No resolutions but goals for 2011:
Lose a few stone picked up my lipotrim this morning start it Tuesday.
Work less hours.
Train more often and harder at the gym and BJJ.
Progress my stripes.
Deadlift 200kg squat 200kg bench 100kg.
Compete more starting on feb 6th.
Build http://bigstewbjj.wordpress.com more and more along with Mmad website and magazine.
Help the forge all I can continue to be the best.
Keep Kerry as happy as she makes me.
Filed under BJJ, competition, forge
See what I did there……………………………………….
Just a quick one to say thanks to everyone who has helped me and especially this year, it has been a good one with some lows but more highs.
Thanks to Tatami, Gorilla Gear, Lucky, Scott from on the mat, Submission Sniper, Roy Dean, No Gi Apps, Dean at MMAD, Dan and Nate and Randy from iBJJ you have all been a great help and support and I look forward to working with you all in the new year. Oh and how could I forget, my mentor Meerkatsu.
Draculino, Colby and Justin you guys are a constant help and awesome guys.
The guys and girls of the Forge you are as ever an inspiration and a support and next year you will see me push harder than ever. Karl and Richard you have the graphic skills to pay the bills and Tony you are the ace photographer along with your apprentice Gregg. Ross, John, James, Naz, Chaz, Alisdair, Rich G, Rob, Max, Noel, Steve et al you al help me get better, but my god sometimes it seems like tough love 
My family and friends always.
Finally Kerry without you I would be nothing.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and lets be awesome in 2011.
All the hours spent watching TV will be replaced by training. Instead of your good smelling girlfriend, you will be rolling around with bad smelling, sweaty men. Your ears will become deformed until they look like cauliflowers. Your fingers will become callous and your joints will hurt, your knees and ankles will never be the same again. Yet, you will be able to practice this sport jiu-jitsu and you WILL love it!
Filed under Uncategorized
I have been speaking with Gareth at Tatami and trying to get some details out of him as to what this exciting company are bringing out next year. Now he tells me there are loads of things happening most of which he cannot tell me about………..yet
However there are a few things he has told me about and they sound great.
- New 2011 style of BJJ GI material coat with red fleece lining
- PIN UP rash guards white and grey
- PIN UP GI winner in grey
- Terere signature GI navy with gold stitching
- New ladies MMA range
- Full re design of the ladies GI
- New branding on the Estilo
This all sounds good and I for one cannot WAIT to see the Terere Gi and the new Estilo as I officially love the version that I have now, so if it is going to be improved that will be quite something.
An exciting new year, watch this space for updates on other companies and retailers.
Introduction
(Pics to follow, blame the snow )
I was sent this Gi to review by the folks at Tatami who I must also say have been a pleasure to deal with at all points, the Gi is available to purchase HERE
How I review
There are other more technical reviews out there on the market or meerkat (some of which you will see linked below) and I do not intend to re invent the wheel, as I have said earlier I will be looking at this from the big man point of view. How does it fit, how is it when you jog, run, sprawl and roll in it? Does it stay a good fit, does my extra bulk and torque damage the Gi and also how do my training partners feel?
I stand six foot three inches tall and am 300lbs I am wearing an A5 Gi.
Initial Thoughts
This is sold as a super light competition Gi and one of the lightest on the world which it undoubtedly is. Now I admit I had a worry with this Gi, the jacket feels very strong yet very light but the trousers did worry me they felt very light and I was worried they may pop stitching or perhaps not live up to the abuse they would get.
The Science Part
The make up of the Gi is as follows:
The cost is £68 plus post and packaging
For a discount code Join my facebook group HERE
Made from 450gsm pearl weave reinforced GI canvas which has stood up very well to the rigours of rolling, a rubberised collar to stop moisture absorbtion during training and competition. Single piece jacket, 8oz heavy cotton stitching on ALL areas of the jacket and pants, 8oz double reinforced drill pants.
The trousers also have a 4 Drawstring loop system and a bungee style cord for fastening which works as well as any Gi trousers I have ever worn and the cord fasteners I can now state are far superior to some other brands.
A big draw for some taller and slimmer fighters is that all Estilio Gi comes with mix and match pants option as well when ordering.
This is of course not me
Washing
As you can see the Gi shrank very little indeed during washing which was great as it came very well fitting and comfortable indeed, so order the size you are expect to wear when you are ordering and allow for a small amount of shrinkage.
Rolling, Sparring, Training, Fit and Feedback
The important point how does it look, feel and most of all how does it hold together when rolling.
While it does not look as good as the amazing estilo this Gi still looks very good indeed the black version that I wore has very impressive looking blue feature panels and the same excellent Tatami patch panel.
The jacket fit is excellent as good as any I have worn, the trousers are very comfortable, long in the reach (from the top of point G to the waist band) which is often an issue for the taller and wider fighter. However for my liking they are just long enough and no more, I perversely like a longer trouser which is hard as I have a 34 inch inside leg. However they are easily comp legal and for most fighters will be the perfect length. The zero G does not have the extra padding on the knee which does make a small difference and does of course help with the main area of wear and tear but you would add weight so I can see why it is not there.
The jacket is a great fit all over with the sleeves a perfect length and the cuffs nice and wide so that it is good for both myself and the person I am rolling with, which when training is important. There are no extra tags round the cuffs as I have seen on other Gis and which provide a tailor made hand hold for opponents which is also a good thing.
Rolling in it feel easy and light and while the weave stays very light and is also quite cool importantly it does not fall out of shape or start to look ragged and twisted.
My sparring partners who I asked for feedback Gregg and Chaz also pointed out that the Gi has good hand holds and feels good to roll against but the collar does not loop or bag out which would make getting a choke too easy. I also noticed that unlike some Gi’s the collar is not too sharp at the start of wearing it as this can also cause issues.
I went very hard for in this Gi especially in a roll with ,Sheffield’s own GSP, Chaz, and the Gi held up brilliantly, it did not lose shape or end up with pull marks all over it. I admit there were a couple of scuffs in the trousers but these washed out and it looked almost as good as new.
In Conclusion
Well simply I was wrong, the Gi has held up well to some extreme punishment and the trousers which scared me so, admittedly they creaked a little more than that of the estilo and do not return to quite box fresh state but they are astoundingly strong for a light Gi.
It is probably not a Gi I would put into my every day rotation as the real strength and robust nature of the likes of the estilo and my old faithful Keiko Raca means they are going to be my every day use Gi’s. However for a competition Gi it is fantastic, it is light so if you have to make weight, apparently some people do , it is ideal. Also it will stay cool, dries quickly and is durable and strong.
If you are looking for a second Gi or a comp Gi I would definitely add it to your armory and at the price it is a very attractive prospect.
I will keep wearing it and revisit in a few months to see how it has continued to hold up.
For another view on this Gi see
MMAgearguide
Or my mate Seymour Meerkatsu
Get yourself down to Tatami (virtually of course) for their amazing one day sale get the superb estilo gi at an awesome price.
http://www.tatamifightwear.com/
Blue Estilo GI
The Estilo Premier BJJ GI comes with the following features and benefits: -
- 500gsm Single Piece Pearl Weave Jacket
- Canvas rubberised collar, opposed to normal twill collar. Canvas BJJ GI collars are much more hard wearing than traditional twill collars and help to keep the shape of the kimono.
- Contrast stitching on all Kimono’s
- New patch and embroidery designs.
- Triple stitched across all stress points
- Heavy 14oz Canvas pants opposed to traditional twill. Double reinforced knee padding, triple stitched with over lapped seams.
- 4 Drawstring loops on the trousers to help keep the pants in the correct position on the body.
£70.20
Filed under Tatami
Well a little update as to where we are and what we have coming up.
I have my Tatami Zero G review to go up shortly as well as a guest reviewer doing a new US Gi from Sick brands for me, I have also just had a Gorilla Gear Gi arrive for review all 3.8Kg of it
I am waiting for the new Sprawl Gi pants, lucky Gi, Submission Sniper and Gorilla Gi inc (diff company) products to come and they will all be going into review soon.
Also I have Braulio Estima and Rafael Lovato Jr’s iPhone apps to look at and review as well as doing some pre testing on a wrestling for BJJ application.
I have some brilliant interviews coming up and will be working hard on a new magazine due to launch on January into print and iPhone app.
On a personal note I will be pushing as hard as I can to improve myself and my Blue Belt one stripe status and will be pushing as hard as I can up to and over Christmas as well as attending the Lagarto Seminar on the 18th December.
Oh and I have a new facebook group HERE please come along and join.
3ZCMC68QKQWC
Introduction
It was shame that in the run up to this seminar over a foot and half of snow fell on the UK especially the north, temperatures dropped well below freezing and roads were impassible. So the fact that 20 plus folk were on the mat some from as far away as Dewsbury, cheers Hanif nice to meet you, and Leeds, the ever reliable James, was a testament to the star power of our seminar guest.
So the turnout was very good as befits someone of the stature of Gazzy a multiple time champion and pioneering black belt. It also shows that The Forge Sheffield is a good place for these seminars as we have a team of committed individuals who will turn up no matter what for the sport they love.
Seminar
This was unlike any seminar start I have ever know, initially because Gazzy was prepared to wait for folk to turn up and delay the start to make sure that people did not miss out. This is unusual for a seminar like this as start times are normally fairly strict and for Gazzy to wait for folk was very good.
Then we had a circle up and Gazzy allowed us to ask any questions that we had for her which was genuinely interesting and covered from Las Vegas to BJ Penn and it was really interesting to hear some of the great stories. We were also warned a number of times about the infamous warm up which Gazzy kept looking at me and smiling when she stated it was going to be “hard”
Warm Up
It was a very long warm up and also very good, there were a few things I have never done before and a few movements which I can see are very good for movement. This is something we are building on in the club now and though it is tough I can see the benefit it will give me. I think the thing I suffered most with was the fact that we did not stop moving through the whole thing, there was no respite so when I got to the end and felt no too bad I was pleased.
Techniques
This was cool, and we learnt a lot, the three moves all named after Gazzy we learnt were the Gazzinator, the Gazzitron and the Gazzicon. I could go into more detail and describe how these are done and how they were taught but I think it would be better if you went along and learnt from the master not the very junior apprentice. Anyway I had not seen these moves before so may be coming back for a refresher myself when this remarkable BJJ exponent returns to the UK as I just cannot make the London seminar this year.
I will also say that to those who look at myself and Gazzy together in the picture and think she looks tiny, that she is indeed, but was also able to almost triangle me unconscious from a front on move which was phenomenally tight.
The whole thing lasted over 3 hours and there was not a point where I felt that my game was not going to benefit from what I was doing which is incredible.
Conclusions
Quite simply, if you get a chance to train with a black belt then make sure you do, if you get chance to train with Gazzy then make even more sure that you do. She is a warm and compassionate person who truly believes in passing on her skills and teachings and does so in a graceful and elegant manner. Gazzy was also great with a couple of the guys kids who turned up which was great and made their day.
You cannot go wrong then to come along, even if you just take away one move or one position you will pick something up and for the new people and intermediate rollers you will learn a lot.
It will reignite your desire to improve more than ever if you are anything like me anyway.
Oh and she wears wicked Gi’s
For another view on this visit my team mate and bro Gregg over at his blog
Filed under BJJ, Black Belt, forge, Gazzy Parman, Gi, Seminar
Well I am really chuffed as today I have had my second article and first ever review to hit the from page of the awesome website http://www.onthemat.com/
This is a great start to my fledgling blog and I would like to thank some folk for their help as well.
Colby, Drac, Justin you guys are awesome
Seymour my blogging Jedi master http://meerkat69.blogspot.com/
Gregg for pictures advice and bruises http://barragergus.wordpress.com/
Tony for amazing Gi pics http://bjj.isaninja.co.uk/
Richard for the amazing new logo http://drorinnoconclusions.blogspot.com/
All at the forge who are my second family and all who have sent me anything to review or even just replied to say no thanks.
This weekend Rafael ‘Sapo’ Natal fights in the UFC against Jesse Bongfeldt at UFC 124 in Canada, ‘Sapo is a Draculino black belt and the man himself will be in the corner for the fight, ‘Sapo’ has beaten such MMA veterans as Travis Lutter in his career and now works as an instructor with Renzo Gracie.
Good luck to ‘Sapo’, Drac and the team and here is hoping for a victory on this high profile record setting card.
Filed under BJJ, Black Belt, mma, UFC
I just got a copy of this app with the aim of reviewing it and hopefully some others out there on the market. I am reviewing on an iPhone 4 running IOS 4.2.1 (8C148). The app version is the latest version 2.0.1
This is a fledgling market and really only the Machado Brothers, Stephen Kesting, Darculino and Roy Dean have embraced it fully, with only Roy and Draculino going for a full course offering.
As with all new apps and technologies there are bound to be teething problems and issues so I have taken this into account in this review. It is not the same as reviewing DVD’s, Gi’s or belts as these are all established and should be at that point of perfection, or at least nearing it.
Overview
BJJ volume one is instructed by Nate Ryan, 1st degree black belt from Gracie Barra Boston and owner/head instructor at Mass BJJ more details can be found at their website
There is a nice clean logo for the app which says all it needs too.
There no standard disclaimer at the start of the app, about the risk of the sport and the fact that you take this on yourself and should always be aware of the risk but this varies.
There is no loading screen you are just presented with the app and the bottom task bar menu
Menu
The menu system is excellent offering Gi, No-Gi moves, then inside each section there are move broken down by position.
For example:
Gi
Back attacking
Each move has a star next to it so you can make it a favourite and then easily select it which I like.
You then can use the task bar menu which offers Gi, No-Gi, Favorites and Info
These do what they suggest with the info tab explaining tapping as well as the standard offerings such as links to the app on facebook.
There is no branding on this screen just a sparse menu but this is something which could easily be added as the app is updated.
The menus then take you straight to a set of moves without the small icon previews but have a good explanation.
Content
Now this is where it differs from all of the other apps, the videos have been shot and recorded but are not presented in video format. Instead you get a move system broken down in a series of still slides, which can then be ‘played’ at a selection of speeds much like a flick book.
You then have the option to change the angle of the move from front to reverse to give you a different perspective and also you can add text to the screen which explains what is happening.
Each screen has a help tab to explain how to work it but to be honest it is totally self explanatory.
The reason for the change from video to the flip book style I was told was to allow as much as possible to fitted into a light weight app and with over 90 moves this is certainly achieved. You also get techniques such as shrimping and bucking which I have not seen explained in an app like this before but are essential.
The only tiny complaint I would have is that sometimes for upper body moves such as rear chokes the text can slightly obscure the people doing the move however you can change the opacity of the text which does help alot.
Details
So what do you get:
iBJJ App £2.39 / $3.99
Over 90 moves
Full explanation of all moves
Flick book format
Web site support
Conclusion
I have to admit when I first saw the app format I was convinced I would not like it but I was wrong I love this app. It is portable compact and quick to load, it is packed with moves and explanations and it just works beautifully.
It allows you to have a look at each component of the move in detail which sometimes you could miss in a video. I would suggest that they could back this up with a small subscription or price rise to which then allowed you to maybe access the videos of the moves on line it would be very hard to better but I always want to shoot for the moon
I would suggest that of all the lower priced apps this is the one to buy and if you are not convinced there is a free trial version of the app available too which I am sure will convince you.
Exclusive News
A wrestling for BJJ app will be coming soon from these guys soon which I am looking forward to reviewing.
In news you will only see here an MMA app is being shot with none other than Kenny Florian who earned his black belt alongside Nate from Roberto Maia so I also hope to get my hands on that soon.
I am not sponsored or endorsed by any app programmer and my reviews are based on my opinion and nothing else, like it, hate it, respect it, all your choice but it is what it is.
