I had a great no-gi class tonight and learned some new twists on some old moves. After class I found this match with two of my favorite grapplers. Simply outstanding guard passing and defending, with great transitions throughout.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Abby Bork Highlight Video
Here is Abby (who wrote the article below) in action. Pretty insane for a 20 year old lightweight!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Abby's 10 tips for female grapplers
Thank you all for such an overwhelming positive response on my 10 tips for new or prospective grapplers. I've gotten a lot of good feedback on a couple BJJ forums and a lot of nice emails and such.
One question asked in the comments was regarding female fighters. What are some tips for female fighters starting out? I'm not a female, and not a fighter; so I asked my badass teammate, "Fear the" Abby Bork for some tips. She's a blue belt here in Michigan, and has terrorized womens BJJ tournaments around the midwest. She came up with some AWESOME TIPS. Since she and I both just train BJJ, they are more grappling oriented; but many of the concepts will apply to MMA as well.
Abby wants to give a shout out to CatFight gear and Fight Chix as well. She loves there gear and says they are awesome people. Go check em' both out.
Here are "Fear the" Abby's 10 tips:
1. Don’t be afraid of stronger bigger training partners. If you can sub them you can sub a 110 lb girl.
2. Wear headgear and a mouth guard. You really don’t want cauliflower ear. If you have no idea what I’m talking about just look at the higher ranks at the gym who don’t wear it.
3. Don’t be afraid to tell your training partner he is rolling too hard or light with you. At competitions female grapplers are out for blood. This was a huge shock for me the first time I competed. Having a partner who is afraid to touch you won’t prepare you for competitions, but having a partner who injures you or just smashes you won’t help either. Tell the guys you are rolling with the amount of resistance you want. It’s also a good idea to roll with higher ranks. They usually have better control and won’t injure you.
4. Be prepared to see chunks of your hair on the mat. You can’t really help this. All you can do is tie it back. Headbands won’t work either. They just fall off. You also need to remove any jewelry or earrings you’re wearing. I’ve seen earrings get ripped out. It’s not pretty. It’s also a good idea to cut your nails. If they are too long they will get bent back which is very painful.
5. Avoid grappling with ringworm guy, the smelly guy who never washes his gi, the MMA guy who wants to kill anything he encounters, and the creepy guy. The creepy guy is usually the guy who is overly enthusiastic you joined and constantly asks you to be his drilling partner. He usually outweighs you by 30lbs and still insists on drilling with you even though there are smaller people closer to your size you could drill with. It’s a good rule of thumb that if everyone avoids a certain person it is usually best to do the same.
6. Some guys may refuse to roll with you. Just accept it. They may just feel uncomfortable rolling with a female or there wife or girlfriend may have issues with it. You’re not training to break up a relationship so it shouldn’t matter if they do or don’t. For every guy who is like this, there are fifty guys who are more than willing to roll with you.
7. Don’t use the gym as a hunting ground. If you’re going to date one guy from the gym that fine, but when you try to sleep with the entire team it’s a problem. This not only gives you a bad reputation, but it’s promoting a horrible stereotype about female grapplers. It makes it extremely hard for girls who are there to actually train to be taken seriously.
8. Buy a female specific gi. It will fit a lot better than a male gi and be a lot less baggy. It’s also good idea to wear a rash guard and shorts under your gi too. The rash guard will stay tight to your skin and won’t ride up or absorb excessive amounts of sweat. CatFight Gear makes custom female gis that come is very amazing colors. They are just releasing a new line of rash guards and shorts too. http://www.catfightgear.com/ I’ve heard Atama makes a good female gi, but I haven’t tried it yet. Fight Chix another clothing company makes a wicked clothing line dedicated to empowering women and female fighters. They have the coolest designs I have ever seen and sell a few rash guards and shorts as well. http://www.fightchix.com/
9. Be aware you will never just blend in. Every new guy who comes in will facebook you and know your name. This isn’t that bad because you get a lot of extra help and your bad techniques will be corrected faster. Your can’t really change this unless you chop off your hair and change your name to Ron ;)
10. Grappling will seem really awkward at first, but after a while you will get used to it. If you stick with it you’re going to get into the best shape of your life. Your team is going to become like a second family to you and you’re going to have 30+ older brothers watching your back.
One question asked in the comments was regarding female fighters. What are some tips for female fighters starting out? I'm not a female, and not a fighter; so I asked my badass teammate, "Fear the" Abby Bork for some tips. She's a blue belt here in Michigan, and has terrorized womens BJJ tournaments around the midwest. She came up with some AWESOME TIPS. Since she and I both just train BJJ, they are more grappling oriented; but many of the concepts will apply to MMA as well.
Abby wants to give a shout out to CatFight gear and Fight Chix as well. She loves there gear and says they are awesome people. Go check em' both out.
Here are "Fear the" Abby's 10 tips:
1. Don’t be afraid of stronger bigger training partners. If you can sub them you can sub a 110 lb girl.
2. Wear headgear and a mouth guard. You really don’t want cauliflower ear. If you have no idea what I’m talking about just look at the higher ranks at the gym who don’t wear it.
3. Don’t be afraid to tell your training partner he is rolling too hard or light with you. At competitions female grapplers are out for blood. This was a huge shock for me the first time I competed. Having a partner who is afraid to touch you won’t prepare you for competitions, but having a partner who injures you or just smashes you won’t help either. Tell the guys you are rolling with the amount of resistance you want. It’s also a good idea to roll with higher ranks. They usually have better control and won’t injure you.
4. Be prepared to see chunks of your hair on the mat. You can’t really help this. All you can do is tie it back. Headbands won’t work either. They just fall off. You also need to remove any jewelry or earrings you’re wearing. I’ve seen earrings get ripped out. It’s not pretty. It’s also a good idea to cut your nails. If they are too long they will get bent back which is very painful.
5. Avoid grappling with ringworm guy, the smelly guy who never washes his gi, the MMA guy who wants to kill anything he encounters, and the creepy guy. The creepy guy is usually the guy who is overly enthusiastic you joined and constantly asks you to be his drilling partner. He usually outweighs you by 30lbs and still insists on drilling with you even though there are smaller people closer to your size you could drill with. It’s a good rule of thumb that if everyone avoids a certain person it is usually best to do the same.
6. Some guys may refuse to roll with you. Just accept it. They may just feel uncomfortable rolling with a female or there wife or girlfriend may have issues with it. You’re not training to break up a relationship so it shouldn’t matter if they do or don’t. For every guy who is like this, there are fifty guys who are more than willing to roll with you.
7. Don’t use the gym as a hunting ground. If you’re going to date one guy from the gym that fine, but when you try to sleep with the entire team it’s a problem. This not only gives you a bad reputation, but it’s promoting a horrible stereotype about female grapplers. It makes it extremely hard for girls who are there to actually train to be taken seriously.
8. Buy a female specific gi. It will fit a lot better than a male gi and be a lot less baggy. It’s also good idea to wear a rash guard and shorts under your gi too. The rash guard will stay tight to your skin and won’t ride up or absorb excessive amounts of sweat. CatFight Gear makes custom female gis that come is very amazing colors. They are just releasing a new line of rash guards and shorts too. http://www.catfightgear.com/ I’ve heard Atama makes a good female gi, but I haven’t tried it yet. Fight Chix another clothing company makes a wicked clothing line dedicated to empowering women and female fighters. They have the coolest designs I have ever seen and sell a few rash guards and shorts as well. http://www.fightchix.com/
9. Be aware you will never just blend in. Every new guy who comes in will facebook you and know your name. This isn’t that bad because you get a lot of extra help and your bad techniques will be corrected faster. Your can’t really change this unless you chop off your hair and change your name to Ron ;)
10. Grappling will seem really awkward at first, but after a while you will get used to it. If you stick with it you’re going to get into the best shape of your life. Your team is going to become like a second family to you and you’re going to have 30+ older brothers watching your back.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
10 tips for new or prospective grapplers
1. Start today. Many people feel they need to get in shape, or lose weight before they come to class. Going to an academy sooner rather then later will help you with your goals earlier. Lots of people are in poor shape when they start. No one will even care or notice.
2. Cleanliness is Godliness. Make sure you cut your fingernails/toenails as these turn to deadly daggers when left unattended. Shower sometime before and soon as possible after class. Wash your gear (including gi and belt) after EVERY class. Some people think that washing your belt "washes off the learning" you have done. What it more accurately does is wash off the staph, ringworm, and other bacteria that festers on your belt.
3. Buy a decent gi. You will likely use your gi hundreds of times, so don't cheap out too much. You don't have to buy the latest camo signature lucky model either. If you get too cheap of a gi, it won't last. I would recommend Koral MKM gis. You can get a plain white one for around $140, but it is the best fit out there IMO and has great durability. If you would rather spend a little less, check out Padilla & Sons. I have heard they are a great bang for the buck. Atama, Keiko Raca, Vulkan, and many other brands make good gis. Ask the instructor at the school for their opinion on brands and sizing.
4. Consider watching a class first. This will give you an idea of how the class is run so you know what to expect. It can be intimidating walking into an unfamiliar environment, but trust me, once you start you will be kicking yourself you didn't begin sooner.
5. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Ask the instructors any questions you might have, or share any concerns you might have.
6. If you are allowed to roll during or after class, try and practice the moves you learned in class. I know you may have seen a cool flying armbar on youtube, but you will progress much faster if you focus your learning on the technique and strategies being taught.
7. Roll with as many better people as possible. Don't be afraid to ask questions. If they pass your guard, or hit you with a submission..ask them what they did and how they did it. Ask them if they might show you how they did it sometimes.
8. Don't expect to fit in right away. You will probably notice right away that everyone is very friendly with each other and having a great time. Feel free to join in the fun! Realize though, that these training partners have become close over months and years. They see many people come and go and quit all the time. Once you have proven you are going to come to class and not quit, people will warm up even more to you.
9. If you have concerns, don't internalize them; talk to an instructor. They are there to make your training as fun and productive as possible. They have heard it all before, so be open if you something is bothering you.
10. Come to class early. It takes a few minutes to put on your gear. This is also a good time to get some extra pre class stretching/rolling in. You can also get a little more personal time with some of the students to start feeling more comfortable.
2. Cleanliness is Godliness. Make sure you cut your fingernails/toenails as these turn to deadly daggers when left unattended. Shower sometime before and soon as possible after class. Wash your gear (including gi and belt) after EVERY class. Some people think that washing your belt "washes off the learning" you have done. What it more accurately does is wash off the staph, ringworm, and other bacteria that festers on your belt.
3. Buy a decent gi. You will likely use your gi hundreds of times, so don't cheap out too much. You don't have to buy the latest camo signature lucky model either. If you get too cheap of a gi, it won't last. I would recommend Koral MKM gis. You can get a plain white one for around $140, but it is the best fit out there IMO and has great durability. If you would rather spend a little less, check out Padilla & Sons. I have heard they are a great bang for the buck. Atama, Keiko Raca, Vulkan, and many other brands make good gis. Ask the instructor at the school for their opinion on brands and sizing.
4. Consider watching a class first. This will give you an idea of how the class is run so you know what to expect. It can be intimidating walking into an unfamiliar environment, but trust me, once you start you will be kicking yourself you didn't begin sooner.
5. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Ask the instructors any questions you might have, or share any concerns you might have.
6. If you are allowed to roll during or after class, try and practice the moves you learned in class. I know you may have seen a cool flying armbar on youtube, but you will progress much faster if you focus your learning on the technique and strategies being taught.
7. Roll with as many better people as possible. Don't be afraid to ask questions. If they pass your guard, or hit you with a submission..ask them what they did and how they did it. Ask them if they might show you how they did it sometimes.
8. Don't expect to fit in right away. You will probably notice right away that everyone is very friendly with each other and having a great time. Feel free to join in the fun! Realize though, that these training partners have become close over months and years. They see many people come and go and quit all the time. Once you have proven you are going to come to class and not quit, people will warm up even more to you.
9. If you have concerns, don't internalize them; talk to an instructor. They are there to make your training as fun and productive as possible. They have heard it all before, so be open if you something is bothering you.
10. Come to class early. It takes a few minutes to put on your gear. This is also a good time to get some extra pre class stretching/rolling in. You can also get a little more personal time with some of the students to start feeling more comfortable.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
World Grappling Games
Built To Fight Industries
Present
The Midwest Regional
OTM Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships
Sunday, November 1st, 2009
DeltaPlex Arena and Conference Center
2500 Turner Ave. NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49544
Click here for registration, rules, weight divisions, and competition schedule.
Click here to Register Now.
Fees Adults: $60
Kids 5-14: $50 for prior World Grappling Games competitors or $60 for 1st time WGG competitors
Spectator ticket: $10
Weigh-Ins Weigh-Ins will be at the tournament location.
Note: There will be no weight allowance. If an athlete is within 3 pounds of their weigh class they will have until an hour and a half before their scheduled division to make weight.
Day Before Weigh-ins will be Saturday, October 31st between 10am-6pm at the DeltaPlex Arena.
2500 Turner Ave. NW Grand Rapids, MI 49544
Day Of Weigh-ins You can also weigh-in the day you compete (November 1st, between 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.). Complete information is available at www.GrapplingTournaments.com.
Schedule Weigh-ins will close and you will be disqualified if you are not present 30 minutes before your division’s scheduled start time. Schedules will be posted on grapplingtournaments.com on Thursday, October 22nd.
Note: This is the earliest a division will be called. (Must be weighed in and ready to compete by listed weigh-in times which will be posted on Thursday, October 22nd.)
Accommodations and Local Attractions
Hotel accommodations are as follows:
Radisson Hotel Grand Rapids Riverfront
270 Ann Street Northwest
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
(616) 802-1202
Visit www.radisson.com/grandrapidsmi_riverfront for more detail. Call (616) 363-9001 for the competitor discount of $82.00 plus tax a night. Tell them you're with OTM!
Local attractions are as follows:
Celebration Cinema
(616) 530-7469
2121 Celebration Dr. NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
4.6 miles from hotel
Gerald R. Ford Museum
(616) 254-0400
101 Monroe Center
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
2.9 miles from hotel
Grappling Tournaments Association • 15833 Chemical Lane • Huntington Beach, CA 92649 • info@grapplingtournaments.com
www.GrapplingTournaments.com
Friday, October 23, 2009
OTM Grappling Games
My knee is taking it's sweet time to recover. I started practicing last week, and I get through OK, but I have to be real careful not to put it in the wrong positions. I have a week and a half to make it better as the OTM World Grappling Games comes to Grand Rapids, MI. This is a gi tournament and will be my first since I effed up my knee at the Michigan Open.
I hope a ton of my teammates come out to compete, and a ton of other competitors as well. It's the day after thanksgiving, and there is another tournament in Chicago that day, but a good tournout would be huge for BJJ in the Great Lakes area.
I have been rolling a little crappy the last week or so since I've returned from 2+ weeks off for my knee. I'm sure I just have to get my timing back and my knee better, but my brain wants my body to do things that it just refuses to do. I have kind of slipped away from my good focused training, where I was working on specific things each practice. I made big gains when I did this, and need to get back to that state.
Anyways, I haven't been updating the ole' blog lately. I thank you for reading and keeping up with the Dutch Assassin. I will never quit! BJJ 4 life.
I hope a ton of my teammates come out to compete, and a ton of other competitors as well. It's the day after thanksgiving, and there is another tournament in Chicago that day, but a good tournout would be huge for BJJ in the Great Lakes area.
I have been rolling a little crappy the last week or so since I've returned from 2+ weeks off for my knee. I'm sure I just have to get my timing back and my knee better, but my brain wants my body to do things that it just refuses to do. I have kind of slipped away from my good focused training, where I was working on specific things each practice. I made big gains when I did this, and need to get back to that state.
Anyways, I haven't been updating the ole' blog lately. I thank you for reading and keeping up with the Dutch Assassin. I will never quit! BJJ 4 life.
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