Wicked BJJ Clock Choke

‘Wicked’ is one of the keywords in Mantis Boxing. It has to do with trickery such as fakes, feints, distractions, or setting up the opponent to get what we want. It applies heavily to this clock choke setup and you'll see why.

I spent some time last year adding the clock choke into my game. It's an awesome submission and one I had never really used until early last year. It became quite useful when attacking people's turtle defense.

After using it repeatedly, I ended up in side control with Chris one day. Chris is pretty sensitive to when the armbar is coming from side mount, and good at escaping it.

Rather than risk giving up the dominant position, I kept pressure on his back and looked for the lapel. He now has nowhere to turn except to the turtle. Once he turns all-four, snag the wrist and the clock choke is setup. I enjoyed working this one and thought I'd share it with you guys.

Necktie Counter to Omoplata

This move could be a hit or miss. It's something I have been working on recently as I was shut down on my Peruvian Necktie with an odd counter. It caused me to think as it wasn't the 'expected' counter for this submission.

Now, I was able to pull this off on Thomas, as he has long arms and is fairly relaxed in his rolling. But...another guy did the same counter to me with a stiff arm. This made it impossible to move this way. It's definitely a situational with some 'IF's' involved, but play with it if you want and see if it works for you.

You know what they say about 'if's'... "If, if's and but's were candy and nuts, my what a fine Xmas we'd have."

Spider Killer - The 3 S...Words to Kill Your Opponents Spider Guard

Here are some tips on how to deal with that opponent with a nasty spider guard. I use three words to remember - Stuff, Stand, Step. Once we train them, we can bounce back and forth between them if the first one gets countered.

6 Positions of Side Control - How to Drill and Improve BJJ Side Mount

My Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teacher (Andre 'Dedeco' Almeida) showed me this awesome Side Control drill when I was a new White Belt. It is one of the best drills I've seen for training Side Control/Side Mount and really emphasizes the necessity for each position. I use this drill to this day as warm-ups in my classes, and pass it on to benefit my students.

The drill connects various positions by number which is a big help. We need each of these in order to control our opponent on the ground when we have side control/side mount.

The drill works not only a solid position, but also the transitions from one to the next. You can increase the complexity of the drill by having your training partner call out the number and you go to that position. Once you have the drill down, randomize those numbers to make it harder. 

Note: Position 6 is technically not Side Control, it is known as North/South, but it makes an excellent addition to the drill, and something we often need when trying to maintain side control and someone is getting out.

You can train this with a partner for best results, or with a throwing dummy, punching bag, or body pillow. Enjoy the drill!

Guest Appearance: Fight for a Happy Life with Sensei Ando

Fight for a Happy Life Podcast

hosted by none other than Sensei Ando of Happy Life Martial Arts

I had the honor of being invited onto Fight for a Happy Life martial arts podcast with host Sensei Ando. The episode just released today. 

Check out our conversation on topics like - freedom, defining success, barriers to students progress, living life, and weird questions about what I want on my deathbed/tombstone (is this guy planning to kill me???), and lots of laughter.

Click the photo above to visit his website for the podcast, or follow the links below for your favorite podcast location. Enjoy the show!

To Listen to the Interview: 

iTunes
Google Play 
Stitcher

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Many of you know Sensei Ando from our previous collaborations, as well as his visit to our school last summer. He's a positive influencer that's always reaching out to help other people. Admirable. 

Here are a couple of videos we did in case you missed them. I highly recommend following him on his YouTube channel, as well as his podcast.

Tips to Manage Distance in a Fight

Tips for Defending the Bear Hug

You can contact Sensei Ando - 

Sensei Ando

Sensei Ando YouTube Channel

Monkey Grips! How I Strengthen My Grips and Keep Them Healthy

Fingers hurt after training? Grips not strong enough to hold on when grappling? Check this out.

Grip strength and health can be a really important thing for martial artists. Grip intensive arts such as Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Shuai Jiao, and other Grappling Arts, all require/build grip strength, and put a great deal of wear and tear on the fingers. Today I'm going to show you the methods I use to keep my grips not only strong, but healthy.

For strengthening: exercises like rope climbs, battleropes, sledge hammer, pull-ups, all assist in strengthening the hands. If we're already doing a martial arts with lots of gripping, chances are we are getting plenty of strengthening from that, and we can move on to the section of the video highlighting grip/finger health, and taking proper care of our hands in martial arts.

Links for Items:

To buy Mung Beans: https://goo.gl/KPy9mE

To buy Bean Bag: https://goo.gl/ybjyme

To buy a Battlerope: https://goo.gl/gtHqNt

To buy a Rope: https://goo.gl/h1ftFc

To buy a Sledgehammer: https://goo.gl/qQ2Knp

To buy a Pull-Up Bar: https://goo.gl/GiqfGd

Bean bag - this bag is filled with Mung Beans. I have been using these bags since early in my Mantis Boxing training back in 1999. The beans release a powder that helps the skin, and the pliability of the beans allows for the fingers to sink in and work on the catch/relfex while massaging the hands. It's an excellent tool and I highly recommend getting one, or having one made.

Green Dragon Stretches Claws - this is an amazing drill that's easy to remember, and even easier to do almost anywhere, and anytime. This exercise is even good for strikers since our hands are balled up most of the time. As you stretch the fingers and hold, you are helping open up the fingers, joints, and tendons. 

Magic Bean Pot - this is my all time favorite. Get a pot from somewhere. I was fussy so I found a bronze pot on eBay with a cool design. Buy a bunch of Mung Beans and fill the pot up. Now use the bean pot to wash the hands. I use this after a heavy training session, or earlier in my BJJ training when I had a tendency to over-grip and not let go when I should have. 

Tools of the Trade - (1:21)
Bean Bag - (2:10)
Green Dragon Stretches Claws - (3:10)
Magic Bean Pot - (4:45)

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Leave your comments and questions below. Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and GET HOOKED!

Guest Appearance: The Strenuous Life Podcast w/ Stephen Kesting

The Strenuous Life Podcast

hosted by renowned BJJ Black Belt, and founder of GrappleArts.com - Stephen Kesting

Stephen was kind enough to invite me on to his podcast 'The Strenuous Life' last month. We finally got our schedules to mesh up last Monday and recorded this podcast for everyone. It was an awesome conversation and I had an amazing time. I think you are going to really enjoy this.

I know some of you are quite familiar with Stephen, and already watch his videos/listen to his podcast. If you haven't heard of Stephen, please check out his website GrappleArts.com and YouTube channel. I highly recommend you subscribe to his stuff. He is extremely humble, puts out top notch detailed content, is super nice, and is always trying to help others.

Click the photo above to visit his website, or follow the links below for your favorite podcast location. Enjoy!

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"Can Kung Fu, BJJ and MMA coexist?  Maybe they can, and maybe they can even learn from each other.

This is a conversation I had with with Kung Fu stylist (and BJJ brown belt) Randy Brown in which we touched on  the history of Chinese martial arts and what made them less effective over time, what traditional martial arts look like when you start training them with resistance, and much more.  I think you’ll like this one!

The best way to listen to this podcast is to go to your favourite podcasting platform, subscribe to ‘The Strenuous Life’ Podcast, and then look for episode 128. You can find it on most podcast platforms, including…"
 

iTunes

Google Play 

Soundcloud 

Stitcher

'Sneaky' Americana for No-Gi

Here is a No-Gi variation for the Sneaky Americana (Keylock) I've been using from under the head. Using the shoulder to crack open their frame, can help me pry my opponents arm up closer to their head, where I can snag ahold of it to go for the Sneaky Americana. 

Be sure to insert the hand palm up so you can use the fingers to ply along the muscles of their arm and help you get underneath when they are trying to block it. 

Again, this variation I've been using in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) in order to keep my position during the attack. If I launch my attack across the body, the more savvy practitioners will counter and push my arm away, or launch me over their body. 

A nice alternative to the keylock for more flexible opponents, is pushing the elbow vertical and then applying downward pressure to lock the wrist. 

The turn away: when they go on their side to defend the arm, we go for the arm closest to us to setup and armbar. If they begin to block that, it will create the opening we need for the Americana. If they block both, step the leg over the waist and roll them back into our guard to finish them from the back. 

Have fun with this technique. I've been enjoying it a lot!!!

Ezekiel Choke to Americana Lock (Keylock)

Here is another attack using the same sneaky Americana I've been using from under the head. In this example, we go from the Ezekiel Choke and our opponent defends it. Because my weight is side shifted, my savvy friend will feel my opposite leg go light, and try to push my knee into half guard to gain a better position. 

Rather than stay there and let them get half guard, we skip over to position 2 of Side Control. Now they defend the position by trying to build a frame. This presents the arm in a vulnerable position to grab it from under the neck. 

In order to finish them, we need to change our position however. Here is where the hip break comes into play. We hip break over to the opposite side and go to position 3 of Side Control. This gives us the position we need to finish the Keylock/Americana. 

Max asked, "what happens if they block our hip break?" Great question. By attempting the hip break, it lifts their arm off the ground, so we can simply return to position 2, and throw our arm under so we can finish the Keylock/Americana from there.

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Like the video? Hit subscribe and Get Hooked!
 

How and When to Stand Up in a Fight

Team Note: I know many of you who train with me will enjoy this video. Truth be told, I wish we had done it years ago because it is so fundamentally important. There isn't enough time in the day to practice everything, so feel free to take this and practice it whenever you can, and as much as you want.

Video Description: Whether we like it or not, sometimes we end up on the ground in a fight/altercation, or just a dangerous situation. When and how we stand up, can mean the difference between success and fail. Here are some tips for standing up when someone is waiting to pounce. 
 

Stop Your Opponents Crushing Side Control

Do you hate being crushed in your opponent's side control? Here's something I've been working on in my game that will hopefully help your game. Building a mountain under your opponents crushing side control can give you space and mobility for countering their attacks, and possibly bringing us to a better position.

I'm Not Ready For That.

"I'm not ready for that." is a healthy approach to training things that overwhelm us.

Here are a couple of counters to the standing guard pass to help your game. Years ago I learned the second of these moves at a workshop with Renan Borges. I was still a white belt at the time, and even though I really liked the move, it wasn't something I was ready for. 

I filed it away in the "I like this, but I'm not ready for it right now. I'll do my best today, and someday I'll come back to this." A few months ago, it started reappearing in my rolls and here's how I integrated it and hopefully you can too. When you are ready.

Sickle Sweep - place the feet in the hips as they stand up. As they push the leg down, rotate your foot inside to help with leverage. Not necessary, but it can give a good bite on the hip. 

Use your other arm to attack the ankle with an underhook. Push up with the foot in the hip, and slice the back of the ankle with your leg as you hold the other ankle. 

Deep Pass Defense - when they step through more aggressively, it is difficult to get the leverage to apply the sickle sweep. Here we shoot the arm through the leg following with our head and shoulder. Think of the hand as the tip of the arrow, and the head is the feather.

Place the back of the tricep on the back of the leg to help finish rotating through. No need to pull the leg all the way through, and it is faster to use the shin with the other leg. Grab the ankles and leverage up. 

You can then take the back, or attack the ankles. 

Mantis Captures Prey - How to Stop the Underhooks

The underhook is a powerful tool in the hands of an opponent who knows how to use it. They have leverage, control, and setups for numerous takedowns. So how do we stop our opponent from getting the underhooks? With this awesome move from Taijiquan called Fist Under Elbow, and what I like to call Mantis Captures Prey.

In this video, we'll walk you through 1. The dangers of the underhook. 2. How to shut it down. 3. Counters from our opponent to watch out for, such as the 2nd hand. 4. Spear Hands, Eagle Claws, and Reaping Legs. 5. Hook, don't Reap - how to vary the technique based on our opponents position.

Like the video? Don't forget to hit subscribe.

Martial Superiority: The Silent Assassin

View of Mt. Washington from 7000 feet - 2012

I had this amazing conversation the weekend before last, with two accomplished martial artists/teachers over lunch - Sensei Ando, and Sensei Dave Abraham.

During the discussion, we arrived on the topic of judging other schools, or the policing of other martial arts schools/styles because of what they are doing; whether said instruction, or the belt requirements not being up to standards.

I shared something that took me years to arrive at within myself, and what I believe is an important perspective to maintain for all of us as martial artists; especially, as teachers/mentors.

When we look at one school versus another, and determine that one of them is promoting people to Black Belt with far easier requirements than we ourselves went through, or they are expecting less of their students than what we expect of our students, we can climb on our rickety soap box and take a stand against them, railing at the injustice of it all, or we can look at it like this...

Harvard University does not concern itself with trashing lesser universities, community colleges, night schools. They do not publicly humiliate students of those institutions for taking classes there, nor for their effort they applied to achieve their goals under said curricula.

If you attend either school, an Ivy League, or a Community College, you will receive a bachelor's degree upon completion of the required courses/credits just the same. Both are Bachelor's degrees, both are opportunities to learn and grow. One of these holds more credibility, or esteem than the other, by outward appearances only. Yet the price tag attached along with it is far greater as well. 

The individual who studies is the one who truly defines the value of the degree. Going to an ivy league school is not a qualifier that we received a good education. The inverse is true as well; going to a community college, or night school, is not definitive proof someone received a sub par education.

This judgement happens in the martial arts world as well. People use lineage, and even race, as a testimonial to the value of their belt. I have witnessed this first hand. If we study a Japanese Art, is our teacher from Japan? Did we go to Japan to study? The implication in the question being, that an answer of 'No', somehow makes your achievement less significant.
 

If we practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is our teacher Brazilian? Did we sweat in the dojo's of Rio? If we follow Chinese Martial Arts, is our teacher Chinese? These are seemingly innocent questions from the uninitiated, but I have seen more times than I can count, this being used as a bully tactic from those in the martial arts world. A world where we are largely responsible for empowering others to stop bullies.

A Mantis Boxing coach I trained with for years, is Mexican-Filipino. He jokes with people that he is 'Paco the Gardener'. Why? Where he lives, people will see him as that, long before recognizing him as a highly effective, and battle tested warrior.

"Not all Black Belts are created equal." - unknown

The quality of a Black Belt is another mountain we stand upon to look down upon others from on high. I have seen this in Mantis Boxing, Eagle Claw, Tai Chi; and it will become more prevalent in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as the art becomes more proliferated and widely spread.

The Tibetan Monks did not populate temples in the mountains to look down upon others, but rather to peer closer to the heavens.

Someone who received their belt from a no name individual, but trained diligently for years, persevering numerous trials; could, and at times does, outmatch a person who has had access to, and trained in the best facilities, with a famous fighter/teacher that awarded them their Black Belt.

The person makes the belt. The teacher is only a guide. We should be careful judging others, as it is simply Narcissism disguised as justification, goodwill, or constructive criticism.

Focus on what we have, be the best we can be, and we will rise above the fray. Stay focused on what everyone else is doing, and we will drag ourselves down into the mire.

Defending the Worst Position Ever!!

The High Mount combined with striking is a deadly combination. This is by far, one of the worst positions you can get stuck in on the ground. The traditional BJJ escape for mount - bridge, trap, and roll doesn't work quite yet, and meanwhile our opponent is raining punches on us, and bringing the thunder like Poseidon.

All too often, we panic in this situation and end up flailing, or trying to grab arms. Here we show a technique we call - 'Shield Up / Shimmy Up' to help you deal with this problematic position. We have to work from where we are, not where we want to be.

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How to Escape the Bow and Arrow Choke

I absolutely love the Bow and Arrow choke, but it sucks to be on the receiving end. Here we demonstrate the choke, an escape from the choke, and then how to prepare yourself for your next move after you release the choke. 

Having an exit strategy can really help shut down the counters our opponent may throw at us.

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BJJ Mount Attacks For Smaller Fighters

Fighting bigger opponents can be frustrating when we try and control the mount position. I know I avoided the mount most of the time as a BJJ White Belt after getting tossed around repeatedly. After a while, I started using the high mount to setup some attacks. Here's are two videos highlighting some attacks from the mount. 

Moving closer to the head helps maintain the control needed, but many opponents will seal their arms up to try and stop arm bars, and americanas. Here's a tool to crack open that pesky shell and get the arms exposed for attack.

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5 Reasons Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is THE Best Martial Art for Kids

Striking arts, whether they be Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, Kickboxing, etc. - all require high degrees of focus on multiple facets of fighting, & self-defense (you can read more on this in my 2015 blog post).

I have spent the past 18 years practicing Mantis Boxing, and the past 5 of those also practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I also spent years teaching kids both Kung Fu, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. My first love will always be Mantis Boxing, but frankly speaking, it is not the best for kids. 

This is not only because of the recent knowledge we have into the dangers of concussions, CTE, and other brain injuries; which is extremely important. It also has to do with deeper reasons that go far beyond injuries. One such factor is - results.

However, where striking arts lead to more common injuries in the pursuit of 'real' skills, or are watered down to the point of boredom, BJJ can be a fun way to bring kids to a high level of competence; preparing them for dangers life may throw their way while giving them an opportunity to grow into more confident, physically fit individuals and enjoy their time doing so.

Here are the 5 main reasons Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the best martial art for your child - 

1. Natural Art

BJJ is much akin to our natural movements and innate self-defense skills. Like tiger cubs that practice sparring before leaving the safety of their mother, so to do we as humans practice fighting when we are young, pliable, and less likely to hurt one another, and ourselves.

Any parent with multiple children, or adults who grew up with siblings knows this to be true. Growing up in the 70's and 80's, we were always getting in tussles some playful, some not so much.

Watch untrained kids go at it with one another. What do you see? They have a natural predilection towards a rolling around, wrestling modality. If they had fur, a tail, and pink butts you'd think they were monkeys.

BJJ works within the natural instincts we are all born with. It operates predominantly on the ground where it shines above all other martial arts.
 

2. The Great Equalizer

The bare truth of self-defense is - size matters. In order to beat size and strength, you must have superior skill. The stronger they are, or the more skilled they become with strength, the better your technique must be.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu uses leverage and physics to equalize this disparity. Kids learn to flip and roll larger opponents, like a chef flipping pizza dough. Except after they flip the dough, they rip it up and choke it out. :-D

Nothing gives a child more confidence than watching their skills progress and being able to do things they never would imagine.

Watch this video with BJJ Black Belt Robson Moura battling a guy that walked into his school and challenged them to fight. Here you will see how size was neutralized with BJJ. 

3. Physical Fitness

With regular training in BJJ, you get unmatched core strengthening, and overall functional full body strength. With each movement you are engaging your entire body to perform an action.

Here are a few examples of how BJJ makes you stronger, faster, and in better shape.

• Upper body - using your arms to support your weight and maintain 3 points of contact at all times, activates the arms, shoulder, chest, back, and core. Over time, the upper body will gain muscle and tendon strength.

• Making grips on your partner's gi, will also increase hand and forearm muscle and tendon strength.

• Legs - when on your back, you are using hip flexors, glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, feet, and back/core muscles to maintain guard, and perform sweeps and submissions. This may all be jargon to many parents, but know this - it's an incredible muscle engagement platform that rolls over into other sports and activities that kids perform in their lives.

• Cardio - in BJJ we have something called rolling. Rolling is sparring, but we're mostly on the ground. When learning to roll, and move, the cardiovascular system is working hard to put our bodies through a range of movements, as well as activate muscles that don't normally get taxed in this manner. A typical match is 3 to 5 minutes for beginners.
  
  Early on in the training process, when a match ends, you will typically see people are breathing hard, and sweating like they were working out for an hour.

4. Bully Prevention

This is one area that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu shines above almost every other martial art for kids. There is much confusion with how to deal with the bullying problem in schools, and out. Even adults can have bully problems in the workplace.

The focus seems to always be on the bully, and how to stop them from doing what they do. This is like trying to stop the earth from spinning, or an avalanche from falling. You're pretty much wasting your time unless you can completely change the environment, background, parenting, siblings, or whatever other reason or reasons is causing the bully to be a jerk.

What we CAN change, is us. A bully targets a victim subconsciously based on visual cues they pick up. This can be an obvious physical trait that is difficult or impossible to change - height, skin complexion, deformities, etc. The other criteria a bully uses, is body language. 

Human communication is 93% non-verbal (why email and text messaging are such horrible mediums for trying to talk to one another). Most of our communication is through body language. How we stand, sit, walk, can send hidden messages to those around us about how we feel about ourselves.

Take someone who is shy and walks with their head down and their chest concave. This shows a bully we are insecure, lack self-esteem, confidence, and are easy prey to their wicked whims. 

Take a stance that exudes confidence, even when we don't feel it, and the secret cues are telling the bully - "Hey, maybe we shouldn't mess with that person." Bullies want easy victims, not those who are going to fight back verbally, mentally, or physically; making everyone around them aware of THEIR insecurities and weakness.

Where does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu come into play? Simple. By empowering people to be able to defend themselves, they walk around with more confidence and self-esteem. Just by believing in themselves, and their skills, they exude an aura of defense that shuns most predators from wanting to partake in a duel of any sort. 

This leads to the final reason in this article...

5. Results = Confidence (Belts)

Results are first and foremost in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. There are no forms (kata), or synchronized choreographed (A + B) from my partner = (C + D) response from me. There is no standing in weird postures for minutes at a time to prove some arbitrary goal of perseverance, or discipline.

Jiu Jitsu for kids is extremely tactile, fun, and engaging. Everything is done with partners, and stress tested to ensure you can make it work. When a child evolves in Jiu Jitsu, they are doing so through real feedback.

Belts in Jiu Jitsu are much harder to come by. Even though it is far easier for kids to move up ranks than adults, it is still far more difficult than many other styles of martial arts. If a child is ranking up in Jiu Jitsu, it is due their constant participation, and skill advancement. They don’t just wear the accolades, they feel the improvement.

There are no 'child Black Belts' in Jiu Jitsu. Period. You cannot even attain a Blue Belt (first rank after White for adults) until you are 16 years old. You cannot be a Black Belt under the age of 19. This makes a huge difference for kids. Kids are smart, and incredibly aware of status and real achievements. They know when they are getting participation trophies vs real rewards for hard work. 

When it is time for a promotion, the kids in Jiu-Jitsu are awarded their new belt. Then they go right back to training, and rolling, and learning with their friends. They submit others, get submitted themselves; staying humble.

Do they play games and have fun? Yes, they play games in class, but you won't stay to watch and find your son or daughter playing dodgeball, running around cones, playing tag, or some other unrelated martial art exercise to burn up a majority of the class time. The games are all built around fundamental Jiu Jitsu movements that reinforce their skills and build their physical form, and inner self.

How to Start Martial Arts

How to get started in martial arts. Here are some tips and advice on what to look out for as you search for your first, or subsequent martial arts school.

Enjoy the sound effects. [Gunshots were not an intentional part of the production]

Swamp Talks - Episode 01 - How to Start Martial Arts This was one of the more common questions we received, and super important for people. Your first school can make or break you in your martial arts endeavor. It is important to search around and try different places before signing up.

Types of martial arts vary, but this can apply to any of them. Here is a list of some of the more common styles you may find in your quest in the USA:

• Boxing (western and Chinese) - often depicted in modern times as the sport with two contestants wearing trunks and padded gloves facing off in a ring. Original roots encompass a far broader definition that included grappling, and weapons. Something more similar with Chinese boxing styles like mantis, eagle claw which include kicking, grappling, and joint locks/chokes/submissions in addition to striking with fists, palms, fingers, and elbows.

• Kickboxing - a combination of striking and kicking. Also more sport oriented with rules to protect combatants from serious injury.

• Wrestling - as with boxing, in modern times this calls forth distinct imagery in our minds of two combatants on a mat grappling one another to the ground and looking for a pin. Wrestling’s roots are far more pervasive and have origins to every continent on the globe. Greco-Roman which is more common in our minds today, to catch wrestling, to folk-style wrestling that changes slightly from culture to culture whether in Asia, Europe, Africa, or the Americas.

• Jiu-Jitsu (Brazilian and Japanese) - jiu-jitsu origins hearkens back to the combat arts of the samurai which included but were not limited to hand-to-hand combat methods such as throws, joint locks, and ground finishing moves (submissions). Eventually this migrated to Brazil in the 1900’s where it was blended with catch-wrestling methods and focused more heavily on the ground fighting component of hand-to-hand combat.

• Judo - a descendant of Japanese jiu-jitsu that focused on the grappling and ground fighting elements of jiu-jitsu.

• Karate - an Okinawan fighting art that originated by blending methods from Southern China with the indigenous grappling methods of the Okinawan people. Also included weapons in addition to hand-to-hand combat applications.

• Shuai Jiao - a Chinese throwing art similar to Judo but lacking the ground fighting elements. Descendant from Bokh, and other folk wrestling styles found in Mongolia and northeast Asia.

• Tae Kwon Do - a Korean martial art developed in the mid 1900’s that focuses heavily on kicking.

• Hapkido - also a Korean martial art that focuses more on locking and throwing methods.

• Aikido - a Japanese martial art centered around falling, throwing, and locking an opponent.

• Tai Chi - an old style of Chinese boxing that has been converted to a form of health practice and physical education since the early 1900’s. Prior to that it was a hand-to-hand combat art that included striking, kicking, throwing, and joint locking/chokes.

• Kempo - an American martial art that early on focused on practical self-defense. Combined methods from all forms of Asian fighting arts as well as boxing and kickboxing.

• Krav Maga - an Israeli hand-to-hand combat system designed specifically for commandos/special forces. Techniques are straightforward and practical, relying heavily on strength and speed to overwhelm the opponent.

Emotional Control - A Core Fighting Principle

Serenity Now!!!

Update (1-7-19) - I recorded a new podcast on this topic. Click below to access it.

‘Emotional Control’, this often sought after and rarely attained side effect from martial arts training. We envision a wise old master sitting quietly in meditation, serene, placid, only to turn into a verifiable badass the moment the movie needs an action star to save the day. Undertaking martial arts, consuming supplemental materials in our journey such as movies, television, or in Asian style martial arts, wu xia, or even religious or philosophical teachings that were, tacked on to the art at times. We can experience teachings and practices that espouse control over the body, mind, and spirit, and yet, fail to show us the way.

What we don’t see is, emotional control does not come for free, nor as an proxy trait of simply being enrolled in martial arts classes a few times per week year over year.  Emotional control does not come with sparring, nor does it come without sparring. This skill only comes from proper training, and constant diligence in applying said training.

Being punched, slapped, kicked, or choked induces a highly emotional reaction for most of us. Especially if we have experienced some sort of trauma or abuse in life. For others, the act of hitting someone else is a highly emotional act, and may even cause unforeseen responses in us such as: anxiety, fear, hesitation, and more.

These reactions caused by different catalysts are each, common for some, and completely foreign to others. What they share in common is, learning to control ourselves when we are experiencing these combative acts, and overcoming the body and/or minds’ natural response so that we can still function and apply our skills under duress. Sparring, the glue that binds martial arts training, allows us to confront things within ourselves that we may never see otherwise. In my experience, the mats teach us more about ourselves than we can learn in any other activity we undertake. If attended to, and cultivated we can take that knowledge, and experience growth not just physically but mentally, and spiritually.

REQUIRED TRAINING

If someone studies martial arts but never spars, they simply cannot know what it is like to function under stress until it is too late; they have not been inoculated to violence. On the opposing side, if someone spars all the time and isn’t taught to control their emotions (rage, fear, jealousy, inferiority, retaliation, pity, etc.), they will fail to develop this skill of emotional control.

Rage and anger can cost us a fight, I have won, and lost fights entirely due to this lack of control. Here one of many examples:

One sunny summer day in the early 1980’s, there was a concrete bandstand in the center of a small town in New Hampshire, USA. I was 10 years old. A friend and I were playing on the elevated deck of the bandstand when another friend arrived. I was sitting on the railing about 10 feet of the ground when he suddenly and violently pushed me off the edge.

I fell, slamming into the ground below. He raced down to revel in his glory and laughed uncontrollably as my other friend stood by. I felt the pain, but what overtook my body was an intense broiling rage. My heart raced, my vision closed to tiny tubes as if I were peering at my target through the scope of a snipers rifle; adrenaline coursed through my veins giving me a primal strength my youthful body had never felt. I attacked with all the savage ferocity my tiny preadolescent body could muster. 

My opponent, a student of karate, laughed and remained calm in face of my oncoming barrage. He deftly applied his superior range and agility, side stepping my furious charge and throwing me to ground like a doll of rags. I sprung to my feet again and again, each time he would deflect, sending me into the dirt face first. This only angered me more, causing me to go back with increased fury.

Eventually my newfound ally adrenaline fled the front lines, leaving me spent and broken in the coarse hot dirt, starkly aware that with my greatest of efforts, I was utterly useless and defeated. At the time, I could not see that my excessive, wild, and animalistic attacks were causing my own demise. 

Emotional control does not mean we are immune to feeling fear, anger, or the other emotions that accompany the chaos of engaging in conflict with another human. It means that we experience these feelings, and we continue function without letting them control us, without allowing them to inhibit us, or prevent us from defending ourselves.

In order to build this skill in training we need to spar, to test our skills to ensure that they work. However, doing this improperly, or too soon, can have permanent adverse effects much akin to trauma.

How do we train Emotional Control?

If sparring is necessary to build emotional control, how do we do so without putting ourselves in the fire of all out conflict and no holds barred fighting? How do we lower the cost of failure in sparring in order to build fighting skills along with emotional control?

There are a few mandatory components to ensure effective results. First though, is understanding what all of us will do if/when we are introduced to sparring too early in the training process.

Slow to learn, fast to test.

Each an every one of us walking into martial arts training has two attributes we come through the door with regardless of whether or not we are absent of skill. These attributes become a crutch that we fall back on whenever we are faced with stress, anxiety, fear, aggression, or the unknown. These attributes are speed and power.

You can easily say, “I’m not strong.”, or “I’m not fast.”, but when push comes to shove, you will move fast and go hard, it is instinctive. In order to properly train skills we need to remove these elements from the training process. Slow things down so we have time to figure things out, to diagnose, to recognize mistakes.

When I was first introduced to this idea, I latched right on to it. Some research on the human brain, learning methods, teaching techniques over the years, all reinforced this in various ways. But the place I learned it didn’t enforce it, only said it over and over like lip service. I spent years saying it in my own gym, telling students to slow down, to stop using strength. Things improved but it was never reliable.

There was one way to mitigate this, and it truly works.

Talk

Yes, talking. It is that simple. Before sparring with someone, especially if we are nervous, try talking with them for a moment. Ask how they are doing. Talk about a recent movie, or current event. Find a way to break the ice, to create a connection between the two of you. This can change the future.

What follows next, is a vastly different approach to the sparring match than what would have happened had we gone into the match amped up, nervous, scared, etc. Silence is deafening. Especially in the training hall. Help one another. Point out what we like about the other's technique or skills.

When I learned this principle from a Mantis Boxing coach I was already a coach myself. I was traveling across the country to train two to three times per year with this group. I only sparred with members of this group on those trips. The rest of the time I was sparring with my own students, and friends, which changes the dynamic of using this principle, especially when you’re the only one who knows it. I was always the one using it to help my students acclimate to sparring.

Aside from when I was first shown it, I never really benefited from this being used to help me, but I gained a invaluable insight from this process. As I traversed my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu path, more times than I can count I would attend class, team training, or visit another school to train at, invariably I would get paired up with the meanest looking player in the room.

The coach would pair us off, and having already scouted the room beforehand, I knew who was trouble. They would usually have a disgusted or angry face on, and no one would go near them to even talk to them before class. Looking at them, I could ascertain that if I were paired up with them it was going to be all out war in the ensuing match. Instead, I fell back on this skill I had built from coaching.

As it so happened, I would usually end up being paired off with these folks. When the coach called out our names I would go up, shake hands, and sit in front of them or aside them on the mats. As we waited for the coach to finish pairing people off, then for the bell to go off, or after the bell if there was no time, I would ask their name, where they are from, or what they do for work. Something to break the tension.

It turns out, with the exception of one person out of all the times this happened, and it was many, the individual was super nice, and we found something in common after talking for a few minutes. The result? The match would be relaxed, smooth, and injury free. Excellent experiences and the beginning of new friendships.

What I came to realize is, these individuals were just as nervous, anxious, afraid, not of my hulking 5’6” demon frame, but of sparring with people they didn’t know, or wondering if they were going to get smashed again today, or even worse…injured. By the look on their face it was easy to assume they were angry, or mean, but this was simply a mask, their mask, to hide the real underlying emotion - fear. Once someone took the time to say hello, they became completely different people and showed their true colors.

TALK BOX

You can even talk while sparring. I know this seems silly, and it can be quite difficult at first, but later this becomes a crucial training tool. By talking we learn to stabilize our emotions while getting hit or hitting someone else. Removing the stress from the situation allows the brain freedom to learn, and the ability to maintain a good 'speed' for gaining, and advancing skill.

We want to focus on relaxing, and gaining this coveted emotional control. Later on when we have achieved this and sparring is less of a stress to us, we can focus on trying to fix things while we’re sparring. At this stage, we'll be in a different place skill-wise. As our training progresses, so too does our ability to control our emotions. We train, not only to be able to handle ourselves physically in bad situations, but also to inoculate ourselves to physical contact so if and when things go bad outside the gym, we react without thought, we perform as our training has prepared us, without our emotions getting in the way.

UPDATES

All of the above is true and I still stand by it. However, I will add that in the past two years we have taken another step to ensure success. We no longer allow sparring until students have gone through the entire curriculum one time. By giving people skills to fall back on, rather than relying on speed and power when faced with the unknown, we’ve been able to reduce injury, increase camaraderie, and begin building emotional control from the ground up, rather than what we were doing prior.

At the time of this article, and since first learning and instituting this in my gym back in 2006, the success rate was pretty poor from student to student. This was due to sparring early on. We had not replaced the attributes with skills, or instituted a few other necessary practices that have shown extremely high success rates. When it is complete, I’ll post a link to my recent talk on this at the Martial Arts Studies conference in Cardiff, UK. Stay hooked.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

In the meantime, check out my friend Ando’s vlog on this same topic. Ando is an extremely high level martial artist, and incredibly adept coach who has spent decades perfecting his teaching methods. Take a few moments to watch this great video he put together on how he deals with emotions in the training process. You will laugh, and perhaps cry along with him as you watch. I highly recommend following his channel to see some of the great work he puts out.