Check out this video of related Gi and No Gi choke options.
Thanks to Joel for the great camera work!
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Quick video on chokes.
Check out this video of related Gi and No Gi choke options.
Thanks to Joel for the great camera work!
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Grapple Fight?
This is part 2 of my two part series on types of competition, following on from the last article, this one centers around that word "fight" and it's appropriateness...
Why is competing in grappling based sports like BJJ, Judo or Wrestling called a Match?
Why is competing in striking based sports like Boxing, Muay Thai or MMA called a Fight?
They are all sanctioned and regulated sports based on combative techniques. Yet there seems to be a reasonably constant opinion that some are matches and some fights, why is that?
My first thought is that it has something to do with striking, that the perception is that only combat involving striking can be considered a “fight”. Now, if that is the case then we should say “Tae Kwon Do Fight” as well. However we don’t, Tae Kwon Do competition is conducted in “matches” or “bouts”, so perhaps it has to be full contact? So, what about Kyokushin? That is full contact, but they have matches and bouts too. So even if it is a question that strikes are the prerequisite to define an event as a “fight”, why is that? Is it to do with the techniques perceived effectiveness or danger in a real combat scenario? If people believe that grappling isn’t dangerous or effective then they haven’t seen someone slammed by a strong wrestler (or Rugby player) outside a night club.
So maybe it isn’t about striking, maybe it is about spectator vs participant focused competition? I mean striking based sports are usually called fights and are largely spectator focused whereas grappling based sports are more participant based. But if that rationale is right then, competing in events like Metamoris, Polaris or Boa Super 8 should be called “fighting” too as they are spectator based events, yet people still don’t use that term.
Hmmmm, what a pickle….
I have given this a lot of thought and have decided that since I can’t determine any rhyme or reason (or at least consistency in terms), I will define this myself.
My thought is that you can call a BJJ match a fight… and you can also call an MMA fight a match.
To me it is not about the actual event as it is about the competitor. Since we are using combative techniques then I think whether you are in a fight or match is all about approach and mindset. I believe that the people who have BJJ fights are those that go out there with tenacity and determination in order to dominate and finish their opponents, Marcelo, Roger and Xande spring to mind. Whereas the Mendes and Miyao Brothers who often go out strategically, looking for a points win are probably competing.
Same is true in MMA, some competitors are there to knock out or submit their opponent while others choose to play the rules and look for a decision. Off the top of my head I would say that two names who stand out in the “fight” style of MMA are Rousimar Palhares and Demian Maia where as I think that Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch where more the competing types.
So there it is all combat sports are matches not fights, but you can either compete or fight in either depending on your style and mindset.
Have fun on the mat.
Why is competing in grappling based sports like BJJ, Judo or Wrestling called a Match?
Why is competing in striking based sports like Boxing, Muay Thai or MMA called a Fight?
They are all sanctioned and regulated sports based on combative techniques. Yet there seems to be a reasonably constant opinion that some are matches and some fights, why is that?
My first thought is that it has something to do with striking, that the perception is that only combat involving striking can be considered a “fight”. Now, if that is the case then we should say “Tae Kwon Do Fight” as well. However we don’t, Tae Kwon Do competition is conducted in “matches” or “bouts”, so perhaps it has to be full contact? So, what about Kyokushin? That is full contact, but they have matches and bouts too. So even if it is a question that strikes are the prerequisite to define an event as a “fight”, why is that? Is it to do with the techniques perceived effectiveness or danger in a real combat scenario? If people believe that grappling isn’t dangerous or effective then they haven’t seen someone slammed by a strong wrestler (or Rugby player) outside a night club.
 |
| or Zangief for that matter.... |
So maybe it isn’t about striking, maybe it is about spectator vs participant focused competition? I mean striking based sports are usually called fights and are largely spectator focused whereas grappling based sports are more participant based. But if that rationale is right then, competing in events like Metamoris, Polaris or Boa Super 8 should be called “fighting” too as they are spectator based events, yet people still don’t use that term.
Hmmmm, what a pickle….
I have given this a lot of thought and have decided that since I can’t determine any rhyme or reason (or at least consistency in terms), I will define this myself.
My thought is that you can call a BJJ match a fight… and you can also call an MMA fight a match.
To me it is not about the actual event as it is about the competitor. Since we are using combative techniques then I think whether you are in a fight or match is all about approach and mindset. I believe that the people who have BJJ fights are those that go out there with tenacity and determination in order to dominate and finish their opponents, Marcelo, Roger and Xande spring to mind. Whereas the Mendes and Miyao Brothers who often go out strategically, looking for a points win are probably competing.
 |
| and if you find yourself across the mat from this guy you can damn well consider yourself in a fight... |
Same is true in MMA, some competitors are there to knock out or submit their opponent while others choose to play the rules and look for a decision. Off the top of my head I would say that two names who stand out in the “fight” style of MMA are Rousimar Palhares and Demian Maia where as I think that Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch where more the competing types.
So there it is all combat sports are matches not fights, but you can either compete or fight in either depending on your style and mindset.
Have fun on the mat.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
To perform under lights...
This post started out as being part of a series on an upcoming submission only event in Tasmania called “Caged Grappling”, however as with most of these things, it has gained momentum of its own. This is now the first post in a two part series on types of competition, in this post I will talk about participation vs entertainment based competition. In the second I will talk about whether competing in BJJ or grappling is “fighting” or “competing” and whether the same question can be asked of MMA.
So here is part 1.
When you are involved in Combat Sports it seems like everyone you know competes. Of course the reality is only a small percentage of people compete in any sport, let alone getting on the mat to do the whole “mano a mano” thing.
It takes courage to compete, especially when the game is real like in BJJ, Judo or Wrestling, where your opponent is either trying to slam you down, choke you out or take your arm home. Not many people have that in them, and even though competing isn’t a huge part of my life, I am glad to say that I have done it.
However, if few people ever compete in Combat Sports, then a very small percentage take on the challenge of fighting on a show. They are two different things and are different for a number of reasons. Firstly when we look at grappling styles like BJJ, Judo and Wrestling the competitions are almost universally based on tournaments and more focused on the competitor than spectator. These are designed to compete in and try to win, they usually involve many competitors, sometimes hundreds or thousands in a day, but are only really ever spectated by people close to the sport. You could say that there is a level of anonymity in the large field of competitors that you sometimes find. With this most of the pressure in such competition comes from yourself, your commitment to compete isn’t necessarily public and is not contractual.
There is a different kind of pressure that comes from fighting on a show where the focus is on entertainment. A fight show, whether it be Boxing, Muay Thai or MMA has few competitors and is often viewed by people without an in depth understanding of the sport solely for the excitement. As such deciding to fight on a show involves an agreement, often contractual as well as a hell of a time and life commitment. You agree, to put the work in to attain a certain weight, to be in shape, to fulfill public obligations and to fight one person…. A person that has agreed to fight you… A person that everyone knows about…. It is a different kind of pressure.
Along with this pressure comes the expectation that you will be part of the show and try to make your entrance, match and even post fight interview entertaining. There is no doubt that a promoter wants a fighter with a personality, someone who can sell fights. I have personally never had a problem with the idea of entertainment, having been in rock bands for many years and been involved in various forms of public speaking. I like selling an idea to the crowd and enjoy planning ways to do it. The only problem is that I am allergic to getting punched in the head (…. don’t laugh, it is a legit condition) so I was never keen on trying out MMA. So in my case Caged Grappling gave me the chance to work on hype, plan an entrance and to perform under lights.
Ultimately competition in any combat sport is a good thing and regardless of what sport or level you compete at it is a life changing experience. While “the show” might not be for everyone I am glad that various promotions like Boa Super 8 and All Styles Grappling are giving grapplers the chance to experience professional competition.
My next post will talk about “fighting in grappling” and “competing in MMA”.
So here is part 1.
When you are involved in Combat Sports it seems like everyone you know competes. Of course the reality is only a small percentage of people compete in any sport, let alone getting on the mat to do the whole “mano a mano” thing.
 |
| (the whole "mano a mano" thing) |
However, if few people ever compete in Combat Sports, then a very small percentage take on the challenge of fighting on a show. They are two different things and are different for a number of reasons. Firstly when we look at grappling styles like BJJ, Judo and Wrestling the competitions are almost universally based on tournaments and more focused on the competitor than spectator. These are designed to compete in and try to win, they usually involve many competitors, sometimes hundreds or thousands in a day, but are only really ever spectated by people close to the sport. You could say that there is a level of anonymity in the large field of competitors that you sometimes find. With this most of the pressure in such competition comes from yourself, your commitment to compete isn’t necessarily public and is not contractual.
 |
| these are the sort of crowds I have usually competed in BJJ in front of. |
There is a different kind of pressure that comes from fighting on a show where the focus is on entertainment. A fight show, whether it be Boxing, Muay Thai or MMA has few competitors and is often viewed by people without an in depth understanding of the sport solely for the excitement. As such deciding to fight on a show involves an agreement, often contractual as well as a hell of a time and life commitment. You agree, to put the work in to attain a certain weight, to be in shape, to fulfill public obligations and to fight one person…. A person that has agreed to fight you… A person that everyone knows about…. It is a different kind of pressure.
 |
| these are the sort of crowds I have never competed in MMA in front of. |
Along with this pressure comes the expectation that you will be part of the show and try to make your entrance, match and even post fight interview entertaining. There is no doubt that a promoter wants a fighter with a personality, someone who can sell fights. I have personally never had a problem with the idea of entertainment, having been in rock bands for many years and been involved in various forms of public speaking. I like selling an idea to the crowd and enjoy planning ways to do it. The only problem is that I am allergic to getting punched in the head (…. don’t laugh, it is a legit condition) so I was never keen on trying out MMA. So in my case Caged Grappling gave me the chance to work on hype, plan an entrance and to perform under lights.
 |
| grappling and a show..... |
Ultimately competition in any combat sport is a good thing and regardless of what sport or level you compete at it is a life changing experience. While “the show” might not be for everyone I am glad that various promotions like Boa Super 8 and All Styles Grappling are giving grapplers the chance to experience professional competition.
My next post will talk about “fighting in grappling” and “competing in MMA”.
Friday, October 02, 2015
A Great Historical Work
If you are remotely interested in the development of what we now refer to as BJJ and also MMA, I can't recommend this article (and the entire blog really) highly enough.
Do yourself a favour and check it out, it is meticulously researched and written.
https://mixedmartialartshistory.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/the-great-underground-ryu-ha-ha/
Do yourself a favour and check it out, it is meticulously researched and written.
https://mixedmartialartshistory.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/the-great-underground-ryu-ha-ha/
Monday, September 28, 2015
The Means vs The Ends
I have been thinking a lot recently about refinement and improvement; I have been brown belt for about 4 years and feel that while I know a lot of technique, I could stand to improve on a lot of it. The reason that I first got involved in Jiu Jitsu was a combination of looking for effective self defence and to find a “ground system” to compliment my existing stand up training. The initial goal of rolling in Jiu Jitsu was explained to me as “make the other person tap without getting tapped yourself”, which is I suppose a reasonably apt description.
However, as time went by I heard more and more people talking about technique and particularly “technique over strength”. So I started to get the idea that it wasn’t just getting the tap that mattered, it was getting it in such a way that didn’t rely on strength. So I soon discovered there were two ways to look at rolling, one where the tap was the ultimate goal and all that mattered, and the other where clean technique is what matters, regardless of the tap.
As a Brown Belt with 14 or so years of experience I am certainly no expert, but I have developed enough basic (and real world) skill that I don’t need to focus solely on the outcome of every roll. A roll is no longer just a means to an ends, if the ends is a tap, the means is now just as, if not more important.
I recently had a roll with a friend that I have not trained with for about 2 years. He trains in a different club, but he had some time so he called in to train and we a great session. As is often the case the fun bit was feeling out changes in each other’s games and working out how to deal with it. In this case my friend was working a transition from De La Riva to Single Leg X and I really had to use solid posture to keep from being swept. I nearly managed to pass, but my friend turtled, however my pass involved a collar grip that lead to an opportunity for the Clock Choke, however at the last second I decided not to go for it, because I sensed that my grip was too shallow and that I would need to, at least in part, muscle the technique. After the roll was finished my partner asked me why I didn’t go for the choke? because he felt sure that I would have tapped him. I replied that I am not interested in getting taps, just executing clean techniques; sometimes one leads to the other and sometimes not...
I believe that this thought can probably be extended to competition. What I mean by this is that you can approach competition in two ways. The first being to use the best Jiu Jitsu you can in a challenging environment, with the possible outcome of winning, or the other is to win as your primary focus. Just to be clear I am not judging and don’t think that either position is better than the other, I just know my own motivations and reasons. The only thing I will say is that I believe that competing in any sport with the goal of winning placed higher than the goal of playing that sport for it’s own sake can lead to playing it the wrong way. For example if the goal of Jiu Jitsu is to use efficient technique over muscle and athleticism to submit your opponent, then winning solely by being the strongest may not be within that mindset. However who am I to judge someone else’s journey?
At the End of the day, for me is all about the Means….
As a Brown Belt with 14 or so years of experience I am certainly no expert, but I have developed enough basic (and real world) skill that I don’t need to focus solely on the outcome of every roll. A roll is no longer just a means to an ends, if the ends is a tap, the means is now just as, if not more important.
I recently had a roll with a friend that I have not trained with for about 2 years. He trains in a different club, but he had some time so he called in to train and we a great session. As is often the case the fun bit was feeling out changes in each other’s games and working out how to deal with it. In this case my friend was working a transition from De La Riva to Single Leg X and I really had to use solid posture to keep from being swept. I nearly managed to pass, but my friend turtled, however my pass involved a collar grip that lead to an opportunity for the Clock Choke, however at the last second I decided not to go for it, because I sensed that my grip was too shallow and that I would need to, at least in part, muscle the technique. After the roll was finished my partner asked me why I didn’t go for the choke? because he felt sure that I would have tapped him. I replied that I am not interested in getting taps, just executing clean techniques; sometimes one leads to the other and sometimes not...
(and I do love me some clock chokes...)
I believe that this thought can probably be extended to competition. What I mean by this is that you can approach competition in two ways. The first being to use the best Jiu Jitsu you can in a challenging environment, with the possible outcome of winning, or the other is to win as your primary focus. Just to be clear I am not judging and don’t think that either position is better than the other, I just know my own motivations and reasons. The only thing I will say is that I believe that competing in any sport with the goal of winning placed higher than the goal of playing that sport for it’s own sake can lead to playing it the wrong way. For example if the goal of Jiu Jitsu is to use efficient technique over muscle and athleticism to submit your opponent, then winning solely by being the strongest may not be within that mindset. However who am I to judge someone else’s journey?
At the End of the day, for me is all about the Means….
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Match 3 – Calum Young vs Deacon Laugher
Sadly another injury has caused this match to change. Hobart Martial Arts Academy’s Ryan Mazengarb suffered an injury and has been replaced by Calum Young, also a Hobart Martial Arts Academy competitor. Calum will now face off against the Hybrid Training Centre’s young up and comer Deacon Laugher. Even with less than a week to go to the event this match is actually looking like being one of the most interesting on the card.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Calum Young
Style: BJJ
Strengths: The word that comes to mind with Calum is “unorthodox”, he is lanky, awkward and difficult to takedown. He is known for his quick submissions and also his great defence. Calum has had experience in MMA and also in BJJ competition. While not quite as big as his even bigger brother, Calum is still strong and durable.
Name: Deacon Laugher
Style: BJJ
Strengths: At 18, Deacon is by far the youngest competitor on the card, but he has had consistent experience on the state and national BJJ scene. Deacon isn’t afraid to mix it up from the top or bottom and will go for any submission he can. This match will be a huge test for Deacon and a feather in his cap if he can pull off the win.
Synopsis: This match is really difficult to pick in terms of how it goes down, both men have strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps the deciding factor here will be Calum’s cage experience and unusual movement, but then again Deacon has great experience and is despiting being the youngest competitor is quite strong. My tip is that this match makes overtime!
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Calum Young
Style: BJJ
Strengths: The word that comes to mind with Calum is “unorthodox”, he is lanky, awkward and difficult to takedown. He is known for his quick submissions and also his great defence. Calum has had experience in MMA and also in BJJ competition. While not quite as big as his even bigger brother, Calum is still strong and durable.
Name: Deacon Laugher
Style: BJJ
Strengths: At 18, Deacon is by far the youngest competitor on the card, but he has had consistent experience on the state and national BJJ scene. Deacon isn’t afraid to mix it up from the top or bottom and will go for any submission he can. This match will be a huge test for Deacon and a feather in his cap if he can pull off the win.
Synopsis: This match is really difficult to pick in terms of how it goes down, both men have strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps the deciding factor here will be Calum’s cage experience and unusual movement, but then again Deacon has great experience and is despiting being the youngest competitor is quite strong. My tip is that this match makes overtime!
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Main Event - Shaw “Almighty” Dean vs Craig Jones
…..aaaaannnnndddd here it is, the MAIN EVENT of the evening! Hybrid Training Centre’s Shaw Dean facing off with Isohealth BJJ’s Craig Jones. Both are veterans of Caged Grappling 1, this is a very intriguing matchup between two very different competitors.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Shaw Dean
Style: MMA, BJJ (purple belt)
Background: Shaw is a multi-discipline martial artist with a long history of training and competition. He is currently 3-0 in the cage holding wins over such notables as former Australian Muay Thai Champ, Nick “Rumble” Rundle and Melbourne’s Hoshi “The Freight Train” Friedrich. Shaw is the owner and head trainer of Hobart’s Hybrid Training Centre having recently purchased the business, with his wife Kirrilee, from founder Priscus Fogagnolo. Shaw is scheduled to fight Callan “The Rockstar” Potter for the Valor Welterweight title in November this year.
Strengths: The head of HTC Shaw is tall, tough and a serious competitor. With a title shot in the works for later this year and a submission win over BJJ Black Belt Chris Stone in the last event, Shaw will be coming to win. Expect good cage craft and an explosive powerful top game.
Name: Craig Jones
Style: BJJ (purple belt)
Background: Craig has been extremely dedicated to the competitive BJJ and Submission wrestling scene for many years. Training out of Adelaide’s ISOHealth BJJ, he has made a name for himself as a competitor all over Australia and internationally. Craig has qualified for and competed in ADCC (one of only a handful of Australians, even though he is still a purple belt), he is the 2014 NAGA World Champion, 4 x Pan Pacific BJJ Champion and the 2014 FIVE Grappling Champion.
Strengths: There are purple belts and there are purple belts…. Craig is the latter. At the time of writing this Craig is on his way to Brazil to compete in the 2015 ADCC, yes you read that right, not the trials... THE ADCC! Craig is an amazing competitor and is a threat to anyone, in any division, at any rank, on the planet.
Synopsis: The second match of the night to feature two purple belts, this match is interesting. On paper these two are the same rank, but Craig Jones is one of the best submission grapplers in Australia at any rank, so to me this match comes down to whether or not Shaw can bring the power and cage craft to negate Craig’s skills. I can’t wait to see it.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Shaw Dean
Style: MMA, BJJ (purple belt)
Background: Shaw is a multi-discipline martial artist with a long history of training and competition. He is currently 3-0 in the cage holding wins over such notables as former Australian Muay Thai Champ, Nick “Rumble” Rundle and Melbourne’s Hoshi “The Freight Train” Friedrich. Shaw is the owner and head trainer of Hobart’s Hybrid Training Centre having recently purchased the business, with his wife Kirrilee, from founder Priscus Fogagnolo. Shaw is scheduled to fight Callan “The Rockstar” Potter for the Valor Welterweight title in November this year.
Strengths: The head of HTC Shaw is tall, tough and a serious competitor. With a title shot in the works for later this year and a submission win over BJJ Black Belt Chris Stone in the last event, Shaw will be coming to win. Expect good cage craft and an explosive powerful top game.
Name: Craig Jones
Style: BJJ (purple belt)
Background: Craig has been extremely dedicated to the competitive BJJ and Submission wrestling scene for many years. Training out of Adelaide’s ISOHealth BJJ, he has made a name for himself as a competitor all over Australia and internationally. Craig has qualified for and competed in ADCC (one of only a handful of Australians, even though he is still a purple belt), he is the 2014 NAGA World Champion, 4 x Pan Pacific BJJ Champion and the 2014 FIVE Grappling Champion.
Strengths: There are purple belts and there are purple belts…. Craig is the latter. At the time of writing this Craig is on his way to Brazil to compete in the 2015 ADCC, yes you read that right, not the trials... THE ADCC! Craig is an amazing competitor and is a threat to anyone, in any division, at any rank, on the planet.
Synopsis: The second match of the night to feature two purple belts, this match is interesting. On paper these two are the same rank, but Craig Jones is one of the best submission grapplers in Australia at any rank, so to me this match comes down to whether or not Shaw can bring the power and cage craft to negate Craig’s skills. I can’t wait to see it.
Friday, September 18, 2015
***Update*** Match 9 - Grant “Grande” Bradshaw vs Adam Newton
News Flash!
With only 8 days to go there has been a change to the semi-main event of the evening. Due to an unfortunate injury suffered by Robert “Razor” Wilkinson in his last fight, this match will now be a mixed weight affair. Grant “Grande” Bradshaw, the Caged Grappling 1 veteran (and event MC) will now face Tasmania’s first BJJ Black Belt and pioneer Adam Newton. Adam of Hobart Martial Arts Academy, takes the match on extremely short notice.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Grant Bradshaw
Style: BJJ (brown belt)
Strengths: Grant has plenty of experience in the competitive BJJ scene and as a Brown Belt under Luke Beston, is now the second highest ranked BJJ player on the card. Grant is no stranger to the cage and is likely to play a smart game. Look out for Grant to utilise solid Jiu Jitsu from the bottom or top and utilise his extensive technical know-how.
Name: Adam Newton
Style: BJJ (black belt)
Strengths: Adam combines a good guard with a surprisingly heavy top game, his timing is excellent and he moves through techniques very smoothly. Make no mistake; Adam is a black belt through and through. Adam also brings the experience and mentality of many years of BJJ and Judo competitions giving him a strong competitive focus.
Synopsis: What we are dealing with here folks, is two highly skilled BJJ practitioners both with their own cards to play. While Adam does have 10 years of age on Grant, he has spent most of the last 20 years on a BJJ mat, with many years of Judo before that. In this match we will be asking if youth (comparatively speaking….) and size can beat technique and experience. I honestly believe that both men have the ability to win this match and while I think that the winner will be whoever gets their game happening first, the truth is that they both have the ability to turn things round in a heartbeat!
This could well end up as the most interesting match of the evening….
With only 8 days to go there has been a change to the semi-main event of the evening. Due to an unfortunate injury suffered by Robert “Razor” Wilkinson in his last fight, this match will now be a mixed weight affair. Grant “Grande” Bradshaw, the Caged Grappling 1 veteran (and event MC) will now face Tasmania’s first BJJ Black Belt and pioneer Adam Newton. Adam of Hobart Martial Arts Academy, takes the match on extremely short notice.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Grant Bradshaw
Style: BJJ (brown belt)
Strengths: Grant has plenty of experience in the competitive BJJ scene and as a Brown Belt under Luke Beston, is now the second highest ranked BJJ player on the card. Grant is no stranger to the cage and is likely to play a smart game. Look out for Grant to utilise solid Jiu Jitsu from the bottom or top and utilise his extensive technical know-how.
Name: Adam Newton
Style: BJJ (black belt)
Strengths: Adam combines a good guard with a surprisingly heavy top game, his timing is excellent and he moves through techniques very smoothly. Make no mistake; Adam is a black belt through and through. Adam also brings the experience and mentality of many years of BJJ and Judo competitions giving him a strong competitive focus.
Synopsis: What we are dealing with here folks, is two highly skilled BJJ practitioners both with their own cards to play. While Adam does have 10 years of age on Grant, he has spent most of the last 20 years on a BJJ mat, with many years of Judo before that. In this match we will be asking if youth (comparatively speaking….) and size can beat technique and experience. I honestly believe that both men have the ability to win this match and while I think that the winner will be whoever gets their game happening first, the truth is that they both have the ability to turn things round in a heartbeat!
This could well end up as the most interesting match of the evening….
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Various Bolos
More of my wonderful work featured on Grapplers Planet, check it out on this link:
http://grapplersplanet.com/bolos/
http://grapplersplanet.com/bolos/
Caged Grappling 2 – Third Instalment
Now, the sharp end of the stick, the last three matches on the Caged Grappling 2 card including the main event. This is where things get real, three match ups with 6 seriously tough individuals,
This isn’t necessarily the match up that the public was hoping for, for Neil Campbell, but it is a good one none the less. Head instructor of 36 Crazy Fists, James Guy, will meet Neil Campbell of Hobart Martial Arts Academy/Maromba.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: James Guy
Style: BJJ (purple belt)
Strengths: James is the head coach and founder of one of Northern Tasmania’s most recognised MMA gyms and is a life long martial artist. James is a BJJ purple belt and holds various other Black Belts. Known as an experienced coach (including to Caged Grappling veteran Cary “the Hurricane” Hearn) look for a considered and tactical approach.
Name: Neil Campbell
Style: BJJ (purple belt)
Strengths: Perhaps one of the most popular competitors from Caged Grappling 1, Neil spends his time training between Hobart and Melbourne. His competition record and experience is impressive including two MMA bouts. Neil is a skilled purple belt and has a very technical game from the bottom or top.
Synopsis: Both these men are purple belts and there is no real size difference to speak of. While there is no doubt that James has the edge in terms of martial arts experience, I think that Neil has got more recent competition experience particularly considering the regular events he has competed in in Melbourne. I can’t wait for this one!
Match number eight is going to be very interesting, Hybrid Training Centre’s Connor “the Law” Murphy taking on Igor MMA (Sydney) product Harry Grech. This is a match of two very experienced and very strong competitors.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Connor Murphy
Style: MMA fighter, National Wrestling competitor, BJJ (purple belt)
Strengths: Considered by many (including me) to be one of Tasmania’s best MMA fighters, Connor Murphy has fought in 4 promotions across 3 Australian states and has a 5-3 record. As much as Connor is no stranger to the cage, he is also a seasoned wrestler and has competed and submitted some big names in the BJJ world.
Name: Harry Grech
Style: BJJ (Purple Belt), Judo, Catch Wrestling
Strengths: While new to Tasmanian competition, Harry has competed regularly in BJJ, Judo, Submission Grappling and even MMA. I don’t know a lot about Harry’s style, but from what I have found in googling he is aggressive in his pursuit of the takedown and the submission. He doesn’t mind diving on submissions even if it involves changing positions and seems to have a penchant for Kimuras.
Synopsis: This is a tough match to break down as I don’t know Harry’s game well, however I will say that they are both strong in BJJ and may be closely skilled. While Connor may not have Harry’s Judo chops (see what I did there? “Judo Chops…” lol) he does have high level wrestling. The only notable difference I have seen is Connor’s more extensive MMA experience and cage time; will that be what it takes? We’ll find out on the 26th of September!
The semi-main event of the evening is a Light Heavy Weight bout that sees Caged Grappling 1 veteran (and event MC) Grant Bradshaw from Beston Gracie (NSW) meet up with the undefeated MMA fighter and Brace For War middle weight champion Rob Wilkinson from Hybrid Training Centre.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Grant Bradshaw
Style: BJJ (brown belt)
Strengths: Grant has plenty of experience in the competitive BJJ scene and as a Brown Belt under Luke Beston, is also the highest ranked BJJ player on the card. Grant is no stranger to the cage and is likely to play a smart game. Look out for Grant to utilise solid Jiu Jitsu from the bottom or top and utilise his extensive technical know-how.
Name: Rob Wilkinson
Style: MMA
Strengths: Rob Wilkinson is arguably Tasmania’s most successful MMA competitors, being undefeated in 9 professional bouts. The current Middle Weight Brace for War Champion, Rob will be the second MMA champion to compete in Caged Grappling. Rob is wily, strong, rangy and has multiple wins to his name by way of submission.
Synopsis: The story of this match will be between the power and toughness or Rob Wilkinson vs the technical BJJ chops of Grant Bradshaw. There is no question that Grant has the edge in submission skills, but is he tough enough to withstand the pressure and experience of Rob…. Can Grant “blunt the Razor”? I can’t wait to find out!
Stay tuned for the final edition going into detail on the main event of the evening, Shaw “Almighty” Dean vs Craig Jones!
Match 7 - James Guy vs Neil “The Troll-father” Campbell
This isn’t necessarily the match up that the public was hoping for, for Neil Campbell, but it is a good one none the less. Head instructor of 36 Crazy Fists, James Guy, will meet Neil Campbell of Hobart Martial Arts Academy/Maromba.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: James Guy
 |
| James - the technician |
Style: BJJ (purple belt)
Strengths: James is the head coach and founder of one of Northern Tasmania’s most recognised MMA gyms and is a life long martial artist. James is a BJJ purple belt and holds various other Black Belts. Known as an experienced coach (including to Caged Grappling veteran Cary “the Hurricane” Hearn) look for a considered and tactical approach.
Name: Neil Campbell
 |
| Neil - always looks like this..... |
Style: BJJ (purple belt)
Strengths: Perhaps one of the most popular competitors from Caged Grappling 1, Neil spends his time training between Hobart and Melbourne. His competition record and experience is impressive including two MMA bouts. Neil is a skilled purple belt and has a very technical game from the bottom or top.
Synopsis: Both these men are purple belts and there is no real size difference to speak of. While there is no doubt that James has the edge in terms of martial arts experience, I think that Neil has got more recent competition experience particularly considering the regular events he has competed in in Melbourne. I can’t wait for this one!
Match 8 - Connor “The Law” Murphy vs Harry Grech
Match number eight is going to be very interesting, Hybrid Training Centre’s Connor “the Law” Murphy taking on Igor MMA (Sydney) product Harry Grech. This is a match of two very experienced and very strong competitors.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Connor Murphy
 |
| Connor - smooth as vanilla.... |
Style: MMA fighter, National Wrestling competitor, BJJ (purple belt)
Strengths: Considered by many (including me) to be one of Tasmania’s best MMA fighters, Connor Murphy has fought in 4 promotions across 3 Australian states and has a 5-3 record. As much as Connor is no stranger to the cage, he is also a seasoned wrestler and has competed and submitted some big names in the BJJ world.
Name: Harry Grech
 |
| Harry - ready to roll |
Style: BJJ (Purple Belt), Judo, Catch Wrestling
Strengths: While new to Tasmanian competition, Harry has competed regularly in BJJ, Judo, Submission Grappling and even MMA. I don’t know a lot about Harry’s style, but from what I have found in googling he is aggressive in his pursuit of the takedown and the submission. He doesn’t mind diving on submissions even if it involves changing positions and seems to have a penchant for Kimuras.
Synopsis: This is a tough match to break down as I don’t know Harry’s game well, however I will say that they are both strong in BJJ and may be closely skilled. While Connor may not have Harry’s Judo chops (see what I did there? “Judo Chops…” lol) he does have high level wrestling. The only notable difference I have seen is Connor’s more extensive MMA experience and cage time; will that be what it takes? We’ll find out on the 26th of September!
Match 9 - Grant “Grande” Bradshaw vs Rob “Razor” Wilkinson
The semi-main event of the evening is a Light Heavy Weight bout that sees Caged Grappling 1 veteran (and event MC) Grant Bradshaw from Beston Gracie (NSW) meet up with the undefeated MMA fighter and Brace For War middle weight champion Rob Wilkinson from Hybrid Training Centre.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Grant Bradshaw
 |
| Grant - Not playing at all.... |
Style: BJJ (brown belt)
Strengths: Grant has plenty of experience in the competitive BJJ scene and as a Brown Belt under Luke Beston, is also the highest ranked BJJ player on the card. Grant is no stranger to the cage and is likely to play a smart game. Look out for Grant to utilise solid Jiu Jitsu from the bottom or top and utilise his extensive technical know-how.
Name: Rob Wilkinson
 |
| Rob - Undefeated. |
Style: MMA
Strengths: Rob Wilkinson is arguably Tasmania’s most successful MMA competitors, being undefeated in 9 professional bouts. The current Middle Weight Brace for War Champion, Rob will be the second MMA champion to compete in Caged Grappling. Rob is wily, strong, rangy and has multiple wins to his name by way of submission.
Synopsis: The story of this match will be between the power and toughness or Rob Wilkinson vs the technical BJJ chops of Grant Bradshaw. There is no question that Grant has the edge in submission skills, but is he tough enough to withstand the pressure and experience of Rob…. Can Grant “blunt the Razor”? I can’t wait to find out!
Stay tuned for the final edition going into detail on the main event of the evening, Shaw “Almighty” Dean vs Craig Jones!
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Caged Grappling 2 – Second Instalment
Welcome to the second instalment of my lead up to Caged Grappling, this will cover matches 4, 5 and 6.
This is going to be fireworks…. no two ways about it. Hybrid Training Centre’s judo power house Barton James across the cage from the exciting Cory Hearn from 36 Crazy Fists. They are both coming to win and to do it convincingly.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Barton James
Style: Judo (green belt)
Strengths: Barton, a veteran of Caged Grappling 1, is a very well rounded competitor with state and national experience in BJJ, Judo and Muay Thai. Barton is tough and poised with a focus on takedowns and arm bars. Look for aggressive takedowns and a dominant top game, he loves to take arms home with him.
Name: Cory Hearn
Style: BJJ
Strengths: Also a veteran of Caged Grappling 1, Cory is an experienced BJJ Blue Belt and MMA fighter. Cory is fit and game and will keep up the pressure and pace until the match is over (and probably well afterwards….). Cory is a good submission fighter, but is equally in his element in the takedown game. The cage is certainly not going to be an imposition to Cory.
Synopsis: This match is really hard to call, I know there are people who will think that Barton’s ferocity will bring it to an end in short order, but Cory has no quit in him and despite his smiley demeanour is tough and a competitor. I think this is going to be a battle of attrition.
Match number five for the evening will be Equipe Mestre Wilson product Anthony Pisano going head to head with a Caged Grappling 1 veteran in the Hybrid Training Centre’s Sam Cowie. These guys are both seasoned BJJ competitors and should get after it.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Anthony Pisano
Style: BJJ (purple belt)
Strengths: Anthony, from Equipe Mestre Wilson, is experienced and strong. He has competed locally and nationally and been awarded his purple belt in a club that is known for its strong competitive focus. Anthony is coming to win, not play.
Name: Sam Cowie
Style: BJJ (blue belt)
Strengths: Hybrid Training Centre’s Sam Cowie is another veteran of Caged Grappling successfully beating his opponent via arm bar. Sam focuses on the takedown and has a tough no-nonsense style of grappling. Being a HTC product he has a wrestling and judo flavour to his Jiu Jitsu game.
Synopsis: It is difficult to say which way this one will go. One on hand Anthony is a purple belt compared to Sam’s blue, and is the bigger stronger man. However Sam comes from an MMA gym rather than a BJJ one solely, so has more experience in and around cages. This match comes down to Sam using his cage experience to counter Anthony’s BJJ skills and size, should be an interesting battle.
Match number six will see Mareo Kerr from Hybrid Training Centre face Kaos Dojo’s Jeremy Carroll. These guys are both experienced competitors in Jiu Jitsu and MMA with unorthodox games and both have good size and strength.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Mareo Kerr
Style: Wrestling & BJJ (blue belt)
Strengths: Mareo is the first MMA champion to have a Caged Grappling match, as the light heavy weight XFC champion. Mareo has good cage craft and is comfortable trading submissions from the top or bottom. Expect a powerful, but tactical and well thought out approach from Mareo.
Name: Jeremy Carroll
Style: BJJ (purple belt)
Strengths: Jeremy has been a regular face in the BJJ scene for a long time and has fought in both Brace For War and Valor in MMA. Jeremy is known for unusual submissions and takedowns and approaches his fights with intelligence.
Synopsis: This match is the first one in Caged Grappling 2 that sees both competitors with MMA experience, the presence of the cage shouldn’t benefit one over the other. Both are also known for being tactical and intelligent in competition, so in a lot ways this one is difficult to call. I am expecting an interesting match and perhaps the first one to make a mistake will be what decides it.
The third instalment of my lead up to Caged Grappling will be out soon.
Match 4 - Barton ‘the Buttgoblin’ James vs Cory ‘the Hurricane’ Hearn
This is going to be fireworks…. no two ways about it. Hybrid Training Centre’s judo power house Barton James across the cage from the exciting Cory Hearn from 36 Crazy Fists. They are both coming to win and to do it convincingly.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Barton James
 |
| Barton - arm collector |
Style: Judo (green belt)
Strengths: Barton, a veteran of Caged Grappling 1, is a very well rounded competitor with state and national experience in BJJ, Judo and Muay Thai. Barton is tough and poised with a focus on takedowns and arm bars. Look for aggressive takedowns and a dominant top game, he loves to take arms home with him.
Name: Cory Hearn
 |
| Cory - Smiley, but deadly |
Style: BJJ
Strengths: Also a veteran of Caged Grappling 1, Cory is an experienced BJJ Blue Belt and MMA fighter. Cory is fit and game and will keep up the pressure and pace until the match is over (and probably well afterwards….). Cory is a good submission fighter, but is equally in his element in the takedown game. The cage is certainly not going to be an imposition to Cory.
Synopsis: This match is really hard to call, I know there are people who will think that Barton’s ferocity will bring it to an end in short order, but Cory has no quit in him and despite his smiley demeanour is tough and a competitor. I think this is going to be a battle of attrition.
Match 5 - Anthony Pisano vs Sam Cowie
Match number five for the evening will be Equipe Mestre Wilson product Anthony Pisano going head to head with a Caged Grappling 1 veteran in the Hybrid Training Centre’s Sam Cowie. These guys are both seasoned BJJ competitors and should get after it.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Anthony Pisano
 |
| Anthony - Clearly needs a haircut... |
Style: BJJ (purple belt)
Strengths: Anthony, from Equipe Mestre Wilson, is experienced and strong. He has competed locally and nationally and been awarded his purple belt in a club that is known for its strong competitive focus. Anthony is coming to win, not play.
Name: Sam Cowie
 |
| Sam is fast and competitive |
Style: BJJ (blue belt)
Strengths: Hybrid Training Centre’s Sam Cowie is another veteran of Caged Grappling successfully beating his opponent via arm bar. Sam focuses on the takedown and has a tough no-nonsense style of grappling. Being a HTC product he has a wrestling and judo flavour to his Jiu Jitsu game.
Synopsis: It is difficult to say which way this one will go. One on hand Anthony is a purple belt compared to Sam’s blue, and is the bigger stronger man. However Sam comes from an MMA gym rather than a BJJ one solely, so has more experience in and around cages. This match comes down to Sam using his cage experience to counter Anthony’s BJJ skills and size, should be an interesting battle.
Match 6 - Mareo “The American” Kerr vs Jeremy “Fantastic” Carroll
Match number six will see Mareo Kerr from Hybrid Training Centre face Kaos Dojo’s Jeremy Carroll. These guys are both experienced competitors in Jiu Jitsu and MMA with unorthodox games and both have good size and strength.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Mareo Kerr
 |
| Mareo - XFC LHW Champion |
Style: Wrestling & BJJ (blue belt)
Strengths: Mareo is the first MMA champion to have a Caged Grappling match, as the light heavy weight XFC champion. Mareo has good cage craft and is comfortable trading submissions from the top or bottom. Expect a powerful, but tactical and well thought out approach from Mareo.
Name: Jeremy Carroll
 |
| Fantastic..... |
Style: BJJ (purple belt)
Strengths: Jeremy has been a regular face in the BJJ scene for a long time and has fought in both Brace For War and Valor in MMA. Jeremy is known for unusual submissions and takedowns and approaches his fights with intelligence.
Synopsis: This match is the first one in Caged Grappling 2 that sees both competitors with MMA experience, the presence of the cage shouldn’t benefit one over the other. Both are also known for being tactical and intelligent in competition, so in a lot ways this one is difficult to call. I am expecting an interesting match and perhaps the first one to make a mistake will be what decides it.
The third instalment of my lead up to Caged Grappling will be out soon.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
When do we search for a better way?
Jiu Jitsu is a search for perfection in technique… but how do you know if the technique is actually perfect to start with? When do you search for a better way?
Answering these questions is a big part of the problem solving that I love so much about Jiu Jitsu. In Jiu Jitsu we often deal with the same scenarios repeatedly and gain efficiency, but I don’t know how often we work out new or better approaches to these problems. There are existing techniques and methods that are used in most situations and they are used due to their effectiveness. However I don’t believe that the conventional method is necessarily always the best. Or more to the point, what works in a given circumstance may not continue to work as people develop a better understanding of that circumstance. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that I have new and improved methods for every single technique and I am always very cautious of seeming disrespectful to my coaches or the developers of Jiu Jitsu. However, I have found some situations that I feel I have been able to improve.
It wasn’t until I was approaching Brown Belt that I started to investigate changing techniques that I had been learning rather than practicing them the same way I always had. In most cases the process I have followed to improve technique is by considering the most common problems and counters that arise when I am trying a technique and look for ways to pre-empt them. So here are two examples of slight modifications to fairly standard techniques that I think make a big difference.
So, most people have similar strategies when it comes to attacking the back with the harness. Such as “over/under” grip, choking arm on the bottom side and protecting the choking arm. Commonly there are two defences that you need to deal with in addition to actually taking the back. First the opponent will squeeze their chin to their chest so you can’t get to the neck and second they will hand fight to take away your choke.
As such when I approach the harness grip I like to move my arms further round the torso so that my grips are “hidden” outside the opponents arm pit. In terms of dealing with the hand fight this is effective for two reasons. 1. My grip is out of the opponent’s immediate reach and 2. My hand placement lifts their arm a little which reduces their mobility. As for the chin being down, I have usually found that the tighter pressure I generate stops their chin going down and even if it does, pulling arms through this deep has my bicep tight to their carotid artery anyway so they are already being partially choked. Incidentally this actually leads to a sneaky little back control version of the head/arm choke as a bonus.
I have a made a video to show what I mean:
When it comes to triangles most people tend to agree that there are a few key things that you need for a good triangle; you need to break your opponent’s posture, cut an angle, you shouldn’t see your opponent’s shoulder, you should squeeze your knees etc. Where I approach things differently is in terms of preventing my opponent’s defences, both in a BJJ and an MMA sense. The first two lines of defence for the triangle are similar in both BJJ and MMA. In no particular order they are to drag the trapped arm back from across your body (to take away their angle) and then to posture up. In MMA you also have the very real threat of being lifted up and slammed onto your head.
In most cases the arm defence isn’t really focused on, but there are common answers to posturing up as well as lifting and slamming. However these answers tend to be reactive rather than proactive. In the case of posturing a lot of people try to prevent it by pulling down on the head, whereas the answer to the MMA slamming problem universally seems to be to underhook the leg so that you can’t be lifted off the ground when the opponent stands up.
I prefer to address both problems before they occur and to do it with the same technique. My approach is to cut my angle with the triangle and then underhook the arm rather than the leg, I then Gable-grip over the shoulder and crank downward pressure over the arm. This stops the opponent from being able to posture up and also prevents even the strongest opponents from being able to stand. If the opponent can’t lift their head, then they can’t stand and if they can't stand, they can't lift. The added bonus as well to this is that it maintains your angle and can sometimes result in a tap due to shoulder pressure.
I also made a video showing the triangle details:
Have fun everyone, if you enjoy this post, please check out and like my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hobartmartialarts
Answering these questions is a big part of the problem solving that I love so much about Jiu Jitsu. In Jiu Jitsu we often deal with the same scenarios repeatedly and gain efficiency, but I don’t know how often we work out new or better approaches to these problems. There are existing techniques and methods that are used in most situations and they are used due to their effectiveness. However I don’t believe that the conventional method is necessarily always the best. Or more to the point, what works in a given circumstance may not continue to work as people develop a better understanding of that circumstance. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that I have new and improved methods for every single technique and I am always very cautious of seeming disrespectful to my coaches or the developers of Jiu Jitsu. However, I have found some situations that I feel I have been able to improve.
It wasn’t until I was approaching Brown Belt that I started to investigate changing techniques that I had been learning rather than practicing them the same way I always had. In most cases the process I have followed to improve technique is by considering the most common problems and counters that arise when I am trying a technique and look for ways to pre-empt them. So here are two examples of slight modifications to fairly standard techniques that I think make a big difference.
Harness Strategies
So, most people have similar strategies when it comes to attacking the back with the harness. Such as “over/under” grip, choking arm on the bottom side and protecting the choking arm. Commonly there are two defences that you need to deal with in addition to actually taking the back. First the opponent will squeeze their chin to their chest so you can’t get to the neck and second they will hand fight to take away your choke.
As such when I approach the harness grip I like to move my arms further round the torso so that my grips are “hidden” outside the opponents arm pit. In terms of dealing with the hand fight this is effective for two reasons. 1. My grip is out of the opponent’s immediate reach and 2. My hand placement lifts their arm a little which reduces their mobility. As for the chin being down, I have usually found that the tighter pressure I generate stops their chin going down and even if it does, pulling arms through this deep has my bicep tight to their carotid artery anyway so they are already being partially choked. Incidentally this actually leads to a sneaky little back control version of the head/arm choke as a bonus.
I have a made a video to show what I mean:
Triangle with Gable grips
When it comes to triangles most people tend to agree that there are a few key things that you need for a good triangle; you need to break your opponent’s posture, cut an angle, you shouldn’t see your opponent’s shoulder, you should squeeze your knees etc. Where I approach things differently is in terms of preventing my opponent’s defences, both in a BJJ and an MMA sense. The first two lines of defence for the triangle are similar in both BJJ and MMA. In no particular order they are to drag the trapped arm back from across your body (to take away their angle) and then to posture up. In MMA you also have the very real threat of being lifted up and slammed onto your head.
In most cases the arm defence isn’t really focused on, but there are common answers to posturing up as well as lifting and slamming. However these answers tend to be reactive rather than proactive. In the case of posturing a lot of people try to prevent it by pulling down on the head, whereas the answer to the MMA slamming problem universally seems to be to underhook the leg so that you can’t be lifted off the ground when the opponent stands up.
I prefer to address both problems before they occur and to do it with the same technique. My approach is to cut my angle with the triangle and then underhook the arm rather than the leg, I then Gable-grip over the shoulder and crank downward pressure over the arm. This stops the opponent from being able to posture up and also prevents even the strongest opponents from being able to stand. If the opponent can’t lift their head, then they can’t stand and if they can't stand, they can't lift. The added bonus as well to this is that it maintains your angle and can sometimes result in a tap due to shoulder pressure.
I also made a video showing the triangle details:
Have fun everyone, if you enjoy this post, please check out and like my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hobartmartialarts
Monday, August 24, 2015
Caged Grappling 2 – First Instalment
So here is the first of four instalments in the lead up to Caged Grappling 2. Here I will look at the first three match ups on the card, of these six men only one is a veteran of Caged Grappling 1 although they are all already names on the Tasmanian scene. The first three matches will be of disparate styles and are set to excite… so here we go!
The opening match up of the card is between two heavy weights; Kieryn Wright of Hobart Martial Arts Academy/Maromba and Callum Berechee of Hobart No Gi. This is a great way to start the show with two big men with two different skill sets and experience.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Kieryn Wright
Style: BJJ (purple belt)
Strengths: Kieryn, the Hobart Martial Arts Academy/Maromba product, has had a great deal of experience in competition and has several state and national titles to his name. He is calm under fire and has pulled off a number of upset victories, it is often said that he “moves like a little man” and has a dangerous guard.
Name: Callum Berechee
Style: No Gi Grappling
Strengths: Callum may not have had the same level of BJJ competition experience as Kieryn, but he is tough and durable and has proved it with several wins in the local MMA scene. Callum is patient, big and strong and I expect he will make Kieryn work for everything he tries. Expect good use of positioning and cage craft from Callum.
Synopsis: This match will be either be really fast or really show, it comes down to whether or not Callum can shut down Kieryn’s offence long enough to use his size and power. Expect a great match up from these two!
The second match up of the card is between Brad Hutchison of Hobart Martial Arts Academy/Maromba and Tyson Read of Equipe Mestre Wilson. After the Heavy Weights in the first bout, the light weights will be moving like lightning.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Brad Hutchison
Style: BJJ (blue belt)
Strengths: Despite being a lightweight Brad is well over 6 feet tall and is deceptively strong. Brad has had a considerably successful BJJ career, even going undefeated for a full two year period. Brad is known for his exceptional use of his butterfly hooks and has a deadly array of no gi chokes. Look for Brad to attack with combinations on the ground and the feet and be ready to finish at all times.
Name: Tyson Read
Style: BJJ (blue belt)
Strengths: Tyson is an experienced competitor with over 5 years in BJJ, in his career he has earned numerous gold medals including Gold in the Blue Belt Gi division of Grappling Industries. Tyson likes to work takedowns and aims for the back once on the ground. Look for aggression on the feet and the will to finish.
Synopsis: I don’t think that either man will be happy to waste much time in this match, so a takedown is likely only if it happens quickly. Rather than spending a lot of time on the feet I think that both men would be just as comfortable pulling guard. This match is going to be fairly even with a lot of submissions going back and forth, but either one can finish it quickly if things go their way.
Match number three pits Ryan Mazengarb, also a Hobart Martial Arts Academy/Maromba competitor against the Hybrid Training Centre’s young up and comer Deacon Laugher. At light/welter weight these two will be a stark contrast to the opening match, but the action will be just as intense.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Ryan Mazengarb
Style: BJJ (blue belt)
Strengths: Ryan is an experienced competitor in the BJJ scene and has competitive experience across Australia and has even competed in South America. He is technical, quick and smart with skills in multiple areas. A veteran of the first Caged Grappling, Ryan is adaptable to the environment and has rapidly improving wrestling skills.
Name: Deacon Laugher
Style: BJJ
Strengths: At 18, Deacon is by far the youngest competitor on the card, but he has had consistent experience on the state and national BJJ scene. Deacon isn’t afraid to mix it up from the top or bottom and will go for any submission he can. This match will be a huge test for Deacon and a feather in his cap if he can pull off the win.
Synopsis: I foresee a match with a lot of back and forth in terms of positional exchange and submission attempts. On paper it is Ryan’s match to lose, but the cage changes everything and Deacon will be hungry to prove himself!
I hope you enjoyed the read, stay tuned for the second instalment of my lead up to Caged Grappling.
Match 1 - Kieryn Wright vs Callum Berechee
The opening match up of the card is between two heavy weights; Kieryn Wright of Hobart Martial Arts Academy/Maromba and Callum Berechee of Hobart No Gi. This is a great way to start the show with two big men with two different skill sets and experience.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Kieryn Wright
 |
| Kieryn - BJJ Purple Belt |
Style: BJJ (purple belt)
Strengths: Kieryn, the Hobart Martial Arts Academy/Maromba product, has had a great deal of experience in competition and has several state and national titles to his name. He is calm under fire and has pulled off a number of upset victories, it is often said that he “moves like a little man” and has a dangerous guard.
Name: Callum Berechee
 |
| Callum - Very powerful |
Style: No Gi Grappling
Strengths: Callum may not have had the same level of BJJ competition experience as Kieryn, but he is tough and durable and has proved it with several wins in the local MMA scene. Callum is patient, big and strong and I expect he will make Kieryn work for everything he tries. Expect good use of positioning and cage craft from Callum.
Synopsis: This match will be either be really fast or really show, it comes down to whether or not Callum can shut down Kieryn’s offence long enough to use his size and power. Expect a great match up from these two!
Match 2 – Brad Hutchison vs Tyson Read
The second match up of the card is between Brad Hutchison of Hobart Martial Arts Academy/Maromba and Tyson Read of Equipe Mestre Wilson. After the Heavy Weights in the first bout, the light weights will be moving like lightning.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Brad Hutchison
 |
| Brad - Not scared of snakes |
Style: BJJ (blue belt)
Strengths: Despite being a lightweight Brad is well over 6 feet tall and is deceptively strong. Brad has had a considerably successful BJJ career, even going undefeated for a full two year period. Brad is known for his exceptional use of his butterfly hooks and has a deadly array of no gi chokes. Look for Brad to attack with combinations on the ground and the feet and be ready to finish at all times.
Name: Tyson Read
 |
| Tyson - A submission hunter |
Style: BJJ (blue belt)
Strengths: Tyson is an experienced competitor with over 5 years in BJJ, in his career he has earned numerous gold medals including Gold in the Blue Belt Gi division of Grappling Industries. Tyson likes to work takedowns and aims for the back once on the ground. Look for aggression on the feet and the will to finish.
Synopsis: I don’t think that either man will be happy to waste much time in this match, so a takedown is likely only if it happens quickly. Rather than spending a lot of time on the feet I think that both men would be just as comfortable pulling guard. This match is going to be fairly even with a lot of submissions going back and forth, but either one can finish it quickly if things go their way.
Match 3 - ‘Flyin’ Ryan Mazengarb vs Deacon Laugher
Match number three pits Ryan Mazengarb, also a Hobart Martial Arts Academy/Maromba competitor against the Hybrid Training Centre’s young up and comer Deacon Laugher. At light/welter weight these two will be a stark contrast to the opening match, but the action will be just as intense.
Here is how it breaks down….
Name: Ryan Mazengarb
 |
| Ryan - Caged Grappling veteran |
Style: BJJ (blue belt)
Strengths: Ryan is an experienced competitor in the BJJ scene and has competitive experience across Australia and has even competed in South America. He is technical, quick and smart with skills in multiple areas. A veteran of the first Caged Grappling, Ryan is adaptable to the environment and has rapidly improving wrestling skills.
Name: Deacon Laugher
 |
| Deacon - The up and comer |
Style: BJJ
Strengths: At 18, Deacon is by far the youngest competitor on the card, but he has had consistent experience on the state and national BJJ scene. Deacon isn’t afraid to mix it up from the top or bottom and will go for any submission he can. This match will be a huge test for Deacon and a feather in his cap if he can pull off the win.
Synopsis: I foresee a match with a lot of back and forth in terms of positional exchange and submission attempts. On paper it is Ryan’s match to lose, but the cage changes everything and Deacon will be hungry to prove himself!
I hope you enjoyed the read, stay tuned for the second instalment of my lead up to Caged Grappling.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Caged Grappling....
The 13th of December 2014 was the first time I had competed in grappling since mid-2012. Most people know that I am not personally overly interested in competition; I tend to focus my energies into coaching. So following a few bad injuries through 2011 and a change in my work I decided to stay off the competitive mat for a while. However, when my friend Hamish McLaren (the eccentric promotional visionary that he is) started to float the idea of his company All Styles Grappling running a Caged Grappling event with me, I got excited.
Real Excited….
Excited enough to start looking into matchups….
I love a show and I love being able to entertain a crowd, so I started to train and put work into the lead up hype and the walk-out music. The night came and I (who was also the referee) planned out the show side of the night with my opponent (who was also the MC). Our set up worked, the people were entertained and then we got down to the match... I got bashed…
However, I still had a cracking night and believe that everyone who attended loved it. In fact I commented to Hamish (and everyone else who would listen) afterwards that of all the BJJ, Grappling, MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing, Karate and Tae Kwon Do events I have worked, competed in, organised, refereed and coached at this was absolutely the most fun.
After the success of the first instalment of Caged Grappling, All Styles Grappling is back with the next show! Picking up where the last event left off, Caged Grappling 2 is taking it up a notch with upgrades to the cage, improved audio and of course an even more stacked card of match ups. Over the next few posts I am going to outline all the match ups on the card and talk about the competitors. I will also be providing a few reflections about the event and what it means to me and the larger community.
Hope you enjoy it.
Real Excited….
Excited enough to start looking into matchups….
I love a show and I love being able to entertain a crowd, so I started to train and put work into the lead up hype and the walk-out music. The night came and I (who was also the referee) planned out the show side of the night with my opponent (who was also the MC). Our set up worked, the people were entertained and then we got down to the match... I got bashed…
However, I still had a cracking night and believe that everyone who attended loved it. In fact I commented to Hamish (and everyone else who would listen) afterwards that of all the BJJ, Grappling, MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing, Karate and Tae Kwon Do events I have worked, competed in, organised, refereed and coached at this was absolutely the most fun.
After the success of the first instalment of Caged Grappling, All Styles Grappling is back with the next show! Picking up where the last event left off, Caged Grappling 2 is taking it up a notch with upgrades to the cage, improved audio and of course an even more stacked card of match ups. Over the next few posts I am going to outline all the match ups on the card and talk about the competitors. I will also be providing a few reflections about the event and what it means to me and the larger community.
Hope you enjoy it.
Monday, August 17, 2015
MMA Guard vs BJJ Guard
After a recent discussion with a student on tactics in combat I thought I would talk a little about some differences in the way I believe we should approach the guard depending on the scenario. As with everything it is important to note that there are no “right or wrong” answers, just different opinions. In a recent interview with Rickson Gracie on the Joe Rogan podcast both men showed very different opinions on guard use in MMA.
On listening, it seemed to me that Joe Rogan favoured an attacking guard, locking the opponent down and hunting submissions, in the 10th planet style, but was surprised when Rickson discussed using feet on hips to create space. Rickson hoped to prevent an opponent from causing serious damage until he was able to regain his feet, he discussed the famous match between Mark Kerr and Fabio Gurgel as one of the reasons he considered this strategy. It is worth also noting that in most of Rickson’s Vale Tudo fights he avoided the bottom position as much as he could and fought very hard to get takedowns to the top position.
I have embedded the video of the interview here, the parts relating to Rickson's thoughts on Vale Tudo guard are from 1:30:29 - 1:40:38, although if you haven't heard the whole interview I highly recommend it (along with anything else Rickson related for that matter).
Of course for some people one strategy may be more effective than for another, Paul Sass for example is quite effective in MMA when he pulls guard, but he is certainly in the minority. Very few others have the level of guard skills to be effective enough to make this strategy work.
In the BJJ world we often see a preference for guard with people happy to work from this position and even to go directly to it by pulling guard to negate the opponent the opportunity to score takedown points. Due to this preference I sometimes need to discuss different strategies for different situations. I have broken this into possibilities, BJJ Guard and MMA Guard, for the purposes of this article I am rolling “Street guard” and MMA Guard into the same strategy.
Strategy Heirachy:
1. Sweep
2. Submit
3. Stand up
In a BJJ sense I believe it is generally best to strive for top position, largely because the opportunities for winning are increased from top. There are scoring opportunities through Passing, Knee Ride, Mount and Back Control as well as the associated advantages (in addition a sweeping in itself is a scoring move). There are also arguably more submission options from the top in that you have more positions that you can submit from.
Assuming that you are unable to sweep or a very good opportunity arises the submission is the next most important option. Notice I prioritise submission lower in priority than sweeps due to the importance of top position, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t attack with sweep and submission combinations from your guard.
The last option in BJJ is to try and stand up; one of the main issues with this strategy is that this can be seen as passivity in a sporting sense. However, sometimes when an opponent is trying to stall or you are under heavy attack on the bottom, getting up, or at least creating a scramble in the attempt can be a great opportunity.
1. Stand up
2. Sweep
3. Submit.
MMA is a bit of a contrast and the main reason for this is urgency. The dangers to you in any bottom position in MMA are so much greater that you need to heavily limit your time there. As mentioned above Rickson preferred to create space and keep the opponent off him until he was able to regain his feet. As such the first priority is in my opinion to get up.
If simply standing up is not an option or if you are working a combination of the two then sweeps are your next best bet. A successful sweep gives you the choice of fighting from the top position or disengaging to fight on the feet. I believe that Half Guard and Hooks Guard are the two best options to combine sweeps and stand ups in MMA.
While a submission will end the fight, the risk you place yourself in by deciding to stay on your back and seek them out is very high. The damage you are very likely to take will dramatically reduce your effectiveness on your back, we have all hard Carlson Gracie’s view on what happens when you punch a Black Belt in the face….
On listening, it seemed to me that Joe Rogan favoured an attacking guard, locking the opponent down and hunting submissions, in the 10th planet style, but was surprised when Rickson discussed using feet on hips to create space. Rickson hoped to prevent an opponent from causing serious damage until he was able to regain his feet, he discussed the famous match between Mark Kerr and Fabio Gurgel as one of the reasons he considered this strategy. It is worth also noting that in most of Rickson’s Vale Tudo fights he avoided the bottom position as much as he could and fought very hard to get takedowns to the top position.
I have embedded the video of the interview here, the parts relating to Rickson's thoughts on Vale Tudo guard are from 1:30:29 - 1:40:38, although if you haven't heard the whole interview I highly recommend it (along with anything else Rickson related for that matter).
Of course for some people one strategy may be more effective than for another, Paul Sass for example is quite effective in MMA when he pulls guard, but he is certainly in the minority. Very few others have the level of guard skills to be effective enough to make this strategy work.
In the BJJ world we often see a preference for guard with people happy to work from this position and even to go directly to it by pulling guard to negate the opponent the opportunity to score takedown points. Due to this preference I sometimes need to discuss different strategies for different situations. I have broken this into possibilities, BJJ Guard and MMA Guard, for the purposes of this article I am rolling “Street guard” and MMA Guard into the same strategy.
BJJ Guard
1. Sweep
2. Submit
3. Stand up
In a BJJ sense I believe it is generally best to strive for top position, largely because the opportunities for winning are increased from top. There are scoring opportunities through Passing, Knee Ride, Mount and Back Control as well as the associated advantages (in addition a sweeping in itself is a scoring move). There are also arguably more submission options from the top in that you have more positions that you can submit from.
 |
| Picture courtesy of Josh Stebbings Photography |
Assuming that you are unable to sweep or a very good opportunity arises the submission is the next most important option. Notice I prioritise submission lower in priority than sweeps due to the importance of top position, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t attack with sweep and submission combinations from your guard.
The last option in BJJ is to try and stand up; one of the main issues with this strategy is that this can be seen as passivity in a sporting sense. However, sometimes when an opponent is trying to stall or you are under heavy attack on the bottom, getting up, or at least creating a scramble in the attempt can be a great opportunity.
MMA Guard
Strategy Heirachy:
1. Stand up
2. Sweep
3. Submit.
MMA is a bit of a contrast and the main reason for this is urgency. The dangers to you in any bottom position in MMA are so much greater that you need to heavily limit your time there. As mentioned above Rickson preferred to create space and keep the opponent off him until he was able to regain his feet. As such the first priority is in my opinion to get up.
 |
| Picture courtesy of Josh Stebbings Photography |
While a submission will end the fight, the risk you place yourself in by deciding to stay on your back and seek them out is very high. The damage you are very likely to take will dramatically reduce your effectiveness on your back, we have all hard Carlson Gracie’s view on what happens when you punch a Black Belt in the face….
 |
| Image credit goes to http://www.azquotes.com/quote/757220 |
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Bit of airtime....
Here is a recording of an interview from today on ABC Radio in the lead up to one of Hobart Martial Arts Academy's fighters "Super" Steven Maxwell, taking a fight on Minotaur Unleashed.
Check out the soundcloud here
Check out the soundcloud here
New Article - Tap or Snap
Tap or Snap… surely
there is a third option?
A recent incident on the mat involving an injury to a
student from a late tap got me thinking about why this occurred. In an ideal
world no one would get injured ever and we would progress to becoming high
level grapplers in good time. I figure the problems of injuries and stalled
development are related, so I have written some of the factors, as I see them
that contribute to both problems.
Ego
This is tough to define, we hear a lot of people talking
about “ego” all the time, but I think that it is often a generic word used for a
variety of meanings. For me though it means “the personal definition of ones
importance in comparison with others.” This isn’t a problem in and of itself
unless the ratio between self and others leans too heavily towards the “self”
end of the spectrum.
 |
| This is how it really works at the gym.... |
Competitiveness
Yes, I know that BJJ is at least in part a sport and we
“compete” in sports, but it may be of benefit to fully understand what
competing actually means. Then decide whether your approach to competition is
that of its original intention or more from your own unbalanced ego. If you
look up compete in a dictionary (a good dictionary that shows the etymology of
a word) it should say that the word comes from the latin competre which is made up of 2 parts. Com which means “together or unified” (as in community, compadre or
comrade) and Petre which means “to
seek”. So to compete literally means “to seek together”. The Romans obviously
had this in mind when they held sword or chariot tourney’s, a means of
encouraging growth and learning, not a search for the best individual. Putting
this into a Jiu Jitsu context, when we roll in every class, it is probably
worth asking yourself are you “seeking together”? Or are you in it for
yourself?
Poor Coaching/Poor Attitude
Another factor that became apparent to me recently was when
speaking to a person who had developed a chronic injury in his elbow from
tapping late, was that this person had a poor attitude to tapping. During our
discussion I was told that his previous coach had taught him that it was “weak
to tap” and that you should never do it unless absolutely necessary. Whilst I
will concede that the purpose of Jiu Jitsu is to strive to submit, not be
submitted, I still think that this previous coach’s advice was extremely poor
and also reckless. In terms of my own game, it wasn’t until I realised that
tapping was part of developing that I really started to improve in Jiu Jitsu
this I believe is for 3 reasons:
1. I stopped getting tweaked and injured as often (and now
hardly at all).
2. Letting go of my ego allowed me to let go in a lot of
other ways, such as clinging to techniques or approaches that didn’t work or
thinking that I knew better than my coach.
3. I stopped wasting so much time.
Wasting Time
By wasting time I mean that I could spend 1 minute of a 4
minute roll trying to avoid an arm bar by locking my arm into a life and death
tug of war. However, I will have lost 25% of my rolling time (read: ‘learning
time’) to my own ego. Imagine losing 25% of your time!!! If you consistently do
that it would equal out to hours and hours throughout a year that you are doing
nothing but testing your anaerobic fitness. Once I learned to just tap and then
start again I found that I was spending more time rolling and guess what?
Getting better at not getting into an Armbar in the first place!
Most of what I have written here has been on the decision
to tap or not, the other side which also equally needs to be looked at is
getting the tap. I think that for every injury that comes from not tapping
there are just as many that come from overzealous submission attempts. There
has often been an attitude on the mat that says “If he doesn’t tap it is his
fault”. That is all well and good except when you were so intent on finishing
quickly you didn’t notice he didn’t have an arm free to tap with, or you didn’t
realise that it was his first lesson and no one told him what tapping was.
Time wasting can equally apply in offence, except in this
case if I spend 25% of my time straining to put on an Armbar then I am still
losing 25% of rolling time. Don’t get me wrong, there is certainly room for
persistence at times, but this attitude can be negative if frequent. Remember
Jiu Jitsu in fact means the gentle art,
so winning by straining for a technique probably misses the point a bit. It is
more in the spirit of the art to continue to transition until you do get a
clean submission. In other words, it is not the “tap” that I am after, rather
than execution of clean technique.
Conclusion?
So do I actually have a conclusion? Not really except to
say that I think firstly, the willingness to tap and not see it as some kind of
personal or moral defeat is critical for good Jiu Jitsu and secondly, the
absolute need to tap everyone else is probably best being traded in on the
desire to roll well and achieve everything through skill and perfection. I
reckon that would make for a safer mat with a lot more skilled Jiu Jitsu
practitioners on it.
Train smart and train safe...
Tuesday, August 04, 2015
Lapel Drag.
Here is a quick video of some of the concepts that I was working on last night. Nothing miraculous or new here, but it still a solid game. Obviously it ties in very well with an arm drag if you don't have a gi to work with.
The point that I was working towards last night was to use the space created to scramble to your knees giving a higher percentage sweep opportunity. Much like the wonderful Martin Aedma suggests in his Wrestjitsu Blog here and here.
Enjoy and stay safe on the mat.
The point that I was working towards last night was to use the space created to scramble to your knees giving a higher percentage sweep opportunity. Much like the wonderful Martin Aedma suggests in his Wrestjitsu Blog here and here.
Enjoy and stay safe on the mat.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Keep your friends close and your elbows closer...
When teaching in my class I have again and again found
myself repeating the same principle, to the point that I have given it a
nickname: “the primary goal of Jiu Jitsu”. If I ask my class now to tell me
what the primary goal of Jiu Jitsu is I will have a good few people say: "Keep
your elbows as close to your ribs as possible while taking your opponent's
elbows as far from their ribs as possible". This is really an overly
elaborate way of saying “Maintain your posture, while preventing your opponent’s
posture.”
 |
| Or as the Spartans would say..... |
There are many times that maintaining a strong posture while
putting your opponent in the reverse situation can be achieved solely based on
elbow position. This isn’t to say that your arms are never extended away from
your body. However, this will usually only occur if your opponent’s arms are
even further from their own body than yours are, or if you have them in a
position where their arms don’t affect you.
An example of an offensive position that highlights this
rule is the position known as “Up & Crush” used to set up a Kimura from Front
Control. In this scenario we use our forearm to wedge between our opponent’s
upper arm and rib cage, both isolating the arm for our attack and also
disrupting the effectiveness of their lats and rear delts in pulling their arm
back to safety. Notice as well that this is all done with our own elbow close
to our own body, which maximises our postural strength. This picture shows the strong posture in Up & Crush as well as a weak gripping position with
the arms extended to try and attack the Kimura.
When a student is having trouble with a technique and I look
to help with it, I often find that the problem is related to their posture and
the muscle groups that they are using. As an example a common error I see in
completing the Double Lapel Choke from Back Control is to try to tighten it up
by stretching the arms away. This isolates the movement to be almost solely a
tricep operation. The correct way to do this is keep the arms and elbows close
to your body and finish the choke by bringing the elbow of your choking arm
behind their back as pictured below.
Isolating the triceps in this choke is only a problem if you
don’t have the strength in your triceps to finish the move. However as a
principle it is a problem as we should be aiming to use the larger and stronger
muscle groups, because we do not need to expend as much energy to get the
same result. Also a small muscle will have to work harder to achieve the same result as a large muscle and as a result will fatigue faster.
The last image is of a basic collar sleeve and grip in guard,
while there are many variations of the exact grip, the same principle applies.
If you have your elbows close and your opponent doesn’t, then you are winning
that battle, of course the opposite can equally be true.
So to summarise having elbows close to your body increases
your effectiveness by:
·
Maintaining a powerful and safe posture
·
Maximising your muscular strength and efficiency
·
Recruiting multiple muscle groups for one
movement
And it goes without saying that if it is good for you, then
you don’t want your opponent to have it, so maintain posture while preventing
your opponent’s posture.
Have fun and keep your elbows close!
Have fun and keep your elbows close!
Friday, July 17, 2015
Nice Little Write Up
Check out this great article by BJJer Gabriel Rodriguez, true he is American but let's not hold that against him. Gabriel and his partner Hailee recently visited us in Tassie as part of their Australian training holiday.
This is the write up that Gabriel did of his experiences, there is poetry in his words and he provides a great outsider's perspective, he also quotes a good looking, bearded Tassie coach.
http://languagefight.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-fair-roll-jiu-jitsu-in-australia.html
This is the write up that Gabriel did of his experiences, there is poetry in his words and he provides a great outsider's perspective, he also quotes a good looking, bearded Tassie coach.
http://languagefight.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-fair-roll-jiu-jitsu-in-australia.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)