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"It's Science" Videos

It's Science: Lucas Lepri

It’s Science: Lucas Lepri

lucas lepri
Our latest edition of It’s Science features Lucas Lepri. The full article will be published in the next edition of Jiu Jitsu Style Magazine. To see all the awesome graphics and full-data model be sure to subscribe or pick up the next issue. See all previous issues for past subjects.
Notable Study Stats:

  • 64% of his passes occurred from Half guard
  • 87% win percentage
  • 54% Submission percentage in wins
  • Scored first in 12 of 13 recorded wins in study
  • 2nd highest pass per match rate ever recorded (1.13)
  • His average match length was 7 minutes and 31 seconds
  • 43% of his submissions were chokes from the back
  • 30% of passes were knee through passes
  • Took his opponents back in 46% of wins

Abstract: All matches observed of Lucas Lepri, used in this small sample occurred at IBJJF events, inside his weight division, and in the years 2011-2014. Only techniques, occurrences, and outcomes that were recorded are displayed in the data below (i.e. if no butterfly sweeps occurred, there will not be a representation of that in the sample data charts). Matches were selected at random based on freely available matches. This is a limited sample – but given the estimated amount of matches in this time period – it is well above the percentage necessary to create a scientifically validated trend sampling.
The Breakdown: Lucas Lepri is one of the most accomplished grapplers still active today. A multi-time world champion, Lepri has proven himself a staple of consistency over the years. What’s even more impressive is Lepri’s dynamic ability to win tournaments using a wide-variety of strategy’s. In 2014, the world saw Lepri demonstrate his takedown and passing prowess to perfection as Lepri toke down and passed the guard of JT Torres in the world finals. In the past, it has often been Lepri’s stellar guard work and submission propensity that has earned him the world champion moniker. Ultimately, studying Lepri is a treat; as his abilities and skills are so consistent and precise that you immediately understand why he has been so successful to this point.
The Study: When you consider the top guard passers in the game today, a Lepri’s name is often brought up. Our study found that this is most definitely based in reality. Lepri averaged 1.13 passes per match, the second highest we’ve ever recorded (#1 was Gui Mendes). Approximately 64% of his passes occurred from top half guard with the vast majority of his passing finishes being of the knee through variety. This allowed Lepri to often setup one of his dynamic submissions which was the baseball bat choke (also a Gui Mendes favorite). This submission accounted for roughly 15% of his total submissions.
Speaking of submissions, Lepri had a submission rate in matches that he won of 54%. On top of that, his total winning percentage was 87%. Lepri preferred to finish his opponents from the back; as 43% of his submission victories were chokes from the back. Lepri often used his dynamic passing abilities to setup the back take. Half of his bake takes occurred from this type of scenario. Lepri often baits his opponents into defending the guard pass so dramatically that they dictate their backs to him. Lepri makes a living capitalizing on opponent mistakes.
One of the most impressive elements of lepri’s style is his ability to win almost every matchup (i.e. playing bottom or top – in various scenarios). Lepri’s guard game is surgical. He is not as specialized as former subjects like Rafa Mendes or Cobrinha, but he is equally mathematical in his setups and execution. His top sweeping position was sit-up guard (43%), and his top sweep type was a tomonagi style sweep. Lepri is the first subject we’ve studied with a tomonagi as his highest percentage sweep.
Ultimately, Lepri may be the most well rounded competitor we have studied to date. Not just technically, but in his complete application of jiu jitsu in a tournament setting. Lepri has demonstrated the ability to win matches in a variety of ways; top, bottom, by points, by submission, etc. He is a rare model of consistency and excellence that doesn’t show any tangible signs of slowing down any time soon.
 

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Uncategorized

Common Jiu Jitsu Injuries and How To Deal With Them (Part II)

bjj injuries part 2
 

By: Tyler Bishop

Since we opened the site several years ago, we’ve experienced a lot of traffic. Over a million visitors to be precise. We’ve released groundbreaking studies, published unique content, and shared rich media that has received incredibly positive feedback (btw… thank you, readers). But, there is one piece of content that we published almosta  year ago that gets more average hits a day than any other. It’s probably not hard to guess what that is; given the title of this post and the graphic at the top. That’s right. Our article on common jiu jitsu injuries is one of the most popular that we’ve done, and we have received a lot of requests to publish another. Welp, straight from your keyboards to God’s ears. Here we go…

Hip Injuries

Hip injuries are the worst. Remember when Chubs said, “it’s all in the hips”. Yeah, he was talking about jiu jitsu … or golf… or hockey. It doesn’t matter. He was right! Whether you’ve actually torn something in your hips, built in imbalances due to overuse/underuse with certain movements, or simply have stinging tightness from sitting all day, fixing your hips is paramount to performing on the mats. Here are a couple of good tips for hip injuries…

  1. “Roll out…” Ludacris (2001). Ole Luda was right. You have to roll your hips out. A lot of tightness and existing injury lies bound up in the myofacial tissue in the muscle surrounding your hips. Step #1 to any form of hip injury treatment should start with rolling out your hips (Spine-Health). This creates the ideal conditions to any of the things we will execute to try to rehabilitate and improve performance. Perform 3-5 times per week (here’s a good reference).
  2. Perform hip mobility exercises. These have personally helped me more than just about anything else. Bird-dogs, fire-hydrants, back bridges, and hurdler exercises have done a world of good for my often injured hips (use Google Images if you don’t know what some of these are). I looked into the types of exercises most recommended by physical therapists for rehabilitating injured or imbalanced hips and these four were most commonly prescribed. Perform them 3-5 times per week.
  3. Stretch. I’ve heard some experts say to avoid stretching or yoga all together. Those people suck and definitely don’t do jiu jitsu. Yoga and specific stretching helps me to ensure proper mobility when I’m on the mats. Below is my favorite yoga series for stretching. I did this everyday for a month and improved my flexibility significantly. It also greatly improved how my hips and shoulders felt. Try performing it no less than twice a week (don’t worry if you can’t do it perfect, neither can I)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLqnfny6QeM&w=560&h=315]
 
Hope that helps. What injury should we focus on next?

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Live Technique and Perspective Videos

Podcast #17: Gianni Grippo & Joao Faria

The Science of Jiu Jitsu Podcast is back!!!!
We are better than ever, and kickoff our fall shows with a bang. Gianni Grippo and Joao Faria both stop by to share their thoughts on BJJ,Halloween costumes, and the evolution of sport jiu jitsu.
We discuss the upcoming Copa Podio and Metamoris match-ups, discuss fall jiu jitsu season, express disappointment over the current state of competition jiu jitsu, and highlight what the future of BJJ might look like.
Gianni Grippo joins us to discuss his upcoming Metamoris matchup.
Joao Faria stops by to talk about his upcoming Bellator MMA fight next month.

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Interviews

Podcast #16: BishopBJJ team breaks down JJGF and more…

The crew has an all-skate and discusses everything we know about the JJGF as of right now (rumors, truths, etc.), and tries to make sense of it all. We also tell BJJ challenge stories, discuss the rules of BJJ, and what it means to be a black belt.

Have a question for the podcast crew? Submit it here.
[contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]
 

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"It's Science" Videos

It's Science: Royler Gracie (Legends Edition)

royler its science


 By: Tyler Bishop
(stats located below)

Foreword:

Thank you for making It’s Science one of the most popular jiu jitsu pieces on the internet and inside our little community. As many of you may already know, the full length articles, stats, etc. of all our competitor profiles are featured in every issue of Jiu Jitsu Style Magazine. This particular one will be released in the upcoming issue of JJS next month.
This particular episode kicks off our new series of statistical breakdowns featuring legends of the sport. Hopefully this new series can help us further paint a picture as to how jiu jitsu is evolving, by taking a closer look at where is has come from – competitively of course. I found no place more fitting to start than with the Gracie families most decorated sport jiu jitsu competitor, Master Royler Gracie.
This piece was of particular interest to me, as I viewed Royler’s style – from the outside to be different from many modern competition approaches, and I thought that an analysis of his game would prove to be a stark contrast to many past studies. I was both right and wrong. While his game does differ from many of past profiles, the results that he achieved were surprising in light of the results. His ability to play the top and achieve success is primarily where my attention goes in this breakdown, but I don’t think we should stop at that. Royler’s game is as clearly defined as any of the others we have observed in times past. I hope you will enjoy observing the results as much as I did collecting them.


Abstract:

All matches observed of Royler Gracie used in this small sample occurred in his respective weight division between 1994 and the present day. The sampling includes a mixture of both gi and nogi competition. Only techniques, occurrences, and outcomes that were recorded are displayed in the data below (i.e. if no butterfly sweeps occurred, there will not be a representation of that in the sample data). Matches were selected at random based on available matches – selected using a random generator from available matches. This is a limited sample, and one without many of our normal controls such as; unified rules, time limits, etc. This makes the data a little more skewed than what we would normally like to see. However, the data collected did end up accurately representing insightful trends that we can use to draw logical and rational conclusions. As jiu jitsu grows, so does that data.


Breakdown:

Royler Gracie, his name alone bears a connection to the sport itself. As the most decorated sport jiu jitsu competitor of Helio Gracie, Royler, is known for his flexibility, mysterious pressure, and fierce competitiveness. In fact, Royler recently competed once again at the age of 48 against Eddie Bravo in a thrilling match at Metamoris. It’s hard to deny the strong competitive will Royler possess. In fact, the famous picture above almost encapsulates Roylers mystique in-of-it-self. But, what techniques, strategies, and gameplans makeup the Royler Gracie style?
Let’s begin our review of the statistics below with a breakdown of the start of the match. Royler, like many of his generation, proved to be primarily a top game player. He displays a dynamic and smothering style of passing that he has leaned on heavily throughout his career, and the best way to execute that strategy is to start on top from the start. Roylers initial takedown of choice was the ankle pick and a wrestling style double or single leg attempt. It’s fair to mention that because many of these matches occurred in ADCC that many of these takedowns could have been specifically tailored to that format, thus giving them higher incidence than if this study was of only gi competition. These techniques accounted for approximately 78% of all of his initial takedowns.
Another strategy often used to arrive at the top position was a basic sacrifice throw in which he would drop his opponent down quickly into a butterfly style sweep in an attempt to gain the top position. Even if the throw did not work initially, Royler’s butterfly guard proved to be one of his “go to” assets on bottom. His flexibility, combined with his mastery of the technique, allowed him to secure quite a few sweeps from this position. In fact, nearly 42% of the sweeps we observed in the study were from butterfly guard. The nest most common position that he would sweep from was a simple collar sleeve open guard variation (best way to define it) – in which Royler would use butterfly hooks and scissor style sweeps to overtake his opponent. This style of play accounted for approximately 25% of his sweeping positions.
Once on top, there is a reason why many in the jiu jitsu community still refer to the knee through style of pass as the Royler Pass. Of all the competitors we studied, none averaged a higher pass rate than Royler Gracie. Royler passed the guard on average 1.6 times per match. Our next closest competitor was Gui Mendes with 0.78. Royler passed the guard more than twice as much as many of the modern competitors we have recently studied.
Royler’s guard pass of choice was  his signature knee through (or knee cut) style pass. 11 of the 24 guard passes we observed in the entire study were classified in this style (45.8%). However, Royler also utilized leg drag, torrendo, and reverse sitting half guard style passes with a high degree of success as well. Royler executed the majority of these passing sequences from his knees or from the half guard – which is very much juxtaposition from where we have seen it with the majority of the other competitors we have studied. In fact, no other competitor had the majority of their passes start from a kneeling position.
Royler recorded 88% of the submissions we observed from either the back or mount position. 50% of the submissions were chokes from the back while armbars and collar chokes made up the rest. 53% of the matches we observed ended with Royler finishing his opponent by submission.
In the matches we observed he was victorious in 13 of them. He has shown the type of spirit throughout the course of his career that you would expect from a decorated legend like himself. However, the numbers do reveal something very interesting. The dynamics of his style are unique qualities that – in many cases – we have yet to see replicated by any other competitor. In his last match against Eddie Bravo you could still see architecture of his proprietary game. And, while it’s likely we have seen the last of Royler Gracie in the competitive jiu jitsu world, it’s likely there is still a lot we can learn from the matches and legacy he has left behind. This is only a start.


Notable Stats

  • Highest average pass rate per match of any competitor studied so far (1.6 per match)
    • Passed the guard twice as much as the next closest in this category (Gui Mendes)
  • 88% of submissions came from the back or mount
  • Knee through style of pass was used to pass in 46.8% of successful attempts
  • 1/2 of total submissions he secured were chokes from the back
  • Scored first points (when applicable) in every single victory
  • 45% successful passes started from opponents half guard

royler stats graphic

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"It's Science" Videos

Jiu Jitsu Submissions Reference Chart

By: Tyler Bishop
One of the reasons BishopBjj.com exists today in it’s current form is to bring some structure to the internal debates about jiu jitsu competition. Recently, the discussion around jiu jitsu competition formats has reached an apex. What is the truest form of jiu jitsu? Which type of format is most exciting? What rules should be applied?
All of this talk is healthy for the sport to grow and evolve. However, one of the biggest problems people fail to bring into the conversation is empirical data.  Jiu jitsu was built on the scientific principle of testing a hypothesis. If you think a move works, why not try it against a resisting opponent? Collect the data and try again. This is the foundation of science. Unfortunately, often the arguments that we are hearing around the rules and tournament formats are based in personal perception, not reality.
It’s not easy to compile data on jiu jitsu competition, nor is there much available outside of what our site has produced. Therefore these arguments are hard to be won on facts alone, so there will always be a level of personal bias inflicted upon these discussions until that changes. But I encourage everyone involved in these debates to continue to ask the tough questions, and always ask for proof. Below is a chart that highlights several major events and their submission history in the last 2 years. It is far from a study like we have done in the past, but it’s some basic info that I encourage you to share so that we all can at least have this as a starting point in these discussions.
Jiu Jitsu is deepy personal and we all enjoy it. We all want the best for the sport-side of things, that’s why everyone has a strong opinion about it.  As long as there is a demand to know the facts we will continue to work on providing it. #jiujitsuscience
jiu jitsu sub breakdown
 

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BishopBjj News

Pan Jiu Jitsu 2014 Pictures / Results

pan jiu jitsu rick slomba

Check out our 2014 Pan Jiu Jitsu galleries and updates on this page.

Photo Gallery for Thursday March 13th (Blue and Purple Belts)

Photo Gallery for Saturday March 15th (Brown and Black Belts)

Photo Gallery for Sunday March 16th (Women’s, Masters, Black Belt)

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BishopBjj News

Epic Pan Jiu jitsu Matches

Checkout my personal collection of favorite Pan matches. Which is your favorite? Vote below.

Clark Gracie vs. Lapela

First up, Clark Gracie vs. Marcelo Mafra. This match was so interesting to watch live. You almost couldn’t believe Clark was able to will himself to victory at the end. It reminded me of Buchecha winning the absolute in 2012 in the final seconds.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD1QOAh-W_Q?rel=0&w=560&h=315])

Kron vs. Buchecha

Wait, Kron and Buchecha have competed before? Oh yes. Having witnessed the match in-person, I have to say it was one of the most intense and active matches I’ve ever had a chance to see. It’s the match that first made me notice Buchecha. It also shows just how scrappy Kron is.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1M0Uz2KpQc?rel=0&w=560&h=315])

Cobrinha vs. Rafa Mendes

Few matches make you hold your breath to the point of exhaustion like this one did to everyone in attendance. Cobrinha and Rafa have fought many times. Most of their matches have been very close with the winner only getting a slight edge over the other. Every match except THIS ONE!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dul-rG1QFvY?rel=0&w=420&h=315])

Jacare vs. Terere

At the time this was the clash of the titans. Looking back this was an epic battle of athletes. there are few competitors now with the equaled athleticism of Jacare and Terere.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v0Bodj3fKw?rel=0&w=420&h=315])

Roger Gracie vs. Lovato Jr.

Lovato had made a name for himself. He was the best American competing at the time, and Roger was beginning to be at his peak. The match is textbook Roger Gracie. It shows just how good he was in that peroid.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb66kMc2ZlA?rel=0&w=420&h=315])
Obviously, many of mine are of the modern era. I can’t help it. This is the era I’ve experienced. Not only that, but all the epic matches in history are not all represented well online. Hopefully with the advent of IBJJFTV this will not be a problem for future generations.
[polldaddy poll=7870710]
fuji shirt 1
 
 

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BishopBjj News

3 Things You'll See At The Pan Jiu Jitsu Championship (2014)

Everybody loves the Pan Ams. It has become the largest annual jiu jitsu tournament in North America. It provides a prestigious opportunity for everyone regardless of age or rank to compete in a fair and professional environment. Say what you will about the IBJJF. You will be hard-pressed to find anyone else o the planet that can run a tournament over 5-days as efficiently as they have for the past 10 years. This year promises to be another year filled with top competitors, exciting performances, and growing numbers.
The Pan began in 1995 and has since become one the major gi jiu jitsu tournaments in the world, and has featured illustrious absolute champions such as; Xande Ribeiro, Saulo Ribeiro, Marcio Cruz, Jacare, Rigan Machado, Roger Gracie, Andre Galvao, Rodolfo Vieira, and Marcus “Buchecha” Almaeda – to name a few. So what can we expect from the Pan this year? Every year brings new challengers, new techniques, and new story lines. The Pan has become the tone-setting platform for each jiu jitsu season. What can we expect to see in 2014?

  1. Lapels


    – The last few years we’ve seen a dominance and prevalence of guard work. Just like in many other sports, trends tend to see a backlash after a few years. We’ve started to see guard passing reemerge as dominant tournament style. Guys like Rodolfo Viera, Leandro Lo, and Lucas Lepri have reminded the world that no guard is a safe guard. Recent understanding and innovations to current guards have allowed these guard passers a new level in precision in their efficiency here recently, and in that vain I would expect to see the guard players begin adapting to these innovations. In response to this, look to see a lot more guard players exploring lapel-based guard techniques that can tie up opponents, and force them into uncomfortable scenarios.Keenan Cornelius may be beating the lapel guard drum now (see video), but it was actually Budo Jake on our podcast last year that pointed out that he was seeing this more and more among the top academies. Look no further than someone like Cobrinha, who played situp guard all last year with the same-side lapel fed between his opponents legs (see our breakdown). Guys, like Cobrinha are always way ahead of the curb, and typically where there is success, there is parody. I would expect to see a lot more of this style of guard in 2014 – starting with the 2014 Pan Ams.

  2. Science!

    its science graphic2
    Ever since we conducted our first study in 2012 there has been a rash of talk around statistically reliable tactics. We certainly are not ego-centric enough to assume this is solely due to work that we have conducted, but rather to a change in paradigm. Athletes and coaches look at competition holistically and over time that becomes more and more precise. Jiu Jitsu is beginning to evolve into a more complex sport than ever. Look no further for proof of this claim that the abundance of BJJ breakdown YouTube pages. Notable ones include BJJ Scout and Marcos Torregrossa.
    Just imagine what jiu jitsu analysis, commentary, and competition will look like in 10 years after this first wave has broken. Modern jiu jitsu is the simplification of time-tested jiu jitsu and the complexity of new athletes. How will athletes that are  currently 10 and 11 years old approach the sport when they enter adulthood? I believe we will start to see these large-scale analysis repercussions this year. Competitors have had a full year to analyze these perspectives. The access to jiu jitsu techniques grows everyday, and the availability in 2014 is unprecedented. So we expect to see unbridled growth occur this year like never before. That means that competition should grow more fierce at every level, as all information becomes more readily available.

  3. Fewer competitors?

    Perhaps it’s just me, but it appears that there are less competitors registered for the 2014 than in years past. How could this be? Jiu jitsu is growing and jiu jitsu competition is in a golden-age of sorts. So what gives?I would propose that the growth has actually attributed to the decline of participation in some of the larger tournaments. Whereas in years past many top purple, brown, and black belts could only find large pools of competitors at a handful of tournaments, now a host of IBJJF and other large tournaments regularly support large purple, brown, and black divisions.
    Could this trend possibly continue in the future? It seems quite possible with the addition of the new qualifier system proposed by the IBJJF in 2015. With more competitors needing to qualify for large tournaments like the World Championships, competitors may begin to migrate towards more local tournament engagements.

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BishopBjj News

FUJI Sekai Review

By: Tyler Bishop
We haven’t had the chance to do many gi reviews recently, but one that is always searched on our site is for the FUJI Kassen. recently FUJI launched their new Sekai, and several readers have asked me about my opinion on it.
I personally think the Sekai is the best gi FUJI has produced. It certainly is my favorite in terms of style and material, but I think the fit is what makes it really come in to it’s own. It’s my favorite in the FUJI line. I’ll also mention that the new women’s model comes in a W0/A0 model that is perfect for girls in the lighter weight classes. This is important as many of the previous gi’s only came in A1  or larger.
Instead of giving an in-depth analysis of the gi, I have attached a video from Travis Stevens that I think give a good overview of the gi itself. I’ll let you be the end judge from there.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VpNqPYWGuE&w=560&h=315]