Recent Posts
Jiu-jitsu Sensei
Return To Blog Listing
This blog is to record my many training and teaching experiences in the martial arts. I run my own Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu dojo, but I also do extra curricular training in other martial arts to keep my skills sharp and to add to my knowledge of the arts. M
Recent Posts Tagged With 'throws and takedowns'
The 4 Key Tenets of Can-Ryu Jiu-jitsu
In re-evaluating the ground defense portion of the Can-ryu curriculum, it is important to think long and hard about the key tenets of our style to ensure that the core curriculum I propose fits with those tenets. I will review them here.1. Simplicity...
Mifune Sensei & the True Spirit of Judo
First off, I apologize for my recent absence in the blogosphere. I started a new full-time job that has been keeping me very busy. In following with my last post about the new Judo rule that was conceived to prevent cross-fertilization with other sty...
New Judo Rule Introduced to Prevent Cross-fertilization
Recently, the International Judo Federation announced that they were testing a number of new rules at the upcoming World Junior Championships. One rule in particular gave me pause. All techniques below the belt line are banned. Only techniques using ...
Defending Against the Shoot: Sprawl or Sacrifice Throw
In my last blog post, Gi Grappling vs. No Gi Grappling, I received many questions/comments about defending against BJJ/MMA takedowns. I promised to do a detailed post on this topic, particularly about defending against the shoot in a self-defense con...
Experimenting with My Stand-up Grappling Game
Yesterday, I met up with Shelene, my new grappling buddy, to do some rolling. The thing I found most interesting was how different our stand-up grappling styles are.Because of her heavy wrestling background, Shelene favours a stance in which her uppe...
3 Things You Should Never Do While Doing Movie Fight Work
I just got home after working 6 days in the woods doing martial arts special abilities background work for a movie being shot locally. There is a long list of things you shouldn't do while working on set, but for the martial arts performer, below are...
Throwing & Being Thrown as a Workout
The following day after a recent Shorinji Kan class, I woke up with sore muscles all over my body. This surprised me because I'm in pretty good shape and I hadn't thought the class overly intense. And yet my muscles seemed to disagree with that con...
5 Ways of Treating Muscle Soreness
Sometimes when I do intense sessions of grappling, throwing or breakfalls, I'll wake up the next day or two days later with sore, aching muscles due to the strain of the training. Here are a few treatments for muscle soreness that can help.1. Gentle...
Choosing an MMA Style to Follow
In MMA there are certain basics that everyone should know: boxing punches, practical kicks (i.e. leg kicks, push kicks, etc.), taking and defending the clinch, being on the giving and receiving end of ground and pound, dealing with the cage, etc. But...
Being a Student in My Own Dojo
Last night, I participated in a class at my own dojo, but not as a teacher, as a student. One of my students is a brown belt a different style of Jiu-jitsu, Shorinjikan, so I let him teach for a change of pace. After having run my own classes prett...
More Throwing in MMA
In my style of Jiu-jitsu, we do more throwing than is practiced in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. While it can take awhile to develop the skill and timing to execute throws effectively, I think throwing is a very worthwhile ability to develop for MMA. Check ...
Over a Year of Stubborn Perseverance Pays Off
Today, I was very impressed with one of my students. I had noticed over the past couple of months that this student had really come into her own since earning her orange belt. She has a new confidence that exudes from every technique she performs. ...
MMA Gloves for Sparring
When students are first introduced to sparring, we have them use 16-oz boxing gloves. These gloves are more protective and, because they're bigger, punches are easier see coming plus there is more surface area with which to block. As students get b...
Throwing to Defend Against Kicks
This video shows a Kung fu sparring competition in which the guy in yellow very effectively defends against kicks simply by snatching his opponent from underside while he's on one foot, attempting to kick him. Be sure to watch the whole thing throug...
Revisiting the Turtle Block
The other night I was training with my coach and was made to do several rounds of boxing sparring with him. Going into the ring, one of the other coaches told me to keep my hands up and against my head at all times in what we call in my style a "tur...
Judo/ Jiu-jitsu on "The Human Weapon"
I’ve been enjoying watching the TV series, “The Human Weapon.” The basic gist is that two Americans with a martial arts background, one is a smaller, sprier fellow who is an ex-pro MMA fighter, the other an ex-pro football player and wrestler,...
Mixing Martial Arts in Movie Fights
A student of mine sent me this video saying it was an awesome fight sequence that incorporated Jiu-jitsu. Needless to say, I was keen to give it a watch.At first I thought, "This isn't Jiu-jitsu," as the actors threw Kungfu-style hand strikes and hi...
Improving Throws and Takedowns Using the Triangle of Balance
Oftentimes, students have trouble getting a throw or takedown to work. Ninety percent of the time, the problem they're having can be worked out using a teaching tool I use called, "The Triangle of Balance."The triangle of balance is as follows. Your...
