ps1

Absolutely true. The point Renzo makes is that you must be capable of moving from one phase of combat to another in a fluid and capable manner. Otherwise you risk being put in a position where you're at the disadvantage. This means moving from clinch to takedown as well as from clinch to disengage. Or not to engage at all if you can't do it safely (ie there's more than one opponent and a clear route of escape).

I've never had the need for a double weave. And I weigh 230. I love pearl/ gold weave. Feels really soft. Otherwise I just go with single.

I really like Fuji brand gi. They are rather inexpensive and hold up every bit as well as ATAMA. As far as Gameness, if ATAMA seems restrictive in the shoulders, Gameness will not fit you well either. If you're willing to shell out the money, Sho Yo Roll makes a great gi as well. For a normal shaped person, they should fit well in the shoulders.

I actually posted about this a few years ago. I think this book is one of the most insightful when it comes to overall strategy and understanding the jiu-jitsu approach to fighting. The people who don't like it are just those that want tons of pictures of moves. Renzo simplifies it so that you are more aware overall. He points out that, with things like jumping knees, superman punches, and jumping kicks, you can often get hit with weapons that you felt were out of range. Examples: turning side kickhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CIKOxf6_gM superman punch flying heel hook jump kick flying kneeThe overall point of his work is that the Jiu-Jitsu philosophy is to take an opponent where you have the advantage. Anderson Silva has a black belt in BJJ. But he rarely goes to the ground because his stand up is so air tight. That's just smart fighting. That's jiu-jitsu, positional dominance.

In BJJ I call my most immediate instructors by their first names. My students also call me by my first name. I call Pedro Sauer "professor" or "Pedro," depending on the setting. If we're training, I call him professor. If we're drinking and watching the fights, I call him Pedro. In Karate (Shotokan and Kwanmuzendokai) it was Sensei. That's what i called all my senior instructors (5th dan and above). In Chuan Fa I called my instructor Master McGinnis.

Awesome. I love stories like this.

In Shotokan, we never hugged. It was a bow, always. In BJJ, we shake hands, bow, hug, head nod, throw up peace signs, throw up "hang loose" signs and just about any other salutation you can imagine. It's about being respectful. As long as you're being respectful toward your training partners, you're doing it right!

True in some cases. However, there has been a rampant increase in Community Acquired MRSA. It's important to not that MRSA differs from staph in so much as it resits the usual treatment methods. The increase is something being combated by the CDC as we speak. The best known method of avoiding it is to clean your own stuff and keep your mats, showers, locker rooms and equipment clean. Use bleach anywhere possible.

Only very briefly. I used to be a manager at a chain pharmacy. Someone was trying to steal some stuff. When I confronted her, she swung a bag at me. I just grabbed her and put her in a goose neck and took her in the office. Beyond that, everything I've done was more about impenetrable posture. During operations in Iraq, we would drive down the road with out weapons always pointed out the windows at the ready. No one ever messed with us.

For a lot of schools it's super taboo to wash your belt, some even consider it bad luck. I've heard plenty of stories of instructors requiring students to buy new belts after finding out that they washed it. The first few paragraphs of this article address the whole "don't wash your belt" and "belt system derived from dirty belts" myths. http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2005/09/09/urban-legends-of-karate-belts/ Origin of the belt system: http://judoinfo.com/obi.htm Anything that differs from what Kano originally created is for that sytem/person's own needs. Some do it to allow for more tangible and easily attainable goals along the way, others do it for money. Really is that simple.

Yesterday, Royler Gracie was promoted to Coral Belt (red and black) by his brothers Rickson and Rolker. Huge congratulations to him. Among his contributions to the arts are: -4 time consecutive CBJJ World Champion -3 time consecutive ADCC champion -Author of 3 books -Trained many other noteworthy champions such as Saulo Ribeiro, Leticia Ribeiro, David Adiv, Wellington "Megaton" Diaz, Donald Park and many more. - MMA record of 5-5-1, and a pioneer of delivering BJJ to the rest of the world -Gave one of the first large scale BJJ demos at the Olympic Villiage in Atlanta Georgia. - Coached and trained with some of the biggest names in the art. Such as, Helio Gracie (founder and father), Carlos Gracie (founder and Uncle), Rickson Gracie, Royce Gracie, Rolker Gracie, Rolls Gracie, Carlos Gracie Jr, and the list goes on. - Black belt since 1983. In addition to all of his accomplishments, he remains humble and approachable. Just a great all round person. Congratulations to Master Royler Gracie.

His team is killing because he actively recruits people from other teams. He gives them a place to stay and train full time. I don't buy into the Lloyd Irving hype.

Self defense is not about hurting someone else. It's about stopping them from hurting you. With that in mind, you should use whatever level of force is necessary to do that job!

I guess I'm summarizing what I stated in an earlier post, but here's how I see it. In BJJ, you can't earn a Black Belt before you're 18 years old. Once you earn it, you simply are a black belt. Age plays no part in rank from that point on. So an 18 year old black belt is not considered any less than a 28 year old black belt. This statement is similar in my Shotokan school. An 18 year old black belt does not rank below a 28 year old black belt. They are simply black belts. It, therefore, baffles me as to why a 14 or 10 or 6 year old black belt, who met the exact same testing requirements, should receive any different treatment. It just makes more sense to me to simply not allow them to earn a black belt until you're going to give them all the honors and respect that comes with the rank. For me it's this simple; If they aren't old enough to serve my country in war...they can't be a black belt.

Which is why I pointed out that the book is not based on Karate Kata. No one said it was based on TKD forms. What I'm saying is that the similarities in movements between various arts can be interpreted the same in regards to grappling. For example: Both TKD and Shotokan have the same movements of gedan barrai (down defense). However, the movement can be interpreted in many different ways. There can be overlap in the interpretation when it comes to making it a grappling movement rather than something coming from the free movement phase of combat. These same similarities can be noticed and, in that regard, the book could be very useful.

I would say that this is true and not true. There are a lot of people who study before they jump, and rightly so, and a lot will be looking for some accreditation from some sort of organization. If he doesn't have it he could lose some students. However this would only hinder at first, until the dojo has a name for itself. Otherwise being part of an organization would do great for networking. Because you don't have an option, you can't really concern yourself with the fact that you don't have one. Certificates only ever mean anything within the confines of the school/organization that awarded it. If someone wants to have a certificate under some big organization, your school isn't the right one for them anyway. You should be honest with them about that. If they try out a class and like what you do, they'll train. If they don't, they won't. You can't be everything to everyone. Don't continue wasting energy on something that is, ultimately, unimportant. That said, there are places online and various local and regional orgs that will certify your rank. However, most are considered shady and not legitimate. I would not suggest using them, but a google search will help you find them if you desire.

It's not based on karate kata, rather TKD forms, but here's a book that may be of great use. http://www.amazon.com/Taekwondo-Grappling-Techniques-Competitive-Martial/dp/0804840067/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325201755&sr=8-1 In it, a form is shown and then various grappling options are shown for that movement. In all honesty, I feel like the author is forcing something fit where it really does not. But that's another discussion. You can translate some of the movements and see where they overlap into the various kata you've mentioned. This will give you options for grappling.

If you're affiliated with an organization, there should be someone who can print your certificate. If you're not affiliated with anyone, it doesn't really matter anyway. All the standards and promotions are at your discretion anyway. No one is going to care if you have a certificate on your wall as long as you have a skill you can teach them.

Seems like a waste of time to train a form the will only be done once. This likely means it's not trained very often afterward, just so you don't forget the movements and can teach it to your successor. I would rather have watched him perform his most basic form in an absolutely perfect manner than watch him butcher a form that is, evidently, only for show.

I handle them almost exactly like Master Pain. I teach them to my students, but I also teach their counters at the same time. The reason is so my students understand how to properly defend them and don't roll around making it worse. As a brown belt in BJJ, I use them as they come. You learn to take the technique you're given as you progress in the art.

Yup...that's the one. It's a great move when the guy on your back loses focus and makes the mistake.

I always laugh at this video. I love how he has to explain to the guy what just happened after he wakes up. So funny to me. A far as use of force, it is perfect. Won't even leave a mark on the guy. No lasting damage and effective. No one injured, no escalation in terms of weapons use. I love it.

They make them specifically for throwing arts now. http://www.greatmats.com/products/martial-arts-mats-judo.php I've been on them and they're as nice as any tatami I've trained on.

Just remember, everyone here started as a novice. The only thing that will make you better is more training. Also consider that, as a yellow belt, there are likely white belts looking at you and thinking, "can't wait until I'm that good so I can be a yellow belt." It's also important to realize that self confidence is a separate issue. The only way to improve it is to take that leap of faith and confront those things that you fear most. Once you do, you'll realize that there's nothing to fear. Good luck and welcome to Karate Forums!