4 Years at Black Belt: Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
Nelson reflects on his fourth year as a BJJ black belt in his latest blog post. Read it now to see how a black belt keeps developing their game.
Meet the Pandas – The Not-So-Gentle Dutch Giant – Martijn ‘Grandão’ Gademan
The Europeans are a powerful part of the Panda Nation. Last time we introduced British black belt and all-round submission wizard David ‘Morcegão’ George. For this episode we turn the spotlight on yet another incredibly tall and skilled grappler, multiple time IBJJF champion Martijn ‘Grandão’ Gademan: Dutch mat rat, eternal teenager and undisputed master of the Closed Guard From Hell. There should be a rule against teaching incredibly strong and tall humans jiu-jitsu - because it just isn’t fair for the rest of us. Still, Martijn Gademan (44) was dragged out of the weight room into the dojo, and started wrapping up his victims soon after. ‘Grandão’ is one of those rare jiu-jitsu practicioners who is universally both liked &...
Personality shifts and changes and clashes in BJJ
Do you “shift gears” when you train? In his new blog post, Marshal writes about how his goals and responsibilities for a training session change his approach.
Why My Son May Not Do BJJ
Hillary and I are expecting our first child. Right after being asked if we are having a boy or girl, (it’s a boy), we get asked when he is going to start training. I have been thinking about this a lot. I have been around BJJ for a long time, and before that I wrestled. I have seen the crazy pressure grappling parents can put on their kids, and the last thing I want is Leonardo hating BJJ by the time he is in high school.Whether he wants it or not BJJ is going to be around him. We run a jiu-jitsu family business, after all. Not only do we plan on training a few times a week for the...
Get More Gains Out of Open Mat
I’m going to make a bold assumption: You want to get better at BJJ. (I must be a mind reader.) Open mat can be a secret weapon in your training if you use it right. These tips will help make sure you do.
What I Didn’t Know I Didn’t Know about Jiu-Jitsu
Val has put a lot of miles on her jiu-jitsu wheels, and here are some unexpected lessons she has learned along the way.
Building a Bigger Engine for BJJ
I often hear high level practitioners recommend against conditioning outside of BJJ, that the only thing you should be doing to improve your cardio for jiu-jitsu is more jiu-jitsu. While there is some truth to this if you are training with 5-6 times a week with training partners of equal or higher level...
Learning BJJ in Layers
In his newest blog post, Marshal argues that teaching white belts is kind of like teaching a child not to color on the walls.
Crossing the Bridge of ADHD and Dyslexia
When I was young, my family—my father, mother, sister, and me—immigrated from Chile to the United States. My family wanted better education opportunities for my sister and I, and they felt that moving to the U.S. would give us access to things we might not find in Chile.We landed at the JFK airport, and I asked my dad if we could take the Golden Gate Bridge on our way to our aunt’s house in New Jersey. For some reason, I had myself convinced that the Golden Gate Bridge was in New York—who knows how kids get ideas into their brains—and I kept asking.My dad, in Spanish, said, “No, this is New York. Saturday Night Fever. John Travolta. We’ll cross the...
How to Wash, Dry, and Shrink (or Not Shrink) Your Gis
So you've got a fancy new gi and you want to do everything you can to keep it looking good and fitting right for a long time. Here's your guide to washing, drying, and shrinking (or not shrinking) your gis. Do I need to do a vinegar soak before washing a new gi for first time? No. This is not necessary for new gis. This practice comes from the idea that you need to "set" the dye so it does not run in the wash. Some gi companies may have problems with extra dye on their fabric so they can get a supersaturated color, and that first soak and wash helps remove dye that would run off, but the vinegar doesn't do...