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.

Posted in: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

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.

Posted in: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

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

Posted in: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

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?

Posted in: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

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.

Posted in: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

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

Posted in: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

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.

Posted in: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

A couple of weeks ago I was honored to receive my Brown Belt in Judo.

I guess everyone has their own outlook on the martial arts, as well as their own perspective on advancement in the arts.  I know we have seen some people come into class and ask, “How long does it take to get a black belt?”

Well of course, the answer to that is: 10 minutes, a credit card, and an Internet connection.

We have also seen people who come to class for a few months, and then inform the Sensei that their “Ready for their brown belt.”

My mindset has always been somewhat different.  When I saw this picture I knew I had to use it.  It really sums up exactly how I feel when I get a belt advancement.  I see an advancement not so much as recognition of what you have done thus far, but more as a new set of expectations.  Hopefully, those are set because your Sensei feels you are now prepared for them.

When I received my green belt (the first belt above white in Judo), it took me about nine months to feel like I really was “a green belt.”  What does that mean?  Well, for me at least, it meant that once I had the green belt for about nine months, I truly did feel that I had more control, knowledge, and ability than an athletic white belt that came in off the street.

But now a new bar has been set.  I worry as a brown belt if green belts will judge me, and wonder, “Who is he to be instructing me?  I do [insert name] throw better than him anyway.”

But this got me thinking as well…

As some of you may, or may not know, I am also pretty active in business and entrepreneurship (you can see my linked-in profile here.)  In business I hire people, and put them in positions all the time.  When I hire someone into a company, even a person who is fairly junior, I am not surprised if they are better at something than I am.  They probably aren’t better at everything.  But, I would almost expect that they have certain skills or abilities that are good.  Otherwise, why would I be hiring them.

But that new-hire still has a lot of other things that they can learn from me, and from others in the company.

I think this is true of the martial arts as well.  I need to be able to accept that I have value to offer, and not feel that I have in some way “tarnished my belt” if a lower ranking person has things they can teach me.  I need to be able to be humble and learn (which I think I do pretty well at in Judo), but along with that humility, I need to make sure that I still recognize my abilities, and am “humble” without being “humbled”, or “broken”.

I don’t know if anyone else struggles with this.  Is it an inherent issue with a “belt system”?  Is it less likely to happen in a system without rankings, like MMA?

I don’t know.

But in the meantime, I want to thank my Sensei for feeling I am ready for this.  I’ve got some big clothes to grow into

Posted in: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

I was working with one of the classes in our Dojo on teaching the Tai Otoshi.  Things seemed to be going pretty well.  Everyone was getting better and better at the move.

But then I would ask a couple of students at a time to come forward and do some light Randori, working for their Tai Otoshi.  I was surprised how many of the students would approach each other wit their hands down, and then calmly reach up to grab the Gi.

At that point we stopped, and I had a someone come forward.  I grabbed him with a very dominant grip, and asked him if he felt it was likely he was going to throw me.  The obvious answer was, “no.”  I then had him grab me with a good grip, and asked again.  The obvious answer being, “yes.”

We spent the rest of the class working on getting a good grip on our opponent, and breaking dominant grips they might get on us.

I know that this blog is syndicated in multiple places.  Some of them non-Judo sites, such as Utah Martial Arts.  So some of you might be reading this, and wondering how applicable in it is for non-Gi, non-Judo applications.  The answer is: Very.

Long before I did Judo I wrestled.  In wrestling it is very common to see the two opponents “lock up.”  I loved the lockup.  Transition into it was a great time to hit a duck-under or a fireman,s carry (Kata Garuma in Judo.)  If you were good at it you could also use the lockup to force your opponent around and create the opening you wanted.

We see this mirrored as well in the Muay Thai clinch.  A good clinch is the first step to vicious knee attacks.  In MMA we see opponents pushing eachother against the cage and going for their “underhooks.”  This allows for hip-throws, keeps a person from dropping for a double-leg, and many more advantages.

Back to Judo specifically however:  I cannot stress enough how important it is to protect yourself from being “outgripped” as your approach your oppoenent.  Keep your hands in, protect the collar.  Fight for and gain good Kumikata and you are not only far more likely to hit your throws, but less likely to be thrown.

Posted in: Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

I just had to pass this along.  Apparently a local “ninja” is willing to hire himself for (among other things (spelling errors are from the original article)):

• security work.
• house or apartment cleaning.
• moving help.
• birthdays.
• suprise parties.
• basic repair jobs.
• some self defense and other training.
• House and apartment sitting.
• demonstrations.
• corperate parties.
• trapping strayes.

A joke, you might think?  Oh no my misguided, ninja unbelieving friend.  The advertiser goes on to inform us:

“I do dress in a full black suit resembling a ninja if this alarms you please don’t worry i only wear the clothing, i carry some weapons, depending on the job, on my person.

I do take this very seriously and do not like people calling to make fun of it, please call only if you are serious about retaining my services for any work.”

So… Are your combat skills lacking?  Do you need serious, stealthy help with that corporate party or moving job?  If so, a ninja just might be your solution.  You can read the full article, and even hire your own ninja here.

Posted in: Uncategorized | 4 Comments »