Igor Kurinnoy: Sambo Master

Superb grappling.  Incredible palette of techniques, with innovative entries (:28!), well timed footsweeps, and fantastic throws.  Love the method of pressing for the omoplata by leveraging against your opponents head at 1:36. The combination at 2:48 is divine.  I bow to Sambo Master Igor Kurinnoy.

His accomplishments include:

Merited Master of Sport
Three Time Sambo World Champion
Five Time Sambo World Cup Champion
Director of Borec Sports Club

No Gi Essentials Pre-Order

My latest project, No Gi Essentials, has been sent to the replicators and I’ve begun taking pre-orders from those brave souls willing to view it first!

Huge thanks to Rick and TJ for nobly assisting with this production.  I couldn’t have done it without them, and those that have gotten a sneak peek say it’s my best work yet.

Just click here if you’d like to be first in line to receive the new DVD.

Rebekah Creswell:  BJJ Blue Belt

Please help me congratulate Becky Creswell on her well deserved promotion to blue belt.  Bravo!

Scene from Becky Blue

Derek Wojcik:  Grappler

Beautiful grappling from Derek Wojcik, in a fusion of wrestling, Judo, BJJ, and sambo.  Excellent control, too.  Watch out for this kid, he’s got a bright future!

No Gi Seminar, Naples, Florida

On Sunday, March 14th, I will be leading a 3 hour no gi seminar in Naples, Florida! 

All interested parties are invited to attend, and all seminar participants will receive a free copy of my new No Gi Essentials DVD!

You can check out the details for this and other upcoming seminars on my recently updated Seminars page.

See you there!

Big D Takes the Plunge

On February 26, our very own Donald Bowerman will join hundreds of zany souls who will plunge into the Deschutes River, and he’s doing it to raise money for the athletes of Special Olympics Oregon. Please consider making a donation to help him reach his goal!

Every dollar counts, and the money goes to a great cause. Your donation will help support year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Through sport, the athletes of Special Olympics Oregon develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.

Thank you for considering making a donation!

Click here to visit his personal web page and help him in his efforts to support Special Olympics Oregon.

A Letter From Australia

A Training Experience

by Dion Mitchell

Recently I had the opportunity to travel from Australia to Bend, Oregon and take a two week training vacation at the Roy Dean Academy.  I had set high expectations for the trip and I was not let down!

After seeing the great media that is being produced by Roy Dean and his students at the Roy Dean Academy, I new that this would be an excellent venue to continue my journey of BJJ.  Roy’s products i.e. Blue Belt & Purple Belt requirements and belt demonstrations have really set the tone for my approach to the art so I felt that a thank you to Roy was in order, along with picking up some new techniques and top notch instruction, sounded like an excellent way to spend a vacation.

Having never previously visited the United States, I had no prior perceptions about Bend which allowed me to get a true feel for the town.  Everyone I met in the town was lovely and friendly and more than willing to help a visitor to their town.  The town is clean and tidy with a nice feel about it, with many people being actively involved in some kind of sport.

On the Saturday I arrived at the club, Roy was unable to be present, however, I was warmly welcomed by TJ Brodeur, a recently awarded purple belt under Mr Dean.  He showed me around the academy and introduced me to other fellow students, all of whom were extremely friendly.

The following Monday, I had my first opportunity to meet and train with Roy.  Meeting the instructor whose game I looked up to was a great experience, and lunch was offered, so I couldn’t refuse!  The class began with some light solo and partner drills and then moved into techniques as shown in the Blue Belt Requirements DVD.  Roy’s instruction, like in his DVD’s was clear, concise and straight to the point with further guidance given where required when drilling the shown technique. 

Thanks to Roy’s manner of teaching, he is able to move through a lot of technique in each class, yet would always have a theme for the class, so not to complicate with a wide range of positions.  Something “a little more advanced” was always shown to give higher ranking belts new techniques to cover and give lower ranking belts something to work towards.  Sparking that interest is a great way of seeing how much more there is to come.

The same can also be said for all the instructors at the Roy Dean Academy, all of whom I had the privilege to train with and sample their instruction.  The teachings were always clear and consistent with other instructors, showing a great understanding of the techniques.

Whilst in Bend, I also had the opportunity to take some private lessons with Roy.  These were invaluable!  New techniques were shown and the opportunity to have questions answered in regards to concerns in my own game was priceless.  Roy’s knowledge of the art is very high and this showed in his ability to answer any questions I had, and offer alternatives for my knowledge level from areas of concern.

Everyone at the Roy Dean Academy made me feel extremely welcome, and coming from a club that I consider to have great camaraderie, I felt right at home.  Thanks must go to all the students at the Roy Dean Academy, my training partners and instructors for training with me, guiding me and encouraging me whilst on the mat.  I would like to extend a special thanks to James, Suzanne, TJ and Rick for kindly inviting me into their homes and giving me a glimpse of what it would be like to live like a local and hang out as a group socially.

Of course my last thanks go to Mr Dean.  Thank you for entertaining me outside of class and allowing me to interact with you on a social level, not just as student/instructor.  My instructor at my home club once told me that the student/instructor relationship is quite a private relationship.  For him to get where he is (an accomplished BJJ practitioner and fellow BJJ black belt) he has had to endure many hardships and for him to pass on that information that he has gained through many years of training, is quite a personal process.

For this reason I would like to sincerely thank Mr Dean for the high level of training and instruction he has provided me.  He has also had to endure many years of training to get where he is, and to learn from him carries a great feeling.  Thank you Roy, I am already feeling better on the mat since my return home.

My best wishes to Roy and all his students. I will be eagerly watching everyone’s progress and look forward to training with you all again.

Thank you.

Subleague 2.13.10

RDA journeyed to Liberty High School in Hillsborough, Oregon, for the latest Subleague competition.  Put on by Impact Jiu Jitsu, Subleague is a no gi, round robin, submission only grappling tournament.  It was extremely well run, fair, punctual, and rife with good sportsmanship.  The grappling world needs more tournaments like this.

All the competitors did well.  TJ’s foray into the advanced division went smoothly, as you can see above.  That kneebar was the fastest submission of the day, until Neil eclipsed TJ’s mark with a 21 second armbar!  Neil took third in the intermediate division and fought like a champion.  Tremendous heart on display, plus an aggressive drive to finish the fight against some very tough guys. 

Jeff may have had the biggest breakthrough.  He looked composed on his feet, was successful with his half guard, and had a tremendous arm triangle to take second place.  I am proud of their performances, and I am fired up to dial in a few areas of their training to take them to that next level.  The entire Academy will benefit from their willingness to put it on the line.

Congratulations to TJ, Neil and Jeff!  Special thanks to those that journeyed to Portland to support the team. 

Be on the lookout for some RDA girls in the next Subleague on April 3rd, 2010!

The Path to Purple

[Editor’s note:  This article is from the soon to be released RDA Student Handbook]

By TJ Brodeur

As I write this,  I have been a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for just over one month.  The process of my transition from blue to purple is still very clear in my head, and has given me a much greater appreciation for the complexity and elegance of this art.  I hope that by sharing my experience in earning my purple belt, I will give the new practitioner a glimpse into a deeper part of the game and view of what is to come if they stick with it. 

There are many things that have changed for me on the way from white belt to purple belt.  However, to compare and contrast these changes, let me focus on three terms define this progression: clarity, efficiency, and purpose. 

Efficiency

Most new students leave their first classes—particularly after their first rolling experience—saying the same thing: “I need to get in better shape.”  While this may be true to some degree, the real problem—as Roy discusses so well in the Blue Belt Requirements DVD—is poor gas mileage or,  put another way, inefficiency of movement.  Plainly put, new students lack the basic skills to move themselves on the ground.

For the student who focuses their early efforts on learning and practicing fundamental movement drills (e.g., shrimping, rolling, bridging, etc), overcoming this gas mileage problem is easily accomplished and is their first real break-though in the art. 

By the time we reach blue belt, most students have made great improvements in energy conservation and economy of motion.  With the progression from blue belt to purple belt I have discovered the next evolution in improving efficiency. 

At first, this improvement manifested itself in more seamless transitions between movements.  The individual steps that defined a given technique at blue belt have morphed into a single, fluid movement.  The gaps that existed between, say, passing the guard and securing an arm lock have gotten smaller and smaller, until the momentum of the first carries into the second. 

But recently I have noticed an even more profound change in my efficiency; the ability to multi-task.  This was unexpected, but has dramatically changed my game.  There is now overlap in my movements and techniques.  While moving into mount, I find myself already beginning to control and isolate an arm.  This allows me to be 90% complete with my submission attempt by the time I establish my position; greatly increasing my effectiveness in getting the actual submission.

Much of this improved efficiency has been the result of drilling.  In hindsight, I now recognize how important—and often neglected—this aspect of training is.  Drilling movement and combinations, particularly while preparing for my purple belt demonstration, was the vehicle for change I experienced.  To the new student, I would offer the suggestion to resist the urge spar all the time, and instead use some portion of each open mat to drill techniques.

Clarity

Looking back at my first year (maybe two years) of training, the only way I can describe it is chaos.  It didn’t seem like chaos then, but is sure does in retrospect.  Chaos was in every aspect of my training.  Sparring was an exhausting thrash; desperately scrambling for positions and frantically—often futilely—grabbing for submissions.  Even after getting my blue belt, much of my sparring was still a random search for how to use the techniques I knew in a given situation.  I had not yet developed a “game”, as I will discuss later.

As a purple belt, rolling is no longer the foreign, confusing event it once was.  Instead has become more of a chess game for me.  I understand the rules of the game, I can see the position of the pieces on the board, and I know how each of them can move. 

Getting caught in a submission is no longer a “where did that come from” event.  Instead, I am aware of the set up and my options as the set up is happening, but getting tapped is often much more the result of a strategic error; I see the armlock set-up and the choke threat to prevent my counter, I begin to rotate, aware of the risk to my opposite arm, but leave it out for a fraction of a second too long, and “check mate.”  Conversely, the opposite is true; I have a better understanding of the strategies that make my own submissions work.

An additional dimension to this clarity is having a better understanding of what my opponent will do in a given situation.  I now know that if standing, a brand new student is likely to drop their head and attempt a tackle (perfect opening for a guillotine) or a bigger student will be likely to attempt to reach out and choke me if in my guard (truly a gift if you are ready to rotate for the arm lock). 

The magic of the submission that seems to “come out of nowhere,” that all of us have felt when rolling with a higher belt, is often just this; they knew what you were likely going to do before you did and were setting up while you were still dealing with the last movement.  As a purple belt, I get to be on the right side of this situation much more than I ever did when I was a blue belt.

Purpose

My definition of purpose is being deliberate and having a defined road map to rolling and training.  This is really just a result of the efficiency and clarity discussed above, but is more than that.  For the first time since starting BJJ, I feel I am developing a “game”.  As I stated before, the early parts of most of our training is a random search for techniques. 

The first step out of this was finding my first my first “bread and butter” submission.  For me this was the straight arm bar from the guard and it opened up a a whole new dimension to rolling.  It provided a regular method for “getting the tap”, but more importantly, it gave me something I could threaten my opponent with.

In hindsight, this was the first step to developing a game.  Having a way to force or at least encourage my opponent to respond to this threat, I was able to steer the direction of the fight.  I could begin to use the arm lock as a jab or feint, opening up other opportunities for submissions or sweeps; forcing my opponent into the position I wanted.

Simply put, having a “game” means having the ability to develop and implement a strategy.  I can set an objective while rolling and use the movements and techniques I know to get there.  The things I do have now have a very specific purpose.  This purpose to what I do on the mat has also affected how I train between sparring sessions.

Having a strategy I’m trying to implement allows me to better determine which things I need to focus on while training.  I often analyze my game for holes or weaknesses, figuring out which techniques I need to get better at, and focusing on those.  I determine tactical deficiencies and set out to obtain the weapons I need to fix them.

In closing, I will say that while I have discovered these things and they represent a significant achievement, this art is extremely deep and my development continues.  I will likely look back at my time as a purple belt much like I now look back at my white and blue belt years.  BJJ is much more enjoyable to me as a purple belt than as a blue belt, as imagine it will be even more enjoyable as a brown and, ultimately,  a black belt. 

To the new student, I would say to keep goin despite the frustration that may arise in the early parts of training.  It will get easier, it will get better. 

Look forward to each new breakthrough and enjoy it, but understand that with each new breakthrough comes a new challenge, and a new layer of the art that you were not remotely aware of.  Embrace this.

No Gi Essentials Trailer

The Release of Piano 21

For those curious about my musical past, Piano 21 was just released on iTunes.  10 songs, recorded in one sitting on my last night as a 20 year old.  Each song was composed in relation to the others.  From the cascades of “Waterdance” to the frenetic hammering of “Velocity,” this album embraces the contrasts that only the piano forte can deliver.  I even threw in a cover of U2’s “One” for good measure.  Take a listen. 

Caryn Ackerman: BJJ Blue Belt

Please join me in congratulating Caryn Ackerman on her promotion to blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!  Caryn showed crisp technique, tremendous heart, and gameness through and through.  It’s worth noting she’s my first female blue belt.  Really proud of her performance.  Bravo!

The Beauty of Yoga

Stacey Lee demonstrates a posture I cannot do.  She is currently teaching yoga in Islamorada, Florida.

I’ve wanted to fall in love with yoga for a long time. I always knew, subconsciously, whether through past life experience or an attraction to Yoga Journal cover girls, that I had an affinity for this ancient tradition.  I had said to myself several times that if I found myself unable to train martial arts, I would devote myself to yoga.  I recognized a relationship, without really knowing why.

So I tried different things over the years. I went to a Zen and yoga retreat at Tassajara,  where I was able to sample the Iyengar style. I liked Iyengar, with long static postures and the use of props to achieve the correct positions, but it didn’t capture me.

Of course I had tried Bikram Yoga, a.k.a “hot yoga.” Doing classes was certainly a rush, but the amount of water I lost every class was shocking, the pungent 115° F room was less than appealing, and the intensity of it made me question whether this could be an everyday discipline.

Then came Ashtanga.  Jimmy turned me on to it.  He swore it was the real deal, that the instructor David Miliotis was definitely a “black belt” yogi, and that I would like it.  He described the clarity of mind and sense of centeredness he felt after each session, and said that of all the styles he had tried, or all the physical disciplines he had explored, Ashtanga was really unparalleled. 

I was intrigued, but not completely sold.  Part of me wanted to go shala hopping, trying out classes at all the schools in Bend, partly as a social exercise, and partly to sample the goods to make an informed decision.  But I trusted Jimmy’s opinion, called up David Miliotis, and scheduled my 2 week introductory course with Stacey Lee, an advanced practitioner and instructor who led afternoon sessions at Ashtanga Yoga Bend (AYB).

Stacey led me through the standing postures of primary series.  It was tough.  Many modifications had to be made to the postures so that I could come close to approximating them.  My shoulders were astoundingly tight.  My hips rebelled.  My hamstrings laughed.  There was not an iota of relaxation in holding any position.  Stacey made everything look smooth and effortless.  I was a white belt once again, in a long established no gi system of movement.

Other yogas left me satisfied with a light sweat and a nice view.  This was different.  This was demanding in its precision.  Breathe this way.  Look at that.  It was technical.  Serious.  It reminded me of jiu jitsu.  Finally, something had clicked.

Afternoon yoga classes were just about the best warmup imaginable before teaching BJJ, though I was told that morning practice was even better.  Initially I didn’t believe, but once I made it, I quickly converted. 

That first A.M. practice stands out for me.  I woke up, groggy and sore, threw some coffee down my gullet, and stumbled to the shala.  I came back 90 minutes later, loose and relaxed, with unparalleled equanimity of mind.  Chakras were open for business, and I was a changed man. 

I am still a white belt, working my way through primary series, but I’m excited by the progress I’ve made.  Postures that were difficult have now become easy, and postures I thought I would never get are now within reach.  My hips and back have loosened up to a degree I’m amazed by.  I feel faster and significantly less prone to injury, particularly in my knees.  Recognition and control of my center has definitely increased.  I feel the balancing effects of this yoga on every level.

And all I had to do was practice.  Just show up and practice.  There are a number of disciplines that this lesson applies to.  For example, all of them.

I’ve fallen in love with yoga.  Finally.

TJ Brodeur: Fortitude

TJ Brodeur’s first album “Fortitude” went live today on iTunes.  Click here to check it out!

There are a lot of things I love about this album.  First, it rocks.  Second, it successfully combines the major influences of my guitar hero youth (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Yngwie Malmsteen) with electronic studio trickery, samples, and tasty beats.  The album grooves, shakes, echoes and shreds. 

The question is:  Are you man enough to listen?