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
o Eddie Bravo Invitational talk
o Bloody Elbow article conversation
o New techniques in BJJ
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
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
By: Tyler Bishop
So the latest installment of Metamoris has finally happened, and the promotion delivered their largest and most anticipated event to date. The event was hyped from the beginning, selling out live attendance on the first day tickets were publically available. But did it live up to the hype?
The events success depends on who you ask, and what their opinion is about jiu jitsu competition. The facts are as follows; the live experience, stream, and production were more successful and more dynamic than the previous two shows, even though Jeff Glover had many moments that likely had audience members burying their hands in their faces. The updated and streamlined production with little filler between matches provided a well-organized, no-nonsense display for fans. The event appeared professional and provided an adequate stage for top competitors while allowing true fan to appreciate the performance.
While only 2 of the 6 matches on the card finished in submission, many of the matches maintained a high-level of excitement despite the matches finishing in a draw. In fact, the most exciting match of the entire night, the headliner, resulted in a draw; however, it is now being heralded as one the most exciting matches in recent history online. The rule set itself is still not perfect. Some of the competitors still have not adjusted to the proper way to compete in these matches, and the end result is often a strange series of events (see Lister/Sobral). However, quite subjectively, I can say that this card was more exciting than the past two, and that seems to be the general consensus among popular online jiu jitsu destinations as well.
To improve future shows, Metamoris will likely need to improve the rule set and evolve and build upon current models, but all-in-all Metamoris III appears to have been a success (in terms of execution). Once stream purchase numbers are tallied, I’m sure the organizers will be able to tell you one way or the other if the show was truly a success.
To improve action in the future, perhaps future events should consider four 5 minute rounds, or perhaps two 10 minute rounds. I often advocate this approach based on the success of the old Rickson Budo Challenge event (one of the greatest ever held). Many have never heard or seen of this event, but it provided some the most exciting matches in history. Metamoris and others would be smart to evaluate this extraordinary past event for future ideas.
Using staggered criteria, I think it’s fair to say Metamoris and the fans watching were winners on Saturday evening, but among the other parties involved, who were winners and who were losers? I do my best below to breakdown the events beneficiaries below. Enjoy!
While the Sean Roberts/Zak Maxwell match ended in a draw, the last 10 minutes were a great display of cat and mouse between Zak and Sean. With so many lighter competitors developing dangerously dynamic guards, it has become difficult for those with a guard passing-style in those lighter weight classes. While the start of this match was a reflection of this construct – with both competitors attempting guard work – Zak made the decision to play the top position about halfway through the match. What was so interesting about this was the strategy that I believe he revealed to all future Metamoris competitors.
Although Zak had to weather the early storm of guard attacks from Sean – fending off multiple omoplatas and armlocks – he was eventually able to find his stride and pass the guard and secure several dominant positions and very close submissions. The final minutes were all Maxwell. What future competitors should glean from this is the flexibility that the Metamoris rule set allows. Typically competitors fear playing against another top guard player due to the threat of being swept or submitted; however if the you can get past the fear of being submitted – under Metamoris rules, competitors can gain a new level of comfort. Let me explain. Let’s say Zak determined that he could avoid the guard submissions. If that’s the case, then all he has to fear are sweeps. Well, there are no points for sweeps and if the opponent wants to play guard it’s likely they will not follow-up on the sweep if they land it. Basically, if you can stay out of submissions you are granted unlimited guard passing attempts. Zak exposed this in the rules and the current dynamic, and almost secured several submissions for his efforts.
It will be interesting to see if others employ this method of attack in the future. In my opinion, both Sean and Zak come out looking very well in this match, but Zak’s display of jiu jitsu exemplified an interesting dynamic about guard passing under these unique circumstances.
Rafael Mendes is anything but a loser. However, in this event he did not grow the brand of the Rafa Mendes legend. Our site has routinely featured Mendes for his dynamic style and dominance, but his performance in this event was a little uninspired.
Although Rafa displayed just how smooth and beautiful his berimbolo attack can be, he was unable to get it to find it’s mark against a very skilled Clark Gracie. It is not my intention to take away from Clark’s performance in my critique of Mendes, rather a critique of Rafa’s approach to the match. Even after 15 minutes of solid berimbolo defense from Gracie, Mendes refused to try a different strategy. Now, I realize I am now calling for a top competitor to play outside his game (something against our scientific analysis’), but Rafa is being debated as one of the best grapplers on the planet. Surely, he could have tried to showcase himself in another area in which he is dominant. Those that watch his AOJ rolling videos were waiting for those flashes of pure domination seen on film. But Mendes seemed determined to stick to a plan that was doomed from the start. The frustration from many seems to really stem form the conservative approach this seems to be from someone who is being debated as one of the best in the game right now. Fair or unfair, a draw wasn’t good enough for Rafael Mendes.
Most fans, myself included, saw the Royler-Bravo matchup as a one-sided affair waiting to happen. As the match began, it looked like that was exactly what it was going to be. However, Bravo showed a lot of heart dealing with the unrelenting pressure passing of Royler early on (someone who made that style of passing famous). Bravo was then successfully able to execute several of his patented sweeps and submission attempts to one of the greatest of all time. The match was back and forth, and ultimately Bravo proved to be more than just a game opponent. He showed that he belonged in that environment, and that many of the techniques he has often been criticized for hold legitimate application. Bravo did exactly what he was trying to do for years, prove that he could compete with Royler, and that his first win wasn’t some kind of fluke.
Royler and Bravo both come out looking very good after such a great fight. It was the most exciting of the night and included two competitors with a combined age of 90! Both should inspire the next generation on a series of different levels. While I think everyone on the planet would be excited to see a third match, I am quite sure that will be the last time either fighter competes ever again.
I’m sure many will now complain that we are schilling for Metamoris, but the truth is we’re not…at all. For those that are podcast listeners, you know that Jena and I have never advocated sub-only events. We have also both criticized past events as well. However, this event was a great event to watch, and ended up being a very entertaining production. It was far from perfect in just about every faucet, but it was good enough for anyone that is a fan of jiu jitsu to enjoy. As the rules and production quality evolve, it should be expected that this type of entertainment should continue. It still isn;t to level that the average person could enjoy, but we are fast approaching that era in my opinion.
Most of all, those that missed out on Gracie-Bravo II will never be able to duplicate the intensity of watching that match live. Although the video is widely available online right now, watching the event live felt historical. It was a throwback to the early legendary matches of jiu jitsu that live in todays history books. If you missed it, you truly missed out.
Many only know Kevin Casey by reputation only. Casey is famous for several jiu jitsu controversy’s, including but not limited to; the Spencer Pratt fiasco. However, to take a grappling match on that huge stage against one of the best in the world on only a few hours notice is incredible. It showed true bravery and very little ego. Kevin performed very admirable at the start of the match, and although he faded in the second half, he showcased good technique and was able execute some initiatives against Keenan that few others would have had success with.
Ultimately, I’m not sure it was simply a win-win opportunity by choosing to take the match. Had Casey gone out there and gotten tapped in 2 minutes or less, the crowd would have felt cheated, and Casey himself would have looked like a chump for thinking he could compete with someone of Keenan’s caliber on short notice. However, he competed very well and ended up looking as good as anyone else on the card.
What are your thoughts on M3?
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?
– 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.
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.
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.
Jena has been shooting some videos of her favorite techniques for Fuji Sports lately. We decided to leak the first one to you guys. What do you think?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlT3sveyWlk&w=560&h=315]
There are few I have learned more about jiu jitsu from than David Adiv. He is both a master of the art of jiu jitsu, and a masterful human being. It is my pleasure to do my part in sharing him and his teaching with the world.
In this excerpt from our podcast with him, David describes why jiu jitsu is a lot more scientific than philosophical.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=853q0bhg3T8&w=560&h=315]
David has recently had his profile raised due to his presence in the corner of UFC fighter Mickey Gall. Mickey has given a lot of credit to David and his training for his success in the Octagon.
When commentating on his brown belt in jiu jitsu following his victory over the acclaimed CM Punk Mickey had this to say…
“Actually, I’m a brown belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu under Master david Adiv!”
David was also known for being in Royler Gracie’s corner during many of his legendary matches during his MMA as well.
David is one of the grappling and mixed martial art’s best kept secrets; as he is not a self-promotional individual. He is a source of powerful source of wisdom and knowledge for all of his students.
Checkout our latest podcast featuring special guest, world champion Hillary Williams. We breakdown 2013, look forward to 2014, look at the IBJJF controversy, and discuss a wide array of unique and engaging topics.
Join us an find out what the jiu jitsu community is raving about. Hopefully you’ll enjoy our improved setup and sound quality.
Check out Jena’s highlight video from this year. It was a big year for her. She earned her first world championship and punched a ticket to the Abu Dhabi World Pro. She is currently preparing for her first full year at black belt.
Note: Her friends lovingly call her “the truth” because she has a propensity for “telling it like it is”, no frills haha.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8royhmYCJI&w=560&h=315]
It is often said that the guard is the secret to jiu jitsu. Well, often secrets are hard to keep. In the case of the open guard, many of the techniques have extrapolated out over time into incredibly complex systems due to the collective improvement of jiu jitsu over the same span. So where does it end? What has the open guard become, and how should someone navigate it in light of these new evolutions?
Imagine every jiu jitsu player as a unique jungle. Each jungle has it’s own climate, flora and fauna, and treacherous ends. The open guard has evolved well beyond a set of specific techniques, and is now a lot like the jungle. It is a full-fledged ecosystem consisting of a blend of multiple singular positions. We are all built differently; however, certain elements of the open guard are present in all of us. It is up to each guard player to build their jungle accordingly.
The key is making sure that your ecosystem does not lack a critical component for life. For example, you may have trees, beasts, and a warm climate, but if you don’t have fresh water nothing will survive. Open guard is a lot like this. If you have developed a strong understanding of spider guard and lasso guard, yet lack competency in de la riva and x-guard you may find your ecosystem insufficient at times. Although it is not required that you be perfect at all forms of open guard, it is necessary to understand the basic components of all positions so that your system can fully-develop.
In fact, the key is not to fully-develop every open guard position; rather it’s most important to understand how to properly return to the positions you are most comfortable with. For example 80% of your open guard may consist of setting up single leg x-guard; however, it may be necessary to use spider guard to set it up, or use de la riva to defend against certain passes. Without this extra 20% your tailor made guard may have difficulty gaining momentum. So what are these key positions to understand (these are the bases – obviously there are a lot variations)?
The best open guard players typically select one or two of these guards and build close to 80-90% of their open guard game around those specific positions. However, as mentioned above without a full understanding of each position there will likely be some form of deficiency. So which is right for you? What should you build your open guard ecosystem around? Let’s start with a few examples that may help you.
Michael Langhi
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3UgRERk66c&w=560&h=315]
Keenan Cornelius
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkTtoCe7Fgk&w=420&h=315]
Marcelo Garcia (duh)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLQh2aEP93Y&w=560&h=315]
Rafael Mendes
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81rn5hu7asA&w=560&h=315]
Caio Terra
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCSx1FJFMHk&w=420&h=315]
Kron Gracie
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-mbhx_Auks&w=560&h=315]
Ruben “Conbrinha” Charles
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u32CfxW63mE&w=560&h=315]
Leandro Lo
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzDHkoZeO8A&w=560&h=315]
