"You Don't Know Me!" - A Story of Fat A$$ Kung Fu Guy

originally posted - November 2, 2013.

Too often in life we assume we know someone’s entire life by simply looking at them in the here and now. Looking at me now, you are probably unaware that I struggled with my weight since I was 12 years old. Roller coaster rides on the scale. Battles with eating disorders. Chasing fad diets. Trying, to no avail, to exercise my way out of bad diets. As a coach, I am often in a position to help others with their own weight struggles, yet going on appearances, and lacking stories such as this, it is hard for people to believe that I understand what they are going through. In the hopes of quelling those communication gaps, and to hopefully bridge the divide, here is a story of my own struggle with weight and self-image through the years. There are other people who have it far worse than I did, but if my story can help even one person then I am happy to share it.

Up and down my weight has fluctuated over the years, even while serving in the U.S. military. In bootcamp I was classified as overweight for coming in at a scale-busting 160 lbs. Thus began the unhealthy cycle of how I perceived my own self-image. I should re-iterate, the military only cemented these feelings in place, and helped foster them into a full blown train wreck. High School was where it really began. The constant struggle with weight, unhealthy eating habits, and trying to hide my body behind baggy clothes. Ever aware and concerned with how I looked and appeared to others. Once in the army, this grew into another animal entirely.

The Army standards called for maximum weight of 155 lbs for my height. Since I failed to meet the standard for this upon entering bootcamp, I was affectionately assigned to the ‘Fat Boy Program’ along with others that were dealing with far larger weight loss problems than myself. We were all in it together, big and small. Fat is fat in the eyes of the military, it matters not whether it is 5 lbs, or 100 lbs over.

The ‘Fat Boy Program’ means constant shaming from Drill Sergeants about our weight until we can come in under the limit. We were placed on a calorie controlled diet. No seconds at the chow hall, and we only eat from the regular offerings; no short order food (grilled cheese, hot dogs, burgers, fries). On the rare occassion dessert was allowed that was off-limits as well. It had the desired affect, along with some residual side effects.

I graduated bootcamp at 149 lbs. Slim and trim. I maintained this weight throughout flight school. Only due to the high stress environment that kept the calorie burning pumping full steam. My first trip home on leave after receiving my wings, was met with my grandmother discouraging look, and complaints that I was “too thin”, and “looking ill.” Next stop was Permanent Duty Station as it is called. He we were assigned to a regular active duty unit and stationed with there until deployed, or reassigned. There is a bit more freedom in this environment, and things changed. These changes brought more free time, with weekends off and the choice to eat in the mess hall, or buy food off base. Many of us, myself included, filled these vacancies with pizza, beer, and taco hell.

Along with these escapades, came the expanded waistlines and horrible physical fitness levels. My uniforms no longer fit, and purchasing replacements ate into my beer and cigarette stipend. I was failing weight tests, blaming BMI (Body Mass Index) charts, and lacking any sound nutrition knowledge on how to fix my growing weight problems. Through ignorance, I was in denial about my dietary choices and the only solution the military machine had for fixing weight issues - more exercise. If only I knew then what I know now…

This cycle continued for the next couple of years and was eventually exacerbated by civilian life once I left the military. My relationship with food, was warped and broken. Three or more meals per day, snacking, fast food, and the necessity for an overabundance of processed food due to the low income wages I made. Working 12 hour night shifts threw even more inconsistent and erratic eating patterns into the mix. Eventually this spiralled into a courtship with bulimia.

Co-workers would all want to order out from the local pizza shops, or fast food, and I would willingly join in the fray. While they were pleasantly digesting their meals like fat, happy cats for the remainder of our shift, I was finding some private location to inject my finger down my throat, and watch as my freshly eaten food erupted into the toilet, the woods, or even the rooftop of the factory. I found myself anywhere I could, to secretly unload the feelings of guilt and shame over what I just ate; only magnified by the awareness that I just wasted more of what little money I had, while living on a shoestring budget.

Guilt, shame, and cash, were the toll to pay on the highway of self-control while my food obsession continued to break the speed limit and drive recklessly down the freeway. Try as I might, this was my last ditch effort to regain a minor semblance of control over my body. It didn’t work.

I then tried any and all "diets" of the times - those failed to succeed at nothing more than reinforcing that I had no control over this. This cycle continued for 3 more years. Beating on my body full tilt. Alcohol, tobacco, food. All out of control. At the age of 25, a giant road sign in life smacked me right in the face. Another story for another time. Simply put, I had a moment of reckoning with myself, or rather, life had chosen a reckoning on me.

I became staunchly aware that at 17 years old, I was in bootcamp. At 18 to 20 years old I was flying multi-million dollar helicopters. Where the hell was I going now, five years later??? Hell in a hand basket woven of reeds pulled from the swamp of my own failed decisions.

After staring deep into my own soul, I pull hard on the cyclic, and cranked a 180 degree turn. Reversing course on my life of nowhere, and nothingness, and chose to refocus my priorities. I went on a 'low fat diet' (horrible choice that caused more problems down the road) and lost 32 lbs whilst quitting smoking, drinking, and taking up mountain biking. I added in exercises I learned in the military for strength and conditioning. The pounds shed off. Although this likely had more to do with ditching the alcohol, and the poor food choices that go along with it, than it did with the low-fat diet.

I receded from 180+ lbs down to 155 lbs, but that low-fat thing I mentioned before, had a negative side effect that I was unaware of until years later - low fat diets lead to depression. It turns out our brains require fat. I kept on it though, and exercise counterbalanced this. I would bike every day, and if I wanted an ice cream, I had to pedal 12 miles to the nearest ice cream stand to get it.

A year later, I returned to martial arts. Something I had my mind set on for 5 years, but never took the time to do it. Mantis boxing became my new focus. I trained 6-7 days per week, competing in any tournaments I could find and afford. I watched what I ate, and between the two, this kept the weight off for a couple more years. Yet I struggled with mood swings, and energy fluctuations that plagued my daily living. I sought out doctors suspecting blood sugar issues, but they would brush me aside and never pay heed to my words.

After a series of life altering events such as - losing part of my hand in an accident, living with a paranoid schizophrenic for one year, and watching my entire life burn to the ground in an electrical fire, taking everything I owned minus my life, and new work laptop I had just purchased the night before, the depression took over once again and I started to gain weight. Lots of weight.

I moved out of state, getting a new job and trying to change my life from manual labor to computer programming. Factories to cubicles. I was obviously running from the events prior, but in my mind believed that I was moving forward, and I had it all under control. After all, I was supposed to be ‘positive’. Nothing else was acceptable given my prior years of courtship with pessimism, nihilism, and self-destruction.

I was in total and complete denial. Meanwhile, the weight piled on and the mirror continued to tell lies. It also did me no favors that not one person around me, said something about how much weight I gained; save for one - my boxing coach. Friends and family falsely believe that they should stay quiet. Sometimes the nicest thing we can do for people we care for, is to tell them the truth.

The scale doesn't lie, the mirror does. Our brain warps reality so we can cope with these gluttonous obsessions. Denial was my closest friend, right after Wendy’s of course. Things continued to spiral out of control over a fairly brief period of time. I became addicted to food, especially bad food. The more I ate of it, the worse it became. Not only from a weight gain perspective, but my hypoglycaemia would bounce like a racquet-ball shot from a cannon.

I was spending 3 to 4 hours per day in the car between commuting to work, travelling out of state for school 2 to 5 days/week while trying to finish my Bachelor’s degree, and insisting on continuing to train with my first mantis boxing coach a three times per week. Because I wanted to keep my loyalty to someone who had helped change my life, and it was easier, and more comfortable than seeking out a new school near my residence. I lived two plus hours away from his gym, commuting to Concord, N.H. from Beverly, MA three times per week.

Cooking my own food? There was no time in the day, or night for such frivolous endeavours. And the pounds packed on. I maxed out at 204 lbs before I changed things. I signed up at a new martial arts school in Boston that was close to my work. I could now train in classes more frequently.

I started attending lunch Kung Fu classes during the day and going back for three more back to back classes at night. I shed 30 lbs over the rest of that year. Then I started to plateau again. Martial arts training alone was not doing enough. Of course, stopping at Krispy Kreme on the way home from class didn’t help either. Again…we can’t exercise our way out of a bad diet. But I didn’t know that back then. Eventually I left the cubicle world, and decided I wanted to teach martial arts for a living.

Getting out of the 8 to 16 hours per day in a cubicle, and the lunch/snack runs with co-workers was one of the best things for my weight. I cleaned up the junk food, over-consumption, and brought my weight back down to the high 160's as I went into competing at the Wushu Nationals in 2004. I was still a bit chubby for my height though.

I spent the next few years continuing to struggle with my weight. It would fluctuate between 165 and 175 lbs; never able to shed the remaining weight no matter how much exercise. This devastated my morale. I was well into running my own school, and training 5 or 6 hours per day. I did not understand why I didn't look like a martial arts teacher. At least what I believe one should look like.

My superiority complex was getting a kick in the balls. I certainly did not want to become what I despised years before. Travelling from competition to competition, silently sneering at, and criticizing the food being served to competitors - donuts, pizza, hot dogs, and candy bars. Scoffing at the judges as they sat there in their chairs, shamelessly displaying their bare skinned balloon bellies protruding from their gi’s. No longer able to close the jackets because their guts were too big. [We hate most in others, what we despise so deeply within ourselves…]

This was not what martial arts represented to me. I looked at martial arts as not only the constant struggle to perfect our fighting skills, but the manifestation of self-control; discipline over mind, body, and spirit. I was now representing the losing side in that battle. Diametrically opposed to what I believed in and aspired to be.

Since my early training in mantis boxing, I had suspected that something was wrong. As I mentioned, I sought out the help of doctors even when my weight was in acceptable parameters. I asked if I was hypoglycaemic. A big word for me back then, that my coach had to explain. The doctors always said ‘no’. Never delving deeper into the problems I was having. No proper testing for this condition to find out if it was lurking underneath.

I believed them, or at least listened to them tell me ‘no’. But this ignorance did not change the symptoms - massive mood swings when hungry (HULK SMASH!!!), foggy brain, inability to focus; a dependence on caffeine to regulate energy between meals. Each day was a roller coaster ride from morning to night. A typical day looked like this:

Breakfast -> crash -> caffeine -> crash -> lunch -> crash -> caffeine -> crash -> dinner -> crash -> sleep. Wake up starving the next day, ready to tear someone apart if I don’t get food - ‘NOW!!!’

In 2010 I reached my limit. I sought out a nutritionist, not a dietician (there is a stark difference) and scheduled an appointment. With the objective of determining:

1. If I was in fact hypoglycaemic. And,

2. How to shed the last 5-7 lbs I wanted to lose

At this point, I was down to 162 lbs through cutting my caloric intake so drastically low, that I was constantly stressed out, moody, and angry, and depleted of energy. I was hungry all the time, but could not reconcile with gaining weight because I was over eating. My relationship with food was still vastly negative and unhealthy.

As the weeks led up to the appointment, I came very close to cancelling my due to finances and scepticism. After all, years of doctors, diets, and dieticians had done nothing to help. Something deep down was so tired of living like this, that I stuck with it and went to my scheduled meeting. with Eric Reardon of Crossroads to Health. Eric, listened to my symptoms, and confirmed through blood tests that my suspicions for years, were quite true. He warned me that continuing on with this pattern, was an all but certain path to diabetes.

I worked with Eric as he gave me custom recipes, a meal plan, and even a shopping list of what to buy in the grocery store. These were extremely convenient, and made the changes easier to accomplish. No guesswork. He released me on my way and we were to follow up in a couple weeks to measure progress.

I followed his instructions to the letter. Everything I was supposed to do, I did. I was hell bent on breaking these chains that had pulled me into the abyss for decades. As I sought to stabilize my blood sugar (the first priority we were attending to) an interesting thing happened; the weight I could never lose before, shed off of me in 2 weeks.

By the end of 30 days, I was down to 152 lbs. In addition, my moods regulated, my stress levels dropped; anxiety dropped, no more seasonal depression common to northern climates; and I was enjoy the food I was eating (consuming 4x more than I had been eating prior). I never went back to eating the way I did before. [Thanks, Eric]

I feel better, look better, and perform way beyond what I could ever do in the past. At the time of this writing, at 41 years old, I dwarf the me that graduated boot camp in the autumn of 1990. It is ironic and comical to find myself in this position now. In 1992, I had a Sergeant Major (highest enlisted rank in the battalion) when I was stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C. He was in his late 50's at the time. Sergeant Major Rhea.

Sgt. Major looked wicked old in comparison to our spry 19 and 20 year old selves. Looks deceived however. He would spank us hard on the 2-mile, 5-mile, and 10-mile runs. In his light, I would feel like a worthless scumbag. A third his age, and not even close to keeping up with him. He was a machine! He would run laps around our formation as we were sucking wind and dogging it up a hill during PT. On the straights, he would then take off and run a quarter mile ahead, then back to pull us along. Because of him, I could never make an excuse for my sad, sack of self. Never. I always had to own it. My condition, or lack thereof, was my own fault. No one else’s.

These days every activity I do whether it be mantis boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, tai chi, kickboxing, hiking, biking, hang-gliding, running, swimming, or competing, are all drastically altered by what I eat. I can feel the difference, most of all in my brain. I now know it can be done. Nutrition is the key. Not more exercise.

Now you know. You know that I lived it. That I understand what it is like to not have answers. To feel helpless in controlling our own bodies. To feel like a stranger in our own skin. Willing to take extreme measures to try and correct how we look and feel. Wisdom, the knowledge earned through hardship and experience, has taught me that the extreme measures, should be positive ones. Like spending money to get the help of a professional, or dedicating ourselves to a proper lifestyle change.

So…if I seem crass, unforgiving, or unaccepting of excuses to someone struggling with weight, it is not for lack of empathy, or walking the same lonely path, or not understanding what they are going through. I just see things from the other side and I don't buy excuses that we tell ourselves on why we can’t lose weight, or get in shape. I lived it. I am not superior to anyone else, I just have more failures. I was not born with a six-pack, even though I’m from New Hampshire. Ask my mother. I was a pudgy, insecure, 12 year old boy once upon a time.

I am, human. And humans, err. I have faced the trials and tribulations of modern day obesity problems like many of you who may be reading this. Battling against a multi-billion dollar marketing machine telling us to eat garbage. The fix?

1. Get educated about food.

2. Get off our ass and do it.

Our body is a machine. We need to treat it like one. We cannot run our cars without gas, oil, brake fluid. Likewise, we cannot run our bodies on Wendy’s and Krispy Kreme. We need fuel -protein, fat, carbs, fruits, grains, and vegetables. The lettuce on the fast food chicken sandwich doesn’t count.

My school is my life. It is the representation of what I do and what I believe in. I designed it to offer everyone a holistic approach to their life and training so they might gain the same benefits that I did, and continue to.

One of my greatest joys is watching someone commit themselves to a change, and experience the growth and benefits to their lifestyle and health as reward for their efforts. This is truly why I do what I do. That, and watching a weak, insecure individual, become capable of kicking someone else’s ass.

We can all achieve our goals and have the body we want - as long as it's OUR body. Meaning, our DNA determines our frame size, and how much muscle we can carry. We cannot, with any sense of reason, look upon some skinny twig in a magazine, or on social media, and set our mind to looking like that if it is not in our genetic make-up to do so. If we are a roaring oak, we can prune ourselves and strengthen our branches, but we cannot suddenly make ourselves into bamboo. Shape our own block of clay, not someone else’s.

The right knowledge is a powerful tool! Good luck.

Fitness Note:

9 months after reigning in my diet, my colleague Jeff Hughes of Austin Fitness Martial Arts in Austin, TX shared with me a fitness program that took him to another level. John Hackleman’s Cross-Pit program. Cross-Fit for fighters/boxers/martial artists. Old school martial arts conditioning with modern training techniques and methods. This helped shape my clay and I am forever grateful.

Cracking the Black: Thomas McNair

Thomas McNair - circa 15 - photo by Max Kotchouro

Back in 2012, a young man in his early 20’s walked into my school and signed up for classes. He was excited, highly motivated, and ready to train. He had a great attitude and when he was in class, he would work hard. The first few years saw him come and go from classes, consistency was holding him back from advancing beyond blue belt.

Eventually he dedicated himself for a stretch of time that he was able to bench up to green belt, and then he disappeared again. As time passed, he would show up for weeks at a time, coming to 5 or 6 classes per week, and training hard. He would recommit, only to bounce out 4 to 6 weeks later and resurface 3 or 4 months later.

This went on for a time, and it perplexed me. He was a kind soul, with a good sense of humor, and consistently helping other people when he was on the mats, and off. He worked at group homes assisting people unable to assist themselves. Always giving. He would recruit anyone that would listen, to come to classes with us; his friends, significant other, even his own mother (where’s my aleve…?). [inside joke that she’ll appreciate]

In mantis boxing, a majority will make yellow belt, and from there maybe half those will get to blue belt. It’s a lengthy journey, and not everyone can commit to it for years at a time to get there. So when someone makes it to green belt, the odds are greater that they will move through the ranks to black belt. This is not always the case of course, but green belt has many challenges in front of it. Someone has learned to survive as a white belt, honed their defense between yellow and blue belt, and is starting to finally get in stride and see the bigger picture of all these moving parts coming together, so they can begin to develop their own game, or art.

As a teacher, coach, guide on this journey for others, it is difficult to see someone get this far, and then drop off. So this time, I reached out to have a heart to heart and find out what was going on. What did I find? Nothing surprising from a man like Thomas. He was working long hours and almost every day of the week, driving himself into the ground helping others. And he was about to break.

Thomas can do jobs I could never do. Character traits I lack, he seems to naturally possess. This makes him perfectly suited for service fields that require someone dedicate their time to helping others who cannot help themselves. It is a commendable and inspiring vocation. Unfortunately, he was burning out after years of taking care of others, but not himself. Thomas was ready to move to the woods and never talk to another human being again.

We had a long chat about his work, future plans, and where he stood with his training. I asked him if he still wanted to train, and continue on the journey. He said, yes. He wanted to get to black belt, and he really loved martial arts, but he didn’t know how to get back to a place where he could focus on it.

Backing up for a moment, a couple years prior I stopped teaching my kids program. I had burned out and my heart was more into teaching adults at the time. Having taught kids for years, I did not feel I was making an impact on their lives in a positive manner. In those 11 years, I had maybe 3 or 4 kids that successfully made the transition from the kids class to the adult class. I blamed myself for this failing, and decided to walk away for a while and focus strictly on my adult classes, which were doing far better by comparison.

So in our conversation, when Thomas and I were discussing where he was going next in life, I offered to restart the kids program if he would come on board as an instructor to help get it off the ground again. He could continue to help other people, something integral to his core, and simultaneously refocus on his training; taking it to the next level and bringing him a step closer to fulfilling his dreams.

I asked him to think it over, even though he was immediately excited and ready to jump in, just to ensure he was prepared to commit. He was all in, and came back to me with his true path - to become a martial arts instructor as his career.

Since then, Thomas has applied himself diligently to his craft. He has grown not only as a mantis boxer and jiu-jitsu grappler, but as a person. He has matured immensely, evolving from a wanderer, a part-time student of combat sports; to a humble, competent, and effective instructor, coach; and dedicated martial artist. In that transition his skills elevated to a whole new magnitude, to which he later confessed that he had no idea how significantly that - consistency, dedication, perseverance, and effort - would benefit his growth as a fighter, warrior, and human being.

As a coach and teacher, watching these transformations is what makes it all worthwhile. It has been an honor to watch from the sidelines as Thomas stepped up his game and transformed into something he could previously only imagine. He is now, one of four black belts in mantis boxing by my hand. Congratulations, Thomas.

Thomas McNair promoted to Black Belt in Mantis Boxing by Randy Brown on Saturday, December 7, 2019.

photos by Max Kotchouro

How to Escape the Clinch - Continued

Here is another follow-up to the videos we shot in LA with Sensei Ando last year (May 2019) as we catch up with the backlog of footage. In this one, Thomas and I will cover the Reverse Hook and how to use it to gain control of the clinch, along with options for follow-up such as: crushing knee, wicked knee, and hanging hook.

You can find the videos with Sensei Ando here:

►►Leg Scissors Takedown with Holly and Ando

►►Clinch Escapes to Takedowns

"Don't Touch Me" - Why I Hated BJJ

photos by Max Kotchouro

The following dust-covered article I originally wrote for another blog back in 2012-13 as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) blue belt. My hopes/intent for this article are still the same — helping you, and others like you, who avoid training or even trying BJJ due to the lack of enthusiasm of other people touching you, Whether you are a beginner, or a veteran martial artist, I’d like to help you understand BJJ by sharing a bit of my reluctance to dive into it and my experience traversing the art, while having the same reservations at the start.

Randy - 2020. Thank you.

Let me get this out of the way from the start - I emphatically hate people touching me. I have issues with physical contact, space invaders, and touchy-feely nonsense. After many failed attempts at coping, I simply avoid large crowds, parties, grandmas, and priests. Chalk it up to a plethora of personal experiences early in life, or just laugh and call me strange. Getting my finger lobbed off in a table saw was a more a preferable experience than some weird inebriated schmuck trying to grope me at a party. (FYI - a good use for martial arts training)

Now that I’ve made it abundantly clear how much I dislike physical contact, perhaps no we can relate to one another. I imagine if you are still reading this for any other reason than to make fun of me then you have similar issues with physical contact, and this reason has been a primary deterrent to you experimenting with Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the first place. Or, you just really hate Brazilian jiu-jitsu and clicked on this artile in the hopes of reading a series of bad things I have to say about it. Spolier alert: it is not going to go your way so you can bail now and save yourself some time.

False Fears

The idea of having to work closely with someone else, especially on the ground, used to 'skeeve me out'. There is a stark differential between the modalities I was accustomed to - striking, kicking, and takedowns, when contrasted to rolling around on the ground with another human being while wearing pajamas or skin tight clothing.

Knowing what I know now, I probably would have loved high school wrestling, but that was never going to happen. Many foes would have fallen trying to force my fat, chubby, adolescent self into one of those onesie singlets.

Fast forward to later in life, having trained mantis boxing for ten plus years and running a school for five of those, and during this time I became distinctly aware of the giant deficiency in mantis boxing - the lack of a ground game.

I discussed this reality with one of my coaches at the time. Being practical and grounded in real-world experience he agreed with the problem and suggested that I take up BJJ, to at least a blue belt level. The blue belt being a significant achievement in the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, showing an individual has gone through the grist mill and survived to a base level of proficiency in self=defense on the ground.

The goal of reaching this belt in his assessment was that, I would have the experience and know-how to deal with an altercation on the ground; if a fight ever ended up there. Which, anecdotally speaking, they usually do.

I was reluctant at first (see aforementioned comments on personal space) but eventually I capitulated and decided to try it out. To say my first attempts did not go well is a mild understatement [insert sarcasm].

Unfortunately, my first couple of experiences went horribly awry. I unknowingly chose the wrong coaches/schools to train with and this produced catastrophic results. To include but not limited to, a ripped ear, tweaked elbow; broken toe, and a severe shoulder injury that costs thousands of dollars in rehab and will someday ultimately require a full shoulder replacement. I’m holding out for stem cells or cybernetic arms to become a mainstay.

On the third attempt to learn Brazilian jiu-jitsu I found a great instructor and the perfect atmosphere to train and learn the art. The coach was friendly, welcoming, and understanding of the fact that I was starting over in a new art. He was patient as well, and willing to help me enter this martial art without getting trashed before knowing which end is up. One of the ways this varied from prior attempts, was the premise of not having me roll the first class, or even the first weeks/months of training. His words - “I need to teach you how to roll before we start rolling.” - Dedeco. Wise words. Everywhere else I had been, it was sparring from day one, and people just trying to mop the floor with me.

Ignorance is Bliss

Holly smashing it at Boston Summer Open 2013

‘Traditional’ martial arts styles are mostly comprised of arts originating from east asia, but for our purposes we’ll include western boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, shuai jiao, and more. A vast majority of these styles strictly cover stand-up fighting - striking, kicking, throwing, and maybe joint locks.

With the exception of wrestling, how do any of these styles account for a larger, stronger, opponent that wants nothing more than to put us on the ground and pummel us? The all subsist around weight class rule structures.

A sound and well rounded martial artist in my opinion, wants solutions for these problems. Problems such as being stuck underneath someone that has 100lbs of body weight on us, is choking us, or is pummelling us with fists while sitting on our torso.

We want not only to survive, but to thrive in these situations. I have to be frank here - I have seen a variety of nonsensical comments from traditional martial artists when it comes to this very real threat. A belief in their minds that the threat of someone controlling us is not real, or that arts such as BJJ are useless. These statements include comments such as -

"I will use my eye gouges, groin strikes, and secret pressure point attacks." - anonymous

No. No you most likely won't. You will be too busy trying to figure out which way is up; panicking to get back to your feet, trying to breath as you gas yourself out (the ground is stressful), and performing silent math calculations on how much your opponent really weighs while they crush the soul out of your body with unrelenting pressure.

Another comment I see -

"I won't let them get me on the ground." - anonymous

Yes. Yes, you will. If the inherent nature of their style, the sole purpose of their modality of fighting is designed to get you on the ground, then you will be on the ground. No doubt about it. Especially if they have been training for years to accomplish said goals.

“But I train takedown defense.”

We live in the northeast where snow and ice are prevalent for a large portion of the year. Ending up on the ground is a common mishap for us even without someone violently assisting us in the process. Bottom line - as a traditional martial artist or someone with no experience in fighting, we benefit by recognizing the holes in our systems and learning to close these weaknesses. We gain nothing but darkness…and oxygen deprivation by hiding our head in the sand.

“Adapt and Overcome”

“Adapt and overcome.” A common phrase we heard consistently in boot camp. If we are experienced martial artists, adding Brazilian jiu-jitsu to our game only improves, not detracts, from our primary art. Depending on the style we practice, we may come from arts afflicted by transmission loss. Meaning some, or all, of the techniques have been lost through the annals of time. We’re left only with forms/kata, and best guesses as to the original method(s) of execution. Putting the pieces back together can be difficult to downright impossible. Finding crossover principles and techniques in other arts such as BJJ can help link things together in our brain, and improve our primary style of choice.

BJJ has decidedly helped me learn more about my own style of mantis boxing. From takedowns, to defense, to even just kinesthetically putting pieces together to flow. It has taken my knowledge, my game to a whole new level. This is especially relevant to an art such as mantis boxing, one of many Chinese boxing styles that is rooted in stand-up grappling, and riddled with principles that crossover to BJJ.

Perhaps you are fortunate and train with a school/coach team that has all the applications of your style already intact. Handed down to you in clear drills, and efficient training that turns you into a competent fighter. However, if that art still lacks a ground solution, as my art did, then this is the perfect reason to undertake BJJ, wrestling, or catch wrestling to shore up those weaknesses.

Donut, or Do Not?

Donut eating me - 2006

Here are a few more benefits of learning BJJ. Traditional martial arts teachers across America are known for being out of shape. I have seen it at countless tournaments since the early days of competing. A few years later, I myself was overweight while owning and running my school. I ballooned out, and knew deep down that I was setting a bad example to my students on how I personally believe a martial artist should live.

Another saying from the military - “fit to fight”. The truth to this is so base and fundamental. I’ve fought, sparred, won, and lost to some very good fighters over the years. Some of those individuals were grossly out of shape. After 30 to 90 seconds of maneuvering, or light tangling, they were huffing and puffing, buckled over and gassed beyond function. The amazing skills and techniques they had, were rendered useless by lack of stamina to stay operational long enough to use them.

Imagine for a moment, Special Forces operators dropped miles from their target behind enemy lines. They have to march to their battle positions before engaging the enemy. If they are unfit for duty, or out of shape, then any gear hauling, or arduous obstacles in their path, would render them inoperable by the time they reach their mission objective. What’s the point? Hand-to-hand combat is no different. If we’re out of shape, we’re ineffective, or less effective.

How can we stand with our heads high, selling, or marketing fitness, exercise, discipline, along with our self-defense, when we are stuffing donuts down our throat, or puffing cigarettes out behind our dojo? If we are out of shape ourselves, then we are nothing more than an exemplary display of hypocricy. “Do as I say, not as I do.”

How can BJJ change this? Brazilian jiu-jitsu is an incredible workout. It engages the full body. Exercising almost every muscle in our physical anatomy, including our brain. It takes serious conditioning to roll with another person for an entire class, or for a 5 minute bout at a competition. Just try and eat a jelly donut before walking out on the mats. Actually…don’t. Please don’t. Your partner doesn’t want to wear a Boston creme on their gi, and will likely give you a “vanilla nut tap” if you adorn them with an ‘already been chewed’ ball of dough and jam.

Before I ever reached my first BJJ tournament match, I had many stand-up sparring sessions and amateur bouts. I was no stranger to the exhaustion and fatigue that takes place shortly after an altercation ensues. Much of our training, and sparring in a dojo, is basic inoculation to the stress of what we are going to face for real. Even so, I had absolutely no idea what I was going to encounter in my first BJJ match.

An IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) tournament has more 6 packs than you'll find at a redneck BBQ.

When grappling is involved, it is a completely different world, and the intensity is magnified ten-fold. The proximity stress; gripping, tugging, and pushing; all when we’re still on our feet at the beginning of a match, drains our reserves. By the time we land on the ground, we’re seconds away from being face to face with the ‘adrenaline dump’ (all energy fades from our body). When this hits, there is nothing left in the tank; we’re completely gassed. Left only with our willingness to give up; or survive. This…is why an IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) tournament has more 6 packs than you'll find at a redneck BBQ. It’s an incredible workout.

What better way to exercise than to have fun, and learn while ‘getting into’, or ‘staying in’ shape? Enjoyment and mental engagement are a necessary function to stay committed to any type of physical activity we choose. BJJ will help us shred fat, build cardio, strength, and keep or return that weaponized body we once aspired to through joining martial arts in the first place. Of course, the nutrition aspect has to go along with it, but the mat time we put in, will incentivize us to eat better so we don’t gas out.

The ‘BEST’ Pie is ‘Humble’ Pie

Chin Na training - circa 2000

The saying is - "the mats don't lie." This means simply, that when we walk out on the mats, we can't say we are something we are not and get away with it for long. When we roll with another grappler, the truth becomes abundantly clear who is the higher hand.

"The mats don't lie."

Being a part of the ‘traditional martial arts world’ through the rise of the internet, from BBS's, to forums, to facebook, etc., I have seen more petty arguments and nonsensical statements about -

"My style is the greatest".

"I'm better than you."

"I know more forms than you."

“I’ve trained longer than you.”

"My lineage is pure, look who you studied with."

“I trained in {insert country of origin].”

"My teacher is better than your teacher.”

“My grandmother was better than your teacher"

It’s ‘ok’ to get a little mud on our face. Just smile and move on.

...and on, and on it goes. It is downright embarrassing and pathetic to see this behavior from (grown adults, usually males) martial artists. So-called warriors, or those aspiring to be. People who train their whole lives to be more than the average person, yet demean themselves beneath others on the internet for the world to see. The individual makes the art. No one else.

In contrast, I have met some of the nicest people in BJJ since I have been a part of this art. Sure, there are jerks (I met a few in the first couple attempts at starting out), but the majority of people, by and large, are polite, grounded, and pretty darn cool.

Why the difference? Simple really. We have to put our money where our mouth is. We can make claims to ourselves, or others about our prowess, and skill, but the truth comes out on the mats. Each roll, we’re face to face with our own strengths, and weaknesses; whether we’re ready to receive them or not. This is a humbling experience and not for the faint of heart. It requires complete honesty with the most important person listening to us - ourselves.

"In my experience, the more dangerous two people are, the more respectful they are to one another." - Dedeco

BJJ, along with any other contact based martial arts, keeps us humble and aware that we are all just students of the martial arts, even when coaching and helping others. We know in our hearts, and minds, that there are always bigger fish in the ocean. We all have progress to make in bettering ourselves inside and out. Even if we are king, or queen of our own little sandbox, getting tapped out by a smaller opponent or a BJJ white belt, gives us firsthand knowledge and experience in one of the most important martial arts principles to aspire to - humility.

Enjoyment of Challenge

Finally, what makes all the physical contact worth it? Honestly, the contact/space, is not that big of a deal a week or so after training. It is a far different experience rolling and grappling with someone, working with them to better ourselves, or having them try to choke us rather than grope us. Anyway, it's just downright fun, super challenging, mentally engaging, and packed with years of intrigue. There are not many sports that can produce that.

A plethora of the techniques (sweeps, submissions, escapes, takedowns) are extremely awesome and a thrill to learn. We mistake them for magic when we first see them, but the best part is when we succeed at working the magic ourselves after much trial and tribulation.

I know first hand as a student, and coach, that we have to keep the training fun in order to stay energized about teaching. So if you are already a teacher of another discipline, training BJJ gives us a newfound sense of excitement. The same we had when we were a novice student in our original martial art style, when everything was new and enchanting. Personally, I found it helped to keep the fires burning in myself, reigniting a dwindling flame in the art I had already dedicated years of practice and teaching to prior to entering BJJ.

Teaching others is rewarding and fun, but if we are not continuing to learn and grow we can become stagnant, bored, disenchanted, and even bitter. These are a few reasons I highly recommend trying out BJJ for martial artists from other modalities. Try adding it to your game and see for yourself.

Put on that ‘white belt’, box up the ego, and take the plunge into a fascinating world of new friends, sweet techniques, and years of humble learning. You won't regret it.

Size Matters in BJJ!!! - Part 3 - Breaking Closed Guard

Here's one of my favorite closed guard breaks, and why it is horrible for taller vs. smaller. If you do use this BJJ escape, here is the answer to 'why isn't my closed guard break working?' Enjoy this next installments in our Size Matters series. This is a must see if you are trying to break a smaller grapplers closed guard.

The Art of Counter-Striking

photo by Max Kotchouro

There are two types of fighters - offensive fighters, and counter-fighters. A list of descriptors that may indicate we are an offensive style fighter are comprised of, but not limited to - competitive, aggressive, confrontational, type-A personality, control freak. We know who we are! On the inverse, if we’re a counter-fighter, we may be described as - laid back, docile, relaxed, non-confrontational. I contest that, no matter what our style of fighting is, counter-striking skills are crucial to both camps of fighters. For now, if you are an offensive fighter, skip ahead to the section below on offensive fighters. If you are a counter-fighter, then continue on to the next paragraph.

Counter-Fighters

If we are a counter-fighter, then the following techniques are going to be our bread and butter. We are the ‘shield-bearers’, the ‘defenders’. After we attain a base proficiency in blocking then we will need to immediately gravitate towards applying counter-strikes. We cannot defend, or retreat forever. In order to prevent our aggressor from becoming emboldened and running us down, we need to hit them back from time to time to send a message.

What defines “a base proficiency in blocking?” This manifests from learning to trust our blocks; an absolutely crucial facet to counter-striking strategy. Slipping and ducking can apply here as well. When we’re new to the striking arts we learn to block, slip, duck, dodge, but in the interim we usually have one, and only one gear we know how to use in regards to our footwork - reverse. This is OK at first, as it hedges our bets on blocking and keeps us at a safer distance. Meaning we can block, but we’re essentially neutralizing our opponents attack with our footwork at the same time.

If we examine this move for move, our opponent advances with a strike and our footwork, ‘could’, if properly timed and spaced, eliminate the need to block. While this is a fair tactic, we cannot backup forever and our opponent can move forward further and faster than we can move backwards.

The solution comes down to taming our fear, or attaining some semblance of emotional control. We do this by either learning to take a punch (an ill advised solution), or by gaining proficiency in blocking, slipping, ducking, or a combination thereof. The latter cogent so that our defensive deflection is dependable and worthy of trust. Once we have achieved this skill, then we can venture forth into the counter techniques shown further below. First, we need to address those offensive fighters, whose skills are also necessary to us when faced off against another counter-fighter. Otherwise…there is just an uncomfortable stare down.

Offensive Fighters

If we’re an offensive fighter then our strategy/tactics/game are comprised of - going in, stealing the initiative; or obtaining the first-strike. Unsettling our opponent so they cannot gain first-strike capability on us. We prefer to dictate the pace and energy of the fight. For us, bridging tactics, rather than counter-striking are the key to our survival; the primary swords in our arsenal. In a battlefield scenario, we are the ‘cavalry’, or the ‘archers’. We launch the preliminary attack, engaging the enemy, gaining initiative, and disrupting their defense.

Let’s examine this more closely in a play by play:

1. We launch our first-strike attack on our opponent.

2. As we enter the fray they blast us in the leg with a powerful round kick to the soft tissue of the quadricep muscle (think charly horse). Or equally destructive, the femoral nerve on the inside of the thigh.

3. This counter-attack stops us in our tracks and we miss our attack opportunity, opting to retreat and recover our position instead of pressing forth.

4. The second attempt…ends with the same result. If our opponent is good, then they nailed us in the same target as the first time.

5. We may muster the courage to try once more with the same assault. For the sake of this scenario, we meet the same fate for the third time. Our leg is now feeling like rubber and we decide at this point to stop pressing the attack and try to nurse our wounds.

What’s next? Scroll back up to the section on counter-fighting because we just got schooled on why, as offensive fighters, we need to have a counter-striking game in our arsenal. Our opponent just turned us into a counter-fighter.

Counter-Strike Setups

In order to develop counter-striking as an intrinsic part of our game, there are some simple counters we can start with. From there we can increase the complexity. Let’s start with counters found in some of the old mantis boxing forms such as ‘upper block/punch’, and ‘upper block/chop’, and more:

This weeks episode focuses on counter-striking techniques found in a Mantis Boxing form known as White Ape Steals Peach (Bai Yuan Tou Tao). Allen helps out with the striking demo, and we show the upper block and strike, plus a few important details on your arm position for the upper block to work effectively.

Starter Counters

• Upper Block to Straight Punch, or Thrust Palm

• Upper Block to Chopping Fist (Hammer Fist)

• White Snake Spits Tongue - Circle In Block to Spear Hand, or Eye Plunder

• Circle In Block to Thrust Palm

• Circle Out Block to Ear Claw

These are simple retaliatory strikes that flow naturally off of the blocks they accompany. The key to success with these counters is more about timing, proper range (may need to close the gap as part of the counter), and seeing them real time. The last being the most difficult, and only manifests from experience drilling with feeders, and light sparring.

Adding Complexity

The following are simple counters but rely heavily on an advanced awareness of our enemies position, proper guard, good blocks, and the aforementioned timing and awareness. The overall feeder (strike thrown from the opponent) that we’re looking for is easy, but reconnoitering the enemy footwork prior to execution is critical.

In regards to executing these techniques, it is imperative that the defensive guard facets of our game are in place before applying the following counters. See further below for common fail points with these two techniques. Hint: usually attributed to a failed guard component.

These next two counters are also prevalent in mantis boxing forms that have been handed down over the generations. They are, in my opinion, some of the better counters but they are mutually exclusive; related to one another only in a general category of counter-strikes, as they require unique entries by our opponent.

Monkey Steals Peach - Opposite Arm Attack

The setup we’re looking for to initiate monkey steals peach is as follows:

1. My left foot is forward and my opponent is matching/mirroring my stance with their left foot forward.

2. The strike initiates from their left (lead/opposite) hand as they shuffle in. As you’ll see in the video, use a parry (not a block) combined with a cross circle step to their outside line.

3. Counter with a groin slap.

Alternatively, my opponent is instead starting from a southpaw stance. In this case I would need them to step in vs shuffle in with their opposite hand (left hand strike in our example above). The end result is the same, I get the opposing arm and foot leading the charge.

Here is an in-depth look at the Mantis Boxing move - Monkey Steals Peach (猴子偷桃). This is one of my favorite counters. Over the years, I've come to rely on a few follow-ups after people began countering the move. In this video we're including some small details to help you with the execution, and diving into alternative outcomes.

Crazy Ghost Fist - Same Side Arm

The setup for crazy ghost fist is as follows:

1. My left foot is forward. My opponent’s right foot is forward placing us in a southpaw position.

2. The strike initiates from their right hand as they shuffle in. I use a parry rather than a block, guiding the hand off to the side, being sure not to aggressively push it away. This will cause my body to twist up and reduce my counter-punch power.

3. Coordinate the parry with a slip offline toward the outside of their lead (right) foot.

4. Shuffle forward and counter with cannon fist to the liver.

As with monkey steals peach, an alternate setup is for the opponent to start with left foot forward, but they step in, rather than shuffle in. We end up with the same right arm/right foot combo we need for the counter-strike opportunity to manifest.

Scenarios

When and where to apply monkey steals peach (MSP) vs crazy ghost fist (CGF).

A. CGF - opponent shuffles forward with lead hand strike from southpaw stance.

B. MSP - opponent steps in with a rear hand strike from southpaw stance.

C. CGF - opponent steps in with rear hand strike from matched stance.

D. MSP - opponent shuffles in with lead hand strike from matched stance.

Common Fail Points

1. Guard

   In order to apply counters successfully, especially monkey steals peach and crazy ghost fist, our guard must be intact and operating to maximum efficiency. With even one component of our guard out of place things unravel very quickly when trying to block, never mind trying to apply a counter-strike. It is possible to trade shot for shot while staying in the pocket, but this is ill advised especially against a larger, stronger, or more skilled opponent. Proper guard positioning will not only shut down many of our openings, but also lead to a successful block|counter response.
   
   Guard Components:
   Hands up - fingertips no higher than eyebrows. Preferably lower.
   Elbows tucked - covers the liver and stomach targets
   Staggered arms - 1 arm in, 1 arm out. This is assisted by a bladed body position and staggered stance.
   Shoulder Line - our hands are lined up on the opponents shoulders creating an open channel down the center

2. Crossing Zones

   This is usually a bi-product of our guard failing. Having to cross zones in order to block because our hands were down, or not lined up with the opponents shoulders. Crossing zones ties up our arms and forces us into awkward positions that spin wildly out of control. We’re forced at this point to bail out if we can, and try to reset our position to neutral.

3. Out of Neutral Position

   Allowing the opponent to gain our centerline before they close range can lead to a crisis we have to contend with rather than looking for counter-strikes. While it is still possible to counter from a bad angle, our position is so poor that our strike will lack power and we’ll quickly pay for any minor success by stumbling, falling, tripping, or succumbing to the rain of blows that is sure to follow from our opponents superior positioning. It is imperative we pay close attention to keeping neutral positioning until the engagement takes place.

Guest Appearance: Real Fake Swords and Fake Real Swords - Episode 61: Randy Brown the Senior Clinching Mantis

In August of 2019, I was graciously invited as a guest on episode 61 of The Real Fake Sword’s Podcast hosted by Haozhu Wang. This was a thought provoking and at times controversial discussion on training methods, Chinese martial arts, traditional vs modern martial arts, and even martial combat training vs LARP’ing. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and I think you will too. You can also listen to other great interviews Peter has had on his podcast with a myriad of guests.

Podcast Description:

Sifu Randy Brown is the instructor of Vincent Tseng (https://realfakesword.podbean.com/e/real-fake-swords-and-fake-real-swords-episode-43-vincen-tseng-the-clinching-mantis/) with 20 years of experience in the style of Praying Mantis as well as 7 years of Brazilian Jujitsu, he was able to make the 2 arts complement each other. In this episode we explore his background as well as the past and present state of Chinese martial arts and modern combat sports.

Credit of Jingle goes to Tengger Cavalry, contemporary Chinese Mongolian folk metal