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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:

 

 

 

 

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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.
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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

Categories
"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

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

Categories
"It's Science" Videos

It's Science: Guilherme Mendes

its science guilherme mendes photo
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZtTRrBPDOA?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
Welcome to another episode of “It’s Science”. We  continue our 2013 season with a quick look at Guilherme Mendes (2011-2013). Now on to the fun stuff…
Abstract: All matches observed of Guilherme Mendes used in this small sample occurred at IBJJF events, inside his weight division, and between 2011-2013. 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 18 total available IBJJF matches matches between 2011-2013. 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.
So what did we learn?: Guilherme Mendes is an impressive competitor. Much like his brother, he is quite good at avoiding defeat. Inside this study – which took place between 2011 and 2013  – there was only one loss on his record. The best way to describe his style is, “insistent”. He insisted upon a handful of techniques, and was able to put himself in the exact position to execute these moves with absolute precision. Approximately 81% of his passes were executed in a very similar fashion – Half-Guard, knee slide, and nearly 88% of his sweep came from a  De La Riva to berimbolo-style of attack. His game was very effective. It saw him finish almost 60% of his matches by submission, and it him in position to be the first to score in 100% of the matches in that he was the victor. In observing his style and performance, I believe this is a very important metric for Guilherme. By being the first to score in his matches, he immediately put his opponent on defense, and was able to stay ahead and inside his own comfort zone. In his sole loss he did not score first, and was unable to build his normal momentum through out the match.
There is a lot that the average competitor can learn from Guilherme Mendes style and approach. While the techniques are far from “simple”, his approach and execution is very basic. He kept his attacks to a handful of techniques, and insisted upon them from the beginning. One thing to learn from his competitive approach, is that by building a match around your strengths from the start, you can put yourself in a consistently offensive game. This can help reduce hesitation and can ensure that techniques are executed properly under pressure.

Notable Stats:

    • 7:15 was his average match length
    • Won 58% of his matches by submission
    • Scored first in 100% of his wins (91% total)
    • Passed from the half-guard 81.5% of the time
    • 88% of sweeps occured from the De La Riva guard
    • He preferred knee-cut passes to leg drag passes 13/2
    • Approximately 77% of his submissions were from the side control position
    • When on the feet he preferred pulling guard – as he did so 85% of the time
Top Competitor Guilherme Mendes
Successes Side Control Submissions
Avoided… Mount
Top Technique 1 Knee Through Pass From Half-Guard
Top Technique 2 Berimbolo
Number of Matches Observed 12
Submits Opponent 7
Wins by Points 4
Minutes of footage watched 87
Scores First 11
Total Wins 11
Total Loses 1
Sweeps (Position)
De la Riva Sweeps 7
50/50 1
Sweeps (Type)
Ankle Pick sweep 1
Berimbolo-style (kiss of the dragon, etc.) 7
Total Sweeps 8
Passes (Position)
On Knees 1
Half-Guard 13
Standing 2
Passes (Type)
leg drag 2
knee through 13
x-pass 1
Total Passes 16
Taking the Back
side control 4
Total Back-Takes 4
Submissions (Position)
Back 2
Side Control 5
Submissions (Type)
choke from back 2
gi choke (Guilitine, Brabo, Basball Bat) 5
Total Subs: 7
Takedown/ Ground Establishment
Double-Guard Pull 3
Guard Pull 9
ankle pick 2
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BishopBjj News

Podcast #3 Featuring David Adiv

david adiv podcast banner

Check out our latest podcast with special guest Master David Adiv!

Either listen to it on this page  or download using the link below!

(Chirbit will play in browsers, smartphone browsers, and can be downloaded in MP3 format)

Listen: podcast #3

Listen on Chirbit: http://chirb.it/mCkqqM

We will have iTunes and Google Play versions of the podcast up as soon as we can figure it out, haha.

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Uncategorized

Jiu Jitsu Podcast #2

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/81069423″ iframe=”true” /]
Hey guys, check out our second podcast. The quality is much improved, and the cast is pretty lively in this episode. We discuss everything from Rickson Gracie to why Benjamin Franklin was histories ultimate “baller”. See what our thoughts were on the most recent Lloyd Irvin video, and much more. Also, you won’t want to miss Phil’s stories from working at the casino. Unfortunately, David Adiv was unable to join us again this week, but we expect to have him on again soon.

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BishopBjj News

BishopBjj.com Podcast #1

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/58993830 w=500&h=281]
Our first podcast was recorded at the World Pro Trials in San Antonio this past weekend. It is not up to snuff in comparison to the quality of material we normally produce, but since this is the first one we expect significant improvement each time we create a podcast. Rather than scrapping this one we choose to release it. The content of the conversations is really funny and interesting good. Also, check out some of the funny stories about crazy training partners at the end!
We mention an interview with David Adiv in the podcast. Unfortunately, we are saving that for episode #2. We are purchasing some new podcast software so that we can improve the quality and production of the podcast, and wanted to save that material until the new stuff was in place. This podcast features Royler Gracie black belt, JW Wright, Abu Dhabi Pro absolute champion, Nick Scrock, 6x World Medalist, Jena Bishop, and Jon Perrine.
We appreciate any feedback, and are looking forward to this process as it improves.
-Tyler

Categories
BJJ Study and Statistics Articles

Pass The Guard Like Leo Vieira

Don’t You Wish You Could Pass Like Leo?

By: Tyler Bishop
In 2005, the event that everyone was talking about was Rickson’s Budo Challenge. It was a tournament done in an unusual format, with a unique scoring system that primarily rewarded submission attempts over positioning. Naturally, young up and coming jiu jitsu nerds watched in awe of the likes Leo Vieira effortless passing the guard, but what is most amazing is how impressive this performance remains today.
With the resurgence of submission only BJJ tournaments, many should look at this past event for inspiration. This was not a submission only event, but the rules certainly inspired action. However, I did not write this article to talk about tournament formats, and point-systems. I wrote it to talk about the impressive passing acumen of Leo Vieira in his prime. The reason the rules are important is because they allowed Leo Vieira to cut lose, and the results were down right scary. In his first match Leo Vieira fought Barret Yoshida. Yoshida was well known (and still is) for his dynamic and aggressive guard. In this case, Leo was far more aggressive in his passing. Leo attacked Yoshida’s guard relentlessly. It wasn’t until I finally broke down the film – piece by piece  – that I could finally understand the genius and detail of Leo’s passing style this day.
x-pass leo
Leo’s first pass was a great X-guard pass – in which Yoshida appeared stunned. Leo attacked the sit-up guard by positioning his legs out of reach, attaching his grip to the knee, and his other grip to the collar. Before Yoshida could react, Leo stepped out of range, and onto Yoshida’s stomach. Leo kept both grips, solidified his base through his opponent, and scored his first pass of the day.
leg weave leo
Another one of Leo’s impressive passes that day was from the leg weave position. It seemed to catch Yoshida by surprise. Leo attacked the pass by threading his arm between the legs, stepping his leg out of half guard, then pressuring Yoshida to defend the same side pass. When Yoshida commits to the defense, Leo steps over the legs, and switches his hips while maintaining his leg grip. This allows Leo to establish another effortless looking pass.
grips leo
Finally – one of the most important details I noticed in studying this match from 8 years ago – is the ability of Leo to control space when passing. A large part of this control comes from one specific grip. Leo dominated the grips in this match, and that is why he passed the guard close to 10 times. But, it was the grip shown above that really gave Yoshida the most problems. Many guard passers will control the knees or shins. Leo controlled the very end of the pants, and used this to continually nullify and pass Yoshida’s guard. He was able to setup multiple passes from this grip, and ultimately went on to when the match by double digits.
In this day and age – where the guard player has such an impressive arsenal of attacks, it is good to study someone who has effectively shutdown this time of game before. Sure, guard games are evolving, and there is only one Leo Vieira, but is it possible that we are missing techniques and strategies that could be saving all passers a lot of energy? You tell me. Hopefully this was as helpful and insightful to you, as it was for me. You can watch the entire match of Leo vs. Yoshida below.
God Bless – Tyler
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZdkQ4yHw2o&w=560&h=315]