Just returned from six days of seminars and mat-time in new Zealand. What a great group of people! NZ would be one of the best places I have ever travelled to - I highly recommend it as a destination to any and all who want an adventurous holiday. if you need to hit the mat whilst you are there, no problem - check the clubs page on this site for opportunities to train in Auckland, Hamilton, Napier, Wellington and Christchurch.
After doing my usual round of work and training with the BJJ afficionadoes, I did a day and a half work at the Wellington police College - with the defensive tactics staff and a few visiting operators from the Dip protection Squad. We accomplished a lot before I had to sprint to the Mt Victoria Kyokushin Dojo for a couple of hours of reality-based training; finally finishing off with a two hour session for my good friend Geoff Grant on the same mat.
That was one long day! Virtually no sleep and then i hit the airport at 4am for the flight back to OZ (yesterday).
So now it's time for some R&R with my family in Fiji - we are just about to leave for the airport; so I thought to get on the blog and let you know i won't be around for just over a week.
Thanks again to all the New Zealand crew - Geoff and Leonie Aitken, Ken Dunstan, Glen tarrant, Mike Fooks (new blue - congrats!), Karl Norton and all of Mike Gent's students, Ian and Paula Waite, Shayne Cox (thanks Sue), Mark humphries, Garreth Reynolds, Chris and Jill Gower - and Geoff Grant (leave my Carb gel alone!)
I look forward to seeing everyone again in August.
best wishes and safe training.
Bula Vunaka!
JBW
Friday, April 28, 2006
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Basic Passing Concepts ...
Quite a few people have been asking me about passing strategies of late - I guess it's that time of year. So here are a few tips for those who like to stay on top and pass ...
Passing the Guard:
First Rule of Passing: Don't die! That is - don't be swept, armbarred or choked. Spend some time in Guard survival training. Don't pass - just survive. Let your oponent do his best to attack. Just survive. Become competent at that first. Many people are so focussed on where they want to end up or on what pass they want to do, that they forget that their opponent has his own 'evil plans' as well. Spend a large portion of your attention on not getting 'caught out'!
Second Rule of Passing: Realise that our passing needs to be '3 dimensional'! By this I mean that our passing strategies should include passing low and tight, high and fast, go around, go through, go under - whatever it takes. It is a common mistake to become locked into a one dimensional passing style (eg: passing low and to the left) - of course, this then only requires a one dimensional guard from our opponent and we are in trouble.
In short, if he has a one dimensional type of Guard and our passing is more three dimensional - we tend to pass - and vica versa.
Third Rule of Passing: remember, the onus is one the opponent to finish or sweep you - not for you to pass. So don't panic - you are on top - and you have the advantage of being able to apply your weight - he does not. As my friend David Meyer likes to say - "the one thing you have got going for you, even when you are dead - is your weight! For a while anyways!"
Hope this helps - broad outlines only.
regards,
JBW
Passing the Guard:
First Rule of Passing: Don't die! That is - don't be swept, armbarred or choked. Spend some time in Guard survival training. Don't pass - just survive. Let your oponent do his best to attack. Just survive. Become competent at that first. Many people are so focussed on where they want to end up or on what pass they want to do, that they forget that their opponent has his own 'evil plans' as well. Spend a large portion of your attention on not getting 'caught out'!
Second Rule of Passing: Realise that our passing needs to be '3 dimensional'! By this I mean that our passing strategies should include passing low and tight, high and fast, go around, go through, go under - whatever it takes. It is a common mistake to become locked into a one dimensional passing style (eg: passing low and to the left) - of course, this then only requires a one dimensional guard from our opponent and we are in trouble.
In short, if he has a one dimensional type of Guard and our passing is more three dimensional - we tend to pass - and vica versa.
Third Rule of Passing: remember, the onus is one the opponent to finish or sweep you - not for you to pass. So don't panic - you are on top - and you have the advantage of being able to apply your weight - he does not. As my friend David Meyer likes to say - "the one thing you have got going for you, even when you are dead - is your weight! For a while anyways!"
Hope this helps - broad outlines only.
regards,
JBW
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Darwinian Defence theory ...
It is difficult to give general, broad-strokes advice on what people should be working on in the ground game (or stand-up game for that matter). What each of us needs to do, depends on where we are with the development of our skills and personal game. However - when in doubt - I say work on DEFENCE!
I was discussing the art of fencing with someone just this morning (the 'fencing' that utilizes nasty pointy steel things - as opposed to the wooden dog-retaining type) - and it became clear that great 'defence' was at the heart of the game of all the truly great fencers. If we think about it - it becomes clear as to why this is so ...
Simply and crudely put - centuries ago, when fencing was developed as an art form - only those fencers who had effective defence, survived long enough to teach anyone their method. Those without defence, were simply killed in combat - and wern't around long enough to teach anyone their (flawed) method.
This concept is at the heart of the Darwinian theory of evolution. Those traits that allow one species to survive and dominate, also allows that species to propogate and flourish - that is: to stick around long enough to pass on those succesful characteristics to their offspring - while those species that lacked the necessary survival characteristics, simply didn't survive long enough to reproduce and flourish - end of story!
These Darwinian forces are also what drives the development of the 'reality based' martial arts systems: BJJ, boxing, kickboxing, etc. The stuff that doesn't work gets left on the roadside along the way - while those techniques and strategies that do work, survive the test of time - and combat.
DEFENCE - that is, the ability to survive long enough to be able to train again next day (or next week) - is at the heart of long-term art/survival/development. When in doubt, work your 'defence' - become the most difficult animal to kill in the Jungle - and not just the 'most dangerous'.
JBW
I was discussing the art of fencing with someone just this morning (the 'fencing' that utilizes nasty pointy steel things - as opposed to the wooden dog-retaining type) - and it became clear that great 'defence' was at the heart of the game of all the truly great fencers. If we think about it - it becomes clear as to why this is so ...
Simply and crudely put - centuries ago, when fencing was developed as an art form - only those fencers who had effective defence, survived long enough to teach anyone their method. Those without defence, were simply killed in combat - and wern't around long enough to teach anyone their (flawed) method.
This concept is at the heart of the Darwinian theory of evolution. Those traits that allow one species to survive and dominate, also allows that species to propogate and flourish - that is: to stick around long enough to pass on those succesful characteristics to their offspring - while those species that lacked the necessary survival characteristics, simply didn't survive long enough to reproduce and flourish - end of story!
These Darwinian forces are also what drives the development of the 'reality based' martial arts systems: BJJ, boxing, kickboxing, etc. The stuff that doesn't work gets left on the roadside along the way - while those techniques and strategies that do work, survive the test of time - and combat.
DEFENCE - that is, the ability to survive long enough to be able to train again next day (or next week) - is at the heart of long-term art/survival/development. When in doubt, work your 'defence' - become the most difficult animal to kill in the Jungle - and not just the 'most dangerous'.
JBW
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