Kenneth Brown BJJ – Grappling Tips, Tricks and Instructionals

A Shift in Focus Can Help You Learn Jiu-jitsu Quicker

November 2, 2013

In Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, there is no one true path to mastery. You don’t have to have a certain body type. You don’t have to be young. You don’t have to be athletic. You can start at any level and travel as far as you desire. That’s why it’s such a beautiful art.

The issue lies in conveying that it is an art. Technique doesn’t work exactly the same for everyone. We all have different attributes, and some of us even have handicaps.Those differences must be acknowledged, but they are not obstacles to growth.

The obstacle lies in focusing solely on technical instruction.

Consider this. If I wanted to teach you how to paint, would the best method be to show you stroke by stroke how to replicate one of my paintings? Yes, in time, you may intuitively piecing together the underlying concepts through diligent practice, but is it the best method?

Add on to that the fact that many aspiring painters will fail to replicate even the most basic work over and over again. That’s not because they don’t have the potential to be great. They just haven’t done anything quite like painting before, and there is a wall that must be smashed before the world of possibilities becomes visible.

What If the Focus Changed

There are common elements that bind all technique together. I call them building blocks. One of the best examples is the shrimp. It is just one movement, but learning that one movement can give you a head start on learning and creating countless techniques.

Another example is the mechanics of a blood choke. When you understand that cutting off blood flow to the brain by blocking the carotid arteries is all that a choke requires, you can apply that concept in many ways. It is the foundation of learning, improving, and creating technical chokes.

Concepts and movements are the building blocks of technique.

Often, those building blocks are not focused on. Instead, we focus on the end result. In the grand scheme of things, that means that one piece of the puzzle is focused on instead of the glue that binds many pieces together.

What if the focus changed though?

What if a building block was singled out and focused on with technique being taught only to demonstrate relevance? How would that affect learning in the long time? Just imagine if you had been given a sense of how the grand puzzle pieces together at an earlier stage in your development. How could it have sped up your progress?

Actually don’t answer that. Instead experiment by doing the following:

Take every new technique you learn and break it down into its core concepts and movements.
Make a list of the concepts or movements that you see in more than one technique.
Link the positions that you want to become better at with the concepts and movements that apply to them.
Focus on mastering the movements and understanding the concepts that have the most applications to the style you want to create.

Experiments

On the teaching side of the equation, I put this idea into practice at Crazy 88. I taught classes Monday and Wednesday that both focused on the mechanics of chokes. The goal was to introduce and reinforce the concept, while also highlighting the possibility of troubleshooting your own technique.

Every technique shown was geared towards that purpose. For example, I taught the anaconda choke. It’s an arm triangle variation, and that means that one side of the neck has to be cut off with your opponent’s own arm. It’s one reason that those chokes can be difficult to get right. All explanation and troubleshooting was done from the conceptual angle. So the idea was just constantly reinforced.

In the end, I was confident that even if they took nothing else away from the class, they had that concept. In fact, it cemented it in my own mind as well. Since then, I’ve just been seeing chokes all over the place.

Issues and Opportunities

It is easy to teach how you were taught. The same can’t be said about reducing technique to bits and pieces and demonstrating how it can be put back together.

Take the shrimp for example. It has wide applications in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, but can you think of twenty techniques that use it as a core movement right now? I couldn’t. I know they exist, but I’ve never taken the time to focus and identify it when I use it.

Many movements and concepts are like that. They are extremely relevant to the development of skill but they receive only a basic level of focus. The challenge in changing that lies in analyzing all the technique you know to identify the building blocks.

It will be a daunting project, but just imagine how much you will improve as a result. The video below will help you as well because it reinforces the significance of conceptual focus.

Since this article was written, there has emerged a new instructional that focuses on conceptual instruction. I have it, I like it, and I recommend it. Beyond Technique will help you accelerate the rate of your growth, and I hope that this style of instruction becomes a new trend in our art.

The Frank Cucci Seminar at Evolve Academy

September 8, 2013

Recently, my gym expanded to a new location, and one of the events to celebrate the occasion was a seminar by Frank Cucci. He came up to support my coach, Mike Moses, because they have a long history. He’s also one of Mike’s original instructors.

I want share with you a lesson I learned from this seminar. It’s a not technical lesson though. Instead I’m going to focus on some concepts that bound everything together.

Structure

In the seminar, there were three sections. The first was self-defense, the second was mount attacks, and the last was Q&A. What stood out to me were the common links between every technique no matter where it was demonstrated.

Each of them followed a very similar conceptual progression. It went like this: Neutralize, Stabilize, Attack. Neutralize what your opponent wants to do, stabilize yourself, and then progress the attack. They all adhered to that pattern, but there was one exception.

Action and Reaction

Generally, when counters are thought of, it’s in the framework of: If my opponent does that, I’ll do this. It’s a reaction, but what if you could create a situation where the most logical course of action for your opponent is the one you want them to make.

Just take a moment and imagine that. Now think about all the techniques that you could improve if you could create those situations. That’s what I’m thinking about right now, and I was inspired by this seminar because I noticed techniques that worked exactly like that.

It was the one deviation from that neutralize, stabilize, and then attack progression, and only one thing changed. Then again, an argument can be made that the only thing that changed was your opponent’s perception.

Let me explain that.

In the seminar, there were several trap techniques. The pattern they followed was: Neutralize your opponent’s options, stabilize in a position that seems unstable to your opponent, and then attack once your opponent makes a choice from the few options you offered them.

In a sense, the goal is to entice them into the trap, and then never let them go. It’s an interesting way to think about Jiu-jitsu, isn’t it? Just imagine the possibilities if you could do the same thing with techniques you already know.

Apply This Simple Philosophy to Jiu-jitsu and You Will Benefit

September 1, 2013

At my job, I had an opportunity to speak to the owner of the company, and the best thing I took away from that conversation was a philosophy. I’ll share it with you because it’s quite simple, and I understood right away why the company made an effort to instill it at the cultural level. So I hope that you will too.

The philosophy consists of just three general guidelines:

Do the right thing.
Do it to the best of your ability.
Care about what you do.

I look at those guidelines, and I believe that they can be applied to far more than just work. In fact, I want to give some insight on how they can be applied to BJJ to improve the learning process.

Do the Right Thing

At a basic level, doing the right thing in BJJ consists of showing up for class on time, paying attention while in class, and reviewing what you learned after class. It’s that simple really. It’s easy to do, but it’s also easy not to do, and I know that because I’ve failed at times.

You have to also always be aware of the fact that when you step onto the mat, you’re not guaranteed anything. The gym just offers you an opportunity to learn. It’s up to each of us to take full advantage of that opportunity. That means that you have to take personal responsibility for your own development.

The seed of that lesson was planted for me when I started training at Evolve. After that first class, I was physically exhausted because I was massively out of shape. I went up to my coach, Mike Moses, and I told him that I really want to do this but I didn’t know if I could. His response was blunt. He just said that if I seriously wanted it, I should put in work outside in order to improve my condition.

That made an instant connection between personal responsibility and martial arts for me.

Do it to the Best of your Ability

I’ve been teaching classes for a few years now, and one thing I consistently notice is the different levels of aptitude that people start with. Some pick up things fast and others don’t, but I don’t look at that as a sign of potential.

The beauty of Jiu-jitsu is that you can take the concepts and find unique ways to apply them that are consistent with your own physical attributes. It all starts though with learning the technique as it is taught to the best of your ability because you can’t effectively create until you understand the concept of it all.

Here’s a little story for you.

This week, I noticed a new student at Evolve. He was in a motorcycle accident which damaged his leg to such a degree that it had to be amputated at the knee. I’ve seen him in two classes but what I’ve noticed is that he has a passion to learn the art.

For example, I was teaching Thursday, and we were going over knee-on-belly transitions. On one side, he could perform the technique relatively well, but on the other side, he was having a lot of difficulty. He still tried a few times before asking for possible modifications. I like that, and I believe that more of us should have the same mindset when it comes to training.

As Henry Ford once said, “There is no man living that cannot do more than he thinks he can.”

Care about What You Do

In a way, this is the most important part. Every opportunity you get to train or compete is precious. Treasure it and try to get the most bang for your buck possible. Go into class with specific goals and objectives. Think about how every effort contributes to your long term goals.

I once heard it said that greatness is the result of little actions compounded daily. The consistent effort we put in daily in the gym matters more than all the big accomplishments, and those accomplishments are the result of the consistent effort.

Reflection on The True Basics of the Half Guard

June 11, 2013

Think about that question for a moment because there is room for debate. Right this minute, you can look around and you’ll find many different examples of how the position should be played. Like with almost everything in Jiu-jitsu, half guard is an expression of a person’s own unique insight and focus. So often there are variances in the technique or different concepts that are focused on.

One example I saw recently was a hour and half long instructional on Youtube. It focused on the importance of preventing the crossface, and the method for doing that was bear paw grips on the bicep of the opponent’s far arm. Almost all of the techniques and concepts focused on either preventing the crossface or using it to pass on top.

That’s where the emphasis was placed.

Now how my own half guard has developed has been totally different. I’ve never emphasized preventing the crossface because my prevention naturally happens as a result of how I attack from the position. The question is what concepts are really essential in order to effectively develop the position.

What I Saw

Let’s go back to the Functional Half Guard instructional by Indrek Reiland and Jorgen Matsi.

We’ve already discussed the emphasis that was placed on the crossface, but there was also a lack of emphasis directed towards the underhook. When you look at the video, you’ll notice that there are many times when the underhook demonstrated is quite shallow. That’s a hole that can be exploited.

Also in the demonstrations about how the bear paw can be used, his back hit the mat several times or he gave up the underhook in order to go double paw grip. To me, that’s fundamental concepts being broken, but that’s only because my perspective is different.

I value the underhook over the crossface.

What I Think The True Basics Are

At a basic level, there is one of two ways to attack from half guard. Either you dive deep and get under your opponent’s base then attack from there, or you dominate one side of their body and then initiate your offense.

That’s the goal, but there’s also a general to-do checklist.

Fight to get to your side and stay there.

Always fight for the underhook.

Off balance your opponent whenever possible and don’t let them settle.

All of those are things to keep in mind while you’re playing that underhook half game. Now I’m going to explain some alternative ways to prevent the crossface that aligns with those that checklist.

First of all, in order to be effectively crossfaced, a condition has to be met. Your back or your shoulder has to be on the mat. So if you use the elbow or hand of your free arm to post, it’ll make it easier for you to stay on your side and harder for you to be crossfaced. It’s also easier to shoot the underhook deep and use it to off balance your opponent. To be crossfaced, that post will have to be pulled out from under you first, and you can prevent that by hiding the elbow under you.

Secondly, how you control the underhook matters. Where you place your hand on their hand, what you grab, whether pull or push, all of those things matter. The underhook is an active tool. Use it to upset your opponent’s base and leverage. It makes it harder for them to effectively crossface if you push their upper away from you or force their torso to rotate.

The Point of All This

The intent wasn’t to criticize someone’s perspective on how the half guard functions. Instead, I wanted to give you a clear example of how methods can change while the goal remains the same.

Focus on the Seeds that You Plant

April 7, 2013

Recently, something significant happened in my life that will require me to make certain adjustments. It was unexpected and undesired, but I’ve been able to take a step back and really analyze the situation.

I realized that there were specific choices that I made that heavily influenced the outcome. So I’ve decided to take the reminder of that lesson and apply it to other areas.

One application, of course, will focus on Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

That’s the intent of this post. I would like you to think about a simple question. What seeds are you planting every time you step onto the mats?

Ripple Effects

I’m going to take you back in time with me to my years as a white belt. Back then, I had training partners that destroyed me in the gym. It forced me to focus on small victories.

One of those early successes was just getting to half guard and being able to hold people there for significant periods of time. It was far harder to get to closed guard, and my open guard was nonexistent.

I now look at that as a seed that was planted unconsciously because as I had success I wanted to build on it. It led to me developing a decent level of proficiency with the half guard. That’s just one example though.

Focus on the Seeds

At Evolve Academy, there’s a motto that’s emphasized: Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes habit.

Everything contributes to that process. The things that you do and say every day are habits that are forming, and they can be beneficial or detrimental.

If you recognize that fact, it becomes easier to focus on the seeds that will lead to the harvest that you desire whatever it may be.

Often in the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, it’s that shiny medal at the biggest tournament or that new belt that serves as acknowledgement of your growth. Both of those end results are worthless if you don’t put in the work though. It’s the effort that led to the accomplishment that matters most of all.

So focus on the work that you do day in and day out to improve.