ps1

Great Post! I agree with every point. This exemplifies the staple mindset of any effective self defense class. I especially agree with the section where you talk about "self protection" and pulling family members out of buildings and such. Well done.

Wow!! We have a Chi Kung program where I work. I'll look into it for you. But it hardly sounds worth doing if it's true:)

I sent you a PM with all the information you should need. I hope you find it useful. Let us know if you need any help.

Before any suggestions I need to know if you've seen both a physical therapist and a doctor. I'm a trainer by profession and can offer some advice, but will not do so before I have a little more information.

Based on the fact that you like to throw as well as submit, Judo and BJJ are likely to be better choices. You'll have to visit the schools and see where their focus lies. In general, Judo will usually focus more on throws and a few submissions. BJJ will usually focus more on Submissions and a few takedowns.

It sounds like an isolated incident. You spoke so highly of the school in other posts that I'd hate for you to quit because of one bad day. As far as taping out...the first time it happens it's sometimes hard to find the opponent's leg. That comes with practice. Just avoid the person that was too rough.

Good luck. I hope it works out well for you!

Bringing a notebook is always a good idea. It's sometimes hard to remember details a few days later. I also bring a camera and film my matches. I show them to my instructor and he points out my mistakes (which are always plenty).

While I understand what you're saying...I feel you're wrong. Matt Hughes was a very poor example. Him losing to St. Pierre does not mean he's not a skilled martial artist. The guy is phenominal. He submitted Royce Gracie for goodness sake. While Royce is older and certainly not the best grappler in the world, I'm willing to bet there's NOBODY on this forum who could come close to beating him...MMA or Grappling. The reason Hughes was dominated was a matter of strategy. He chose to keep a left handed, very low wrestling style stance in order to avoid St. Pierre's stand up. It didn't work. They are both extremely skilled fighters. The fact that Hughs lost to him does not make him un skilled. Serra lost to St. Pierre also. Does that make him a brute that's unskilled? Tito Ortiz was a ground and pound guy...who also competed well in the ADCC. If you want proof...simply go to any local MMA competitions. That's where you'll see a bunch of unskilled brutes. It usually consists of a bunch of muscle heads with a smattering of traditional martial artists and a few legit people that are serious about MMA. The serious guys dominate those competitions. And against someone like Hughes, St. Pierre, Serra and so on...they would get killed too. My point is that you need to be sure to use the proper frame of reference. St. Pierre has made virtually everyone look like an amature. But that doesn't mean they are unskilled or are not martial artists. While it's more fun to watch the "tacticians," it does not mean the other guys aren't using a strategy of their own.

I think so. Not because his Sambo isn't good (it is very good). Rather, because he trains for MMA so much. He wouldn't do certain things because he's used to training punching. The butterfly guard and half guard are two big examples. They are mainstays in submission grappling but are avoided in MMA because a good striker will hit you. Whereas Saulo has made his career doing submission grappling.

Not even fedor ? Don't get me wrong. Fedor is certainly good. In a MMA match...he destroys Saulo hands down with no contest. That's the exact thing that would get him beaten by Saulo in a pure grappling match. In MMA you can't always be as technical. Saulo would win in a sub grappling match. But you're right, with his Judo and Sambo background, Fedor wouldn't take long to earn BB in BJJ. A few years maybe.

Upper Body: Push-ups, Dips, Pull-ups (and variations), Chin-ups (and variations), Hand stand push-ups Lower Body: Squats, Step-ups, Pelvic Raise Whole Body/ Core: Plank, Reverse Plank, Side Plank, Sit-ups, Crunches, Back Extension, Leg/Knee Raise, Flutter Kicks, Reverse Crunch With the purchase of a physioball you can increase the number of things you can do exponentially. Do you tube searches for functional training, Bosu training, and phyioball/wellness ball training. They should give you thousands of ideas. On the topic of the USA...it's a good piece of equipment. We have them at the gym I work at.

I hope it's a hit! You've certainly done a great job here. Congrats!

I see. Not that it matters much. None of the guys mentioned in the thread have his grappling skill.

In Chuan Fa and TKD I was taught to use the instep/ shin. In Shotokan I was taught to use the ball of the foot. I perfer to use the shin or instep. In Shotokan classes I used the ball at my instructor's request. Shotokan has been my only dealings with Karate and the only place I was taught to use the ball of the foot. I was never taught a telegraphed type of round house kick. Though it sounds like it's just a phase of teaching (as others have mentioned). It's been a very long time since I first learned them however. It's more than possible that I have simply forgotten how it was taught to me when I was a child.

Saulo Ribeiro earned his BJJ black belt in three years. That was under Royler Gracie. If the skill is there, the rank will be awarded. But Purple in a month is a bit exaggerated. There's a certain loyalty aspect as well. Who told you that? Saulo told me that at a seminar. Here's a link that has his start date and date of black belt also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saulo_Ribeiro

Excellent post.

Don't try this on a skilled grappler. You'll be swept and mounted. It's not good to do while in the guard. Not trying to be overyly negative, the Ezekiel is a good choke. Just not from inside the guard of someone who knows how to grapple well.

Good luck. Let us know when you figure it out. That's the kind of thinking that has advanced the art to this point.

Very good. Thanks for posting this.

Two days left!! Do you feel ready? Good luck!

This is typically called the can opener. The only weakness about it is if the guy simply opens unlocks his guard it no longer causes pain. It's a good way to get someone to open though. Better for no-gi. With the gi, the opponent can get good grabs on your lapels while you do it. Generally speaking, there are no good submissions to apply from inside a person's guard. This is due to the fact that the opponent controls your hips. You have limited ability to apply pressure to them and you have limited mobility.

Saulo Ribeiro earned his BJJ black belt in three years. That was under Royler Gracie. If the skill is there, the rank will be awarded. But Purple in a month is a bit exaggerated. There's a certain loyalty aspect as well.

Sounds like you had a great time. Glad to hear you learned so much. One thing you can do to better secure the North/South position is to bring the knees in (instead of sprawling) and pinch them tightly on the opponent's head. It's a great way to set up attacks.

Here's my advice: 1. Go in with a game plan! Your instructor should be able to help you with that. You should plan and train everything. How you want to pass the guard, how long to play for takedowns, which submissions you will go for first from each position and so on. 2. Personally, don't let yourself get caught up in the takedown game unless you're very good at them. It's too easy to waste 3 or 4 minutes on your feet. Then your opponent gets a lucky takedown and your behind on points with very little time left to make it up. Trust me...that's a bummer. 3. The aggressiveness may hurt you at this level. I say that because newbies have the tendencies to go all out really hard. When you play defensive, the match can take a while before you find the opening you're looking for. That's not a good thing when you only have 5 minutes. 4. MOST IMPORTANT!!!!!!!! Stay Relaxed. When you're relaxed you can flow better. Just relax and let your instincts take over. Good luck.