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Live Technique and Perspective Videos

The Evil Jiu Jitsu Truth: 3 Ways To Prevent Regression

regression
By: Tyler Bishop
“Dude, screw it. I think I am getting worse”, said my friend as we changed in the locker room after class. Not exactly the kind of thing you would expect to hear from a purple belt after class, right? So I asked him, “What’s up? Just having a bad day”? His reply helped me uncover something about jiu jitsu that I think most of us know deep down, but shy away from. He answered me by saying, “Nah, I just don’t train right. I just come in and roll, and now these little jerks are starting to berimbolo my face off. I am just behind. I think I probably use to be better than I am now”.
As a white belt or blue belt it’s not uncommon to view jiu jitsu as a linear upwards projection. You start knowing absolutely nothing.  And although we all advance at different velocities, everyone can learn and progress through jiu jitsu. However, what many fail to realize – especially early on – is that jiu jitsu is not something that remains a simple time in = development out formula. We often assume that if we put time into jiu jitsu we will receive that equal output back out in terms of progress. It’s confusing, because this formula actually is 100% correct when we start jiu jitsu. You’ve heard the saying “there’s no where to go but up”, right? It’s easy to see that some get more output from their time in while others might receive very  little, but it’s easy to recognize this formulas existence… in the beginning. But as we progress through jiu jitsu, the evil truth that can be convenient to ignore is that once we have progressed to a certain point of competency in jiu jitsu that formula actually disappears.
Gasp! You mean that I could show up to jiu jitsu, train all night, and not get any better. Yes, that is what I am proposing – and not only that. I am suggesting that there are circumstances in which you could actually regress.
It’s no secret that we all get older, develop injuries, and so on, but the truth is that losing performance in this manner is normal. However, developing an inefficiency in our development in performance due to training habits or methods is unnecessary. It’s easy to prevent. My friend that I described in the beginning would have to do very little to turn his regression into progression. The only thing he has to realize is that his effort must now be more thoughtful than it was before. He can no longer rely on the formula that works in the beginning (time in = development out). He must now start to strategically consider his progression when attending practice, and take additional steps to encourage his development. Let me break this down by recommending 3 easy strategies…

#1: You have to want to get better, and think about your progression outside of jiu jitsu

If you show up to practice and are counting the others around you to take take control of your progression you have already fallen behind. Your training partners and instructors should have your best interests in mind at all times, but that doesn’t mean they know all of your struggles, strengths, weaknesses, and so forth.  You have to want to get better for yourself. This means leveraging the resources around you to get better, not counting on them to do it for you.
To take matters into you own hands, simply start planning your development outside of class. Think about new positions that you would like to learn or work on. Ask your instructors questions about these new positions, or pull a classmate aside at an open mat and work through the position. This kind of forethought will help organize your training and will provide some focus that can lead to steady progression.
In a worse case scenario in which you are truly crunched for time and training, try subscribing to an online academy and analyzing techniques outside of class. Pay attention to the details, and find time to drill these techniques with a teammate. By Taking extra time to work on the techniques that matter to you, your efforts to improve are likely to increase as well.

#2 Challenge yourself, and step outside of the norm

Guess what? It’s pretty easy to show up everyday to class and roll with the same bunch of folks day in and day out. Maybe you avoid the big guy, the new guy, or the guy that’s really good. Why? It’s convenient, easy, and comfortable. However, progress is usually a little bit more difficult than that.
To push your development along, try training and rolling with new people at your academy. Their reactions and style may force you to improve or adjust your “go to” techniques. These adjustments are a form of progress.
I have a really talented training partner that has helped me significantly develop my guard game. He is so incredibly strong and talented that there are certain techniques that just don’t work very well against him. This was not a fun thing to learn or develop. It meant having my guard passed a lot! However, training with him has helped me make my guard that much harder to pass.
This is actually one of the quickest and easiest ways to develop, but it is often the most painful. Don’t worry about your pride, or about being uncomfortable. Just think about getting better.

#3 Take private lessons

You’re not the best in the world. Chances are, you’re not even close. Hopefully, you’re not even close to the best at your academy. This means that there are a lot of people around you that you can learn from. One of the best ways to learn from a  higher belt or instructor is to do a private lesson with them.
Many good instructors can help you pick out and identify exactly what you need to work on, but I think it’s better if you have some of this already in mind. But just like in number 1, don’t just have something generic in mind and show up counting on the instructor to learn for you. Have some specific things in mind (i.e. I want to learn how to make my De La Riva Sweeps better – rather than – I want to learn sweeps).
Private lessons aren’t cheap, and can be a waste of money if you don’t invest yourself into really learning and applying these techniques. I have taught private lessons before then watched the person I did the lesson with roll for an hour without trying a single one of the techniques we trained. Make sure that you get your money out of your lesson. Insist on the techniques you learn. Force them down the throats of your training partners. Accept the failures and learn from them. That’s the only way/ If you are afraid to try the techniques you will have wasted your dollars ( or pesos).

I hope this has all been helpful. It’s easy to forget how easy progression was at white belt, but often we do very little different when that progression wears off. Hopefully, this can provide some much needed motivation to help you improve your jiu jitsu.

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BishopBjj News

Podcast #7: UFC 162, Rickson Seminars, ADCC, and more…

podcast 7 image
Check out the latest edition of the BishopBjj.com podcast!

LISTEN NOW!!!!!!

 
The BJJ Shop: referenced on show – https://www.facebook.com/Thebjjshop.us?ref=ts&fref=ts

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Live Technique and Perspective Videos

Pass The Guard Like Rodoldo Vieira

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqeV9SlVFSY?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
Check out this weeks breakdown of Rodolfo Vieira’s passing game. Pressure, level-change, and deflection are the names of the game!

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BishopBjj News

Little Things vs. Big Things In Jiu Jitsu

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_97P5NAMds?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
By: Tyler Bishop
When preparing for tournaments we often tend to concern ourselves with many elements of preparation that hold very little merit in terms of our relative performance. This is a hard lesson to learn and is typically something each jiu jitsu practitioner develops around their own understanding over time.
In our continual strive to improve performance and elevate our game we start magnifying small areas that we may be able to gain an edge. This is normal, and in fact, this is a virtue. Is shows a strong will and a indomitable character. The slippery slope in this accord is the unfortunate circumstance that just about everyone has fallen into at one point or another. Typically at some point, just about every jiu jitsu competitor has found themselves over-focused on these little elements. We drop the ball on focusing on the larger – more important – elements, and inevitably have to a learn these lessons the hard way.
While it is true that the little things can often make a big difference, it’s often which little things we choose to focus on that truly determine our successes and failures. For example, when focusing on my footlocks or guard passes, the smallest of details make all the difference in the world – as it relates to my success. However, when determining what gi I will wear and what I will eat for breakfast the morning of the competition these details may make only a miniscule difference. So you see, it’s the dynamics of our focus, not the size of the details that  truly make a difference between the little things and big things in jiu jitsu. By truly understanding what does and does not deserve your undivided focus in tournament preparation, you can begin to make your development more progressive and efficient.
Below are some things I consider “little things” (deserve less focus), and “big things” (deserve more focus):

Little Things:

  • Weight cutting
  • Clothing and apparel
  • Strength and conditioning (to the point to where it monopolizes your jiu jitsu training)
  • Proper rest/tapering
  • Perfect nutrition
  • Who your opponents will be

Big Things:

  • Techniques
  • A personal game plan
  • A proper warm-up
  • Proper nutrition
  • A structured training regiment prior to competition
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BishopBjj News

2013 Pan Jiu Jitsu Predictions

pan dredict
We watch a lot of film at BishopBjj.com. In fact, whilst studying the 2012 World Championships for our study, we watched over 200 matches in a 2 week period of time. That certainly doesn’t make us experts, but it does make our opinions a little bit more informed than the average guy. Based on our knowledge, here are Tyler’s adult male picks for the 2013 Pan  Jiu Jitsu Championship.
Rooster: It’s hard to envision a scenario in which Caio Terra and Bruno Malfacine don’t meet in the finals. With Bruno coming off of injury Caio is the popular choice, but if Bruno has been able to maintain his physical abilities it is hard to see him losing
Bruno Malficine
Light-Feather: Let’s be honest, with only 11 guys in the division it looks as though Gui Mendes will probably clean up. His only recent loss is to Bruno – who moved down again to rooster again this year – so I predict an easy road for Gui Mendes.
Guilherme Mendes
Feather: This is such a tough weight class that likely comes down to the big 4  – Tanquinho, Cobrinha, Mario Reis, and Rafael Mendes. Mendes will be tough to beat, and there is strong chance he will meet Tanquinho or Cobrinha in the finals.
Cobrinha
Light: This weight class is full of talent, and with the exit of Leandro Lo, the field is wide open. The door is open for JT Torres to finally nab his title, but it’s likely that the current going-on’s of his former team have affected his training, so it’s probably safer to go with one of the boys from Alliannce (Lucas Lepri, or Micheal Langhi)
Close out – Langhi and Lepri
Middle: Possibly the toughest of weight classes, it is truly up for grabs. Leandro Lo will give everyone in the division a tough time, and suspect he makes it into the finals. However; Kayron Gracie always seems to come out of nowhere for at least one event a year.
Kayron Gracie
Middle-Heavy: This is going to be Galvao and Barral’s division to lose. I expect an epic rematch in the finals
Romulo Barral
Heavy: No Rodolfo, no problem. Expect a war in the division.
Roberto Alencar
Super-Heavy: Unfortunately, we’ve seen this before. It’s hard to imagine anyone in this division dethroning Faria or Nogueira.
Close out Faria and Nogueira
Ultra-Heavy: Buchecha is certainly the favorite, but don’t sleep on Orlando Sanchez. Sanchez looked hard to beat in Chicago earlier this year. Also, athletes like Alexander Trans and Gustavo Dias will not make it easy for the young Checkmat competitor.
Buchecha

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BJJ Study and Statistics Articles

Pan Championship Competitor Case Study

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The 2013 jiu jitsu season is finally here. At BishopBjj.com, we want to pick up  were we left off last year. We completed the first 2 scientific case studies of jiu jitsu competition ever, and this year we want to take it a step even further. We are currently seeking 15-20 participants for a IBJJF Pan Championship competitor case study. The study will be used to provide scientific insight into three areas of jiu jitsu competition including: training habits and personal performance, training habits and match outcomes, preparation methodology and overall success. It is imperative for this study that we take a look at all walks of life, so that means white belts, blue belts, purple belts, brown belts, and even black belts are needed.  We are looking for variety from our participants (i.e. different training schedules, part-time athletes, full-time athletes, etc.). We believe that this may be one of the most talked about pieces of media inside of jiu jitsu in 2013 when it is completed.
The criteria to participate in the study is listed below:

  • Must be 100% confident that you will attend and compete in the 2013 IBJJF Pan Championships.
  • Must be willing to complete a quick and easy journal on training habits once a week (provided by BishopBjj.com)
  • Must be willing to provide detailed accounts of your personal performance, match outcomes, and overall successes following the event
  • It would also help if you could provide video of your matches at the 2013 Pan Championships

What you will receive for participation:

  • An advanced copy of the study – which will provide an empirical insight into what competitors habits and outcomes appear to be inter-related.
  • Free training habit journals that can aide in gameplan building and performance tracking.
  • Free early-access to our 2013 Pan and Worlds jiu jitsu studies.
  • National recognition on the award-winning BishopBjj.com

To apply, enter your information below and will get back to you asap:
[contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Belt Level’ type=’select’ required=’1′ options=’White,Blue,Purple,Brown,Black’/][contact-field label=’Sex’ type=’select’ options=’Male,Female’/][contact-field label=’Typical Weekly Training Volume’ type=’select’ options=’1-3 times per week,3-5 times per week,5-7 times per week,7+ times per week’/][/contact-form]

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BJJ Study and Statistics Articles

Jiu Jitsu World Championships Full Study (Free) – 2012

For the very first time ever we are making our Revised 2012 World Jiu Jitsu Case study available for free online (which includes our additional stats from the December issue of Jiu jitsu Magazine), and are providing unbridled access below. We don’t need an e-mail, name, phone number… nothing! You just click the report below, and pages of unprecedented jiu jitsu knowledge will be at your fingertips.
case study cover pic

2012 World Jiu Jitsu Case Study

This entire project took Jena and I months of planning, film watching, and research to complete. The report itself still doesn’t accurately reflect all the intricacies of jiu jitsu competition that we learned while completing this project. However, our hope is that the 2013 studies will be even bigger and more powerful, with greater in-depth analysis. We’ve appreciated the tremendous feedback we’ve received from researchers that work for major universities, Google, Adobe, the government, scientific journals, and more. Neither Jena nor myself have degrees that merit true scientific study. This is a passion, and we originally started it to provide ourselves with an edge in competition strategies. The entire process got out of hand, and three months later we completed the Pan study –  which we used to prepare for the 2012 Worlds. I can say unequivocally that using the information in this study has improved our competition jiu jitsu seven-fold.
In 2013 we plan to return to the “It’s Science” series with more in-depth competitor breakdowns along with several other new series that will focus on the statistical elements of jiu jitsu. Obviously, our largest projects this year will be the new studies. We want them to be bigger and better than ever – which means they will take even more time and energy than they did this year. We have had a ton of people that are far more qualified than ourselves volunteer to help us work on these projects (which is fantastic!!!). But, this all takes a lot of time and effort, so all of your feedback, support, and attention makes it fun to do what we do. Thank you for all of your support from the bottom of our hearts.