Interesting article on turning your passion for BJJ into a business

http://www.independent.co.uk/money/spend-save/turning-a-hobby-into-a-business-give-yourself-a-fighting-chance-8611694.html?fb_action_ids=10152264901225353&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B171809256311373%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.recommends%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

Do you?

Worst surface for grappling?

I think a urine covered toilet floor is possibly the worst I’ve seen.

I filmed this last night at a local MMA show, a bit of banter turned into a full on grapple. In the bogs. Classy eh?

— – - 06/05/2013 EDIT – - —

One of the guys featured in the video flagged the video as inappropriate on youtube and it has therefore been removed. Bit of an over reaction  think but I won’t re-upload it out of respect for his feelings.

——————-

The UK BJJ Belt Register – Register NOW!

I just wanted to make more people aware that this website exists. The more it is used the more we can weed out fake belts and keep away the problems TMA’s have been facing for years.

My training partner Sean Browne has set up the UK BJJ Belt Register (http://www.ukbjjbeltregister.org) where all BJJ practitioners can update their profile including belt rank and competition success.

This will in time be an invaluable resource for the UK BJJ scene, so don’t be shy, get involved and get yourself registered!!!

http://www.ukbjjbeltregister.org

This is my profile:

This is the UK BJJ Black belt verified list!!

Best rashguard ever!

Confidence is your fren, Fren.

I’ve been a butt flopper pretty much since I started jiu jitsu. I love all open guards, closed guard, butterfly, spider, de la riva…. I can’t get enough!

The problem is my top game sucks. So over the last couple of months all I have been doing is playing top, trying to only use my guard to get a sweep and get back to playing top. I haven’t willingly pulled guard for a loooooong time. My top game still doesn’t feel much better but I know I have to stick with it and eventually things will click.

My conundrum came on Sunday at the Welsh Open. I have pulled guard within seconds of every fight in every competition I’ve ever entered. This time, due to my current goals, I decided that I would not pull guard. I wanted to be on top.

I suck at takedowns and I have the balance of a one legged drunk, not pulling guard is a risky strategy. I needed my opponents to pull guard on me.

I decided that my gameplan was to walk out on to the mat and not to adopt the typical bjj posture.

By that I mean I would not lean forward with my hands in front in the typical stance. I would stand upright, my hands at my side. I wanted to feign confidence, allude to a mastery of stand up. :/

I wanted to appear confident enough there that my opponent wouldn’t set grips and go for a throw, they would instead pull guard on me and allow me to be where I wanted to be, on top.

IT ONLY BLOODY WORKED!!

One opponent pulled guard and the other two shot for singles! (which is good for me as my sprawl is much better than my throw defence!) It would probably suck if I came up against a Judoka but luckily I didn’t and I achieved what I wanted.

Lesson learned?

Confidence, even if faked, is a very powerful string to your competition bow.

Thought I’d share a pic of my garage…

…now finished and tested.

…and it’s great! It was worth all the effort and the (surprisingly little) expense!!

Whaddya think?

The lead up to Competition…

You’ve been training hard. Now it’s time to enter beast mode.

It’s the day before the Welsh Open and you want to win one of these.

Check weight? CHECK (88.1kg with gi on)
Gameplan? CHECK (not gonna share here obviously haha!)
Kit ready for tomorrow? CHECK (washed & dried, club patch sewed on, placed in bag)
Kit bag filled? CHECK (bag filled with drinks, snacks and camera)
Nervous? Damn Right! (But a good type of nervous where I’m excited!)

My last training session was Wednesday and I am dying for a roll.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is my current jam…

Music is a powerful tool.

It is used in adverts to sell to us. High tempos are pumped to us as we eat a McDonalds in order for us to eat faster, and leave. It affects the way we drive. It can calm us, motivate us, or annoy us.

Music affects my BJJ.

I have some favourite songs to play when rolling at my home space. Each has a different effect on the way I roll at that moment.

Pride & Glory – Troubled Wine

The upbeat rhythmic rock gives me rhythm. What I mean by that is, as I start to nod my head in time with the music I can feel my body start to react by feel rather than thought during the roll. This happens with a few songs, but this one in particular gives me this effect.

System Of A Down – Radio/Video

This song is fun, therefore make me have fun when I roll. I’m 500% more likely to go for something ridiculous when rolling to this song. The last time it was on I tried to cartwheel to pass guard. I can’t even do a cartwheel when not rolling lol!

Tool – Schism

For some reason the rhythmic base gives me focus, my mind is still. I am calm and have a clear vision of where I want to be or what I want to do.

I also think it’s cool that the person singing to me also trains in BJJ and that somehow resonates the lyrical tones with my psyche. (Maynard James Keenan is a Purple Belt under Rickson Gracie)

Pantera – Walk

This song has always amped me up, and does so when I roll. This song is amazing for hard rolling, it transports me back to days when I would spend my weekends in moshpits, headbanging my flowing locks.

I never used to get tired in a pit, you would simply not allow yourself to stop until the song had ended. That mentality helps when rolling hard. Keep going. Don’t stop. Walk.

Is there no standard anymore?
What it takes, who I am, where I’ve been
Belong
You can’t be something you’re not
Be yourself, by yourself
Stay away from me
A lesson learned in life
Known from the dawn of time

Respect, walk

Riziero Ortolani – I Giorni Dell’ira

This is a western style instrumental that I discovered hon the Django Unchained soundtrack. When I roll to this I actually start to almost forget I’m rolling, I start to imagine the film, or I imagine a scenario, or I think back to playing ‘Cowboys and Indians’ as a kid. Not being in the ‘moment’ when rolling is strange.

Thinking about something else enables you to just roll.

Muscle memory, instinct, habit. Not over-thinking is liberating.

___________________________________________________

I’m looking for additions to my ‘Rolling’ playlist, comment with your favourites and what effect they have on you!

Kill ringworm, staph etc easily

Want to stay ringworm/staph free?

Staph Infection

Ringworm

Wash in antidandruff shampoo after training.

Antifungal agents (such as ketoconazole) are often found in antidandruff shampoos. This is a good and cheap way to keep horrible nasties at bay. plus you’ll have less dandruff. Win.

Other things that could help stave off these skin infections and other nasties include washing your gear straight after training, BELT INCLUDED!!!

Ketoconazole (Nizoral, Fungoral and Sebizole)
Preliminary findings, research and studies including the completion of a small controlled clinical trial have produced data suggesting ketoconazole shampoo is effective as a hair loss treatment in men with androgenic alopecia.

Ciclopirox olamine (Loprox)
The cream and lotion form of this agent is used to treat fungal infections of the skin. The lacquer form is used as part of a treatment plan to treat fungal infections of the nails. The shampoo form is used to treat and prevent dandruff or to treat seborrhoeic dermatitis.

Piroctone olamine (Octopirox and Nivea Complete Control)
Piroctone olamine is sometimes used as an antifungal agent, and it often used in dandruff shampoos in lieu of zinc. Piroctone olamine is said to be less toxic than other antidandruff agents, often bypassing some of the normal FDA warnings, but still must be used with care, and only externally.

Zinc pyrithione (Head & Shoulders, Johnson and Johnson ZP-11, Clinic All Clear, Pantene Pro V and Sikkai Powder)
An antifungal and antibacterial agent first reported in the 1930s, zinc pyrithione is best known for its use in the treatment of dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis. It also has antibacterial properties and is effective against many pathogens from the Streptococcus and Staphylococcus genera. Its other medical applications include treatments of psoriasis, eczema, ringworm, fungus, athletes foot, dry skin, atopic dermatitis, tinea, and vitiligo.

Selenium sulfide (Selsun Blue, Head & Shoulders and Vichy Dercos)
Anti-Dandruff Shampoo Selenium sulfide is available as a 1% and 2.5% lotion and shampoo. In some countries, the higher-strength preparations require a doctor’s prescription. The shampoo is used to treat dandruff and seborrhea of the scalp, and the lotion is used to treat tinea versicolor, a fungal infection of the skin.

Tar (Neutrogena T-Gel)
Is effective as a therapeutic treatment to control scalp itching and flaking symptomatic of scalp psoriasis, eczema, seborrhoeic dermatitis and dandruff.

Tea tree oil (Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap)
It is used topically as an ingredient in creams, ointments, lotions, soaps, and shampoos. In addition to antifungal properties, tea tree oil has antiseptic, antibacterial, and antiviral actions. It is also effective against mites (such as scabies), and lice (such as head lice).

Superman BJJ

This gallery contains 1 photo.

This is the infamous Mr Wayne Samways, a good friend and training partner of mine. Currently a BJJ Purple Belt under Chris Rees. This meme is awesome.

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What BJJ means to me…

BJJ turned my life around. I was an overweight lazy bastard who smoked 30 cigarettes a day and was out of breath if I walked the dog. I couldn’t do 5 pushups.

I’ve always been an MMA fan since I saw Randy Couture vs Chuck Liddell 1 on the Bravo Channel about 10 years ago, so when my friend invited me to a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class I couldn’t resist.

The moment I stepped on the mats I was hooked, I couldn’t get through the warmup without almost vomiting at the side. The drilling technique exhausted me, light sparring at the end opened up my eyes to the magnificence of technique as a dude half my size was throwing me around like I weighed nothing. I loved it.

I broke my rib in my fourth class and I was questioning whether I should return. I’m so glad I did.

I’m now 4 stone lighter, a non smoker. I am a blue belt and I train 4 times a week, competing when I can. I’m so hooked I have matted out my garage to train on the side of classes and I keep a Jiu Jitsu based blog. Jiu Jitsu made me a more well rounded, fitter, happier person and I have gained some amazing friends through training.

Before I started BJJ

Now

Ridiculously photogenic BJJ Guy

Clark Gracie

Apparently this has now blown up outside of the BJJ world and is now all over meme sites. Lol.

Your belt is just a piece of cloth…

…it it not full of jiu jitsu magic…

…it does not contain any knowledge…

WASH YOUR GOD DAMN BELTS PEOPLE!!

After a jesting conversation with training partners and a few light hearted posts on facebook, a quick google and a browse of the usual BJJ related forums; it has become clear that most players never wash their belts!

Most believe there is no point as it hardly touches your skin, some believe it harnesses your jits’ magical powers and you will wash it out, some are just lazy.

Imagine the amount of time the belt is in contact with all the foustiness on the mats. At the end of the session it sits in your kit bag. Before the next session it mixes with your fresh water bottle, your clean rashguard, your clean gi. It’s rubbing all over the inside of your kit bag. EVERYTIME YOU PLACE ANYTHING IN THERE WITH YOUR BELT IT IS NOW COVERED IN FOUST!!!!!!

Read a Microbiologists take on it here http://bjiujitsu.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/microbiologists-take-on-bjj.html

“Your skin has an amazing abundance of bacteria that call it home including Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes and our sweat is at the tops of their menu. I would imagine a sweaty cotton belt would be a perfect place for bacteria to set up shop. So if the goal is to encourage the growth of bacteria (cos remember S. epidermidis’s cousin S. aureus likes sweat too), not washing a cotton belt is a great idea.”

Think about that the next time your partners belt is thrust upon your mouth whilst in bottom north south!! Ew!

Wash your belts people!

MR TICKLE BJJ DEAL ALERT! Battle Gear Soldier Gi £40

I own this gi and I find the fit perfect for my tall an slim frame, it’s by far my favourite gi in circulation. The cut is flattering and the arm/leg length has hardly shrunk in tens of washes.

Battle gear are currently selling it for £40 which is a steal, if your in the market for a new gi I have nothing but good things to say about this one!

http://www.battlegearbjj.com/soldier-bjj-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-white-kimono–gi-by-battle-gear-97-p.asp

If you end up buying one, let me know what you think!