Taken from www.mixedmartialarts.com. Big ups to Alaina Hardie for brining this to my attention. Link to thread.

“When all the greco roman Olympians striving for the gold in the Olympics
train both then I will bring back the gi for my students sake.

Marcelo is very good with the gi, but he doesn’t separate from the pack in
the gi like he does no-gi. In no-gi he is the supreme god. Think about the
gi gods in the game over the last 10 years. Think of their names. Think of
the ones that were KIngs in the gi but for some reason it never translated
to ADCC. Forget about the few that did make the transition beautifully like
Roger, Jacare, and of course the no-gi Jesus, Marcelo. Forget about them for
just one second. Think about all the other amazing multiple time Mundial
champions out there that never did much no-gi.

Why is that? Why is there so many?

Why does Marcelo do so much better no-gi than gi? Again, I know he has won
the mundials a few times but I can think of a few guys that had unbelievable
dominating reigns that eclipse what Marcelo has done with the gi.
But when it comes to no-gi, Marcelo is light years ahead of them. Why?

The answer is that, like all greco roman wrestlers, Marcelo understands that
the clinch must be mastered. The clinch in every position must be mastered.
Just like the plum clinch in Muay Thai, he who has the most polished plum
clinch lands more knees.

Marcelo works on his clinch on a daily basis, clinching medicine balls, and
clinching the over/under control while riding on dudes backs. He clinches
and rides and works on his clinching endurance without even going for the
choke. He’ll ride and clinch for a few minutes working on his squeezing
endurance before securing the choke. He understands that every different no
gi position requires a different clinch to be mastered there. I know
Marcelo, I am not talking out of my ass.

Marcelo is the no-gi god because he has a stronger, tighter, harder clinch
than any other bjj player on the planet. Clinching and squeezing while
moving into scoring position and clincing and squeezing while choking
someone out. In no-gi grappling, it’s all about how powerful your squeeze
is.

To be super offensive no-gi you must develope your clinches AND master all
clinches. Every second you train with the gi you are not training your
clinch. You are training your yank and pull. Totally different. Totally
different muscles, totally different base. If you want to get offensive in
no-gi like Marcelo, then when are you working on your clinch? Unless you
train no-gi grips with the gi on like some do, you are not working your
clinch if you are grabbing the gi.

But you don’t need to develope your clinch for defense. You need to develope
pushing explosion for defense, which you can get from gi training but you
also get that from no-gi training as well. That’s why gi guys with no clinch
are still very hard to finish in no-gi competition. Explosiveness, posture
and core strength are more important for defense than developing a clinch.

Every time you train in the gi and set up a submission while yanking on
collars and sleeves you are not working on your clinch, it’s that simple.

When I get into these gi/no-gi debates, it always ends up with the gi people
never giving me specific explanations of how the gi makes your nogi game
“tighter”. All they end up saying is, “Roger, Marcelo and Jacare train in
the gi so I’m gonna train in the gi”, no break downs like the ones I’m
giving. I am giving you detailed explanations and anaolgies, but all I get
in return is,”But you trained in the gi!” and stuff like that.

Machida, Anderson, and GSP all have black belts in Karate or TKD, does that
mean that all mma fighters should start training Karate? Most submission
fiends all came from the gi, that’s all there was in the 90’s. If you were
fascinated by chokes and breaking limbs, you had to put a gi on. Even now,
most schools that specialize in submissions make you wear a gi.

And the “What about defense?” arguement. Well, yes , it’s harder to explode
out of submissions with a gi, so you are working your defensive
explosiveness but how do you defend leg locks with a gi? The answer is hold
on to your opponent’s collar. How does that make your no-gi game “tighter?”

How do you defend kimura’s in the gi? The answer is grab on to your pants.
How does that make your no-gi game “tighter?”

How do you defend against arm bars? The answer is hold on to your own
collar. How does that make your no-gi game “tighter?”

How do you defend against rear naked chokes? The answer is cross your wrists
under your chin and hold on to both your collars. How does that make your
no-gi game “tighter?”

Even when you’re on top caught in a triangle, a very popular escape is to
grab your opponent’s collar and push it down across his neck while stacking
him. How does that make your no-gi defense better again?

Judo and Greco have the same goal, throw your opponent. Judo with yanking
and pulling the gi, Greco with clinching and squeezing overhooks and
underhooks.

Bjj and sub grappling have the same goal, pass guard and submit. BJJ with
yanking and pulling the gi, sub grappling with clinching and squeezing
overhooks and underhooks. That’s it, I can’t put it into simpler terms.

I am not saying only train no-gi, and that the gi sucks. The gi is fun for
many people. If you like both train both, it’s all sooo good.

All I’m saying is that the gi does not make you no-gi “tighter”, it makes
you better in the gi, that’s it. The fact that a dude who has trained in a
gi for years and one day decides to take it off and it turns out he’s got
game no-gi does not prove that the gi makes your no-gi game tighter. A
tennis champion can hop over to raquetball and be pretty damn good from day
1, but that doesn’t mean that all aspiring raquetball players should play
tennis first to tighten up their game?

Most kickboxers in the 70’s came from TKD, Karate, and Kung fu, does that
mean that if you want to be a kickboxing champion you have to take TKD
first? That’s what they thought back then, but now we know that theory is no
longer relavent.

Gi training does not make your no-gi tighter, it actually makes it looser.
Watch ADCC 2003 and count how many times top bjj legends lost back control.
It’s like 40 times. It’s quite incredible how many times these bjj
superstars couldn’t stay on anyone’s back.

Then check how many times Marcelo has lost back control in his entire ADCC
career, I think it’s like twice. Diego Sanchez is the only dude I can
remember escaping from Marcelo’s back clinch, but it could’ve happend one or
2 more times. And that was before Diego decided to train in the gi, he was a
pure no-gi guy. Imagine that. One of the only guys to ever escape Marcelo’s
back control DIDN’T come from a gi back ground. Hmmm.

If all this clinch talk is confusing you and you’re not even sure what to
make of it or if you should believe me, ask your instructor what he thinks
about developing no-gi clinches. You never know, he might have a clinch
developing system just like Marcelo’s :)”

“Eddie did a seminar at Submissions 101 (10th Planet Victoria ) and covered half guard theory including sweeps from the half guard (lock down) and how to BREAK the lock down.”

Part 3: Right Mind Set

In the final installment of the Equation for Competitive Success, we are going look at a few exercises to help establish the right mind set for competition.

There are several methods and exercises to help develop the Right Mind Set. Finding what works best for you is the key. I’ve found a good blend of concepts from psychology of combat and sports psychology that works best for myself and my students. Three exercises that I like include: Goal setting, positive attitude, and visualization.

Goal Setting: plays a large roll in establishing the right mind set. Goal setting is divided into 3 tiers:

Long term goals: are those that are the hardest to obtain. For many competitors long term goals are the driving force behind their motivation for competitive training. These are largely considered the “dreams” of a competitor. Such aspirations as competing in ADCC, winning Mundials or PanAms, etc would be considered a long-term goal. If these seem extremely difficult to accomplish, they should be, its the reason to wake up every morning and get out of bed and train after you’ve been beaten up the night before. Aim high!

Mid level goals: are very difficult to accomplish, but with hard work and dedication can be achieved. These are the goals that should be the mid waypoint to achieving your long-term goal. You should have to work hard to succeed with mid level goals, but they should be obtainable. If not adjustments may be necessary. Some reasonable mid level goals would be medaling in local and regional level tournaments, qualifiers etc. The main focus should be to take steps towards your long term goal.

Short term goals: should be the meat and potatoes of your goals setting. These are the daily and weekly goals you set for yourself.
They work best for your daily conditioning, flexibility, technical training. Setting short term goals such as number of technical repetitions, beating certain times for conditioning routines, etc. are ideal short term goals. Succeeding in your short term goals builds a foundation for the right mind set.

Write down your goals and share them with your trainers and teammates, its holds you accountable.

Positive Attitude: may sound simplistic, but developing inner strength and appropriate confidence is essential for a successful competitor. Keeping a positive attitude should be centered around things you have control over. Using things like positive statements and keeping a positive attitude when mistakes are made is essential. When mistakes are made, use them as learning tools and an opportunity to make corrections. Keep the positive attitude “I can do that”, or “Next time I’m in that situation, I will succeed”. Developing a positive attitude is hard work, accept the challenge, and work at it daily.

Visualization: is my favorite development tool, its extremely powerful and assists in accomplishing goals and for developing the right mind set.

Visualization is drawing a mental picture or scenario that you play out in your mind. It may be difficult at first but like everything else, the more you practice the better and more vivid it becomes.

The two types of scenarios I stress the most are; the sensation of winning (success) and the execution of your Personal Attacking System against an opponent.

Always try to replicate the competition environment (use all your senses): noisy crowd, matches being called over a loud speaker, guys warming up on the side of the mat, the feel of the mat under your feet, and the sweaty musty smell of your opponent. All of these things brings a familiarity to your visualizations that raises your level of comfort when you compete.

I tend to do my best visualizations, after a hard nights training, as I’m lying in bed before I fall asleep. I run through my Personal Attacking System, imaging a struggle but being successful, then seeing myself getting my hand raised.

Another good opportunity is while your stretching before a practice. This sets the tone for practice and what you’ll be focusing on while you roll/spar.

If your like me, during a training camp I’m fine, up until a week to two weeks out I get random bouts of anxiety about the upcoming event. I could be driving, sitting at my office at work, out to dinner with the wife, etc. One of my coaches used to preach immediately visualizing success at those times. The reason was like Pavlov’s salivating dog theory. You start to equate success with your anxiety and nervousness. This type of random visualization alone has helped myself and my team tremendously. However I don’t support visualization while driving 🙂

Don’t stop with these exercises, these are just the tip of the iceberg. Developing the Right Mind Set is essential for competitor regardless of the sport. All to often we focus on skill training and conditioning and neglect developing our mind for competition as well. Every gym has that one or two guys that tears through everyone in the class, but when they get on the competition mat they get folded like a babies diaper. They only way to get beyond that is to train your mind as part of the greater whole.

By now you should at least have a basic understanding of the planning and process necessary to increases your chances for competitive success. Nothing is for sure, and as most of you know anything can happen during competition. Our attempt is to just increases the odds in our favor and utilizing the Equation for Competitive Success does just that. Good luck and if you have any questions about implementing the Equation for Competitive Successes into your personal program, don’t hesitate to ask.

 

Chris Herzog is a competitive stud and runs 10th Planet Rochester

Jiu-jitsu Unleashed Book by Eddie Bravo
Click here to order

I only think of three moves during sparring – no more, no less. Every move I make is a step towards one of those three moves. I spend little if any time in positions where I can’t execute one of these moves, and if I am forced into a no man’s land where my moves are ineffective, then I immediately plot a course back towards on of them. At a minimum, I try to keep myself one to two steps away from execution of these moves at all times, and at a maximum, I never get more than three steps away from them. I am like a heat seeking missile that has three targets. So, these statements beg the question, “Why would someone do this?”.

Well, first, after watching years of footage of the greatest bjj players on the planet, I noticed that for the most part they hit the same submissions or sweeps over and over again. One only needs to watch a Marcelo x-guard highlight to understand that. Thus, after noticing such a fact, I hypothesized that a competitor’s ability to win has little to do with the size of his arsenal and more to do with the effectiveness of the few weapons he has. So, why practice with fifty different guns that I won’t use? Why not practice with three guns that I can master? Thus, I chose my sniper rifle, my shot gun, and my sidearm, and I began working on becoming a crack-shot with each, just like all of the top level guys did.

The second reason I chose this way of training was that I noticed that the better the player I rolled with, the more that he had me reacting, and I did not want to do that anymore. When rolling with the top level black belts, I was constantly trying to weather the storms while never getting to execute my game. In short, I was losing in my mind and on the mats. Therefore, I looked to create a methodology whereby I was never reacting and was always imposing so that I could get back to winning. That methodology was picking my three moves and finding entrances to them from every offensive and defensive position. In that way, no matter what horrid position I was in, I still could operate under the impression that I was actually the person on the offensive. Now, I know that this could sound delusional, but this mentalization has actually given me the energy to keep moving when I was in the worst of predicaments.

Finally, the third reason that I chose this method was that I always wanted to stay focused during a match. Sometimes, when I was rolling with a top level grappler, I would find my mind shuffling through moves. Meanwhile, my opponent was moving into different positions where I had to add new movements into the shuffle. This kept me out of focus and away from winning. So, instead of continuing to stay in this cluttered head space, I found a way to get rid of the waste and hold onto only the necessary moves. I threw away everything but the thought of how I could execute on of my three moves. I cleared out the playlist and left only three songs remaining. In this way, I discovered a trick to bring my mind back into focus and back towards winning.

Now, I know that for most people, they do not have the years of experience which has allowed me to find my perfect three moves. However, even for those people this methodology is still practical. The only thing that will change over the weeks or months is that they may want to swap out different weapons until they find their perfect arsenal. At least, this way one will be able to work towards a goal instead of swimming aimlessly through useless malarkey.

words by Brent CUO

 

In the sport or art of submission wrestling , Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ,Judo, Sambo and some others I forgot or don’t feel like remembering, one of the main objectives and the most important, in my educated opinion is to submit your opponent. In my sport/art of preference (Brazilian jiu jitsu minus the gi), once one has developed a game plan to set up submissions the next step, if your opponent has decent or good defense is squeezing.

Squeezing your opponent and getting the victory is not as simple as it sounds. If done correctly, its not to difficult either. How many times have you had someone in a tight rear naked choke or to save me time RNC and you put 100% of all your squeezing powers into it but for some reason she didn’t tap or pass out? Now you let go of the sub, you’re trying to catch your breath and let you muscles recover from the wasted energy. Yes your biceps might look like the ultimate warriors did in 1989, but the gods of thunder are not on your side because you do not wear face paint. Think about what happened. Was your submission shit? Maybe her defense was dope son! If you were a little more patient I bet you could have got the tap.

I know your thinking “If I have the sub then finish why be patient?” Well, in this case your sub didn’t work, that’s why. I want you to start to think of and use your squeeze in increments from 1% to 100%. In the situation I just gave, you set up the RNC and immediately squeezed at 100% then held on as tight as possible for a few more moments before failing mentally and physically . I want to attempt to help you fix this because I am a kind giving person who loves you. Go get your Grandma and apply the RNC, if she is already dead then use a volleyball, a stuffed animal, a very sharp meat clever, something you can simulate a choke on. Once you have everything in order , apply the RNC but just give about 20% of pressure now slowly start to add more pressure let it take about 1 minute till you have applied 100% . When you have 100% squeeze going, I want you to hold it for about another 30 seconds to a minute. This drill will help you develop stamina and strength with your squeeze . Try it with other simulated submissions, maybe the triangle?

To learn to squeeze in increments or percentages will help greatly. In a real session when you have your opponent locked into an RNC try applying pressure the same way I told you to practice except start the squeeze @ 40% ..to maintain this percent for an extended amount of time should not be very taxing on your body. Start to squeeze tighter you will find that by the time you are @ about 70% your opponent has given up. If for some reason its not done then, you can lighten your squeeze to readjust. When you are squeezing with 70% of your strength and you have not won, there is no need to try to go to 100%, your technique is just off. You are most likely doing something wrong. The beauty is you did not have to let go cause you were so tired. This like everything else needs practice. When you practice, try to never hold your breath and try to keep your face relaxed, these two things will burn you out quickly.

Coach’s Corner w/ Coach Chris Herzog

 

 

Skill:

In the first two installments of the Coach’s Corner we took a look “Preparation” and the role it plays in the “Equation for Succes”. Moving forward were going to cover “Skill”, and how it should be integrated into your training camp.

Skill training for competition is going to be different then general skill training and development. During our 3-6 week training camp we are going to be narrowing are focus to two areas: generic responses and specific attacks.

Generic Responses:
This drill training will be centralized around defending common attacks; armbars, triangles, guillotines, mount, side control, etc. This is about economy of time. Spend this time doing repetitions of defenses and escapes to basic and high percentage scoring techniques, that ones that win the most. Worrying and focusing time on techniques that you may not be exposed to is poor use of your time, that can be better spent drilling escapes to techniques that are likely to happen. There is a time and place to practice defenses to flying armbars and rolling leglocks but drilling them during a training camp is a wasteful use of precious time.

Specific attacks:
This is the main reason I started with the preparation installment first, because development of strategy based on a events rules and how we score points will help formulate changes and tweaks to our personal attacking systems. Your PAS (personal attacking system) can be heavily influenced by numerous factors: your instructors teachings, your body type, strength, flexibility, etc. An example: you have your opponent in side control, ones PAS may have him transition to mount, another attempting a kimura or far side armbar, or even another transitioning to twister side control hunting to finish with a Twister. (Note: development of your PAS should be done during your on going training not during a training camp. However adjustments should be made based on individual rule sets.)

The drill training of your PAS should not only include the techniques themselves but the transitions that get your there. If your PAS includes systematic dissecting of your opponent by using Rubber Guard you not only need to drill your RG attacks, but how we get there, and what we do if we get shut down. This goes back to our strategic game planning. Pulling guard may not be an option if we loose points in doing so. However this is were we implement drilling training formulated based on our strategic game plan and our PAS. Remember our reference to Demian Maia shooting and pulling 1/2 guard in the previous installment. This is how we add transitions to our PAS based on the influence of a scoring system.

Whether your drill training your Generic Responses or your Specific Attacks make sure you pay attention to detail. Repetition of poorly drilled techniques will result in poor execution. Gradually increase resistance while drill training, if you can’t execute a technique against a partially resistant partner you can forget successfully applying it against a fully resistant opponent. To quote Eddie Bravo “the difference between most purple belts and black belts is numbers”. Putting in the numbers (reps) will revile itself when it matters most, on the competition mat

Coming Soon:

Right Mind Set and the part it plays in the competitor’s equation for Success. 

 

Chris Herzog Is a Brown Belt in 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, under Eddie Bravo. Chris runs 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Rochester out of Empire Academy of Comabt Sports & Fitness in Rochester, Ny. Chris also teaches Judo, Sambo and MMA. He is available for seminars and be contacted through the Academy website at: www.10thplanetjiujitsurochester.com or by e-mail: CoachHerzog@teamempire.us

Coaches Corner w/ Coach Chris Herzog

Tournament Strategies


When developing a strategic game plan to win, it is imperative that your know the rules set that you will be competing under. Yes submitting your opponent should be the ultimate goal, however this may not always be possible depending on the strengths and strategies of your opponents.

Knowing what scores and what penalizes can make the difference of a win/loss in a match. I’ve seen countless competitor loose matches specifically because they didn’t know or didn’t understand the rule sets they are competing under. We’ve all seen the take down and stall strategy, where one competitor takes down the other only to play defensive and ride out the clock to win 1-0. The guard player could of had 10 sub attempts and tried to finish but still loses.  This is a  drain physically, emotionally and even financially that can easily be avoided if the competitors studies the rules and trains accordingly, even if for a few weeks prior to the event.
 Its becoming increasing common for competitors to be penalized for pulling guard as well, employing intelligent strategy can help us avoid being penalized while still attacking with our strengths. Attempting a double or single leg, sitting through to take guard, Damian Maia vs. Nate  Quarry is a beautiful example of this.

 “But my takedowns suck!” True but your opponent likely doesn’t know this, and that’s what drill training is for. Attack with intent, they’ll be forced to defend allowing the sit through to guard.
Its all about selling your attack, making them respect it, and forcing them to defend.

Even though my teams overall strategic game plan remains the same, little tweaks and twists based on an events rule set have allowed increased success. It’s all about percentages, even if its only a few percent change. Percentages matter at all levels of competition, especially at the elite level where even a 1% change can be the difference in a win or a loss.

Warming Up:

How one of the simplest concepts can be so easily overlooked is beyond me. I literally have to stalk down And hound some of my competitors and force them to warm up and stay warm prior to their  matches.
 A proper warm up the day of the event is  absolutely necessary for optimum performance. Many competitors are slow starters and don’t get into the zone until mid way point in the match, by then it may be too late. I have many of those guys on my team, and we’ve come up with some guidelines to help keep them on track the day of the event.

•Initial warm up 20-25mins: I prefer that our team warms up together, it re-enforces unity and the team concept that builds necessary morale and confidence the day of the event. The initial warm up consists of a light jog with some functional flexibility drills. Next would be static stretching, followed by pummeling, and transitional drills (takedowns, throws, positional and submission escapes). I tend to have them stay away from our attacking game plan as eyes are watching, and I’m sure as hell watching others.

•Keep warm: Wait times can be absolutely ridiculous while waiting for your division or waiting in between matches. A few things I preach; a keep a sweat shirt and pants on, keeping something on your feet, if the floor is cold it can seep into your legs, wearing a skull cap is another way to keep heat trapped in your body.

•Match prep: Get a good sweat going and elevate your heart rate before the match(I shoot for about 70%). When you step on the mat you want your body to feel as if your all ready 2-3 minutes deep into the match.  This will defiantly help those that are slow starters.

Also remember stay hydrated (sip water throughout the day). I also like my guys to eat light through out the day; fruits and nuts are great energy sources (oranges, apples, bananas and raw almonds). Finding a balance is the key, over or under eating the day of the event can also have an effect on your performance. Lastly stay away from foods that aren’t part of your regular diet, you would be surprised the impact it will have on your body.

Over the years I’ve seen some very skilled competitors get beat by lesser skilled, but better prepared opponents. Hell, we see it all the time in MMA. It’s becoming increasing common to watch a fight and see the underdog win. This is largely due to their preparation. Forest Griffin personifies the importance of preparation, he’s become a UFC champion because of it.

 

Coming Soon:

Skill and the part it plays in the competitor’s equation for Success.

 

 

-Chris Herzog

 

 

Is a Brown Belt in 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, under Eddie Bravo.  Chris runs 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Rochester out of Empire Academy of Comabt Sports & Fitness in Rochester, Ny. Chris also teaches Judo, Sambo and MMA. He is available for seminars and be contacted through the Academy website at: www.10thplanetjiujitsurochester.com or by e-mail: CoachHerzog@teamempire.us

 

Coach’s Corner w/ Coach Chris Herzog

When Alder first asked me to write a blog for 10th Planet Watch I was pumped, then immediately realized, “you can barely put thoughts to spoken words you dope, how the hell are you going to articulate them to written words.”  Apparently that wasn’t a concern for Alder, so as long you guys don’t care, I don’t care either.  So grammar and spelling be damned (thank the Anunnaki for spell check, however I think I’m the only person in the world that gives spell check a headache, because sometimes it doesn’t even know what the hell I’m trying to spell).

So, besides the deciding what initial topics were going to cover, the next step was comming up with a name for the blog. I was playing around with the idea of something witty, and then that came to a screeching halt.  So I decided upon a tribute to a close friend and mentor that’s on hard times, as a reminder to him of the lives he’s touched and effected. He used to run a open MMA forum with the same name.  So welcome to the new “Coach’s Corner”.

Preparation:

In this installment of Coach’s Corner we’ll begin to take a look and the equation I use to promote success for my competitors/fighters. Just to be clear we will be discussing competition in terms of attempting to win, there are merits to competing for skill development, but that’s something we can discuss at a later date. Today will start our discussion with tournament preparation and its importance to success.  “But skill is listed first”.   Hey this is my blog and I start it anyway damn way I please. Now sit down and the 3 of you pay attention!

Preparation consists of many aspects but we’ll be touching on  three pieces to the puzzle that I’ve found to be the most effective: sport specific conditioning, tournament strategies, and proper warming up the day of the event.

Sport Specific Conditioning: Over the years I’ve had many well conditioned athletes walk through my Academy doors; marathon runners; collegiate athletes wrestlers, soccer and football players, powerlifters, body builders, etc.
They all had one thing in common. They all gassed when they spared and when they competed, they where all in great shape, but they weren’t in the right shape.

To get into the right shape we have to understand the importance of sport specific conditioning. Most grappling matches consist of one round 5-8mins in length depending on the skill level of the competitor. Studies have show that most intense action during these matches happens in busts of approximate 20 seconds, with 25-30 seconds of “active rest” which allows heart rate recovery in between bursts.  It’s important to replicate these conditions during your tournament preparation. Using a round based system one can easily apply it to drill training (escapes, passes, etc.) and their conditioning program reinforcing the replication of a competitive environment.  Depending on the level of importance of the event will dictate how long you want to prepare for the tournament between 3-6 weeks, replacing your normal training routine, is a fair amount of time to prepare if you are all ready in decent shape.   

 Its no secret that Grappling relies heavily on core strength and flexibly, but what many people miss is the importance of dynamic strength (kettle bell swings, cleans, burpees, power bands, etc.) and functional flexibility(hip swings, full range lunges, etc.) vs. static strength (bench pressing, curls, etc.) and flexibility (seated stretching and holding for 15-20 secs). Some great training methods that promote functional fitness are becoming readily available include kettle bell training and other programs such as cross fit.  At our academy we have a program that addresses these needs (Fight Fitness) designed specifically for our fighters and competitors, which has made a considerable difference in our competitive outcomes. If these types of programs are not accessible in your area there are several free online resources available that will allow you to set up your own individualized program.

 

Pt. 2 of this article up tomorrow!

 

-Chris Herzog

 

Is a Brown Belt in 10^th Planet Jiu Jitsu, under Eddie Bravo.  Chris runs 10^th Planet Jiu Jitsu Rochester out of Empire Academy of Comabt Sports & Fitness in Rochester, Ny. Chris also teaches Judo, Sambo and MMA. He is available for seminars and be contacted through the Academy website at: www.10thplanetjiujitsurochester.com or by e-mail: CoachHerzog@teamempire.us

Eddie talks about the over-under control from the back and why it is so important.

As you know, my name is Alder. I like to fancy myself as an authority on the history of the Rubber Guard. From it’s inception, it’s been Eddies mission to revolutionize the Jiu Jitsu game. Up to this point I feel he’s done a excellent job. Although there are many detractors, I feel the evidence swings on the side of favorability. I feel we’re close to seeing a Rubber Guard victory in the main event of the UFC.

If we look at the facts, it could be the BJ Penn vs. George St. Pierre. Here’s GSP, a man that has been out wrestling wrestlers and dominating his division. Let’s face it, BJ’s takedown defense is sick, but he’ll probably go down eventually. In my opinion it will be GSP’s game plan to take BJ down and try to pound from the top. This lends itself to a RG victory. BJ has the skill set and the flexibility to the THE RG player. I feel it would be in BJ’s best interest to consider this as an serious option in his game plan. If BJ could pull this off, it would be the biggest moment in RG history to date. 

My question is, what are the important RG/10pjj moments so far? Shinya Aoki beating Hansen? Vinny Magalhaes switching to the dark side and using Eddie’s stuff on TUF 8. Or maybe it the publishing of Eddie’s book, “Mastering The Rubber Guard.” At any rate, there’s a ton of key moments, let’s hear some. 

.

“Eddie talks about why London was taken out of the 10th Planet system. There have been many requests by viewers about London and they didn’t know what it was or why it was removed.”

Thanks to Ari @ Submissions 101 for this

pt.3