Links
Jan
31
There is a groove that runs from your top lip up to your nose, it’s called your philtrum, and behind it lies a tube of nerves that if rubbed (say with a finger, back and forth) hurts like hell. If someone is rubbing your philtrum, say from the back, it’s almost impossible to keep your [...]
Jan
30
Subtle is Deadly (Day 90)
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There’s a proverb about cooking frogs (I don’t eat frog or boil them alive; it’s just a proverb). The lesson goes as follows: if you drop a frog in boiling water, it will jump out immediately, but if you put the frog in cold water and slowily turn up the heat, you’ll soon have a [...]
Jan
29
Dogmatic (Day 89)
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. . . Jiu-jitsu dogma is a tricky thing. You should be fanatical in the beginning of your training about understanding things, but you must remember that jiu-jitsu is alive. It’s not stagnant, and although there are many tenets in jiu-jitsu, none are carved in proverbial stone. Once you’ve mastered the basics, be creative; make [...]
Jan
28
. . . I was a student/teacher once—back in 1994—it was my last step before becoming a certified secondary teacher in English. It was a good experience. Once during an open mat, I had a couple of new students training with a couple of older students. It was very interesting to watch the interaction between [...]
Jan
27
“Life is Tough Enough Outside of the Academy…” (Day 87)
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The atmosphere at your academy will most likely be mellow. It may be focused, it may be physically taxing, but it won’t be mean, it won’t be cruel (if it is, you chose the wrong school). I remember going to a Carlos Valente seminar one time; he saw two white belts training way too hard [...]
Jan
26
One Day They’ll Try it (Day 86)
Filed Under BJJ Notes: The Book | 1 Comment
When you really fall in love with jiu-jitsu you will want to share it with everyone you know. You’ll tell everyone about how great it is; you’ll invite them to class. They will pick up on your enthusiasm and say they really want to try it, chances are, however, they never will. I’ve been telling [...]
Jan
25
Go for Submissions (Day 85)
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. . . If you ever decide to enter a jiu-jitsu tournament, I would suggest always going for submissioins. Yes, you can get a couple points ahead and stall out a victory, but to me that’s not really winning–that’s not losing (It’s a victory I guess, but it’s definitely not decisive.) You should always try [...]
Jan
24
Do not Wear your Karate Gi to your Jiu-Jitsu Class (Day 84)
Filed Under BJJ Notes: The Book | 2 Comments
Do not wear your karate gi to your jiu-jitsu class. I know, you have one from an earlier time when you thought karate would actually teach you something, then you realized that the only thing you got out of karate class was a crappy gi. Then you heard about jiu-jitsu and wanted to try it [...]
Jan
23
Hug-A-Nazi (Day 83)
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*My computer blew up last night, so I’m a little slow with this post, my apologies. I’m modifying and reposting something I wrote earlier, which I’m going to add to my book. I live in a little house, it needs a new roof, but I like it. It’s close to the mountain and although I [...]
Jan
22
Sometimes clichés are actually universal truths, like: “There’s always someone bigger, stronger, or faster.” Yes, it’s a cliché, but it is also true. Eventually you will meet these guys on the mat. Your jiu-jitsu should not be based on bigger, faster, stronger; it should be built on technique. Your foundation should be built on solid [...]
