tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48814059876649383922024-03-05T04:54:02.584-05:00JoshJitsu - Tappin' and Nappin'Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.comBlogger436125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-19667043706277078712020-01-06T12:18:00.002-05:002020-01-06T12:19:20.926-05:002019 - Year End ReviewI hadn't realized it's been over 2 years since I posted anything here. The blog has always been more for me than for anyone else, so it doesn't really surprise me since I haven't had many major developments since I got my brown belt.<br />
<br />
Except that this past year I built my own gym and we just opened officially Jan 1 of 2020. Yup, <a href="http://www.apexcovington.com/" target="_blank">Apex MMA</a> is now a real thing and I'm incredibly excited about it. I've already got a really good small crew of people training with me and we hope to start bringing in some noobs soon.<br />
<br />
I competed a few times this past year as well, won some, lost some, realized I have absolutely terrible competition IQ and need to really do some focused training on that.<br />
<br />
And I had my first brush with BJJ related drama this year. I won't go into detail on that here, but you can read about it on the reddit post I made over <a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/ea8lue/my_encounter_with_bjj_drama/" target="_blank">here</a> and see what you think about the situation.<br />
<br />
For how momentous the year really was, and all of the ups and downs of opening the gym it seems like this post should be so much longer, but there's not much more to say about it.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-61728925480800335852017-09-29T17:11:00.004-04:002017-09-29T17:11:50.593-04:00Productive Mind Mapping for BJJ<br />
<br />
How To Use A Mind Map To Shape Your BJJ<br />
<br />
First it's necessary to understand what a Mind Map should consist of. A mindmap is not a web of every single technique and position you have ever seen, drilled, or even pulled off while rolling live. A mindmap is a distillation of your most common actions from your most common positions.<br />
<br />
When most people first create a map of their game it's an unreadable mess with dozens of techniques for each position and sub position that obfuscates more than it enlightens, to avoid having your mindmap end up as an impenetrable wall of text there are some guidelines you must follow when making it.<br />
<br />
Any technique that is in your mindmap should be one that you attempt at least once in the majority of your rolls. It doesn't have to be successful, but it should be something that you are actively pursuing. For most people this will result in two, perhaps three, techniques in a given position. Sometimes as few as a single technique.<br />
<br />
When you build the map you should build it in a way that generally mimics the flow of a roll. Begin with 'standing' as your base position and proceed with a method for transitioning to the ground, then your sweeps, passes, and submissions, as they derive from that position. If you normally attempt a single leg and your single leg lands you in side control half the time, and in half guard half the time, then you will branch from Standing to those two positions via Single Leg Takedown as the transition.<br />
<br />
The rest of the map can be constructed in a similar manner following the flow of the roll using the techniques you are most commonly attempting and assuming success or failure.<br />
<br />
Once you have the visual map created you will have something which vaguely resembles the picture below:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiIqLKcrrAkBzZJUJFS8yg_6EEQVznkD5I9EYehU88ImTsEOJwATJwguCgWmCtxts4Qs08Y2UVII37iJ7l4G688npSpY3p8D4BhVb2IUfX9jEahSq0_yEVS6o7LvvJFPCmQZ-W_JijiqL/s1600/BJJ+Map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiIqLKcrrAkBzZJUJFS8yg_6EEQVznkD5I9EYehU88ImTsEOJwATJwguCgWmCtxts4Qs08Y2UVII37iJ7l4G688npSpY3p8D4BhVb2IUfX9jEahSq0_yEVS6o7LvvJFPCmQZ-W_JijiqL/s320/BJJ+Map.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This is a simple map of what a beginners game might look like. So how can this be helpful? Well, We can see that they favor the single leg and usually land in side control or half guard, the most common path for them is to reach side control and then attack from there or Knee on Belly.<br />
<br />
Looking at the map makes it immediately obvious that our test subject doesn't really know what to do when they get caught in closed guard. That's an easy and obvious place to address. Our subject will need to learn a guard break and then how to incorporate their existing knee-cut pass into that guard break.<br />
<br />
We can also immediately see that the focus is on the top game with no consideration for work from guard. Let's fill this out a bit and see what it looks like when we address those two most obvious gaps.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUx8k148iiZSAnyUuburpmfJ8SAwazrQhyphenhyphen2HMZwOAu4avFPffUQkn7elgRUpGwRjsqjTBzCjM7YpbFheuTXX2eG0i-Vg_wm1A97uDKdXFdDXCqDS6KrVig52yzlUWf8SKUnSt6sxTEG_-/s1600/BJJ+Map-2.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUx8k148iiZSAnyUuburpmfJ8SAwazrQhyphenhyphen2HMZwOAu4avFPffUQkn7elgRUpGwRjsqjTBzCjM7YpbFheuTXX2eG0i-Vg_wm1A97uDKdXFdDXCqDS6KrVig52yzlUWf8SKUnSt6sxTEG_-/s320/BJJ+Map-2.png" width="250" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Now our subject has filled in their most common response to ending up on the bottom of guard and halfguard. Other bad positions like bottom side control and bottom mount can be largely ignored for this particular exercise because the game plan from those positions is almost exclusively going to be to escape to guard or halfguard, top or bottom. In an actual students mindmap we would fill those in as a matter of course, but they aren't required for this example.<br />
<br />
So, again, how can this be used in some kind of meaningful and productive way to guide your training in jiujitsu? The first way is to help maintain your focus leading up to competition. It's easy to get bored with doing the same old thing and decide you want to branch out and play with something you saw in a highlight video or at a seminar or that one of your teammates is working on. Referencing your map before training serves as a mental guidepost to the game that you are working on refining.<br />
The second way to use the map is to locate gaps in your skills which may not be visible to you in the moment while you are rolling, and can be difficult to pinpoint after the roll when you're exhausted. If you put together your map and get to a point where you don't have a good answer to add to a position then you know that you need to explore that position more mindfully.<br />
<br />
The third useful activity you can engage in with your mindmap is to looking for links between related techniques which, again, may not be visible in the heat of the moment when rolling. An example would be someone who favors Single Leg X guard and the standard twisting sweep to to take top, and who also favors leg drags for passing vs open guard. It is entirely possible for someone to have been doing both of those things successfully without ever realizing that the sweep they are doing feeds directly into their preferred open guard pass, and instead be attacking the ankle lock even in less than optimal conditions, or transitioning to a less successful pass. Some people will draw those connections in the moment based on the feel of the technique, but for others it takes a conscious thought process of examining the techniques and looking for ways to connect them.<br />
<br />
The fourth, and for the me the most common, use of the mindmap is to look for ways to most effectively insert a new technique into your game to shore up a weakness. A good example would be if my preferred finishing position is the back, and until now I have been primarily attacking with armdrags to reach that position I might decide that it would be a good option to add in the berimbolo to provide me an additional path to my preferred position. Adding that technique to the map will keep it fresh on my mind when I consult it before training and remind me to drill it and practice incorporating it into my game.<br />
<br />
While these four uses are all valuable tools the overall most valuable part of the mind map is the process of creating it and the continual reference to it which forces you to consciously think through your techniques, spend time considering them, and honestly assessing what you do well and often, and what you do not. Over time your map will change as you learn more techniques, replace old ones, add new ones, and expand and refine your game.<br />
<br />
For me the mindmap is one aspect of an attitude of mindful training which helps me get the most out of each training session and helps me keep a productive focus on the mats without becoming distracted or going too far down the rabbit hole of a new technique that doesn't fit in with the rest of my game.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not everyone will find value in this exercise. Some people will create this once and never look at it again. But for those who do find value in it a well maintained mind map can be a powerful tool for guiding your training and focusing your game.</div>
Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-7602649158558279022017-04-12T17:30:00.001-04:002017-04-12T17:30:16.472-04:00If They Can't Stop You, It's Not WrongSomething that I've often heard from mid level blue belts directed towards some enthusiastic whitebelt is, "You're not supposed to do that" or "That's not a good idea" or "Don't do that from inside the guard" usually directed at someone trying a choke from inside the guard, or holding a guillotine attempt after their guard has been passed, or driving a forearm into the throat from inside guard. These are things that we know are 'wrong', but WHY are they wrong?<br />
<br />
Well, they are wrong because they get you submitted or swept, right? But what if you, the blue belt telling this white belt that they are 'doing it wrong' can't actually get that sweep? What if you can't make the transition to the armbar? Is it really wrong for them to be choking you inside your guard if you can't do anything to stop them?<br />
<br />
The answer is NO. It's 100% correct for them to do it to you if you can't prevent it. There are no wrong techniques in jiujitsu, only things that work and things that don't, If it works then it's not wrong. When it stops working, then it's wrong.<br />
<br />
Just something for all of the blue belts to keep in mind next time they think about telling some enthusiastic noob that what they are doing is 'wrong'.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-76947451902289455852017-04-11T10:56:00.001-04:002017-04-11T10:56:35.474-04:00Knee Shield Halfguard ProjectAs I mentioned in my previous update I've moved from my leglock project into a project centered around the Knee Shield Halfguard position. That project has been going extremely well and I've been finding success with position even against my coach (To one degree or another).<br />
<br />
I expect to have some instructional videos for the position put together later this year.<br />
<br />
Another development is that progress is moving forward towards opening my own gym. It looks as if there is a possibility that my current gyms kids MMA instructor may be looking to open an MMA gym in the same area that I was looking to open a BJJ gym, and since the two of us get along fairly well our coach suggested we go in on the venture together. That may make it significantly easier for me to launch the gym which is obviously great.<br />
<br />
I'm still planning on that being about 18 months out though. No need to rush things.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-10632835404607072262017-03-15T09:54:00.000-04:002017-03-15T09:54:05.114-04:002017 State of the JourneyIt's been six months since I last updated here because shit has been BUSY. Extremely busy. So here's a run down of the last few months.<br />
<br />
NAGA - December 2016<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEmPl6DhyV4<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzwYbnF9Xzg<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9QIvtzpEZs<br />
<br />
This tournament marked the final integration step for my leglock game with the rest of my game. I had some trouble implementing in the gi against the 200lb guys, but I overall felt very good about my performance here. Which led directly to the next update:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/PlELft4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/PlELft4.jpg" height="320" width="258" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Almost ten years to the day since I first stepped into The Hardcore Gym I was awarded my Brown Belt by my current coach Chris Ruiz and Professor Roberto Traven.<br />
<br />
Since then I've embarked on a new project, Knee Shield halfguard. I've been dabbling with knee shield for about a year, but over the last few months I've really pushed the position and started building a full game around it as a means to prevent pressure passing when my DLR/Spider combo gets compromised.<br />
<br />
To that end I'm actually working on filming my first ever actual instructional videos based around the position. At some point this year I'll likely put them up here to get feedback once they've gone through a couple of iterations of revision.<br />
<br />
And finally, I'm not competing at all this year. Instead I'm embarking on a south-east USA gym tour. I'll be visiting NOLA in a couple of weeks, then Dan O'brien's gym in Alabama, then hitting up gyms in Tenn, SC,NC, and Fl, before finishing the year out visiting gyms around Ga that I haven't been able to visit in a while.<br />
<br />
Hopefully I'll be updating more here with pictures and whatnot from my gym visits.<br />
<br />
And that's where I am right now.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-9432200260931196722016-09-12T14:28:00.003-04:002016-09-12T14:28:45.391-04:00Masters 2016 - Video and ResultsWell, things could have gone better, and they could have gone worse.<br />
<br />
I lost in the first round again. However this time I didn't feel like I got caught by surprise or anything. The first couple of minutes went perfectly to plan before I made a mistake. Here's the video, then below it the breakdown as I see it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/j38PDnZh2bs/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j38PDnZh2bs?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My game plan was to go for an immediate single, essentially as a fake just in case my opponent pulled guard immediately. That's good for 2 points and frequently happens in my division. I shot, he didn't pull, so I backed out and went to the next step which was my drop sweep ankle lock attack. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I was able to secure the ankle and start attacking, but he was very good at keeping my legs pushed down and preventing me from getting proper extension for a real finish. I had it stretched out good a couple of times, but not enough to force the tap. So I went to the next part of the plan and used the ankle lock to transition to the top.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Then thinks went south. I had not really worked on what I was going to be doing AFTER that transition, so I came up, got points, and then sat there and let my opponent get his game started. He was able to get ahead of me and eventually take my back for the win.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm actually very happy with that initial implementation. Everything when perfectly. I just need to work on some more finishing details on the ankle lock, and work on smoothing out my transition into the guard pass. That's what I've been doing since I got back. A lot of transitioning from the ankle directly to the pass with no hesitation.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I should be able to fit in one more event this year, so we'll see if I can improve on this performance.</div>
<br />Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-84066868554139280652016-08-13T12:06:00.001-04:002016-08-13T12:06:27.513-04:00Masters Worlds 2016 in T-Minus 13 days...I haven't updated in a while because I've been extremely busy training for Masters Worlds in Vegas, and with general work and life.<br />
<br />
Project Ankle lock has been a rousing success. I have successful transitions to the top off of it. I have redundant sweeps. I have resiliency against pressure and escape attempts. I've started comboing it with an immediate drop sweep from standing which has been highly successful as well. I feel great, but there are going to be 27+ people in my division at the end of the month so it's going to be a tough battle to make it to the podium.<br />
<br />
We shall see...Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-33402475647973822792016-03-24T23:42:00.000-04:002016-03-24T23:42:03.989-04:00Project Ankle Lock is CompletedSince before the ATL open I've been working on tripod sweeps and scissor sweeps using the ankle lock grip and then finishing the ankle lock. I've gotten to the point where I can achieve the sweep and finish the ankle lock on a wide variety of people including multiple brown belts and some of our more athletic folks, so I've decided to conclude the project and consider the Sickle into Ankle Lock to be fully integrated into my game.<br />
<br />
For the next project I had briefly looked at adding in the Estima lock, but after tinkering with it I've found that I have to force the position a lot more than I want to if I want to try it. People just don't naturally respond to my actions by moving into a position that makes the Estima lock available. So instead I think I'm going to move to something else. Not sure what, yet, so it might be time to jam some youtube videos and find something new to work on, or I might revisit some of my sweeps.<br />
<br />
Still, things are going pretty well. I'll be attending a Roberto Traven seminar this saturday which I'm looking forward to.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-56631008629914673552016-02-24T14:22:00.001-05:002016-02-24T14:22:56.408-05:00Back to work post ATL OpenThis was my first class back after competing since I've been working on tiling my floor and I came in looking to pretty much double down on how hard I'm working. We worked a couple of throws, and then how to enter for those throws off of escaping from side control. After drilling those we did 40 minutes of rolling which is where I really wanted to start working.<br />
<br />
I started from standing for most of my rolls and was specifically looking to hit the Tomoe Nage with my LEFT leg since one of the things I learned from the ATL Open is that the grips I'm most comfortable with are the grips for the throw on that side, but I keep trying to hit the throw with my right leg. So I was successful with three of those, which made me pretty happy. I hit a white belt, a blue belt, and a brown belt with it.<br />
<br />
From there I wanted to work on that same ankle lock sequence that I used at the ATL Open, so I was looking for the same opportunity to secure the ankle and work the single leg X-guard sweep to the finish. Once again I was successful three times, hitting the sweep and the finish on a white, a blue, and brown belt.<br />
<br />
So I felt really good about my class goals. I spent my last roll playing full defense against one of the bigger brown belts. I had one small opportunity to try for the ankle lock, but he pretty casually escaped before I could even get the grip in, so clearly there is progress to be made, but also during the class I was awarded my 4th stripe, so I'm now just 6-8 months of REALLY HARD work away from possibly picking up a brown belt, which is pretty cool.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-52905643643604208882016-02-07T15:35:00.000-05:002016-02-07T15:35:11.047-05:00IBJJF 2016 Atlanta Winter Open Tournament ReportIt's been a few months since my last competition, Master/Senior Worlds in Vegas, and I've been training quite hard. I decided almost at the last minute that I was going to go ahead and compete at the Atlanta Open. That that end I start working on my DLR passing, and a sequence of attacks off of DRL/Single Leg X/X Guard using straight ankle locks to attack or generate sweeps and guard passes. I also decided I wasn't going to try to cut to 141 even if it was only a few pounds. So I signed up for the 154lb division.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I showed up at the venue at about 12:30 with my division scheduled for 2:20pm. I spent a few minutes walking around the venue saying hello to people and seeing how the tournament was running. Things were running about 30-40 minutes behind, which is not too bad for an IBJJF tournament.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At about 1:30 I got changed then took a quick 10 minute nap, then started stretching out and warming up a bit. I don't remember exactly what time we got called for our division, but it was about 3:30, so only running about an hour behind. I spent a few minutes running through some breathing exercises to try to get my energy amped up a bit then stepped onto the mats for my first match.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZBJlO0uonoc/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZBJlO0uonoc?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div>
I gripped up and tried to work a trip into Tomoe Nage combo, I didn't quite complete the Tomoe the way I wanted to, went to a sweep attempt that turned into a bit of a scramble, leading to me getting caught in a standing guillotine. I'm used to defending the guillotine, so I was actually much more concerned with avoiding accidentally slamming my opponent when I dropped down than I was with the sub getting finished. I stayed patient and worked my way free, then hit the same pass I've been working the last couple of months. I wasn't quick enough to stop my opponent from turtling out of it, but I was able to stall him out there and take his back. I started working for the choke and kept partially crossing my feet to get him to try to attack my feet and pay less attention to my hands. I was able to secure the collar and finish the choke.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Spent a minute talking to my coach and getting my forearms massaged, then had about a 15 minute break while other matches ran. Going into my second match I felt good. Everything felt very winnable.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LvXK-tRSpmc/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LvXK-tRSpmc?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My opponent was very quick to pull guard into DLR and I kept trying to work the backstep pass without much success. He was able to run me out of bounds on the single leg before I could get my hips in to roll him. He was able to sweep me, then we ended up in a small scramble when I tried to re-sweep. On the stand up he pulled guard again and, but this time on his sweep I was able to secure the single leg X-guard placement on the hip and drop right into the ankle lock finish that I've been doing off of the sickle sweep. A few seconds before he tapped here his ankle popped 3 or 4 times, it felt and sounded horrible, but he seemed fine afterwards and said it was no big deal.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
With that I won my first IBJJF tournament. I now have a nice shiny gold medal which I am super proud of. This was the culmination of a lot of hard work towards getting more assertive in my game and just being better at implementing my game plan against my opponents.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNNbT0XCSbyxd4pEgT0TeNlvSGUU6HCLMQGE-zNvzzJZNY0x3HNwTO-_91vEEWkWw8P2GkO61kwul_vdY35Z1Tx81cnmGLhkILqZCPTQuxuUAyxIUN_1RFr_ynSs2RjOEwbTX309CJWqU/s1600/IBJJ+Winter+Open+2016+-+Podium+PIcture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNNbT0XCSbyxd4pEgT0TeNlvSGUU6HCLMQGE-zNvzzJZNY0x3HNwTO-_91vEEWkWw8P2GkO61kwul_vdY35Z1Tx81cnmGLhkILqZCPTQuxuUAyxIUN_1RFr_ynSs2RjOEwbTX309CJWqU/s320/IBJJ+Winter+Open+2016+-+Podium+PIcture.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-83572894185226459762016-01-07T13:35:00.000-05:002016-01-07T13:35:03.590-05:00Upper Belts, Lower Belts, and Earning SubmissionsThis is sort of spawned by a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/3ztv4l/i_regularly_beat_insert_belt_here/" target="_blank">thread</a> from /r/bjj and sort of spawned by me earning a pair of submissions against my instructor this morning. I use the word "earning" very much intentionally, because I didn't 'submit' my coach. I was able to generate a situation that gave me an opportunity, and because I was doing it correctly and well I was able to get to a position to attempt a submission. Because I was doing that correctly and well I got the tap. At multiple points my coach could have just shut me down and crushed me under side control for as long as he wanted to and then subbed me. He did it multiple times during our rolls today, but it helps both of us grow if he eases of just enough to make me work hard and do everything correctly in order to EARN a submission.<br />
<br />
The same thing applies when I'm rolling with white belts or new blues (Even senior blues at this point sometimes). I'm not worried about them tapping me. If they do everything right I'll even defend slightly less vigorously than I might otherwise, just like my instructor does for me, so that they can get to the tap if they do everything right. That doesn't at all mean that I'm GIVING them the submission. If they make a positioning mistake, or give me too much space, or anything like that then I'm going to counter and escape. But I'm not going to just refuse to give them the opportunity to succeed.<br />
<br />
And when they get that tap they SHOULD be proud. Not because they 'beat' a purple belt, but because they did everything CORRECTLY and earned that submission. They earned that success and they should be happy about it. By the same token lower belts should understand that they aren't 'beating' people in class. I've talked about this before, but people may be approaching rolls in class in a variety of different ways, some of which may lead to a brown belt getting tapped by a blue belt a dozen times. That doesn't mean the blue belt should be a brown belt, or even that they are anywhere NEAR the same skill level. Take your successes in isolation. You do something right, you succeed, be proud of it, but don't let it fuel your ego.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-50958561516752446342016-01-06T17:12:00.000-05:002016-01-06T17:12:38.684-05:00Get Wristlocked! WHOO!The last time someone successfully wristlocked me prior to today was 2013. That's despite multiple attempts in multiple tournaments, including Master/Senior Worlds.<br />
<br />
Today my homie Chris got me with one. I was quite proud of him. I tried a sweep that he surfed through into a sort of straight armbar position and he got my arm and rotated my wrist all the way around until my pinky was just past my wrist, then brought the pressure down on it. He was still a bit hesitant to put enough downward pressure on it, but finally gave in and was able to actually put enough pressure for me to tap to it.<br />
<br />
I love when things like this happen because it's way way better to learn your limits in class and know that there IS a place where things get dangerous, even if most people can't find it, than to learn in the middle of a tournament against some specialist who breaks your shit off because you expect to be able to ignore their attack.<br />
<br />
The rest of the rolling was great too, technique work was some stuff off of the basic x-choke from guard that included a nice transition from x-choke to armbar to x-choke/triangle again. The pivotal idea on that last one was that when you go for the armbar, if you get stacked you keep your sleeve grip when they pull their arm out, which gives you access to their collar again, which lets you finish the choke.<br />
<br />
Excellent sequence and I was able to put it to good use to up my triangle choke finishes in class. Very happy.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-90785669287717126352015-12-29T13:50:00.005-05:002015-12-29T13:50:51.765-05:00Post Christmas sessionsManaged to sneak in a session today between Christmas and New Years. Did some jits-with-hits for the first time in YEARS to help one of the girls we have who is training to fight MMA. She's a former gymnast who is about my same size, and she is a good deal stronger than I am. I've worked with her on her KoB pressure for the last couple of weeks and she's gotten to where my ribs make disturbing noises when she gets there.<br />
<br />
Today we worked on moving while defending, never getting yourself bogged down while defending strikes, and then we worked on how to use strikes to set up your guard pass and then your submissions, and how to punish peoples escape attempts with strikes. She's a quick study and by the time she fights her weaknesses aren't going to be on the ground.<br />
<br />
We also had the enormously strong purple belt from a couple of weeks ago back. This guy is definitely a love/hate kind of training partner. It's great training with him because I have to be 100% perfect and give NOTHING away, or he can just destroy me. If he gets even CLOSE to a kimura grip, I'm going to get kimuraed. If my weight gets even slightly off base, I'm getting swept. It makes me work hard to be perfect on offense and defense. Which is also why I hate it. It's good training. His weakness so far is that he is obsessed with shooting for toe holds without locking down my knee or hip, I'm determined to get his toe holds sharpened up enough that he can tap me with them, but he's got a long way to go on those.<br />
<br />
We rolled for about an hour and a half all told and I got in some good work.<br />
<br />
I won't be back in the gym until next week because of the holidays though.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-88302841133083505512015-12-18T16:41:00.001-05:002015-12-18T16:41:08.026-05:00Three in one Week!For the first time in over a year I managed to make three classes in one week. The official class on Monday, then a couple of open mat sessions Tues and Thurs for a total of 6 hours of training this week. I feel surprisingly good physically. Not at all as beat up as I expected.<br />
<br />
My third day everything felt amazing too. I just felt like my mind and body were better connected, more coordinated than in a long time. I felt like I could see a lot further ahead in each roll.<br />
<br />
I'm hoping to make this a permanent change going forward, training at 3 days each week to help push myself over the hump towards my next skill plateau.<br />
<br />
I might even be able to start filming some reference videos and things again soon.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-45302813128666151382015-12-09T17:41:00.000-05:002015-12-09T17:41:02.420-05:00WristlockeryGot into the gym for early morning class and it's No-Gi December this time around. We worked some posture drills that Chris picked up from the BJJ Globetrotters camp he went to last week and then some solid no-gi pressure passing.<br />
<br />
Did some closed guard positional sparring that was fun. We had an enormous dude with some level of training that I think was just checking the place out for today, I hope he decides to stick around. He was a lot of fun.<br />
<br />
Working to pass his guard was like tiptoeing through a minefield, because the slightest positional error would be enough for him to bulldoze you over, and he wasn't just 'some big dude' he had clearly trained some wrestling and some submission grappling of some kind, it was just difficult to tell how much because his size and strength assisted his techniques a lot. So he could have been anywhere from a 1 year white belt to a brown belt just taking it easy and it would have been hard to know.<br />
<br />
I'm leaning towards bluish belt somewhere though, since when we were rolling he chim passed me like it was his dayjob, but couldn't stop me recomposing guard, and a bit later I caught him in a wristlock that he actually tapped to, which surprised me, I had fully expected to have to use the wristlock attempt to try to get to his back, but I manage to trap his arm just right.<br />
<br />
It mostly just felt great to be training.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-63932508302948801832015-12-02T20:27:00.001-05:002015-12-02T20:27:33.700-05:00Book Review: The Combat CodesThis will be one of the random non-training related posts that occasionally pop up on the blog here. The reason that this one is popping up is because of a book called <span id="goog_1309257198"></span><a href="http://www.combatcodes.com/" target="_blank">The Combat Code<span id="goog_1309257199"></span>s</a>. The author contacted me via /r/BJJ and asked if I would give it a read and offer some feedback on the fight scenes as well as the book over all since in addition to BJJ I'm also a voracious consumer of Sci-Fi/Fantasy literature.<br />
<br />
He was kind enough to send me a copy of the book to read and I started it on monday at around 1 in the afternoon. I finished it around 6:30pm. I read the thing cover to cover, nonstop. Now, that's not necessarily a ringing endorsement since I'm a determined reader and I have slogged through some truly horrible trash novels because I refuse to be defeated by some lackwit's barely decipherable prose. Such was not the case on this occasion. The Combat Codes is actually a brilliant story told in a world where MMA style combat has taken the place of war. Each nation maintains a stable of fighters who represent them in territorial disputes with each other, as well as an academy to train up those fighters.<br />
<br />
This is the story of a former fighter and his new protege and it has a distinctly Ender's Game vibe to it which should be taken as the compliment it is meant as. The pacing is flawless, the characters evoke rich emotion without being cliched, and the fight scenes are well written and walk that fine line between realistic and entertaining. My only problem was that by the end of the book I found myself annoyed that I couldn't immediately read the sequel.<br />
<br />
If you enjoy reading SciFi/Fantasy and are also a fan of MMA/BJJ this is a brilliant read. If you know someone who fits that description then this would be a perfect Christmas present. I'm currently eagerly awaiting the sequel.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-13266257864108211362015-11-28T16:18:00.003-05:002015-11-28T16:18:56.627-05:00Continuing the GrindSquats and Deadlift are still where they are, making progress on my bench press is incredibly difficult. I cut 10lbs to go out to Las Vegas for Master/Senior Worlds and I haven't gained any of it back.<br />
<br />
I lost in the first round, had a great time, won a poker tournament at the Mirage the next day and met a lot of cool people, but my game plan was wrong for my weightclass. I'm too focused on trying to keep things standing and looking for my Tomoe Nage or the single leg when my opponents are all eager to pull guard. That cost me a chance to actually do jiujitsu at the last few tournaments, so I'm going to have to go back to the drawing board and figure out what I want the first 20 seconds of my matches to look like.<br />
<br />
Aside from that, I've been putting in work as much as I can in class and I picked up another stripe last week. The progress is slow, but it is there.<br />
<br />
I might even start updating regularly again here since I'm about to start reworking my focus and I'll want to get some of my thoughts down in written form.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-49564108293038468072015-07-15T12:05:00.003-04:002015-07-15T12:05:47.294-04:00Couple of Weightlifting Goals AchievedSo I hit 290 on the deadlift and 225 on the squats again, which is where I was aiming for as it's a 2x bodyweight dead and a 1.5x bodyweight squat. I've now switched over to this insane machine called a Jacob's Ladder for my legwork while I work on getting my bench up to par. On that note I dropped back to 5x5 with 95lbs on Monday, and I'll be doing 5x5 with 100lbs tonight and continuing in that fashion until Vegas probably.<br />
<br />
On the BJJ front I'm still on an upswing. Successful takedowns, successful submissions, a new era of straight footlocks being thrown on everyone. Everything about my game is improving substantially to the point that the only person who truly wrecks me is Chris. Everyone else I feel competitive with.<br />
<br />
If I can keep up this progress until Vegas I actually have some hopes of medaling.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-11840880234388060682015-07-11T03:19:00.002-04:002015-07-11T03:19:55.767-04:00Random Lifting Updates and No-Gi workHitting the gym in preparation for all of the tournaments I have coming up and trying to get my numbers backup.<br />
<br />
Bench - 5/3/1 - 95/115/135<br />
Squats - 5/3/1/1 - 155/175/195/205<br />
Deadlift - 5/3/1/1 - 175/195/225/255<br />
<br />
<br />
My bench is lagging way behind, so I threw in a bunch of volume work on the bench and overhead press and some other supplementary work.<br />
<br />
Also, lunges holding 40lb dumbbells to add in some grip work and some supplementary leg work.<br />
<br />
The last time by squats and deads were this high my bench was 175, so I'm going to work hard to get it back up near there.<br />
<br />
<br />
We're doing No-Gi this month and my first session back at it I completely sucked and couldn't figure out WTF I was even doing. Second day I had it together and was performing very well. I'm actually hitting real takedowns in the standup too, which is nice.<br />
<br />
Registration and travel arrangements for Vegas should all be handled in a couple of weeks along with the Atlanta Open and Grapplemania.<br />
<br />
Not sure if I'll make some of the other smaller tournaments now since I decided to do the ATL Open and Vegas, definitely doing Grapplemania though.<br />
<br />Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-53961503082490067812015-06-10T15:24:00.000-04:002015-06-10T15:24:54.480-04:00Training With FocusThis will be the first post I've written in a while that actually has a broader audience in mind, so it's probably going to be a bit long.<br />
<br />
<br />
I've recently been involved in some random discussions over on /r/bjj that involved discussions of how often and how long people train each week, how much time is spent rolling vs drilling, whether people are hurting their progress by only training X amount of time per week, etc...<br />
<br />
I train about 4 hours a week. Occasionally I manage to train 6 hours a week, and sometimes I can only train 2 or even 0 hours. And yet in the last 12 months I have improved to the point that I am rolling reasonably competitively with blackbelts and brownbelts who were absolutely clowning on me 12 months ago. The question becomes, 'How am I improving with so little training time?' and the answer is that I maintain a very tight focus when I am in class.<br />
<br />
Very often I will see white and blue belts, even other purple belts, drill a technique four or five times, then spend a bunch of time randomly chatting, then maybe drill it a few more times, then it's time for the next technique. During that same interval I drill the same technique thirty times, or fourty, or fifty. When I'm talking it's about troubleshooting the technique with my partner. I am focused on drilling the technique as many times as possible, thinking through each step of the technique, building a mantra for completing it and ingraining it as much as I can during the time I have available.<br />
<br />
This focus also translates to rolling. I have an overarching concept that I am working on each time. If you are familiar with my writing you will remember the 'Be More Assertive' project from a few years ago. That was the overarching theme to my training for a long time and is still a constant point for me to remember. My current focus is on transitioning from defense to offense. That means that I am willing to risk letting my opponent advance positions in order to switch from purely defending into an offensive attempt of some kind. I know my defense is good, now I need to make that switch.<br />
Because I have that overarching concept to base my training on I roll with a focus on improving that aspect of my jiujitsu. I am constantly working towards a specific goal and not just rolling for the sake of rolling.<br />
<br />
Focus is what leads to improvement when other people are plateaued. When I plateau I on a given concept I drill down. I recently plateaued on my defense to offense work because I was getting into halfguard and locking the position down and stalling without offense. Other places I was transitioning fine from defense to offense, but halfguard I was not. I made it a focus for several weeks to get halfguard and specifically work on generating space, created sweep opportunities, and really working on my ability to attack from halfguard and make it an offensive position. I have been able to break through my plateau because of that and continue to improve.<br />
<br />
For people who are able to train 20 hours a week this isn't a big deal. You can spend so much time on the mats that you just get better by dint of training volume. For those of us who are stuck training 3-6 hours a week it's critically important that we are mindful of how we spend our time when we are on the mats if we want to improve.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Don't screw around! If you are supposed to be drilling a technique then drill it as many times as you can. Pay attention to what you are doing and actively troubleshoot during the drill. Don't just go through the motions while you wait to roll.</li>
<li>Have goals! Know why you are doing everything that you do. Don't get trapped into rolling just for the sake of rolling. Roll to improve.</li>
<li>Drill down! If you plateau on your main goal break it down into smaller parts to look at and single one of those down to isolate and improve.</li>
</ul>
<div>
These things will help you make the best of your limited time and continue to improve, sometimes even better than people who are training more often.</div>
Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-29619123809375033582015-06-07T22:16:00.002-04:002015-06-07T22:16:54.813-04:00So many brown belts!So due to my work schedule changing I'm now training in our evening classes. One nice thing about these classes is that there seem to be several brown belts in the 170-190lb range that I've been able to work with. The best thing about this is that I don't AT ALL feel outclassed by these guys. A year ago when I got back to training rolling with brown belts still just felt like I couldn't bridge that gap between where I was and where they were, but my last half dozen rolls with brown belts I've felt very well matched against them.<br />
<br />
I'm also seeing more of the path from where I am to what it takes to be a brown belt. I feel really good about my overall game and my skill level right now and I've got just about 6 weeks to get ready for Grapplemania where I hope to live up to where I feel like my skill level is now.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-55636216450660266692015-06-01T11:04:00.000-04:002015-06-01T11:04:01.305-04:001 Year at the New GymSo, today marks the 1 year anniversary of me training at my new gym. It's been an amazing place and I've loved training with the competition class which forces me to work hard and keeps me from slacking on my conditioning.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately this also marks a change in my work schedule, so I will instead be training with the evening classes going forward. I dropped in on one and there seems to be plenty of very skilled people, including several brown belts, for me to work with so I'm not too worried about it. It was sad to say a kind of goodbye to the guys from the daytime class though.<br />
<br />
But enough of that.I'm back to being able to bench press my bodyweight for a few reps, which is progress on that front, and I've gotten to roll with 5 different brownbelts in the last couple of weeks, none of whom I felt outclassed by. At this point I really do feel like getting my brown belt near the end of this year might not be entirely out of my reach. I just have to stick to getting in the gym regularly and keep working.<br />
<br />
<br />Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-78286959487443433152015-05-19T13:42:00.001-04:002015-06-01T11:00:07.617-04:00Competition Schedule for the rest of 2015<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">US Grappling Grapplemania - July 25</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Newbreed - August 1st</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">US Grappling Greensboro - Nov 14</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Newbreed - Dec 5th.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> I had wanted to wedge one more in, but it looks like 5 this year is all I can manage. Maybe I can wedge another one in there somewhere in september/october. We'll see.</span>Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-65888820947569784332015-05-04T13:25:00.003-04:002015-05-04T13:25:41.575-04:00Changing GearsI haven't written anything in a while because all of my updates would look like this:<br />
<br />
<br />
"Went to class, drilled some stuff, rolled, grindin' that mat time. Progress is good." and that would be it. So consider there to have been like 30 of those between the last update and this one.<br />
<br />
Last week I hit the milestone for my defense that I've been working back to. Brown and black belts are having a hard time finishing submissions and keeping me in bad places. So I'm where I want to be with my defense.<br />
<br />
This week I'm starting to work on switching gears, a lot. My complete focus is on moving from defense into offense, generating sweeps, insisting on top position, and then working to finish. I expect to have a lot of mixed success for a while with this, but I'm hoping that by the end of the year I will have my offense close to where my defense is.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4881405987664938392.post-46701410083975582052015-03-18T14:52:00.003-04:002015-03-18T14:52:29.861-04:00Newbreed Writeup and VideosIt's been a few weeks since the event which has helped me get some perspective. This was definitely a blow to my confidence after being so successful at the last newbreed. This was pretty much the exact opposite. Instead of feeling strong, aggressive, and like I knew what I was doing I felt overpowered, slow, and clumsy.<br />
<br />
For the videos just head over to the <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/2xumui/everyone_get_drunk_and_critique_kintanons/" target="_blank">reddit thread</a> I posted them on (Which resulted in about equal parts douchebaggery and excellent advice, which is my favorite kind of thread) and you can check them out there.<br />
<br />
My first match I felt outmatched as soon as the guy gripped up with me. His grip was like a vice and I couldn't shake it to regrip before he pulled guard. From there I tried to pass over his leg and it just... didn't move. At all. At that point my brain shut down and I flailed around pointlessly before getting swept and playing defense for the rest of the round. One near sweep got stuffed when I couldn't get him to let go of my head, so he just stood up and ended up on top again. Total suck.<br />
<br />
<br />
Second match was literally 5 seconds after the first one and was against an old training partner who has been wrestling forever. He's also STUPID strong. A quick single leg from him and then I just couldn't get a hold of him long enough to do anything, so back to playing defense the entire time.<br />
<br />
<br />
The third match was like 3 hours later and I was tired. I was determined not to let my opponent pull guard, so I rushed my tomoe nage, resulting in a super shitty guard pull, which led to halfguard, then to getting bow and arrow choked.<br />
<br />
I felt super shitty about my whole performance.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Post tournament I took some time off, both to let my neck recover from being yanked on, and because my wife got sick, then I got sick, so I didn't want to spread that evil at the gym. Getting back today I was very much focused on working harder, being more assertive again, and forcing my opponent to make mistakes. And it was working. I bullied all of the blue belts around pretty good, I was hitting my collar drags and my loop chokes, and generally doing a good job. Going to try to keep that moving until my next comp.<br />
<br />
Also continuing to lift weights to see if I can get a little extra muscle added on.Kintanonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796702227315166975noreply@blogger.com0