First and foremost let me say thank you to all my Dojo brothers and sisters for allowing me a few moments of your time. This is my first attempt at contributing to the Blog and I hope it's insightful.
I would like you to look at your stand-up game, as Jiu-jitsu practitioners. At first glance one would think that stand-up isn't that important. Certain, in fact most, famous Jiu-jitsu practitioners don't seem to put much emphasis on the stand-up game at all. This is false. One must keep in mind when watching Youtube clips of the best rolling with the best ( i.e. ADCC) if a fighter "jumps" the guard or butt scoots around the mat, it is to surpass the inevitable stand-up cat and mouse. At a certain level the little edge that wins a Jiu-jitsu match is just ever so slight. So, that being said, let's talk about the level of Jiu-jitsu many of us are at.
We, Sho-Rei-ShoBu-Kan jiu-jitsuka, have an advantage in the fact that we have Roseberry-Shihan and his Judo lineage. We have the tools at hand to have an unstoppable stand-up game, and I feel we have an obligation to have an excellent stand-up game. That's our edge, our advantage. Other guys can perform 50 or 100 submissions in class, but what good are all those submissions if they cannot be applied? Worthless! You might ask " How does one apply said submissions in open grappling?" Well if you were to ask Schafer-Sensei, I bet he would say through control and dominate position. How do we gain that dominate position? Well, superior wrestling and scrambling skills will get you there, but so will dominate stand-up. If you control the fight from the time your opponents is on his/her feet, the transition to the mat, and once you hit the mat then why struggle wrestling around for position? You're already there. Lately Shihan has taught a few classes, and He always stresses throwing. I know it's tough, being tossed around hitting the mat over and over. Falter not my brethren! Shihan has a method behind his madness. the key to the method is ........ DOMINANCE. Shihan says over and over to "Get out on the mat and do your business" and "put him away!" From the beginning to end, from the time you first grip your opponent be in control. Dominate. If you control the transition from the feet to the mat, your already ahead.
This being said I encourage everyone to seek this knowledge out. Hone your stand-up skills. Anytime you have a chance to start your open grappling from the stand-up position, do. Take advantage of the precious moments when Shihan is on the mat. If you happen to miss those practices, go to a Judo class or two. Ask Schafer-Sensei if he would look at some take-downs in class, I'm sure he would love to accommodate any student questing for more knowledge. And of course I am always happy to answers any questions that might arise. Hopefully I then can learn from you in turn. That's what being Sempai is all about. Anyway I guess I have ranted enough, remember good stand-up equals DOMINANCE.
8/21/08
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3 comments:
Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu! Nice post, Ray. Thank you
I also appreciate this. One thing that I notice we do in open mat (which is, I believe, unwise) is turn our on-knees beginnings into a battle in and of itself. We look like sumo wrestlers on our knees. If we think about the real implications of this, such really does nothing for our development. In a jiu-jitsu tournament or if we are confronted in a real situation, we're not going to start on our knees. And if we end up in a scrabble and somehow do end up on our knees with our opponent, it is very unwise to stay on our knees. First thing we should do in such a real situation is get back to the feet and bulldoze the opponent.
I once watched an Eddie Bravo seminar when he gave a speech about this. He said he can't stand when people battle on their knees for dominant position because it is so unrealistic. It seems that way to me. Sometimes we can maul people from the knees. Yet doing so on the feet, well that's a totally different game! My point: I agree with Ray's contention. Jiu-Jitsu practitioners need an effective stand up game, and working from the knees in open mat does not cut it. Such works when beginning our efforts to improve our ground game, but that beginning knee position shouldn't turn into a 2 minute battle in and of itself.
I completely agree that being good at takedowns is an advantage in a tournament or MMA, but we only have so much class and open mat time.
We are lucky enough to have a judo class after our class so people that want to improve on throws can stay for both classes.
There is so much to learn on the ground alone that someone could spend there entire life training it and still be learning.
as for starting on the knees, there are a couple different reasons for that. One simply being space. It takes a lot less space to have everyone on their knees rather than standing up, and people are less likely to bump into eachother that way. Another being time. If two guys almost equal in takedowns face off they might be standing for three or four minutes after each submission.
if someone is coming up with strategies for facing an opponent on their knees then they aren't looking at the big picture.
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