Not drowning just waving :-)

Well despite appearances to the contrary I am in fact still around and also round

Last few months have been fairly hectic with family things and a new job over in Bradford which is going great but has stifled training opportunity a bit. However with my first pay day in about 7 weeks coming up (the joys of job moves) and GB Leeds being a short ride from work. I aim to be back training much more often as of next week and yes I miss it.

However some cool things are to be posted soon I attended a brilliant seminar with Felipe Jerry a world class black belt. I went to Professor John Goldson’s first big class also a great day.

Coming up are a profile of Dave The Iron Giant Keeley, news of Kim Taylor’s next seminar, a trip to the ADCC in September and hopefully the UFC end of the year as my fight club membership will give me early and discounted tickets so would be rude not too

Did you spot the gorilla

Well it has been too long, far to sporadic and just not what I wanted but I finally feel well, healthy ish and in a couple months should be back at full silverback power.

The blog has also slowed down as it is hard to write and review about a sport that you love so much while you are not able to do it for one reason or another.

However I made a proper return to training and sparring last night and it felt great and this time I am back and pushing harder than ever, I will also be getting some Gi reviews, another couple of app reviews, Mr Samurai will be adding a review soon and even a book or two as I am a bit of a reader (don’t worry they will be BJJ/MMA/Fighter related).

I was really pleased when Jiu Jitsu style dropped through my door, it is an excellent magazine and is just what the british scene needs, also good to see Mr Yang spreading his media output even further.  I would heartily recommend a subscription you will not be disappointed http://www.bjjstyle.com

I also had a revelation when rolling with the newly promoted black belt John Goldson about 10 days ago, I was able to catch another blue belt opponent a few times in submissions but with John (while I never get close ever) it all seemed even further away than ever.  I was unable to get anywhere no small positional wins nothing.  John then asked me why I did certain things I did and I explained it was because I always did them and got away with them, in fact I had been getting away with them in the roll just before.

Then it struck me, Big Man Jiu Jitsu is a style as of course the game has to be adapted to your body style and size but do not fall into the trap that I had fallen into.  I was too reliant on the fact that I was so much bigger, heavier and a wee bit stronger than a lot of the lads I rolled with and either my size or my strength meant that I could get away with bad technique.  I could tuck my arm behind my head to defend a potential arm bar as a lot tried to rive it out and I won that battle.  However against John and others like the purple belts and some blues and especially the other hulks I compete against this does not work.  They are either strong enough to change my position which I have already made poor for myself or more often they have the technique to exploit what I do.  This was further re enforced last night while drilling a technique, I asked if the way I did something would also work as it seems too and the answer was the same yeah it does work against those who I can out power or who know less but it is not gonna work as I move on and up.

I guess then the advice is this, by all means adapt your game to play the one that works for you, John was talking to me about this, I need to play a big man game, control, control, position, control and then submission.  Careful movements, all pressured and controlled and always use technique.  It does not matter if you do not know 5 submissions from every place at first, just learn the position first and the submission will come and even if it doesn’t in competition the guy on top normally wins.  Size and strength have got me to my blue, but only technique and application will get me further and I want to go further.