Jiu-Jitsu White Belt: “Professor, what should I do if somene has me belly-down in back mount, hooks in, with my arms trapped under my chest, and they begin applying a rear-naked choke?” Professor Pedro Sauer: “Tap and start over. The milk is already on the table.” The above quote is my best recollection of an…
Tag: gracie jiu-jitsu
Enjoyment Is Its Own Reason
Why practice a martial art that is not “the best?” There is a lot of criticism in martial arts circles these days around what are seen as impractical or ineffective martial arts. These are martial arts that do not participate in sportive sparring, competitive bouts, or resistance-based training. At the top of the list are…
Angle and Position Before Execution
Angle and positioning: How do we get there from here? Anyone who has trained a martial art with resistance-based pressure testing or sparring knows that the correct technique in a given situation is rarely predetermined. A boxer may have a plan to knock out his opponent with his powerful right cross, but making perfect contact…
Fun and Freedom with Four Limbs
Four limbs are better than two. In Brazilan jiu-jitsu (BJJ), one of the distinguishing characteristics of the ‘little guy jiu-jitsu’ used by smaller BJJ practitioners is that smaller folks in BJJ tend to use their legs a lot more for manipulations, attacks, and defenses than larger practitioners do. In my observation and experience, a larger…
To Half Guard or Not To Half Guard
The choices we make are a direct reflection of our values. Choices are exclusionary. By deciding to do one thing and taking action toward that end, all other options in that moment no longer exist. Each choice we make says a lot about who we are, how we think, and what we value. This is…