April is the Month

April is the month of change at the Academy.  First, we will be moving into High Desert Aikido, and changing the day time class hours.  Day classes will be Monday and Friday, 12:15-1:15.  Evening classes will be at the same time, 8:15-9:30, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Saturday training will be from 3-4.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, I will be teaching in Redmond, at Xtreme Fitness Center, from 7-8 p.m. 

We will have another friendship training with High Desert Aikido on March 15, 6-7:30 p.m.

Another E-Journal of Jujutsu is set for an April release.  This next issue features a pictorial of the Aikido Bridge seminar (Doran, Tissier, Ikeda, and Matsuoka, et al), a Roy Harris article on the beginning journey in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, an amazing Q & A on cutting edge strength and conditioning with Robb Wolfe, plus Judo and BJJ champion Daniel Camarillo recounts growing up on the mats of his father’s dojo.

April is the month.  We’re taking the Academy to the next level. 

Jean Jacques Machado TV Special

Here is the special on Jean Jacques Machado from Fit TV.  Jean Jacques is a legend and a finisher who always goes for the submission.  Every breakfast, I read his Black Belt Techniques book with my eggs.  If I were on a desert island and could only take one jiu jitsu book, this would be it!

Seibukan Jujutsu Analysis

I get mail.  Mail from all over.  And it is not usual for me to field questions on my opinion of Seibukan Jujutsu, from those looking to study it, and even those currently training in it. 

Here’s the deal:  Seibukan Jujutsu is an excellent modern martial art and way.  It is good for self defense, with it’s emphasis on getting off the line of attack from strikes, kicks, and various weapons.  As a path to self discovery, and as a means of increasing coordination and general body integration, it is excellent. 

As a fighting art, it is decent at best.  In an altercation, a Seibukan Jujutsu warrior may find themselves off balance by the speed, ferocity, or shockingly stiff resistance from a trained fighter versed in the randori training method.  Henka, Seibukan’s closest approximation to sparring, is a welcome intermediate step from kata, or the prearranged, though more dynamic, yet still prearranged tai sabaki exercise.  Henka does encourage a sense of spontaneity, adaptation, and the ability to “keep going,” as Soke Toribio likes to remind us. 

But it’s still not real resistance.  If you want to be able to fight, if this is paramount to you, then Seibukan may give you a false sense of security in your personal level of effectiveness.  That is not an slam against Seibukan.  Many arts give you a false sense of security, once a person has tasted a little bit of power yet doesn’t have the experience, or hasn’t developed the discrimination, between the controlled and often rehearsed environment of the dojo and our unpredictable, unrehearsed world.  This is the disadvantage of arts that lack sparring.

Sparring arts obliterate that false sense of security. By the time you have real ability, you have lost many times.  Undeniably worked.  Consistently schooled.  That changing resistance you encounter from your partner is the friction and stimulant and triggers our ability to grow.  As real skills are developed slowly over time, rarely are the moves used what YOU would like to do.  The moves are generated by necessity: what fits in the flux.  You may have imagined yourself winning the match by flying armlock, but took the guillotine because that’s what was there.  You take what you can and are thankful for it.  Sparring pounds out the fantasy of flipping the guy with a wristlock off his first punch, followed by an intricate lock flow and precision strikes to pressure points.  Sparring experience greatly diminishes the expectations your imagination builds up, consciously or unconsciously. 

So there is the flip side of competitive training models.  Less ego, and a more restrained martial vision for effectiveness.  Many argue the opposite is true, but I can only offer my own experience. Everyone’s mileage is different.  And their experience is no less true than my own.

So, if you’re coming from a background in an art with sparring (boxing, kickboxing, Judo, BJJ, and many others), then the attributes those arts demand (speed, power, timing, sensitivity, killer instinct, etc) will translate well into an art where they are merely encouraged, like Seibukan, or Aikido.  It depends on what you want.  If you want the rush of real resistance, then do BJJ. If you want to just use the arts as a vehicle for exercise, social networking, with solid self defense principles and basics, then Seibukan is the art for you.

Chances are you will never have to use martial skills in your lifetime.  So do what you want.  No one is watching.   

Cleaning Up Myspace

I took the time this weekend to clean up my personal slice of Myspace, the popular website interconnecting the youth of our country.  Heeding the recommendations of one of my friends, I converted my hodge podge personal page filled with older pics of me in a bear hat and a puppy that I did not own into a more stylized BJJ direction.  Cleaned up the pics, redid the background, put some videos up on that blog space, and threw in some links.  Less is more.  Again. Check it out here.

Be sure to contact me if you have a Myspace page already.  Or start one!  Some members have thousands of “friends”, but I prefer to only allow those that I know personally or have met in the flesh.  There’s lots of attention getting ploys by people on that site.  Another microcosm of life.  But I’m constantly amazed by how many people visit Myspace regularly.  I’ve connected with some old friends I may never see again in person.  It is not to be underestimated! 

Last Night’s Rolling

Brought my video camera to class last night.  I’m starting to roll again, now and then, and still testing out my finger.  Came home and cut it down to some nice movements by Academy members.  Big thanks to Anthony, TJ, Rick, Dominic, Donald, and Cosmo.  Didn’t have time to compose original music too, so forgive the lift from my Seibukan Sandan video! 

I would like to videotape rolling once a month and put it up for study and review.  Then, over the course of the year, the progression will be easy to see.  The future looks bright!

Rick Estrada, Submission Champion

So let’s step into an alternate reality for a moment.  It’s 2002, and Chris Brennan is putting on the last Westside Submission Championship at his original school.  There’s a big tournout, especially for my weight division, 160-175.  10 guys, which means fighting 9 times in the round robin format. Luckily(?), 2 people dropped out from injuries, so we only fought 7 times straight. 

I lost my first 2 matches, then submitted my next 5 opponents.  Rick Estrada was the winner of the tournament, tapping 7 of 7 opponents.  I had no idea who he was, nor had he ever seen me before, so when we met in the second fight, it was quite a battle.  I was spent after that match, yet had 5 fights to go.  Rick told me later that he was dry heaving outside after our match.  I never did a round robin tournament again.

So this is Rick’s view of that tournament, and here are some things to note:

1.  Note how many people get injured in this tournament.  2 heel hooks taken so hard that their opponent’s get up with a limp, and a knee bar that made the whole place jump when it popped.

2.  Rick’s cervical manipulations are awesome.  I almost tapped out at 2:42, you can see my hand go towards my neck.  His one arm guillotine is deadly.  I had great difficulty swallowing for the next 2 days, my Adam’s apple and throat were so torn up.  This was definitely a rough tournament!

3.  I learned from my mistake of switching sides from knee on belly, that’s when he was able to catch a leg.  Also note the impact of Rick’s right foot on the heel hook entry.  I should have worn a cup!

4.  The last match, with the inhumanly strong wrestler from the RAW team, is classic.  Great throw by the wrestler at 13:02, and look at the beautiful basic bridge and roll by Rick at 15:02.  Look at the wrestler insist he can still continue after his knee pops!  Not normal!

Big props to Rick Estrada for this performance.  Chris Brennan has produced some great students, and Rick Estrada is one of them! 

It’s Official

On April 1, I will officially begin teaching in Redmond, at Xtreme Fitness Center.  Classes will be an hour long, immediately following the cardio kickboxing.

I ordered nine 6 x 12 mats from Swain Sports, in black.  They’re being manufactured as we speak and should be delivered shortly before April.

I’m excited about my partnership with Xtreme Fitness, and the ability to bring this art to the citizens of Redmond, Prineville, and the surrounding areas.

All members of the Redmond Academy will be eligible to attend classes in Bend, and vice versa.  Days will be completely interchangable.

Having another school to train at will really accelerate the learning of students at each location.  Everyone figured out your game at class?  Hop to the other city and work your techniques against those who aren’t familiar.  It helps keeps things fresh.

Recent Aikiweb Posting

Originally posted at Aikiweb.com on a thread entitled “Aikido vs. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu”.

Matt,

I spent many years training Aikido and am also a well trained BJJ man.  I know precisely the questioning and curiosity the videos trigger in you as an Aikidoka.  I went through that same process.

But questioning wasn’t enough for me, I needed experiential truth.  And I got it.  So know that my words come through experience, what I have found through many hours on the mat.

I can list reasons why this technique might work or that wouldn’t work, and others may disagree.  So the way to shortcut all of that is to try it out.  Do it.  Feel it.  Have the experience, then compartmentalize it in your mind.  It’s easy to get side stepped from reality if you trust too much in mental reflections like words rather than what the martial experience ACTUALLY IS.   

Aikido and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu share many of the same principles.  Turn from resistance, don’t oppose force on force, yield and redirect.  The techniques are not identical, but achieve similar effects for the affected joints (ikkyo= armlock, kimura/omoplata= shihonage).  The ukemi of Aikido and ground movements of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are interlinked.  Aikido really teaches you how to flow and be round when approaching movement on the ground.  How to be a ball rather than a cube.  The movement parallels are there, but then again, I think they’re present in almost all jujutsu styles. 

I also encourage you to experience Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for yourself.  It is a modern budo, and would only enhance your Aikido skills. 

But most importantly, it’s incredibly fun!

Roy Dean

Many Thanks

Many thanks to all those who attended last nights Friendship Class with High Desert Aikido.  Great energy at the dojo last night, and it’s always cool to see a long line in seiza. 

Thanks to Sensei Stu Gordon, his lovely wife Anne, and the students who warmly welcomed us.  We learned a bit about shihonage and sankyo during the Aikido portion, and how to get off the line of attack when your back is on the ground.  The technical progression for the second half of the class was:

Armlock from guard

Armlock attempt, sweep your partner to their back, then finish with a wristlock, or armlock

I look forward to the next joint class!  It’s good to be exposed to new ideas and new techniques, and get a fresh taste of beginner’s mind.  Ideally, you come to every class that way, but it’s only when you go to an entirely different art that you really allow yourself to become a tabula rasa. 

And those are the days when you might see what you once knew in a totally different light. 

High Desert Friendship Class

An Academy Reminder: There is no class at 8:15 tonight.

The High Desert Aikido Friendship Class takes place tonight, from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m at their dojo.

222 SE Reed Market Rd. Suite 400
Bend, OR 97702

541.322.0360

Show up early, and wear white gi’s if possible.  The two main Japanese terms they use are the same as ours:

Onegaishimasu (OH-NEH-GUY-SHE-MAHS) 

(lit. please be kind to me)

and

Domo Arigato Gozaishimashita (DOH-MO   ARE-E-GAH-TOH   GOH-ZAH-E-MAH-SHE-TAH)

(Thank you very much ). 

Domo Arigato is generally enough, though.  Gozaimashita is very polite.

To open class, the Aikido instructor claps his hands, and people line up on their knees in a straight horizontal line across the mat.

Sensei Stu Gordon will be at the head of the line.  He may call for a mokuso (moment of meditation) before getting up and walking directly in front of the shomen (head of the dojo, often a small shrine with flowers and a picture of Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido).

He will lead us in bowing together, clapping our hands (generally twice, but four times in some dojos), and bowing again.  Just follow along, you’ll do fine.  Then Sensei Gordon will bow to us and begin the class.

Be sure to mix it up and train with as many new people as possible.  Quickly introduce yourself with new partners, and smile.  There will be lots of good information presented from both sides.  It’s going to be a great time!

The Subject of Belts

Matt Thornton, the first athlete in Oregon to receive his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, wrote a very nice explanation on the ranking system in BJJ.  This blog, though lengthy, comes at the perfect time as students are starting to get hungry for their requirements for the next level.  It reminds us of how the journey in this art changes over time, and just how challenging it is to rise through the ranks.  Which is exactly what makes the journey so worthwhile.

Those Gracie Boys

Ryron and Rener Gracie are the two eldest sons of Rorion Gracie, father of the UFC and the mastermind who popularized Gracie Jiu Jitsu in America.  Mr. Harris still regards Rorian Gracie as the best jiu jitsu teacher he’s ever had, in terms of presentation and clarity of explanations.  His sons don’t fall far from the tree, and have very clear and concise methods of passing on their skills to others.  Plus, these boys can fight!  Take a look at this lesson and I hope you get as much out of it as I did!

Aikido

Spectacular technique by Haru Matsuoka and Jiai Aikido‘s Un Pont Friendship Bridge Seminar.  Photo by Alicia.  Look for special pictorial on the seminar in the next E-Journal of Jujutsu.

zero two zero seven zero seven

Bow.

Stretch. 

Ukemi. 

Drill entry to kimura from guard.

Kimura from guard submission.

Hip bump sweep, off of resistance to kimura.

Foot drag mount escape back to closed guard.

Overhook feeding to cross lapel choke, from closed guard

Overhook, hip spacing, feeding the knee past the arm for triangle choke.

Loose triangle position, lift hips, push the arm past, or roll the elbow, straighten their arm, lift your hips, and then push it past your midline.

Triangle choke mechanics, “tightening the noose”, and the final elbowlock with your partner’s arm trapped under your armpit, lifting your hips, and finishing.

Rolling.

Bow.

Sunday Seminar

Quite a few things happening at the Academy.  First, I’ll be teaching a Japanese Jujutsu seminar this Sunday, from 12-3 p.m.  In it I will cover basic wristlocks and standing grappling approaches to grabs and strikes, and explore the connections between Japanese Jujutsu, Aikido, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  All levels are welcome, from experienced Aikido practiioners to the newest ground grappler or Karateka.  Cost is $50.  It’s also great preparation for those attending the Friendship Class with High Desert Aikido February 15th.

Second, I just received a shipment of instructional DVD’s from Mr. Harris:  BJJ 101 Revised and BJJ Over 40.  I highly recommend these titles, they will fill gaps in your understanding far more quickly than group classes alone.  BJJ 101 gives the theory, concepts, and basic techniques that all BJJ practitioners need to understand in order to advance their game.  BJJ Over 40 is featured in this month’s Black Belt magazine, and focuses on training methods, strategies and postures to moderate your energy expenditure against those 20 something whippersnappers.  Cost is $40 each, or $75 for both.

Finally, this Saturday will be the first weekend class of the Academy.  3-4 p.m.  Slightly more open format.  I have a feeling this will be a popular class!