Knowing When to Tap Out (a final farewell)

Tapping out in an inevitability. When you're a white belt, you learn (rather quickly) that you can get caught in some bad spots, and you need to tap before something bad happens. Tapping is admitting defeat. Some people will have a hard time with that, but those people are usually the ones who don't last. It's a mark on your pride, to be sure. But tapping out gives you the opportunity to start over--the trick is knowing when it's time to tap, and when it's okay to keep fighting.

Getting caught in any submission is not the end of the road. In most cases, you may be able to hang on for a little while before you're able to fight your way out, or be forced to give in and tap out. Personally, that is one of my favorite parts of this martial art--having to make that decision.  Stick around longer than a week and you'll be sure to hear "tap today and train tomorrow", or some variation there of; and that's true. More than just being true, it's good advice. No one wants to get hurt. It's sometimes silly to try and fight your way out of some submissions; but often times as a white belt you tap too soon without knowing your limitations. Just because a submission is applied does not mean that the game is over.  There are escapes that you could implement, or MAYBE (strong "maybe" here) the submission isn't applied all that well, and you can weather the storm. It's a fine line to dance on, for sure, but one that is a part of the game. It's also one that you need to do for yourself to know your thresholds. The trick/game is to not be so stupid that you get hurt trying to get out of something. Knowing when to tap out is a skill.

...A Final Farewell

Having said that, I started WBS two years ago with the mindset of being a fresh blue belt with my level of experience still so close to being a while belt that I could be useful in giving advice. A lot of higher ranks are/were so far removed from being a white belt that today's white belt just isn't the same as it used to be. There are, of course, some constants in BJJ that will always be true to all white belts--spazzing, etc--but chances are, back when your local black belt started training there wasn't as much resources out there as there is today. With all due respect, I felt like I  had a unique opportunity to plug into today's various multimedia outlets with my perspective to help deliver a "survival guide" to being a white belt.

I never wanted to show technique (despite so many requests ("How do I get out of side control")) because I wasn't qualified. But what I was qualified to do was to enlighten readers to theory and advice. I likened WBS to asking someone for directions who has recently been to a destination versus someone who hasn't been there in some time--chances are some things have changed. Since I was just a while belt like two seconds ago I felt like my perspective was unique in its freshness since I was just where you, the white belt, was. I tried to combine that with a honest delivery, and sense of humor, that I think went over well with all of you--and I thank you for that. But it's time to tap out.

WBS started out as a no name blog from a no name blue belt, and it grew to more than I imagined. I hoped that if I could help a few people, then it would all be worth it. As it turned out, I helped a lot of people. When I'd get Tweets from someone with pictures of them with their new blue belt saying "thanks", it was--and always will be--a special thing for me. Sponsorship became a thing, people were getting involved, podcasts were podcasted, and it was all great. But as I said, it's time to move on. Generally speaking, it will take about two years to go from white belt to blue; and here is two years worth of "Survival Strategy" to get you through it. So I felt like now is a good time to walk away before I start putting out useless material just for the sake of putting out a new post. All killer, no filler here, y'all. So here on the two year anniversary of WBS, it's time to tap out, and move on to more projects. 

Thank you all for making these two years more than amazing. Thank you for caring. Thank you for sharing WBS with people, and following me on the various social media platforms, and for being fans. All of that truly means a lot to me, and that always will. 

But there's a special thank you out there to my family who encouraged me through all of this; my wife and daughter are truly amazing women--thank you. Thank you to all of the podcasts out there that took a chance on me, and had me on as a guest. Never did I think I'd make it to all the big ones. Raf & Kev from Verbal Tap along with Cam & Kyle from Expanded Perspectives, though, you guys were always my favorites. 

Thank you to Gregg King and the gang at VVV Fight Co, Bill Thomas at Q5 Sports Nutrition, Guy Sako from Defense Soap for believing in me with your friendship and sponsorship. That stuff will never be lost on me, or forgotten. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you to my instructor, Sonny Achille, all of the staff and my training partners at Steel City Martial Arts. Thanks to all of the friends I've made online, and in person because of this thing. All of you mean a lot to me. Thank you for you friendship and support. 

In closing, I'm going to shift my focus back on training hard, and working to the goal. I'll still be writing in other various platforms, but that will all mostly be in the fiction world. Maybe I'll be back to the non-fiction world, and writing about BJJ again, but if so, it won't be for sometime. In the meantime, though, don't be afraid to keep sharing WBS, stop by Steel City Martial Arts in Pittsburgh to come train with me/us, and keep taking chances out there on the mat. But, for now, it's time to tap out. 

Warmest Regards,

Jesse

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Instructional BJJ DVDs

There comes a time in your jiu jitsu life that you're going to want to start to explore more deeply into an individual's game--like maybe you're super-into Rafael Lovato Jr. and want to mimic his game--or perhaps you're wanting to learn more about a certain position, or technique, and are considering buying a DVD to help supplement your training. First of all, congratulations; you've officially entered into a new stage of addiction and are well on your way to becoming the BJJ nerd you've always desired to be. I love instructional DVDs and setting aside time in my life to plug in to rabbit holes of knowledge. To me it's like the scene in Lord of the Rings where Gandalf runs to the library at Minas Tirith to dive deep into scrolls (see below if you're not a nerd). Is that a little overkill? Sure, but let's not make too light of the subject of studying and efforts to learn something. Just buying a DVD and watching it isn't going to be enough to have you mastering triangles like Ryan Hall. You're going to have to 'Gandalf-the-sh*t out of this' for it to pay off.

First thing is first: if you're wanting to expand your game, and knowledge, beyond your class time then let me first point out a few things to consider. 

1) Where do I want to improve?

- Perhaps you're thinking: 'that should be "Where should I improve"', but, buddy, those should be synonymous with you by now. Buying anything for BJJ is a serious notion; and an instructional should be no different. Just because the berimbolo is the new flavor of the week doesn't mean you should drop your hard-earned cash on the 'Berimbolo 101 DVD' from whatever well known BJJ player, unless you know it fits your game. But I think we can all admit that there are probably other--more important--areas in your game that need attention first. So if you're wanting to start to build on your game with instructionals, concentrate on where your game is soft. Or, go the opposite route and build on what you're doing well with. Maybe you've got a pretty good guard, why not make it great? 

2) Who's doing this instructional?

-Not that anyone doing an instruction isn't qualified, but you should consider the person demonstrating because their game is the way it is because that works for them. More specifically, should I be learning triangles from Ryan Hall (who's 5'7" 145 pounds) or someone much larger like Neil Melanson. Not everyone's body type will translate to what techniques are being offered.

3) Do I have the money for this?
-Hey, heads-up, BJJ stuff isn't cheap. Shocker, right? I agree that everything in BJJ is expensive, but worth it. Instructional DVDs are no exception to that. Just take a look at what Budo Video has going on sale right now. Of course, there are some (less popular) instructional DVDs that sell for a lower price; for various reasons. But for the most part, you're looking to spend around $50 USD--which, really, is worth it if it helps. But for sure make sure you consider the last two bullet points before we confirm "everything in BJJ is expensive, but worth it."

Now that you've figured out what you'd like to improve about your game, who you'd like to learn it from, and I assume you've saved enough money to pay for it, here's how to make the most of your investment: ONE. STEP. AT. A. TIME.

Seems stupid and slow; and well, it is. But that's what's great about owning the DVD--you can progress slowly, surly, and not have to worry about missing details. A great tip to help with that is taking notes. It's a throwback to the original WBS post but it's still a great way to remember what's being taught. Writing things down is proven to improve your recollection of what it is you're trying to remember (the science is out there, you know how to Google), so implement that to your new DVD. Take notes, make it a point to jot down things that seem important and things the demonstrator emphasizes are important. Even if that one thing is obvious, write it down. Of course you can always go back to get the details later, but you really should capitalize on  what you can here and really learn. Additionally, it's nice to go back to your notes when you're on the mat; and most likely don't have your laptop with you to watch the DVD. Notes are handy and easy. 

"But, Jesse, what about YouTube??" Yeah, man, YouTube is great--for a lot of reasons. But don't lost sight that BJJ is a sneaky man's sport (also for a lot of reasons). The greats don't give out the good stuff for free. Like any good hustler, you get sucked in first. That's not to say, or imply, what you/we get on YouTube is essentially worthless; because it's not. What I mean is that you're really only getting appetizers instead of the full course. I'm sure there are some exceptions out there, but "the game is to be sold, not to be told." Hence why we pay monthly membership dues, why seminars aren't (usually) free, and why YouTube clips are (usually) 5-8 minutes and touch on concepts and why the DVD is hours of detail and costs money. 

To get to the point, you get what you pay for in jiu jitsu; plain and simple. There will always be the exceptions, but those are exactly that--exceptions. Explore your game and where you want to improve. Explore jiu jitsu and see who does that facet best/better and see if that they do would work for you. YouTube that sh*t! See if they have something out there that you can try it before you buy it and then if you're having some success, then maybe buying the full DVD is a great option for you. BJJ DVDs are a great way to supplement your game and make you a better jiu jitsu player, for sure, but if you're not careful you might end up paying $100 for something you can't, won't, and shouldn't use. 

Special Thank You to the WBS sponsors

 

VVV Fight Co.

The New Paladin gi is FINALLY here and for sale ! VVV never disappoints in any aspect, and this new gi is no exception. Top quality from the weave to the stitching, and the built-in rashguard is beyond cool. I got mine and I love it--just like everything else from VVV.
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Q5 Sports Nutrition

You're obviously a grappler interested in improving yourself, so why not take it to the next level? Q5 is a supplement company that has the grappler in mind. Their line of products are designed to help you on the mats--so you're foolish to use something else. Seriously.

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Expanded Perspectives podcast

We all love a good dip into the unknown waters of mythological beings, extraterrestrial things, and stuff the goes bump in the night. Cam & Kyle are two great guys, WHO ALSO LOVE MMA & BJJ, that have a great podcast on the unknown. They cover fun topics in a really great format that is sure to deliver hours of entertainment. Give it a listen anywhere you DL your podcasts!
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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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BJJ and My Bank Account

So you started BJJ a few weeks ago and you love it--naturally--but now you're looking at some sticker shock at pricing. Let's keep it real, BJJ isn't cheap; but that's not to say that it isn't affordable. When you stack monthly tuition up against other martial arts, it does seem a bit stupid to be paying so much (I just Google'd "karate lessons" and the top hit (major school in my area) is offering $19.99 a month plus a free uniform). I'm not going to try to drop all kinds of knowledge here on financial advice, but hope to remind you that BJJ is more like an investment than an expense. But if you're reading this then I think we both know that other martial arts out there are mostly rubbish and, to keep with the old adage, you get what you pay for.

Did I just imply that by paying more for martial arts that you get better training and ipso facto can dust more fools in the streets? I mean, yeah--to a point. I usually try to avoid drawing comparisons between Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts, but here it will be necessary. Going back to UFC 1, we all learned that BJJ is the most effective martial art against someone trained (or untrained for that matter) in any other martial art. Royce Gracie dismantled a a well-known boxer in Art Jimmerson, then the Shootfighter Ken Shamrock, and then finally a kickboxer, Gerard Gordeau. All of whom were, respectfully, masters in their field. MMA has since evolved and in that area the case can be made for BJJ being enough, or not. To the point: BJJ is at the pinnacle for effective martial arts. It's proven time and time again. Helio Gracie once said that "a knockout is a win on accident," and I've always loved that train of thought. I don't mean to take away from any martial art--because mutual respect--but let's keep in mind that we're paying to learn how A) not to die in a fight and B) how to kill. Any kind of martial arts background is better than none, but BJJ don't get bent out of shape over the price when we consider what an average Blue Belt can do to an average punk.

All that in mind, a lot of school offer tiered memberships over flat rates. For instance, you may be able to find a school around you that offers 1 or 2 classes a week + an open mat for a smaller monthly fee. Or, even with the gaining popularity of BJJ, you may be able to shop around and find a school with a more affordable rates; though I wouldn't expect much of a difference. But you may be able to find a school run by a higher belt (Purple or Brown) that may not charge as much as Black Belt level training. Hey, food for thought anyway; and if you're not a Purple or Brown yourself, then who cares? It's better to be on the mats (somehow) than not.

Buying a gi isn't cheap, either. While no gi BJJ is an option, I highly encourage you to train in the gi--or both. No gi grappling is more popular now with the seamless transition to MMA, but the gi is jiu jitsu. But if you're in a pinch and want to keep training while you work out your expenses and save for a gi, no gi is a great option to keep training. My friends at VVV Fight Co will get you fitted up for both, so go holla!

Also keep in mind that you'll be replacing your time doing something else with time on the mat. Additionally, you're--eventually--going to want to make dietary changes, too. Those are two good opportunities to refine your budget to ensure your monthly tuition isn't an issue. Personally, I stopped going out on weekends as much because I didn't want to waste all the time I put in on the mats and throw away my physical progress on 12 beers and fried food. Keeping it real, a weekend night out is like $50.00 USD--and that's on the low end. Stay home two weekends and you've pretty much doubled your gains right there by investing in BJJ :).

So while I will agree that this life isn't cheap, but we both know it's worth it. Personally, I look at BJJ as my second shot at life. By that I mean that I look at BJJ as my opportunity to do something that I love forever; and maybe one day earn a Black Belt and do it professionally as an instructor. So, for me, BJJ is an investment. Maybe for you it's something else; but for all of us it means bonds of friendship that you can't find just anywhere. Yes BJJ is expensive, but now that you know what's up, can you really afford not to pay for it? Doubt it, homie.

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Left Hand Pass

Left Hand Pass is that new BJJ ish you been hearing about, but didn't know the links--I got you, dawg. My friend, Jake Miclot, and his crew got their new brand of BJJ life by way of a dope BJJ podcast and shirts. Check them out, give them some love.
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Q5 Sports Nutrition

You need supplements, Q5 has the supplements. Why Q5? Because it's for grapplers. Designed for the person grinding on the mats.

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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/

This week's sponsors:

VVV Fight Co.

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Q5 Sports Nutrition

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BJJ in a Box

If you haven't noticed, nearly everything can come delivered to your home in a box these days.

Personally, I've never been blessed enough to have been gifted the "Jelly of the Month Club" from the WBS Office--or any other office for that matter. But I have belonged to a wine of the month and, most recently, Blue Apron (Blue Apron delivers ingredients and instructions for  meals weekly (kinda dope)).

BJJ is not to be excluded from that growing fad. If you haven't been paying attention lately, there are a ton of BJJ-related products out there; and said products are looking to gain traction and becomes a mat-hold-name (see what I did there?). These monthly subscription boxes are a great place for these new guys to establish their name, and for the already more recognizable names to continue to expand on their fan base by reaching out to a target audience. That's where these subscription boxes come in. They deliver a fair amount of BJJ goods to you in a box monthly. Now like other--non-BJJ related--subscription services, you don't really know what you're going to get monthly; but that's part of the fun. In our world (BJJ) there are a few of these services, but today we're going to talk about how sweet the OSS Box is. Why? Well I wanted to do a blog on these services and put them all through a vetting process and OSS Box was the one I liked the best. I liked OSS Box because, like WBS, it was started as a way to give back to the community in a way that's meant to be helpful--by getting new products in the hands of the people who will use them. In their own words: "We are a subscription box service that provides you, the BJJ enthusiast, with awesome products delivered right to your doorstep every month. We work hard at picking the best and most awesome products to satisfy all your grappling needs, wants, and desires. I started The OSS Box because I always have a hard time picking out what kind of products to buy and where to buy them from as there are so many different items and places to get them from. The OSS box is a way to get awesome products from awesome companies into the hands of subscribers like you. The BJJ community is a tight one, so our idea is to have The OSS Box serve as a gateway for our subscribers to be introduced to companies, whether existing or new and the products that will benefit them on and off the mats."

Christmas-esque Suspense 

Since that was close to my intention with WBS, I thought with that sort of mission in mind, the two of us would make a good tag team, OSS Box agreed, and now here we are.

So the WBS Office was eagerly awaiting the OSS Box delivery. I knew a tshirt was coming, at least, because I was asked to give my size (XL if any of you all wanna get at your boy here), but other than that I had no idea. So when the box came in the mail I couldn't wait to get it open.

Now listen, this may sound a little like a commercial, but let's keep it real--it's not. I want to highlight how cool the stuff is that OSS Box provided. Of course OSS Box sponsored the blog, but I think I've explained my reasons why loud and clear enough. But, like all things in BJJ, one more time won't hurt.

The Big Reveal

So I open the box and there it is--this month's haul. Up front you can see Gi Soal and some wild drink thingy. But upon further investigation this box had some more goodies. Specifically, a bag of protein chips, a protein bar, that "drink thingy" was actually two cool little funnels (one with a bigger mouth than the other) that you can use to pour protein--or whatever powder--into a standard water bottle, some stickers, and the tshirt.

The Haul

The Happy Customer

So as you can see, you get a fair share of products for $23.65 a month.

But, for the month of December, if you use the code word "WBS20" you can save 20% off of your first box.

Let's consider the math without using math. You're going to spend $24 a month on something stupid (coffee, beef jerky, beers, etc) so why not redirect that to something that will be beneficial to you and your BJJ? It's more stupid not to. Obviously you're a WBS fan, so if you've been considering a monthly subscription box, use the WBS approved OSS Box.  But if you want some more convincing, I'll let the good folks of OSS Box put it in their own words again:

"By offering amazing items in our monthly subscription boxes, I'm hoping that BJJ can become more a part of your everyday, training and life.

I am a BJJ fanatic myself. I have been training for two years now and currently am a blue belt. I have a background in Judo and Wrestling as well. I live, breath, and train BJJ every waking moment. I can truly say that BJJ changed my life for the better. 

We are based out of NYC. The boxes ship out the last week of every month so the subscribers will have it in their hands by the first of week of the box month. We have a cut off date that subscribers need to sign up by in order to get their next box. So for example our next box will be the January Box, so new subscribers have to sign up by December 15th in order to receive it the first week of January, if they sign up after the cut off date they will receive the February Box first. "

Not bad, huh? Good people, that OSS Box. Let's recap: I wanted to blog about one of these services, I looked at a few and OSS Box was the best one (further corroborated by their statements/stances). OSS Box was kind enough to offer that promo code for the month of December of WBS20 to save your White Belt lovin-self 20% off your first box.  Get yourself a gift, gift it to a friend, help out a great company--and ipso facto a handful of other great companies--in our community all while receiving products you'll use and love. The tshirt I got from RollJunkie is cool and good quality, the funnel things from Shoot N Shake work perfect and I love them. My overall experience with OSS Box was exactly what I wanted. My dealings with the people behind the scenes was more than pleasant, just like all BJJ people. I vouch for them. Plus, getting random BJJ stuff in the mail just rules.

This Week's Sponsors:

The OSS Box!

Shocker, I know--but for real, not much else we can say about this company that hasn't already been expressed above. Check them out at:
http://theossbox.com/
OSS Box Facebook Page
OSS Box on the I'Gram

VVV Fight Co.
My favorite line of BJJ products for both on, and off, the mats.

If ya don't know, you don't gotta ask somebody because I'm here to tell you: VVV is top quality. VVV is attractive, cool, fun clothes. VVV is WBS's #1 supporter. Go give them some love.

http://www.vvvfightco.com/
VVV on Twitter
VVV's Facebook
VVV Insta

Q5 Sports Nutrition

Supplements made in America by grapplers for grapplers.
Why mess around with anything else? Support your family here.

http://q5sn.com/
https://twitter.com/Q5Labs
Q5 Facebook
Q5 on IG

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.

This week's WBS brought to you by:

VVV Fight Co.
Always coming out with top quality grappling products for the fashionable BJJ player, for both ON and OFF the mats.

Trust your boy, Jesse WBS, when I tell you that you won't be disappointed in your purchase. I'll personally guarantee it. And if you don't like what you buy, you can some bow & arrow choke me into darkness.


VVV Fight Co Twitter
VVV Fight Co Facebook
http://www.vvvfightco.com/
VVV Fight Co on the 'Gram

Q5 Sports Nutrition

If you don't know, you don't have to ask somebody because I'm here to tell you: Q5 Sports Nutrition is your place for supplements for the aspiring AND professional grapplers.

You can't just have the catch phrase of "Stay Alpha" if you're a weak company with weak products (that's SOOO Beta), so trust me and trust Q5 when we both tell you the products will, in fact, help you and make your performance better.


Q5 Labs on Twitter
Q5 on Facebook
http://q5sn.com/
Q5 Instagram

Tapping Online Resources

You may be shocked to learn that WBS isn't the only online resource for BJJ stuff. I know, I know, you're shocked. But dig this: the Internet is a wild and wonderful place where knowledge is unrestricted and fact checked by Internet Trolls. BJJ is such an ever-evolving sport that such knowledge is able to be shared, for free, and still allow people to make a living doing what they love. In this post we're going to spotlight some of my favorites. I'm certain that in the future there will be more posts just like this where we'll look at some others, but this is the list, for now.

1) Reddit is sweet, but the sub-Reddit pages are wormholes of delicious topic-specific knowledge for you to gobble up. BJJ, of course, has its own sub-Reddit /r/BJJ. 

In this sub-Reddit you'll find a ton of links to new BJJ stuff. If you're not familiar with how Reddit works, it's pretty cool. Links climb the rankings to the top of the front page based on the volume up UP Votes they receive. An UP Vote is positive, and conversely, a DOWN Vote is bad. The reader votes accordingly. So, the front page will have the links that are currently receiving the most UP votes and the subsequent pages will have less popular links in descending order. 

 Why is that cool? Well, it's a huge community. You can pretty much bank on finding interesting and useful stuff here that's currently relevant to today's BJJ. Tomorrow's BJJ will be completely different and so will the front page of /r/BJJ. This is where you can go to see, read, and discuss all things that are currently happening in the community. It's also where you can meet and talk to some new people, and sometimes big names in BJJ (Keenan posts on there often). My friend Matt Kirtley (AKA Aesopian) is also a mod there. So go read and say hi to Matt.

2) Instagram is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to get new BJJ moves and see the community. By Following BJJ people (Like Jesse WBS, your favorite online BJJ blogger--So ADD) you can see pictures and video of things that they're doing and what they're up to.

Additionally, as you can see in the picture here, you have the ability to search various hashtags to be able to see subject specific content. I like to look up stuff for inspiration and motivation. It's also cool to see your favorite athletes personally posting things from their training and personal lives. 

Why is that cool? It's cool because it's handy; and like Reddit, it's always changing and moving along to the next post. You can download the app to your phone and literally have new BJJ material at your fingertips--that's cool. It's also inspirational to see pictures and videos of just normal BJJ players out there training and living the #jiujitsulifestyle. You can Like pictures and video, meet and connect with friends and athletes, and get your BJJ fix in those down times without having to get on the mat.

 3) Kurt Osiander Move of the Week

First of all, no one is cooler than Kurt. Kurt's BJJ Heroes Bio will break it down for you if you don't know who he is, but he's--more or less--your cool uncle in the BJJ family. 

Kurt started doing his YouTube web series, Move of the Week a few years ago and it's been completely useful and absolutely a must to work into your off-the-mat schedule if you're not doing it already. Every week Kurt posts a short video, usually about 3 minutes, with some new move for you to work into your game. Sometimes it's not something that you're currently working on, but it's good to watch it to not only know that the move exists (and can and will be used against you), but in case you want to come back to that move later. 

Why is that cool? Well Kurt is one of Ralph Gracie's main instructors at his main San Francisco gym, so it's basically like getting some sweet one on one time every week with one of the coolest and best instructors out there--for free. YouTube also has a app for you to subscribe to the channel, but if you have a phone capable of apps. you can also Google it later if you don't want to bother with the app (or come back to this post for the link (ily)). Kurt has an honest approach to BJJ that lends to the younger generation a fun sense of seriousness. When Kurt uses swear words, it's like when you were a kid and an adult used them with you casually. Check Kurt out each week for something cool, fun, and free. And that's cool.

4) http://www.learningbjj.com/

Kaeli Sweigard is your favorite White Belt, you just don't know it yet. Kaeli runs her blog, LearningBJJ.com, and consistently puts out fun and informative content.  What's different about her approach is that she admits to being scared and through that she continues to push through it to inspire others. 

Kaeli often has guest posts--your's truly wrote something for her that you can read here--that will give you fun stories and pointers for surviving BJJ. Kaeli will also tell you all about her trials and tribulations with BJJ. It's fun to follow along with her (especially if you're also a struggling White Belt) and share her feelings. Beyond that, she's also a great human. She's super smart and very inspirational. She's into nutrition and will often help me during my weight cutting with positive vibes, encouragement to eat more "green things."

Why is that cool?  Well, man, we've all been there. We've all been terrified of setting foot on the mat and grinding it out again. We've all thought about how we'll 'never get better,' but Kaeli has the balls to put it out there for the world to read. She's very active on all social media, too, so chances are if you need some inspiration or motivation and ask her, she'll deliver. She also makes BJJ-themed coloring book pages for all those little ones in your life who don't have that. Now what's cooler than that?

That wraps the list--for now. As I mentioned, there's so much cool stuff out there that this post would be entirely too long, so we'll revisit this topic a little later on down the line. I already know of some things I want to highlight, but for now, I think this is a good mix of the obvious, to the less obvious. PS. I just text Kaeli that I'm putting her webite in this week's WBS and she text back "hahaha OMG, I'm terrified, but excited." See what I mean? So let's wrap there. Obviously, if there's something you guys want to see featured on here, let me know! I'm now available on all forms of social media at WBSurvival, but here's the links:

https://twitter.com/WBSurvival

https://www.facebook.com/WBSurvival/?fref=ts

https://instagram.com/wbsurvival/

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

VVV Fight Co.

The coolest and best quality BJJ gear and street wear. I promise you all that you will not be disappointed with ANY VVV products. I wouldn't tell you that if it wasn't true. VVV Fight Co is full of top quality, from the people to the products. 

http://www.vvvfightco.com/

https://twitter.com/VVVFightCo

https://www.facebook.com/VVV-Fight-Co

https://instagram.com/vvvfightco/

Q5 Sports Nutrition

If you're currently not using supplements for your BJJ you may want to consider it. Why? Well either you're young and they'll help your performance, or you're old and you need help with your performance. Let's keep it real, we can all use a little bit of help. Whether it's an extra boost of energy from a preworkout to joint care, Q5 has it all. 

Made by grapplers for grapplers, with the sweetest tag line ever #StayAlpha !

http://q5sn.com/

https://twitter.com/Q5Labs

https://www.facebook.com/Q5Combat

https://instagram.com/q5labs/