Training Frequency and You

There's going to be a point in your early BJJ life when you're going to wonder how frequently you should be training. How much is too much and how much is too little? The key to solving that problem is finding your own personal sweet spot of training. Your own personal sweet spot if going to be predicated by the amount of free time you have, your physical ability, how many classes your school offers, and your financial ability to pay for them. 

If your school maybe only offers a couple of days of Jiu Jitsu a week, well then you're handcuffed. But that's not to say that you're not stuck with this problem. If you're fortunate enough to have a school that offers classes daily, then this problem becomes a little more present. So let's take a look at this common issue one symptom at a time.

Assuming your school offers classes daily, let's first look at your availability. Home life can be a real detractor from BJJ. I know that sounds harsh--because it is--but that doesn't make it any less true. If you're a family man there are going to be days when your family will need you at home. Aside from the task-oriented "need," you don't want to be an absentee parent/spouse even if you're not out doing something stupid--sometimes you just need to be there. 

That aside there are going to be the times when events pop up that will cause you to have to miss class. Obviously those are going to be random, but if you're going to be in this for the long run, you're going to need to account for them.

If you're not a "family person" and you basically have all the time in the world to give to training (e.g. the youngster with a day job) then not only are you the envy of the 30+ crowd at your gym, but you can take advantage of that and train often. Getting in frequent training is going to be a dance of measuring quality and quantity. It does not have to be one or the other, but if you're starting to burn yourself out by constant grinding it out on the mats then you're going to lose some of that quality. That becomes even more true if you're among the older crowd and might not necessarily be tied down to home obligations. So if you have the option to train as much as you want, keep in mind that you're going to want to be at your mental and physical best while you're there--for your sake and for that of your training partners'--because if you're just getting on the mat and only getting quantity time and not quality time, you're only doing damage to your body and frustrating your training partners. 

 That leads us to the next point: Physical Ability. If you're young and able, you're not going to feel the pains that someone maybe even just 5 years older than you does (and will). But your youthful physical ability needs to be kept in mind and cared for. Just because you can train for 9 days in a row doesn't mean the 10th day is on the schedule. I love seeing young guns out there on the mats every day (so please do take advantage of that while you can, you should be doing that, that's part of being young), but rest days are important. Even if you don't feel like you need one, take a day off here and there and take care of your body. Yes, seriously, take care of your body. Even if you're just taking an Epsom salt bath on your days off to soak, that will serve you so well later on; plus there are a lot of physical benefits to Epsom salt that everyone at any age should be taking advantage of.

If you're a little on the older side, I think you already know when to pick your of days. But if you don't, your body will start to let you know; though, you probably don't want to let it get to that point. I'm on the cusp of 33 years old, and while I know that's not old, but after 30, things just don't heal as fast as they used to (see the picture above when I had a busted mouth for like 2 weeks). So, for me I don't look at training in calendar weeks--I look at it in hunks of days together. I try to take a day off after 4 days of consecutive training. There are (of course) times when I push it, but I do keep in mind the quality and quantity cocktail that we touched on earlier. So a large part of how often you should be training is going to depend on you age and physical ability. Like pushing through injuries can be one of those things that can just ruin you for much longer than the injury could've. When it comes to physical ability, just be smart about it. Jiu Jitsu can be a life-long journey if you play your cards right.

I'm not one to make jokes about anyone's financial situations or ability, but if you're even interested in Jiu Jitsu then you should at least be warned that it's going to be a major force in your life. That being said you're going to have to consider BJJ against your other bills. Your heart may want to roll 7 days a week, but your wallet says that 2 days is more realistic. Let's keep it real, your instructor will love your desire but they have bills too. Don't be one of these guys who pays for 2 classes a week but puppy-dog-eyes your instructor and asks if they can train additional days anyway. If you want to train more days then take a look at your finances and see what you can start to cut out. Personally, I don't know a lot of Jiu Jitsu guys that are going out and partying every weekend. Do you know why? Because we have membership dues, new gis to save for, not to mention not wanting to set back any diet they might be on. Not to poo-poo on your vices, but trust me, if you want to train more but financially you're strapped, I've seen guys make the adjustments to un-restrict funds to put towards more classes, but that's also assuming your school offers more classes to be a part of.

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Grappling with Guys, for Women

The world of fighting is predominately a male world. Traditionally, guys are the ones always going off to battle; or are quick to knuckle-up in at parking lot duster outside of your local watering hole. Now that's not to say that women are excluded, but it is to say that women who fight are the exception. Just check out your garden variety World Star Hip Hop videos, the majority of those fights are going to be guys, but you will find some ladies mixing it up there as well, but again, it is the exception to see females in such an aggressive state. Ironically, though, history is FULL of sweet stories and tales of female warriors. Joan of Arc, Shieldmaidens of Norse mythology, Calamity Jane, just to name a few (way more here).

"Joan of Arc in Battle" by Hermann Anton Stilke

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, we do have a lot of great female competitors, and the female brackets are only getting bigger every year. So with that in mind I thought it would be good to revisit one of our most famous topics of rolling with girls, but this time explore it from the female perspective.

In our article, "When Hugs Get Dangerous: Guys Rolling with Women," we looked to help guys in training with women by having a (real live) actual female, Rebecca Reuben, tell us guys that women--essentially--aren't made of glass.  But today we're going to flip the script a little and have another guest post talking to women about rolling with guys, from the female perspective. BJJ Blue Belt Christine Fader weighs in this week. 

Christine and crew from Titans Fitness Academy

My name is Christine Fader.  I have been training BJJ for 3 years and am currently a blue belt at Titans Fitness Academy in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
I started my journey at a different Gym doing Muay Thai.  I used to see all the BJJ guys leaving their class so sweaty, exhausted, and happy--and I knew I wanted to be apart of it.
My initial foray into grappling was not easy.  While I have always loved competing in sports and working out I was not prepared for the all consuming mental and physical exhaustion that takes over from having zero technique and no knowledge of what to do.  I struggled a lot.  My first time rolling at open mat time I cried from frustration and vulnerability; and it wouldn't be my last time.  If I could offer any piece of advice to female white belts out there it is: to keep going.  You will get better--I promise.  Trust in the technique; trust in your instructors, trust in your training partners.    It is hard to go to class, day after day, spend hour after hour practicing techniques only to have your guard passed, get mounted and choked in 5 seconds by your larger, stronger training partner who just learned the choke that hour and the guard pass last week.  It feels as if you are wasting your time; or that you will never get it-until one day you don't get choked on 5 seconds.  The next time it takes much longer for your partner to get that choke; and months down the road, while your guard can still get passed you are surviving a lot longer.
As a female it can be especially frustrating because we are usually at a physical disadvantage, but I promise that the techniques work.  The harder you work, and the more you perfect them, you will see results--it just takes time.  Be stubborn.  Don't give up.
BJJ has brought me many close friendships and experiences I never thought I would have and it's only just begun.  I started at age 32, and if I can do it anyone can.  Just don't give up.

Christine in action

So let's keep some things in mind: as a female (or even some guys, I suppose) you're going to be at a physical disadvantage. Sure, of course, we can argue back and forth on the subject but science supports that males have more muscle and better bone density, thus making male bigger, stronger, and more physically dominate. But Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was designed to defeat that! As Christine points out, it's going to be frustrating. But I want to point out that you're not going to through anything any one else hasn't. 

Actress Kateryn Winnick as Lagertha in History Channel's Vikings

Being a female doesn't mean that you're not ever going to be as good as, or better than, the guys at your gym. I'm pretty sure Mackenzie Dern (love her) will ruin my life if she wanted to and I out weigh her by 100 pounds. Being female does, mean that you might be more fragile. It does mean that the guys you're training with will (probably) be trying to walk the line of technique and strength. So you're going to have to walk that same line, but in a more violent way. Set the pace. If you're looking to train harder with someone, set the pace. If you're more concerned about working technique, speak up, but also set the pace. You're going to train with men, that much is inevitable. So when the time comes don't be afraid to be aggressive, but remember to protect yourself from bad situations too. I know you're going to want to tough some stuff out (and you should) but don't be stupid and try to survive some things and get your ribs compromised by a bigger opponent. Trust me when I tell you: guys will always listen to girls on the mat. So even mid-roll if someone is going too rough--or too soft--speak up, joke about it, make them/us aware, but be ready for what comes.

I'm not suggesting that guys are going to be out there head-hunting or anything, but we're a dumb species and can misread suggestions. Finding a good training partner for yourself is a key. You want someone who's A) Comfortable with you & you with them B) Someone skilled enough that isn't new and thus can help you and C) Someone easy to work with so that you can roll, drill, or work out stuff together. That is a tall bill  to fill--like trying to find the perfect boyfriend/girlfriend--but they're out there. 

-and don't forget some other great sites from some female grapplers out there:

http://www.learningbjj.com/

http://www.bjjgirl.net/

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Seminars, and Why You Should Go

Question: Name another sport where you can have legitimate access to its top practitioners with relative ease and have it remain not financially stupid?

That was a lot, I know, but let's think about that for just a moment. One of my favorite things about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the accessibility to its top practitioners. If you want to train with Andre Galvao, you can--all you need to do is walk into his gym, Atos, is San Diego and sign the hold harmless agreement and that's that. How about Marcelo Garcia, Renzo Gracie, or Garry Tonon? The same principal applies--as long as they're not out across the country competing or giving a seminar, but you know what I'm saying here. But to that point, the sport's biggest names often travel around the world giving seminars. If you happen to not be able to fly across the country to drop in to a gym to train with a BJJ Hero of yours, chances are that sooner or later they may come close to you.

'What's a seminar," you ask? Well, a BJJ seminar is when a top level practitioner travels to a gym to give lessons and teach techniques for a few hours. Traditionally, you'll pay a fee to attend (that is how these big-name-guys make money) and that fee can be relatively inexpensive and go up depending on how big of a name the person giving the seminar is. I've seen seminars for as low as $20.00 USD and have heard rumors of what Rickson Gracie has charged--but to be fair, I've heard Rickson's fee was worth every single penny.

Photo Credit: Kron Gracie Academy Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/krongraciejiujitsu/

So dig if you will a picture: you're a into BJJ and someone (of some significance) from our sport is going to be close enough to you--or maybe even AT your school--to give a seminar. You should go. Why? Well because it's fun. Even they go over techniques that you're familiar with, it's fun to hear it explained to you from another perspective. Everyone has their own take on BJJ (another one of my favorite things about this sport), so it's cool to hear something your familiar with mapped out in detail to you from someone with a new point of view. 

Recently I got to attend a seminar by Kurt Osiander. Kurt got a powerful shout out in the last WBS--so if you haven't checked that out yet, please do--but Kurt is a BJJ Hero and Black Belt under Ralph Gracie in San Francisco. I live in Pittsburgh, PA (on the other side of the country, for those geographically challenged), so my opportunities to train with Kurt are "limited," to put in one way. I've been a fan of his for sometime (again, see previous WBS), so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take his seminar at Edinboro University. Edinboro has a storied wrestling program. Anyone in the grappling world could rattle-off names of the mat savages that went there, so it was truly a cool experience to be able to be in that wrestling room for the seminar.  The Edinboro University BJJ Club , headed up by Dr. Korey Kilburn, hosted and organized the whole thing. (On a related note, if you're near the area, be on the lookout, they/Korey get a lot of great seminars coming through.)

Dr. Korey Kilburn and myself inside the famous EU Wrestling room

So, more to the point: Kurt's seminar was fantastic. He came as advertised, and then some. Being a fan of his Move of the Week YouTube series, I was vaguely familiar with his teaching style, but I was truly impressed by his love of the sport and desire for everyone at the seminar to pick up on what it was he was teaching and come away with more knowledge. Which, is exactly what a seminar should be. 

It was fun to make the two hour drive with my training partners, spend four hours on the mat learning new BJJ from someone so cool, and then get to hang out with them all afterwards. So what does that mean to you as a lower ranking (or maybe higher rank) BJJ practitioner who has never been to a seminar? It means that you should take advantage of seminars when they come around.

A seminar is more than just paying someone for their knowledge, there's a lot more to it than that. It could be a bonding experience between you and your training partners. It's a fun road trip. It's a destination in life--to maybe check off an item on your Bucket List to get to train with someone. It's supporting the community, both financially and otherwise, in a very cool way--and you get to learn some cool shit! How do you learn about seminars? Well start by looking up your favorite BJJ player's websites and social media. Most of them usually post where/when they're going to be somewhere, and how much. Also, get friendly with the other local gyms in your area. They may have people coming through and post about it on their sites. (But the political B.S. aside, we're all family). 

Kurt and myself, telling terrorists where to go

WBS Crew taking in carbs after 4 hours on the mat

WBS Crew Road trippin & Trafficjamin

That should be enough to get you started. But if you do go, or have gone to a seminar, get in touch with us on any/all forms of our social media WBS on Instagram-- come Follow! , WBS on Facebook-- Please come LIKE!, and of course WBS on Twitter--also, please come Follow!

Send us pictures, stories, and whatever else you have about your seminar experiences. We'll RT, Share, and whatever else to get your fun story out there to help inspire others to get out there and do the same. 

Coming soon: An announcement for a new sponsor... it's cool.

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Drill it to Kill it

Drilling in BJJ is not the most overlooked aspect of training, but it is definitely the most ignored. Drilling technique is--without a doubt--one of the most laborious  things we can do in training; and thus it's not always the most fun. We're all friends here so let's just all admit it and say it out loud with me: Drilling is boring. But what makes it boring is that you feel like you already know what you're doing. How many times have you seen your instructor show a basic armbar (or whatever) and sprinkle in a little detail that makes you raise your eyebrows at the magic that you were just enlightened to? And if that hasn't happened to you yet, it will. It happens to me frequently. But the reason why it's happening is that you don't know the technique as well as you think you do.

Have you ever watched some high-level competition (ADCC is coming up soon, so get excited for that) and seen a basic technique work? I used to wonder how a Black Belt can get away with it against another Black Belt at the highest level until I learned that some of the tiniest details to something can make all the difference in pulling off a technique or not. Sure, those guys are talented and have a wealth of knowledge, but they didn't get that way by just having a good memory and natural ability. Ask anyone how to get better and they'll say "practice," ask your instructor and he'll say "drill." We all have at least one guy/gal in all of our gyms who LOVES to drill and never really rolls when the time comes; he just loves to drill. And we all say the same thing about that guy and how they're SO GOOD. I think you know where I'm going with that.

The argument against drilling is that sparring can replace it. Let's clear that up right now to you White Belts--it can't. Sparring has a ton of great, and really important values for all of us at all levels; but you're never going to be able to hit those moves/techniques in a spar if you're just trying to recreate movements. Don't be a slacker. You love BJJ like the rest of us and you should want to get better by doing things right instead of just being on the mat and halfassing it. Bring able to hit a technique when you're rolling requires timing, fluidity, problem solving, and craftiness. If you think you're just going to develop that on your own without putting in the time to drill it, I think you might be surprised. 

Once you've dedicated yourself to drilling, though, you're going to need a training partner. (Remember 'that guy' we were talking about?) So in your training sessions, maybe drop some hints around to your favorite BJJ bros and sistas that you're looking to become an absolute killer nightmare beast on the mats but need someone to drill stuff with. It's a healthy way for both of you to get better, break down techniques, and really dissect your body's movement to determine what works best for you. 

Repetition is necessary. Figure out what you want to get good/better at and drill it. Don't know where to start with that? Jump back to our archives where we took a look at getting a GAME PLAN for class to learn what it is you want to try to improve in. Or if you want to bring in a notebook for of moves/techniques (if you're not keeping a notebook by now, drop and give me 20 hip escapes) bring the one we showed you how to make so that you can have everything you learned in class at your fingertips. 

Sure, BJJ can be grueling. But you also know how rewarding it can be as well. There are going to be days when you just can't go, or in this case, you just can't drill, but you're going to have to. Welcome to "the Grind." Keep pushing yourself to be better. Keep expanding your knowledge past the areas is was confined in just yesterday. Take advantage of your open mat time and drill! Rolling is great; it's fun, it's the best way to implement what you know. But you can't implement what you don't know and you'll never really know anything if you're not drilling. SO... Drill it to Kill it!

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Improving Your BJJ With Yoga

Like a lot of you, I was introduced to Yoga as a youth through Street Fighter II and the character "Dhalsim." As a youth, I viewed Yoga as some mystical thing that included meditation and ultimately could make me breathe fire and slap fools from across the room with my super-stretchy arms that I (somehow) achieved through said mystical practices that involved elephants.

 Eventually, I grew up enough to learn that breathing fire is (probably) fake and can't be achieved; but I'm not a Yoga expert. Flash forward some years and shake in some BJJ and watch Rickson Gracie's "CHOKE" documentary, and then I remembered that Yoga was a cool thing, so I reached out to someone who's proficient with BOTH Yoga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to drop some knowledge on us. Sam Dei Lune is a life long martial arts practitioner and a certified Yoga instructor, who has used that knowledge to help MMA fighters and other professional athletes improve themselves in their respective fields with Yoga. So take off your gi pants, replace them with SPATS (not Yoga pants, but you can if you're a girl. Guys, no), and let the powerful and wonderful friend of WBS take it away. Ladies and gentlemen, Sam Sarahbi:
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   Yoga not only is an invaluable tool for breath control, but also will improve a jiu jitsu practitioner’s balance, stability, and flexibility.  I will break down some aspects of yoga and their benefits for your use in practicing martial arts:

Breathing: Hot yoga, or yoga practiced at 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity, will increase your awareness of your breath by focusing on breathing through discomfort.  If you’re new to rolling, something like a solid knee mount, or a tough scramble/battle for position can be very draining if you hold your breath throughout, or breathe without a proper rhythm.  Breath control is paramount to advancing/finishing position and escapes, and can assist in controlling of the heart rate as well as mental focus and awareness.  Vinyasa yoga is a moving meditation, much like rolling, and most proficient rollers seem to prefer this type of yoga for their asana practice.  I engage ujjayi breath with my students, six seconds in through the nose, six seconds out through the nose, with a slight constriction in the back of the throat to build heat.

Flexibility: Vinyasa yoga at what would be considered normal room temperatures are probably the most helpful for flexibility.  While you may get a deeper stretch and you may be able to push your body further in heat, this is an artificial depth that you are unlikely to be able to sustain while practicing jiu jitsu.  For the most part, practice your yoga at the same temperature that you will be rolling to be better in tune with how far your body can be pushed.  Poses that spread your hips will help you wrap a higher and tighter guard.  Pigeon pose is a popular hip opener among martial artists and one that I use every day when working with fighters.

Balance:  Balance is essential in avoiding and initiating sweeps and takedowns.  If you only have time for one balancing pose and you are a beginner, I suggest Tree Pose.  This pose will have you balancing on one leg at a time.

Core Strength: Every submission, movement, position, and defense requires core strength.  Every yoga pose engages the core in a manner that can stretch, and strengthen your muscles and joints, which makes it ideal cross training for jiu jitsu.   Specifically, Boat Pose is an intense core strength builder.

Spine Strength: I include a complete series of spine strengthening in every class that I teach because it is important in preventing injury, as it is important to counterbalance some of the movements your body makes in Jiu Jitsu.  Floor bow is a full counter pose to the bending and pressure you will put on your spine during your martial arts practice.

Even though I have included some poses here, it is important to note that I suggest a full yoga sequence, with a warm-up, cool-down, and a full range of motion in between.  Make sure that you are entering and exiting each pose properly, and that you keep balance in your movements, doing a back bend each time you bend forward, doing poses on both sides, and twisting both directions.  Always consult your professional healthcare provider before beginning, or making changes to any fitness regimen/ exercise program.

**********************************************

Incredible, right? Sam is awesome. Over the course of WBS becoming 'a thing,' she and I have got to be pals. She's always insightful and has a lot of great things to say about everything from MMA to just life in general. She's a great example of what can be the result of incorporating multiple disciplines into your life. 

Get more familiar with Sam Sarahbi at her website: http://www.samsarahbi.com/

Her Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamSarahbi

and if you really want to be the coolest of the cool, and want to get more into what she can offer with her Yoga, you can pick up her book The Sequence at Barnes and Noble, or on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Sequence-Vinyasa-Yoga-Script-Cues/dp/0692294880/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411882584&sr=8-1&keywords=SAM+DEI+LUNE

in closing, here's Rickson doing Yoga (skip to 3min to get real)

  

When Hugs Get Dangerous: Guys Rolling w/ Women

Up till now, your contact with women has (probably) not involved trying to avoid chokes and joint locks. You’re probably used to exchanging hugs, handshakes, and other forms of non-aggressive contact. But now you’re in an environment where all of that is probably going to happen with the inclusion of avoiding being choked or submitted by a joint lock, and you’re not sure how to handle it. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is getting comfortable in the uncomfortable and adapting to the situation; and for a lot of us, rolling with the opposite sex can be a point of voyaging into weird waters. First of all, that’s a normal feeling, so don’t feel like you’re the only one who doesn’t know how to roll with a female. In this post we’re going to take a look at different approaches, schools of thought, and my advice for getting comfortable with the new situation.

When you’re asked to roll with a female by your instructor, remember that they are pairing the two of you together based on closeness of size and rank. If your instructor feels confident in pairing you with someone (regardless of age, ranks, or sex) you should feel confident in their decision too; and go with it. But what if you’ve never trained/rolled with a female before? Relax. Don’t lose sight of what makes Brazilian Jiu Jitsu work—by design its purpose is for the smaller/weaker person to be able to get into positions to win. Even if you’re roughly the same size as the female you’re working with, as a male, you have more muscle and skeletal mass than your partner—which means you’re going to feel heavy. It also means that while you’re about the same size, you’re probably a lot stronger. That’s just science. In those cases, remember to be fair. The purpose of training is to perfect your technique and not have to use all the muscle anyway. 

I’ve asked a few of the women that I train with about some advice they’d offer to newbies (like yourself) on how to train/roll with a female. I wanted to know if they preferred the guy to scale it back and ‘let them work’ or maybe they felt like that was a slight. Maybe they didn’t want the guy to hold back. The answers I got were a mixed bag of both. Again, you’re about the same size anyway, but I think that it’s your job as the (stronger/heavier) guy to keep it even and fair; and if that means holding back sometimes maybe that’s the best option. But don't do anyone any favors, either. Fellow white belt, Rebecca Reuben who trains at Romulo Melo BJJ in San Francisco, says “We are stronger than you think! And [we] will let you know if you are being too rough, personally I don’t mind the roughness; it’s good preparation.” Which is worth considering because taking it too easy on your training partner isn’t helping them get better or learn to help them train against larger opponents—or attackers.

(Rebecca Getting to Work!)

I think the best way to approach a training situation with a female that you’ve never trained with before is to start off my introducing yourself. Even if you’ve been training in the same classes for awhile now, a polite introduction will help you both feel more comfortable. Then ask your partner if there is anything that she’d like to train or drill with you. If so, great! But if not just reassure her that you’re going to do your best not to ‘Hulk out’ on her and focus on technique, but not let her have any gimmies, either. If you’re able to accomplish those simple steps in the time you have between getting assigned the new partner and when the roll starts, then you should be able to expect a good, fun, quality spar with a new friend and training partner.

I’m sure you’re also worried about the taboo topics of accidently grabbing/touching a breast, butt, or any other uncomfortable body part—I am too. It’s something we as male training partners have to be aware of. Accidents happen and our female training partners know that, too. It’s our duty as good training partners to always be considerate, but going back to the previous points, don’t avoid going for a collar grab because you’re too scared of brushing up against a boob. As in all things BJJ,you’ll get better at it with experience. As long as you maintain a high level of respect for all of your training partners, you should never run into any awkward problems. But most of all, treat your female training partners with the same respect you’d give anyone. Otherwise you might end up like homie down here…