Categories
BishopBjj News

Podcast: Tony Pacenski and Travis Stevens

Listen/Stream on Stitcher:

Our latest podcast breaks down Metamoris 4, talks JJGF with the co-founder, Tony Pacenski. We we talk about BJJ in the Olympics, BJJ sponsorship, and more w/ guest Travis Stevens (2x Judo Olympian).  It’s nearly 3 hours of awesome, unique bjj talk.

Tony Pacenski –  JJGF co-founder, BJJ black belt

Tony talks about the JJFG, how it was founded, what it was like to get to know Rickson personally, and what he has technically learned from Rickson. Tony also tells us about some of the recent confusion around the Vulkan Open rules and the JJGF. He also lays out the vision for the JJGF long term, and tells us what other organization the endeavor is modeled after. A lot of great new information about a subject that has many hopeful for the future of sport BJJ

Travis Stevens –  2x Judo Olympian, BJJ black belt

Travis discusses the main difference between sport BJJ and sport Judo, what the different communities are like, and the differences in professionalism in both sports. Travis also candidly shares his sponsorship arrangements in Judo, and compares them to what is offered in BJJ. This dovetails off a comment he also made about competing in IBJJF tournaments as well. The result is a very sobering outlook on the current state of modern BJJ, especially as it relates to the $$$ that is involved with the sport.

Listen Now:

 

 

 

 

Categories
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]
 

Categories
BishopBjj News

World Jiu Jitsu Championship 2014 – Podcast Breakdown

BishopBjj.com Podcast Breaking Down Worlds

Check out our latest podcast as we discuss a variety of World Jiu Jitsu topics including:
–       What’s on the docket?
o   Complete Worlds Breakdown

  • Stories
  • Results
  • Trends
  • Futures
  • Memories

o   Eddie Bravo Invitational talk
o   Bloody Elbow article conversation
o   New techniques in BJJ

  • Worm guard

o   Jiu Jitsu Pet Peeves
o   Jons Sour Grapes
o   Jena’s Hate Corner
o   Roosters jiu jitsu travel tip
o   Mikes nerd topic
o   Phil’s Thoughts
 

Categories
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.

Categories
Live Technique and Perspective Videos

Live Jiu Jitsu Mistakes: Volume #1

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXAd_SGJk7c&w=560&h=315]
Check out this new video featuring some live training mistakes, and how to approach the situation differently. This is a great tool if you couldn’t make it into the academy at some point this week. Enjoy!
jiu jitsu mistakes
 

Categories
BishopBjj News

World Jiu Jitsu Championship 2013 Review (Behind The Scenes)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9HqntGg4gE?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
Check out this awesome 15 minute review and look behind the scenes of the 2013 World Jiu Jitsu Championship.

Categories
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!

Categories
BishopBjj News

2013 World Jiu Jitsu Championship Preview

world jiu jitsu preview image

By: Tyler Bishop

Every year towards the end of May and beginning of June, the greatest grapplers on planet earth gather in Long Beach, California. This west coast city has become the home of the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Championship. The IBJJF World Championship is the most prestigious Jiu Jitsu tournament in the world, and features thousands of adult competitors from around the globe.

The event features blue through black belt adult-only divisions – with a special novice tournament for white belts the day before – and attracts some of the most well-known grapplers in the world as competitors and as spectators. Every year attendance and enrollment in the tournament increases, and so does the level of talent in every division. So who will be a black belt world champion this year, and what competitors should you keep your eye on?

First, if you haven’t looked at the competitor list yet check out the current list here (www.ibjjf.og). One of the great features of the IBJJF World Championship is the ability to see all competitors in each division. The brackets for each division are made available on the IBJJF website ahead of the tournament (so you will want to stay tuned to see some of the potential match-ups). This year is no exception to years past, the 2012 champions will all be in attendance to defend their crowns. So who will rise to the top?

We will start our evaluation by weight class in the men’s divisions:

ROOSTER

The rooster weight division will likely result in another classic showdown between Bruno Malfacine and Caio Terra. Malfacine is the reigning champion, but Terra recently bested him at the 2013 Pan-Am’s. Other notables in the division include Brandon Mullins, Koji Shibamoto, and perennial mainstay Felipe Costa. It’s hard to imagine anything but a Malfacine/Terra final once again.Get the cameras ready!

Prediction: Terra

LIGHT-FEATHER

The light-feather weight class has been recently dominated by one man, Guilherme Mendes. I expect that trend to continue as there appears to be no stand-out contenders that have recently threatened his crown. However, if Ary Farias was to compete against Guilherme in the finals the results could get interesting. Farias has been a strong contender the last few years, and has the athletic accumen to give Mendes trouble. They are both from team Atos, so they would have to choose to fight in the finals. Recently the team has stated they will fight for championships, so hold on to your hats. Laercio Fernandes has been in the mix, but has never looked like he was able to take the match away from someone. There is at least a formula fora possible upset here, but it seems like a bit of a stretch at this point.

Prediction: Guilherme Mendes

FEATHER

The feather weight division is one of the most talented in recent history – which makes the reigning 3x champion all the more impressive. Rafael Mendes has remained unbeaten for over 2 years in an extremely difficult division. And while “Cobrinha” Charles and Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes always seem to push Mendes to the limit, the current champion always finds a way to reign supreme. But don’t sleep on Tanquinho his stock has been rising quickly since the beginning of the year – with a recent win over Cobrinha at the 2013 World Pro. Mario Reis is always a longshot as well. I would not do my family justice without mentioning that my instructor JW Wright will be competing in this division as well, and certainly possess the knowledge and skillset to do some serious damage. It seems incredibly likely that the final four will be Mario Reis, Cobrinha, Rafa, and Tanquinho.

Prediction: Rafael Mendes

LIGHT

The light weight division is always filled with talent. Some of the best in the world find their way into this division each year. Lucas Lepri and Leandro Lo could likely battle for supremacy once again this year; however, a contender such as JT Torres, Micheal Langhi, Zach Maxwell, or Roberto Satoshi could certainly find a way to upset one of these two at any point. In fact, this may be one of the most wide-open divisions in the entire tournament. This seems like the kind of year that we could be surprised by the lightweight champion. How much longer can the Lepri and Lo hold off these young bucks?

Prediction: Leandro Lo

MIDDLE

The middleweight division is filled with powerful athletes. Some of the quickest and most athletic men from around the world find themselves in the 181.5lb division. The lineup includes notable competitors such as Claudio Calassans, DJ Jackson, Clark Gracie, Marcelo Mafra, Otavio Sousa, Victor Estima, and Tanner Rice – to name a few. Will the Gracie name reign supreme, or will one of the others finally claim his thrown? Fresh of a great performance at the Pan, one would think Gracie stands a strong chance, but Calassans has been dominant in the division over the last few years. The only exception was the upset by Otavio Sousa last year, who will likely return as the divisional favorite this year. This is another division that could hold a few surprises due to such a heavy talent pool. I could see a final four of any combination of the above names, but I would put my money on Calassans, Gracie, Sousa, and Estima as a likely final four (brackets pending).

Prediction: Otavio Sousa

MIDDLE-HEAVY

Prepare for war! The light-heavy weight class features several of the most dominant competitors in recent history. With notable competitors such Andre Galvao, Romulo Barral, Braulio Estima, and Gustavo Campos all signed up in this division, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will take home the medal this year. Barral is back from a  knee injury suffered just months earlier at the World Pro. The big question will be if he is in fact 100%. If so, he has all the ability to become champion of the division. However, if he is at any less than full steam he will have to watch out for the Atos team members, Campos and Galvao – who closed the division out at the Pans earlier this year. Braulio Estima is a last second edition, and must be considered an elite threat to take the division. Hold on to your hats, this could be getting good!

Prediction: Andre Galvao

HEAVY

One man reigns supreme in the heavy weight division, Rodolfo Vieira. Viera will once again face stuff competition with the likes of Rafael Lovato Jr., Xande Riberio, Yuri Simoes, and Lucas Leite inside the division. The pressure against these game opponents will be great, and with the aura of his dominance fading with recent loses to Buchecha one can only imagine that this is the prime time for an upset. Is it possible that the 23 year old king could be uncrowned this year? Lovato Jr. and Xande Ribeiro will certainly make it a tough test for the upcoming GF team fighter this year.

Prediction: Rafael Lovato Jr.

SUPER-HEAVY

The super-heavy weight class is usually dominated by teammates from Alliance, Bernardo Faria, Antonio Carlos, and Leo Nogueira. However, someone like Leo Leite or Joao Gabriel Rocha could provide an interesting upset. Gabriel built a name for himself at brown belt as an absolute monster. Will he be able to translate that to the black belt level, on the worlds biggest stage in such short time?

Prediction: Leo Nogueira

ULTRA-HEAVY

The ultra-heavy weight division is much like the heavy weight division. One man has recently stood miles above the rest. Marcus “Buchecha” Almaeda is in a  division filled with challenges from the likes of Orlando Sanchez, Alexander Trans, and Cyborg Abreu. Yet, I am more confident predicting this division than I am any other. That just shows how good Buchecha is right now.

Prediction: Marcus “Buchecha” Almaeda

ABSOLUTE

The absolute division is an inevitable clash. The world will again see the epic match between Marcus Almaeda and Rodolfo Vieira. It has been hailed in the past as the greatest match in history (although this is a little overdone). Expect the bracket-makers to line them up on opposite sides of the bracket as they tear through the competition to reach each other in the finals.

Prediction: Marcus “Buchecha” Almaeda

Stay tuned, we will be providing our women’s preview in the coming days

Categories
Live Technique and Perspective Videos

Omoplata Armbar! (Breakdown of competition footage)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoYn6L3fEKQ?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
Every now and then a particular movement or technique really catches your eye. In this case it was a recent omoplata armbar applied by 2013 breakout star Magid Hage. Checkout this submission he applied against accomplished black belt Samir Chantre. We put some of our new software to work in this latest breakdown. Let us know what you think.
 

Categories
Live Technique and Perspective Videos

Own Your Jiu Jitsu Techniques (Instructionals on Reverse De La Riva, 50/50, and more)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHJs1h6xrDo?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

Check out the video above and learn triangles from side control, lapel sweeps from de la riva, 50/50 armlocks, and back takes from reverse de la riva.

Recently, two of our guests on the BishopBjj.com podcast, Rafael Lovato Jr. and David Adiv, both mentioned how important ownership of a persons personal jiu jitsu can be. David describes how important you treat something that is yours. By developing a style of jiu jitsu that works, you can create a very close connection between you and the technique. Lovato Jr. describes the love that he actually has for his game, in part due to the amount of time and energy he has invested in it. How are you taking ownership of your jiu jitsu?
How do you invest in your techniques? Are you researching others performing these techniques, what alterations have you tried making to the technique, have you discussed this technique with your instructor? All of these questions should spark a drive that compels you to develop your jiu jitsu in a  personal way. Lovato Jr. recently mentioned the benefit of coming up as a black belt in middle America was that he had to take a close personal ownership of his style, because there was very others around him that could do so. This kind of focus is what we should all attempt to employ in our training. What techniques are you developing this week? Use the video above to gain some new perspectives.
Note: Make sure to utilize the powerful tools around you such as: black belt instructors, and healthy relationships with your training partners.