Fitocracy: A way to track BJJ training and network

Today I was reading a blog entry at jiujitsu365 about a new website called Fitocracy. It is a training log mixed with a competition mixed with social networking. You log your workouts and get points based on the different exercises. There are contests, quests, accomplishments and leader boards to compare yourself to other people. Since I am a competitive person, I can see myself really getting into this. If you need motivation to get in shape or lose some weight then this is the perfect site for you. Fitocracy also has groups so you can socialize with other people with similar interests.

If you sign up, I highly recommend changing your email settings because they are pretty spammy at first. Right now the website is in beta testing and is only available by invite. If you are interested in getting an invite, post a comment on this post, then email me at bjjcompete@gmail.com and tell me why you deserve an invite. I have limited invites so I am not going to just post it here.

So... you do jiu jitsu

I was going to do a post about the differences between training Gi and No-Gi today but this video was too hilarious not to post.

So... you do jiu jitsu
by: sevensixtwo

Review: Flow Jiu Jitsu

Today I will take some time to discuss the jiu jitsu gym I train at. Flow Jiu Jitsu is run by Ken Primola who was a D1 wrestler and letterman in college. He later found jiu jitsu in 1999 and eventually opened his own gym approximately 4 years ago.

I really enjoy training a flow jiu jitsu for many reasons. Ken's classes are no nonsense. We don't waste valuable time warming up and doing fitness exercises during class. We start, Ken teaches, Ken gives a chance to ask questions, we roll then we leave. I have all the time in the world to get in physical shape during the rest of the week. I don't want waste any of the hour long class doing something I can do on my own. Why should we waste time warming up and stretching during class when we should have shown up early and done this on our own. Ken always sticks around after class and will answer questions or let the students get more rolling time in.

Flow jiu jitsu has a great group of students with a wide diversity. There are small guys, big guys, new guys, and experienced guys. I feel as though I have the perfect mix of students for my development. Some guys are way better than me that teach me new moves and techniques and gives me great practice defending myself from attacks. Other guys are smaller and newer than me which gives me the opportunity to work on attacking and doing more complicated submission attempts that I can't get on bigger, more experienced students. Not only is Flow Jiu Jitsu a great learning environment, but the people are extremely friendly as well. If you live in Delaware in the Wilmington area, I highly recommend stopping by and giving Flow a try.

Also, check out Ken's website. He has some great DVDs and gear for sale.

It is time for me to start training more

When I first started with jiu jitsu I was training 3 times a week. My biggest issue with training more was that my elbows would kill me at the end of rolling because from the top I would try to overpower the legs of the person I was rolling with. I am pretty strong and at the time I weighed over 200 so I had some success but it was a pretty stupid idea in terms of efficiency. Since then I have learned to fight peoples legs with my body weight instead of my arms so I no longer have problems with my arms.

Once that was solved I began training 4 to 5 times a week. I developed a problem with my knee because I was always standing the the person in guard would bend my knee in funny directions. I now wear knee braces and have learned to stay as close to the ground as possible to avoid the possibility of hurting my knee.

Since I have fixed my problems and seem to be able to roll without injuring myself anymore I think I can increase my training to 8 times a week. I will need to start going to a second gym because my gym only has 5 days of instruction a week and I would like as much instruction as possible. I need to learn technique so I don't need to rely on overpowering my opponent. I am trying to be prepared for the IBJJF New York Open, so I need all the training I can get so I have a chance to with the tournament.

Strikeforce Ronda Rousey vs Miesha Tate

I don't frequently watch women's MMA but the Rousey vs Tate match last night was pretty impressive. I think it will help a lot to move women's MMA forward and gain popularity. They built up a lot of tension before the fight with trash talking and the head-butt stunt during the weigh in. Both competitors had good striking and grappling. Miesha Tate got Rousey's back at one point while Rousey got several attempts at armbars, finally ending the fight with an armbar.

It was clear that Tate did not have much respect for Rousey and didn't think that Rousey deserved an attempt at the title with only 4 wins under her belt. Because of Tate's ego and disrespect of Rousey, Tate tried to resist the final armbar for around 20 to 30 seconds. After the fight doctors rushed onto the matts to look at her arm because she stupidly tried to resist when she shouldn't have. What is the result? She still lost and now she won't be able to train for a few months. Don't let your ego get in the way of tapping when you should or you will end up getting hurt and missing out of training like Miesha Tate.

Weight Distribution

Over the past couple of days I have become more aware of my position when I am grappling and how my weight is distributed. I hadn't realized how important it was until just recently, the higher belts are probably laughing at me right now. Now when I roll actively think about what direction the person's stance/position is strong and what direction it is weak and choose the direction he is weak in.

I used to just try to do the move I wanted to do and overpower the other person's resistance. It can work especially because I am pretty strong for my size, but it isn't the smart way to roll. Instead now I go for a move, then if someone tries to resist I look for the weakness he creates by resisting the move and I change to attacking his weakness.

Dizzy Leg Takedown

In No-Gi tournaments takedowns are very import, especially at the novice/beginner level. The single leg takedown and double leg takedown are two of the most common types of take down. I have a creative idea for increasing the odds of a successful takedown. It might only work once per tournament before people catch on but I think it can work.

I was practicing circling last night while I was waiting for others to show up to our wrestling class. When the other guy showed up we started practicing circling together. After 40 seconds or so of circling we stopped abruptly which caused us both to get dizzy. I had been practicing circling before he got there so I was significantly less dizzy than he was since I was used to it. In a tournament you could circle for 30 to 40 seconds then stop, give him a second or two for the dizziness to set in then shoot for the single leg takedown while his balance is off. It is important for you to practice getting dizzy for a few minutes before you try this so you are prepared. I will give the dizzy leg takedown a try during my next tournament and see if it works.

What you can expect during your first grappling tournament

It is perfectly natural to get nervous before your first tournament since you don't know what to expect. Knowing what to expect will help you be better prepared and ease your tension. Read this post about what to expect during your first bjj competition then read my other post with advice for winning your first bjj toutnament. Most larger tournaments will let you weigh in the night before. If you aren't sure you will make weight and need to cut water weight, I recommend weighing in the night before. Naga is one of the larger tournaments and they have events all across the United States. Their scales are usually calibrated so that you are 2+ pounds lighter than you actually are.

Day of the tournament it will be very crowded in the gymnasium and very loud. Since men out number women by a large margin you can actually expect to have lines for the men's bathroom and not the women's bathroom. Children's divisions are usually first, followed by the women's divisions with men last. Tournaments are always running late so expect to wait around for a while. Typically you will start 2+ hours after the time advertised on the schedule. You need to pay attention and listen for your division to be called. It can be very difficult to hear so I recommend checking with the organizers frequently to see if it is your turn. Bring small snacks to keep your energy up. You can't really have a large meal because you don't know when your match will be but you could be waiting a long time until you start.

When you get on the mat you will need to take off your shoes. When you go to the bathroom you will need to put shoes or flip flops on so that you don't track bacteria from the bathroom onto the mat. Be sure to warm up and stretch a few minutes before you start so you are loose. Remember to breath and don't panic. If possible breath in through your noes, it is more efficient and slows your breathing.

Naga and Grapplers Quest and notorious for running late. The Good Fight is a smaller tournament that has a money back guarantee if they are running too late, so it could be a good alternative.

Video of first No-Gi Jiu Jitsu Tournament

Video of first Gi Jiu Jitsu Tournament

Motivation

For the past two days I have felt a little bummed because I got tapped more often than I usually do. I felt pretty frustrated because I have been trying very hard and I train 4 to 5 times a week which is more often then almost everyone in the gym (except Ken my instructor of course). I felt like I was losing progress. My first thought was maybe I'm not doing as well because I lost 24 pounds and I am easier to throw around.

Now I realize it doesn't matter why I was getting tapped more. I remembered that after class both days I asked Ken what I did wrong and he taught me how to improve my game in those specific areas. When I win I don't ask him how I can do those moves better so I don't learn as much. Winning gives me an immediate feeling of accomplishment but that doesn't last but the lessons I learned from losing will help me next time. Now that I think of it, yesterday Ken showed me the proper way to get out from under side control to half guard and today I used it twice. I guess it is already working.

Next Tournament Grappler's Quest NJ

My next tournament will be Grapplers Quest in Wayne, NJ on March 24th. I plan to compete in novice and hope to drop down to 169 for the competition. I am currently weighing in at 183.5 but I believe I will be 175 by the time of the tournament, so I will only need to drop 6 pounds of water weight.

Grapplers Quest is a two day tournament and I can only make it to the first day, so I will only be doing the No-Gi division. I look forward to the Grapplers Quest because it is suppose to be more organized than Naga and have slightly better competition.

Naga Philly No-Gi Competition

I posted the video of me placing second in the Gi competition a few days ago. I also competed in the No-Gi novice division which is for people with 6 months or less experience. There were eight people in my division and I ende up placing first. Most of my matches end up basically just a wrestling match where the winner was decided by a takedown. To be honest most of the matches were pretty boring so I just posted the highlights in the video below. I only got footage for the first and third match unfortunately. Find out what to expect at your first grappling tournament.



Video of first Gi Jiu Jitsu Tournament

Top reasons to train in Jiu Jitsu

Top reasons to train jiu jitsu:

1) It is fun

2) Improve your health

3) Competing in jiu jitsu is a very satisfying and fun

4) It will help you learn discipline

5) You will meet interesting people and make friends

6) It is good for blowing off steam

7) It can help in weight loss

8) it is one of the most effective martial arts for self defense

9) It is more interesting exercise than the treadmill

10) Jiu jitsu will help you improve your strength, endurance and balance

These reasons are not in order of importance. Please post additional reasons in comments.

Philly Naga White Belt Middle Weight Gi Highlights

I just competed in my first grappling tournament, Philly Naga 2012. I dropped 7 pounds of water weight to make middle weight (179 lbs). It was a good experience all around. There were 15 people in my division and I placed second with two months of training. My record was 3 wins, one loss. Below is a video of the highlights. Find out what to expect at your first grappling tournament.