Dan the Butcher's Jiu Jitsu Blog

An article on "butterflies"

2009-05-05T11:01:00.003-04:00

I recently read this on the combat sports psychology blog.

http://combatsportpsychology.blogspot.com/

Beating the Jitters

By Dr. Randy Borum

(Article First appears in Black Belt Magazine, May, 2009)

“How do I get rid of the jitters before a fight (or match)?” – That is probably the single most common question that martial artists ask me. I sense that many are looking for a dose of magic or a quick fix – particularly because they raise the question within 24 hours of their scheduled competition. Sometimes there are stopgap measures that will help you get over a particular psychological hurdle, but with just a little advance planning you can make a big long term difference.

Let me begin by trying to clear up a few misconceptions about pre-competition jitters. First, all marital arts competitors – including mixed martial artists – should know that feeling nervous is completely normal and it does not necessarily mean that you will perform badly. In the world of MMA, the fighter probably best known for calmness in the cage is Russia’s Fedor Emelianenko. Consistently ranked as one of the World’s top heavyweights, Fedor saunters into the cage like it’s just another day at the office. During interviews, he is often asked about his stoic demeanor and he freely admits that he gets nervous before fights (as he believes all fighters do), but he has refined a strategy that works for him to control it.

This leads me to address a second misconception – that there is one ideal state of pre-competition calmness that works for everyone and that everyone can get there in the same way. Sometimes we are led to believe that buying the right program, listening to the right motivational CD, or reading the right book will allow anyone to achieve their optimal performance state. My experience suggests that different competitors experience jitters in different ways, for different reasons, and have to find a management strategy that works with their specific needs and style. Their optimal states of arousal or intensity also vary quite a bit. So Fedor’s state of mellow composure works very well for him, but it could be disastrous from someone else.

So, here’s the starting point for our discussion: if you get nervous jitters before a fight, “good for you” – you’re in very good company. There probably is not a “one size fits all solution”, but there are some fairly straightforward, battle-tested strategies and approaches you can use to find what works best for you. Here’s how you might begin:

First, try to understand how your jitters work. Typically, pre-competition anxiety can appear in your physical sensations (e.g., rapid breathing and heartbeat, sweating, muscle tension, butterflies), your emotional state (e.g. “feeling” nervous or fearful) and your thoughts (e.g., things you are saying to your self, negative thoughts, self-doubt). Write down what kinds of jittery experiences you have in each of those three areas before a competition. Then – as best you can determine – make a note about when they occur, how severe they are, and how much you think each interferes with your performance. Part of the task here is to figure out what “triggers” and patterns you can identify. Try to discern your earliest indictors or warning signs, then run through the progression. Ask yourself: “What comes first?”, “Then what happens?” until you understand the usual sequence.

Second, be proactive by preventing the jitters before they start, and deterring them at the earliest stages. Part of anxiety’s potency comes from its ability to sneak up on you and to build momentum. Because the human brain tends to default to a negative state (see Psyched column in the December, 2008 issue), unless you are being proactive, then you are increasingly vulnerable to the jitters’ destructive effects. You don’t realize you have been overcome by anxiety until it’s too late.

Being proactive here means intentionally orienting your thoughts, feelings and body in a positive direction. To do this with your thoughts, you might try writing down a few first person statements about your strengths, skills and preparation (e.g., “I can take down my opponent at will”). Read them to yourself at different intervals at least four times a day. These are the positive thoughts that can be occupying your mind. To orient your mood or emotions, you might try mental imagery or visualization. Observing yourself and experiencing the feeling of being successful in executing moves and techniques against an opponent. Reflect on past successes in training or competition to re-connect with that feeling of confidence and mastery.

Proactively creating a positive physical state involves two different tasks – first knowing your optimal state of intensity for competition and then being able to regulate your body’s response accordingly. A Zen-like state of tranquility may or may not work for you. Some competitors prefer to go in at a fairly high state of intensity, which is fine as long as it is controlled and energy is not being unnecessarily wasted. But know what has worked best for you in the past (or, if you are just beginning, what is most likely to work for you) and try to keep yourself within an optimal zone. That’s where self-regulation comes in: Learning to ramp up or down as needed. For most people, firing up is not the main challenge, but rather it is handling the “adrenaline dump” that happens at show time. Using deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation – particularly after a bit of practice – can help you transition from a state of anxiety to a state of readiness.

If you do this successfully, does this mean that you will never again feel nervous? No, and that’s not the objective. The point is keep the jitters from hindering your performance and to facilitate a state of optimal performance. As you become more aware of your early warning signs, you can take a few minutes and re-center yourself before the nerves spin out of control. One useful tip is to remember that the thoughts, feelings, and physical reactions are all connected to each other. If you are getting jittery in one area – like getting negative thoughts - you can respond not only by invoking your positive thoughts, but also by calming your body. It might then be easier for your mind to focus on the positive thoughts and it will take some of the sting out of those doubts. A number of elite-level fighters I know feel jittery before a match, but in their minds, they interpret or label it as “energy”, “excitement”, or a signal that they are “ready to go.” Sometimes the jitters just need to be put in their proper place.

Been a while...

2009-05-04T21:35:00.003-04:00

After 3 months of doctors visits, slight depression and a minor alocholic bender (I have demons....lol), I got to roll tonight. Other than when I was injected with morphine for my dislocated elbow this is the greatest feeling I have had all year. I am so excited. My gas sucks but the moves are still there, its like riding a bike you never forget you just become a little rusty. I know I am going to be hurting tomorrow but thats ok, I miss that hurt. I know I have neglected my blog and neglected reading some of my fellow bloggers blogs but I was facing some personal issues that I am glad are all behind me now. I am 100% focused on training and getting back and doing what I love, JIU JITSU.

So for all those I have neglected or felt I dissapeared on them, I am sorry.

But now the BUTCHER IS BACK!!!!!

Denied

2009-03-27T10:18:00.003-04:00

I went to the doctor for my elbow on Wednesday, I spent more time in the waiting room than actually seeing him face to face. He asked me to open my arm up and try to straighten my arm out, which I did. He then said "good, two more weeks." And walked out the door. I had to stop him by the door to get my questions answered about a sport specific brace. He did not like me stopping him. I know I have to nurse the recovery due to it being such a bad injury, But seriously doc HUMOR ME. Make me feel like I will be 100 percent again.

So until then I sit here and waiting for another 2 weeks until I can tie up a belt again, and wear the gi that has yet to be worn. No granted I will not be able to roll until mid June at the earliest, but thats ok. Sunday I am going to go visit Rich Korfhage a Matt Serra black belt who opened up his own school and is a good friend of mine. He is also going through being sidelined with a bad back and it looks like he and myself will be on the same track coming back which is good. Rich's Jiu Jitsu is amazing. Along with Gordo Correa, Rich has had the most impact on my game especially the 1/2 guard. Rich is always thinking about Jiu Jitsu in every move he makes on the mat, He is amazing. Hopefully when he is better and I am I can get some vids of us rolling.

The Itch

2009-03-23T11:59:00.002-04:00

Since being sidelined, I have been dying to get back on the mats. Luckily I may be able to next week in a limited capacity that is. I go to the doctor wednesday and hopefully he will say that I no longer have to wear the Terminator like device. This will be a releif. I of course will not be able to live roll until June. Baby Steps. Right now my priority is getting back on the mat and getting the activity, the sport, the lifestyle I so much love back in my life. I have spent way too much time on the side just watching and I will be so happy to get back on the mat and just start drilling again. My skin is crawling knowing it is so close. I will have to wear another special brace on my elbow this one not as big and mechanical as what I have now.

I am down to 220 pounds without even really trying, I have been trying to run but to me it is absolutly boring. I have to get around that. I have been watching what I ate with an exception this morning, my boss and I had a huge breakfast, but it was not that bad. I plan on going to class tonight to watch. I have a couple moves I have been wanting to show some of the guys at the gym. But I think I will wait till I can do them on the mats myself. I am going to talk to the doctor and see what he says about competing once I am 100%. I miyself am putting an arbitrary date on it. Sometime in the middle of October, Hopefully if the NoGi Pans are being held in NY again. Speaking of which April 18th the NY Open will be held and I am sure Team Serra will make a good showing as well as all the other Team Renzo Affiliates.

4 down 46 to go

2009-03-12T22:02:00.003-04:00

So week one of being back on the diet, and I am down to 225.3, I lost more than just 50 pounds before. I actually have lost over a hundred and ten pounds. You can read my testomonial here:
http://www.serrajitsu.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=3&Itemid=25

I am a little let down in myself in getting back up in weight. I was doing really well for a while but other things in my life made me a little lax in diet. I am glad I am back on it though, I feel better already. I eat very clean. I try to eat foods that are minimally or not processed at all. For food shopping purposes the general rule of thumb is only buy food from the outer edges of a supermarket and not in the middle. I am back to eating lean meats, fruits and vegetables, with nothing but water. For snacks I have been grabbing either some fruit or some raw almonds. My new favorite breakfast is now:

1 and 1/2 cup diced mango (frozen or fresh)
1 tsp of chili powder
The juice from 1/2 a lemon

Try it kids you will like it.

I miss training, I miss rolling. Due to this injury I have to incorporate something into my training that I hate, something I never thought I would have to do, LIFT WEIGHTS. Unfortunatly when you dislocate an elbow it never fully heals, the only thing you can do to help it is build up the muscle around it. I have to get over my hatred of weight lifting, and get into the gym and lift. I am hoping I can learn to enjoy it. I know overall it will help me become a better jiu jitsu player. I have been researching alot on workout programs and so far have found 2 that I will enjoy doing. The first is Training for Warriors written by Martin Rooney, who is BJJ Purple Belt, and is a trainer for all the guys at Renzo Gracie's. The second book is Men's Health Power Training, its a very in depth book. I will be starting these hopefully soon, the brace is supposed to come off on the 25th. Which I cannot wait for because I can then go back to Jiu Jitsu, Not rolling of course but in there and back in the atmosphere I miss so much. The suspense is killing me.

http://www.menshealth.com/powertraining/
http://www.trainingforwarriors.com/

A change is in the air.

2009-03-08T22:00:00.003-04:00

Last night was a rough one for me, I drank a little too much which is no big deal. Nothing wrong with letting loose every now and then. I ate a little too much, which is starting to catch up with me. I have become a little too lax in my diet. Normally that would be no big deal but with the fact I can not really exercise, well at least not like I used to, I am packing on some pounds. I weighed myself yesterday and I was 230.4 pounds. I am up 30 pounds from my last tournament and even then I was up 15 pounds from my lowest weight. Growing up a fat kid you resort to food as your escape, So since being injured I have been comforting myself with food. I am not happy about this so the diet is back on hardcore. I am not going to go back to the way I was, I was unhappy at that weight and what makes me happy is being a lean, mean, Jiu Jitsu Fighting machine. I was hoping to get to practice today for the open mat, but when I woke up my arm was not feeling right and I am not about to push it, If I do not feel good about something I am not going to do it.

Last night was also a rough one for me because my teammate Pete "drago" Sell had a fight on the UFC card. If you saw the fight then you know what I am talking about. I am not going to go into details but Pete is a Warrior through and through, That man has a heart bigger than anyones I have ever seen.

On another note, I am actually back at work. My elbow is not that bad to work with, just no heavy lifting and no full extension of my elbow. I am glad to have money in my pocket again, life unemployed and injured is not as glamorous as it sounds. I am back to saving money and soon back to training, My job is something that actually help my diet I have access to fresh produce and lean meats, I also get to cook my own meals which is something that if you want to lose weight you have to do, If you take the time to make your own meals you know what is exactly going into your meals and you will not be stuck eating crap.

I have been watching Jiu Jitsu Instructionals and one move has stuck out that will be one of the first moves I rep when the brace comes off. Its a Brabo choke, I have fallen in love with the Brabo choke and have been researching all the different positions and transitions you get from attempting this choke. Here is the choke that I will be repping like crazy.

An Awesome Breakdown of your BJJ journey

2009-03-03T23:01:00.003-05:00

I found this while in a BJJ Forum, I thought I should share. It breaks down what you can expect to go through on your journey to black belt.

White Belt

This is the belt of paying your dues. This is the belt where you will spend most of your time on his back. You usually end up doing most of the tapping as well.

Your ability to grapple successfully will depend largely on three things:

1. your previous martial arts experience, (a grappling background helps a lot)
2. your current fitness level, (a higher level of fitness help tremendously)
3. your ability to learn visually (visual learners adapt and absorb information more quickly)

Students who come from a wrestling background seem to adapt very well to the slight change in grappling methods. Students who come from an athletic background also seem to adapt quite well.

Those who come from a striking background sometimes have a difficult time adapting. Many have become so accustomed to visually grabbing onto the vertical and horizontal lines of the walls, doorways and ropes to stabilize their equilibrium that they feel very uncomfortable with the diagonal world of grappling. They quickly learn that the ground has not been their friend, and, that they must take some time to acquaint themselves with this new perspective.

The most frustrating part about being a white belt (especially if you have no experience on the ground) is the fact that most of the advanced students will make you tap, or at least positionally dominate you. (I remember feeling frustrated as a white belt.) This frustration usually leads to white belts asking questions like, "How do I get on top of these guys? How do I escape the side or full mount? How do I tap out the blue and purple belts?" Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do right now to immediately change the tables in your favor. Get used to the blue and purple belts tapping you out. Get used to having them positionally dominating you. Consider tapping as a "form of learning", a way of "paying your dues." I remember when I was a white belt. I remember feeling like a rag doll in the hands of the blue and purple belts. I wish there would have been something I could have done to prevent from feeling like that, but there wasn't. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is just one of those "time in service" things. You simply have to put your time in. There are no short cuts!

The only encouragement that I can give to you is this, "Keep training! Your day is coming. The day will come when you will no longer be a white belt. The day is coming when you will be able to escape from any position with finesse and ease. Then, it will be your turn to watch the frustration of the new white belts that enter your school. Then, it will be your turn to encourage them as I have encouraged you!"

White belts are expected to rely on speed, power, strength and explosiveness. For that is all they know. However, once a person dons the "blue belt", the world of Jiu Jitsu suddenly changes.

Blue Belt

This is the belt of survival. It is the belt where the focus of your training must be on escaping from most of the inferior positions (the mount, the guard, the side mount, the wrestler's cradle and headlocks). Having the ability to escape from most inferior positions is paramount to having the ability to get on top of a person, positionally dominate them and making them tap. I know that there are a number of submissions from inferior positions (not necessarily the guard), but these submissions require a high level of speed, power and explosiveness. The reason why these submissions require speed, power and explosiveness is because your body, when placed in an inferior position, can not effectively apply leverage. To compensate for the inability to apply leverage, you substitute it with speed, power and explosiveness to effect the lock. (Anyone who tells you any different is either purposely misleading you or very unknowledgeable with grappling! I know that some may argue this point, but I stand by this point.) Not only do you have an inability to apply leverage from an inferior position, you also do not have control of your opponent's body! So now do you see why escapes are so important to building a firm foundation in grappling?

When you can easily escape the tightest pin (from just about anyone), you will find yourself on top more often. When you find yourself on top, you have more chances for submission. However, you should not jump right into submission just yet because you have not developed the skill to hold someone down with finesses and ease. I have seen too many blue belts begin their journey into submission too soon and often become frustrated because they just can't finish their opponent. They get so close, but they often fail at finishing their opponent. This usually leads the blue belt to seeking out more and more submission techniques. He thinks that the "new" and "sneaky" techniques will make him more skilled at submissions. However, what he doesn't realize is that his inability to finish his opponent is directly related to his inability to positionally dominate him. The blue belt feels good when he has escaped a hold down and has landed on top. However, he also feels like he has ONE SHOT at sinking in the submission. He knows if he fails, he will end up on his back and have to fight for the top position again. So, he usually stalls, waiting for his opponent to make a mistake so he can hopefully capitalize on it.

Once the blue belt has a firm grip on positional escapes, he should then move on to positional dominance: which is "the ability to control an opponent." When the blue belt can readily escape from most of the bottom positions, he should focus his training on learning how to control his opponent with greater ease and finesse. Although anyone can control their opponent if they can use all of their strength for short periods of time. It will take some time before a person can effortlessly hold down their opponent.

Once the blue belt has a good grip on these two aspects, he should then begin to develop a few good submissions. Still, he should not be consumed with them because there are still a few more areas to train before a lengthy period of time should be spent on submissions. (Yes, yes, yes, I know that submissions are the more enjoyable part of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I am not saying that you should not train them at all. However, all I am saying is this, "Don't focus on them quite yet. Wait until you are a high purple belt!")

The blue belt should have a large repertoire of positional and submission techniques. However, his depth of knowledge of these techniques is very limited because of his experience level. And because of his limited experience, he will still require a good amount of speed, power and explosiveness to effect most of his techniques. This is to be expected.

Another interesting thing happens at the blue belt level: the bar of performance raises itself to highly competitive levels. I remember when I was a white belt, it felt OK to tap to everyone because hey, I was a white belt. However, once I was promoted to blue belt, many of the bigger, stronger and more talented white belts began to set their cross-hair on me. What once was a shared journey of joy and frustration suddenly became field of itchy trigger fingered snipers. Many of the white belts who were once fellow sojourners now wanted the privilege of being able to say, "I made a blue belt tap!" It seemed like overnight the game of Jiu Jitsu suddenly became very competitive. Well, if you think the game was interesting at the blue belt level, wait until you hear about the highly regarded purple belt!

Purple Belt

This is the belt of momentum and combinations. This is the belt level where the amount of energy you expend to accomplish a specific task should be considerably lower than it was when you were a white belt. Your game should have a certain amount of grace and finesse to it. Your game should not have rely on speed, power and explosiveness to get you into positions or out of positions. Your repertoire of techniques should be very high. However, you should begin to focus your training on your depth of knowledge. The white and blue belts are the belts where you accumulate techniques. The purple belt is the first belt where you must begin to refine your techniques. It is also the belt where you learn to put the basic techniques together into various two technique and three technique combinations, with the use of momentum.

Because you become more reliant upon combinations and momentum, the amount of speed and power required to effect your technique decreases. This is not something a white or blue belt can do just yet because of their limited amount of knowledge and experience.

As a purple belt, you must begin to focus your training on the use momentum. You must train your entire body to FEEL momentum. Up until this point in time, most everything was visual. You must develop a high level of sensitivity so that you can flow with your opponent instead of forcing techniques with speed and power, especially when you grappled people who are much bigger and stronger than you are. Pushing an opponent's dead weight around is exhausting if you do not have a firm foundation in escapes and positioning. You will need to learn to use the momentum that your opponent gives to you, as well as create momentum when his body is not in motion. Momentum will help you to lower the amount of strength you use to perform your techniques.

Your training should also begin to use the basic techniques together into two, three and sometimes five technique combinations. Notice I said "basic" techniques. The purple belt mentality is very different from the white and blue belt mentality. White and blue belts think the answer to their problems is learning more techniques. The purple belt thinks to himself: "I need to refine the techniques I already know and then learn how to reflexively put the appropriate techniques together into flowing combinations." For example, when I first learned the triangle, I thought it was just a matter of throwing my legs over their head and shoulder and squeezing my legs together. Then as I matured in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I noticed that there were a specific set of components that made up the technique (20 to be exact!). Then, I noticed that these components could be broken down even further into sub-categories. Now (as a black belt), the triangle is no longer a simple technique with three or four movements. It is now a myriad of over twenty (20) different (and subtle) moving parts that must be put together in a specific order so they can all work together towards one common goal: apply pressure to the neck. Once I had mastered the triangle, I needed to put it together with other basic techniques like the arm lock, the hip bump, the sweep, the kimura, a knee lock, etc. Knowing how to combine the triangle with other basic techniques was very important to my development in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! Once I could combine techniques together and use them in conjunction with momentum, I now felt ready to take on the world. I've noticed the same in many students, both in seminars, at my school and other schools.

The purple belt's mind set should be on the refinement of his current knowledge and the use of momentum and combinations. The purple belt is able to do this because he already has a wide base of knowledge in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I know that white and blue belts want to learn how to do this, but they simply aren't ready for it just yet.

This mindset, along with some rapidly developing skills by the purple belts usually sets the stage for some highly charged matches, especially amongst new purple belts. Why? Because the some of the "veteran" blue belts want to make a purple belt tap. Plus, a number of students who get their purple belts go through a period which I call "testing their wares." They want to see just how they compare to the older, more experienced purple belts, especially those who are about to be promoted to brown belt.

Brown Belt

This is the belt of mastery of ALL the basics and something I call "at-will grappling." This is also the belt where submissions play a big part in the training. When I decide that someone is about ready for their brown belt, I tell them in advance that they are about 9 months to a year away from their brown belt. I give them a schedule of tasks that I want them to work on.

First, they must master each and every escape. I want them to be able to escape every position with the use of their hands AND without the use of their hands (they must know how to push and pull, lift and lower with every portion of their anatomy.). I want them to be able to hold other students down with their hands and without their hands. I want to see them use all of the basic techniques in three and five technique combinations. I also want them to begin to refine their submissions. This is where I begin to use the "at-will grappling" training method. I will tell the student, "for the next thirty days, all I want you to do is apply straight arm locks when you grapple with the other students. No chokes or leg locks. Just arm locks." Then, a month later, I will tell them, "for the next month, all I want you to do are leg locks. Then a month later, I will tell them to choke the other students. So, for each month, they have been given a specific task to master. Because they tell the other students, "All I am going to do is arm lock you today," the student knows what the purple belt is going for. This forces the student to be creative in setting up the arm lock because his opponent knows that he will not try a different submission. Setting up an opponent is a difficult task, however, it is one that needs to be learned at this belt level. (I know the lower belt levels want to learn this stuff, but again, they are simply not ready for it.)

Once the student has gotten pretty good at arm locks, leg locks or choke, I will have him narrow the scope of his training. Now, he must focus on one specific limb. I will tell him, "for the next month, all I want you to do is arm lock your opponent's left arm." This really forces the student to develop a multiplicity of ways to enter into the straight arm lock on his opponent's left arm. The student has the confidence to go for all of these submissions because he has a foundation in positional escapes and positional dominance. If he did not have this foundation, he would be timid to go for the submission because he would not want to end up on the bottom again. However, because he can easily escape from any position, and because he can readily hold down and control his opponent, he can repeatedly try for these submissions time and time again! This is why I do not place a lot of emphasis on submissions until the purple or brown belt levels. Position and control are the most important tools to develop at first.

Once a student has a firm grip on the mastery of his basics, I will promote him to brown belt. Once he has been promoted to brown belt, he must continue to refine his game. He must seek out his weak areas and focus on them. He must also find his strengths and focus on them for an extended period of time because these will define his character as a black belt. Most black belts have a specialty. Some are good at throws. Others are good at collar chokes. I happen to be good at leg locks. I want my brown belts to find their sweet spot and train it like crazy!

Black Belt

This is the belt where a person focuses his training on counters and placing his or her signature on the art. First, let's talk about the signature. Some black belts develop an affinity for leg locks (like myself). Others tend to focus on throws or take downs. Some are exceptional at arm locks. While others are magicians at collar chokes. This is also the belt where you really begin to refine and redefine the art. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu takes on a more personal look to it. The new black belt begins to realize that there's more than one way to skin a cat. He also begin to notice how certain things work for some people while others don't. (Now, let me qualify that last statement: all of these things apply to the black belt who is still refining, growing, learning and adapting. They do not apply to the black belt who is stuck in his old ways, paralyzed by his resistance to change!)

At the black belt level, the learning process starts over again. If a new black belt is honest with him or herself, they realize they know very little about their chosen art. They will also know that there is a difference between a new black belt and a black belt who has consistently been training "as a black belt" for the past ten years. For example, I am a relatively new black belt, someone you might call "a white belt amongst other black belts." I've had my black belt for two years now. Then there's Royler Gracie. He's had his black belt for several years. As a matter of fact, he had his black belt before I even thought about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Plus, he has so many more hundreds of hours competing, teaching and training that there's no way to compare my black belt with his black belt. So, as a new black belt, I am introduced to a new journey, one that is as long and hard as the one I just traveled. However, because I have already traveled a similar road, I am ready to take on this new one!

At the black belt level, a person's technical expertise is very high. However, his ability to skillfully perform all of his technical knowledge will not be as good as some might think. The black belt will obviously have some favorite moves that he does most of the time. However, over time (if he continues to train with the same intensity as he did in the earlier belts), his skill level will continue to increase. The only thing that will be different is that his game will become much smaller. He will not concern himself with "NEW" techniques, but the refining and redefining of the old ones. He will work on the small subtle movements that will make the art much easier and more enjoyable to practice. He will begin to make smaller movements to accomplish the same objectives as the other belt. For example, to a black belt, the difference between escaping and being held down is often the difference between a hip movement of less than one inch. YES, I SAID "ONE INCH!" The black belt's feel and sensitivity of the game is so much higher than the white, blue or even purple belt's game. The black belt begins to move like a shadow. He flows effortlessly around his opponent's movement and follows the path they set. He finds his opponent's weakness and then exploits it. The game is very small and tactile.

Some News From My Academy.

2009-03-01T23:13:00.002-05:00

Big thanks to John Danaher for conducting a phenomenal seminar. It's always a pleasure to have John down at our academy – he truly is a master among masters. We look forward to having Professor Danaher back at our academy in the next few months, so if you didn't get the chance to participate this time, make sure to take a seminar when John visits again.

There were also many promotions awarded during the seminar; here’s a rundown of the new belts, from blue to black…

Jon "Johnny" McDonald, Bobby Donovan, and Steve Elizarde were all promoted to blue
belt. These guys have trained extremely hard even before they stepped into our academy. Steve and Bobby both have strong wrestling roots and Johnny has a military background. They all bring to the mats the discipline and drive necessary to excel.

Next up, we have Eric Sherman, who was promoted to purple belt. Eric came to our academy when he was around 15 years old. In less than three years, we have seen him grow into a highly skilled BJJ practitioner, dominating the grappling tournaments one by one. His most recent triumphs include the Pan American No-Gi gold medal championship and 1st place at the NAGA World Championships.

Our next purple belt is Gary Rock! The last name is fitting due to his size and strength. But don't judge a book by it's cover. He thrives to use the technique he has learned to it's full potential.

Congratulations as well to our new brown belt, Judo Mark Staniszewski! A black belt in Judo (hence his nickname), Mark has been training with the academy for a long time. He too has been cleaning house at the grappling tournaments as well as in judo.

And now on to our three new BLACK BELTS…Chris "Focker" Broker, Bill Mason, and Mike "Waz" Wasielesky! This is a huge accomplishment that all three men have waited and trained very hard for.

Focker, as we know him best, is an old school member from team Serra who his training with Matt and Nick way back when we trained at "The Barn." He first got that name, if I remember correctly, for being extremely aggressive until one day someone shouted, Meet the Parents style, "IT'S JUST JIU-JITSU FOCKER"... and the name has stuck ever since. But these days, Focker has a black belt for a reason. He's dangerous with the leg attacks and has learned to adapt Jiu-Jitsu to his everyday life.

Next up is Bill Mason. Bill has competed in many NAGA tournaments and has won just about all of them. You can always see Bill at the tournaments and UFC fights supporting all of the guys on the team. He his a great asset to team Serra and it is an honor to have him as a black belt at our academy.

Last but not least is Mike "Waz" Wasielesky! Mike is a NYC firefighter. When he isn't fighting fires, he is battling it out on the mats. He is a great example of the effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His technique and agility have proven to be problematic for much larger opponents both standing and on the ground. Mike is also from the old school crew.

Freedom

2009-02-26T00:31:00.003-05:00

After 3 long weeks the splint is off, I am now stuck with my bio-mechanical like brace. I can actually move my arm, the brace limits my range of motion though. My arm feels a bit weird. The doctor set the brace to 40 degrees of of extension, I thought it was way too much so I actually limited it to 50 degrees. My elbow joint feels like there is a rubber band in it and when I try to extend it, it pulls it real tight. It is uncomfortable to say the least. The doctor says each week that passes I can increase the motion on it by 10 degrees. I will be stuck in this thing until at least April. I have been taking glucosomine and chondroitin as well as fish oil and motrin to help with my elbow. I am not sure if the glucosomine and chondroitin help but so far they do not seem to be hurting. I am hoping to start repping some drills in 3 weeks time just some leg work. I am looking forward to that. On the bad side of things I actually have to go back to work on March 9th, I am kidding I am actually dying to go back to work.

I went to class tonight, It was a packed crowd and a lot of new faces, which is good. I like watching the beginning class I get a chance to heckle and coach from the sidelines. I stuck around for the advanced class and got a chance to talk to some of the guys I miss. I got a chance to talk to Charlie, (yes the one that was involved in my elbow accident) We talked some spider guard stuff I saw him working, Charlie likes to take one position and focus on that for a month. I miss the mini privates Charlie and I usually do, a lot of the guys around the gym hate rolling with me because I roll like Charlie who loves to use De La Riva, and coincidentally so do I, mainly because of Charlie. I also got a chance to sit down and talk with Mike Piccolomini aka Patalino, Patalino is a black belt and one hell of an instructor. We waxed intellectually about the band clutch and rolling, Clutch was only brought up because it happened to be the music of the day. All in all it was good to see everyone around the gym and show off my brace and my limited range of motion. All day long I have been using my arm like I never had one before. it was good to be back and I am going to be attending more classes now that I am more mobile due to the brace.

On another note if you read my blog you should go check out the site http://www.bjjboard.com

24 hours in a day

2009-02-22T22:52:00.002-05:00

Wake up around 11.pm

Have an Zola Acai drink or a bowl of Captain Crunch. (no more captain crunch soon, its not on the diet)

Watch TV till about 3pm

Take a nap till 4pm

Eat Dinner at 5pm

Watch Jiu Jitsu instructionals, Read Jiu Jitsu articles, Post on Jiu Jitsu Forums, Read Jiu Jitsu blogs (which I have learned a lot of bloggers are out of commission like myself) Create Jiu Jitsu work out routines for myself for when I get back to training, till about 1 am

Watch the Joy of painting with Bob Ross, No I am not kidding the dude allthough a hippie creates an amazing painting in 30 minutes. Plus at 2 am there isn't much else on.

Fall asleep anywhere from 2-4 am.

Repeat.

God I can not wait to train again.....This Hectic life is Killing me.

Missing out.

2009-02-21T11:24:00.003-05:00

Before my dislocated elbow I was preparing for a string of tournaments. I was training hard, and it was paying dividends. I have always been a firm beleiver in you get back what you put in. I often wonder why I compete, I have yet to win a match, the closest I have came was a 0-0 match where I lost on advantage points. Losses have not made me want to quit they have made me want to train harder than before. The tournaments I was going to enter were:

Naga on Feb. 14th in Rhode Island

Grapplers Quest on March 7th in New Jersey

Long Island Pride on April 5th

and this was all going to culminate on April 18th the New York Open International. Its ok though I will just have to kick ass at the Pan Ams in 2010. I am also missing out on a John Danaher Seminar. (I am sad about that the most)

I do not think of my injury as a set back, I think of it as time to study. I am using my time to watch my DVD's read my books and actually set a game plan of training. One of my big problems I felt was always spreading myself too thin, trying to focus on too many things at once. I had too many ideas and too many new fancy moves that I wanted to try instead of just focusing on what I was good at.

The splint comes off on Wednesday the 25th, I then get my Terminator like brace put on. I then can begin to rebuild muscle and rehad my injured arm. But more importantly I can exercize. I can start running and start to lose the pounds I have put on from sitting here watching tv and eating junk food like its going out of style. Thats what Fat kids do when they get depressed the run for the food. Luckily I smart enough to know to indulge myself for a week or two then get back on track. One of the first things I am doing wednesday is going for a run. My cardio and stamina are gone due to being a couch slug.

Wednesday I start back on my diet which includes the most delicious thing in the world. Acai.

We all have to look up to someone.

2009-02-20T15:59:00.004-05:00

With my dislocated elbow, I have nothing but alot of free time on my hands, So I thought I would share a little with you about my Mentor in my BJJ training. Matt Serra. I managed to find his ADCC fights from 2001, along with an article from Graciemag.com interviewing Matt. He conceded the final against Marcio Feitosa at the request of his Mentor Renzo Gracie.

In 2001, the most important grappling event in the world saw an underdog cause some serious damage among the greatest stars of the time. 1999 ADCC champion Jean Jacques Machado, several-time world Jiu-Jitsu champion Leonardo Santos, and an undefeated Japanese MMA fighter named Takanori Gomi fell victim to the American Matt Serra, whose greatest feat hitherto had been winning the purple belt division of the Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Championship, in ’99. Serra was only stopped in the final of the under 76kg division of the ADCC 2001, as he conceded the title to Marcio Feitosa at his mentor Renzo Gracie's request.

How was it to beat Jean Jacques Machado in the ADCC 2001 when he was one of the world’s top grapplers?
At the time that was my biggest accomplishment, because at the time he was a legend of the sport – he still is – and I was pretty much an unknown. After that match everybody got a look at my skills.

So it was huge. But I remember the first time I really won something. It was in Miami, at the Pan-American Games. I defeated four Brazilians, two of them I submitted, and Renzo gave me my brown belt right there on the spot. That was also a very big moment for me, because that was the first time I competed at international level. At the time, in 1999, Americans weren’t winning that much.

Were you sad to abandon the ADCC final against Márcio Feitosa?
You know what? I wouldn’t be anywhere without Renzo guiding me, so I did it for him. If that’s what it took, then that’s what it took. Renzo took me from doing security and bouncing on the weekends to world champion in Jiu-Jitsu. So all he had to do was ask; I had no problem with it.

Starting fresh

2009-02-18T23:36:00.009-05:00

I must first apologize for not blogging, all though that is the beauty of blogs you can write whenever you like. I am going to try to make an effort to actually keep up with the blog this time.

The main reason I am writing this blog is the excess free time I have now, I have a dislocated elbow and am going to be sidelined for a while. So how did I dislocate my elbow? I am glad you asked...........

It was Monday, February 2nd, my birthday to be exact. I had just had an awesome training session and was just finishing up when Charlie a brown belt and a good friend of mine wanted to show me some corrections on technique he saw me make. It was mainly dealing with when you have your legs wrapped up in a triangle but your opponent is posturing up. So he put on a loose triangle and I postured up, we were not at all live rolling. So as I postured up I got off balance and me being a big fella I was going to fall over and Charlie was coming with me. By mistake and not even realizing I based out my right hand. I based out with my elbow pointing in. We toppled over and before I hit the mat I heard the POP POP POP of my arm followed by me screaming. It was a total accident.

I began flopping around like a fish out of water screaming in pain, Luckily Danny DVD (yes everyone usually has a nick name) Jumped on top of me and held me down till the ambulance came. Upon the ambulance arriving I was a bit more calmed down, I began to tell the EMT's that there was no way in hell they were going to cut my favorite gi off of me. I had just picked it up that day having had my fightworks podcast patch put on it. I was planning to enter the fightworks gi patch contest. Oh well...There is always the next patch contest right Caleb? So after pleading and I am pretty sure some yelling at the EMT's they pulled off my gi and it was saved. It hurt like hell but it was worth it.

From there I was taken to the hospital where I lay in a bed for about a half hour waiting for the doctor to arrive, When he came in he had mercy on me, He gave me 10 milligrams of Morphine which sent me into LA LA LAND....From there the rest is a bit blurry but I have pieced it together, I had Xrays taken, and the Orthopedist decided to sedate me and place my forearm back in socket.

What a normal Elbow should look like

What mine looked like

I was put in a splint given a sling, a script for some painkillers and sent on my way. I was also given a referal to a seperate orthopedist to follow up with. I saw him 2 days later his name is Dr. Greene and he has what can only be described as sideburns cooler than Fonzi. He told me to keep my arm in the splint for 3 weeks at the end of the 3 weeks I will be getting a special brace that will limit my range of motion on my elbow which will allow me to rehab my elbow.

I am going to become part man, part machine:

I was lucky, No broken bones, No fractures and so far No major ligament damage. All in all I was lucky....

But..........

Now I am out of work and BORED OUT OF MY MIND... but more on that later.