This past weekend at UFC 307, Kayla Harrison secured her 18th career victory, adding another win to her already impressive MMA record of 18-1. Yet, for the two-time Olympic gold medalist and MMA champion, this victory came with mixed emotions. Despite dominating her opponent and leaving the octagon with her hand raised, Harrison openly admitted, "It wasn't the performance I was hoping for."
Harrison's fight was heavily anticipated, as she returned to the UFC after months of preparation, with fans and analysts expecting another explosive showcase of her elite judo skills and MMA evolution. While she won by unanimous decision, she expressed her frustration in the post-fight interview, stating that she felt she hadn’t fully delivered the level of performance she aimed for.
As one of the most decorated athletes in combat sports, Kayla Harrison holds herself to exceptionally high standards, always striving for perfection. Her background in judo—being a two-time Olympic gold medalist—has ingrained a deep sense of discipline, focus, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. She’s a fighter who doesn’t settle for just winning; she wants to perform at her best every time she steps into the cage.
Behind Every Champion, There’s a Process
Harrison’s UFC 307 performance might not have met her own expectations, but it serves as a reminder that even the best fighters have off nights. What separates champions like Kayla from the rest is their ability to learn from these moments, adjust, and come back even stronger. Her honesty and vulnerability in admitting she wasn’t at her best is something that resonates with many athletes across different sports.
What’s Next for Kayla Harrison?
Harrison is expected to fight for the women’s bantamweight title next against Juliana Pena. We expect that to go down in the next six months, but Kayla was asked if she’d hypothetically wait a year.
“I would fight,” she declared. “When you’re the best in the world, you’re the best in the world. It doesn’t matter. I’m the uncrowned queen. If I have the belt, if I don’t have the belt, I’m still the best in the world. So, I’d fight. I don’t care who it is. Fill in the blank. I mean that when I say it. I don’t think that there’s anybody in the world that will beat me.”
At FUJI Sports, we are proud to support athletes like Kayla Harrison. Stay tuned for what’s next in her journey and join us in celebrating her continued success in the octagon!!
*Interview by: Ryan Harknes/ MMA Mania
Get Ready for an exciting week of Judo in Las Vegas!
FUJI Sports is proud to be the Official GI Sponsor for the Pan American Judo Confederation at the 2024 World Veterans & Kata Championships, taking place from November 4th-7th, with the Kata event on November 9th, in Las Vegas.
This prestigious tournament unites some of the world’s most dedicated judoka, and FUJI is honored to support the event with top-tier IJF-approved gear.
Attendees will have the opportunity to get their hands on official IJF gear at the event, ensuring you're ready to compete or show your support with the best fuji gear available.
We can’t wait to see all the competitors, fans, and judo enthusiasts in Las Vegas. Let’s make this championship one to remember!
See you in Vegas!
In just two short weeks, Kayla Harrison will step back into the UFC Octagon. On October 5th, Harrison will face the No. 2-ranked Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307, that will take place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The stakes? A potential shot at the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Harrison, currently ranked No. 3 in the division, is coming off an impressive second-round submission win over former bantamweight champion Holly Holm at UFC 300. That victory not only proved her dominance but also showed just how dangerous she can be in this division.
With a record of 17-1, Harrison’s rise in the UFC has been nothing short of spectacular. The two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo has translated her judo skills into the world of MMA, quickly establishing herself as one of the division's elites.
Her win over Holm was a statement: Harrison is more than ready to take on the very best the bantamweight division has to offer. Now, as she prepares to take on Vieira, many are wondering if this could be the final test before she challenges for the UFC Title fight.
This fight isn't just about rankings; it's about legacy. A win here could catapult either fighter into title contention. For Harrison, a victory would solidify her as the top contender in the division, pushing her one step closer to —becoming UFC bantamweight champion.
So, mark your calendars. Kayla Harrison is back —and the bantamweight division will never be the same after UFC 307.
The 2x Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Made Her Long Awaited Debut At UFC 300
In the electrifying world of mixed martial arts, few names resonate with as much promise and anticipation as Kayla Harrison. From her early days as a judoka to her dominance in the Professional Fighters League (PFL), Harrison's journey to the UFC has been nothing short of long awaited. The stage could not have been brighter than UFC 300 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas!
Kayla’s transition from Judo to the MMA cage has been seamless, compiling a 16-1 record heading into her matchup at UFC 300. Her opponent, Holly Holm, is also nothing short of spectacular. Holm is a former World Champion Boxer, defending her titles a total of 18 times across 3 weight classes, as well as, a former UFC World Champion.
It was absolute dominance from Kayla from start to finish. In the first round, she pushes Holm back to the fence. From there, she used her signature judo throws to take the fight to the ground. Staying on top and delivering vicious ground n’ pound strikes. Leaving the audience wondering how long will Holm be able to last in that position.
In the second round it was more of the same. Again, Kayla quickly got Holly Holm backed up against the fence and to the ground. More ground n’ pound strikes ensued. Holm turned to her back and Kayla Harrison got the finish by rear naked choke 1:47 seconds into the second round!
Dominance from start to finish for Kayla Harrison. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Kayla in the UFC. She ended her night at UFC 300 with a statement during her post fight interview on the mic with Joe Rogan.
“I want my title next, Joe. That’s what I came over here for, 1 thing and 1 thing only… by the end of the year I will be UFC Champion!”
There’s more to come from Kayla Harrison in the UFC, that is for sure.
A Thank You To Our Loving Customers
Looking back on the eventful year of 2023 with FUJI Sports. From new partnerships, new sponsorships, and new product launches FUJI Sports is always looking to bring our customers the very best!
Partnerships
FUJI Sports had the pleasure of partnering with Princess Cruises to host not one, but TWO Jiu Jitsu themed cruises in 2023! In fact, we kicked off the previous new year aboard the Sky Princess Cruise ship for the first ever FUJI Princess Adventure! Then we closed off 2023 with our second cruise, the FUJI & GTMA Adventure 2.0, where we were joined by one of the largest martial arts organizations in the world, Global Traditional Martial Arts (GTMA)! The FUJI Adventures granted us all well deserved island time relaxation and the opportunity to train under professionals grapplers from both Jiu Jitsu & Judo! Including the likes of Xande Ribeiro, Bruno Bastos, Gregor Gracie, Sophia McDermott, Jimmy Pedro, Kayla Harrison, and Travis Stevens.
It was amazing to meet and hear the stories of all those who joined us on the cruises. From white belts to the black belt practitioners, and everywhere in between we were given the opportunity to bond with so many supporters of the FUJI Brand. The FUJI Adventures prove to be an amazing experience all the way around.
We also had the pleasure to partner with Camp Vertex at Skyfall Reserve in Trinidad, Texas. Camp Vertex is a two-and-a-half day, full immersion training camp that focuses on in-depth Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training, combined with advanced pistol, carbine, and rifle training. Focused firearms training is done with combat-seasoned Navy operators Terry Houin and Brandon Tucker, on ranges and practical shooting courses. In 2023, the Jiu Jitsu portion of the camp was held by Pedro Rocha 2023 IBJJF NOGI Pan American Champion and Olympic Medalist and BJJ Black Belt Travis Stevens.
Camp Vertex partnered with the FUJI Sports Custom Department to design a fully customized exclusive Camp Vertex Gi and Rashguard. Due to the Texas heat, they decided to go with the Ultra Lite 300 BJJ Gi. In addition, Camp Vertex reached out to FUJI Mats for the design and build of their custom facility, known as “The Forge.”
FUJI Sports was able to build partnerships with two of the biggest Associations in Jiu Jitsu. We are now the official supply of Custom Gi and Gear supplier of Pedro Sauer Jiu Jitsu and Alliance Jiu Jitsu Team! We are extremely grateful for their trust in the FUJI Sports brand to provide the best quality of custom products to their associations.
Sponsored Athletes
Above all we are extremely proud of the accomplishments and achievements of our FUJI Sports Sponsored Athletes. This group of competitors works extremely hard throughout the year to prepare themselves for the biggest Jiu Jitsu events around!
We made new additions to the team of FUJI Athletes as well this year. We welcomed brothers Joao and Pedro Rocha! The two brothers met in the finals of the Open Class at the 2023 IBJJF NOGI Pan American Championships. Pedro took home the Gold Medal and Joao the Silver Medal. We’d like to call this a sibling rivalry however, it was all smiles for both Joao and Pedro. There was no rivalry involved. Both of them are extremely grateful to be in that position together, which made the moment all the more special for us all to witness this past year.
Amy Campo of Zenith BJJ was a new addition to the team following her 2022 campaign which saw her take home a Gold Medal at the 2022 ADCC World Championships. Amy had a stellar performance in 2023 some of her results are:
2023 IBJJF World Championships - Gold
2023 IBJJF Pan Championship - Silver
Women's Grand Prix at Polaris 23 - Silver
Amy then ended the year competing at the first ever IBJJF The Crown, an invitation only tournament.
Janaina Lebre of Gracie Humaita also had a huge performance in 2023. She took home:
2023 IBJJF World Championships - Silver
IBJJF The Crown - Bronze
2023 IBJJF Absolute Grand Prix at Jiu Jitsu Con - Winner
Victor Hugo of Six Blades Jiu Jitsu had a stand out performance in 2023 and the sky's the limit for him in 2024. Victor took home
2023 World Championships - Double Gold (Weight & Absolute)
2023 IBJJF Absolute Grand Prix - Silver
Victor finished off 2023 by making his UFC Fight Pass debut against Dan Manasoiu of Team New Wave based in Austin, TX. It was a long match for Victor, who was able to secure the takedown moving immediately into mount and securing the Americana for the tap!
Congratulations to all of the FUJI Sports Athletes on their accomplishments in 2023. All of it is a product of the hard work and dedication put in throughout the years. We look forward to seeing more success in the upcoming new year!
FUJI Goes To Europe
Big New For European Jiu Jitsu practitioners. Starting at the 2024 IBJJF European Championships. The US based FUJI Team is going to be supporting the FUJI European expansion. This is going to bring some amazing benefits to the European market. Such as:
Bigger selection of products
Wider Product offering
Bigger Savings
And more!
Be on the lookout for us at the 2024 Europeans. We are kicking off the launch with a buy one get one free sale on the FUJISports.eu site as well as giving out some free swag at the booth.
That sums up 2023 for FUJI Sports! We are super excited for the New Year and we can't wait to build more memories with our loyal customers! Happy New Year!
Your One Stop Training Center
About an hour southeast of Dallas, Texas you will find Skyfall Reserve. They are North Texas’ premiere waterfowl, dove, and white-tail deer hunting destination. However, Skyfall Reserve is much more than an outfitter. They are your world class go-to destination for wing shooting, outdoor sporting adventures, hospitality, gourmet food, and lodging.
Operating out of Skyfall Reserve is the one and only Camp Vertex! Camp Vertex is a two-and-a-half day, full immersion training camp that focuses on in-depth Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training, combined with advanced pistol, carbine, and rifle training. Boasting a state of the art Jiu-Jitsu training facility, long range rifle and tactical ranges, and world-class lodging and dining, you will feel right at home at Skyfall Reserve while participating in the incredible training from the Camp Vertex instructors.
Train Gi and NOGI Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with BJJ Champion Pedro Henrique Rocha, then dive into focused firearms training with combat-seasoned Navy operators Terry Houin and Brandon Tucker, on ranges and practical shooting courses. Camp Vertex will test you physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is not for the weak of heart.
Camp Vertex partnered with Kill Cliff and FUJI Mats to bring you a brand new state-of-the-art Jiu Jitsu training facility, known as “The Forge,” onsite at Skyfall Reserve. Designed with the utmost attention to detail, this training facility offers a world-class training environment for the Camp Vertex Trainees!
No matter the job, FUJI Mats is your go to choice for all custom training facilities design and construction. Whether it be a local dojo, at home gym, or an exclusive training center on a remote base FUJI Mats aims to turn your dreams into a reality.
Camp Vertex is a unique training center that needed a unique service to get the job done for The Forge. That is why they reached out to FUJI Mats to help with the design and build for their state-of-the-art Jiu Jitsu training facility. Get the job done right the first time around with the help of FUJI Mats.
Not only did Camp Vertex partner with FUJI for an elite training facility, they also got set up with fully customized Gi and NOGI BJJ uniforms for their trainees with the help of FUJI Sports Custom Department! One more reason to make a stop down at Camp Vertex and another reason to partner with FUJI for all your training needs!
For more information on how you can partner with FUJI Mats for your upcoming design and build head over to the FUJI Mats website! Our team is here to make your dreams come true stress free!
Three FUJI Athletes reach the finals at the 2023 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships
The 2023 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships were held at Long Beach State University in Long Beach, California in what is known as “The Walter Pyramid.” The event was held over this past weekend beginning on June 1st with the conclusion of the event on June 4th.
Team FUJI Athletes performed exceptionally well. Three Team FUJI Athletes were able to reach the podium for a total of 4 medals between them. All three athletes wore the Sekai 2.0 BJJ Gi from FUJI Sports, the official competition BJJ Gi of FUJI.
Victor Hugo of Six Blades Jiu Jitsu had a stellar performance in two divisions. First, competing in the Male Super-Heavyweight Division Victor won his first two matches by points. He did not surrender a single point in these two matches as he came out with a dominant performance against Pedro Moura by a score of 7-0. His next match would be more of a challenge against Luis Oliveira as he would win by a score of 2-0. Heading into the semi-final round, Victor would secure his victory with a rear naked choke submission. He would defeat Marcus Ribeiro in the finals to secure his first gold medal of the weekend with an armbar.
Victor would also compete in the Male Open-Class (or absolute) Division as well. Coming out hot once again Victor showed he could do it all with two more submission wins to kick off his run in the Absolute Division. Vinicius Lessa was submitted with a gi choke and then Luis Oliveira with a triangle choke. Victor then entered into arguably his toughest match of the tournament against the seasoned veteran, Kaynan Duarte. Neither competitor was able to score a point during the match. Victor was able to pick up the win with an advantage scored. He was faced off in the finals against Erich Munis, once again winning by submission this time with a knee bar.
Amy Campo of Zenith BJJ is the next Team FUJI Athlete to reach the finals at this year's IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships. She also competed in two divisions at this year's event; Female’s Medium-Heavy and Open-Class Division. Amy came out the gates hot in the Medium-Heavy division submitting Graciele Fava by Rear Naked Choke. Her next match in the semifinals against Ana Vieira would not be an easy one as it would lead to a referee's decision. Amy gets the approval of the referee’s and would move to the finals where she would meet Maria Malyjasiak. Amy would win the finals match with her second submission of the day once again utilizing the rear naked choke to secure her first world title!
In the absolute division Amy finished with a dominant performance against Elisabeth Clay. Amy defeated Elisabeth by points 17-0 and would move on to semifinals where she met with Ana Vieira once again. Just like the first match between the two, this one was going to be a battle. With an even score of 2-2, Amy would unfortunately be defeated by an advantage.
Janaina Maia de Menezes (also known as Janaina Lebre) competed in the Female Lightweight Division. Her opening match would be against Thamires Monteiro who Janaina would defeat by points 5-0. In the next round she faced off with Sabrina Ataide. It was a very tough match from start to finish with no points scored throughout. Janaina would receive the blessing of the referee’s decision moving on to the semi finals. She would defeat Brianna Ste-Marie in yet again another very tough match for her. No points scored by either competitor, Janaina would win by an advantage. In the finals, Janaine would be halted by Ffion Davies on points. She would finish the weekend with a silver medal.
The FUJI Team wants to take the time to congratulate all three competitors on their performances. We are proud to have dedicated, hard working, passionate, and professional athletes supporting and representing the FUJI brand. Be sure to give these three competitors a follow on social media: Victor Huge (@victorhugojj), Amy Campo (@amycampofighter), and Janaina Lebre (@janainalebre).
Bruno Bastos
Bruno Bastos is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt of the 5th degree under Master Wendell Alexander of Team Nova Uniao. The Bastos family is well known within Jiu Jitsu circles. Bruno has six family members who train and compete. They are Fernanda (black belt), André (black belt), Ricardo (black belt), Bianca (black belt), as well as Thiago and Felipe Bastos. Bruno is well involved in charity as well through jiu-jitsu. In 2005 he created an organization called Arte Suave, an organization that tries to keep kids away from drugs through jiu-jitsu.
Throughout his competitive career Bruno was a force to be reckoned with at all times. From the get go as a yellow belt Bruno found himself standing on the podium. He is a highly decorated competitor with a long list of accomplishments and has competed in the worlds biggest tournaments such as ADCC, Grapplers Quest, World Championships, and Brazilian Nationals. In 2014, Bruno separated from Team Nova Uniao and founded the Bruno Bastos Association. Bastos would later also found the LEAD Team.
As soon as Bruno began teaching jiu-jitsu he quickly realized that he wanted to own a school. For him, it was a no-brainer to connect with the team at FUJI to get started on turning his dream into a reality.
First began the design and build of Bastos Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with the help of FUJI Mats! Bruno decided to go with a simple mat to wall pad color combination of blue and white. Blue tatami mats are an excellent choice to avoid slipping and sliding while training. His signature Bruno Bastos Jiu Jitsu and LEAD Team logos were added front and center along his wall pads to set the stage for his academy.
FUJI Mats was founded by passionate and dedicated martial arts professionals. Their passion and combined 50+ years of experience brings our clients the highest quality Martial Arts and Fitness Facility systems available. We are excited to help make your dream become a reality by designing and outfitting your facility with our top of the line FUJI products and our expertise! Don’t worry, FUJI Mats trained installation team will help get the job done right!
In addition to working with FUJI Mats, Bruno connected with the team at FUJI Sports and got his academy ready with all the gi and gear one could need! The FUJI Sports Custom Department added the Bastos Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and LEAD Team logos on gi and gear to help further build the Bastos BJJ community! Bruno also registered his academy for a wholesale account with FUJI Sports.
If you have interest in getting custom gear from FUJI Custom the process is rather simple! Do you have a logo? Yes! Just send it over to our staff at custom@fujisports.com and our Custom Experts will take care of everything you need to create bespoke branded equipment. Our team is here to make custom gear easy and profitable for academies of every size.
Have questions? Please email us at wholesale@fujisports.com for a complimentary consultation and a free gift for new business accounts.
If you are looking for a new Jiu Jitsu Gi look no further than the FUJI Sports Suparaito BJJ Gi line. However, you may be asking yourself, why do I need a lightweight BJJ Gi? “Suparaito,” which means super lightweight in Japanese, makes this lightweight BJJ Gi ideal for making weight in competitions!
Check out some of the key features from the Suparaito Lightweight BJJ Gi:
Extra Lightweight 350g Pearl Weave Gi Jacket
Triple Reinforced Rip Stop Pants with Bungee Drawstring
Stiff collar with extra rows of stitching
Stylish Contrast stitching
You may be under the impression that Lightweight BJJ Gi’s are not able to withstand the demand of rigorous training sessions and the competition sitting. However, with our team of former Olympic and World Medalist staff, we made sure to check all the boxes to make the Suparaito BJJ Gi the best Lightweight BJJ Gi on the market.
Those looking for a new BJJ Gi should look into the Suparaito BJJ Gi due to its lightweight gi with a competition cut and it is approved by jiu-jitsu legends like Xande Ribeiro.
New Colorways Available
The Suparaito BJJ Gi is available in the classic approved IBJJF colors in white,blue, and black in both men’s and women’s cuts. We’ve decided to add more options into the collection for those looking into a new jiu jitsu gi for not only competition, but training as well.
And for the lady grapplers also looking into new BJJ Gis, now available is the Suparaito BJJ Gi Crane Edition in Purple. The Crane Edition holds all the same lightweight BJJ Gi properties as the full Suparaito line. It features a Japanese Crane on the shoulder and back of the collar. Other colors available for women are Pink Blue as well as Military Green and Pink.
Anyone who is interested in a new jiu jitsu gi with a lightweight BJJ gi, the Suparaito BJJ Gi line from FUJI Sports is the smart and easy choice!
Don’t miss out on the Buy One Get One Sale on all FUJI Sports NOGI Shorts
As the interest continues to grow in the NOGI Grappling space, the team here at FUJI Sports has made a continued effort to provide several reliable and dependable shorts dedicated to NOGI Grappling. If you’re a fan of NOGI Grappling, you won’t want to miss out on our Buy One Short Get One Short Free going on now!
Training in FUJI NOGI Shorts is a must for grapplers. Standard training shorts just don’t hold up to the wear and tear of grappling. It’s important to make sure you get proper fitting shorts not only for comfort but for safety. Training with too loose or too long shorts can lead into feet or toes getting caught or tangled in the fabric. You never want to train in shorts with pockets as well for the same reason. Investing in a pair of NOGI Shorts is your best bet to having a hassle free workout!
FUJI Sports NOGI Grappling Shorts
FUJI Sports currently offers three separate types of shorts specific for NOGI Grappling (with a fourth coming soon) Each style of NOGI Grappling Shorts has their own features and benefits!
FUJI Baseline Fight Shorts feature a simple and elegant design that will match any gear combo. They also feature an inside drawstring and velcro waistband for a secure fit. The gusset of the short features a 4 way stretch material to help with mobility while your training.
FUJI Lightweight Shorts come in several artistic designs such as the Fighting Spirit, High Impact, Full Throttle, and many more as well. What makes the lightweight shorts special is its lightweight and elastic waistband! They feature an ultra-lightweight 4-way stretch performance fabric. The Lightweight Shorts are perfect for customizing with your club's logos!
FUJI Ultimate Grappling Shorts have a 2-in-1 design with a soft yet durable outer short and a stretchy under-layer for support and comfort that moves with you. These shorts feature the same ultra-lightweight 4-way stretch performance fabric as the FUJI Lightweight Shorts that allows you to move freely and confidently on the mat!
FUJI Flex Shorts (Coming soon!)
Not sure what the right pair is for you? Grab a pair of each! With our Buy one Short Get One Short Free special going on now you can’t go wrong.
FUJI Sports is a team of Olympic and World medalists level grapplers who are dedicated to providing the best NOGI Grappling Shorts on the market! Remember to check out ourBuy One Short Get One Short Free Sale before it’s too late!
FUJI SEKAI 2.0 BJJ Is The #1 Rated Competition BJJ Gi
Competition BJJ Gis are sold by almost every brand. But what sets a competition BJJ gi apart from the standard jiu jitsu gi? The SEKAI 2.0 BJJ Gi was designed to give competitors an edge against their opponents. FUJI Sports is a company run by grapplers with a staff of Olympic and World medalist who work with key athletes in jiu jitsu to design the best jiu jitsu gis on the market. The SEKAI 2.0 was designed to help give competitors an advantage while competing for a world title or athletes trying to win their first event.
triple reinforced rip stop pants with a bungee drawstring
a 450g pearl weave lightweight jacket with a stiff collar that has extra rows of stitching making it rugged and hard-to-grip
A lightweight design to help athletes make weight
Climb to the top of the podium in your next jiu-jitsu competition wearing the SEKAI 2.0 Competition BJJ Gi from FUJI Sports. SEKAI is the Japanese word for “World” and this gi is the choice of World Champion Xande Ribeiro.
The SEKAI 2.0 Competition BJJ Gi is available in the classic gi colors of white, blue, and black. These are all approved by the IBJJF for competition and have been worn by some of the best in the world.
If you are an avid BJJ practitioner we would recommend that you have a competition BJJ gi in your rotation of gis. That way you can get a feel during your training sessions for the key differences we mentioned and how you can use them to your advantage!
On January 7th, the FUJI Adventure boarded the Sky Princess cruise ship out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Guests received VIP treatment and customized medallions as they boarded through private FUJI Adventure lines for quick, easy access.
The FUJI Adventure kicked off with an amazing welcome reception for all guest and clinicians. Guest received a special swag bag packed with over $300 worth of custom FUJI Sports gear specific to the FUJI Caribbean Adventure! Gear included everything from custom rashguards, custom shorts, custom shirts, bags, towels, and more. FUJI Sports co-owner Jimmy Pedro did an incredible job as MC for the welcome reception, introducing our talented clinicians and FUJI staff.
The first seminar kicked off the next morning on Princess Cruise’s Private Island of Princess Cays. Clinicians Xande Ribeiro and Gregor Gracie did an excellent job leading a two hour session covering butterfly guard. Guest were able to train and learn from some of the best grapplers in the world right on the beach thanks to FUJI Mats supplying custom mats for these events! At the end of the seminar, guests were able to take individual photos with all of the guest instructors.
After the seminar, guests enjoyed the beach along with excursions throughout the island. At night, FUJI Adventure guests had an unbelievable experience training on the deck of the Sky Princess. The night seminar was led by BJJ & Judo Legend Travis Stevens! Travis went over essential concepts of grappling to help students better apply their own techniques.
After the evening seminar, the VIP treatment continued with a private FUJI Adventure social hour where guests got to drink, eat, and dance with all the guest clinicians.
Looking forward to the next day with Rilion Gracie, Jimmy Pedro, and Kayla Harrison!
Say hello to Michael Trasso! He is the owner and operator of Trasso Jiu Jitsu & Wrestling located in Glen Rock, NJ. If you're near Glen Rock and you’re looking for world class instruction and training, then make sure you go meet Michael and his team at Trasso Jiu Jitsu & Wrestling.
Trasso has over 20 years of experience in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Wrestling. Trasso has won medals at some of the most prestigious Jiu Jitsu events in the world. Including a bronze medal finish at the 2021 IBJJF Pan American Championships (NOGI). He was also ranked as high as #9 in the Nation while wrestling for Rhode Island College, a D3 school located in Providence, RI.
Trasso has been a longtime customer of FUJI Sports and FUJI Mats. We’re proud to have helped Michael bring his dream of being an academy owner to life.
Trasso opened up an amazing facility with the help from the FUJI Mats team. His facility is the epitome of professionalism. Trasso Jiu Jitsu & Wrestling was designed to give students the best experience possible; from a premium mat system on the floor, to the uniforms on their backs, Michael’s customers get the very best.
130+ feet of Wall Pads adding protection and full functionality to the mat space
Pre-Fabricated Wall Pads for windows, doors, and bumpouts for a truly custom fit
27 Custom Logo Pads for one of a kind branding and marketing
FUJI Installation Service to ensure the best fit and function was achieved
FUJI Mats always goes above and beyond to help academy owners set up a dream facility. They know owners like Michael Trasso spend years dreaming up their academy. FUJI Mats is there to bring it to life and help execute the finer details with industry leading expertise. The FUJI Mats team knows that extra effort is needed to get premium results.
Each Academy comes with its own challenges which is why FUJI Mats customizes every facility. Their unique service helps academy owners achieve the best possible installation of their product. So if you’re not familiar with tools, or don’t enjoy DIY projects, let a FUJI Mats Specialist know and they can send a trained Installation Team to your business so you know the job is done right.
Trasso reached out to FUJI Custom before he opened so they could get his academy outfitted with a fully branded line of products for the Trasso Academy Pro Shop. Trasso sells his own fully customized FUJI gear at his academy, driving up his ROI and increasing his revenue per student.
While custom gear is nice, the true benefit that Trasso gets from giving a fully custom experience is the community that comes with it! Nothing is better than repping your team's fresh custom gear and feeling like a part of something bigger than yourself.
Trasso chose to use a few of the FUJI Custom items to outfit his academy with:
However, there are even more items that you can customize. Academy owners can choose any item on the FUJI website, and decorate it for their academy.
It’s simple. If you have a logo, just send it over to our staff at custom@fujisports.com and our Custom Experts will take care of everything you need to create bespoke branded equipment. Our team is here to make custom gear easy and profitable for academies of every size.
Have questions? Please email us at wholesale@fujisports.com for a complimentary consultation and a free gift for new business accounts.
FUJI Mats & FUJI Sports Collaborate with TCI BJJ to Support Mental Health by Developing Jiu Jitsu Communities
The Twin Cities Invitational (TCI) is not only a BJJ tournament, but an event with a powerful mission. The TCI is a community where individuals come together to appreciate competitive jiu jitsu, enjoy music, and share in the company of like minded friends. Through all-around professionalism, an emphasis on community, and strong teamwork, the TCI brings together like minded sponsors and non-profit organizations to build and grow our community
One goal of the TCI is the support and elevation of the We Defy Foundation (WDF). The WDF directly provides disabled combat veterans with BJJ training as a means to overcome personal hardships and to become involved with a tight knit community. The initiative highlights the importance of social interaction with individuals who have relatable life experiences and utilizes BJJ training for empowerment. Donations made towards the WDF directly aid in providing the opportunity for a veteran to become a part of a community and improve overall health and mental wellness.
FUJI Mats & FUJI Sports are proud to get involved with the event. A donation of high quality mats and custom branded apparel was contributed to further support the event. By providing these assets for the event, FUJI strived to help unify the athletes/staff with matching gear and further establish the sense of community.
In the Third Coast Grappling 5 main event, William Tackett defeated Fellipe Andrew via heel hook. Before the submission though, William executed a beautiful duck under from his opponent's wrist control tie to bring the fight to the ground. Michael breaks down how William's duck under differs from episode 55's duck under, what changes are needed if you don't have control of your opponent's upper body (collar tie, elbow tie, etc), and how Fellipe's thumb down grip gave William the extra room he needed to disappear to the back.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
This past April, 10th Planet's PJ Barch was crowned the 170 lbs champion at the Emerald City Invitational. Michael breaks down PJ's slick duck under and also demonstrates how you can turn your opponent's collar tie into your elbow tie.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Transitioning to a single leg takedown from the Russian tie requires an effective set up. Michael breaks down Brett Pharr's Russian tie single leg entry from the 2020 RTC cup and also shares a slightly different variation. Lastly, Michael demonstrates a technique he calls the "shovel step" which off-balances your opponent, forcing their hands towards the mat and exposing their back.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Using the kimura trap to defend the single leg takedown is very common in Jiu Jitsu, but sometimes your opponent's hands will separate, their arm will straighten, and you lose the leverage on the kimura. Michael demonstrates how he uses this to his advantage to take his opponent's back either from the feet or the mat. Lastly, strategy wise, Michael gives a specific example on when the kimura throw-by might be a better option then the kimura trap.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Sprawling on your opponent’s shot is a great start to defending their takedown, but sometimes it’s hard to completely peel them off your leg! Michael demonstrates a solid single leg defense that breaks your opponent’s base, prevents them from recovering, forces them into an uncomfortable contortion, and frees your leg from their grasp.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Kaynan Duarte & Victoria Anthony are guaranteed to sweep you off your feet (literally), but they will do it in different ways! Michael breaks down Victoria's slide-by foot sweep and then points out the similarities and differences of Kaynan's when he faced Matheus Diniz at FloGrappling's Road to ADCC event this past July.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
This past July, Nicky Ryan went head-to-head with fellow ADCC veteran, Dante Leon. Nicky put on a wresting clinic both from his feet as well as wrestling up from the bottom position. Michael breaks down Nicky Ryan's arm pop double leg takedown and explains the benefits of Nicky's "S-Grip" in Jiu Jitsu. Finally, Michael highlights key details behind Nicky's body lock pass that secured him a five point lead.
About Michael Trasso:
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Third Coast Grappling 6 - Manuel Ribamar proved that the basics still work even at the highest level! Michael breaks down Ribamar’s Single Leg Run the Pipe finish but here’s the catch, his opponent brings his leg to the outside. When your opponent’s leg comes to the outside, it can open up a flying leg triangle choke and make running the pipe very challenging. Michael demonstrates how Ribamar's small-angle change neutralizes the situation and scores himself two points.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Australia’s deadliest mammal, Craig Jones, displayed some of his wrestling skills against Atos’ Tye Ruotolo in FloGrappling’s WNO event in June. Michael breaks down Craig’s Russian Tie Uchi Mata that he used to take the fight to the ground. Rather throwing Tye with the Uchi Mata, he used it to off-balance him, preventing Tye from circling away as Craig slipped around to his back.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Michael breaks down Maggie's seamless double leg takedown from the 2021 IBJFF No Gi Pan Ams. Michael highlights the outer leg hook (kosoto gake) that she uses to finish the takedown and transition right into side control. He also explains when it is appropriate to use the kosoto gake finish and why it puts you in an advantageous spot to pass the guard quickly.
*FYI - Kosoto Gake means "minor outer hook" in Judo. The title reads "(Leg Hook)" as this is easier for our viewers to understand and recognize right off the bat.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Michael demonstrates two separate ways to take your opponent down from their single leg attempt and how to chain these two techniques together. Both takedowns put you in the top position ready to work your guard pass or solidify a dominant position.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Mica Galvão's performance at the 2021 IBJJF No Gi Pan Ams was beyond dominant. Michael breaks down Mica's Kouchi Gari Single Leg combo that he used multiple times in that tournament on his way to capture the gold medal. Michael first demonstrates one variation of the Kouchi Gari and then discusses the adjustments that Mica made. He also shows how you can use the Kouchi Gari as a set up to transition right into a single leg.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Michael breaks down one of his favorite takedowns - the flip grip ankle pick. This variation is executed at a specific angle that provides your arm more extension than normal as well as a quick retraction. This can be used to score an immediate takedown or if your opponent keeps their balance, it can be used to transition into a single leg.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Michael breaks down how Giancarlo Bodoni strategically escaped a deep high single leg when he faced Arnaldo Maidana at the 2020 IBJJF No Gi Pan Ams. Michael focuses on how Giancarlo created the proper angle to slip his foot out rather relying on pure power and “sweat factor” to forcibly rip it out.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
"Wrestling up" in Jiu Jitsu is when the fighter in the bottom position (on their back, butt, knees, or side) uses specific takedown mechanics to either escape bottom and recover or reverse the position and get on top.
At the EUG Promotions Inaugural Event this past April, Mayssa passes Jessa's guard and lands in north south. Jessa immediately latches on to Mayssa's leg and starts to belly down and wrestle up. This can be a major issue for the fighter on top especially if the bottom fighter has strong wrestling skills.
Michael breaks down how Mayssa defends and counters this and also demonstrates a similar Jiu Jitsu drill that students can practice. Lastly, Michael shows two other possible outcomes and solutions depending on how your opponent reacts.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Taking your opponent down while simultaneously clearing their legs before any guard is established is a perfect scenario in Jiu Jitsu! Michael breaks down two different barzegar finishes from a single leg which puts you right into side control once you hit the mat. This takedown finish is executed when your opponent's leg is on the outside rather in between your legs.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Michael breaks down David Carr’s high single leg finish from his match against Jared Franek in 2021. This finish is commonly used when your opponent throws in a whizzer and their leg is on the outside and not pinched in-between your legs. Michael also demonstrates another common high single leg finish that students use but highlights the potential repercussions of using it in Jiu Jitsu.
*In Jiu Jitsu, having good posture here is essential not only to finish the takedown, but to also mitigate the risk of a flying leg triangle choke.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Michael breaks down Rafaela Guedes' snatch single leg takedown when she faced Maggie Grindatti in FloGrappling's Who's Number One event March 2021. He also shows an alternative finish that compliments the snatch single leg takedown.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
The front headlock is a dominant position that offers various entires into takedowns, submissions, and back takes. Michael breaks down how he sets up his front headlock entry and transitions right into an arm in guillotine. Michael also highlights a few key details that will help tighten up your guillotine choke finish.
* FYI - Typically when performing the front headlock, it is best to be on your toes to generate more pressure and to be agile. This can change though in specific scenarios like setting up the guillotine or other techniques.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
The ankle pick is a highly effective takedown in both No Gi & Gi. In the Gi, the overall foundation and body mechanics of the ankle pick stay the same but now we have the option to use specific grips. Michael breaks down Fellipe Andrew’s ankle pick that was used multiple times on his path to take the gold medal at the 2020 IBJJF Pan American Championship. Michael also highlights a few specific details that will help you execute this takedown successfully and a common mistake students often make.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
FUJI Sports understands that gyms across the country have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. With other industries getting relief, gyms and martial arts centers are being left behind. Join the coalition to help support gyms and martial arts centers!
A little bit about the GYMS Act:
On February 5, 2021, U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)filed the Gym Mitigation and Survival (GYMS) Act(H.R. 890) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacting health and fitness facilities around the country. Most of Congress's previous economic relief packages have either left out or not really helped the fitness industry.
If passed, the GYMS Act will create a $30 billion fund to provide grants to affected businesses in the health and fitness industry. The fund would cap initial grant amounts at 45% of the facility’s 2019 revenue—or $20 million, whichever is less. Health and fitness businesses considered severely impacted—with revenues of only 33% or less in the most recent quarter as compared to 2019—would be eligible for a supplemental grant, of up to 25% of their initial grant. The most an eligible business and its affiliates could receive is $25 million.
A few expenses the grant would cover include:
payroll costs,
rent or mortgage payments, including interest,
utilities,
interest on debt accrued before February 15, 2020,
taxes,
payments required for insurance on any insurance policy,
costs required under any State, local, or Federal law or guideline related to social distancing,
and more.
Learn more about the GYMS Act and stay up-to-date on how the efforts to pass the relief bill are going by visitingthe IHRSA dashboard.
Pick up the phone, send an email or write a letter - do all three! But if we can get enough support across the country, gyms and martial arts schools can get the support they need to surive!
If every school owner & practicioner can contact their local representative(s), we can do this! Here is a pre-written draft message you can send to your students!
This episode is a 2 for 1 deal! The first breakdown covers John Poznanski's cross ankle pick from the 2019 Super 32 Tournament. The cross pick (in this specific situation) can take your opponent by surprise as they are the aggressor initiating the takedown. In Jiu Jitsu, once the cross pick is executed you will often times find yourself in a quarter guard position where your whizzer now becomes their underhook. In the second breakdown, Michael covers a back step pass used by Roberto Jimenez at the Third Coast Grappling Kumite 5. The back step pass is an effective way to create an opening, win the pummel battle, and pass the quarter guard position.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
2021’s NCAA Heavyweight Champion, Gable Steveson, snaps through his opponents tie-up, level changes, and hits this powerful blast double leg takedown. In Jiu Jitsu there is always the common concern of getting caught in a guillotine while attempting a takedown. The blast double is an excellent takedown to use in Jiu Jitsu because it keeps your head and neck out of the guillotine choke zone.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Struggling to get your opponent down to the mat from the standing rear body lock position? The knee pinch (or knee staple) is a powerful and low risk way to break your opponent's standing base and land in an efficient position to secure back control and finish the fight. This technique can also be used as a mat return if your opponent tries to escape your back control by standing up.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
The whizzer & shin whizzer are one of the strongest defenses to a single leg takedown. Advancing through a whizzer could often feel impossible due to the pressure and off-balancing it creates. Michael breaks down the single leg shelf finish which crosses over into Jiu Jitsu very well. The shelf finish weakens your opponent's whizzer and helps restore dominant scoring position.
0:42 - Getting the angle to shelf 1:02 - Beating the whizzer via shelf finish 1:36 - Two different finish options 2:22 - Beating the shin whizzer via shelf finish 3:43 - Realtime demonstration of single leg to shelf finish
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
When your opponent sprawls on your shot, there is a small window of opportunity to adjust your position. Remaining stationary and holding on to their legs will break your posture, weaken your takedown, put your opponent in a powerful defensive spot, and possibly lead to a front headlock or guillotine choke. Michael breaks down a highlight of Jakob Camacho implementing a powerful adjustment that got his hips and body back into a strong position to finish the double leg takedown - the knee slide. Michael also shows an alternative double leg takedown finish and emphasizes the importance of short, choppy, and consistent steps while finishing.
0:00 - Intro 1:02 - Knee Slide Breakdown 2:19 - Double Leg Finish Details 2:55 - Knee Slide Drills to Practice 3:16 - Live Example of Double Leg Knee Slide to Finish
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
The peek out is a technique that can be used when you are stuck underneath your opponent and both of their arms are past your elbows. Due to the positioning of their arms, your body has the angle and opportunity to advance your position through a small opening between their arms and their legs. Michael breaks down the peek out that Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu used in his match at Fight 2 Win 139. He also answers a common question asked by students who fear getting guillotined while performing the peek out.
0:25 Peek Out Breakdown
1:55 Common Mistake with the Peek Out
2:41 Dealing with the Guillotine Choke when Peeking Out
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
The Short Drag is an excellent technique to escape your opponents front headlock. Michael breaks down Mason Parris' Short Drag from the 2020 RTC Cup and explains the adjustments that are needed when utilizing this in Jiu Jitsu to avoid putting yourself in an Anaconda Choke.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Andy Hung is a grappling business machine. He is deeply involved in teaching, running a gym (both BJJ and Judo), and also a brick and mortar judo and jiu jitsu experience.
I've known about Andy for a long time but his Reddit AMA from 3 years ago is what really got me interested in his philosophy on martial arts businesses.
As a kid, I was told that it wasn't realistic to make a living in martial arts. Andy defies that 3 times over as an owner/operator in three unique martial arts businesses.
I hope you all are as inspired by his story as I was. Thanks, Andy!
Hear the interview and a few of their secrets below
Make the dojo a place YOU want to hang out
Andy has a long term plan for his life in martial arts. That's why he designs his dojo and businesses to be places where him and others like him want to socialize and hang out.
Our goal is never to be the biggest. It was to be the cool dojo that you want to go, hang out, have a barbecue.
When you're having fun and there's an open social environment, people will invite their friends and family to join. Never underestimate the dojo cookout - it can be one of your most powerful marketing tools.
Find your voice and run with it
I know it's not easy, but don't be afraid of recording yourself and making technique videos for your students (and the world). Find your own voice for the dojo and share it far and wide.
Andy is an expert at marketing not only his business, but himself too.
Find your own vision and put your own stamp on it.
Not only can you boost your SEO rankings with video tutorials, but you can establish your personal brand among potential students and martial artists around the world.
Learn more about Andy and his businesses
He's an awesome, candid guy and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to talk and learn from him.
The Throw By is an excellent technique used to take your opponent's back and/or take them down. Michael breaks down how he hits the Throw By, compares the Throw By to the Slide By, highlights the pros and cons of both, and recommends the best opportunity to execute either one.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
David and Annie Iturrino are owners of Mount Dora BJJ in Eustis, Florida. They run one of the most diverse programs I've ever seen with jiu jitsu for all ages, after-school programs, self defense, and fitness too.
They also run both for-profit and non-profit entities in their facility which is very unique. In the interview, you'll hear how focusing on serving their community has been their secret to growth.
Annie and David are an amazing duo who are genuine and really do define what it means to be a mission driven business.
Hear the interview and a few of their secrets below
Develop trust with your students
Instead of trying to maximize membership prices, Annie and David focus on making people feel comfortable and letting them try out and sign up students when they're ready.
If trial students feel uncomfortable, take a little bit longer. They'll stay longer because they know they're not just a number to you.
David says that this trust turns people into promoters, usually signing up their friends and family members.
Square footage can be an amazing advantage
Annie and David's strategy is to get the entire family into the academy to do a workout at the same time.
With their 9,000 sqft facility, they can have mom doing a fitness bootcamp, dad doing jiu jitsu, and the kids on the mat too.
You take one hour of a family's time to come together, to be able to train, and go on and have family time after that.
Along with their nurturing culture, this family-centric focus makes them a powerhouse academy.
When they run multiple classes at once, they have "spotters" who float around to help instructors with new students or greet people at the door.
This allows them to get the mat packed but still give individualized attention.
Learn more about Mount Dora BJJ
Annie and David are amazingly thoughtful people that genuinely want the best for their students and community.
It's no wonder they have one of the largest academies in Florida. Learn more about them at:
Let's rewind back to the 2020 Third Coast Grappling Kumite 5 tournament. Tye Ruotolo and Renato Canuto had a twelve minute battle in their semi-finals match. Tye and Renato are in an "over under" tie when Renato clasps his hands behind Tye's back to secure the body lock. Tye immediately takes action by weaving his lead leg through the middle and executing an inside trip takedown. Michael demonstrates what an inside trip is, how Tye executed it, the mechanics behind the takedown, and alternate inside trip options.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
FUJI's constantly pushing the boundries of design and technology in grappling gi and gear. We are very excited to share the HERTIGAE Line with you as a sneak peek as to what is to come in 2021 for FUJI Sports Gi & Gear.
The Heritage Jiu-Jitsu Rashguard will feature a multi-color look along with a unique design on the chest, sleeve and back. All colors and designs are fully sublimated which means they will never crack, peel or fade over time despite the rigors of Jiu-Jitsu practice or Jiu-Jitsu tournaments.
Heritage can be defined as "a special or individual possession" - your skills as a grappler is something that lives in your heritage as a person. Jiu-Jitsu is a culture and something that can be found nearly any country around the world. Despite where you are from all jiu-jitsu players share the same heritage!
Take a look at the new rashguard below and let us know what you think:
Michael discusses one of the most undetected and surprising takedowns and takedown setups – the re-shot.
Michael shows two examples of re-shots hit in competition, demonstrates what a re-shot is, and explains why it is so effective. The first clip is multiple time Jiu Jitsu World Champion, Leandro Lo executing a re-shot against Erberth Santos in the 2017 IBJJF Brazilian National Finals. The second re-shot example is Michael himself in a college wrestling dual meet RIC vs Springfield (2010).
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
December 11th, 2020 was an exciting day for Jiu Jitsu fans across the globe tuning into "Who's Number One" 5. The highly anticipated main event between Rodolfo Vieira and Kaynan Duarte was a face-off between two of Jiu Jitsu's most dominant grapplers from two different generations. Kaynan executes a flawless slide-by, takes Rodolfo's back, and finishes the fight with a rear naked choke. Michael walks us through the details of Kaynan's slide-by and touches on a few extra adjustments of his own.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
It's not everyday that you get to talk to a:
UFC legend
Successful academy owner
Great guy
But today we checked all three boxes. In this interview you're going to get a behind the scenes story of Joe Lauzon's success and what makes his business so successful.
To break it down simply, Joe has a holistic approach to business and really nails his marketing (both personal and professional). This, mixed with his background in Computer Science and IT made for an awesome interview.
Hear the interview and a few of Joe's secrets below
Your students are the best promoters
Instead of running Facebook ads focus on organic content. Hire a photographer to come in and take pictures during classes.
For us, it has been dynamite.
Joe says his strategy is to "take all the photos, get them quickly adjusted, watermark them, upload them all in our Facebook groups. And people love to see themselves training and post it on their social media."
Don't underestimate nurture email sequences
This is something I did for my own school immediately after I got off the phone with Joe.
I doubled all my leads that were coming in and signing up.
"I spent a hour and a half here. So mobile videos, edit them a little bit, making the landing pages and all. but a probably spent like maybe five hours total," Joe said.
Stop what you're doing and setup an email sequence in your CRM (Spark, Market Muscles, Pulse, etc) that sends 30 emails (each separated by 3 days), each with a 1 minute video breaking down an easy tip that your students will be learning in their first month at your gym.
This could be "how to bow onto the mat" or "how to tie your belt" or "meet Sensei Steve" and let them know what to expect.
Underneath the video give them a clear call to action to setup an appointment.
Let’s just focus on the hips in this episode! Michael demonstrates a powerful way to defend your opponents tight double leg takedown just by changing the angle of your hips. Initially favoring one side of your hip as you sprawl will downgrade your opponents double leg and force them to wrestle from an unexpected single leg or front headlock position.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Michael Trasso's opening match victory at the 2020 IBJJF No Gi Pan American Championships came down to a takedown. As Michael shot a double leg from space his opponent defended by sprawling and underhooking his arm. Michael quickly transitioned to a sag headlock off the shot attempt to secure the takedown and win the match 2-0. This episode truly highlights the importance of chain wrestling!
What is Chain Wrestling? Chain Wrestling is a methodology of linking a combination of offensive and/or defensive moves together that lead to points. The Chain Wrestling concept will get wrestlers (and Jiu Jitsu students) thinking a few steps ahead of their opponent and will become more instinctive through time.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Rewind back to 2009! One of the biggest upsets in NCAA wrestling finals history - Darrion Caldwell vs #1 seed and returning national champion, Brent Metcalf. Early in the first period Darrion scores two quick takedowns, one being this stunning sag headlock. Michael walks through the setup that Caldwell used and discusses proper positioning when performing the sag headlock.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Michael breaks down James Green's navy finish from the 2020 RTC Cup when he faced Anthony Echemendia. Michael also shows how this technique can be used in Jiu Jitsu to finish a single leg takedown and transition right to a dominant position or knee bar submission.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
To split, or not to split, that is the question. Michael walks us through one of the biggest reasons single leg takedown attempts fail in No Gi Jiu Jitsu due to unnecessary splitting of the hands (inefficient hand positioning). He shows us when it's beneficial to split your hands and when it's not a good idea to split your hands. Following this system and idea will make a significant difference retaining control of your opponents leg, securing the finish, and scoring two points!
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Yianni Diakomihalis is one of the most dangerous, exciting, unpredictable wrestlers in todays sport. Michael breaks down a highlight when Yianni went toe to toe with Zain Retherford in the 2019 Final X at Rutgers. Michael covers Yianni’s setup, execution, and discusses alternative options for Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu depending on how your opponent reacts.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Michael demonstrates a sneaky way to defend your opponents single leg takedown attempt by putting them in a submission. Michael also covers important details related to finishing the submission once you hit the ground.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Gustavo Batista and Vinicius Ferreira faced off at the 3CG Kumite 7. While in the deep half position, Vinicius feeds Gustavo's lapel through his right leg. This tightens the position and significantly slows the passing game down. Batista threatens a choke causing his opponent to release that lapel grip and defend which creates an opening for a knee slice pass.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Michael rewinds back to the 2019 99KG ADCC semi-finals when Gordon Ryan applied an elbow pass setup on Lucas Barbosa. Michael explains what an elbow pass is, when to use it, how to effectively execute it, and provides a few drills to practice.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Nate Jackson uses a standing switch to defend a single leg, sit his opponent to their hip, and score a takedown in wrestling. Michael breaks down how you can utilize this single leg defense in Jiu Jitsu and turn it into a back take or calf slicer submission.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
2x Olympic Judo Gold Medaist & Professional Fighters League Champion Kayla Harrison will be stepping into the Invicta cage to fight against Courtney King on November 20th. With the PFL on hold due to COVID, Harrison has been itching to get back on the canvas to continue to show the world that she is a top conetender in MMA. With this annoucnement, Harrison will be moving down to 145 pounds. Will this be a permant move for Harrison or just something temporary? Is she setting herself to hold the title in two divisions?
Everyone here at Hatashita & FUJI Sports is cheering Kayla on from afar and will be tuning in to support her! For more information on how to watch, click here!
Michael shows a variation to the standard run the pipe finish. This trip variation can be used to finish the takedown or as a setup to run the pipe. Check out Ep. 10 on the key elements needed to run the pipe efficiently!
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Olympic Medalist & World Judo Champion Jimmy Pedro & Olympic Medalist & BJJ Black Belt Travis Stevens have teamed up to bring you the AMERICAN JUDO SYSTEM. The American Judo System is more than just technique breakdowns, it is a fully realized system on how to improve your judo and elevate your understanding and knowledge of the sport itself.
Ultimately, the American Judo System is designed to help you win more matches easily with all of the tools you need on one platform. Decades of judo experience and proven methods of success are at your finger tips in this digital platform.
Right now, you can get access to SIX FREE TECHNIQUES just register for an account on USAJudo.com and get ready to elevate your judo!
Michael breaks down one of his advanced butterfly hook sweep defenses. This technique is often used as a last resort if your opponent is able to solidify a strong hook sweep position, trap your arm post, and all of your first lines of defense have failed.
EDITORS NOTE: This is an advanced technique Michael has drilled and executed for many years. If this is not done properly this can possibly lead to a neck injury. Please watch the video carefully to hear the steps Michael takes to protect his neck while performing this technique and what drills you can begin with before trying this in real time.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
COMING SOON: New colorway FUJI Sports Suparaito BJJ Gi for Women in White & Teal
One of the most popular women's jiu-jitsu uniforms is coming in a new colorway. While the base color of the uniform is white, the contrast stichting, logos and taping on the skirt and sleeves feature a beautiful metallic blue & teal.
Key Features
Extra Lightweight 350g Pearl Weave Gi Jacket
Triple Reinforced Rip Stop Pants with Bungee Drawstring
Stiff collar with extra rows of stitching
Stylish Contrast Stitching
One of the Best Selling Jiu-Jitsu Uniforms for Women"
Tested and approved by top female grapplers, we are so excited to exapnd this best selling jiu-jitsu uniform in a new colorway. FUJI Sports prides itself on continuing to expand their women's line and empower female grapplers worldwide.
The FUJI Suparaito Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu uniform has everything you need to suceed on the largest competition stages and practice sessions. Suparaito translated from Japanese to English means "Super Light" - so it's ideal for weigh ins and mobility during Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Michael breaks down the 360 double leg takedown that Cyborg executed on James Puopolo in the 2019 IBJJF No Gi World Championship 97 KG Finals. He also points out a crucial positional adjustment Cyborg makes while finishing the takedown.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
COMING SOON: New colorways for the FUJI Sports Submit Everyone BJJ Gi for Women!
One of the most popular women's jiu-jitsu uniforms is coming in a new colorway. While the base color of the uniform is black, the contrast stichting, logos and taping on the skirt and sleeves feature a beautiful bold pink and one with a beautiful bold powder blue.
Key Features
Extra Lightweight 350g Pearl Weave Gi Jacket
Triple Reinforced Rip Stop Pants with Bungee Drawstring
Stiff collar with extra rows of stitching
Stylish Contrast Stitching
One of the Top Selling Jiu-Jitsu Gis for Women"
Tested and approved by top female grapplers, we are so excited to exapnd this best selling jiu-jitsu uniform in a new colorway. FUJI Sports prides itself on continuing to expand their women's line and empower female grapplers worldwide.
FUJI's Submit Everyone BJJ Gi is the ideal uniform for both training and competition. Years in the making, this uniform features everything you love about FUJI BJJ gis perfectly crafted into one! The jacket is ultra-lightweight that displays a woven die cut FUJI patch on the collar as well as a ribbon on the bottom of the skirt. On the back shoulder is a large embroidered FUJI emblem. The final touch on the jacket is the inside print which motivates you to SUBMIT EVERYONE!
The pants are triple reinforced ripstop which allows for maximum effort on the mat without sacrificing mobility and comfort.
FUJI Submit Everyone Women's Black/Pink
FUJI Submit Everyone Women's Black/Blue
COMING SOON: New colorway FUJI Sports Suparaito BJJ Gi for Women in Black & Pink
One of the most popular women's jiu-jitsu uniforms is coming in a new colorway. While the base color of the uniform is black, the contrast stichting, logos and taping on the skirt and sleeves feature a beautiful metallic pink & silver.
Key Features
Extra Lightweight 350g Pearl Weave Gi Jacket
Triple Reinforced Rip Stop Pants with Bungee Drawstring
Stiff collar with extra rows of stitching
Stylish Contrast Stitching
One of the Best Selling Jiu-Jitsu Uniforms for Women"
Tested and approved by top female grapplers, we are so excited to exapnd this best selling jiu-jitsu uniform in a new colorway. FUJI Sports prides itself on continuing to expand their women's line and empower female grapplers worldwide.
The FUJI Suparaito Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu uniform has everything you need to suceed on the largest competition stages and practice sessions. Suparaito translated from Japanese to English means "Super Light" - so it's ideal for weigh ins and mobility during Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Michael discusses one of the most overlooked points of control that need to be addressed when defending a single leg takedown. This is often a prerequisite before you can begin sprawling your legs backwards and is only the start towards completely defending a single leg takedown.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
COMING SOON: New from FUJI Sports is the Flow T-Shirt line.
One of the most comfortable t-shirts you'll even own. The base color of these shirts are grey and blue while the design itself is a modern approach to show your passion for grappling in your everyday life.
Key Features
100% Ringspun Cotton
4.3 Oz
Premium Short Sleeve Crew Neck T-Shirt
Simple yet bold - show your passion for Jiu-Jitsu"
We just love how the design pops but still manages to flow on the t-shirt. Lastly, a marrow embroidered patch on the sleeve of the FUJI Sports Sun & Mountain.
The Flow T-Shirt also features discharge printing which means that the design which means the colors used fuse into the t-shirts dye rather than printing on top of the shirt. Ultimatley, the discharge print will not only last longer, but give the shirt a more authentic look and feel.
138 academy owners told us how they were fairing post COVID-19 quarantine.
The numbers aren't looking good.
Let's breakdown the data:
8.7% permanently closed their academy
32.6% lost over 40% of their students
84.8% said they lost students since the pandemic
8.7% have grown student counts
6.5% said COVID-19 closures haven't affected their numbers
You haven't lost the fight yet, here's 3 things you can do to save your business:
consider training outside with simple fitness routines (parks, playgrounds, and school lawns) - dojo owners have told us this is a new way to get local students as customers
killer SEO content - make videos that rank highly for bully busting, kids confidence, weight loss over 40 and your choice of martial art keywords to bring traffic
film your curriculum - even from your phone, having instructional videos for your students (and prospects) keeps them engaged, prevents cancellations, and makes you an expert in your community
September 2020 Third Coast Grappling hosted their very first women's tournament (Kumite 7). In the finals we had two multiple time world champions, Luiza Monteiro and Ana Carolina Vieira. Ana was close to passing Luiza's guard via an x pass but Luiza did an excellent job stiff arming the near pant grip arm, sliding her hips back, and recovering her guard.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
In the 2019 ADCC 99kg quarter-finals Atos Jiu Jitsu’s Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa and Patrick Gaudio went head-to-head. Patrick takes a double leg on Lucas and Hulk defends with a perfectly timed pancake.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Hayden Hidlay (NC State University) claimed the 157 pound title at the 2020 Southern Scuffle. In his semi-finals match against Wyatt Sheets he began a takedown series with a high crotch which led to a single leg. Wyatt's sprawl was favored to his right side (the single leg side). Hayden quickly transitioned to a knee slide cut back to drop Wyatt to his hip which led to the finish.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Michael Trasso breaks down GF Team standout Ricardo Evangelista's single leg x guard toe hold submission when he faced Rudson Mateus in King of Mats (2019).
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
Michael rewinds back to the 2019 IBJJF No Gi World Championship for this breakdown episode of "The Merge". Victor Hugo attempts a muscle sweep from closed guard on Aaron "Tex" Johnson. As Aaron defends the muscle sweep, Victor quickly transitions to a leg triangle armbar to finish the fight.
Michael’s journey on the mats began in 1995, training Jiu Jitsu at just five years old. Throughout the next decade, he picked up wrestling and would become one of the world’s most accomplished adolescent Jiu Jitsu competitors. In 2008, Michael was recruited to wrestle for Rhode Island College. In 2011, Michael was nationally ranked #9 and in 2012, attained his 100th collegiate victory. In 2016, Michael began training in San Diego where he received some of his most notable awards in adult Jiu Jitsu competition to include earning his spot on FloGrappling’s “Top 20 No Gi Adult Black Belt Middleweights in the World” ranking in 2018 and 2019.
It is vital to continue training during COVID-19. Keeping your physical and mental health in a positive state will not only make you feel better but keep you sharp for when your dojo re-opens.
Olympic Judo Coach & World Champion Jimmy Pedro has created the "Ultimate Home Judo Workout" that anybody of any fitness level or judo experience level can do!
The FUJI Training Bands are perfect to stay active and sharp at home, at the gym, or on the go!
The ultimate training tool. Whether you're training at home, working out outside, or looking to step up your overall game, the Training Bands are for you! The Training Bands can be used to develop strength, speed, coordination, grip strength, and overall accuracy when it comes to executing techniques.
The Training Bands come with a 10' long bungee cord, two carbines and three gi ends - two sleeves and one lapel.
Check out the individual exercises below...
Jimmy Pedros Ultimate Home Judo Workout Exercise #1 - Uchikomi
Pick your favorite forward throw and get to work. Be sure to set up your bands to have the proper sleeve or lapel grips!
Jimmy Pedros Ultimate Home Judo Workout Exercise #2 - Kuzushi
Now just work on the kuzushi or off balance movement. It's important to mimic the kuzushi to be a specific throw and not just generic movements.
Jimmy Pedros Ultimate Home Judo Workout Exercise #3 - Alternating Pulls
Have some good tension, keep your elbows in tight and pull the band (one at a time) all the back in a rowing motion.
Jimmy Pedros Ultimate Home Judo Workout Exercise #4 - Tricep Extensions
Increasing grip and arm strength in one exercise. Be sure to keep your feet planted!
Jimmy Pedros Ultimate Home Judo Workout Exercise #5 - Footwork (Ko Uchi Gari)
Perfect for when you're fatigued from other exercises! Keep your blood pumping and the momentum going!
Jimmy Pedros Ultimate Home Judo Workout Exercise #6 - Weak Side Uchikomis
We can't forget about our non-dominant side! When working out at home with bands, we want to make sure both sides of our bodies are strong!
Xande Ribeiro returned to the competition scene after two years of dealing with injuries and setbacks. Xande took the stage Friday night, June 26, at 9:50 pm in Dallas Tx on the Fight 2 Win 145 Card.
Xande Ribeiro ended up with a submission victory over Gabriel Almedia from Alliance Jiu-Jitsu. Xande had a stellar performance showing his class as he controlled the match! With a win over Gabriel Almedia, Xande Ribeiro showed he's going be a force on the Jiu-Jitsu circuit leading up to the 2021 ADCC next year!
Like any successful school, staff training is key. From running classes to interacting with customers - people must be trained. Training provides clarity, structure and comfort. The more something is structured, the happier people are (same for your students). However, in a time where there is very little structure and/or clarity, it is up to you, the gym owner to create it!
As always, it’s important to review your local, state & federal guidelines on operating your business during COVID-19. Once you have properly educated yourself, please consider the following to help you and your school thrive once your doors re-open.
STAFF MEETINGS (VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON)
Use this meeting to give dedicated time to teach and explain WHAT type of experience you want to give your students whether it is virtual or physical.
Consider setting weekly meetings with detailed bullet points on …
What is expected
Daily & weekly tasks
Procedures on interacting with students
Proper use of personal protective equipment
Use this meeting to set the precedent on what YOU expect from your staff. Set expectations give deadlines and most importantly, INSPECT WHAT YOU EXPECT. Don’t settle for deviations or substandard work - especially during this time!
STAFF TRAINING (VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON)
Also, consider running weekly training sessions that consist of …
How to run a physical & virtual training session
Role-play scenarios
Cleaning, opening/closing procedures, etc.
Use this meeting to give dedicated time to teach and explain WHAT type of experience you want to give your students whether it is virtual or physical. Obviously, all physical training will be heavily modified so don’t assume your staff will be able to “just figure it out”, take the time to train, and lead them to success!
Lastly, be willing to listen to your staff and actually involve them in these meetings. You want to make sure that your staff feels comfortable working just as much as your students do coming to class. Constantly evaluate the systems and plan you put in place, gather feedback from staff, and improve the process over time.
The cleaning strategy for your business is now larger than just keeping the floors and surfaces clean. You need to have a strategy for educating and equipping your students with the tools they need to stay clean and healthy. This is a 4 area focus for all dojos:
Surface cleaning
Air quality
Hand hygiene
Uniform cleaning for home
Every surface in your school should be cleaned with some product."
Surface cleaning:
While this may be the most straight forward of the 4 areas, it’s very important to get the right tools for the job. Every surface in your school should be cleaned with some product. From mats, doorknobs, countertops, floors, etc. No surface that has been interacted with should go untouched.
Approved wipes or disinfectants like many Clorox or Purell products. See other’s listed here.
Air quality:
Depending on the set up of your school if you have windows or not, there are two types of ways to keep the air circulating. If you have windows, consider purchasing box fans to place so the air flows or consider purchasing an air purifier/odor remover like some of these to place in your school to run during or before classes to keep the air as clean as possible.
Hand Hygiene:
Consider installing hand sanitizer units (wall-mounted or freestanding) or bottles placed around your school for students to use prior to entering the dojo/starting class. If supplies are limited, consider having a staff member administer sanitizer and instruct students how to apply it to preserve your supply. Here’s the article discussing hand sanitizer recommendations by the CDC.
Consider even modifying your uniform policy to avoid unnecessary items inside your school (gi tops, belts, or bags)."
Uniform Cleaning:
Now more than ever it’s important to have students wash their gi and/or gi immediately after class. Consider even modifying your uniform policy to avoid unnecessary items inside your school (gi tops, belts, or bags). Students should be coming to class in their uniforms to avoid small/close quarter areas such as changing rooms and should be taking their uniform off immediately when they get home to wash it with any normal detergent used in a washing machine.
Whether you're running online classes or are beginning to open for physical classes, it's for certain that the structure of Martial Arts classes are going to change for the foreseeable future. We've talked with some of the world's most successful gym owners to see what their classes look like.
Make sure that your students have the tools needed to practice the techniques you're teaching.
Structure:
For online classes and in person classes we want to keep students engaged and provide value. The best way to do this is to break classes up into smaller chunks of time and to keep them actively engaged. Across most schools we interviewed, the structure goes like this:
Warming up (10 minutes)
jumping jacks, mountain climbers, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, skipping in place.
Circuit training (10 minutes)
presenting your students with a challenge like circuit training keeps them engaged - one example was 45 second circuits with 10 seconds of rest like this - for 3 rounds.
45 seconds of exercise #1
10 second rest
45 seconds of exercise #2
10 second rest
45 seconds of exercise #3
10 second rest
Technical training (10 minutes)
make sure that your students have the tools needed to practice the techniques you're teaching. Household items are great and make the practice novel. Also - including parents or family members always is a good idea. Helping them build a bond together helps show the value of your training and will keep them coming back.
Other things you can incorporate into your program:
Leadership/life skill training (youth students)
Whether you develop your own or buy a program, focusing on leadership/life skills is important now more than ever. Cooperation, kindness, patience, discipline, are a few examples of what themes go perfectly with what we (and the child) are dealing with. Have homework, ask questions and have rewards ready for those who excel.
Special workouts (all students)
Host workouts the entire family can do! Little to no martial arts but use your warm up and circuit routine to get families moving. Plus kids love working with their parents, find some “partner exercises” so they have to work together. The more you can do to promote family and community - the better.
Game Nights / Parents Night In (youth students)
Coffee / Happy Hour (adults)
Schedule a relaxed virtual coffee and/or happy hour to sit down with members and hangout. One thing people are missing is social interaction, your martial arts school is a place where people look for that social aspect so why not bring it directly to them.
Running a dojo requires lots of information and maintenance. While staff members and training are key, so is the software you choose to run your business. Picking the right one can make your job a lot easier and can make the student experience skyrocket.
Our software decision was critical to our success." - Jimmy Pedro
However, every academy needs different things. Here are our suggestions for the best martial arts software of 2020 broken down by ADVANCED, INTERMEDIATE, and BEGINNER.
The Spark Membership CRM tool is robust and powerful but takes commitment. It's fully programmable and has the most powerful tools for gym owners that we've seen to date. It definitely is considered a premium solution, with a price tag to match, but we think it's worth it.
The MA on Rails tool is a streamlined martial arts software that packs a powerful punch at an affordable price. For those that are looking to automate payments and have access to some automation tools, this is a great option to try out. This software can definitely do the heavy lifting.
The FUJI ProShop software is developed by the same team that runs the FUJI BJJ Tournament Series and they take a unique approach to martial arts business software. Not only does it allow you to manage your members with email notifications and rank reports but they are also developing tools that let you order gear up front and pay it off over time against your recurring tuition revenues. This is what makes the FUJI ProShop software stand out from the pack and should definitely be considered when you evaluate software.
Martialytics is a great option for those that want a simple, clean, and aesthetically pleasing app for quickly tracking attendance. Seriously, this application is a beautiful as they come. Getting started on this platform is a snap and the Martialytics team went through the user experience with a fine tooth comb to make sure everything was super simple and easy to use.
We are going to be offering the best deals and secret products to our most valued customers - we're calling it theGrappler's Club! Every month a lucky member of the Grappler's Club will receive a text to get a free gi.
Everyone who opts in below will be added to the text list for a chance to win free gear and to receive secret deals and products. Enter below and good luck!
These deals do not apply to wholesale accounts.
Take a stroll around New York for the holidays or grab a seat at Madison Square Garden and the promotional videos for the PFL Championship nearly rival the hype for the Rockettes: “Six weight classes, six world championship fights, plus the biggest name in women’s mixed martial arts.”
"UFC two-division champ Amanda Nunes would surely resent that declaration."
But Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison can take another step toward one day staking claim to that title in her headline fight at PFL 11 on Monday night. Harrison in 2010 became the first American woman to win the judo world championship. No U.S. judoka — man or woman — had ever won an Olympic gold medal before Harrison beat Britain’s Gemma Gibbons to win the women’s 78-kilogram and under division at the 2012 Olympics in London. She won gold again four years later at the Rio de Janeiro Games. She made her MMA debut this year and won both fights (by TKO and submission) for the Professional Fighters League.
Harrison takes on Moriel Charneski in a 155-pound bout Monday at the Hulu Theatre in Madison Square Garden.
When we think of Bruce Lee throwing a kick, Muhammad Ali dodging a punch, or a great wrestler like Dan Gable swiftly shooting in for a double-leg takedown and dumping his opponent on the mat, we can easily imagine strength exerted on multiple planes. This multi-dimensional strength and stability is achieved through specific strength conditioning. It is the key for optimizing body movement and power for a combat athlete’s knock-out punch. It also provides incomparable groundwork for other athletes, too.
The majority of today’s programs favor traditional strength and conditioning approaches which are often heavily biased towards sagittal plane (forward and backward) movements. We definitely need strength in the sagittal plane, and many of the big-bang-for-the-buck exercises like squats and deadlifts occur in this plane.
But in designing our training, it is important to understand that the human body does not move in just one direction. We can also move side-to-side, forward, backward, and in rotation. Training in multiple planes, or multiple directions, helps us achieve higher levels of body awareness, balance, and coordination. This improved programming allows for quicker reaction times and more efficient neuro-motor function. Training in all the planes can help athletes and clients avoid injury and enhance their performance. It’s a required practice for any athlete determined to consistently perform on an elite level.
The Three Planes:
Sagittal Plane:
Movements in the sagittal plan move forward and back, or through the mid-line of the body. Common examples of sagittal plane movements are a biceps curl or a sit-up.
Frontal Plane:
Movements along the frontal plane can be described as side-to-side, such as abduction and adduction. Exercises that work through the frontal plane are side lunges and jumping jacks.
Transverse Plane:
Movements in the transverse plane include horizontal abduction, adduction or rotational actions. Exercise examples include the Russian twist or a cable woodchop.
One major reason most sports injuries occur in the frontal and transverse planes is that most athletes are only training in the sagittal plane.
Athleticism depends on a tremendous amount of movement in different planes of action."
Strength and conditioning programs for athletes should strive to include as many variations of movement as possible to train muscles in as many planes as possible (Kenn, 2003).
As trainers and coaches, we must prepare our athletes by strengthening their bodies in all three planes. If your athletes understand the difference between these three planes of movement and can develop their ability to efficiently weave their movements together, then they will be well-rounded and less prone to injury. For example, a fighter in the ring or cage spins, moves left and right, dodges kicks, pivots, punches, and is constantly tackled. If his or her body is weak in a particular plane, the likelihood of an injury is much greater.
Most popular training methods do not use multi-planar movements. Powerlifting, Olympic lifting, CrossFit training, and bodybuilding tend to primarily work in the sagittal plane. Very few movements are in the transverse or frontal planes. Additionally, most of these training methods do not include multi-planar movements—combinations of frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes of motion. These popular training methods are still valid for training athletes, but coaches should also consider ways to train sport-specific movements that athletes will perform on the field of play (Brown, 2013).
The Get Up
As strength coaches and trainers, we can create workouts that hit all of these planes, or we can select compound exercises—triplaner movements—that hit all three planes in one rep. One of the best triplanar movements of all is the get up.
The get up is a highly functional movement and total body exercise. Its benefits include improved shoulder stability and strength, correction of left-right asymmetries, overall mobility, core strength, improved movement skills, overall proprioception/coordination, and time under tension. The get-up also teaches athletes to stabilize themselves and create whole body tension in a variety of positions.
Truly Triplanar
The above-mentioned list of benefits is more than enough justification to include the get-up in our workouts. But, I think that one of the most valuable benefits provided by the get-up is that it passes through all three movement planes from the ground up, and again on the way back down to the ground. For that reason alone, the kettlebell get-up is one of my favorite options—it forces you to work in EVERY plane of motion.
Body Awareness
The get-up provides a variety of functional movement patterns and an unmatched stimulation to our vestibular and nervous systems. Once they have mastered all the steps of the get-up, you can even lead your clients and athletes through the movement with their eyes closed for a greater nervous system challenge. The body awareness developed from practicing get-ups provides tremendous value for athletes and the general population.
Conclusion
When designing a strength and conditioning program, we need to include multi-planar movements, multi-directional movements, and various stances which are appropriate for our athletes. Exercises like the get-up will help athletes move more efficiently and will decrease their chances of injury while increasing their overall functional strength.
References:
Brown, T. (2013, September). NSCA’s Performance Training Journal, Issue 12. Retrieved November 18, 2016
Kenn, J. (2003). The Coach’s Strength Training Playbook. Monterey, CA: Coaches Choice.
Now that strength training has become a commonplace for grapplers, a question keeps popping up, “how do I build strength without putting on weight?” First, let me say that strength doesn’t directly pertain to muscle size or girth, it truly is a measurement of the ability to produce or resist force, which is something all grapplers like the sound of. Second, it’s pretty difficult for grapplers to gain muscle mass, due to the amount of volume and nature of their training. To fully explain, I like to attack this question from a few different perspectives. First, from a metabolic demand perspective. Second, from a neuromuscular perspective. And third, a method implementation perspective. Let’s get started!
When I say metabolic demand, I mean what energy systems are predominant in the sport? There are three main energy systems human beings use. The first two are considered anaerobic (not fueled by oxygen) and the last is considered aerobic (fueled by oxygen). Here are all three with their respective durations of time.
Phosphagen/ATP-PC (10 seconds or less)
Glycolytic (30 seconds – 2 Minutes)
Oxidative (Anything longer)
Energy system usage in sport is entirely contingent on the intensity and duration of the activity taking place. So for grapplers, more than likely you’ll be using all three systems at one time or another while you train for the sport to maximize your abilities when you compete. But when it comes to competitions, you’re going to be overwhelmingly tapping into those first two systems especially on the mats, and the third primarily for recovery between matches (you certainly need that high aerobic capacity in order to come out fight after fight).
So why bring this up? How does it relate to strength training for grapplers? While both Ashoka and Sam Dadd have touched on the importance of conditioning for the combat athlete (ie training the oxidative system), I’ll be talking mostly about training the phosphagen system.
How long does it take to throw your opponent? Less than 10 seconds for sure. So you need to be strong enough AND fast enough in order to accomplish this feat and walk off the mats victorious. How effectively you use your phosphagen system is a direct measure of how powerful you are, and it can really only effectively be used if it is effectively trained. While strength is a measurement of producing or resisting force, power is learning to apply force quickly (in fact the equation is literally [force x velocity]). Does that sound familiar and appealing to your combat athletes?
To train power and strength appropriately and translate it to the mats is to give yourself abundant opportunities to be successful."
When folks traditionally think of building strength, they think muscle mass and girth and size. Truthfully, strength comes in all shapes and sizes, which is great news for the grappler because you can be both strong and lean at once!
Let me explain from a neuromuscular perspective: Your body increases strength in two ways. The first is by recruiting MORE muscle fibers in any given muscle group, and the second is increasing the firing capacity of your motor units (motor neurons and the skeletal muscle fibers they innervate). Essentially, muscle does what it’s told by your brain through neural pathways, if you can train those neural pathways to be more efficient, to recruit more muscle fibers and do so quickly, you have untapped the capacity of your muscles to apply force and to do it fast. What that means for you is you can be faster and stronger on the mats than anyone else! This means, though, that you have to be actively and regularly strength training in order to achieve this neuromuscular adaptation (lifting weights = good!)
Now let’s talk implementation. All the above is super fun for someone like me who likes thinking about the nuts and bolts of why we do what we do. But I understand that might not be what you came here for, so let’s talk training!
To develop strength for the grappler that won’t add mass we’re looking to develop explosive power and strength without girth. Great! What’s that mean? Here are some tips:
Hit some plyos. Plyometric drills are superb for the grappler to incorporate into their workout regiment, I like to throw these in at the beginning of a workout, but if you’re advanced enough to incorporate some contrast training (often called Post-Activation Potentiation=PAP, basically meaning lift something heavy and then do something fast) plyos can play an awesome roll throughout the workout as well.
LIFT EXPLOSIVELY. Hit loads around 70-85% of your 1RM and lift that load FAST. This usually means Olympic lifts (cleans, snatches, jerks), even medicine ball work, or KB Swings (these are great for combined cardio work as well, take a look at Ashoka’s post for more information)
LIFT HEAVY! Training at 90% or above your 1RM means you’re recruiting a lot of those muscle fibers we talked about earlier and improving the efficiency of your nervous system to apply force when called upon to do so. Keeping reps low and focusing on moving the bar quickly will ensure you’re still recruiting the right fibers.
Lose the volume. Strength training for hypertrophy means high volume and literally means the enlargement of an organ or tissue from the increase in the size of its cells. Don’t want to get big? Great! Keep the reps low and the sets lower. We’re talking 2-3 sets x 3-5 reps and that’s pretty much it.
The right work done in a weight room can drastically improve your game on the mats, but only when utilized and implemented properly. And strength training is only half the battle, make sure you’re getting proper nutrition in and recovering well in order to truly maximize your ability on the mats. The guys at FUJI Fit have an entire arsenal of information about strength training and conditioning for grapplers, use them as a resource and get better every day. And if you have any questions for me, feel free to leave them in the comments below!
There is an abundant amount of information floating around the internet with regards to proper training, proper nutrition, proper mental preparation, and proper technique for grapplers. In fact, there’s so much out there, it becomes a much bigger job to sift through the good and bad and extract what you need as an individual than it should be. Your job, as an athlete, is to do the damn thing.
Do the thing and you shall have the power” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Emerson was a 19th century American poet (among other things), but he may as well have been a sports psychologist with a mindset like that. All of the information athletes are perpetually bombarded with is meant to help them, though it seems to just distract defer focus to ideas and concepts they don’t need to be scrutinizing. Ultimately, an athlete (and grapplers in particular) need to shut their minds down and be an absolute animal to get the job done on the mats. In order to be successful, athletes must simplify and execute.
Simplifyand Execute
There are more clinical terms for this concept found in sports psychology. “Attentional Focusing” for example, is “the ability to focus attention on cues in the environment that are relevant to the task in hand.” In short, the capability of an athlete to focus on task-relevant cues in order to achieve what they need to. The ability to simplify and execute. The ability to do the thing.
James Kerr in his bestseller “Legacy” puts it this way:
Under pressure, your attention is either diverted or on track. If you’re diverted, you have a negative emotional response and unhelpful behavior…if your attention is on track, you have situational awareness and you execute accurately. You are clear, you adapt, and you overcome.”
With so much information constantly at our fingertips, it becomes tough to sift through and determine what is right for you. That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with people you trust to advise you for your particular athletic goals, and reliable resources (like FUJI Fit) to direct you appropriately. And it’s important to do this in preparation for events, not the day of.
Ultimately, when you hit the mats, all the thinking should’ve already be done. The ability of you as an athlete to focus on the task at hand, to simplify and execute, will be the difference in success and failure the vast majority of the time. The training, the eating, the mental preparation, and the technical components of you as a grappler need to be the object of your attention leading into a competition, once you’re on the mats, your attention should be on one thing: execution.
For the grappler, nutrition is no great mystery. In some way or another, your relationship with food via building, weight cuts, and preparation for competition has been developing since the very first moment you touched the mats. For this article, I won’t go down the weight cutting rabbit-hole, but I want to briefly discuss carbohydrates. Carbs have gotten a bad reputation in the last ten years or so as fad, low-carb diets, paleo, ketogenic etc have gotten a lot more popular. While there’s merit to whatever way you feel most comfortable fueling yourself, I think carbs have been misrepresented as the “bad guy” when, for most competitive athletes, they’re pretty essential.
What is a Carbohydrate?
Simply put, carbs are the sugars, starches, and fibers found in fruits, grains, vegetables, and milk products. They’re stored in the body (in muscle, liver, and blood) and broken down to release energy. Because sugars and grains are carbs, oftentimes they’re (wrongfully) associated with weight gain. I don’t necessarily believe there are any “bad” foods (and you shouldn’t either) but there are certainly better choices and smarter training that can account for weight gain and/or loss. Carbs are the only fuel source you can break down and use anaerobically (without oxygen) which means they’re absolutely essential for sports that rely on the phosphagen system (ie any grappling sport) for fuel during competition.
How Does Your Body Use Carbs?
Carbs can either be simple (short chain) or complex (long chain). Simple carbs are comprised of monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, fructose) or disaccharides (maltose, lactose, sucrose). Complex carbs are oligosaccharides (raffinose and stachynose) or polysaccharides (starches and glycogen). Simple carbs are easily broken down by the body and used for energy (or stored), due to their short chain and easily cleave-able bonds, while complex carbs are broken down over time and either used for energy or stored. Storage happens in the blood (8-10g), in the liver (75-100g) or in the muscle (300-400g). All said, when your body’s stores are topped off, you only have about 500-600g of carbohydrates, which a grappler can easily deplete if you’re not replenishing appropriately. And depletion means exhaustion.
Why Are Carbs Important for the Grappler?
Since carbs are the only fuel source that can be used anaerobically, when you’re in the middle of a fight, your body is relying on those glycogen (carbohydrate) stores within your body as the source of energy to finish the fight. If those stores are prematurely depleted due to a lack of adequate replenishment, you’re in trouble. And that trouble often presents itself as fatigue and that fatigue leads to losing fights.
Science Backed Carbohydrate Consumption
In 1993, Ball et al. had cyclists perform a 50 min ride at 80% VO2 Max after an overnight fast and then had them perform a Wingate test with either a placebo or carbohydrate supplement. The findings? Significant improvement of the carbohydrate group in RPE (ratings of perceived exertion), mean power, peak power, and maximum power. The generalized conclusion? Carbohydrates aid in improving performance. In a 2017 research study by James et al. of cyclists again, the simple act of cyclists swishing a 7% carbohydrate solution around in their mouths for 5 seconds led to a significantly faster time trial performance, than cyclists who rinsed with a control solution. What’s that mean? Your brain interprets carbs as fuel and allows your body to improve performance by exerting more energy when it believes it is about to get more fuel in the form of carb. These are just two examples of studies done with a variety of athletes (not just cyclists) over the course of decades of carbohydrate research.
How Do I Use Carbs to Fuel Without Gaining Weight?
What I want you to take away from this is that carbs aren’t the enemy and, in fact, may end up giving you the final boost you need over your opponent. When you’re fueling for a competition, carbohydrates need to take up a significant amount of your diet to make sure your stores are maximally topped off for the best chance at delaying fatigue and improving performance. If you’re at a weekend tournament, they’re even more important to use in between fights to ensure you have appropriately recovered and are fueled and ready for the next match. Stick to simple carbs for supplementation during tournaments, and make sure in the days leading up you’re flush with simple and complex carbs.
Above all, make sure you’re comfortable with your eating routine before you try it in a competitive situation. Eat your big meals 3-5 hrs before a competition (if you can) and supplement between fights, if applicable. Eating is tough for a grappler looking to make weight but relying on and ingesting carbohydrates as a fuel source can delay fatigue and ultimately improve performance.
How many of you have been to a supplement store? My guess is the vast majority. Supplement shops and “cure all” remedies aren’t new concepts. Magic potions, elixirs, tonics and the like have been doled out for as long as apothecaries have been a thing (a quick google search tells me the term has been around since the 13th century, my guess is actual magic-potion-peddlers have been around since well before the common era).
Please know when I refer to supplements here, I will always be speaking about legal substances. Supplements are meant to enhance something, whether that’s performance, recovery, weight loss etc. is up to what you’re looking for. Lately it feels like there’s a new magic remedy for any and every ailment that could potentially come your way advertised on TV, radio and now by your favorite Instagram accounts! This is as true in the athletic performance world as it is for the rest of the population.
While I certainly won’t bash supplements (I believe a lot of them can be super helpful for various athletes). I think it’s important to address what really happens with recovery and subsequent adaptations that come from training, in order to better understand when and why to use legal supplements.
Most of you are aware that a workout is simply a catalyst for change. You, a human organism, are in a homeostatic state, exercise is nothing more than a planned deviation from that homeostatic state. That deviation is ultimately a catalyst for change within the body, and that change comes in the form of adaptation to a given stimulus.
Our bodies, through centuries upon centuries of evolution, have become extremely efficient at this adaptation process. Give it a stimulus, go recover, and attempt that same stimulus the following week and what happens? You’ve gotten better at that task. This is why progression is programmed into good training. Supplements came along to help expedite that process, help give a slight advantage in recovery. Because, after all, recovery is where the adaptation takes place, the stimulus is simply the training session. And those supplements can be helpful! But maybe not year-round…
Let me put it to you this way: in the same way your body adapts to a certain stimulus, it will also adapt to a given supplement. It will become less sensitive to the stimulus in the same way it will become less sensitive to the supplement. That’s problem #1, year-round supplement use won’t reap any great benefits because your body eventually will stop responding to it. The answer isn’t more, by the way.
The second problem, and perhaps the bigger one is this: your body needs to learn how the hell to recover properly on its own! It needs to feel like garbage sometimes so it can learn to heal itself, so that you can learn to take care of it. This is where true adaptation takes place. Your body’s ability to recover will ultimately be what dictates your success from training sessions to tournaments. The faster you can recover, the faster you can get back to training at 100%.
But your body has to learn how to do this without the help of any external substance first."
Henk Kraaijenhof is a Dutch sprint coach and author. He wrote “What We Need is Speed” and made a similar point in the book. Essentially, your body needs to adapt to change and stimuli as efficiently as it possibly can before you assist it with any supplements. Make sure you learn how to take care of yourself first through proper warm-ups, training sessions, mobility sessions, and nutrition long before you ever think about taking a supplement for assistance.
A healthy body is one that learns to adapt to stimuli efficiently and keep on training hard. Save the supplements for specific times of your training and make sure you consult someone who knows what they’re talking about and knows how to make sure the supplements aren’t contaminated with any illegal substances.
A quick side note here: the IOC (International Olympic Committee) funded a study (Geyer et al. 2004) that considered the prevalence of contamination in dietary supplements. Of the 634 non-hormonal supplements they tested from 13 different countries, they found a 15% contamination of WADA banned substances. A 15% contamination. Let that sink in. And make sure you are very careful when you select and then take a dietary supplement. Regardless of who led you to whatever you’re taking, ultimately YOU are responsible for what goes into your body, and should you ever be drug tested, you want to be absolutely sure that you’re going to pass with no doubt in your mind.
Ultimately, I want you to understand that your body is a machine built to adapt to change, so let it do its job, let it become extremely efficient at recovery and adapting. Only then should you head to the apothecary man with his magic elixirs. When you do eventually consider supplementation be very, very careful with what you’re putting in your body. Let your body do its thing, then you can look for boosts in recovery, sleep, performance etc.
Freestyle vs. Strict Kettlebell Training
Kettlebells are a super versatile training tool that a lot of combat athletes both enjoy training with and find a lot of success training with. I’m willing to bet that if you’ve done any strength training in the past, you’re familiar with kettlebells; their functions and uses, and have lifted, swung, pressed, and carried one (or many) before. Sound familiar? I bet!
Multiplanar Kettlebell Training
Combat athletes generally prefer strength training with kettlebells because they allow you to move in multiple planes with the same piece of equipment in hand, and with relative ease as compared to barbell strength training. This multi-planar movement is often preferred because it mimics sport specific movement and encourages manipulation around the kettlebell, much as you would around an opponent. Kettlebells are extremely universal and come in so many different weights that it makes training a lot more manageable especially depending on type of space and access to equipment that you have. I think in the past, they’ve been viewed as not a typical “strength training” tool, but the kettlebells are coming in heavier and heavier weights, and thus they allow you to truly train strength instead of using them as a “light weight cardiovascular” tool as we’ve often seen.
Freestyle Kettlebell Training
This cardiovascular kettlebell training is commonly referred to as “freestyle” kettlebell training and focuses a lot more on lighter weights and continuous movement. This predominately trains the oxidative energy system. As a reminder, a few posts ago, we tackled the energy systems while talking about strength training for combat athletes. Mostly I talked about the various energy systems that come into play for a combat athlete and how best to train those systems. Is this sounding familiar?
We talked a lot in that post about training strength and power so you can efficiently and effectively apply force to your both opponents and the mat and be extremely explosive in the process. While an athlete may have a genetic predisposition to explosive tendencies, it is well worth training those systems to truly develop them to the utmost of your own individual capability.
Back to kettlebells! This “freestyle” kettlebell training encourages lighter weights, continuous movement and ultimately, an oxidative stress. There’s certainly a time and a place for it, but just like any training and any movement, we need to find a right balance and train intelligently. Freestyle kettlebell training may encourage continuous movement, but not always good or intentional movement, we want to be able to control our bodies and ourselves in the gym so that we can do that on the mat, control over recklessness is key! Ultimately, for the combat athlete, training intelligently absolutely MUST include elements of strength and power. The good news is we don’t have to ditch the kettlebells for that to happen!
Strict Kettlebell Training
Another term you may or may not be familiar with is “strict” kettlebell training. Essentially this refers to using kettlebells to train strength and power systems (think phosphagen and even glycolytic). This means HEAVY weights so you can train your body to apply force really well. And it also means explosive movements (think KB swings, KB snatch etc) so you can continue to train that phosphagen system and your fast twitch capacity. Moreover, it means safe programming and quality movement. Strict kettlebell training follows more closely to a typical strength training program but utilizes kettlebells to do so. This means progressive overload and resistance, rest intervals, paired movements, multiple sets, and varying reps (contingent on time of year and type of training). Additionally, this strict kettlebell training still utilizes kettlebells, so it still allows for multi-planar movement with the same piece of equipment and thus fulfills the combat athlete’s desire to mimic sport specific movements in the gym. There is a rhyme and a reason to strict kettlebell training where freestyle kettlebell training lacks it.
Conclusion
Imagine if I were to say all you need to train as a combat athlete is cardio. Would you believe me? I certainly hope not! As a combat athlete you need to be strong and powerful first and foremost. Do you need to train aerobic capacity? Yes absolutely! But it shouldn’t account for all of your training. Combat athletes need to incorporate strength and power movements that are intelligently programmed into their training in order to have the best chance at finding success on the mats.
Think about what you’re doing in the gym and why, and if you have any questions feel free to post them below and definitely check out FUJI Fit for more on how to train effectively as a combat athlete!
This is going to be an ongoing conversation we have here on the FUJI Fit Blog. In today’s post I’m going to touch on a few pieces of mental preparation before competition and we’ll elaborate on each in the coming weeks. The most underrated and underutilized aspect of training is that small piece that lies in between your ears. For those still confused, your mental game is of the utmost importance when it comes to training effectively and executing appropriately. We touched on this in the “Simplify and Execute” blog briefly, but this will be a little bit more in-depth look at how to use the mental component of your game to your advantage…instead of letting it yank you around.
Going into any competition, you make sure your body feels good, you get your head in the right space, you control your mindset, right? But like anything else, if we’re not practicing it beforehand, it’s tough to get into the right space when you need to. Before you utilize a specific throw during a match, you make sure you’ve got the basics down and a good handle on it. The same needs to be true for your mental preparation. So how do you do that? What’s the most effective method? Truth is, it’s going to vary for each person, so you have to see what works best for you. What follows will be some suggestions but try a bunch out and what carries over for you into competitions might be different for others. That’s okay! Find out what works best for you and then trust it.
Visualization
I’m willing to bet the first time you try something new, you’re not immediately a champion at it. Maybe you’re good, perhaps surprisingly so, but you’re not the best ever, and you’re not the best you’ll ever be at it either. While you can’t anticipate every single scenario you’ll encounter when you hit the mats, you certainly can prepare by imagining a variety of situations and preparing for each. If you’ve never anticipated what may happen on the mats, each situation, each move your opponent makes will be a surprise. If you’ve already thought through a competition and imagined what may happen, you’re less likely to be surprised, more likely to keep a cool head, and more likely to execute and accomplish exactly what you came to do. Again, we’ll get more in depth in the coming weeks on this specifically but keep this one in mind. Visualization can be an absolute game changer when utilized consistently and it has a lot to do with neurological components and the ability of your brain and body to perceive the inputs you’re giving it as real. No wonder you can handle the situations you visualize and prepare for so effectively! Your body and mind feels like it’s already done it thanks to the visualization stimulus you’ve given it in the weeks and months leading up!
Grit
I think a more common term for this is “mental toughness” instead of “grit.” Personally, I think “mental toughness” is too vague and often overused, so we’re going to stick with the term “grit” here instead. Grit is actually defined as “courage or resolve; strength of character” which is super applicable to sports, but especially individual sports, and especially combat sports like judo and jiu jitsu. When whether or not you succeed or fail is almost exclusively left up to you and defined in a moment where you stand alone by yourself, you’re going to need an extraordinary amount of courage and resolve to withstand good, bad, and everything in between. This is a tough thing to train, and even more difficult to teach. Oftentimes, you either have it or you don’t. But there are a few key components and tips and tricks that can really help cultivate this characteristic of grit. And it can take years to develop in adequate amounts, but ultimately I think individual athletes, and especially combat athletes start off in a really good position with preexisting levels of grit, cultivating it further is the fun part. It becomes a competition with you and yourself and you get to prove that you’re the grittiest, hardest working, scrappiest underdog every single day.
Competitive Mindset
The tips and tricks outlined above and soon to be elaborated upon will help create an incredibly solid foundation upon which you will be able to rely during challenging moments in your training and especially in your competitions. Ultimately, I want to give you some tips and tools so the following phrase rings true each and every time you step up to compete:
Have you done everything you possibly could to prepare? Then you have nothing to be worried about."
If you have done everything in your power to be in tip top physical and mental condition when you compete, (and by the way, this does include rest and recovery, we’ll touch on that too) then all you have to do is execute. That’s the fun part, where you get to showcase all of the hard work you did in the dark on the spotlight of the mats. Lastly, I also want you to think about that phrase every time you consider skipping a round, or a rep, or a mobility session. If you do everything you can to take care of your body, you’ll have nothing to worry about come match day. Use that as fuel to motivate you when motivation is low, when it’s easier not to do than to do. Work so hard during training that you don’t have a shadow of a doubt when you compete. Then be a champion.
In my high school homeroom, there was a slew of cheesy posters plastered to the walls. The only one I remember was this:
Shoot for the moon, and even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars
Fifteen-year-old me viewed that message with an eye roll. But I must’ve internalized it because ten years later, it is how I relay the message of visualization most effectively to younger athletes.
Believe It. Achieve It.
Visualization is a skill that has a massive payoff and potential, and yet is vastly underutilized in sports today. When we set our sights on the highest possible level of achievement (not what level you think is attainable, but the highest possible level) to the moon (so to speak), we create expectations far beyond what anyone else would dictate to be the capacity of our skill. What’s interesting is that our brains will believe what we tell it, provided we believe it to be true as well. In his bestselling book Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman wrote the following: “A message, unless it is immediately rejected as a lie, will have the same effect on the associative system regardless of its reliability…Whether the story is true, or believable, matters little, if at all.”
That is one of the coolest phenomenon’s I’ve ever encountered. Because you think something, your associative system genuinely thinks it’s possible. We can be our biggest cheerleader in this, and we can also be our own worst enemy. In sport and life, we talk about this idea of the “Self-Fulfilling Prophecy” and whether or not you believe in the good or the bad does seem to have an effect. Whether or not you believe you will succeed or fail can have an impact on whether or not you do.
Visualization As A Skill
What does this have to do with visualization? Well if you can create a detailed narrative of how a fight will go, anticipating attacks and defending them, anticipating your ultimate victory, and anticipating that feeling of happiness, fulfillment and relief…it turns out if you can imagine all of that, you’re more likely to experience it. And this is why visualization is the truest and realest secret weapon that athletes are just beginning to tap into.
I’ll leave you with this, one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite books, Legacy by James Kerr from his chapter “Expectations.” If you haven’t read it, I would highly recommend it for being aware of and then ultimately engaging the appropriate competitive mindset for any occasion.
“It pays to hoist our sights if we aspire to be world class: to create for ourselves a narrative of extreme, even unrealistic ambition. It doesn’t even matter if it’s true, or reasonable, or possible, it only matters that we do it.”
It seems the age-old adage remains true: “visualize to actualize.” Do me a favor, in the weeks leading up to it, before your next competition, spend an hour a week (split this up between two days, so two 30-minute sessions) setting the scene. Be in the arena, feel the mats beneath your toes. Look your opponent in the eye. Anticipate their every move. Counter their attacks. React to penalty calls. Keep your head on straight. Walk away victorious. Imagine that feeling. And do this over and over again in great detail. By the time you hit the mat for the competition, you will have already been there, and have already been successful there and you’ll feel comfortable, confident, and focused.
In my high school home room, there was a slew of cheesy posters plastered to the walls. The only one I remember was this:
Shoot for the moon, and even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars
Fifteen-year-old me viewed that message with an eye roll. But I must’ve internalized it because ten years later, it is how I relay the message of visualization most effectively to younger athletes.
Visualization is a skill that has a massive payoff and potential, and yet is vastly underutilized in sports today."
When we set our sights on the highest possible level of achievement (not what level you think is attainable, but the highest possible level) to the moon (so to speak), we create expectations far beyond what anyone else would dictate to be the capacity of our skill. What’s interesting is that our brains will believe what we tell it, provided we believe it to be true as well. In his bestselling book Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman wrote the following: “A message, unless it is immediately rejected as a lie, will have the same effect on the associative system regardless of its reliability…Whether the story is true, or believable, matters little, if at all.”
That is one of the coolest phenomenon’s I’ve ever encountered. Because you think something, your associative system genuinely thinks it’s possible. We can be our biggest cheerleader in this, and we can also be our own worst enemy. In sport and life, we talk about this idea of the “Self-Fulfilling Prophecy” and whether or not you believe in the good or the bad does seem to have an effect. Whether or not you believe you will succeed or fail can have an impact on whether or not you do.
What does this have to do with visualization? Well if you can create a detailed narrative of how a fight will go, anticipating attacks and defending them, anticipating your ultimate victory, and anticipating that feeling of happiness, fulfillment, and relief…it turns out if you can imagine all of that, you’re more likely to experience it. And this is why visualization is the truest and most real secret weapon that athletes are just beginning to tap into.
I’ll leave you with this, one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite books, Legacy by James Kerr from his chapter “Expectations.” If you haven’t read it, I would highly recommend it for being aware of and then ultimately engaging the appropriate competitive mindset for any occasion.
“It pays to hoist our sights if we aspire to be world class: to create for ourselves a narrative of extreme, even unrealistic ambition. It doesn’t even matter if it’s true, or reasonable, or possible, it only matters that we do it.”
It seems the age-old adage remains true: “visualize to actualize.” Do me a favor, in the weeks leading up to it, before your next competition, spend an hour a week (split this up between two days, so two 30-minute sessions) setting the scene. Be in the arena, feel the mats beneath your toes. Look your opponent in the eye. Anticipate their every move. Counter their attacks. React to penalty calls. Keep your head on straight. Walk away victorious. Imagine that feeling. And do this over and over again in great detail. By the time you hit the mat for the competition, you will have already been there, and have already been successful there and you’ll feel comfortable, confident, and focused.
Jiu Jitsu problems are so commonplace, it can feel like you never get a break from working through them when on the mats. In practice, that's a great trait! When you hit the mats for competition, you don't want to be pondering how to solve a problem. In competition you need to know what will work immediately! That's where techniques like countering a leg lasso to passing come in. Ultimately, you won't need to list a thousand different techniques in your head. You will need to know 1-3 good moves that will get you out of trouble when trouble arrives. Obviously, you'll need to be decent to proficient at these techniques and have full confidence that they'll work. With these ready to go in your back pocket, you'll be able to shut down your opponents position and entire game without hesitation.
The Lasso Guard
The lasso guard tends to be a difficult position for a lot of people. If we're speaking directly to you, don't worry, you're not alone here! This movement has helped guys like Travis Stevens a lot when it comes to dealing with "flexible" opponents in BJJ. It's also the simplest answer to the problem because you won't ever let your opponent set the lasso. You'll counter the movement before they ever get it.
Just like going fishing, your opponent will take the bait, hook, line, and sinker. And you'll be on your way to the podium by the time they figure it out."
The step-by-step components that follow will allow you to direct your training a little bit better. Once you have the basics down, it's just a matter of repetition through drilling!
A Few Key Points
Here are some key points that you should focus on if you want to be successful at stopping a lasso before it gets set:
Make sure you keep your elbows close to your ribs. This will shut down your opponent's ability to get their foot through and render them stranded in a manner of speaking.
If your elbow does open from your ribs (it happens) just make sure you create an angle that makes it as difficult as possible for them to place the hook in.
PRESSURE! And more pressure. And some more pressure. And a little bit more pressure.
When their foot makes a move to attempt the lasso, your job is to control it like there's no tomorrow. Control the lasso foot and you control their lasso attempt, and thus, the match.
Don't miss the grip on your opponent's foot! It should go without saying, but just in case, we said it.
A Final Thought
Countering a leg lasso to passing is one of those key techniques to have in your back pocket while on the mats. If you can sell it and lure your opponent into attempting the lasso with every intention of controlling them, you're in great shape! The video here with Travis Stevens will give you some great insight and help you to learn this technique well.
Getting really overly complicated with BJJ is all too common. Having a few ways to pass the guard with counters is a great way to combat that. Try this technique out among others and let us know how it goes!
--- Watch Below ---
The drop seio is one of the most common throws in judo at any level. Adding a component of left on right (i.e. same-sided) complicates the technique a little bit, but does not render it overall impossible. The left on right drop seio is just as basic to execute as opposite sided, the angles just change a little bit.
Travis Stevens executes the same sided drop seio with Jack Hatton. Both men are 81kg judo players. Make no mistake, they're both strong and explosive athletes. Jack and Travis are both as serious about their time in the gym as they are about their time on the mats. Lifting is important for judo players. As is maintaining and working on the mental side of your game. And nutrition. In fact, lifestyle of an elite athlete is incredibly important.
If you're an aspiring judo player, make sure you get all parts of your life in order. It will only help you on the mats. Take it from some of the best in the game!"
Key Details To Drop Seio:
Let's get back to the left on right drop seio and the details of this technique! A few steps you should aim to follow when doing this throw follow.
You MUST have inside control. You will need to make sure you have a strong post that is under your opponent's arm. When you later twist in to jack your opponent up on your toes, this positioning will come in handy.
Snap your opponent to the side. Do this while moving in front. The snap and front-move will enable you to turn, create whip, and drop down through. The STEP and WHIP is the most important part. This will create the speed you need to shock your opponent and complete the throw.
Drop through your opponents legs, never in front of them. If in front, they can counter easily. If through, they have no choice but to be thrown.
Common Mistakes To Drop Seio:
The left on right drop seio can be complicated if you ever get lost in what should be done. The common mistakes you want to make sure you don't do are as follows:
Dropping on the side of the leg
Not making a rotation
Not opening up your opponent to make a successful attack
A Final Thought
It isn't often we will tell you what not to do, but those mistakes are so common with the drop seio they're worth mentioning. Everyone has messed up throws before and ultimately, we will continue to do so. That's sport! And that's especially the nature of judo and judo throws. If you ever saw a ratio of throws tried versus throws that worked, me oh my we would all be shocked at how rarely throws actually work! That said, it is still incredibly important to practice correctly.
Take your time going through this video and make sure you really focus on what TO do, not what not to do. The left on right drop seio can be really beautiful and scary when executed correctly. Get a good training partner and drill over and over again. Be explosive, take care of yourself, and have some fun!
--- Watch Below ---
Let's be honest: going against a same sided opponent can overall be a real pain in the butt. Never is this more true than when getting the sleeve left vs. right side. That means if you are a righty and you're going against a lefty opponent, gaining access to their sleeve can seem like an impossible task. If your opponent is a little bit better than you are, this can be especially true! Superior opponents are not impossible to beat. You must come at them with everything you have. Brains and brawn need to combine in order to culminate in victory. Knowledge of every scenario, especially how to gain the sleeve, will put you in an advantageous position.
Judo players have run into this problem time and again. You get control inside and want to throw. And you could! If only it weren't for the frustration of not being able to get to the sleeve of your opponent. Sometimes if the grip is gained, it doesn't feel strong enough to finish the throw. Getting the sleeve left vs. right sided opponents can be a real head-scratcher. It doesn't have to be!
Travis Stevens goes over the technique in this video, it can help you and save you from years of frustration. Since the leg grab has been removed from judo, the use of this technique to get the sleeve will help you be able to fully commit to the throw.
When you fully commit here, you get a strong pull and off balance of your opponent.
All of which will ultimately lead to a higher likelihood of executing the throw, scoring points, and becoming a champion.
Key Details To Getting The Sleeve:
Make sure your post starts on the bottom. It is possible to execute from the top, but overall much more dangerous. If you start from the bottom, you set up a good foundation for the rest of this technique.
Speed Kills. If you're not familiar with this saying, get familiar! Using speed here will be far and away superior to any other method. Strength won't save you, speed will. The speed will get you the reaction you want out of your opponent and set up the grip (and eventual throw) nicely.
Trap the elbow. If you grab the end of the sleeve, that can be helpful, but the odds of you finishing well decrease significantly. If you focus on overshooting the elbow, you will have a higher percentage of ending up at the end of the sleeve. Ultimately you want to trap the elbow, so do that, nothing else.
A Final Thought
When caught going up against a talented same sided opponent, the technique in this video can save you. Getting the sleeve left vs. right handed opponents (thus, same sided) can be really frustrating if you don't know where to start. Luckily, this video exists, and it can really help you gain an advantage! An advantage can be the true game changer. Paired with some proper training and lifting to elevate your speed and power, it is a match made in heaven.
Execute the details. Drill over and over. Executing your training and this technique at full speed means you're on a really good track. Lastly, a good training partner will only help you get better. Find a great same-sided training partner for this technique and hit the mats!
--- Watch Below ---
Lasso Guard Passing
Encountering specialists in the guard can be a real pain when the clock is winding down. The lasso guard passing is a really useful tactic when coming across guard specialists. The lasso is something seen constantly in gi jiu-jitsu. It can be an excellent offensive tool in addition to a really effective stall tactic. The first time you come across in a match it shouldn't be the first time you're learning how to deal with it. Because the lasso guard can be so effective at stalling, it's important to have a few moves in your pocket to be able to pass it and shut it down quickly.
A Few Options
One of the best ways to pass the lasso guard is to make an effort to keep your opponent's knees together. By preventing them from opening their legs up, you shut down a lot of the offensive potential in the lasso. That's an excellent step, but doesn't cover it all.
Another thing to be mindful of is watching for them going underneath of "inverted" to set up all the potential attacks. It's super important you control this and nip it in the bud if your opponent makes that move.
Narrowing It Down
Ultimately what we're looking for here is narrowing down the options for how your opponent can attack. This will make the fight easier for you, though getting there is the tough part. Travis explains each component in detail in the video and it's definitely worth watching a few times over. Take your time and don't get frustrated. In the meantime, here are some important components.
Details of Lasso Guard Passing
Make sure you use both hands to control the leg. The legs are really strong especially when your opponent plays this guard a lot. We talked about being able to keep your opponent's legs together to narrow their options. This is crucial from the get-go. Use both hands and don't underestimate how strong legs can be.
Know the triangle and omapalata can happen and be aware. While working to narrow their options, a few more can briefly present themselves. Make sure you're aware of what can go wrong and how in order to give yourself the best shot at preventing it.
Sprawl with just the one leg to free the hook. Sometimes in this position, you will knee to do a hip car to get the hook off completely to get your opponent in butterfly guard. Mobility can help a lot with this!
Once they are in butterfly can you set up any pass you like from that position. The hard work is getting there, but the payoff is sweet.
Final Thoughts
Lasso Guard Passing can be pretty daunting and complicated when approaching it for the first time. Keep in mind what your opponent is capable of and be sure to have an answer for any potential attack. Once you have your opponent in the butterfly, you're free to move about them with authority. Drill any and every option in practice to make sure you know how to get out of sticky situations.
Travis explains even finer details in the video so make sure you watch it a few times through to really get the most out of it. And once you've incorporated lasso guard passing into your arsenal for a few months, come back to this video and see what more you can do! We're always learning, and that's the coolest part of judo and BJJ.
--- Watch Below ---
How to Get a High Grip on Same Sided Opponents
How to get a high grip on a same sided opponent is a conundrum as old as time. If you've ever struggled to get a high grip on a same sided opponent, you know what we're talking about. Same sided opponents, in general, can be a tough challenge. It can be really frustrating to go up against someone and feel like you're either in a stalemate. Or even worse, feel like you're losing because you can't manage to get a grip on them. In the technique in the video here, you'll find some useful tips for getting a grip on your same sided opponent. Travis Stevens (a right handed fighter) used this technique most often to get his right hand down the back of his opponents. See what he does in the video and be sure to follow our step-by-step as we break this technique down.
Power Grip Breakdown
Here are a few key points to be sure you pay attention to when trying to drill and execute this technique. Be sure to watch the video all the way through first. Then break it down into smaller bite-sized pieces.
Make sure you have a strong post. You don't want to allow your opponent to put any hand on the gi other than their same side (so right under righties arm or left under lefties arm)
Sidestep! Sidestepping will help you create a greater angle and make it much more difficult for your opponent to grab the gi. Space and control is key here.
When you throw your hand, try to make sure your bicep comes into contact with your opponent's face. This is a sneaky nuance but very important! You want to make sure you gather their head so you can pick it up! This will help you ultimately finish what you started.
A Word of Warning
You may run into the problem Travis Stevens constantly found. Sometimes your opponent won't take the grip under your arm because they know that the instant they do, you'll manage to ascertain that high grip. If you follow the step-by-step above, you're much less likely to run into this as an issue. But, as always, drilling it into oblivion will be extremely helpful in nailing it in competition.
A Final Thought
This technique and working to gain that high grip on your opponent is pretty simple to learn. Even better, it is fairly risk free as well. That's probably the most appealing part of it. Even if you end up missing your grip with your hand (right for righties, left for lefties) you're in a pretty good spot. You'll still manage to maintain a grip on your opponent's collar and your opponent will have no hands on your gi. If that isn't a recipe for success you may need to return to more basic judo!
--- Watch Below ---
ARM DRAG TO WHIP
You’re familiar with the phrase “less is more.” That same concept can be applied to takedowns for BJJ. You don’t have to have the fanciest and most elaborate takedown, you just have to have one that works. And execute it like an absolute savage.
TAKEDOWN SIMPLICITY
When it comes to a basic takedown, having a good mix of basic judo and basic wrestling is the best combination for future success. This is especially true when it comes to doing things on your feet. For BJJ, always remember your opponent wants to be on the ground. BJJ fights are rarely won on the feet, so you want to be on the ground too. But the difference is you want to be in control on the ground, not at the will of your opponent. The best way to ensure you’ll be in a position of control when you transition onto the floor is to make sure you have a killer takedown.
ARM DRAG TO WHIP - EXPLANATION OF EXECUTION
The Arm Drag to Whip is a super quick takedown and extremely effective against someone who wants to play on top, but is hoping that you’re the one to pull. Remember when we said we don’t necessarily need a complicated “bells and whistles” type takedown to get onto the floor? We just need something effective. That something that you can feel confident executing. This might just be the ticket for you.
The arm drag to whip includes a similar concept of sweeping someone as they’re trying to pull. This will get you to score two points. The difference though, is that the arm drag to whip is pretty much the exact opposite in execution (pretty big difference, bear with me). This means that when your opponent tries to lock up and wrestle or do judo, you quickly take them down to hinder their progress in this move.
SUMMARY
In short, you’re looking to gain control of your opponent’s arm. Then you want to use their resistance as leverage to pull your body around theirs. All the while maintaining control of their arm. When you step around them, the control of that arm turns into you snapping your elbow in tight. That will whip their hips past yours and ultimately you'll end up on the ground. Once there, you’re looking to cover and take control of the fight on the ground.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Sounds simple, right? That’s because it is! Once again, the beauty of this takedown is that it isn’t overcomplicated. It is simply executed with perfection that will ultimately win you points and submissions. That is, provided you capitalize on the opportunities you create for yourself.
A few final tips when trying this one out: Make sure you’re moving yourself around your opponent. You don’t want to try and drag your partner by you, that’s just wasted energy and won’t be effective. Second, try to get your free hand to your opponent’s opposite hip to really pull them past you. Third, make sure when you fall, you’re using gravity and really utilizing your grips to hang off of your opponent. And lastly, finish on top, don’t try and take the back. You just did all the work, stay on top and finish the job. Try it out and let us know how it goes!
--- Watch Below ---
When going up against same sided opponents, it can be eternally challenging to get a good grip on them. This is especially true if your opponent is playing exceptional defense and keeping you far. The action happens close up, so you need to find a way to get close. Doing Kosoto on same sided athletes can alleviate a lot of the struggle that occurs when going up against a same sided opponent. The best part? It is a fairly simple technique to learn, you just have to drill and drill again.
Travis and Kosoto
Travis Stevens used this throw a lot in international competition. He wasn't ever known for it because it never really resulted in a lot of scores, but that was never his intention afterall! Kosoto can be a super high-risk move. It is easily countered and doesn't result in a lot of scores. But, when fighting players who are keeping you at bay and not engaging in a lot of action, it can be a high-risk, high-reward type of move. Kosoto is also absolutely beautiful when executed well.
Kosoto Secrets
Kosoto is also great way to off balance your opponent, causing them to think twice about standing in such a defensive position. Ultimately, it mixes up the action and can play a huge role in getting you into a more advantageous position. After doing a throw like this, players are more likely to stand and face you, making it easier to pull off the throws that you feel more confident scoring with.
A Few Key Points
Your opponent has to be playing a strong defense to your forward throws, keeping you locked at an arms length on that same side. This can be endlessly frustrating, but don't let your frustration get the better of you. Kosoto can be high risk, but it can definitely yield really positive results if you execute it well. That strong defense by your opponent needs to be broken down if you stand a chance at scoring (and ultimately winning).
You're going to want to get the gi over their shoulder. Their defensive position makes this difficult, but knowing where you want to end up is really helpful in planning your way to get there. Look for opportunities and your line of attack to ensure a smooth delivery.
Make sure you chop your opponent behind the knee when taking a step. This is going to get your opponent off balance and give you the opportunity for optimal hand placement. Chopping the back of their knee while simultaneously hitting them hard will allow you to control their body and finish the throw.
Hit your opponent hard with your free hand either across the chest or the head. You can scoop underneath their arm or club them across the head. Either are great options depending on what you prefer as an athlete. Travis likes the head option and it can certainly be extra disorienting for your opponent to be thrown like that. Also, think about leverage and what will give you a greater chance at finishing the throw.
Final Thoughts
Going up against good defense can be super frustrating when all you want to do is score. Doing Kosoto on same sided athletes can be a really effective remedy for stalemates when done properly. Travis does a great job teaching the method here in this video. Learn the steps and, as always, keep on drilling!
Lastly, make sure you're recovering well and fueling your body with what it needs to be a champion!
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Low Single Shot
Oftentimes it can be really frustrating to be working an opponent who stays low. When your opponent has that naturally low resting stance, it can make it feel like you simply cannot get anywhere near them. The funny thing about this sport is we need to get close in order to do anything! This Low Single Shot is sneakily effective and can get you a lot of easy takedowns in Jiu-Jitsu. This isn’t something you can mix in all the time, but having an arsenal of takedowns that your opponent simply doesn’t see coming can be the reason you come off the mats victorious.
The Low Single Shot is pretty simple to learn, you don’t have to drill it too much before executing it at speed a few times. Once you’ve felt it out and worked it into live training, it becomes a tool you can go to whenever you need it. Additionally, it isn’t done all that often, but has a pretty high percentage of success because of that; it catches opponents off guard and sets you up for more combinations on the ground. Once you find yourself grappling and hand fighting to no end, the Low Single Shot can come into play and put you in an advantageous position over your opponent.
A Word To The Wise
As a quick disclaimer: This move won’t work very well against good wrestlers. That means national level or higher wrestlers, they just know how to work this kind of position better than most. One more important thing to know, your training partners are going to react in a wide variety of ways each and every time, some funny, some predictable, always something new. It’s good to try this move against a bunch of different people, so no one’s reaction ever catches you off guard when implementing it into live training or matches.
Also, consider where your weaknesses may come into play with this technique. The more mobile you can be, the better and faster you can execute the Low Single Shot, among many other BJJ techniques.
Let’s get into the nitty gritty! Here’s a few key points you should be focusing on when working the Low Single Shot technique.
Low Single Shot Step-By-Step:
Low Single Shot Step 1:
Your first move is to step back and load your back foot. This creates a spring that will allow you to shoot forward and add speed into your element of surprise when going for the ankle.
Low Single Shot Step 2:
Stay low and create a small angle. When you go for the ankle, imagine the heel is 12 o’clock and the toes are 6 o’clock, you want to make sure you hit it at 1 or 2 o’clock (creating that small angle). That will be the optimal position to get them to tip over. If you hit the ankle straight on, your opponent will be able to defend that attack much more easily than you expect. Find the right angle and the rest becomes a lot easier.
Low Single Shot Step 3:
Block your opponent’s heel. When you first shoot in on the ankle, focus on keeping your hand and forearm on the floor. This will render you stable, and make it tough for your opponent to escape from your grip on their ankle.
Low Single Shot Step 4:
Next, you’re going to want to slightly drive forward with your shoulder. Keep your head right where it started and shift your body weight into their lower leg. The moment you feel their weight going back, pull their heel out slightly but keep your hand on the floor.
Low Single Shot Step 5:
If these are all executed right, this should be able to knock your opponent down without them even leaving the floor (at least while drilling).
The Second Part
If your opponent is a quick reactor, or somehow knew what was coming, they’ll try to defend this technique using the body lock. They’ll hover over the top of you and use both hands to lock around your body and you better believe they’ll hold on for dear life. If this happens, the second part of this technique comes into play. This is where you’ll trap your opponent’s opposite leg and circle out around them on your head, putting you in the top position.
More than likely, you’ll have to go north to south in order to push the weak triangle your opponent has on your head off. When trying to circle out, make sure you do your absolute best to prevent them from crossing their foot behind their knee (so you avoid a stronger triangle). It is pretty easy to get out and around north to south when it’s just their ankles crossed, but anything tighter puts you in a little bit of trouble. Once you’ve moved yourself north to south, you can start working yourself up to pass the guard.
A Final Thought
Having some quick and easy takedowns in your toolbox can save you in the heat of a fight. Make sure you drill this technique until you feel comfortable taking it into live training. And again, make sure you trap the ankle, contact their shin with your shoulder, and back out for the takedown instead of continually driving forward.
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Breaking Down A Stiff Arm
Opponents who keep a firm grip on you with stiff arms are everywhere in judo. The beginning judo player is sure to have encountered this. Stiff arms essentially keep you at bay. The best bet you have in this fight is to gain an inside grip on your opponent's shoulder. This can then be used it to control them. Thereby methodically breaking down a stiff arm. This isn't quite like breaking grips, but is a really helpful technique just the same. In this step by step video, Travis breaks down the technique into bite size chunks. This will help deliver tangible goals to you.
Creating a Whip
Fighting is almost synonymous with tension and aggression. The truth is, one of the most important things for a fighter is to be relaxed. And it is extremely difficult to learn how to be relaxed and fighting all at once. The relaxation allows us to create elasticity. That elasticity is a "whip" feeling so many elite players are accustomed to creating. The reality is, it's a lot harder to do than they make it look! It's very difficult to be in a fight and simultaneously be relaxed at once. The whip comes from being relaxed up until the very moment they must tense at the end range and create an explosion. This is akin to a spring! This goes back to the stretch shortening cycle and is super common to find in strength training.
Tensing and the Judo Player
Ultimately, fear of getting thrown is what causes judo players to tense up and become stiff. Stiffness will lead to an inability to create elasticity, explosiveness, and whip. When your opponent is giving you a good stiff arm, it's because they are nervous and locked into fear. Take it as a good sign, even if you can't score. The real problem lies when we are losing and our opponent starts to stiff-arm us. They do this because they don't have to really do anything in order to win other than hold on. This is where breaking down a stiff arm comes into play big time. We have to force the action and take some risk in order to score.
Breaking down a stiff arm isn't utilized as often as it could be, so definitely learn it and use it to your advantage.
If you're exceptional at creating that whip, at being relaxed and aggressive all at once, this technique can yield some really excellent results for you. Below are some keep points that you can focus on when learning to execute breaking down a stiff arm.
Key Points
Make sure you have two hands on your opponent. This not only helps you control them, but it gives you an opportunity to regain control if they counter your attempt to break them.
Try to make sure you have a steady tension on your opponent. Again this doesn't have to be a death grip, but that steady tension will lead you to create the whip that you want momentarily.
Circle toward your strong hand. Whichever is your dominant side, that's the direction you want your opponent going in. That way you can be extra certain you're maintaining control.
Attack the elbows. Don't pull them straight in but try and focus on widening their elbows. This opening will allow you to execute the rest of the break with relative ease.
Final Thoughts
Breaking down a stiff arm is a lot simpler than it may initially feel when you encounter a fighter keeping you at a literal arm's length. Securing that inside grip and driving your dominant hand up in order to circle your opponent is super hard to counter. That puts you in a really advantageous position, provided you've laid down the foundation and done everything in the right order. This can be super challenging in the moment, but very rewarding when you've regained some control and really re-entered the fight.
Another consideration is how well you can already create whip. If it's not great, it may be worthwhile to work on some strength and mobility, you just might surprise yourself! Keep in mind, being relaxed until you need to be explosive is going to give you the best chance at creating that elastic whip. Think about lengthening those muscle fibers with relaxation and then tensing abruptly and all at once, that's power! That's an explosion!
Give some thought to what we've presented here and see how well you put these words into play on the mats. Breaking down a stiff arm is a simple concept, and can be easy in execution if you're explosive and ready to fight!
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The triangle choke submission is a really handy tool in a BJJ player's belt. Ultimately, it can be the deciding factor in a match. True competitors love submissions and utter domination. A mistake that is all too common, especially for novice athletes, is to celebrate too soon. In BJJ, this can be a devastating and costly mistake that can ultimately cost you the match. The best way to combat it is to shift your mentality to always be fighting. No matter how sure you think the victory may be. The easiest way to identify an athlete who celebrates too soon is to see how they react once they’ve passed a guard. Passing the guard is the easy part during a BJJ match (though sometimes it may not seem that way). The problem starts once the guard has been passed. This is when you must secure the submission, and also when things get hard.
SUBMISSION HUNTING
In BJJ, it’s common to see players rely on the “points” awarded to them during the match in order to win. If there was ever a “safe bet” tactic in BJJ, this is that. Very few players enter a match looking for a submission. They’re looking to win based on points. While a win certainly is a win no matter how you get there, there’s something to be said for getting into the proper position. And just going for a full on submission from there. The triangle choke submission is a great option here. The risk to reward ratio is higher. But sometimes playing that risk is fun, and the payoff is huge.
DEFENSIVE DANCE
How many times have you encountered an exceptionally defensive opponent? Everything you do they have an answer for and the match starts to feel like a stalemate? It’s easy to get frustrated in these moments. But just remember, your opponent is doing that to prevent you from advancing. And you advancing is just what they fear. It is your job to quickly identify exactly what they’re doing that is preventing you from advancing. That takes a lot of practice and a lot of conversations with your coach. If you haven't already, be sure to ask your coach about the triangle choke. Learn this technique together if you want, but definitely learn it.
Make sure you take notes before and after matches and practices to keep pushing yourself to get better at identifying various defense mechanisms early on. Once you’ve become a master at identifying those, you need to have an equally effective solution to remove the problem from the grappling equation. Thereby rendering your opponent defenseless and opening the door for you to score.
TRIANGLE SET UP
That’s where the Arm Pin comes in. This is a crowd pleaser, and easier to do than most think. Not only that, but it also can be utilized in a wide variety of situations on the mats. Let’s talk details. By pinning your opponent’s arm, you take away any chance they had at either defending or countering. You also buy time to think, plan, and attack (quickly). You allow yourself to focus on the things that matter. Things like scoring, and (even better) submitting! The simplicity of an arm pin gives you a huge advantage because you then can start to hunt for the submission.
By rendering your opponent’s arm useless, you give yourself ample opportunities to score. Additionally, if you’ve ever had your arm pinned yourself, you know how it feels and you know how debilitating it truly can be. It’s a pretty nerve wracking feeling and can momentarily cause panic to set it. While you should never panic on the mats, knowing you are inflicting momentary fear into your opponent should give you confidence, now you just have to finish the job.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The arm pin can put you in a solid position for one of three potential submissions. A wrist lock, triangle, or the armbar are all options following a successful arm pin. What you decide to follow it will depend on your positioning, strengths, and comfort level as a BJJ player. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try out various scenarios and submissions following the arm pin. Play to your strengths and get the job done!
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If you haven’t heard of Angie Delgado yet, you’re about to know her name as familiarly as the best professional athletes you follow. Angie is the number 1 ranked athlete in the United States in Judo. THE number one, meaning she currently outranks all other male and female athletes in the US! As if that weren’t enough, Angie competed in the 2016 Olympics and represented the US in the 52kg category. If her accolades didn’t speak highly enough about her, wait until you see what she can do on the mats. Her specialty is The Koshi Garuma to Ouchi Gari.
In this video, Angie describes and executes one of her favorite combinations: Koshi Garuma to Ouchi Gari. Watch once first all the way through, and then re-watch to really grasp all of the details she throws into this combo. Much like a refined palate can pick out the initial taste of food, and goes back for a second bite for the equally important undertones profiles of the dish; this combination is packed with flavor and personality. Speaking of food, among the many things Angie does well, eating right is right up there with them. As a fighter, what you fuel your body with is of utmost importance. Without further ado, let's get started!
A Career in Sales
In this combination, a successful result relies on real commitment from both players. That means that the assailant (in this case, Angie) has to really sell and attempt the first throw, as if it were her true aim (the first throw referring to the Koshi Garuma). Once Angie sells it, her partner (in this case, Adonis, also a number 1 ranked US athlete in the 60kg division) has to give her a real reaction in defending the forward throw.
Newton’s Laws of Motion
Let’s take a brief moment here to throw it back to high school science class. Whether or not you paid attention to them, Newton’s Laws of Motion are in play whenever we are. In this case, the best example is Newton’s Third Law. Simply put: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Angie cites this law in the video (looks like she paid attention in science class) and it is a really fitting description for what she is doing.
The Breakdown
By selling the first throw, she’s able to get an equal and opposite reaction out of Adonis, that reaction is what allows her to execute the Ouchi Gari using Adonis’ reaction against him. How does she do this so well? And what can you take away from this step-by-step? We’re glad you asked!
Step 1 Koshi Garuma to Ouchi Gari:
First and foremost, you have to make a committed first throw, which forces your opponent to block. Your ability to sell this throw, and their subsequent reaction, is what sets up a successful Ouchi Gari. Without you selling the Koshi Garuma, the Ouchi Gari doesn’t happen. This combination can be deadly to your opponent, but you have to set it up right.
Step 2 Koshi Garuma to Ouchi Gari:
Once you’ve sold the Koshi Garuma and your opponent takes the bait, take a step and pivot back into them and get your head close to theirs. It is very important that your head is on the opposite side as the leg you are reaping, so pay very close attention to your head placement when you spin back into your opponent.
Step 3 Koshi Garuma to Ouchi Gari:
Now the fun part: Sweep the leg! Keep contact and maintain pressure on your opponent’s chest through the duration of the sweep. Angie sticks to Adonis like glue in this video, not giving an inch and doing everything she can to support the work she just did.
Step 4 Koshi Garuma to Ouchi Gari:
Your landing is critical, by ensuring you land smoothly and maintain that chest pressure on your opponent, you give yourself the best chance at staying in control and finishing the job. It’d be foolish to not take advantage of a well-executed combination like this, the easiest way to lose it at the last moment (and you better believe it is easy) is to forget to maintain chest pressure on your opponent. Don’t make that mistake!
Combination throws are underutilized and vastly underestimated skills. When doing judo, it’s extremely important to have a super strong arsenal of combination throws. How many times have you been doing judo and felt like your opponent knew each and every move you were throwing at them? With a well-executed combination, you can trick your opponent and rack up scores, and find a way to win.
Misdirection and Trickery
Misdirection is sometimes the best way to get scores. Really selling throws, tricking your opponent and catching them off guard is the way to do it. Angie does a great job misdirecting Adonis into thinking she is fully committing to a forward direction. Little does Adonis know, she has no intention on carrying out the full Koshi Garuma. Adonis plays a strong defense, which is just what Angie wanted (and needed) and by the time she shifts her momentum and transitions into the Ouchi Gari, it is too late for Adonis and Angie scores with her backward technique.
A Final Thought
The cool part about combinations is that they can be unique to the individual. While most combinations have been tried and experimented with, you get to decide which works for you and which ones you can really sell and score with. So get off the internet, get to the mats, and try a few out! Let us know how they go.
If you’re looking to be the best at what you do, it’s pretty important that you take the time to learn from the best. Adonis Diaz is a National Judo Champion, ranked number 1 in the 60kg division, and is currently training for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. One of Adonis’ best throws? The Drop Seoi Nage. Adonis’ mastery of this technique has enabled him to throw countless opponents in international judo competitions and find success in a number of tournaments. Take the time to learn from his technique, and you will be on your way to mastering the Drop Seoi Nage throw too.
Drop Seoi Nage Speed vs. Power
The trick to Drop Seoi Nage throw is speed, not power. Power is a helpful component for Judo players, but in this particular throw you don’t necessarily need to be the most powerful person on the mats. Instead, it is very important that you come at this with speed! Before that, though, let’s break it down into bite-size chunks, take it a little at a time, and add speed in as you get comfortable with the technique.
Drop Seoi Nage The BreakdownAdonis breaks down Drop Seoi Nage step by step and the key details follow. It’s one thing to learn by reading and watching video, it’s an entirely different thing to learn by doing. Make sure that as you learn these techniques, you’re executing them on the mats as well. That should go without saying, so without further ado, The Drop Seoi Nage:
Drop Seoi Nage Step 1:
The first place to start this throw is by controlling the very end of your opponent’s sleeve in order to ensure you have the inside control. Drop Seoi Nage sets the tone of the throw and will become increasingly more important down the road, so make sure you start right so you can finish strong.
Drop Seoi Nage Step 2:
Next up, you’re going to need to get your hips underneath your opponent. Part of Adonis’ success in this throw comes from his immaculate positioning. He manages to maintain contact and control with just one knee down. Take note of that, because not only is it impressive, but it’s important for the rest of the throw.
Drop Seoi Nage Step 3:
Ready for the speed part? Explode in an upward direction as fast as possible in order to take your opponent’s feet out from underneath them. They’re in the air, and you’re in control. A common mistake here is allowing your head to descend toward the mat when driving your opponent; don’t do that! The more control you maintain the better this throw will go for you. Notice how powerful and explosive Adonis is here. He drives up so powerfully that his knee actually comes off the mat and all of that drive is coming from his one planted foot. The power and importance of single leg strength training for the judo player is revealed in this type of unilateral stance.
Drop Seoi Nage Step 4:
When you and your opponent land, the job isn’t done yet. Make sure you maintain contact throughout and you land with your back still on your opponent’s chest. Giving them space will lead to trouble (and quickly). The best thing for you to do in order to remain in control is to stay tight to your opponent, don’t let them have too much space, keep the pressure on them and stay in control.
The best part about this technique is that, when executed properly, athletes of varying abilities can find success with it. You don’t have to be as explosive as Adonis for this throw to work well for you, you just have to be able to move your body decisively and execute the technique. Additionally, a lot of the power Adonis uses here comes from the speed at which he enters the throw, so consider that you don’t always need to be explosive, but you do need to have an element of speed in order for this throw to work well. Study this technique, and then go explore it, find the way you can best get it done, and make it work for you.
Before you go, we mentioned in step three how impressive Adonis’ single-leg strength was. In most sports, but especially in judo, you’re relying on the strength of one limb independent of the other as you go about executing technique, combinations, and throws. While a lot of this strength can be developed on the mats, it is equally important to work on your craft in the weight room as well. The best judo players in the world spend time lifting weights and developing strength outside of the dojo. The reality is that it supplements your precision, strength, and technique on the mats. Don’t be afraid of the weight room, use it to your advantage!
A Final Thought
Lastly and above all, be assertive with your decisions on the mat and fully commit to your Drop Seoi Nage. Learn from the best, then go experiment with the throw and incorporate it as your comfort and ability grows and improves.
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ARM DRAG TO KOUCHI GARI
When it comes to simple and effective takedowns, arm dragging is probably ranked among the highest on that list. Especially when it comes to players who might not have as much experience on their feet. The arm drag is easy to do and even easier to learn (which is no small feat for BJJ takedowns). And the best part? It’s pretty risk-free if done properly. The only real counter for an arm drag is getting re-dragged by your opponent. This takes a lot of anticipation, knowledge, and skill on your opponent’s part. Meaning, getting re-dragged by your opponent is unlikely at lower belts, but definitely something you’ll encounter as you move up belts. Without further ado, we present the Arm Drag to Kouchi Gari.
Kouchi Gari
Arm drags by themselves set you up for some really incredible opportunities to score. A super effective combination is the arm drag to Kouchi Gari, which will be presented here. The basic concepts are pretty simple, as soon as you’ve gained control of your opponent’s arm, sweep to underhook on the backside, and step in between their legs. Make sure you don’t stomp to the floor with the leg you step with, you want to hook under your opponent’s leg so you can drive them to the floor. Once they’ve hit the floor, quickly tuck your elbow to avoid the Omoplatas. Then pin their knee to protect your lead leg and help create the pressure to ensure you’re fully in control.
The technique is broken down step by step. We want to make sure you know exactly what you're doing here. The video will also help, but make sure you watch it once all the way through and then break it down into bite size chunks. And, above all, once you start drilling it, start slow and then add speed. As you gain confidence in the technique, your ability to execute it properly will improve drastically.
ARM DRAG TO KOUCHI GARI BASIC STEPS
With how simple the arm drag is, the basic steps of it don’t take a lot to learn, but they could be a game changer for you. Take a look at our step by step guidelines for the Arm Drag to Kouchi Gari and make sure to let us know if you have any questions after!
Arm Drag to Kouchi Gari Step 1:
You want to make sure you control the wrist of your opponent. This is first and foremost and will ultimately make or break you when using this technique. Without that initial wrist control, there's zero chance this turns out well for you. So control the wrist. Got it? Good.
Arm Drag to Kouchi Gari Step 2:
As you feel comfortable bring your free hand to your opponents tricep. Don’t pull it too hard, you just want to sell the motion and gain a reaction. Remember, everything you do will be retaliated with an equal and opposite reaction. That means you just need to make your opponent take the bait, no need to over act (or they'll overreact).
Arm Drag to Kouchi Gari Step 3:
After your opponent reacts, make sure you get your far side in the under hook position. This will set up the rest of the technique exceptionally well if done right. Also, this is far and away easier to do when wearing proper and comfortable gear.
Arm Drag to Kouchi Gari Step 4:
Don’t make the mistake of placing your foot on the floor. This move does require a full commitment from the offensive player. Make sure you don't stomp or (again) try to over-sell something. Just do what is necessary to get your opponent to fully commit and you'll be in great shape for what comes next. Without them taking the bait, this gets way harder to execute well.
Arm Drag to Kouchi Gari Step 5:
Once you hit the floor you have to make sure you tuck your under hook to avoid your partner attacking your arm during the takedown. This will prevent any counter dragging or any attempts at a counter, so finish strong with step 5 and you'll be on your way to the podium!
Once you get good at this basic arm drag combination, the world is your oyster! There are endless options from that arm drag. You can build an entire system of attacks off of that one simple move. Arm drags even work well into offensive guard pulls. Don’t be afraid to play around with different combinations and really find what works well for you. Also always remember that the best BJJ you can do is the best BJJ for you. Meaning don't try to be anyone else, just work within your strengths (and weaknesses) in order to execute in the best possible way you can. And when you find what works for you, execute it like an animal! Once you find what’s comfortable, you can build on it more and more and capitalize when the right time comes.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Arm drags have endless possibilities and are an easy, efficient, and fast way to get your opponent to the ground and gain control of the situation. Once you’ve mastered the basics, don’t be afraid to play around with different combinations and find out what works for you. Add your own spin and personal touch and execute with confidence every time you hit the mats.
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Do you remember learning Harai Goshi when you first began? Think back for a moment and recall what you were taught.
Harai Goshi gets taught in a multitude of different ways. In the tips that follow, you're sure to remember learning the technique initially, and maybe pick up a few new and improved methods for executing them as well. What's more is we have Kelita Zupancic, 2x Olympian, executing the lesson here! Who better to learn from than she? Ultimately, regardless of whether or no you like Harai Goshi or feel like you can utilize and identify with the throw, the video, Kelita, and the FUJI team put together a really effective step by step. Think twice before you write Harai Goshi off!
This video highlights the main fundamental principles of Harai Goshi as a throw. The details Kelita speaks to in this video are what your focus should definitely be on when drilling. When you are drilling Harai Goshi, make sure you focus on the smaller finite parts of the throw.
Have you ever heard the phrase "The beauty is in the details?" That old adage applies to life, sports, and especially judo more than anything! Once you drill the basics of Harai Goshi over and over, the rest of the big picture can be applied much more easily. Focus on the key technical points Kelita outlines, hit the mats, and then let us know how it goes!
Harai Goshi Breakdown:
In this video, Kelita Zupancic, 2x Olympain from Canada is going to teach you how she likes to utilize Harai Goshi.
A few things to pay super close attention to before we get started:
The grips she is using as well as how she manages to get the proper reaction out of her opponent.
Kelita has been using Harai Goshi for years on the international competitive stage. Make no mistake, she's an absolute animal when it comes to executing it. And without a doubt, the best person to learn this technique from. Here are some of the key details that this former World #1 athlete has when executing Harai Goshi:
Harai Goshi Step 1:
The first step to Harai Goshi is starting with a proper grip! The hand on the sleeve should be rolled underneath your opponent's arm rather than on top. Also, notice that Kelita likes to pull the head down so that her partner is forced to stand up. If you are struggling to get to this grip. When you're first starting out with Harai Goshi it's easiest to learn standing in a static position with our partners stationary. With such a technique and so many moving pieces, it is best to learn step by step and when there are limited distractions.
As with anything, we add speed as we continue drilling it and getting more and more proficient at it. As we get better and you think you might be ready for randori, take a moment and try it moving first. Ultimately, the power from this throw comes from having impeccable timing. So make sure that you are a master of each component before adding speed and complexity to it.
Harai Goshi Step 2:
Once Kelita's opponent starts to stand, she focuses on a big high pull, using her opponent's momentum against them. A common mistake made here is pulling forward and not up. It is super important that you pull UP and not forward with this technique. Reason being, we do not want our opponents reacting in a backward direction. Which will be the case if we pull forward. An upward pull will get our opponents to squat or try and move out of the way as a reaction. Think about what you want your opponent to do, and what you'd need to do in order to get them to react as such. That's the basis for any good technique, and it is true here as well!
Harai Goshi Step 3:
The key to getting this throw is to make sure you have a good strong rotation into the throw. Make sure that your back is to your partner's chest and you sweep low on the leg to finish the technique. This is the number one most common mistake for most athletes when attempting Harai Goshi. Now while we are trying to do randori we may not need a full rotation to score. It is super important to note that when you're drilling, you have to train a full range of motion. This will ensure that we strengthen all the possible muscles in their deepest respective ranges needed in order to get the technique to work.
Training Harai Goshi
There are a lot of different ways to do Harai Goshi. Every elite level athlete takes the basics and tweaks them just a little to fit their own body. This is to better suit their particular strengths, and avoid any weaknesses simultaneously. Kelita, in particular, does an exceptional job at bringing the focus of each technique back to it's very young roots. She then viciously executes the basics in order to get the most out of each technique. She does this especially well with one of her all time specialties seen here, Harai Goshi.
A Final Thought
Something to keep in mind for novice to elite level athletes: If a technique is not working for you make sure you take a step back and look at the basic principles. This will help you to see where and how you went wrong. More often than not, a simple examination of mainstay techniques will lead you right back to the problem. For complicated techniques with so many moving parts, those very finite principles and basic components to the throw are usually what we leave off when we lose focus. Make sure you return to your starting point and execute the basics exceptionally well. And, when you do, you may just be the next up and coming Kelita Zupancic. But you'll have to bring it up with her!
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Why is grip fighting important? Grip fighting helps determine everything from the tempo of a match to winning and losing. When focusing on grip fighting, we want to make sure we're blending offensive and defensive gripping. This makes sure that we are comfortable and able to grip, no matter what position you find yourself in. A lot of folks tend to think grip fighting is centered around "not letting opponents grab your gi." That's not the case. Grip fighting is ultimately the act of grabbing your opponent's gi where YOU desire. And doing so without letting them grab your gi in such a way that prevents you from attacking. So in order to grip fight, you have to have a good back and forth. This is why we focus on both offensive and defensive gripping when drilling.
Breaking Grips
Breaking grips can be a problem for everyone in the martial arts world who wear a gi. BJJ athletes need to know how to grip fight as much as Judo athletes do! There are a few ways to get your opponents grip off your gi. The first of which is by pure force. Being a lot stronger than your opponent makes breaking grips easy because you don’t have to worry too much about them countering you with a throw or controlling you. Strength matters.
Good grip fighters are masters at controlling not only the gi but the person wearing it as well."
When someone knows how to grip your sleeve, you feel like you can’t use your entire arm because they have set their grip. That's power! That's control! And that's why what we are going over is using our whole body to break the grip. Even if it's a grip of an opponent that has it established.
Grip Fighting Key Points:
Grip fighting means just that "grip fighting!" Don’t change your stance stand your ground and fight for the grip you want.
You have to have a grip on with your opposite side hand it helps break the grips. As you go to pull your hand out make sure you are pushing with the hand on the collar to break the grip.
Create motion. Try to never break a grip while standing still it can be very difficult.
Final Thoughts
One thing to keep in mind when grip fighting or breaking grips is every grip has a different break. Every key has its keyhole, every job has its right tool, every person has their match. This grip break technique works very well against players who take a traditional judo grip on the bottom of your sleeve. Grips like Catz Paws and Pistol Grips have different breaks which you can find in other videos on FUJI. When going up against opponents who may be bigger or stronger than us, it's super important to use our bodies and leverage what we can. This puts us in the best possible position for success.
Drill breaking grips as often as you can and remember to do it from both an offensive and defensive position. This is something that will span combat sports from judo to BJJ and beyond. Get a handle on grip breaking!
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Basic Triangle Choke
When learning and finishing a basic triangle choke, there's a bunch of details that can fall to the wayside. This is a really fun and effective technique that novice to advanced athletes can learn alike. A common phenomenon is athletes initiating, but being unable to finish the triangle choke. The video that follows will help raise your level of understanding of what it takes to actually finish your triangle choke. Most athletes “know” how to do a triangle choke but tend to skip over the important details. The details are where the meat and potatoes of this technique lie. If you truly want to get good and raise the percentage of finished with a basic triangle choke you should drill, drill, drill. And then drill again. And drill one more time.
When you are drilling this new technique, it is super important that you focus on the basics of the triangle choke. It’s very easy to focus on the first few techniques but as you speed up and get comfortable with the movements we tend to drop off when it comes to the true form of the technique. Below you can find some of the key details that you should be focusing on while drilling. Make sure that you take your time drilling and add speed as you become more proficient.
The Triangle Choke Breakdown
Triangle Choke Step 1:
Start by setting up the triangle choke with proper grips and foot placements. This is going to set up the rest of the technique and where you start is where you finish. Meaning start flawlessly, finish perfectly.
Triangle Choke Step 2:
Take the foot on the bicep and shoot it to your opponent's neck. Use your hands to pull your opponent down. Grips are important, as is hand placement. Drill it early and drill it often.
Triangle Choke Step 3:
Lock the triangle down by locking your legs and getting an under hook with your far arm. Once this is done, you're in charge, now be unrelenting and get ready to finish it.
Triangle Choke Step 4:
Make sure you make the adjustment and cut the right angle. At first, it’s okay to put your foot on the floor but try and get to a point where you don’t have to do that. Mobility helps, always! Make sure you can look down your opponents’ ear. When you can, you know you're in the right position.
Triangle Choke Step 5:
When you are looking to finish the choke, you want to make sure that your foot gets behind your knee. You can see that in this image here really well. If you can mimic that in your drilling, and then in competition, you're in a good spot!
Pulling it All Together:
One of the things you should focus on when you drill is short repetitions in duration, but a lot of reps. When initially learning techniques, try spending more time being a partner rather than doing the actual drill. One of my favorite drills is a three person drill where one person does a triangle choke for one minute with two partners. The idea here is to give two people and active rest while working. This type of drilling helps athletes remember the steps repeatedly.
So, for the white and blue belts who don’t have all the basic Jiu-Jitsu techniques down perfectly this type of drilling will help them remember the techniques more times in one session. Normally athletes drill it one time or two times in a session. This drill for a basic triangle gets athletes to not only think about what they need to do quickly multiple times. It also focuses on teaching athletes what they need to do to help their training partners learn the techniques. Hoping in turn that they understand what they need to look for to get and finish the basic triangle.
Repetition, of technique, of mantras, of form and so on, is ultimately what will guide you to the podium. Good, quality reps will ensure that you improve gradually to the point where you become a champion.
Training Program for Triangle Choke - Visit FUJI Fit's website here: Fitness
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
A
X
B
X
C
X
X = The training partner who is doing the choke
One minute working time set on the clock with a 15-second break
That means that each set only takes 3:45 to complete (with room for a collective 15-second break at the end). In that time span, you'll average about 10 techniques, which comes out to a lot of reps. The rest period serves as a more active rest where they recover but are still participating in the drill. I like this drill because it forces my white belts to remember quickly what the steps are that they need to do immediately. Ultimately, this will reinforce muscle and technical memory and the retention of the basic triangle choke.
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My guess is you read the headline and immediately recognized and imagined your favorite version of Osoto Gari. Something everyone can agree on is Osoto Gari is a very common judo throw at all levels of judo. From the local grassroots judo, all the way to the Olympic stage. It is so versatile and familiar in the world of judo, it's almost comforting to think about it!
There are a lot of different ways to do throws like Osoto Gari. But if you want any of them to work you should have a strong understanding of the basics before attempting to learn some of the more advanced techniques that are seen in this video and a lot of other videos you will find on the internet.
Angie Delgado and Osoto Gari
Angie Delgado is the top performing athlete in the United States for Judo currently in the year of 2018. The Osoto Gari that Angie Delgado displays in this video is a great variation of the basic version that hopefully, we all know already. When your first starting out learning judo things can seem difficult. Once you get the hang of it you will start to see some success when doing Randori.
Once you have started to have some success with your basic throws the real struggle will begin with your judo training. With success in the way of throwing people, your training partners will start to make some adjustments. It’s when people are adjusting the basic throws that you want to start getting into the different types of Osoto Gari’s you could learn. Here is a little breakdown and key points of Angie Delgado’s Osoto Gari.
"Basics win championships"
Key Points of Osoto Gari:
Osoto Gari Step 1:
Angie likes to start off the throw by being in the same stance as her opponents. Here she can control her opponent's sleeve and neck. When she does this, she's in the ultimate position of power. Take note.
Osoto Gari Step 2:
Angie likes to make sure that she pulls her opponents head down hard and traps it in her elbow. She makes a major effort to, and emphasizes her ability to control her opponent's head. This is often an overlooked detail with Osoto Gari.
Osoto Gari Step 3:
The pull is one of the most important parts of doing Osoto Gari. This still shot may seem mundane and basic, but there are a lot of details in this photo that are important to pay attention to.
Angie's foot placement – She has stepped past her opponents’ foot.
Angie is ear to ear with the person she is trying to throw
Angie has a strong pull because of her opponent's left foot coming off the ground.
Watch how upright Angie is here. That's impressive!
Osoto Gari Step 4:
The leg sweep is extremely important when doing Osoto regardless of the variation you are looking to execute. More importantly, one of the most overlooked points of reference in an Osoto Gari is eye placement. Where we look is extremely important. Check out Angie's eye placement. She is looking right where she should be which is where she wants to throw her partner. Where we look dictates where we move and how, don't underestimate the importance of it.
We can see in the photo Angie is looking toward the mat over her opponent’s shoulder. This, in turn, will help her off balance her opponent and raise the percentage of scores tori will have.
Osoto Gari Step 5:
Angie Delgado makes a strong point in the video to plant her foot on the ground when doing her Osoto Gari. This is something that most instructors never teach or strongly tell you not to do. Angie, however, makes a point to put her foot down when doing the throw. This is awesome and innate with her and true competitors and athletes. While not the focus of the throw, this is a super important detail to incorporate as you become proficient in the technique!
Osoto Gari Step 7:
Here is a great shot showing how Angie likes to keep her foot on the floor when powering throw her throw.
Final Thoughts
Remember the most important key to getting this technique to work is having a firm understanding of the basics! The advanced techniques are very pretty and sometimes elusive, but you have to make sure you have a solid foundation first. Angie is a high-level judo player who is training to make the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She's an exceptional example. Definitely take her cues and learn from her, but make sure you're a master of the basics first!
Once you start drilling Osoto Gari and become more and more proficient in it, let us know how these tips and tricks have worked for you. It is also a great idea to come back to this post as you become a more advanced athlete to see how it can continue to help you further your training.
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Xande Ribeiro signs partnership with FUJI Sports to develop new product line and sponsorship
FUJI Sports is proud to announce a new multi-year athlete partnership with Jiu-Jitsu World Champion, Xande Ribeiro. Xande has had a long and illustrious career in Jiu-Jitsu, and FUJI Sports is excited to begin a collaborative effort with Xande who will serve as a global brand ambassador and technical advisor for the company’s jiu-jitsu line of products.
“I am so happy to be part of FUJI in this level of my career,” commented Xande.
“Being part of a company with over 50 years of experience, surrounded by amazing professionals, martial artists, Olympians and a product that it is outstanding, makes me so excited about our partnership and bring to the BJJ world a product that they can trust. Looking forward to many years of amazing stories and being embraced by an armor that will endure and allow me to give it an extra push in my next adventures.”
To date, Xande is a 4th Degree Black Belt, a 7-time Black Belt World Jiu Jitsu Champion, a 2-time Black Belt World Absolute Champion, a 2-time ADCC World Champion, and an IBJJF Hall of Fame member, among many other accolades. He is revered by many as one of the top all around Jiu-jitsu fighters of all time. Xande is also one of the original founders of the Ribeiro Jiu Jitsu Association along with his brother, Saulo. The two also founded the University of Jiu Jitsu and teach out of their current RJJA Headquarters. Additionally, the RJJA currently has over 50 affiliates spanning across the entire the world including in Brazil, Canada, USA, Europe, and Asia.
Hatashita/FUJI Sports believes in building and inspiring a community of players dedicated to their own goals and providing them with great products every step of the way. True to its roots in Japanese tradition and heritage, Hatashita/FUJI Sports aims to continue to provide high quality products at the best possible prices to the global marketplace to continue to grow the sport.“FUJI Sports is a brand with Japanese tradition and heritage. It is important that our global brand ambassadors have superb character, respect and help others, and give back to their sport,” Jimmy Pedro, 4-time Olympian turned US Olympic Judo Coach, and spokesman for FUJI Sports, said in a statement. “Xande is a great person, a true warrior and a great fit for the culture of our company. Our plan is to collaborate with Xande to develop a completely new line of jiu jitsu products aimed at the serious competitor,” Pedro went on to say. “We are honored and excited that Xande has chosen to work exclusively with FUJI Sports.”
A Well-Deserved Recognition
Jimmy Pedro Wakefield, Massachusetts | September 13, 2018
On September 18, 2018, Jimmy Pedro will be the first ever American judoka to be inducted into the International Judo Federation Hall of Fame. In Baku, Azerbaijan, a celebration and commemoration is in store for one of the most profound American judoka in history. Jimmy Pedro’s name, and more importantly honorable character, will be recognized alongside first inductee members Dr. Jigaro Kano, David Douillet, and Kosei Inoue among others. Inductee names were submitted to the IJF and voted upon by the IJF Hall of Fame Selection Committee.
Unprecedented Achievement
Throughout his long athletic career, Jimmy consistently embodied relentless spirit, respect, and dedication for the sport. He balanced his responsibilities as an athlete, father, husband, coach, and role model all while training, competing, and coaching at the Olympic level. Pedro’s admirable perseverance and focus yielded career accomplishments that had never been obtained by any other athlete in the United States. Jimmy Pedro’s nature of giving 100% commitment and effort to everything that he does, both large and small, is revered by his contemporaries. Currently, Jimmy is the President of FUJI Mats, VP of FUJI Sports, and owns and operates Pedro’s Judo Center in Wakefield, MA. He also dedicates his time teaching judo camps and clinics worldwide, and has founded the Project 2024 program which is aimed at helping inspire and prepare America’s next generation of judo champions.
Jimmy shared, “I am extremely honored and excited to be awarded this prestigious distinction by the International Judo Federation. As a young judoka growing up I always wanted to become World Champion, Olympic Champion, and show the world that Americans can win in judo. I never imagined that I would make it to the Judo Hall of Fame; but, I never would have been possible without the help and support from so many people around the world in this amazing sport.”
If you're familiar with the phrase "stuck between a rock and a hard place" then you definitely understand what it's like to feel trapped in an armlock. Defending an armlock from a judo player, then, is a super necessary skill in order to refine your judo. In this video, we learn from Jack Hatton, current #1 ranked athlete in the 81kg weight class for USA Judo. Jack demonstrates a great counter that he likes to do when his training partner/opponent is attacking his arm. The armlock defend technique is quick and easy enough to learn and execute but is definitely a last resort. This is not a position you want to voluntarily put yourself in. So while this is effective to defend the armlock, remember you don't want this to be a primary technique. Just use if you ever find yourself in trouble. Between a rock and a hard place. This isn't going to be an attack from the get-go like some techniques, so learn to defend first and then attack second.
Sometimes the best defense is a good offense."
Trap Juji
The Trap Juji shown here should only be used when you feel your opponent hanging onto your arm, but not trying to finish. The battle is still ongoing and your opponent is looking to render you incapacitated, but not defeated...yet. As you get more experience with a Trap Juji you will begin to notice when you should be attacking vs. defending. This is an important distinction because you can toy with your opponent the same way they're doing to you. But definitely play around with this in order to be super comfortable reading your opponent from the position. Defending an armlock from a judo player can be simple, as long as you know what to expect. If your goal is to win (and it probably should be), remember to play a solid defense first, and then look to attack second.
Trap Juji Step 1:
Jack Hatton sets up a solid foundation and a great wide base here. In this act of defense with a wide base, he essentially forces his opponent to reach across. This allows him to transition from defending to attacking.
Trap Juji Step 2:
As soon as the reach happens, Jack is on attack mode. He uses his body to incapacitate his opponent and transitions into being in control.
Trap Juji Step 3:
With his opponent trapped, Jack capitalizes on the end result of the reach he forced in step 1. He grips his opponent's reaching arm and is in full attack mode.
Trap Juji Step 4:
With his opponent's arm gripped, Jack is in control and shifts back to pull his opponent's arm between his legs to finish the lock. He's got to be strong to accomplish this.
Trap Juji Step 5:
Jack settles into an armlock of his own. He shifted from defend to attack and in the transition put himself in an advantageous position to score and even win. This is how defending an armlock from a judo player should look. Take note!
Final Thoughts
The foundation of this defense method is a having a solid base. If you make yourself heavy, your job becomes much much easier. And ultimately, that wide base maintained is the key to getting your opponent to reach across and give you the best opportunity to go from defending to attacking. Once they make a commitment to reaching across you, then you can begin to set the Trap Juji and find that balance. Following is a step by step explanation of some key components of the armlock defense and Trap Juji. Let us know how it works for you!
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Uchimata is one of the most spectacular throws in Judo. Don't believe us? Ask Alisha Galles, US National Champ in 63kg division. This technique makes for some of the best highlight reel footage when browsing YouTube. In fact, the general population probably thinks of uchimata (unbeknownst to them) every time they think of judo throws. Yep. That popular.
In this video, 3x United States Olympian Travis Stevens teams up with 63kg US National Champ Alisha Galles to show you her version of Uchimata. While basic, Alisha's version is still extremely effective in competition. Evidenced by her US champion title.
Take a look and learn uchimata from this dream team duo. They break it down into bite size pieces to help us out with comprehension. Remember, no matter what age, weight division, or gender you are, you can always learn uchimata and use it in competition. Whatever your preferred version is, just make sure it works for you!
Uchimata is one of the most spectacular throws on the IJF Circuit!"
The Breakdown
The best grip for Alisha's version of this throw is pretty basic but super effective. She has a hand on her opponent's collar and locks down on the sleeve with her other hand, "killing" the sleeve. This ensures that her opponent's hand cannot come up.
Her opponent's struggle to raise that hand will allow Alisha to pull and knock her opponent off-balance. Making it easier for her to step into her opponent.
With Alisha's pulling arm, she keeps her elbow higher than her shoulder, creating a bunch of space for her to creep into her opponent and control them.
Use your best uchimata footwork to finish the throw!
A Final Thought
Everyone has their own version of uchimata. Travis and Alisha are both seasoned veterans in this throw. Being proficient in uchimata (amongst many others) is just one of the skills you'll learn at the team USA training location, Pedro's Judo Center in Wakefield, MA.
The best part of uchimata, aside from it being an awe-inspiring spectacle, is how accessible of a spectacle it can be. While not necessarily easy to learn, there are ways to make it your own and make it work for you and your style of judo.
Learning from Travis and his team is a great opportunity to improve your judo! Have some fun and let us know how it goes!
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How to Tie Your Belt
Picture this: You're five years old and your parents decide it's time for you to learn how to tie your shoes. They either teach you the loop swoop and pull method, or (better yet) the bunny ears method. You try over and over again to perfect your finite motor skills. So young. Trying to learn. Repetition after repetition. Now picture this: How to tie your belt is a similar right of passage.
The very first thing you learn how to do when you start martial arts is how to tie your belt.
A Lesson From A Great Coach
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden spent the first practice of every year with the UCLA Bruins teaching them how to put on their socks. He believed if you put your socks on incorrectly, you'd get blisters, then miss practice, then games. Coach Wooden thought it you learned how to properly do the small things that mattered, it would add up down the road. Ultimately, it was a lesson in attention to detail and good habit building. Much like learning to tie your shoes. And much like learning how to tie your belt.
Tying your belt can be the most confusing a frustrating things you learn how to do."
In all of the martial arts. Imagine that! Learning how to do it properly will set you up for confidence and success as you move through your training session. This video will prove how simple it is to tie your belt. When you learn how to take care of important details properly, good habits are formed. When good habits are formed, training becomes a lot easier. Start with building the right habits.
Learning how to tie your belt can be as simple as you want or as complex as you want. Travis Stevens uses the professional knot. He finds that it is the only knot that stays together so he doesn't have to keep tying it during training. While retying your belt during training may not seem like a big deal think about this: Each time you re-tie your belt you're pausing your training for about 30 seconds. If you have to do that three times a session, you've lost nearly 2 minutes of valuable training time. Over the course of a week that's closer to 10 minutes of training time. And over the course of a year that equates to 520 minutes of lost training time (or just over 8 hours). Little things add up. Don't lose training time. Learn how to properly tie your belt.
A Final Thought
Ultimately, you don't want to be one of those athletes who always has their belt come undone and fall off. You're not only detracting from your own training time, but your partner's as well. There is nothing worse than watching your partner fiddle with their belt in the middle of a round. When it's time to train or drill the last thing you want to do is take away from that time tying your belt. Taking care of details and even the mental game is pivotal.
Take a few minutes and try the knots in the video. During training, if you find yourself tying your belt constantly during training try a different knot. Attention to details and building good habits is one of the foundations of exceptional athletes. Take time to learn how to do it right and let us know what you think!
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One of the most popular newaza techniques on the IJF World Circuit is none other than the Reverse Sankaku. Kelita Zupancic has been perfecting this technique throughout her entire career. Over time, reps, and some fierce focus, Kelita has become so proficient and good at it that she wins most of her matches on the IJF World Circuit due to it. And some other seriously hard work and components. Reverse Sankaku is only one move in a series of moves that Kelita Zupancic links together. The 1, 2, 3 punch combination of the series is what makes Reverse Sankaku so effective for Kelita.
Having options in newaza and an arsenal of techniques to choose from can be the difference maker between champion and runner up."
While initially, this can feel a little hefty, ultimately adding techniques like this will benefit you big time. Instead of feeling stuck or predictable, you’ll be well on your way to the podium in just a matter of time.
Reverse Sankaku Done With Ease
This technique can be broken down into some fairly simple steps. Luckily for us, our teacher Kelita is superb at both the technique and teaching it. In fact, Kelita often covers classes at the world-renowned US National Training Site, Pedro's Judo Center. The Boston based site boasts some of the best judo players in the world and is definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area. And even if you’re not, we’d still highly recommend it!
Keep in Mind
A few things to keep in mind when drilling this technique: You have to make sure you have a good partner. It is your partner that you’ll need to depend on to help you out through the movements when initially learning. These new movements can seem super foreign when first starting out with Reverse Sankaku. In time, it will become second nature and you’ll be thrilled to add it to your toolbox.
