Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Blog

I’m going to venture a guess here and say that I’m not the only one who feels like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gets more difficult after the age of 40 (more specifically, 45). When I began at 35 years old, things were easy. I relied on my athleticism, which, believe me, helped a lot. These days, I can’t move nearly as fast as I used to and every time I try to, I feel like I’m going to pull a muscle. Because of this, I’ve been forced to slow down quite a bit. Unfortunately, this slowing down thing isn’t nearly as productive as I thought it might be. The younger, stronger, and lower belts are taking advantage and giving me a run for my money. I suppose that’s expected, but what a bummer. Click through to read about my thoughts on this topic. And be sure to leave a comment if you’re in the same boat that I’m in. Continue reading…

The stages one must travel through while training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be exciting, fun, and entertaining, but they can also be long and arduous. The end result can be worth it though, if the person who initially joined didn’t quit half way through. I began training BJJ in 2008 in Connecticut and since then, I’ve trained in Florida and Maine. Thirteen years later, I was awarded my black belt by The Foundry in Farmington and since then I’ve been training and teaching others what I know. In this post, I share my story as well as lots of photos that were taken along the way. Boy, it’s been quite the ride. One I wouldn’t trade for anything else. Enjoy. Continue reading…

After a decade and a few years, I was promoted to black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by an incredible group of people at The Foundry in Farmington, Maine. It was a long, yet remarkably rewarding road and I’m more than proud of myself for making the trek. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu isn’t like other martial arts. Belt promotions come few and far between, so it takes an enormous amount of commitment and dedication to make it to the level we all strive for. In this post, I discuss the event and show off a few photos. Continue reading…

One of the benefits of being an amateur photographer is having the freedom to focus on tiny little slivers of the world. We’ve got nature and wildlife photographers, astrophotographers, portrait, fashion, still life, editorial, architectural, and yes, even Jiu-Jitsu photographers. Of course, martial art photography most likely falls under the purview of “Sports,” but still, there are certain aspects that need to be taken into account when capturing these types of scenes. In this post, I touch upon a few simple tips you can use to take better photos of your classmates, significant other, children – whomever – while they’re rolling around in their next Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class. Continue reading…

In this post, I discuss a few things Jitsu. I talk about Judo’s influence on BJJ and how takedowns in Judo work wonderfully all around. I also discuss an effective series of techniques called the X-Guard and what can go wrong while tying to execute them. Finally, I talk fashion. Many of my training partners like the Shoyoroll Gi company and I’ve recently shown an interest in them as well. Click through to learn more. Continue reading…

If you’re about to read this post, you’re probably one of two types of people. You’re either interested in getting into BJJ/just started or you’ve been training for a while and want to learn even more. The first type is very common. When I began training, I scoured the internet for anything I could get my hands on that would teach me something. As I progressed and became more mature in the sport though, I began looking for answers to more complex questions that I had. One of them was, “Why am I training?” In this post, I discuss exactly that. I’m happy to report that the answer, at least for me, is simple and straightforward. Click through to find out what it is. Continue reading…

If you’ve trained BJJ for any number of years, you’ve most likely realized that it’s sometimes a mental game more than a physical one. In the beginning, all you want to do is stay alive. That’s straightforward and easy enough. As you get better and mature into the sport though, successes and failures begin to burrow into your head. The submissions you inflict upon your opponents don’t feel as satisfying as they once did and getting submitted is more painful than it ever was. Unfortunately, there’s no solution to this problem, no matter what anyone says. Click through to learn more. Continue reading…

If I could only remember all the advice I give on this blog while teaching my classes, I think my students would get so much more out of what I’m attempting to convey. As it stands, I fumble through my lessons with not nearly as much thought as I once gave them. It’s a shame really, because my students deserve it. They’re wide-eyed and eager to get better. I’ll need to make it a point to find the same eagerness within myself. In this post, like so many others I’ve written, I first question the status quo and then make a few comparisons. Finally, I offer some advice that (I hope) will make the world of BJJ a better place. Continue reading…

There’s a lot more to Jiu-Jitsu than hitting the mats a few times a week to wrestle your training partners. That’s the physical part. The intellectual part has to do with how the movements and actions within Jiu-Jitsu are perceived by the mind. What’s the goal of the move? Does it really work and if so, why does it work? How exactly is the move applied? Is there a right way and a wrong way? Which way is most effective? Why is it more effective this way? Obviously anyone can eventually learn all these things without thinking much about them and just practicing. It’ll just take a long time and the person may never achieve their full potential while training. There are many marginal black belts among us. It’s only when a player takes a more mental approach as well as a physical one does he or she fly as high as he or she is meant to. Continue reading…

I absolutely love Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I hold the rank of black belt and have been training for over a decade. I also teach the sport, so for me to call myself a BJJ contrarian is rather odd. I know this, but that doesn’t stop me from asking questions that are difficult to answer as well as critiquing our sport. What I found when I first began training was a set of rules and statements that almost everyone accepted as gospel. I accepted them as well, but as time went on, I began thinking more deeply about them and finding them to be not as acceptable as I once found. In this post, I delve into the fascinating topic of comparing BJJ to the game of chess. As I think you’ll soon discover, things don’t turn out very well for those who repeat catchy sayings without giving them due consideration. Continue reading…