JiuJitsuNation

I love this quote in it's entirety and have it posted in my school.

Of course in the contract moving, injury, etc. Are acknowledged. But it's like buying a car you can't freeze your payment just because you decide not to drive it because your taste or preferences change.

Looks can be defeating if you allow the thought they are better than you to creep in your mind. As For Brock knowing his back ground is intimidating but i'll take a 20 minute shot at him at the Abu Dhabis. As for Kimbo Slice he has zero skill or ability. He is a novelty. And the ufc is done with him for that reason. I often intimidate most opponents in competition. You can feel them fold. It's easy to read people and know when they have doubt. It's part of being a good competitor. This carries over into everyday life. Some individual wants to be hard and intimidate everyone around him. This is easy to see. Most people respond defensively and play the roll back. But one glance into the eyes a real ability to real body language and listen to affirmations instead of whats being said or portrayed will tell all. Now not everyone has this ability and i'm not sure all can acquire it. My wife i'm convinced will forever be oblivious to people and their intentions. LOL Bless her sweet face.

Congratulations!!

True story. Brock was a D-1 wrestler in college and national champion.

josteph what you say may be so. But it doesn't negate the long terms effects on your joints. I ask my students not to make each other tap during the muscle memory drills. Now during live training they can all they wish and do. But in live training you may get arm barred with force 5 or 6 times that day. but if you had to tap every single time your partner drilled, you may have had that joint manipulated another 50 times! Which speeds you on your way to joint pain as you get older. I am simply trying to teach them how to stay on the mats longer with less joint pain.

I can't line up across from someone and let them get in my head because the "look" scary. Exactly! At the same time you never know who you are looking at. And you may have that response for the rest of your life. The key is to be aware that you are having an emotional response and why. Then you can talk yourself through to finding out whats beneath that appearance. There are exceptions to what I've seen. The largest of opponents are usually the least technical. But not all of them. I wouldn't reprogram to see them differently just know that it is not a sign of things to come. (in competition) now on the street if you see this profile and consistent colors you may want to avoid those individuals.

In my experience the guys with the most intimidating appearances offer the least amount of skill. I've learned this in life and competition. I like to compete in open divisions and the smallest most unsuspecting guys where the most technical and offer the most challenge. Our emotional response to someones appearance is what tv and others have ingrained in us. A rabbit may have never seen a hawk in it's life, but when it does it has an emotional response that will save it's life. We are much the same.

Being a good uke in my opinion and method of teaching is this. Allow the one applying the technique to follow through with no resistance., EVER! while practicing or learning the move. 20 minutes at the in of EVERY class is set aside for live training where the goal is to catch the move of the day, or any they know, on a resisting opponent. There are many components that are missing in most training regimens and without these thing one simply cannot be affective when going "live". Resisting during the muscle memory development part of the drill or while your instructor is teaching is not the time. I shouldn't have to put my student through pain and risk injury because they hard headed. At the same time if you are practicing a choke and the person applying it is not choking you without you resisting then you should let them know i'm not feeling it. But to practice an armbar to the point that you FORCE your team mate to tapout every time, then you are shorting your or his longevity in ma. This brings on arthritis and tendonitis. The point of drilling is muscle memory. Resistance is for live training. demonstration is for DEMONSTRATING lol

Yes! I would say Jeff Monson, Rhadi Ferguson or Roger Gracie would be a humbling experience for any of those guys. look them up on youtube. Being as they are "wrestlers" who better to pit them against than a REAL professional grappler.

I can only `speak from a BJJ background. For me it's very important. I think for the uneducated it doesn't mean much. However, I always encourage everyone to do some research on the school and or instructor you are choosing. Lineage can say a lot about the type of instruction and the level of the competency you can expect from the instructor. There are more than one bogus gracie jiu jitsu black belts in my area. An individual takes a picture with Royce Gracie at a seminar and then puts up the pictures starts teaching and telling everyone he is a Royce Gracie black belt. Whatever the style is i'm sure this has happened before. There should be a way for everyone to research the legitimacy of any one instructor. I am in the practice of suggesting the other schools in surrounding cities that I know are legit BJJ black belts. On another note. My lineage is important for me. I'm a black belt under Luiz Palhares, who is a sixth degree under Rickson Gracie.

Did you just compare martial arts to groceries? lol Your point of view as a student is appreciated.

Skill levels being equal the larger person has the advantage. And I believe we are forgetting that grappling is about leverage not strength. It would be very unwise for De La Hoya to take a fight with Tyson. Guaranteed to get get hurt. This is the reason for weight classes. And i'm simply saying that at some point size makes a huge difference. I don't mean 30 pounds or so. You must be highly skilled to take on opponents who are much bigger than you.

I'm 6'1" 230 lb brazilian jiu jitsu blackbelt, tatted from head to toe, bald, intimidating and most confident. Typical I know. I have been in a few altercations and did well subduing the misguided individuals without hurting myself or them. One of which the guy dwarfed me! I feel as though I am in control everywhere I go. But there is always a fear of the unknown in the back of my mind. Just as those guys didn't realize who the were about to tangle with... neither do I. it's our minds that will save us then. Being alert and observant will allow us to recognize a situation that we can't handle moments before it gets to that point.

Or should there be an age limit?

I don't believe that the belt is guaranteed in x amount of time. Just to be up front i'm not in favor of this, just heard of the practice. I am however in favor of contracts because school owner sign contracts for their building, marketing and other long term commitments just to teach what they love. I see no reason why the student can't make a commitment themselves. besides no one learns anything lasting in a month or 2. I'm not here for them to decide if they want to do martial arts. I'm here for them once they do decide they want to do martial arts. This country is lazy and we teaching our children it's ok to quite what we've started. I give a free week and sometimes more to help them make that choice. Beyond that i'm making a commitment to be on those mats 6 days a week 6 hrs a day to help them grow as individuals. I expect no less.

Um, you do realize that in order to hit someone you have to be within range of getting hit. I have much experience in boxing and muay thai and I would still say the same thing. the bigger person ALWAYS has the advantage. And the exact scenario would maybe make a difference if the little guy got off first because the other was too confident, but doubt it. Putting on muscle will reduce fat as well, so you accomplish both. and unless you are using something you won't put on significant enough size to slow you down and lose much speed or agility.

I think Jeff Monson said it best "This (flexing) takes care of a lot of technique." Let's face it people, at some point size makes all the difference. You can teach a 12 year old everything he could possibly learn in any style and give them a black belt and they still won't whoop an adult. So if you are at the bottom of the weight scale you are forever at a disadvantage against larger opponents.

Paying a lump sum up front to guarantee you lessons and to cover grading costs until you reach your belt isn't so bad as long as the belt is actually awarded based on skill and not because its "time". This is what I'm familiar with. Financially I'm told it isn't necessarily good for the school. Mostly because the money can be miss managed and then you are left with x amount of students and no residual income.

Ha good point.

Are we allowed to do that? lol

Can't argue with that tallgeese.

I've sen some school owners put "packages" together for several thousand dollars and sell it to people as black belt packages. And or whatever other belts may be within the system.

Gracie Jiu Jitsu Black Belt

I am amazed at the knowledge you people have of certain things. A person could just read all day. At one time I only respected one belt system. Over time I realized I only respect the way one might obtain a rank.