I was fortunate enough to attend a mini-seminar at the Academy for MMA and BJJ in Pensacola, Florida with Professor Murilo Rupp. You can catch my video interview with him on my YouTube page. We talked about everything to include why he started training, who inspires him, training UFC star Thiago Tavares in MMA, his Floripa BJJ Camp, competing, and even using YouTube as a training tool.
His Floripa BJJ Camp sounds pretty bad-ass, too. Check it out at here.
Enjoy!
Also, for your viewing pleasure, is a pretty slick Lapel Cross Choke from the Guard.
Looking back, it’s been a great year for me! I earned my Blue Belt, started this blog and I feel like my game has really grown and matured. One of the best parts from all of this is that I get a good deal of free gear to review. Well, it’s not really free. I have to wear it, test it, stretch its limits and try to find its weaknesses and strengths all while doing what I love. Oh, darn. So in keeping with this months theme of looking back I’m going to give away a free rash guard, provided by the wonderful folks at MAS – the Tatami Gen X Red & Black (size XL)! Why Tatami’s Gen X, you say? Simple – it was the best rash guard I got to roll in last year, that’s why!
So what do you have to do? Simply like my Facebook page and share this link on your Facebook page and I’ll pick one random winner on Feb 10th, 2012! If you already like my site, just share the love!
Check out my original review of the Tatami Gen X Rash guard here.
*(1) NEW, UNOPENED Red & Black Gen X Rash guard, size XL
It’s mid-January and you’ve made the resolution (which I’m sure you’ve forgotten about) to start playing Jiu-Jitsu, get that next belt, or even enter your first competition. What better way to keep that going than buying a new gi! Get that awesome competition gi you want, replace that old, stinky one that smells no matter how much soap and bleach you use or simply be the coolest kid on the mats! Or just have something new to get choked out in…
CTRL INDUSTRIES is the quiet but bold brand on the block. They don’t try to overstate their products with designs of skulls and dragons, which I like. Instead they look to pay homage to the places where the sport originated and took root. Brazil is heavily themed. The Rook is their gi for kicking off 2012 and looks pretty impressive. I’m looking forward to 2012 and seeing where they take it CTRL in the next 12 months.
I found out about Competidor brand late last year and was super pumped about their designs. They’re a Guam based brand that incorporates a kind of Asian-Fusion style of design into their gi’s and t-shirts. The Guardian: Charcoal Haze gi is pretty sic and definitely worth examining a little bit closer. Guam has always taken great pride in their fighting and it’s nice to see that they’re taking great pride in their gi’s. I’m looking forward to seeing their growth and expansion in the coming year. I also love their love for the sport: Rear-naked chokes served with a smile! Check ’em out!
Zombie Kimonos is really connecting with Hollywood and the current dig with the undead. Zombieland, the Walking Dead, even the rash of zombie inspired books that have hit the market. Why not do an undead theme? Zombie Kimono’s was bought out last year and is under new management and is promising some new products over the next year. We’ll see where Jesus Carlos takes them this year and watch their expansion into the market. I’m looking forward to seeing their newest gi coming this year. BRRAAIINNNNSSSS….. er.. I mean.. OOOSSSSSZZZZZ……
I like Scramble. They’re a UK brand that’s inspired by Japanese art. It’s different. It’s clean. It’s straight-forward. It’s fun! They embrace the colors of yellow and purple and try to not take themselves too seriously. It’s almost like they take the idea of a traditional Aikido kimono and incorporate that familia-style mindset into a modern Japanese tattooing style of art. They also embrace new ideas. Half-sleeved rash guards, for example. Late last year we saw the release of the Ichiban. What’s next? I don’t know. But I can’t wait!
I really, really like Origin’s designs. The small explosion of color in the right places makes all the difference. Little pops of teal, or orange, or green against simple white or black make all the difference. Reinforcement stitching but with design is going to be their money-maker. That and Pete Roberts graphic-designer eye. I would describe his style as calm, circles, and flow. He get’s it. He get’s Jiu-Jitsu. You can’t push or pull – you have to circle out. Bulldozing doesn’t work. Roll baby, roll. I also really dig the fact that they’ve produced kids gi’s. Turns out my kid’s like to roll, too.
There’s an old quote that says, “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.” I say bring it on! 2011 was a great year for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and we’re counting down the top 10 events that helped shape the year!
10. BJJHQ – Offering you one great deal a day, BJJHQ is probably one of the hottest deals going for Jiu-Jitsu gear. However, their significance isn’t their gimmick – it’s their representation of the market that’s important. We’re talking about a website whose sole purpose is to make money selling Jiu-Jitsu related products. Not a website who is selling you techniques or is a representation of a specific breed of Jiu-Jitsu, but a third-party sales company who is making money by simply selling merchandise. If a company can make money only selling Jiu-Jitsu gear then it’s definitely a major mile-stone for our sport and is a great sign of things to come!
9. Jiu-Jitsu Delivered to Your Door – Jiu-Jitsu Magazine, a publication coming out of California, is making its mark in the states. Due to the development and recent acceptance of the iPad, NOOK, Kindle and other e-readers the magazine and newspaper markets have taken a hit. Again, it says a lot about where our sport is for a publication to make it in today’s economy. Grab a subscription to this and expand your game!
8. The UFC in Brazil – In 1993 the Gracie’s created the UFC in an effort to show the world that they had created the best defensive combat system in the world. In 2011 the UFC went to the Gracie’s home country for the first time in history! MMA is probably going to be the first truly international sport because people all over the world love to watch other people from all over the world getting their arms broken. And the UFC is going to deliver!
7. Earn Your Degree Online with Gracie University – The Gracie family has done marvels with growing the sport and the science of Jiu-Jitsu online. Love them or hate them, odds are, you’re watching their videos. They’ve also inspired others to create their own online training programs. The difference between the Gracie’s and everybody else is that they are willing to promote you based on video evaluation. Not only can you put on your Blue Belt at home, you can add a stripe to it!
6. The Honey Badger Don’t Care – Fellow blogger, jitz roller, and artist Meerkatsu may have had his biggest break out in 2011 with the introduction of his Honey Badger rash guard. It’s taken off like wildfire (so much so that I can’t even get my hands on one to review, hint hint…). It’s turned into the “hot” item for BJJ all across the internet and developed itself into a brand, Honey Badger Fightwear. He did it right, too, by pushing through a noted and professional company like Tatami. I expect to see Honey Badgers on gi’s in the near future. Personally, I think an Octopus could take a Honey Badger any day…
5. Attack of the App – With the invention of the Android, iPhone, iPad and every other mobile device there has come more apps than one can count. Thrown in that mix are some pretty impressive Jiu-Jitsu apps. I’m a big fan of the Mobile Black Belt series by Gracie Barra Black Belt “Bill” Aparecido Faria. Quick, easy techniques to watch if you’ve got 5 minutes to kill. Another favorite is access to my Gracie University account via their mobile site. You can make fun of those who learn watching YouTube, or you can add those tools to your toolbox. Me? I have more than one Black Belt in my pocket.
4. The Match that Never Happened – Supposedly going to be the Superfight of the Decade, the Eddie Bravo vs. Royler Gracie rematch caused more stirs, murmurs and rumors than a hooker in the White House. Set for ADCC 2011, the always cost conscious Gracie managed to put this one to bed by refusing to roll for riches. Cash up front had to be provided or the event was to never happen. And it didn’t. Bloody Elbow does a good break down of events here.
3. Grandmaster Dr. Pedro Valente Sr. – Anytime you get a new Red Belt thrown in the mix, especially in Jiu-Jitsu where it’s incredibly hard to get promoted anyway, it’s worth pointing out. It took Pedro Sr. 58 years to put Red around his waist. That’s a lot of time shrimping on the mats.
2. Doing the Twist in the UFC – The Korean Zombie Chan Sung Jung hit the first Twister in UFC history! That’s sick! There are a lot of haters of Jiu-Jitsu in the MMA market but every time Chael Sonnen gets tapped out or somebody does something like the Twister on national and international television it blows the doors off of BJJ schools everywhere! This technique was so smooth and so sick that it got breakdowns from Eddie Bravo and the Gracie brothers.
And the winner is…
1. André Galvão Wins… Again! – Black Belt Galvão won his weight class and the absolute at the ADCC 2011. That’s pretty impressive. If you didn’t know who André Galvão was from his many other championship wins, you better take note and figure it out now. Anyone who can defeat Pablo Popovitch and Rousimar Palhares on the big stage is worth watching down the road. The ADCC rematch between Eddie and Royler didn’t play out, but Galvao gave us plenty to watch and be thankful for.
It’s Christmas time! I love it. I love the meaning of it. The celebration of God and Jesus. The joy I’ll see on my children’s faces on Christmas morning when they run down the hall and rip through the wrapping paper on the present’s stuffed up under the tree while I enjoy a hot cup of coffee on the couch with my family. I’m fortunate that I have the opportunity and ability to provide this for my family. However, there are children out there who don’t have the opportunity to rip open gifts that their family purchased for them and maybe experience that same kind of joy. And, to be honest, I think we all know that they won’t stand in a giant circle singing songs like the Who’s of Whoville.
Gracie Barra is doing something about that! They’ve teamed up with the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program to bring happiness to some tiny tyke’s this year. On Saturday, December 17th, Gracie Barra Irvine will be hosting a seminar where the cost is a new, unwrapped toy. Professor Marcio Feitosa will be leading the seminar. My suggestion? Go check it out! Train some Jitz, bring a toy, and bring a smile to a child’s face this Christmas!
There will be a pre-seminar parents and kids class and food and drinks will be served. There will also be a GB Wear sale where 30% of the proceeds will go to toys for tots as well. The event will kick off at 9 a.m. and the seminar will start at 10 a.m. finishing with the potluck at 12. Merry Christmas!
I’ve been kind of absent here lately. It’s not as if there is a shortage of things for me to write about. I could easily talk about all the UFC events out there. Like how Mayhem Miller was a complete disappointment in his fight against Bisbing. I love the BJJ guys that come out to MMA fights and try and pull guard. Or get knocked on their asses and lay there with their legs open hoping that the opponent will jump into their guard. Shame on you, Mayhem. I could also tout about how great Jiu-Jitsu is when used effectively in an MMA event like Mir did against Big Nog, destroying his arm. He knows better, too. Still trying to figure out why he didn’t tap sooner.
I could also rant about all the great products to hit the market lately. Jiu-Jitsu as a market is growing incredibly fast! New kimono companies are popping up left and right. Rash-guards, shorts, supplements, training programs, exercise equipment – all related directly to the sport – are thriving. There’s even a magazine market out there that’s growing in a time where publishing companies are struggling to get people to buy their product. I’m surprised the New York Times didn’t crumble to be completely honest.
I could talk to you about the recent diet kick I’ve been on. Or that I’m adding Yoga into the mix. But, I’m not going to. I don’t think you want to hear about that. So here’s the deal.
You tell me what you want. What should I write about next? What Jiu-Jitsu subject has intrigued you but you haven’t had the time or energy to think about or research? History (i.e. the difference between light blue and dark blue belts)? The future of BJJ? The international growth of the sport in the U.K.? A specific gi you’d like to see reviewed? A book? WHAT DO YOU WANT, PEOPLE?!?!
In the meantime, I’m going to go roll. See you on the mats.
It’s my first week back on the mats at Gracie Pensacola (well, second really but I only went once last week, so…). It felt good to be on their mats. I felt home. I was worried my skill set had lessened since I had been on hiatus for a few months playing in my garage. I’m super-uber proud of my promotion to blue belt with Gracie University, however, there’s the lingering fear that I might get tapped by a rookie white belt. Truth is it’s not the rookie white belts I worry about. It’s the one with 3 or 4 stripes who has started to put the pieces of the puzzle together and has one or two tricks I haven’t seen in a while and is able to sneak a choke or arm lock in on me. You know the guy, the sandbagger at the tournament who has been doing Jiu-Jitsu for 2 years and some change and taps every other white belt in under a minute. Is this what the Gracie brothers mean when they talk about ego and leaving it at the door? Should I care if I get tapped by a white belt, experienced or not? Having another colored belt tap me doesn’t bother me, so why should I care if a white belt gets me?
Turns out that following the Gracie University program with a few buddies worked out well for me. I think my defense and understanding of what the other guy was doing has actually improved. I spent some time rolling with a couple different white belts and did fine. I was able to defend until I decided it was time to be offensive and then I was able to execute my game plan. I got a chance to roll with a purple belt, the great Tony Baker, and although I couldn’t impose my will (or stop him from imposing his) I was definitely able to identify what he was doing and actually execute a few counters and even escape once or twice. I’m sure he was letting me, especially since we were both playing real lose, but it still felt good afterwards. I need to get in and play around with a few blue belts and see where my game falls in. I think I might even tape myself and try and break it down objectively and see where I can really improve and smooth out my skill set.
It’s good to get some personal instruction, too. Head Instructor Pat Vito knows his stuff and we’ve spent the last week moving through the “power-hour” of Jiu-Jitsu. Always working from stand-up to ground, as is to be expected. We’ve been drilling the same inside leg sweep but with different passes or sweeps once we get there. Today we introduced an elevator sweep to mount, a triangle setup from the elevator sweep position, an Americana from the triangle setup position (should they attempt to pass) and an armbar if they decide to stack. Fundamentally these are nothing new to me but I haven’t played with these from the half- guard or triangle setup position in awhile so they were good drills and I was happy to do them! Hell, I’m happy any time I’m playing on the mats! I look forward to getting back in and training a bit more!
Brazilian and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu may have had an explosion of followers after the introduction of the Ultimate Fighting Championship to the United States but it hasn’t been until recently that we’ve seen the market grow. This might be in part to the fact that the UFC fell out of the main market with sanctioning issues and had to evolve in order to become legally accepted as a sport making a recent comeback a few years ago. With their return also came the MMA market.
Mixed Martial Arts has also evolved into an accepted workout for gym-junkies with hybrids of CrossFit and Kettle-Jitsu. We even have it penetrating our military forces as the modern form of hand-to-hand combat training. The Army has adopted a Combatives program and the Marine Corps has developed their own, calling it the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). With the evolution and acceptance of MMA and its growing popularity comes the demand for a supply of training gear and apparel, which has carried over with the same demand for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training gear and apparel.
We all know the brands who play in the Majors; Tatami, Scramble, MMA Warehouse – just to name a few. However, what we may not be aware of are the ones who provide the gimmick that makes them unique in this environment. MMAHQ and BJJHQ, Sixth Minute, BJJ Life are only a couple that have made themselves relevant lately with their ideas and concepts.
MMAHQ and BJJHQ are unique in what they offer – one great deal a day! With the product explosion that’s happening (and the fact that you have to triple stich a pair of shorts that are going to constantly be pulled on by some ape in a raspberry t-shirt) product prices are never on the low end. That’s where MMAHQ and BJJHQ come in. Need a pair of shorts or a new rashguard or even a pretty sweet gi? Odds are if you stalk their website for a few days you’re going to get exactly what you need (and want!!). Join their Facebook page and receive updates on their sales in real time!
is a little bit different from MMAHQ and BJJHQ in that they offer incredible deals but not every day. You sign up with them and you’ll get an email with their latest deal when it’s available, usually about every other week. The real difference however, is the magnitude of the deal. They partner with companies for two-day events where everything on their site is %50 off. Right now they offer their sales with up-and-coming production companies but once the larger industry Mongols get on board their sales are going to be AMAZING! Check Sixth Minute out on Facebook!
BJJLIFE’s gimmick is all its own! They’re not reselling a different brand in their own way, but producing their own. Not only that, they’re building themselves as a Legion – the BJJ Legion! It’s a genius concept in that you complete missions in order to get sponsored. The missions are pretty easy and straight forward, like changing your Facebook image or recruiting a friend. As you complete the missions you gain rank, going all the way up to General. By joining the Legion and completing missions you can get tournaments paid for, gym dues paid, a %15 discount in their store, free gear and whatever else they feel like throwing out there. BJJLIFE’s gear is pretty sweet, too. I wouldn’t say there’s really anything unique about the build or material but they produce some custom designed stuff that is pretty awesome; like tuxedo rashguards and BJJ belts for your jeans. I haven’t met anyone with the balls big enough to wear a white belt around their Levi’s but I definitely like the idea of it! And, of course, you can follow the Legion on Facebook.
So, what’s the deal? Head over to BJJHQ, Sixth Minute, and BJJLIFE and find out for yourself!
Jonny's Jiu-Jitsu 