An Update...

I promised an update on my efforts to get martial arts generally and BJJ specifically recognized as a legitimate university field of study. For those new to this blog, I can tell you that this is an important goal of mine that I am pursuing in two interrelated ways:

First, this summer I approached Campus Rec about the possibility of having a BJJ club on campus. Given that BJJ is relatively new to the U. and there are no "official" classes being held on campus, they balked. I put "official" in quotations because I have been told, but have never seen them, that there is an unconfirmed group who have been practicing BJJ for a few years on campus. From what I have been told, they have been using the institution's mat space for some time - to the dismay of U. officials. Whatever the case, although campus rec balked at a BJJ club, they were willing to sanction BJJ classes. Small victories, eh?

Starting this Fall (September 12th, I think), I will be teaching BJJ classes on Monday's (4:30 to 6) and Friday's (3:30 to 5). Although the times are not ideal, I'm really looking forward to the opportunity. Originally, one of my main concerns was to ensure that classes were affordable. Successfully getting BJJ on the map at the University but making it inaccessible because of cost would be of little consequence. Truthfully, I wish I could offer classes for free. That being said, campus rec has honoured my request and is charging a reasonable amount for classes. It works out to about $140 for 4 months of classes 2 times per week.

Now, all I have to do is plan the classes. Elyse Goldberg over at Gringabjj is contemplating similar issues. Any advice as to how to structure classes would be appreciated.

I'll discuss the "other" strategy and my progress (or lack thereof) in my next post.

best,
Bryan
bjjstudy@gmail.com

That Guy!

I knew he was out there, but I had not yet had the pleasure of his company. Oh, I had read about him on Sherdog and the UG, but I had never shared mat space with a “that guy” of his caliber. Sure, I had experienced the joys of a spazzy white belt and the splendor of the tapout tough guy. In my experience these characters often settle down shortly after being grabbed and quickly submitted by one of the senior belts. Nothing prepared me for the “my style is superior to your style and I’m going to prove it” (MSISTYSAIGTPI) guy.

This “guy” is incorrigible and will resort to whatever weapon in his arsenal he thinks may gain him an advantage. Better yet, he (in my experience it is most often a male) will bitch and moan about how his most efficient weapons are nullified by the customs and courtesies of BJJ. More to the point, if we were fighting under his rules, I would see some (and I’m quoting) “shit that’ll make my head spin.” Fair enough, I’d like to see this “shit”.

Not too long ago I had such an opportunity to witness such splendor when a MSISTYSAIGTPI graced us with his presence. At about 6’3 and 210lbs. or so he was hard to miss when he sauntered into the academy sporting a brown belt. I’ve trained at, and visited, a number of different schools offering other martial art styles other than BJJ and always assume that I should be wearing a white belt until told otherwise by the instructor. Whatever the case, the MSISTYSAIGTPI who I was later told holds a brown belt in Krav Maga (do they even have a belt system?) performed the warm up and drilled the technique, but seemed anxious to test his skill.

From the outset of rolling it was obvious that the MSISTYSAIGTPI had little fighting skill. But more frightening for the blue belt rolling with him, he was getting extremely frustrated. Not longer after I heard a “what the f**k are you doing” from across the academy. It seems that the MSISTYSAIGTPI thought it appropriate to start punching his partner in the stomach and then the face. He was politely told that punching is not allowed in BJJ and if he did it again he would be asked to leave. He mumbled about how such restrictions just proved BJJ’s ineffectiveness. Oh really?!

One of the senior belts saddled up to me and explained that I would be next to roll with the MSISTYSAIGTPI. No pressure, eh? This reminded me of times in my youth when my hockey coach would tap me on the back after an opposing player cheap shotted a teammate. I knew then, just as now, what my job was and there was not much point in arguing.

After complaining about the BJJ rules, the MSISTYSAIGTPI and I slapped in and commenced festivities. I arm dragged him and easily took his back and choked him. After doing the same thing over and over, he complained that he was handicapped by his inability to attack my fingers. Being allowed to do so would enable him to escape the choke by breaking every finger on my choking hand. Hmmmm… being a little more than mischievous, I encourage him to give that a try. Slap in, arm drag, grab the collar...grab my fingers...tap. I asked if he had anything else he’d like to try? He looked at me sheepishly and declared - “I’ve got to learn this shit”!

Now, about that brown belt…

Best,

Bryan

bjjstudy@gmail.com

"either define the moment or the moment will define you"

I returned home last nite from Grande Cache and the Canadian Death Race. It's extremely difficult to put into words how amazing the experience was. In a way that I have never experienced, the race forces you to confront the limits of your being. Not only were the mountains formidable, but the heat was oppressive.

But we did it! Our team (Just 'Cause) had a blast and did amazingly well. I finished my leg in just over my goal time, which made me extremely pleased. A number of racers were injured on the first leg and a few were forced to "tap out". One memorable moment occurred on the very first major downhill section (there were many!) when a rather beefy man yelled from the top - "LOOK OUT; I'M COMING DOWN!!!" And down he came indeed! He figured he would sprint the downhill section to gain position, but overlooked the snarl of rocks and roots poised to trip up the careless. So, I was at the bottom of the hill when the would be Usain Bolt hit a root and tumbled all the way down, which left the racers ahead of him scrambling to get out of the way of this out of control freight train!

From what I saw, and for the most part, the Death Race seems to bring out the very best in people. The spirit and the vibe in the town of Grande Cache was palpable. I saw a number of racers stopping to help other racers and teams pulled together in the most incredible of ways. I am very proud to have been a part of all of this!!

Before my wife started her leg (at 2 a.m., no less) we were sitting around talking in a meagre attempt to the pass the time while we waited for our teammate to finish his leg. I was giving her a pep talk about how she was going to rock the race and how THIS was a very important moment in her life and for her. In the last year, we have suffered through 3 miscarriages - she more than me, of course. Nonetheless, this has been quite mentally and emotionally draining on us as we have attempted to cope with and understand this loss. For Jo, this race was really important for her psychologically and for sentimental reasons... and she owned it!

The Death Race, and especially her leg in the dark, was a metaphor for our last year. Although I have never run in the dark, I can only imagine that you have to take one step at a time otherwise you're going to trip and fall (like my friend who went for a tumble). And Jo did trip and she did fall, but she got back up and kept on running. That's the way we want to move forward - not only being fully in the moment, but embracing and owning the moment. Too often we, all of us, are caught looking too far ahead straining to see where the trail leads and miss the beauty and opportunities that are in front of us. Walt Witman very poignantly stated, either you define the moment, or the moment will define you. Jo and I will go boldly into the future one sublime step at a time, embracing all that comes. Like the nite-time trail, I can never know what is around the corner (another child? a blackbelt?) - all I know is that Jo and I will do it together and support each other in the spirit of the "Life" Race. I'm so very proud of you, Jo! Way to go!

Big thank you and congrats to my team. I'll be back next year ready to embrace a new challenge and test the limits of my being.

best,

Bryan

throwing the baby out with the bath-water - training and the Death Race

In previous posts I have talked about training for the Canadian Death Race: A 125 km relay through the Rocky Mountains. Well, the race is next weekend. I feel very much prepared to run the leg I was assigned. However, I think that saying this is quite different from saying I'm prepared to "race" this distance! My goal is to complete my leg in just over 2 hours. I will be quite satisfied if I can accomplish this time.

I have noticed that running long distances has been of some tremendous benefit to my grappling. While I was concerned that long runs would hamper my "wind", my sense is that my endurance, both aerobic and anaerobic thresholds, have measurably improved. We spar a lot at our club so I have lots of opportunity to gauge my fit-ness level and may account for my increased anaerobic capacity. For example, Saturday open mat runs from 11:30 to 1:30 during which tend to spar for the good part of the time. In the past, I would begin to get noticeably fatigued after about 45 minutes of rolling. Now, however, I can typically roll at a moderate pace for a good portion of the time.

Conventional wisdom - at least of what I'm aware - suggests that training for fights should consist mainly of high intensity interval training (HIIT) - and I agree fundamentally with this perspective. I understand that training should mimic fighting conditions - certainly. And HIIT fits the bill nicely. Moreover, this form of training is interesting, fun and can be varied to avoid becoming banal. Its very difficult to argue the efficacy of this approach after watching the results of Jon Chaimberg's work become actualized through GSP's 5 rounds of awesomeness. From what I understand Chaimberg, for the most part, eschews long slow distance training. Again, after watching what he has accomplished in elite athletes such as GSP, arguing otherwise is akin to arguing against puppies (who doesn't like puppies) or mothers.

I don't want to argue with Chaimberg or against him. His results speak volumes. My only point, and granted I don't have a lot of fodder in support of it, is that I think there may be role for long distance training to play in the fighter's training.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not sentimental in the least when it comes to running. I don't have a great affinity for it. Moreover, I'm not certain that fighters should be running long distances everyday as overuse injuries loom large - that's the last thing a fighter preparing for a big fight wants. Rather, I want to suggest that perhaps there is a place for moderate 10 or 15 km runs situated somewhere in the training cycle. Is there not some benefit to this type of training? Is it useless for a fighter to incorporate moderately paced running in their training programs?

As for me, will I continue to run longer distances as part of my training? My sense is that I will. I've derived a tremendous benefit from it. I'm lighter, quicker and can roll for longer periods. At the same time, I'm not anxious to run in minus 30* weather! Once September or October rolls around, I'm going to incorporate more of the kind of training Jon Chaimberg advocates and see what happens.

best,

Bryan

Vacation

I've been back at work for less than a week and I feel as though I need another vacation. Poor me, eh? Well, not really. My family took full advantage of our time away. Our good friends have a mountain place on Kicking Horse Mountain, which we enjoyed on our trip to Lake Okanagan. Our boys had a blast climbing the mountain and visiting Boo the bear. For its part, the Okanagan valley is one of the most striking and beautiful places I have ever been - not to mention the wonderful wineries that dot the landscape.

After enjoying the mountains we headed East to visit family in Winnipeg. This prairie city stands in stark contrast with the Rocky Mountains, but, to be fair, has some charms of its own. To my extreme benefit, Rodrigo Munduruca runs his academy in Winnipeg. I was able to train with this excellent group of girls and guys several times during my visit. I don't know if you ever experience this, but after a week or so of not training I get more than a little twitchy and (at least my wife says) a touch irritable. So, it was good for everyone involved that I was able to train. If you ever find yourself in the 'Peg (hopefully not in the Winter!), check out Rod's club.

As the picture above suggests, the kids had tremendous fun visiting their grandparents on Lake Winnipeg. However, what the picture does not say is that 2 minutes after it was taken, Rush (what I call my son Taryk - he's always in a hurry) slammed the tractor he was driving into the cottage. Fortunately, no one was injured and the fun continued when we visited the Royal Tyrrell dinosaur museum in Drumheller, AB.. For my boys who love everything dinosaur, this was one of the major highlights. The museum is truly world class and fun for the whole family.

best,

Bryan

The guard and Self Defence

Yesterday I was teaching class and a relatively new student with a brown belt in Karate and UFC fan asked some really interesting questions about the guard as it relates to self defence. I, at first, dismissed the question and gave a relatively flippant response. But the question has been tugging at my consciousness for the better part of the day. So, I've been trying to work through my thoughts and appended them below. These impressions are really stream of consciousness stuff and should be considered tentative (at best). I'm really interested in your thoughts on this one, so please let me know what you think. Here goes:

While the sporting application of the guard is undeniable, the waters become increasingly muddied when applied outside the relatively controlled environment of the octagon or tournament scene. Not that there isn't any overlap or consistency, because there is - rather they're not exactly the same thing. In my experience as a bouncer and as a rather unrefined young man, fights and situations demanding self defence rarely commence with two individuals squaring off on their feet with few people within arms reach. Rarely, did 2 (or more) individuals skilled in striking stand up and bang. What typically happened is that the combatants would get close by throwing some big looping fists and would then attempt to put the other in a headlock (headlock defences are very important!) and try to muscle the other to the ground while punching and kneeing them in the face. Other typical scenarios included someone being thrown to the ground in a bar or attacked from behind (among many others). It's a BJJ truism to say that many fights and self defence situations end up or start on the ground.

BJJ players are taught (or at least I was) to control the situation, inflict as little damage as possible to this end, and (most important) get away with your life. Many jiu jitsukas would prefer never to go to the ground in self defence, but control the situation on the feet through a combination of base, posture and technique. As such, the guard, or even the ground for that matter, is not the first line of defence. Even when the conflict hits the ground there is no guarantee that the individual trained in BJJ will flop to guard. Instead, many will attempt to control the situation through leverage, posture and technique from the top position (knee on belly, side mount, mount, back mount, etc.).

The guard may then be used when the player finds themselves on their backs with few other options. Indeed, if while on my back I can escape or inflict damage without putting someone in my guard, I'll do it. In self defence situations, guard may be a go to position when individuals find themselves on their backs and in trouble. From here they can control the other's posture and body, rest and look to escape.

All this being said, I am never going to willingly go to my back on the streets! I feel waaaaay more comfortable fighting from the top and have a greater arsenal from this position for controlling the situation and ending it quickly. Moreover, if I find myself on my back I don't ever have to "let" someone in my guard or close to me to control the situation. I can use additional techniques to create space and escape or inflict damage.

Okay, coming back to the original question: in a self defence situation context - as with everything - determines the strategy's efficacy. Guard is an obvious and requisite tool in the self defence arsenal - but it's not the only or most important one. The ability to control the situation, control the attacker, and escape (relatively) unharmed all the while controlling oneself is paramount. The guard is just one of the jiu jitsukas weapons in a multi-tiered and faceted arsenal. Taken by itself, the guard suffers from a certain lack, but is dangerous and potent when situated within the BJJ complex or network of techniques and strategies.

I hope all this makes some sense. I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Bryan

bjjstudy@gmail.com

The shoe is on the other foot

I just finished being interviewed about the study. I had nothing to worry about - the reporter could not have been nicer or more interested in what I am doing. The conversation was very enjoyable and I look very much forward to seeing the result in print.

In other news, I met with campus rec at the UofA where I teach about the possibility of establishing a BJJ club on campus. Evidently, the rules surrounding clubs have changed such that they are moving to a system of classes (not socio-economic mind you) where individuals would sign up for the class instead of the club. Because we (Misty will be co-teaching with me) will be teaching content, campus rec maintains we are teaching a classes rather than forming a club. Whatever the case, I'm delighted to have BJJ recognized by the University and excited by the prospect of teaching this Fall. 

It concerns me more than a little, however, that former disgruntled students make enroll for the sole purpose of choking me out for failing them ;-).

Bryan

bjjstudy@gmail.com