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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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"It's Science" Videos

Jiu Jitsu Science: Braulio Estima

bishopbjj shirt patches

Braulio Estima Statistics

It’s Science is back feat. the controversial Braulio Estima. To read this full artcle be sure to pick up of the upcoming issue of Jiu Jitsu Style Magazine. Here’s a taste along with some of the raw data.

—-

Notable Study Stats:

  • 60% of passes were from spider guard or X-guard
  • 93% win percentage
  • Scored first in 13 out of 14 winning matches
  • Submitted his opponent in 50% of wins
  • Highest sweep total in any study ever conducted* (“23”; *15 matches or less) – 1.53 sweeps per match average
  • His average match length was 7 minutes and 48 seconds
  • 71% of his submissions were chokes from the back
  • Had a 23/7 “sweep/pass ratio”

Abstract: All matches observed of Braulio Estima, 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: There may not currently be a more controversial figure in competition jiu jitsu than, Braulio Estima. The multi-time world champion recently tested positive for DMAA, a banned substance; according to the World Anti-Doping Association, and has since been catapulted to the center of many discussions regarding jiu jitsu competition reform. It’s appropriate that someone like Estima is embroiled in this type of controversy; as he should be well recognized as one of today’s most accomplished competitors. Known for stunning technique and a sporty showmanship, Estima has a style that is completely his own.
While Estima’s style is unique, you will ultimately see some patterns in his game just like most of our other subjects. The primary difference in this is the variation in which he executes specific techniques. We recorded more positional variation in Estima than in any past studies of other competitors.
Estima had a 93% win percentage in our sample. Additionally, he scored first in 13 of 14 of those wins. He also recorded a high-mark for total sweeps among studies we have conducted of 15 matches or less (23 total). That’s an average of 1.53 sweeps per match. The highest we’ve ever recorded. You see this occurrence a lot with Braulio because he pushes the action. He’ll take an unstable sweep, come to the top position to capitalize – and with noting to take advantage of – ultimately concede the bottom position again to try his hand again.
There is a lot of spider guard and X-guard sprinkled into Estima’s notorious guard game. Approximately 60% of his sweeps and attacks came from a spider or X-guard variation. And while there are a lot of moving parts to Braulio’s bottom game, his top game is slightly less complex; something we’ve seen often among top competitors. Braulio prefers a heavy and compact style of passing; favoring a knee over or double-unders style of pass nearly 71% of the time. He recorded a measly 7 passes in the sample; however it’s important to note that Braulio beautifully uses the guard pass as an immediate transition to his opponents back. It’s common to see him use a double-unders pass to secure his opponents back.
::: TO KEEP READING SUBSCRIBE TO LATEST ISSUE OF JJS MAGAZINE:::

Top Competitor Braulio Estima
Successes Spider Guard, Back Chokes
Avoided… Standing Passes, The Mount
Top Technique 1 X-Guard Sweep
Top Technique 2 Back Take from Guard Pass
Number of Matches Observed 15
Submits Opponent 7
Wins by Points 7
Minutes of footage watched 118 minutes (avg. length = 7:48)
Scores First 13
Total Wins 14
Total Loses 1
Sweeps (Position)
De la Riva Sweeps 2
Spider Sweeps 9
Closed Guard 1
Half-Guard 3
50/50 2
X-Guard 5
Sit-up Guard 1
Sweeps (Type)
Ankle Pick sweep 1
Deep Half 1
X-Guard (or single X) style sweep 7
Tomanagi 5
Hook sweeps 1
Trips/Offbalancing 3
Sit-up and overtake opponent 2
Berimbolo 1
Collar Drag/Arm Drag 2
Total Sweeps 23
Passes (Position)
On Knees 3
Half-Guard 3
Standing 1
Passes (Type)
leg drag 1
knee over 3
leg-weave pass 2
Under the legs pass pass 1
Total Passes 7
Taking the Back
half guard (top) 3
from passing the guard 3
guard 1
Total Back-Takes 7
Submissions (Position)
Back 5
 Spider 2
Submissions (Type)
choke from back 5
leg lock 1
triangle 1
Total Subs 7
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"It's Science" Videos

It's Science: Keenan Cornelius

keenan cornelius stat pic
Abstract: All matches observed of Keenan Cornelius, used in this small sample, occurred at IBJJF events, inside his weight division, and in the years 2013-2014. 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:
There may not be a more powerful figure that has entered the BJJ competition scene in the last 10 years than Keenan Cornelius. Cornelius gained significant attention several years ago when he achieved the self-titled – now famed – accomplishment of weight class and absolute “grand slam”; a series of tournament wins in the largest events of the year. Since this accomplishment, Keenan’s stock has been on the rise.
With that in mind, Keenan’s time at black belt has been both short and dense. Cornelius has missed very few major IBJJF events; giving us a phenomenal sample to study. Contrary to just about every one of our previous study subjects, Cornelius has a very diverse portfolio of techniques that he utilizes in competition. We generally see the winningest competitors use a very short list of techniques in competition; however, Cornelius has been able to muster a winning percentage of 73% using a much more complex strategy.
In addition to a strong winning percentage, we see a positive submission percentage in our data of Cornelius as well. Keenan finished his opponents in approximately 55% of his matches, and his average match length was 7 minutes and 48 seconds – both statistics that match-up almost identically with the data we have on Rodolfo Vieira and Guilherme Mendes. What’s most interesting about all this is the difference in which Cornelius achieves these results.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please check out the November issue of Jiu Jitsu Style Magazine

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Live Technique and Perspective Videos

Tyler and Jena Bishop Rolling

By: Tyler
The most common question asked in all the interviews Jena and I have done together is, “what happens when you two train together?”. People ask as if it’s a secret, or as if Jena and I are competing with each other to see who is better. To be honest, I’m not sure how people expect us to answer this question, but I though it might be fun to just show everyone. Here is a short video of Jena and I training for fun after a recent open mat. We are both pretty tired and a little passive in our fighting, but it is fast-paced (as it always is).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71EQFi_s8AM?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

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BishopBjj News

Jiu jitsu Podcast #14 : Inside Story World Pro Jiu Jitsu

pan jiu jitsu 2016

4-28-2014
Check out the latest edition of out podcast featuring the inside story on Abu Dhabi World Pro, and much much more!

 

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"It's Science" Videos Live Technique and Perspective Videos

The Open Guard Ecosystem For Jiu Jitsu

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?
Paulo-Miyao
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.
guardpass6
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)?

  • Spider Guard
  • Lasso Guard
  • X-Guard
  • De La Riva Guard
  • Reverse De La Riva
  • Sleeve and Collar Control Guard
  • Situp Guard

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.

Players with a strong Spider guard ecosystem base:

Michael Langhi
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3UgRERk66c&w=560&h=315]
 

Players with a strong Lasso guard ecosystem base:

Keenan Cornelius
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkTtoCe7Fgk&w=420&h=315]
 

Players with a strong X-Guard  ecosystem base:

Marcelo Garcia (duh)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLQh2aEP93Y&w=560&h=315]
 

Players with a strong De La Riva guard  ecosystem base:

Rafael Mendes
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81rn5hu7asA&w=560&h=315]
 

Players with a strong Reverse De La Riva guard  ecosystem base:

Caio Terra
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCSx1FJFMHk&w=420&h=315]
 

Players with a strong Collar and Sleeve guard  ecosystem base:

Kron Gracie
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-mbhx_Auks&w=560&h=315]
 

Players with a strong Situp guard  ecosystem base:

Ruben “Conbrinha” Charles
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u32CfxW63mE&w=560&h=315]
 

… But as mentioned above, the ecosystem is continuing to evolve. New guard players like Leandro Lo are forcing the community to re-evaluate some of these open guard positions.

Leandro Lo
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzDHkoZeO8A&w=560&h=315]

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BishopBjj News

Are There PED's In Jiu Jitsu?

peds poll
 
By: Tyler Bishop
I am currently working on an article for a major jiu jitsu publication discussing PED’s in Brazilian jiu jitsu. It’s something that is usually talked about off the mats between confidants, but just how many competitors are using steroids, growth hormone, and the alike?
I need your help. Please fill out the poll below.
[polldaddy poll=7424608]
[polldaddy poll=7424611]
 
Also, I am soliciting anyone willing to go on the record and discuss their experience using PED’s while training jiu jitsu (benefits, side effects, etc.). Use the form below to contact me. Thanks, Tyler.
[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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Interviews

Podcast #10: Carlos Machado & More…

podcast 10 image
Check out our latest podcast featuring jiu jitsu legend, Master Carlos Machado.

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BishopBjj News

Reduce Injury, Increase Flexibility At Jiu Jitsu

injury prevention jiu jitsu

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmpqm9otPS0?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
I am an advocate of improving  personal performance to get better at things – especially in jiu jitsu. This doesn’t mean that physical development is the end-all-be-all of improving jiu jitsu, but it can be a very dynamic tool in streamlining your improvement. I hate the idea of a limited range of motion, or existing injury limiting the weapons at my disposal. Along with taking NeoCell Collagen Sport, NeoCell Collagen Joint Formula, these recent exercises have helped me prevent injuries, increase flexibility, and improve my jiu jitsu. I wanted share them with the community, as we have seen a strong influx of visitors since our last article on injuries in bjj. I hope you enjoy the video. I will have more up soon, what did you think so far?