Great Push Hands in Seattle, WA.

Just recently I made a new friend in Scott Meredith here in Seattle who showed up as a doe – eyed newborn babe at Meynards seminar on Kali.  Scott had never picked up a stick in his life, but he has made a pact with himself that at least once a year he ventures outside his realm of comfortability to try a new seminar, workshop, or learning experience in an effort to continue growing.

Come to find out Scott is probably one of the most experienced Taiji Push Hands players not only in the area, but honestly I would put him near the top 2-3 pushers I have ever met!  Hands down the best I have ever pushed with was Mike Martello, and honestly most skilled players cannot drop their ginormous ego long enough to even learn anything from them.  Scott is the polar opposite with the skills to boot.

If you are in the Seattle area and want to either learn, or improve your sensitivity training their is no better I know of then Scott.  Check out his modest site, especially the writings page!

Cheers
Jake

This is an awesome clip from one of the most respected BJJ coaches in the world, Draculino, who has produced champions like Alberto Crane, Romulo Barral, etc. etc.  In it Draculino addresses some common misconceptions about the efficacy of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu’s guard work.

I come from a traditional background in both the Japanese and Chinese arts.  To this day I still train them though I focus more of my time and energy on BJJ.  I have spent countless hours arguing with ignorant people about this very subject to no avail until those people actually try some of what they think will work. I am not sure why the fear, (and don’t be mistake… it certainly is fear!) seems to guide these peoples arguments.

First of all there is nothing to fear in BJJ!  BJJ will not ruin your traditional art.  It very well might ruin some misconceptions YOU had about YOUR training in the traditional arts, but to be quite frank BJJ has improved my stand up game one hundred fold!  How you ask??

Simple… I no longer feared going to a place I was ill prepared to go.  When you are on the ground you need to have a base knowledge of what to do and how to safely get to your feet.  Once I could handle myself safely on the ground I did not care if the fight went there.  I would prefer to stay on my feet for sure, but we cannot control every scenario and variable in a fight.  It is pure chaos.  That is why I laugh my ass off when I hear traditional practitioners pounding their chest saying “No one could take me to the ground.”

Yeah…. let’s dispose of this myth right away.  One does not need to be “taken” anywhere by anyone, as mother nature is constantly working against us with gravity (remember: “Gravity doesn’t lie, and the ground never misses!”) so something as innocuous as a misplaced step, slip on ice, a rolled ankle, or even a missed punch can put anyone on the ground regardless of their opponents intentions.

So I hope you enjoy this short clip from Draculino, as it is pretty funny and spot on with its point.

Cheers
Jake

Getting ready for this weekends UFC event featuring the great George Sotiropoluos pitted against Denis Siver, here are a couple of BJJ matches with George at the De La Riva Cup 2006 in Tokyo.

This is a great jits match!

John B. Will is considered by many to be a pioneer in the martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  The first Aussie to earn his black belt, he is one of BJJ’s “Dirty Dozen” along with David Meyer.  He is also one of the most prolific teachers scouring the globe teaching seminars and workshops literally the world over!  His technical prowess is trumped solely by his pedagogy, which has earned him the official, unofficial nickname “The Coaches coach.”

Here is an awesome example of John’s teaching prowess.  A very short clip on setting up the kimura, but watch it a few times as I have and you will notice the insane amount of detail packed into a couple of minutes!   Essentially the three caveats of combat:
– Gain the superior angle
– Isolate and dominate
– Submit

John will be visiting the Emerald City once again in July (his only US stop by the way kids), but if you cannot wait that long check out his latest project “Mastering Sweeps.”  I have yet to see it, but I hope to get a copy to review for my readers in the near future.

Enjoy,
Jake

I am not sure how many of you peruse my blog roll, but over at Frenchboxing blog there is a great pic from 1938 that I had to share here.

Here is the original caption:

Original caption: June 6, 1938 – New York: The newest sport to make this blase village sit up and take notice is a combination of boxing and what the French call “La Savate”. The latter was once a trick of the trade of the Paris apache and consists of kicking an opponent in the face and other parts of the anatomy. To the great embarrassment and inconvience of said opponent. Here you see Sonny Tucker laying a shapely left foot on the no less shapely chin ofShirley Elliot during their kick and punch match at Ivan Frank’s smart night club in New York. Gentlemen, pray that the little woman doesn’t take up this new game.
IMAGE:
© Bettmann/CORBIS
DATE PHOTOGRAPHED
June 06, 1938
LOCATION
New York, New York, USA
COLLECTION
Bettmann


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I love the last line: “…pray that the little woman doesn’t take up this new game.”  Still holds true damn near 80 years later!  Too funny that they actually have boxing gloves on their feet!

Enjoy,
Jake

I want to thank my teacher Meynard Ancheta, and all the participants of this weekends Pekiti Tirsia Kali (PTK) seminar, for two wonderful days of training, learning, and growing!  Meynard continued our in depth study of the Doce Methodos “Twelve Methods” which are the foundation upon which all of PTK rests.   We had attendees from Oregon, British Columbia, and all over Washington state!

imageUsing the five strikes as our base Meynard taught various drills from several of the methods where we worked from long range, to middle range, into close range.  We later took these individual drills and began working them into free flow technical sparring.  Meynard’s emphasis of always sparring and testing our theories is a product of his teachers Leo Gaje and Tim Cartmell!

This visit by Meynard really helped solidify my understanding of the structure and curriculum of PTK.  This is the exact reason I have chosen to train under Ancheta, because the way he teaches makes sense to me since we come from the same teacher Tim Cartmell.  Many Kali teachers have no clue how to organize a lesson plan and lead a student down the right path, creating confusion, and eventually stagnation leading to frustration.  Though it seemed like a lot of information over the weekend, in reality Meynard did an excellent job weaving what we did not know into what we did know.

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Three Harmonies Group

An interesting observation; by Sunday at 1pm I looked around the room and started to see the glossy glare of deer caught in headlights type of thousand yard stare.  For the most part (I can only speak for me and my students here) the physical part of the seminar was not really taxing, but the mental aspect of the training was COMPLETELY tiring!  I started to think about this, on Monday naturally (Sunday after the seminar my brain was completely fried!), and I wonder if because we are using both sides of our brain with Kali that we exhaust mentally so differently then other martial arts?  Something to observe and ponder at future events.

As I stated last fall when Meynard came for a seminar, I am so happy to be back training the Filipino martial arts again!  Not only are they challenging on a different level then all other martial systems, but PTK is so frickin’ applicable it almost too simple!  I really enjoy learning about the Filipino culture, history and arts via Kali.  And lets face it… most of us “men” are really “kids” disguised as men, so when it comes to playing with weapons and pretending to attack a bunch of sword wielding zombies… well we are hard pressed not to enjoy playing!  Just wait until I show you all the beautiful Ginunting I got from Meynard!

Again thanks to all my students for attending, as well as our guests from out of town.  Thank you much to my awesome wife for everything!

Stay tuned to the Ground Never Misses for announcements on the first ever Pacific NW Pekiti  Tirsia Kali camp this summer!  Rumor has it we will focus on double stick methods and short staff work as well.

Train Hard.  Train Smart.
Jake

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Cash Cab made an appearance, and Russ won a choke!

Quite by accident I stumbled upon this clip earlier today on the French Boxing blog:

The kids are cute, and this reinforces my opinion that all socialized citizens should be trained in weapon arts.

As you see there is no description, but the great thing about Youtube is the linked clips, of which I found these:

This is fascinating WWI training footage of soldiers!

Though not quite Pekiti Tirsia Kali I figured it would be a nice way to end the week and get prepared for our weekend with Guro Ancheta training the Doce Methodos.  Have a safe and fun weekend.  I will drop a full report on the weekend early next week!

Train Hard.  Train Smart.
Jake

Thanks to the Grappling Dummy for linking up this Shooto 20th Anniversary compilation.  I miss the good ‘ol days of Japanese MMA with Pride FC, Pancrase, and of course Shooto.  For you youngsters not familiar with Shooto look it up.  Many of the legends of MMA cut their teeth in the organization!

Enjoy,
Jake

I refuse to Facebook so I am not sure if this constitutes “breaking news,” but ‘Short Round’ Kim told me that it is all but confirmed that Grapplers Quest will be making their debut here in the Emerald City on Memorial Day weekend 2011!   Nothing has been announced on GrapplersQuest.com as of yet, but if the rumors are true Brian Cimmins has been working with the City of Seattle which most likely means the tournament will be held in the convention center.
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This will mark the first major tournament in the Pacific NW as NAGA, IBJJF, nor Grapplers Quest (the three major grappling promoters) have never had an event in the area.  Stay tuned for more info as I find out.

Train Hard. Train Smart.
Jake

imageFor you Chinese martial arts geeks like me, you may remember a little publication back in the day called Wu Gong Journal which later morphed into the Journal of Chinese Martial Arts.  Published by Nick Scrima these represented some of the earliest and best writing on Chinese martial arts ever, but due to financial issues (IE. no advertising) the publication soon went under.

Articles by a literal who’s who were packed full of good, interesting info.  Two of my teachers grace the covers to your right!

For years many of us in the community bugged Nick to get the old back issues on CD format and finally he has!   Individual issues along with bundles can be purchased by clicking here!

And the even better news is the Journal of Chinese Martial Arts will be making a comeback in quarterly format starting January 2012!  Click here to sign up for announcements regarding the CMA journal!

Nick has asked me to write a piece for one of the first issues so look for some articles by me in the near future.

Cheers
Jake

imageMajor congrats to my homie Taho “Big Walker” Kakutani on being promoted to blue last week!  Of course the one Wed. class I do not make is the one you get promoted at.  Anyways, long over due my friend.

Cheers
Jake

 

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I found this when searching ‘blue belt’ in Google… too funny!

Tournament season is upon us once more and I figured this was as good a time as any to review the rules for competition under the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federations (IBJJF) platform.  I chose the IBJJF rule set simply because it is considered standard in the sport and we are starting to see more and more tournaments at the national, regional, and local levels adopting the rule set without modification.  So chances are you will run across this rule set in competition.

imageIt is critical to have a thorough understanding of the rules and what is allowed at certain levels.  In a tournament setting assuming actually only makes an ass out of you!  And nothing screams douche waffle louder then someone arguing a call with a ref when that someone is simply wrong because he/she did not understand a rule or how points are distributed.  Not to mention the element of surprise when your opponent does not know the rules inside and out; I won the 09 No Gi Worlds with a wrist lock and my opponent screaming emphatically it was illegal.  The ref did not even know and had to check!  But I knew and waited patiently for the right call.  Quite simply you can push the limits more with a solid understanding of rules.

I am going to highlight some of the major rules, as you can click here and check out the complete IBJJF rule set for competition.  I plan on attending some referee courses in the near future as well.  Again to understand the rules and flow of competition better, but also for the possibility of working tournaments in the future to help offset the cost of competition!

The Ref:

Position and function of the Referee Central: The referee central is to remain in the area of combat. Directing the combat determines the results, certifyng the correct decisions in registering placement.The referee central to give the first ahlete on the mat a green and yellow belt for identification and keep him on the right side, in case the athletes’ kimonos are the same colors. The other athlete must remain on the left side, and after the compliments, the referee will start the fight by saying “COMBATE“! The throwing techniques of the competitors, by order of the central referee, will be noted on the scoreboard or on the official score papers by the scorekeeper with only the corresponding points. In case of a draw in points and advantages the scorekeeper will raise the two flags together simultaneously. Then, the central referee will análize who was the fighter with the better preformance-in accordance with the rules which award the victory to the fighter determined to be most agressive in pursuing the victory durring the fight. There will be no draws in any case. The central referee will decide who is the winner and his decision is absolute. The central referee will oversee that everything is correct; for example: the ring, equipment, Gis, hygiene, officials, etc. before starting the fight.The referee must certify that neither the public, photographers or anyone else is in any posiction that could interfere with, risk or harm the competitors.

HOW TO LOCK THE SCOREBOARD

The score bord have this points4 points – mount, back grab3 points – passing the guard2 points – take downs, sweeps and knee on the belly-1, -2…  – penalties1, 2, 3… – advantages

-1
mount
____________

back grab

Passing    the guard Take downs
____________sweeps
____________Knee on the belly

penalties

advantages

The referee looks first for the points after for the advantages and last thing to do is lock for the penalties. This is the order that you can use for interpreting the scoreboard, if after this cases the fight continus a drow the referee will judge how is the winner.
Being a ref is tough!  It is not a job I envy but it is necessary.  Bad calls happen and as a competitor you need to be prepared for them.  Losing your cool and acting like an ape makes you look foolish and is not sportsmen like at all.  Quite simply if you wish to remain in control never relinquish that control to anyone else including the refs.  Finish your opponent with a submission and their is no question, no debate.  Submission is truth!
 4-) POINTS:
1º POSITIVE POINTS
The competition through its nature makes the athletes use their technical abilities attempting to finish or neutralize their opponents. The point is the superior technique displayed durring the match by putting the positions and negative points on the adversary.
IMPORTANT
 The athlete cannot have score new points when he is in a position where he recieved points previously, changes position intentionally and returns to the same position.
Example: For knee on the belly and switching sides, there will be no new
points awarded.
The fight can be an ascending condition for technique, looking to dominate the adversary, working to finish the opponent.
No points will be marked for the athlete who is attaining a position while in a submission. Points will only be awarded after the submission is
completely defended.
Example: When one athlete is mounted on his opponent but is in a guitine the points of the mount will be awarded only when the submission is defended.
The order of the referee
The positions sought technically and which are presented with importance in terms of strategy of the fighter and the finishing technique. If there is no finish the positions established will be translated into points to determine the winner.
Positioning: (Ordered by the referee)Positions are achieved through proper technique,. If there is no submission at the end of a match, the athlete gains victory by scoring more position points than his opponent.

A-) TAKE DOWNS: Any kind of knocking down the opponent or being taken down on his back side, 2 points. If the athlete is thrown to the ground and does not land on his back, the thrower must pin him to the ground in the same position for at least 3 seconds to gain the points of the take down.
Observation 1: the take down that lands outside of the fighting area and on to the security area will be valid as long as the athlete that applied it stood with both feet in the fighting area while making the take down.
Observation 2: If the athlete has one of his knees on the ground and is taken down, whoever applied the take down will be awarded 2 points as long as he has both his feet on the ground. If the athlete has both his knees on the ground and is knocked down the standing athlete will have to pass to his side and maintain this position to receive an advantage.
Observation 3: When the athlete attempts the double leg and the opponent sits on the floor and executes a sweep, the athlete who attempted the takedown will not receive points, but the one who executed the sweep will.
Observation 4: When a competitor throws his opponent and ends up in a bottomposition the competitor throwing will receive 2 points and the opponent on top will receive an advantage. If the competitor executing the throw lands in his opponents guard and is swept, both will receive 2 points.

B-) PASSING THE GUARD: Is when the athlete that is above his adversary or in between his legs, moves to his opponent’s side, establishing a perpendicular or longitudinal position over his adversary’s trunk, dominating him and leaving him no space to move or to escape the position—if even is on his side or back. 3 points NOTE: if the athlete that is underneath avoids the move by getting to his knees or standing up, the initiative will not be awarded 3 points but will be awarded an advantage.

C-) KNEE ON THE BELLY: When the athlete on top puts his knee on his adversary’s stomach, holding his collar or sleeve and belt with his other leg towards his adversary’s head: 2 POINTS
OBS: if the athlete that is underneath does not allow his adversary to put his knee down onto his belly and if the one on top does not establish the position completely, it will not be awarded 2 points but an advantage.

D-) THE MOUNT: is when the athlete sits on his opponent’s torso; the opponent can be lying on his stomach, side or back. The one mounted can be on top of one of his opponent’s arms, but never on both. It will also be considered a mount if he has one knee and one foot on the ground, 4 POINTS.
OBS: no points will be awarded if his feet or knees are on his opponent’s leg. Also if an athlete applies a triangle while in the guard and in so doing lands mounted on his opponent, it will be considered a sweep, not a mount. (See the Guard)
E-) THE BACK GRAB: Is when the athlete grabs his adversary’s back, taking hold of his neck and wrapping his legs around his opponent’s waist, with his heels leaning on the inner side of his opponent’s thighs, not allowing him to leave the position.4 POINTS. NOTE: the points will not be awarded if both heels are not properly positioned on the inner part of the adversary’s thighs.Also be considerea back if the athlete has the leg over one arm of the will opponent but never over grab both arms, in this case no points will be awarded.
F-) THE SWEEP: is when the athlete that is underneath has his opponent in his guard(in between his legs ) or the half guard (having one of his adversary’s legs between his) and is able to get on top of his adversary by inverting his position. 2 POINTS
Observation 1: it will not be considered a sweep if the move does not begin from inside the guard or half guard.
Observation 2: When the athlete sweeping advances his position to the back of his opponent during the attempted sweep, he is awarded 2 points.
Observation 3: If starting in a guard position, an athlete attempts a sweep and both athletes return to their feet and the competitor attempting the sweep executes a takedown remaining on top, he will be awarded 2 points.
PONTOS CUMULATIVOS
2º – NEGATIVE POINTS: (PENALTIES)
 Are penalties given to the athlete after committing a third offence .i.e. avoiding engaging, staling or not seeking ways to finalize the fight.
Stalling: In case the athlete make the classic nstalling on the crosside or North South position without seeking ways to submit
Holding the opponent, standing up, or any position designed to stall. Noticing this the referee will request that 20 seconds be marked and say  “LUTE”, making the gesture. At the end of the 20 seconds if the athlete hasn’t changed his position or shown visible signs of engagement, the referee say again “LUTE” and make the same gesture, penalising the atlhete and giving an advantage for the other, if he continues stalling the referee will stop the fight saying “PAROU”, and he will penalise  the same, giving 2 points for the other, and both athletes will return to their feet at neutral positions. With the possibility of disqualification on the next offence
V- ADVANTAGES
It is considered an advantage when the athlete attempts but does not complete any of the fundamental moves of the fight; i.e. sweep, take down, submission etc.;
• Advantages through takedowns: When there is a visible loss of balance in which the adversary nearly completes the takedown. A visible loss of balance durring an attempted throw will also result in an advantage.
• During closed guard (when the athlete on the bottom has his legs wrapped around his opponent’s waist):
A-) The one on top will earn the advantage by being on the offensive, trying to dominate his adversary’s guard (pass the guard). For the referee to consider it an advantage, the athlete that is on top must come close to passing the guard, forcing his adversary to exert energy to regain position e.g. half guard, almost immobilizing, etc.
B-) The one underneath will earn the advantage if he almost sweeps his opponent, putting him in a dangerous position, as well as when he attempts a lock that forces his opponent to defend. NOTE: for the sweep attempt to be considered worthy of an advantage the athlete underneath must open his legs.
When there is a tie situation on the scoreboard, it is up to the referee to decide if he will award an advantage, using the following judgments:
 •Advantages will be awarded during standing fights or on the ground if the athlete attempts a technique with more aggressiveness and initiative, trying takedowns , other finalizing moves during the fight. Or showing that he dominate the fight most of the time by putting the opponent on the defensive
• Advantages through takedowns: When there is a visible loss of balance in which the adversary nearly completes the takedown. A visible loss of balance durring an attempted throw will also result in an advantage.
•Advantages will be awarded during ground fighting if the athlete attempts a technique and puts his adversary on the defensive.


Understanding advantages and points is crucial to the game.  I have heard many people poo-poo points and their importance, but remember we are playing a game where their needs to be a winner and loser determined by some outcome if submission is not achieved.  I think playing to points is a bit of a bitch move, always go for the submission never stall.  But in the heat of a scramble the scrappier of the two will be awarded points and will be determined the winner.  
Also ensure when training for a tournament to hold your position for at least 3 seconds.  Getting into this habit will pay dividends when the adrenaline is flowing and you are trying to get points for knee on belly!  
As far as advantages go… all I can say is be aggressive!  The go getter will stick in the ref’s mind more so then the sit and wait fighter.  The more you try, the more you will be rewarded.
ARTICLE 6º – RESTRICTIONS
• In all catagories the central referee has the athority to stop a match when either of the competitors is in danger of serious bodily harm as a result of a submission and award the victory to competitor applying the submission.
• Cervical locks or neck cranks are not allowed in any category except for chokes in the juveniles or adult divisions in all belts.
• Athletes under 18 (Juveniles) are only allowed to compete in the open class if they are middle weight or heavier.
• Wrestling shoes or any type of shoes, head gear, shirts under the gi (except for girls) and any kind of protectors that can alter the outcome of the match in any way are not allowed in competition.
• In childrens divisions between 4-15years, when a competitor is executing a triangle and the opponent stands up it is the referees obligation to stand in a position to protect both athletes, specifically to reduce the risk of cervical damage.

FROM ADULT THROUGH SENIOR (BLUE & PURPLE BELT)
MATA LEO WITH FOOT
SLAM FROM THE GUARD
LEG LOCKS
CERVICAL(only without chokes)
BICEPS LOCK
CALF LOCK
SCISSORS TAKEDOWN
HEEL HOOK

 FROM ADULT THROUGH SENIOR (BROWN AND BLACKBELT)
SLAM FROM THE GUARD
CERVICAL LOCK(only without chokes)
SCISSORS TAKEDOWN
HEEL HOOK

I am not going to rant and rave.  The argument for and against leg attacks in BJJ has been beaten like a dead horse in dead horse gulch!  Keep this in mind when training leg attacks though… it has been my limited experience and observation that the overwhelming majority of injuries that occur when leg attacks are performed were due to the defender trying to frantically roll and get out instead of realizing they were caught and simply tapping!  The IBJJF could not penalize something like ego so the art suffers where we cannot perform certain leg attacks because knuckleheads over the years refuse to tap.  Heel hooks do not destroy knees, the ego does!


Notice wrist locks are NOT on the list!!!!!!


ARTICLE 7º – HYGIENE


Seriously… if I, or anyone, needs to address this… then you are a disgusting pig who should not be allowed out of your trough!  My tolerance for filthy people has overflowed!  Just no excuse for it on any mat in any situation!

ARTICLE 8º – KIMONO
COMPETiTORS ARE REQUIRED TO USE KIMONOS UNDER THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATIONS
A. Constructed of cotton or similar material and in good condition. The material may not be excessivly thick or hard to the point where it will obstruct the opponent.
B. Colours may be black, white or blue, no combined colors (white kimono with blue pants, etc.)
C. The jacket is to be of suficient length down to the thighs, sleeves must reach the wrist with arms extended in front of the body. The sleeve should follow the oficial measures according to CBJJ, and IBJJF.From the shoulder to the wrist.
D. Belt width 4-5cm, with colour corresponding to rank tied around the waist with a double knot , tight enough to secure the kimono closed.
E. Athletes are not permitted to compete with torn kimonos, sleeves or pants that are not of propper length or with t-shirts underneath the kimono (except in the female divisions).
F. Is not allowed to use paint kimonos, except for the teams.

More so then anything I have seen, kimono regulations kill competitors!  I understand some of it, but I think many of the regulations are bullshit blatant attempts to make competitors go to the vendors at the tourney and pay for a brand new gi!  Make sure you take at least two gis.  Make sure their are NO tears or holes.  Make sure the patches are not too close to the leg cuff.  Make sure the colors match for the pants and the kimono.  And if you have questions ask BEFORE you are in the bullpen.  Nothing worse then getting checked RIGHT before you head onto the mat only to get turned away.  It fucks with you mentally and throws a loop in your physical preparation.  


Knowing the rules will help.  For instance our gi sleeves often shrink a bit from washing.  You have to reach your arms in front of your body and ensure the sleeves touch the wrist.  Just shrug back your shoulders a bit and this will give you an extra couple of inches!  

 

imageThese are the bulk of the rules that are important in my opinion.  Study up fighters, it is your  responsibility alone to know and understand the rules for which you are competing under.  Also keep in mind that in IBJJF settings you are weighed right as you go on the mat to compete.  Cutting weight is discouraged as it is not healthy nor does it give a true representation of the art.  Remember Helio was 120#’s soaking wet!  Focus on leverage and skill, less on brute strength and power.  Not only will you improve, but the sport as a whole will better!
CheersJakeA pet peeve is usually defined as a “minor annoyance,” but as of late I must admit a much deeper seeded, visceral feeling ranking a bit higher then “minor” and “annoyance” was passed up several exits back!  In general I am not fond of bad breath but that is not what I am talking about here (though we may as well address it)…
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Lately when rolling with training partners, and others at seminars, tournaments, etc. I have noticed an increasing trend in my partners breathing (obviously hard since we are rolling) DIRECTLY INTO MY FACE!!!  Seemingly oblivious to their major invasion of common courtesy, I cannot help but notice not only the offense but also the complete lack of breath control.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is both an aerobic and anaerobic activity that requires absolute control over our oxygen intake and usage.  Roger Machado talks about what he terms ‘Fire Breathing’ where you inhale smoothly, then exhale in short controlled bursts in order to calm breathing and focus the mind so that it is not concerned with gulping for air in bad situations.

Rickson Gracie is renown for his yogic / meditative type breathing exercises.  Here is a clip from the awesome documentary “Choke” where Rickson talks about yoga, stretching, breathing etc.

Think about it… if you do not know where you are breathing in relation to your head/mouth orientation, how aware can you be of HOW you are breathing?  Pay special attention to your patterns of breathing especially the danger of holding your breath!  Focus less on controlling the opponent and more on controlling yourself, make yourself more aware inside – out.  This will improve whatever activity you participate in, not to mention your everyday life.

And over and above all…  QUIT F#@KING BREATHING IN MY FACE!!  IT IS RUDE!!

Cheers,
Jake

Check out the beautiful collection of weapons at the Macao Museum of Art!  This link is for the Philippine section which has some amazing pieces, but also check out the other categories such as China, Japan, SE Asia, and Korea.  I would love the opportunity to travel to Macao and check out this collection in person.  I am ignorant about steel weapons, their development, their design and manufacturing, etc.  I know more about using them then the actual weapon itself, not to mention its role and influence on mankind!  I have so much to learn and am already 1/2 way through this life!  Crazy.

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Ginunting

Anyways I thought my readers may enjoy a trip to the museum.  Meynard comes into town next weekend for some great training in Kali.  He is also bringing a couple of custom made Ginunting’s with him.  If my hand is not too big I just may have a new toy to show my readers!  I am stoked to get a new shaving razor;)

Cheers
Jake

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Ric Fogel photo

The “Spider” Anderson Silva won his 14th consecutive UFC fight last night, and in old school fashion…. with a front kick KO to Vitor Belforts chin!  I love how Anderson brings old school Muay Thai technique into MMA with such grace and fluidity.  Vitor did not even see it coming!imageDue to last minute cancellations I have several openings to the previously announced sold out seminar with Guro Ancheta coming up. Here is the original post with all the detailed info for the seminar.

If you are interested email me ASAP ([email protected]) as these spots will fly!

Cheers
Jake

imageI have been following Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto for years in Japanese fight promotions, and he has been one of my favorites to watch because he is one tough SOB and always brings a brawl!  This Saturday he will step into the octagon for the first time against Demetrious Johnson at UFC 126 and this promises to be a scrap.
Here is what Sherdog had to say about the fight tomorrow.

For those of you never exposed to Kid check out this awesome highlight reel (with one of Hip hops best artists, Immortal Technique).  His wrestling is excellent.  Submissions are probably his weakest area but as you will see that does not mean he is not good at them.  His striking is explosive and precise which makes for a lethal combo.  Enjoy!

Muchas gracias to Bonzai for linking me to this story!  Anthony Robles was born without his right leg and has become a huge inspiration to all wrestling his senior year for the Arizona State University team.  Plus he is a diehard Raiders fan, so how can’t you like the guy!?!?!

Robles sense of balance and use of leverage is uncanny given his missing leg.  His attitude is amazing, and he attributes it to his parents who raised him no differently then his brothers and sisters.  Parents are a missing theme / link in many kids lives now days.  Even when they are around, they are missing in many respects.

Anthony reminds me of my hatred for four letter words like “CAN’T!”  Next time you tell someone “I can’t…..” think of Anthony, then shut your mouth and push yourself!

Jake

imageThe 2011 Zhen Wu Martial Arts Camp will be held in Porto, Portugal.  Anyone interested in Chinese martial arts will want to make sure and attend this camp as it will feature some of the most prominent teachers living in China today!  The Zhen Wu training camp was the brainchild of the late Mike Martello whose dream was to unite people under the banner of Chinese martial arts in an effort to make each and everyone of us stronger, better martial artists and human beings.  Since Mike’s passing his students have kept the flame alive by continuing his spirit and legacy via the Zhen Wu training camps.

For more information email Kim Haukland at [email protected]

Cheers
Jake

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