Merry Christmas (and happy training) to everyone in the BJJ community. Even Braulio Estima is getting into the Christmas spirit.
Is there a single genre of music that embodies jiu jitsu? I’d doubt it. The myriad styles, attitudes, and philosophies that make up BJJ are too diverse to be pigeonholed into a single genre. Some people have slow, methodical styles of jiu jitsu that may be best summed up with reggae or indy rock. I know many people who enjoy listening to Bob Marley while training – slow, rhythmic beats in songs like Jamming and One Love evoke a patient, carefree atmosphere. Conversely, we might imagine that faster, heavier, louder music genres embody an aggressive, highly physical style of jiu jitsu.
Despite the innumerable musical genres we might associate with jiu jitsu, one thing is certain: the following song is not one of them.
That’s right – Ralek Gracie, the brother of Rener and Ryron Gracie of Gracie University fame, has burst onto the musical scene with his debut album “Ginagi.” His first single, titled “G-in-a-gi,” after which the album is named, refers to Ralek who fancies himself a G (i.e. a “gangsta”) who wears a jiu jitsu gi.* However, with lyrics such as “I rock the kimono like I’m rockin’ with Bono” (0:52) and “shit could get heavy like tons of broccoli” (1:54) I would beg to differ.
Most definitely not a gangsta
Ugh… having listened to that song more than once to find those gems**, I think it’s only fair that everyone I train with also be subjected to it. I’m going to sneak this song into the playlist I use for open mat. On a more personal level, I intend to use it as motivation – if music can represent different styles of BJJ, I intend to train extra hard so that nobody will naturally associate my style of jiu jitsu with “G-in-a-gi.”
*I suppose it’s also possible that the “G” Ralek is referring to is the fact that he is a Gracie. I hope so, since it would make this song slightly less silly.
**Hilariously (or perhaps because he is in on the joke), Ralek’s Youtube channel describes his music as “surprisingly wide-ranging and thought provoking.”
With the new year fast approaching, the internet is abuzz with jiu jitsu practitioners reflecting on their accomplishments over the last year and listing their goals for the next. Throughout these posts about jiu jitsu goals, I’ve noticed a few common themes that warrant some discussion:
“Get my ____ belt”
The fear of getting injured is one of the biggest obstacles that keep people from training martial arts, and I’d argue that it is especially the case with submission grappling. Even though the term “jiu jitsu” is literally translated as “The Gentle Art,” the art’s focus on chokes and joint locks often discourages people from learning it.
Watching Frank Mir harvest Nogueira's arm at UFC 140 probably doesn't help either...
The topic of this discussion is a bit ironic, given the recent scarcity of my blog posts. Irony aside, I thought I’d dedicate a post to the single factor that has improved my (admittedly still novice) BJJ game more than anything else: consistency.
Before experiencing the effectiveness of jiu jitsu, I thought the key to winning fights was strength and speed. I figured that if I just put in enough time at the gym, or if I could force myself to do enough push-ups, I could ensure that I would be bigger, stronger, and faster than anyone I’d come across. Of course, this was a fantasy I clung to in high school before realizing that I seriously hated working out. Not to mention that I was smaller and skinnier than pretty much everyone I knew, which meant I was already at a massive disadvantage in the muscles category.
Besides, there's a reason that Mariusz Pudzianowski (the world's strongest man) isn't also the UFC heavyweight champ. Muscles =/= Fighting ability.
ADCC 2011 was one of the most exciting grappling events (from a fan’s perspective) to come along in quite some time. In addition to the huge names present and stacked divisions, the updated rules allowed competitors to open up their games, worry less about points, and hunt for submissions. Couple that with some interesting back-stories and long-time rivalries, and it was an event chock-full of highlight reel moments.
If you didn’t watch it live or purchase the DVDs, check out this amazing short film by Stuart Cooper for a glimpse at what you missed.
An analogy is often drawn between Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and chess; during a match, you are constantly adapting your strategy to the movements of your opponent, just as you would in a game of chess. I particularly like the intellectual aspect of the game emphasized by this comparison.
If your opponent blocks your hips with a hand, you have a different set of escape options than if she used a knee. Securing an underhook in butterfly guard allows for the application of a variety of techniques that would not otherwise be available, and a corresponding shift in the options available to your opponent. In back control, trapping an opponent’s defending arm with your leg (thereby leaving him with only one arm to defend against your two attacking arms) is the jiu-jitsu equivalent of putting your opponent in check. Securing the rear naked choke is the equivalent of check-mate.
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