I have to tell you, the last few classes over at Hidden Vally Judo / Jiu Jitsu have been some of the best I’ve had.

I took some time over the weekend to really reflect on why that is.  The answer that came to me is this: To really know, and be good at a martial arts is actually different than being a true, experienced and seasoned competitor who knows what actually works.

A person can know all of the correct ways to do throws, and be absolutely text-book in their execution.  But that will only take you so far.  It’s the experience of how to set up a throw, and some subtle nuances and variations of the throws that the instructor has had good success with that become the real gold.

Just this last week Dr. Chen showed us how to turn a cross-collar Osoto Gari into a Swain-like arm attack that puts amazing pressing on the arm, and really breaks the Kazishi of the defender much easier.  Mike showed me a beautiful setup for what is essentially a wrestling-like “duck under” into a Tani Otoshi, as well as how to leverage a leg grab to setup up an Osoto Gari or Makikomi.  All of these came from “What has worked really well for me,” rather then “The way this move should be done is.”

Whatever your martial art, don’t just find someone who is a certified instructor, or who just happens to be a black belt.  Ask some questions about their experience.  What have they really done with the art they are teaching?

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Last night in class we had a few students who are either brand new, or haven’t been with us long.  I love working wit new students… It’s amazing how much more it sometimes makes you think when you teach something, rather than just do something.

I have found a fairly consistent patten wit new students, and concepts they struggle with.  These are: energy conservation (or “bursting”), and rigidity vs. fluid.

I recently posted another article on Energy conservation and cardio in grappling (Judo, Jujitsu, etc) and MMA, so I won’t be covering that topic again here.  What I do want to discuss however, is the concept of fluidity vs. rigidity.

You can tell a new Judo student right away.  When the lock up on the feet they are so stiff and tense.  They all seem to have an inherent logic in their brain that tells them that if they are more tense, they are more prepared, and as a result better defended and more ready to attack.  They often carry this same tension when they are on the ground as well, but I think the aspects relating to the ground game are better covered int he “bursting” article, so I’ll just focus on the feet here.

One of the analogies that I often use to help students understand the difference of rigid and stiff compared to fluid is the one of the mattress.  Most of us have, at one time or another, had to move a mattress set up stairs.  When doing so, It is far easier to move a box-spring than it is a big, floppy mattress.  Why is this?

Well primarily it is because the box spring is rigid.  When you push it, you are pretty sure exactly where it is going to go, and how far.  You know exactly how much force it will take to tip it one way or the other.  This is because the box spring is consistent.  It does not flex or remain fluid in order to absorb and of your force or pressure.

A big mattress on the other hand is a pain in the butt.  It never seems to do what you think it will.  You push, expecting a specific result, and it bends and sways under the pressure, absorbing some of it, and not being tipped and moved as easily as you would hope.

By having a good solid grip, but remaining loose and fluid, able to react to an opponents pressures, and “give” when needed as well as being able to surprise an opponent with a sudden burst of offense, rather than telegraphing our every intention through or rigidness we can be better Judokas.

Next time you randori, or work you Uchikmois, relax your body.  Be ready, be strong, have a good grip, but don’t be rigid.  Be fluid.  Be a mattress.

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I have to tell you, that class over at Hidden Valley was amazing on Saturday.

We started out by pairing up, and working on some light randori.  But “light” can quickly become amazingly taxing.  Mike really kept on us.  Once we would stand up, he kept pushing the pace, pushing us to grab back onto some one an keep going.  To improve our endurance, and equally important: to teach us to perform when we are tired.

As we worked, I commented to Mike that I was struggling a little with fighting out of bottom position in a side control.  I have a good strong bridge, but just was a little out of practice.  Mike gave me exactly what I needed: An off-ramp to hell.  He grabbed someone, and had them take side control on me.  Once I fought free, he would throw a new, fresh person at me, and have them take side control.

This really pushed me, and gave me exactly what I needed, in addition to teaching me more by interacting with so many different people and body types.

So the morale for this story?

Be willing to, an even eager to embrace your weakness and make it strong.  Whatever it is you are challenged with, push it to the utmost limits.  Don’t just “work with it a little.”  Work with your sparring partners to have them push you beyond your limits and your comfort zone.  Into fatigue and beyond.  This is when you really improve.  This is the true gain.

Thanks Mike!

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When I first started into Judo and Jiu Jitsu a few years ago I was pretty aggressive.  I came from a wrestling background, and was used to shooting fast and hard, and bridging like hell to roll a person over.

The problem that I ran into was: stamina.  Once I was on the ground, I would bridge, and bridge, and bridge.  I have a really solid bridge, and a good chunk of the time I can flip a guy.  But the problem was that if I failed to flip him, I was ready to tap within about 15 seconds because I simply couldn’t breathe.

I had similar problems on my feet.  My arms were rigid… pulling, pushing, attacking.

Those people who were helping to train my kept pounding into my head one simple phrase: RELAX.

Now when I am on the ground, I conserve my energy.  I slowly, deliberately work for better hand and body position.  Then, at just the right time I BURST.  I explode with energy and power, hopefully catching my opponent before they can react.  Then I relax, work for position, control balance, breathe, an then BURST again.

I find this allows me to ground fight much longer than many beginners that I work with.

The same is true on the feet.  Have a solid grip, pay attention to your kazushi, but don’t be rigid.  don’t be stiff.  Be refilling your energy reserves, not draining them.  Then BURST.  Explode into your attack.

I have found that this is a really difficult thing to teach people.  I think much of it is because we all are trained to want to win.  To fight.  To never give up.  Our brain fools us into thinking that relaxing a little means to be passive or submissive.

Let me be clear: being relaxed does not imply being passive nor submissive.  It means running at a controlled energy level.  Your hands and body should still be working for position.  But you should ask yourself: Are my energy reserves refilling right now, or depleting?

If you’re new to Judo or Jiujitsu, just try this.  Relax.  Breathe.  Then BURST into your attack.

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When speaking about Judo or Jujitsu you may have heard phrases like:

“The Gentle Way”

“The way of acceptance”

Or similar.  But what the heck does that really mean?  Anyone who’s felt a good arm bar, choke or Ipon knows that it feels anything but “gentle”.

We talked more about this in class at Hidden Valley last night, and I think I am starting to get it.

Let me start by drawing a contrast:  I originally came from a  wrestling background.  Wrestling is explosive.  It is powerful.  When I stand-out I intend to just wrench myself from the grasp of my opponent.  When a good double leg gets shot in wrestling or in MMA (watch St. Pierre… he’s a master at this), it is all about power… you lift the “victim” of the ground.  Sure, there are setups.  You push some one’s head down to get them to pop it up.  But by and large its about strength, speed, balance, and explosiveness.

Now, while many of those same traits are also powerful, and effective in Judo and Jujitsu, if you rely on them only, I think you miss the spirit of what these arts are.  What is the “gentle” or “accepting” art?  It means capitalizing on opportunities.  It means staying fluid, so you can react to a variety of things, and your fluidity and motion will also create needs for your opponent to attempt things.  Your goal is to train yourself to see the doorway in the brick wall… to see where you opponent is going, or even better: close your eyes.  Learn to FEEL where your opponent is going.  Feel the opening.  Feel the doorway and capitalize on the opening.

Being “gentle” or “accepting” doesn’t mean being passive or mild.  It simply means not trying to plow through the wall, because you know that if you keep tapping and circling it a door will open for a brief moment.  It’s that moment that is the heart of of the art.

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I’ve got some news to break to you: Judo is hard.

But so are most things that require finesse.

I bring this topic up because I have watched many people who start Judo get frustrated because they don’t see immediate results.  I also struggled my first nine months or so in Judo, because I didn’t feel I was improving.

This is something that someone who really wants to learn Judo will have to be prepared for.  Many martial arts are not this way… which is not to say that they are not hard, or are any less of an “art form”, but just that you may not feel quite as incompetent initially.

Let’s take karate as an example.  I can take a person, and within a few hours get them good enough with a couple of punches, and a front snap kick, that if I put gloves on them, and spar for a few minutes they actually feel good about themselves.  Sure, a Karate master will still beat the hell out of them, but they feel fairly competent.  Add to this the fact that many karate schools advance people in belt every three months, and you have a feel-good road to fast advancement for the micro-wave and fast food culture we live in.

Even in Jujitsu: A master of jujitsu will tap out a novice every few seconds.  But, put a person who has only had a few classes up against someone who has a year or so of experience, and although they will still likely lose most of the time, and may not be any good at submitting the opponent, they will still be able to hold the person down fairly well (assuming the have good balance), and can grab hold of things and squeeeeze.. which, although not always effective, at least gives the illusion of control.  They feel that they’re actually accomplishing something.

Judo can be frustratingly different.  So many of the moves look easy.  But when a novice grabs someone and tries to do them, it just isn’t right.  It takes a lot fo time to help them understand the nuances of WHY it’s not right, and to begin to improve their technique, but in the meantime they can feel that it’s wrong.

Judo isn’t a brawl.  It’s an art.  Now, that may seem all Judo high-and-mighty of me… but don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying Judo is the end all, be all of martial arts… There’s a rock to Judo’s scissors in any number of positions (Jujitsu is mean as hell on the ground… Muay Thai is mean as hell on the feet, etc.)  But if you DO want to master the throws of Judo, you must be willing to accept that it’s an art and you’re gonna really have to work at it.  Starting with the Kumikata (the grip), and then focusing on the subtle nuances of Kazushi, you’ll begin your path like a kid… stumbling and bumbling at first.  But if you stick with it, the skills you learn are well worth the wait.

Just go into it realizing that when Leonardo da Vinci painted the Sistine Chapel it wasn’t a paint by numbers.  This is gonna take some time

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Some of you may have read my recent post about Kumikata, or grip fighting.  Along with Kazushi (balance), Kumikata really is the other half of any throw.  Basically, if you have your own Kazushi under control and where it should be, and use your Kumikata to be able to exert some level of control on your opponent’s Kazushi, their gonna fly.

But what about when the Gi isn’t there?

Especially when we look at Judo as more of a sport, but also self defense, it’s important to be aware of which of our throws might be effective against someone in a self defense situation, or in a no-Gi bout.  I outline these differently, because I think they are.

Self defense:

In a simple brawl, your opponent is coming in swinging at you, or trying to grab a head-lock or similar.  Many moves in Judo present themselves in this situation.  If your your attacker is wearing a jacket, then yee-ha folks.  Kumikata and kick some butt.

If not, let’s look at some moves that will still potentially serve you well:

Koshi Garuma, or the head-throw (known in wrestling as the head-and-arm) can be a very good throw as an opponent is swinging at you, or as you step in to punch.

Osotogari is another, but as my Sensei over at Hidden Valley has shown us, you should take certain steps with your self-defense Osotogari that would not be allowed in a competition.  Namely, use the hand that would normally grab the lapel, and instead grab the chin of the victim, forcing the head back.  This is a great Kazushi breaker.

I have seen people argue that Ouch Gari, or similar footwork might be good in a self defense situation, and mentally I can see how they would be… But I often times have a hard time hitting them, and feel I would be putting myself in jeopardy to try.  For me, if I shot for an Ouchi gari in a fight it would likely be to knock the leg back and set up an Osoto Gari or a Koshi Garuma or something similar.

Many will also say the Ipon Seonage.  Again, this is true.  But woe be unto those who miss this throw in a real fight and end up with someone on their back.  Do it if you’re good at it… but I would think twice.

I know that many of you are thinking hip-throws.  Ogoshi, Ukigoshi, etc.  I agree, but it really depends on how the person fights.  I think in a real fight that fewer people “lock up” like they will in a no-gi MMA style fight.  These may not really present themselves in a hay-maker slug-fest.

No-Gi bout:

Okay, so things are a bit different here… many of the folks you face will be more inclined to “lock up” in a stance almost like a wrestler.  This is good, in the it opens up certain throws that are harder when someone stands back and swings.  Notably, these are the Ogoshi, Uki Goshi, and similar hip throws.

Another move that can be done no-Gi, by using both hands on one arm in the way that Mike Swain like to throw it is the Tai Otoshi, or dropping down into the Seoi Otoshi.  I like this one, but if the opponent has any skill in grappling, and especially once they get sweaty, it can be hard to grip good enough.  this is a similar issue with the Makikomi.  If you ca grip the wrist well enough most non-Judo folks don’t know this throw.  But once the sweat comes on your chance are slim.

I find that most folks in a no-Gi situation like to stand with their feet far enough back that I have a real hard time hitting Ouchi Gari or similar moves.  Now, I know… I need to turn them, set up the move… create the Kazushi to allow me to hit the Ouchi.  Sounds good… but I haven’t gotten the hang of it in a situation like this.

For me, I think it comes down to how good the other person’s Judo is.  If it’s pretty good then I think your hip throws, and possibly a Koshi Garuma are a good bet.  If the other person isn’t into Judo, then odds are they are going to shoot for your legs, so a sprawl into an anaconda choke is one of my favorites.

I hope this helps, but more than anything else, I wanted to open up some dialog.  What do you find works best when the Gi is off?

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The last month has been a great experience for me in a lot of ways.  First off, a moved a bit out of my comfort zone… I have been taking my son to Muay Thai classes, in addition to our Judo training for a few months.  But I decided to try and take him to an MMA gym.  Not only that, I decided to join in.

What did I learn?

Well, for starters, it’s fun as hell to throw people who have not had to deal with Judo around the room.  I have commented for some time now that I am surprised not to see more Judo used in the UFC and similar MMA organizations.

But there was another lesson to be learned.  Although Hidden Valley, where I train teaches both Judo and Jiu Jitsu, I think I had not focused enough on my jiu jitsu game.  I had gotten good at throws, and relied on my strength and size on the ground rather than my technique.

The result was, that when I was finished throwing people in the MMA class, I got my trash kicked by a good Jiu Jitsu fighter who arm barred me every few seconds.  But all this was great.  It showed me how far I had really come with my throws, and how far I still needed to go with my ground game.  It also showed me that each and every school has a ton that I can learn from them.

I walked into class last night, and said, “I need help.  I really don’t feel like getting my ass kicked by a Jits guy anymore.”  Of course, the response was pretty much what I knew it would be.  My Sensei has been telling me for quite some time not to rely on my “Squishy Waza”, and to work on my technique.  It appears that I just needed a bit of a wakeup call to really listen.

But I think this tells me a lot more than just: My throws are getting pretty good, my ground game needs a lot of work.  It has also taught me that we need to listen to our Sensei’s closer, even when we feel like, “It’s working, so why should I change?”  It might be working in that situation, but it’s still wrong.

Also, I have learned to really respect all of the disciplines.  If I fight someone who knows nothing about Judo, they are in trouble.  If I don’t hone my jujitsu, I am in trouble.  But kicks, strikes, elbows, knees, Karate, Muay Thai, etc.  There is value in all of these.  I will be tightening my game, keeping my arms in better to avoid arm bars, etc.

Also, there is a ton to be learned wherever you train, if you are humble enough to listen.  I will be listening much closer to my Sensei in Judo, and I will also be learning from the holes in my game as I train at the MMA gym.

This whole experience has really lit a fire under me to help drive me to the next level.

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I blog fairly consistently about my experiences, successes, and challenges as I (and my son) learn Judo.

But it’s important to point out that no one can effectively learn Judo in a Vacuum.  I am not in a  room alone perfecting my technique.  It is only through the wonderful teaching from my Senseis, and the support of a Dojo full of people who really have become like family to me, that I am able blessed to be able to grow and learn like I have.

From the beginning this has been due to my Dojo, Hidden Valley Judo and Jiu Jitsu.  Not only have I been supported, mentored, and yes… to get mushy, loved here.  But the Dojo has always been great in its tolerance of my kids coming with me, sometimes to learn, and sometimes just to go into the “play room” and raise hell with the other kids while we train.

Every single class I learn so much.  You can’t learn what you really need from an instruction video.  It’s the patient, experienced teacher pointing out that you need to tun your foot a fraction of an inch more, pull harder with the lead hand, and shift weight more to your left foot that you really excel.

Thank you so much to Mike, Dr. Chen, and everyone for all that I have learned, and intend to learn.

Get ready, because I’m throwing you next

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Judo Saturday was a real treat.  Mike Hermosillo, my Sensei, has amazing Judo.  I am always impressed and blessed by his insights into my technique.  Saturday however, we had Dr. Chen come in to work with us as well.

Dr. Chen trained my Sensei in Judo… and Dr. Chen’s skills are amazing.

I stand just over six feet tall, and weight in at around 250.  To have a tiny old guy walk up to you, speak so softly you almost have to strain to hear him, grab you gently with his finger-tips, and then send you flying is quite an experience.

Further, Mike has informed me that we plan to have Dr. Chen every Saturday in class now.  If you live in Utah and have ever wanted to learn Judo, or if you know Judo and really want to hone your skills, this is an amazing opportunity.

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