Training This Weekend

I was asked last minute to teach the Adult Class At Warrior Martial Arts in Bristol, PA. I don't teach often. I honestly would rather not be a teacher, only because I am just a blue belt. It was due to an emergency and it was last minute. While I was at work, I was thinking of what I could teach that was simple and could benefit everyone. I decided that I would teach a Guard Passing class.

When the class started, there was only 4 people there. I think because it was a Friday night, not many people would want to train. I started everyone doing warmup jogs, then to shrimping drills. Everyone was loose so since the class was based around Guard Passing, I showed 2 Guard Pass drills that Ronaldo "Jacare" had shown me. I got a good response for showing these drills.

When it came to the technique portion of the class, I showed them one of my favorite closed guard passes. I learned this guard pass from Mike Fowler's seminar. All the key points to breaking the closed guard, then completing the pass, to submitting the opponent. I taught this in 3 steps. Breaking the guard, Passing the guard to side control, then finishing with the submission. Everyone liked it.

I feel teaching would benefit me in the long run. My fear of being a teacher is being asked a question that I can't answer or the students not being able to use the technique. I can understand from their perspective if they don't like my teaching or can't do the move. I'm just a blue belt.

On the other hand, I have been getting on the mat more often now. I weighed myself a half hour ago and i'm 172. That's not just from training either. A big change recently happened in my life and its a position i've been in a few times and this same situation happens. That issue is for another blog.

My BJJ Story....Chapter 1

When I had first made this blog, I wanted to do something original. The original intent of the blog was to be dedicated as a resource for BJJ DVD instructional reviews. I own many of these DVDS and not many are good. I wanted this site to be a source that everyone could rely on, however, with the little time I have for myself, I really don't have much time to sit through whole DVD instructionals to make a solid review. In time, I would like to review some in the near future. This new blog that i'm currently writing is for me to write down all of my experiences when I first got introduced to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Martial Arts in general. I hope those of you who read this enjoy it!

CHAPTER 1...Fighting

Ever since I was a kid, I always enjoyed fighting to some extent. I'm sure growing up in the late 80s/early 90s everyone watched action movies and cartoons. It's hard to see the way things are today with pop culture. Many of the classic action flicks and cartoons are just not the same. The action stars of today do not match up with the badasses of then. For instance, you look at who is the current go-to guy for action flicks. In my opinion, Jason Statham is most likely the best action star in the genre, but there are not many more Jason Stathams. In the 80s, you had your Schwarzeneggers, your Stallones, your Van Dammes, etc. These are the flicks I grew up watching. If you are to watch any films featuring these guys I just mentioned, theres a good chance that they would feature some kind of toughness, fighting, and straight up badass acting.

Around the time I was in Kindergarten, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were very popular. They ate pizza, surfed, hung out in the sewer, and they knew how to fight via training in Martial Arts. My parents seeing my enthusiam for wanting to learn Karate signed me up in a Martial Arts school right down the street from my house. The name of the school was Golden Eagle Martial Arts. It was located right on Route 413 across the street from Gibby's Ice Cream in Levittown, PA.

I remember the time my Dad took me there. I can't recall if it was a surprise but I do remember my first encounter with the sensei. The man was in mid late 40s, balding, and full of energy. My dad did most of the talking because I was very intimidated by the man(I do not remember his name). He was showing me all of the TMNT posters on the wall, he even had a cardboard cut-out of Raphael(the red one) above one of the rooms. I remember him explaining that I would learn 5 lessons and do group classes that involved sparring in kickboxing.

My first lesson with the sensei, we were in a very tiny room and he showed me a kick that I should do if there was an attacker in front and behind me. It was a straight front kick with a kick to the back as well. I never spoke a word to him. I was so intimidated by him. As time went on, I would go there on Saturdays and learn more Ninja-Style training. This included learning how to shoot darts with the blowgun and throw chinese stars. Every once in awhile I got to be involved in a group class that was during the week. There was a student there by the name of Neil Kindig, who I went to Kindergarten class with that was also a student at the academy. Neil was a purple belt and I remember a time at recess we were talking and he would tell me that he could beat every single person out here in recess. I wasn't one to question him because he had a rank and I thought he'd be a better friend than to get on his bad side and challenge him.

During the group classes, there was a good 15 to 20 kids. We did warm-ups and i remember watching kids do Katas. That was one thing that Neil said I would have to learn to get a belt. I never understood the purpose of it. To me, it seemed like a dance of moves that I would have trouble remembering. After a few students did the Katas, the instructor asked who would like to spar. This was the one thing that I really wanted to do that I never got picked to do. There would be 2 or 3 matches. The kids wore headgear and boxing gloves and just go all out. I really believed in my ability to win in a sparring match, but, I was never picked.

My time at the academy came to end very quickly for multiple reasons. There was a Christmas party coming up at the academy and they charged 25.00 for it. My Mom thought that was too much money, she also didn't like that I was learning how to use weapons, rather than Karate. I never got to learn how to throw Chinese Stars, that would of been the next Saturday class. Another thing that really set my Mom off was I told her about a warm-up that the instructors did to us in the group classes. They had all the kids lay down on their backs and the instructor walked across your stomach. I remember this happening one time. It didn't hurt me, but, I can see why my Mom was mad about the incident. A grown man walking on top of a 6 year old's stomach. I only thought it was just gonna make me tougher. This incident will be my departure from the Martial Arts scene until 2005.

Eduardo Telles Turtle Guard Review

This is not my review of the dvd. This review is written by "little" Tony Pacenski, a black belt on the BJJ Revolution Team. His review is very thorough and explains each disc very well. Enjoy!

Telles' DVD's are well produced by World Martial Arts and they put lots of techniques on each DVD. I really wish to speak about the content and teaching methods of Eduardo here staying away from how clear the picture was etc.

DVD 1 Turtle Guard Basics

The video starts with a quick introduce about Telles and his partner. Telles speaks in English about how he started to use the turtle position in training as a purple belt. He expresses how he use to get to his knees during training, and by brown belt started use leg locks, which improved his strategies. Telles concludes his intro by talking about how some matches and tournaments don't give him points for his turnovers and sweeps. He also talks about the nature of a turtle: lazy, using his shell and sometimes snapping or giving a bite

The basics DVD has several partner drills in the beginning that will help beginners understand the position and learn how to roll to the knees to cover up. I liked Telles' closed fist training drill where he had to close both of his hands to recover to the turtle position against his partners. I don't know... there were a few more drills like putting both hands in the belt to recover the turtle etc.

After the drills, Telles worked on basic defenses against the clock choke, single back mount hook and double back mount hooks. He showed some very cool ideas to sweep the opponent that is staying to put the hooks in or work the clock choke. Telles' teaching was interesting to watch because he really broke down how he moves into the turtle position from guard. Some really nice pointers in what to avoid there; moreover, he made it simple to understand to work with the opponent's balance on top: ways to change the balance, use your legs, back and basic grips.

DVD 2 Turtle Guard Sweeps I (Voice Over)

Telles works a lot of sweeps from the side position when his partner is near a clock choke position. He uses his legs a lot to step almost behind the opponent to gain leverage with his hips. Telles starts this tape showing the basic turn over that he will work with. From there, he continues to change the balance from the bottom position or work with what the top guy gives him. By the end of the DVD, Telles teaches a couple of grips that will help prevent the opponent from changing up the dynamic he is working on. Lots of turns left and right...a couple of redirecting moves to the mount and a few standing up sweeps. The DVD does not come off as one technique after the other like Bolo's stuff. Telles really shows you how to develop a strategy, how he uses his body to create leverage and does not leave anything unnoticed. Telles makes you believe you could have thought of the moves. I enjoyed this DVD watching how Telles moves into position.

DVD 3 Turtle Guard Sweeps II (Voice Over)

This DVD has Telles working the turtle position where the opponent has moved to his head/side position. Also, he covers sitting guard transitioning to the turtle position and techniques for when the opponent is standing up to pass. Telles works a lot of ankle traps in this one to basic turnovers covered in part 1 of the sweep game. He has many ankle traps to finish like a lower single leg tackle in wrestling and some finish like Iranian pickup. The way the material is presented from part I to part II makes a lot of sense. This DVD has lot of techniques for the man that is trying to avoid the turtle game. The middle aspect of the video has many transitional sweeps from sitting guard when the opponent is on his knees. Well worth watching!

The latter part of the video has Telles working ankle traps when the opponent is standing up to pass the guard. Every move is much different then all the stuff I have seen and use because Telles changes his positioning almost like he is giving up is back when the opponent is standing up to pass the guard. Where the classic way is to trap with your arm around the outside of the opponent's front leg and use your back hand to touch the mat to move your hips; Telles uses his back hand to reach through the middle of the opponent's legs to control the sit up guard. I used this stuff today and made really interesting sweeps, butterfly guard transitions to X-Guard etc. Good stuff!!

DVD 4 Submissions (Voice Over)

Telles works a few wrist and shoulder lock submissions from the bottom position in this one to start out. The video has lots of rolls to Omplotas (sp) position to ankle & knee locks. He also works different leg crushes by rolling when the opponent has one leg between both of his legs. Also a few leglocks if the opponent only brings his knee between both legs from the back position. Telles shows solid leg locks and more sweeps into leg submissions in this DVD. His teaching style on the leg attacks will be good for people new to the positions.

DVD 5 0ctopus Guard No-GI (Telles speaks English)

This position was first introduced to the half guard Octopus position by Vitor "Shaolin" when he was visiting John Lewis' academy 2002 ish. At the time, I thought Vitor was just doing one or two sweeps and didn't think to much of it...just that I was getting killed by Shaolin. Now, Telles has a whole game plan for the position in full guard and half guard.

The full guard stuff and starting point was good; however, this DVD is all about how to work the half guard Octopus position. Telles shows how to get the positions, how to turn the guy over and how to get submissions. I really enjoyed his sequences. And today training was so much fun because using the gi from the half-guard Octopus with the turtle guard was so functional. I was in all sorts of positions using the half octopus there is so much to work with and grab. Anytime, I was losing position I moved in X-Guard or Butterfly to Half Guard.

Telles' DVD's give you many options now if you are on your knees turtled up. Along the way, he teaches what to avoid, so don't worry about getting clock choked. The knowledge level on these DVDs is

Add the turtle game and half octopus guard to your bottom game!

the first post

Hello, this is my first real blog. I have blogged in the past on myspace when it wasn't facebookspace. The purpose of this blog is mainly to review brazilian jiu jitsu and submission grappling instructional dvds. I've noticed that looking online to purchase a dvd for BJJ instruction, there are not many first person reviews, unless you have access to a forum. Either way, this blog will be mostly dedicated to reviewing my collection of instructional dvds and whatever else I choose to have an opinion on. This blog will take some time because I want to make the reviews as helpful as possible. If you look and see the prices on the instructional dvds today, they are quite expensive. Which is why I want to help and make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before you purchase these dvds.