Congratulations Competitors!

5 Comments, Posted by: Roy Dean in:

Hearty congratulations to the competitors in the 2008 Bend Submission Grappling Championships!  Anthony, TJ, and Donald each performed well.  Given that this was their first BJJ/Submission grappling tournament adds even more points in their favor.  Anthony took first in the 135-155 pound weight class in the gi division. His first match was a draw, as the rules were submission only, no points.  A second match was to be held with points to decide the winner, but the opponent declined.  He had dropped a lot of weight very recently to make the division, and was exhausted from the first match.  He graciously declined the opportunity to fight again, giving Anthony first place.  Well done Anthony! 

After a torturous wait for the no gi, 135-155 weight class, TJ had his hands full with his opponent, who normally fights at 170 pounds. They drew after the first 6 minutes, and in the three minute overtime with points, TJ tapped to a head and arm choke.  It was still a great performance, and the match itself was not an easy introduction to competition, especially with the ruthless and constant can openers from the opponent.  Not a fun day to be a neck, either. We will work on a few positions fit in nicely with your game and give you several strategies for dealing with this kind of opponent.  You will grow a lot because of this, I guarantee!

Donald has some fine moments in both his gi and no gi matches, as the video above shows in the aptly titled 3 Taps.  He held his own against the very capable Dan Graf of Acrovision, who had some beautiful moments of his own, including a sweet throw to choke combination that was extremely well executed.  He lost in the finals by an inside heel hook against a very skilled, purple belt (possibly brown belt) competitor from Reno, Nevada, who had come up to support a teammate in his MMA fight later that night in Desertbrawl.  Great experience for Donald, and he definitely represented.  You are the man!

Celebratory dinner for the competitors took place at Staccatos. First rate food, magical company, and a perfect setting to toast each of those that stepped up.

Thanks go out to:  JT Taylor for putting on the tournament.  Marty Moody for the fair and safe reffing. Jimmy for the coaching.  James for the incredible dinner. Rick for taping and supporting this process.  Thanks to all the friends, family, and Academy members who came out to support, including (but not limited to)  Burr, Darryl, Dennis, Neil, Brian, Ron, Paul, Chris, Jonesy and Hailey.

We will definitely do it again. Till next time.

 

Seibukan Jujutsu Gasshuku 2008

2 Comments, Posted by: Roy Dean in: Seminars

Footage from the yearly gathering.  I have jumped into that ocean many times in January.  Enjoy.

Bend Submission Grappling Championships 2008

5 Comments, Posted by: Roy Dean in: Academy

Come support the team at the Bend Submission Grappling Championships this weekend at the Bend Armory.  3 athletes will be going forward to represent the Academy: TJ, Donald, and Anthony.  Rick will be filming, and Jimmy and I will be coaching.  Weigh ins are at 12 p.m. on Saturday, with the first matches starting at 1 p.m.  JT Taylor is hosting the event, and has also invited a few other teams from out of town in addition to our local clubs.  Spectator fee is $5.  Submission league rules apply to the no gi portion, and IFBJJ rules apply for the gi division.  Good luck gentlemen!

Update:  Weigh ins will be done without the gi.  Kids and women’s divisions go first, starting at 1 p.m., and mens weight classes will follow light to heavy.  Gi divisions will kick off the mens tournament, and no gi matches will be held in the cage.

HCK: All Comers Tourney

3 Comments, Posted by: Roy Dean in: Media

New music. The was a special match for me, considering how much I’ve admired Camarillo brothers style of jiu jitsu, and modeled much of my game after Dan’s armhunting tactics. Of course, you can see a higher quality version here.  Circa 2003.

Roy Harris:  Fourth Degree Black Belt

3 Comments, Posted by: Roy Dean in: Academy

Huge congratulations to my instructor, Mr. Roy Harris, on his promotion to fourth degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!  Professor Joe Moreira came down to San Diego, put on a seminar and promoted Mr. Harris, making him one of the highest ranking Americans in this art.  The mat was packed and more pictures from the event can be seen here.  I feel fortunate to be part of such a great lineage, and been able to train under a master instructor like Professor Harris.  Bravo!

Aikido and BJJ Discussion Part 1

4 Comments, Posted by: Roy Dean in: Media

This off the cuff discussion is generating some interesting dialogues.  You can check out the Aikiweb response here, or the slightly less erudite reactions at Bullshido.  Several more talks on this subject are forthcoming.

Many Paths

0 Comments, Posted by: Roy Dean in: Media

From the inside booklet of the upcoming CD release:

There are many paths to realizing who we are, with many disciplines to study. 

You can stretch your body and yoke your consciousness with light beyond yourself. 

You can swell your muscles with blood for the bliss of when suffering ends.

You can run you body over the earth to transcend yourself for a moment. 

Each of us must discover our own truth through personal experience. 

Truth can be seen.  Truth can be felt.  Truth can be heard. 

This is the Sound of the Way.

 

Malone Blue Belt

13 Comments, Posted by: Roy Dean in: Academy

Well done James!  Great turnout for this test, and the celebration afterwards.  Big thanks to Susan for hosting, and the chefs responsible for some of the best Mexican food I’ve ever had, and all the flavors of the homemade ice cream were sublime.  James broke his left little toe in 3 places during the test, so he may be sidelined briefly, but he never let on during the demonstration and showed tremendous heart. Darryl, get ready. Nice combinations Donald! A higher quality version can be seen here.

 

 

Malone Blue Belt Afterparty

1 Comments, Posted by: Roy Dean in: Academy

James Malone will be testing for his blue belt this Saturday, February 2nd, from 3-4 p.m.  Immediately afterwards, there will be a off site reception that you don’t want to miss.  In Chef Malone’s own words:

I’ve got the menu for Saturday done, we’ll be having some authentic mexican-build your own fajita-station, top shelf margaritas, Pacifico, Sierra Nevada Pale and the sickest homemade ice cream and banana split bar ever created…ever. 

Come and celebrate with us!  You will not be disappointed. Treasure maps to the secret location will be provided on the day of the event. 

On Belt Testing in BJJ

10 Comments, Posted by: Roy Dean in: Articles

Posted on the Sherdog forum, in response to the thread found here.

Many people find the subject of belt testing in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu controversial.

My personal approach is this.  Although I give the student the option of doing a public demonstration, or “test”, I do not charge for them. Every student that does a demonstration is already at the level they are testing for.  It is not a stretch.  I have already deemed them worthy, through close observation, and personally feeling their technique.  I will present them with their belt in class if they don’t want the public display.  The “test” is a chance for them to experience a rite of passage, a goal that they’ve geared their training towards, an event that they can share with their friends and family, on and off the mat.  The demonstration is an optional activity, and is a way of creating an experience that enhances your training.  Just like a tournament, your focus on training changes leading up to the event.  The blade is gradually honed.

Competition is one way of testing your skills, and is an important accelerator for those that are serious about training in the art.  It will alert you to holes in your game like nothing else, and I have personally benefitted from competition.  Competitions are an important component of training, but they are only a portion of the whole.  They can be a great experience, or a horrible extension of the art.  I have been to many a crap tournament running hours behind schedule, with absent minded officials, and inadequate facilities.  Some of these competitions are expensive to travel to, costly to enter, and may only give you a five minute experience of what you’ve trained years to learn how to do.  Your opponent may get 2 points for a takedown and stall for the win.  You may only have to win one match in your division for the gold medal.  Or, if you’re a middleweight blue belt, it’s likely you’ll fight four or five times before clinching a medal.  The quality of experience can vary dramatically.

These demonstrations are a way of creating a sustained martial experience.  I work my students during the test. Not everything is shown in the condensed video versions.  Blue belt exams are about 45 minutes.  The purple is over an hour.  I chose to edit out the part of Jimmy dry heaving on the mat as Mr. Harris applied pressure, or the people lifting him to his feet after it was over.  That’s part of it, but the pain isn’t appealing to everyone, and I really want these videos to inspire people to train, not create an aversion to the art by fear of suffering.  Spouses have felt uncomfortable, and perhaps even shed a tear in my dojo, watching their loved one suffer in sidemount.  I take them to a very controlled point of exhaustion, appropriate for their age and physical condition.

Under Mr. Harris, the tests definitely get more intense as the belt gets darker.  My brown belt was rough.  The black was a crucifixion.  Three and a half hours of sparring, teaching, and technical demonstration.  Exhaustion beyond belief.  Pressure.  Exhilaration.  Emotion. Few people will ever go through that kind of crucible in their lives, requiring such a high level mix of skill, athleticism, and heart.  It took me 6 months to fully heal from the exam, and I certainly would never inflict something like that on my new students.  That will come later.  It takes years to build up to something like that.  That test, for me, was the culmination of 15 years of dedicated martial training.  A one year blue belt should not have to take the full monty. 

A blue belt demonstration should temper the spirit, not break it.  Twist it, turn it, torture it a little, but leave it intact so that it can grow stronger.  And it will.  The techniques you’ve programmed into your body are good.  Positional escapes are emphasized, laying the foundation of a solid BJJ game.  Takedowns and headlock escapes are also required, plus basic submissions.  This is machine code: low level programming that is not particularly powerful in and of itself, but really turns into something amazing once higher level programming languages (concepts, combinations, tactics and strategy) build upon it.  But the machine must be programmed first.

In the blue belt demonstration, students show that they can execute the techniques with very little power.  That’s what’s apparent to the trained eye.  Do they have the angles worked out, and where to place their knees, hands, and feet?  Are they smooth in their movement, or are they stuttering and second guessing themselves?  You have to be smooth and confident to get a submission in the small window of opportunity against an actively resisting opponent.  You have to have the angles worked out, and not rely on power, if you go against a much stronger or larger opponent.  The question is: how little energy can you use to get the job done?

After the technical portion, we get live.  20 minutes of sparring for the blue belt.  That’s the equivalent of 4 competition matches.  Against blue belts and above.  It’s not easy with all eyes on you.  But the most meaningful accomplishments are never easy. 

It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it.  In martial arts, in life.  Anyone can punch, it’s how you punch.  The mechanics of a choke are not difficult, but figuring out how to enter into it, against all body types, martial backgrounds, and levels of intent, is the path to mastery.  A test can sell an art short, or it can be a transformational experience for those watching, and the person participating. 

It’s all in how you do it. 

Roy Dean