BJJ scene is developing outside of the bias that naturally exists where bigger academies are located - notably in London (Roger Gracie Academy and Carlson Gracie being two of the biggest) and the Midlands (Braulio Estima and Victor Estima's academies). This tournament attracted fighters from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Early on, I was impressed with the branding and designs used to advertise the event. SUBF15TEEN is an awkward word to type, but it is unique and easily searchable. The posters too are beautifully crafted, so the signs pointed to an event that was well organised and supported:
There was a full house at the Redcar Bowl and spectators were seated at dining tables around the perimeter of the mat. The mat coverage was more than ample given that only one fight would be on at a time. The very low unidirectional lighting from the ceiling did worry me as a photographer. It meant I had to shoot at the very extreme of what my camera and lens could handle. Any movement between the fighters would end up blurry, so I had to be very picky about when to take my shots. But I have to admit, as a spectator, the low lighting did add to the theatrical atmosphere.
Another observation I wanted to make was how appreciative and knowledgeable the spectators were. Not everyone in the audience would have been grapplers but there was huge electricity whenever local and known fighters were competing. Likewise, lots of appreciative gasps and applause would go to unknown faces whenever a good move was executed.
The fight card included a mixture of gi and no-gi pairings from a variety of belt levels from blue, purple and brown. A couple of fighters may have been pure MMA or non-BJJ grappling but overall, the skill level was pretty damn good and I enjoyed many of the fights. Special mention to the kids demonstration fights before the main event which I thought was a great idea and showcased the future of the sport.
The photo leading this report (and above) was the no-gi fight between Jamie Taylor (Middlesborough Fight Academy) and Joey Breslin (SBG-Dublin). Joey was on his second fight having already competed against Liam Corrigan (Leicester Shootfighters/MMA) and took this fight on to replace someone who dropped out at the last minute. Both were grappling with full intensity but mid-way through the fight, Jamie spotted someone in the audience and gave a wink. Joey's reaction was to laugh and then both giggled. It was a fleeting moment of magic before they continued their epic battle, Joey dominating the back towards the latter stages but Jamie's defences thwarted any submissions. It was a superb fight and deserved of the match of the day trophy.
Another winner of the night was young Ben Royal from Factory BJJ. He zipped onto the mat at such lightning pace I didn't get a single clean photo of him. He won submission of the night with a quite clinical and speedy triangle on his opponent.
Team Mill Hill
I'm always very excited whenever I watch my academy team mates compete. I find it actually hard to take pictures as I get so emotionally drawn into the match and find myself shouting and yelling in support.
When both Andrew Modell (above) and Luke Dalmedo won their fights by triangle choke, I half wondered if it was a pre-prepared team tactic to only go for the one submission technique.
Guard sensation Michael Hawkins (top) had a tough match against a very good purple belt (Jamie Hughes) which ended in a draw. Ed Ingamells avenged a previous defeat to Phil Clegg via ankle lock in a superb battle of the super heavies.
Finally, the headline fight featuring European nogi champion Dan Strauss arrived and it was to be a fight against Liam Corrigan. Due to a last minute dropout, Liam valiantly stepped up to volunteer to fight Daniel and gave a good account of himself before succumbing to a rear naked choke.
Overall I was very impressed with the professional running of the event and the superb production and support behind it. With last minute drop outs and injuries I witnessed how tough it can be to run such an event but they handled it superbly. More than that, I felt the immense spirit and energy from both the fighters and the audience who helped make this into a very watchable and enjoyable spectacle.
I wish the SUBF15TEEN team luck as they build up their event and hopefully, if my team mates make another mass appearance, I'll come up for the ride again.
More photographs on my Facebook page -----> clicking here.
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Meerkatsu/~3/6ocmqMs-ZeE/tournament-report-subf15teen.html
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Women in BJJ and Rape
As the new year began, one woman’s trust in her team mates was shattered. As many readers will no doubt already be aware, two BJJers from Lloyd Irvin, Matthew Maldonado and Nicholas Shultz, were caught on CCTV in Washington DC sexually assaulting a woman. This woman, drunk after a NYE party, put her trust in [...]
Friday, May 17, 2013
Drill to Spin, Drill to Win
My two favorite BJJ sites are running a contest, and I joined in on the fun! The Jiu Jitsu Laboratory and DSTRYRsg launched Drill to Win, asking for jiu-jiteiros to send in videos of their favorite drills for the chance to win amazing prizes (that is, t-shirts and stickers). Here’s mine!
Here’s a description of the drills:
1. Spin behind – This is a simple drill which is good for staying on top of side control when your opponent is turning in to you with an underhook. You can …
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aesopian/~3/JlcpM0vSWf4/
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Invisible armbar by Kayron Gracie (from omoplata)
Invisible armbar by Kayron Gracie (from omoplata)
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/ARVjJEUU9kI/
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/
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
How long it takes to get a black belt
Everyone is always asking how long it takes to get a BJJ black belt (and by everyone I mean white belts), so I’m going to tell you:
It takes exactly 10 years to get a BJJ black belt (give or take 3-6 years).
Here’s how I know this. Back when I did the last big BJJ gi survey, I also collected data about training habits and belt promotion timelines. We crunched the numbers and that’s what they revealed. The results are summed up by this graph.�Taste the SCIENCE!…
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aesopian/~3/xXhaa2-Wrjc/
Monday, May 13, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 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 3 February 2013 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/
Saturday, May 11, 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/
Friday, May 10, 2013
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-10-30
Watching the UFC # Great takedowns! # What a disappointing decision, Shogun should've won! #UFC #fail # There's an MMA expo going on at the Jacob Javits in NYC # Bookmark and share this post: More »Post from: my BJJ blogTwitter Weekly Updates for 2009-10-30 Related posts:Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-10-02 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-10-09 [...]
Post from: my BJJ blog
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-10-30
Source: http://mybjjblog.com/2009/10/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-10-30/
Drill to Spin, Drill to Win
My two favorite BJJ sites are running a contest, and I joined in on the fun! The Jiu Jitsu Laboratory and DSTRYRsg launched Drill to Win, asking for jiu-jiteiros to send in videos of their favorite drills for the chance to win amazing prizes (that is, t-shirts and stickers). Here’s mine!
Here’s a description of the drills:
1. Spin behind – This is a simple drill which is good for staying on top of side control when your opponent is turning in to you with an underhook. You can …
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aesopian/~3/JlcpM0vSWf4/
Event: Grapplethon 2013, Gracie Barra Bristol, UK
Over the weekend I took part in another 24 hour Grapplethon fundraising event at Gracie Barra Bristol. The event was organised by my blogger friend Can S�nmez and was held to raise funds for Rape Crisis (England & Wales).
I only rolled for four hours this time. It allowed me to really enjoy sparring more or less at normal pace but I did miss having to leave the party early when the buzz and great vibes were in full swing.
After 24 hours, I can confirm, that the Team total (including cash donations on the day) raised is now a staggering �8,000. The event fundraising page will be kept open for further donations here on the JustGiving Page.
The event gave me the opportunity to catch up with many of the great friends I have made in BJJ over the years, including those I met at last year's Grapplethon.
Huge congratulations to Christian Sayer from Gracie Barra Birmingham who took the prize for the most numerous number of rolls - 95 I believe. Several fellow grapplethoners who lasted the entire 24 hours managed to push out 80-90 rolls each so massive well done on their Herculean achievement!!!
Many more photos from the event can be viewed here:
The tremendous efforts of everyone involved in this campaign will go to a much needed and good cause. For the reason why we are doing this, here is some chilling information found on the Rape Crisis website:
Government statistics released in January 2013 estimated that 85,000 women are raped on average in England and Wales every year, that over 400,000 women are sexually assaulted annually, and that 1 in 5 women (aged 16 - 59) has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16. The same study reported that 28% of women who are victims of the most serious sexual offences never tell anyone about it, and we know from our experience within the Rape Crisis movement that only around 15% of women and girls who experience sexual violence ever report to the police.
If words are not enough, here is an infographic produced by the Independent newspaper that reveals the scale of the problem faced in this country alone.
Thank you to everyone who donated and raised funds.
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Meerkatsu/~3/DjEkYZHNkbI/event-grapplethon-2013-gracie-barra.html
Mata Leon Kimonos commercial
Mata Leon Kimonos : nice commercial video … and nice sexy girl !!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/L1bifhMPFMA/
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Leandro Lo Knee Slide Study Part 1 & 2
click player to close Leandro Lo Pereira do Nascimento is an elite black belt competitor dominating the lightweight division in men?s BJJ. A relative new comer, the phenom burst onto the scene 2 years ago defeating another stalwart, Michael Langhi. Lo is know for having both an amazing guard as well as having some [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/jhU4ShWZZqA/
Meerkatsu Art: Heavenly Footlock - in support of RAINN and Rape Crisis
Heavenly Footlock!
The artwork I present here shows a serene looking geisha applying a very painful toe hold on a Japanese demon whilst knee riding his face. The toe-hold is a perfect example of a submission that requires little strength for maximum effect. I?m sure we would all love to tap out the demons that hit us in our daily lives but sadly, some battles are tougher to fight. But, we can try. This is why Tatami Fightwear, 93 Brand, BJJHQ and I, have collaborated to make this t-shirt. 100% of the profits will go direct to charities RAINN and Rape Crisis.
These organisations raise awareness and offer support for survivors of rape. I hope you will join me by sharing this poster and purchasing the t-shirt when it is released. This t-shirt will be available on BJJHQ.com next week and through Tatami Fightwear's website very soon.
Thank you for your support.
NB: I have been working on this design for several months. It's a labour of love and I'm very proud of it. you can read more about the design itself on my art blog here.
UPDATE
15th FEB 2013: This t-shirt is now available direct from Tatami Fightwear - click here.
It is also available via BJJHQ.com only on 15th February 2013 at 11pm EST - click here.
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Meerkatsu/~3/CQZQYDi3b9M/meerkatsu-art-heavenly-footlock-in.html
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The case for dividing classes by belt rank
My school�Gracie Barra Clearwater�moved to a new, bigger, nicer building in the last month of 2012. GBCW has been my home for the past decade, and it is where I have earned all my belts under my teacher Eduardo de Lima. This move has been a big step forward for us. It has been a lot of stress and hard work, but it’s also very exciting.�My first class was in a bare bones warehouse, and now I’m a teacher in our professional training studio.
Along with the …
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aesopian/~3/2M792cZ0To8/
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Armdrag to crucifix
After being a member of Jason Scully’s Grapplers Guide since its launch, I’m now taking on the role of regular contributor with videos like the one above. Here’s the write up I did for GG:
My instructor Eduardo de Lima showed me this idea a long time ago, and I’ve worked on it ever since. The leg position (hooking outside the knee) is something I came up with on my own, but I later refined it with help from Jeff Rockwell’s study of Baret Yoshida.…
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aesopian/~3/cepVylzem7k/
New Year?s Resolutions: A Woman Starts BJJ
As one year comes to an end and another begins, many folk get to thinking about what they’d like to achieve, how they’d like to improve, and how they plan to take life to the next level in the new year. For many folks, this includes resolutions around health and fitness. Certainly, in month four [...]
Source: http://www.megjitsu.com/new-years-resolutions-a-woman-starts-bjj/
Monday, May 6, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
New Year?s Resolutions: A Woman Starts BJJ
As one year comes to an end and another begins, many folk get to thinking about what they’d like to achieve, how they’d like to improve, and how they plan to take life to the next level in the new year. For many folks, this includes resolutions around health and fitness. Certainly, in month four [...]
Source: http://www.megjitsu.com/new-years-resolutions-a-woman-starts-bjj/
Perfect flying armbar defense :-)
Here is a Q & A with Kron from a recent seminar in Vancouver. He talks about a lot of things, including his outlook on improvement, his grandfather’s approach, breathing and his personal approach the modern BJJ tournament style competition.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bjjtech/~3/vIrUpbxTK_M/
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Gi Review: 93 Brand, The Goose
Summary
New US based gear company 93 Brand offers their debut gi. It's a very cool and stylish uniform with excellent quality reinforcements and materials. The A1 did fit rather big on me. Note also that the colour is not IBJJF tournament compliant.
Information
The Goose was first offered on a one day sale at BJJHQ.com for $100 plus shipping.
Some sizes are also offered here: http://www.karatedepot.com/un-jj-2230.html
Full Disclosures
I have provided freelance design work for BJJHQ in the past. I was not involved in the production or design of this model uniform.
Introduction
93 Brand are an American company that first appeared on the discount selling website BJJHQ. Their debut product, a rashguard, was heavily branded with 'Made in America' logos. This gi, amusingly titled 'The Goose', is made in Pakistan, but with its heavy use of helvetica type and simple geometric logomarks it is styled in what I reckon to be a very New York sort of vibe. They sent me an A1 to test out and review.
Size, Weight, Shrinkage and other Statistics
Size in centimetres and weight in kilograms. For reference, I am 59-60Kg in weight and 167cm in height. I am used to wearing A1 or A1L size gis though I do have long arms. First figure brand new, second figure after x3 mild temperature washes and then air dried.
A: 163/160
B: 76/74
C: 59/59
D: 16.5/16.5
E: 53/51
F: 97/97
G: 21/21
Jacket = 1.1kg, trousers = 0.6Kg
Stats discussion
The data shows there is very little shrinkage in either width or height for jacket or trousers. The pearlweave treatment of the jacket fabric clearly living up to its pre-shrunk status. The jacket wingspan, width and height is pretty much on a par with the recently reviewed Tatami Fightwear Enson Inoue Spirit of Japan gi. The Goose is actually a tad smaller than the Kingz 420 and 450 kimonos.
Weighing a total of 1.7Kg, the Goose is not an ultralight gi nor is it especially heavy for an A1 sized uniform.
Jacket
The main body of the jacket is made from a fairly medium to heavy gauge pearlweave cotton fabric. The description does not state the 'weight' of the gi but it feels very similar to the Tatami Estilo, so I'd guess that it would be around a 450 to 500gsm weight fabric.
It is dyed a quite a cool colour grey which, after three washes, has faded a tiny bit. The cut of the gi follows the pattern of the low placed front yoke - notice the seam running horizontally across the torso. On many other major gi brands, this seam runs higher, but here it runs much lower down the torso - similar to how the Shoyoroll and Competidor gis are cut.
The collar and lapel are pretty chunky. Once again I have failed to take a collar by collar comparison photo but when I pinch the collar, the leading edge feels very thick and sturdy. I did notice however, that after three washes, the canvas cotton covering did start to bobble and pill a little.
The goose is quite minimally patched - just this arm applique embroidery (one per sleeve) and a patch on the posterior of the trousers (more about that later).
Typical of gis cut with a low front seam, there are no armpit reinforcements. However all other reinforcing patches are present around the side vents. Branded seam tape decorates the inside jacket.
The insides of the sleeve cuffs are lined with branded seam tape. The tape edge is folded over to avoid the scratchy abrasive edges that is found on some cheaper seam tapes.
The exterior of the base of the jacket is lined with a strip of canvas which adds to an impressive level of reinforcements to the whole uniform.
Trousers
The trousers are made from 12oz cotton canvas with a pearlweave contrast coloured gusset panel.
The multiple belt loops and rope drawstring provide a more than adequate ability to keep the trousers in place. A worthy point to note is that the knee patches extend all the way down to the ankle. Too many gi brands make small knee patches that do not cover the knee when the leg is bent.
I must admit the placement of the rear trouser patch is odd. It would probably look better placed at the base of the back of the jacket, or omitted altogether. It's not a dealbreaker though, and in fact when I am standing, the jacket skirt conceals the bum patch entirely.
The ankle openings are again covered with seam tape, same as with the sleeve cuffs.
A triangular patches strengthens the area where all parts of the trouser gusset join together.
Rolling performance and discussion
The first thing to mention is the colour. Grey is not a viable choice for those competing at IBJJF rules tournaments, however as has been seen with the popular Competidor Guardian and Tatami Fightwear 'Pin Up' gis, grey is clearly still a popular niche choice.
I was impressed with the level of reinforcements and the fact that the gi barely shrunk. All the other aspects, such as the drawstring, the embroidery, stitching, collar etc were of the same standard as gis costing a lot more.
When rolling, I felt that the gi fitted rather generously on me. I wouldn't say it was baggy or too big, just that I felt there was a lot of loose material on my body. Gis that are cut with the lower front torso seem do tend to feel much 'looser' on my body than higher cut gis. I think this gi would perfectly suit someone of my height but bulkier in muscle.
Conclusion
This gi was made available on BJJHQ for $100. At that price I would say it is an absolute bargain. I did feel it was a looser fit on me than some of my regular rotation gis but it was still a very good gi to wear. Recommended for everyday training.
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Meerkatsu/~3/A9LLm6MCyFg/gi-review-93-brand-goose.html
The case for dividing classes by belt rank
My school�Gracie Barra Clearwater�moved to a new, bigger, nicer building in the last month of 2012. GBCW has been my home for the past decade, and it is where I have earned all my belts under my teacher Eduardo de Lima. This move has been a big step forward for us. It has been a lot of stress and hard work, but it’s also very exciting.�My first class was in a bare bones warehouse, and now I’m a teacher in our professional training studio.
Along with the …
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/aesopian/~3/2M792cZ0To8/
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