Well, it has been some time since I blogged about my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu adventures,
It all started a little more than 3 years ago in this embarrasing thread to which people flocked after mistakingly thinking that I got my first blow job (BJ) and not my first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) match. Furthermore, as you can see, after only two weeks of training, and no prior grappling martial arts experience, the match was quite embarrasing.
In two weeks however, I travel to Portugal to the European Open championship in the blue belt division. Since that first match three years ago, I have had 16 competition matches in white belt and 20 competition matches in blue belt(basically as many as I could get), and I have never stopped training. I feel strong, technical and in shape, and I think I am confident enough in my skill that I can beat more than half of the people that have signed up for this tournament. Now, you viewers might disagree with my statement, and you might be right. But for a big competition, confidence is very important. I can't go there thinking I am going to lose, or that I have no chance of winning.
Anyways, here are my matches from a minor tournament that went on this past weekend, I am pretty proud of how I performed.
(since I don't think most people will watch them all, I am ordering them by personal preference and not chronologically.)
Bronze medal match: (I am the guy with the green belt)
Semifinal: (I think this is the most dinamic match I have ever participated in, even though I lost):
Quarter final:
Actually watching that first match of mine and now this, makes me feel that I have not wasted my time training. I hope grappling enthusiasts can appreciate my videos
Well, BJJ is a form of grappling, which means fighting using submission holds, position control and no punches or kicks. Fighting off our backs is one of the things that makes BJJ different from other sports such as wrestling, judo or sambo. From the back, we have a wide variety of moves that can help us win. Many BJJ practitioners are comfortable fighting off their back. Some, like me, might even choose this as their main strategy. Of course fighting off my back is something I would avoid on the street for self-defense purposes.
that first match was a lot of fun to watch! Before I watch the semi-final what happened with your foot or leg at the end of the match?
(edit)
On January 13 2014 21:37 SF-Fork wrote: Well, BJJ is a form of grappling, which means fighting using submission holds, position control and no punches or kicks. Fighting off our backs is one of the things that makes BJJ different from other sports such as wrestling, judo or sambo. From the back, we have a wide variety of moves that can help us win. Many BJJ practitioners are comfortable fighting off their back. Some, like me, might even choose this as their main strategy. Of course fighting off my back is something I would avoid on the street for self-defense purposes.
I assume you're able to make use of your long lets better while fighting off your back too?
Watched the second video and heard some Finnish in there. Where was the event and was your semi-final opponent a Finn?
@yosu. I tensed all my body in order to pull his arm out, producing a cramp in my calf. I was lucky I finished because it would be hard to stretch out the leg while fighting. EDIT: This is in Kajaani, Finland. I currently live in Oulu, Finland with my spanish girlfriend. That's why you can hear Finnish, Spanish and English in the videos
@Saechiis. In the quarter finals I win be collar choke. In the semifinals I lose by points 2-0, In the Bronze medal match I win by a kimura lock, which would pull his shoulder of the socket if the adversary does not surrender in time.
On January 13 2014 22:22 SF-Fork wrote: @yosu. I tensed all my body in order to pull his arm out, producing a cramp in my calf. I was lucky I finished because it would be hard to stretch out the leg while fighting. EDIT: This is in Kajaani, Finland. I currently live in Oulu, Finland with my spanish girlfriend. That's why you can hear Finnish, Spanish and English in the videos
@Saechiis. In the quarter finals I win be collar choke. In the semifinals I lose by points 2-0, In the Bronze medal match I win by a kimura lock, which would pull his shoulder of the socket if the adversary does not surrender in time.
Very cool! Best of luck in Portugal and if you have any events near Helsinki send me a PM - would be fun to watch live.
Sure, annual Finnish Open is one of the biggest events in northern Europe. I will be there and I'll try to remember to send you a PM. I think it's around April. http://www.bjjliitto.fi/?lang=en
0:40: omg that omoplata almost get in!!!! 0:50 i wanted to see the spider guard T_T you have a nice defense, really quick and you flow really nice :D 1:37: i didnt knew that choke or that setup 1:55: damn! when you are on top and your opp start to get inside you and turning around is a pain in the ass, and you holding his arms preparing the armlock ... so good
kajaani semifinal: do you like half guard alot? 3:10 your foot in his armpit, cute defense... oh fuck you got in the omoplata trying to escape!! so tense oh man i thought you had won after the kimura T_T wtf? why you opp had 2 points? "raspada"??? it looks like.. and almost at the end of the fight *sigh*
quarter final: 0:48: nice !!! really nice!!! you send him flying and 2 points!! 3:23: almost an arm lock!! phew
On January 14 2014 00:00 Topin wrote: kajaani bronze video:
0:40: omg that omoplata almost get in!!!! 0:50 i wanted to see the spider guard T_T you have a nice defense, really quick and you flow really nice :D 1:37: i didnt knew that choke or that setup 1:55: damn! when you are on top and your opp start to get inside you and turning around is a pain in the ass, and you holding his arms preparing the armlock ... so good
kajaani semifinal: do you like half guard alot? 3:10 your foot in his armpit, cute defense... oh fuck you got in the omoplata trying to escape!! so tense oh man i thought you had won after the kimura T_T wtf? why you opp had 2 points? "raspada"??? it looks like.. and almost at the end of the fight *sigh*
quarter final: 0:48: nice !!! really nice!!! you send him flying and 2 points!! 3:23: almost an arm lock!! phew
GL in Portugal
Thank you Topin for thoroughly watching my matches.
At 0:40 I was actually going for the triangle, which is my main submission. I don't like half-guard. My preffered positions are spider guard and reverse de la riva.
In the semifinal, my opponent gets the 2 points for a sweep. I might have gotten two points as well with a sweep, when I finally managed to escape the omoplata. However the referee told me that he considered that action to start from a scramble and not a guard position, so he only gave me an advantage. In any case, in a hipothetical 2-2 tie, the opponent would still have won by advantages. Also, in that kimura from side-control I could not decide between trying to pass and going for the submission, so I ended up commiting to neither and getting swept. This is something that will not happen to me again, thanks to this match.
At 3:23 in the quarter finals, I don't think he was close with the armlock. He did however break my posture several times and legitimately threatened with a sweep.
As a sidenote, I have previously lost in prior tournaments to my semifinal and bronze medal match opponents. We are not so many blue belts in the same weight category in northern Finland. At least I got to tie the score with one of them.
As a fellow BJJ practitioner, I am glad to hear you're competing in a ton of competitions and find some sort of... Haven in the sport. I like to think of the art as a life changer for me, as before learning of BJJ, I was a cocky little shit. However, after getting my ass tossed around and literally manhandled by folks that were the same size or smaller than me was a humbling experience, as it probably is with most people that starts martial arts as an adolescent.
I'm so envious of you being able to participate in competitions. Unfortunately, not only are there not a ton of no-gi competitions in where I live, but I don't have the time to compete either. Anyways, hope you're successful in your endeavors and I'll be curious about your future accomplishments!
Where in the US do you live? I would have thought that the American BJJ scene was much more developed than in Europe. It's unfortunate to hear otherwise. You don't like competing with the gi?
On January 14 2014 05:44 SF-Fork wrote: Where in the US do you live? I would have thought that the American BJJ scene was much more developed than in Europe. It's unfortunate to hear otherwise. You don't like competing with the gi?
Keep in mind that USA is relatively the same size as the entirety of Europe. It really depends where in the USA you are.
On January 14 2014 05:44 SF-Fork wrote: Where in the US do you live? I would have thought that the American BJJ scene was much more developed than in Europe. It's unfortunate to hear otherwise. You don't like competing with the gi?
As user Najda said, there ARE competitions here, but not where I live. I live in Texas, and the MMA/BJJ scene isn't as developed compared to California or New Mexico. Granted, New Mexico is right next to Texas, but I'm still attending school so I don't necessarily have the time to constantly travel back and forth.
As for competing with/without the gi, I did train with the gi when I would attend Carlos Machado's school, but later on, as I also became more aware of MMA, I started training without the gi at an MMA gym here in Texas, but learned more of a rubber guard concept here. While I was with Carlos Machado, I was there from roughly around 2003-2010, and I'm only a 1st degree purple belt. As much as I love MMA, I really regret not attending anymore, but can't anymore due to school and money.
Completely serious question... What happens if you get an awkward erection? I'm sure this happens quite often... Do both practitioners just pretend and ignore it's existence or do you tap out prematurely or what?
"I'm sure this happens quite often..." -Why would you be sure this happens quite often?
Wrestling is pain, and not the good kind of pain. I don't see an erection possible even if you roll with women or if you are gay. In all my time practicing the only thing I've heard is my girlfriend telling that once a dude had an erection rolling with her. It happened once in three years. This has happened once and yes, aside from telling me and laughing about it amongst ourselves, nobody mentioned anything.
EPT
i thought you had won after the kimura T_T
