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| Sweet smile, A facade? |
I thought Saturday nights performance by women’s champ Ronda Rousey was nothing short of outstanding! An absolutely beautiful display of Judo by an ex-Olympian that enabled her to retain the title, all the while showcasing no fewer than half a dozen different throws. But keen eyed observers noted a slight of sportsmanship that I was going to address, but then my friend Georgette Oden turned me onto MAMA: Martial Arts Mommy Archives and her EXCELLENT article, “Dear Ronda Rousey.” We all enjoy a good fight and I am totally down with rivalry and a bit of shit talk, but at the end of the day we are all one. We are all martial artists…or at least we are supposed to be. Check out Jenn’s great letter to Ronda:
“I get it, you don’t like the girl. She said some pretty insulting things about your training staff, people whom you consider family. I am not asking you to buy her a beer after the fight. But couldn’t you have at least shown some professionalism during that one moment? You just won, after all. And no matter how justified you are to hate her, not shaking Miesha Tate’s hand just looks, well bitchy.”
To read the entire article click here and you will be redirected.
Look what I got for Little Baby Jesus Day!!! Overall I did not get jack squat for the holiday, but I did receive a preview clip of the forth coming DVD by Brian Johnson: “Entangled Arm.” The much anticipated follow up to his stellar three disk DVD series on “The Basic 12 Curriculum”, this DVD will present a much more specific “game” that has been HUGELY successful with Brian and his students in both gi and no gi competition at all levels. Requested by seminar recipients throughout North America as well as the Machado brothers, this DVD will enhance your guard attack repertoire and add some sound principles to your grappling toolbox.
Stay tuned to The Ground Never Misses for the release of “Entangled Arm” in the near future, until then make sure your fundamentals are sound with the B12 DVD Series and check out this preview of things to come:
Fushnickens… you have waited until the very last minute to get the grappler on your list a gift. RCJ Machado will help you skip lines, avoid parking squabble, and still hit a home run with an awesome gift as red-black belt Carlos Machado and Vimeo are here to save your day with his latest instructional, “Domination – Control the Wrist, Control the Game.”
Carlos (and all the brothers for that matter) is way ahead of his time when it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the dissemination of knowledge. “Domination” is a prime example of that brilliant approach to our art in both content and delivery. A 55 minute instructional detailing a very specific game via principle oriented drills, this instructional will serve the intermediate – advanced student quite well, simultaneously laying out a lesson plan for the seasoned instructor.
Shot with his black belts and nephew Jean Machado, Carlos runs through a number of situation where wrist control is imperative to maintaining control of the pace and tempo of the fight. In true Machado style a number of trouble shooting options are investigated throughout the instructional. What I love about all of RCJ Machado’s productions is that the teachings are a glimpse at a complete game. It is not an exhaustive study of one specific position, but rather a principle based approach to attaining and maintaining wrist control in an effort to re-guard, attack, and/or pass depending on the situation.
Carlos is a great instructor. Clear, concise, and precise he guides students through techniques and makes teaching look truly effortless. Peppered with reviews, “Domination” is like sitting in on a class or seminar and then reviewing and intertwining the previous lesson with the current. Not only is the martial content top notch but the delivery system via Vimeo is the next level of instructionals. Free and easy to get an account on Vimeo, this enables you, the practitioner, to access this video anywhere you have internet access. Phones, laptops, tablets… you can literally take this series of lessons directly onto the mat with you and drill with a partner while accessing the video more conveniently then ever.
Clean production and video quality have become standard with RCJ, save a handful of shaky camera moments. I like the video effects and notations accompanying the video, but some of the editing could be tightened up and cleaner. The audio was crisp and clear over the entire video with the feed on Vimeo being smooth and clean as well. My transaction ($19.99) went through quickly and easily and my subscription lasts for an entire year. After that I am not sure of what happens, but I assume you had downloaded the video elsewhere.
“Domination” is another great instructional coming from the RCJ Machado production crew, and is a perfect gift for any hard to shop for martial artists in your family.
Today is your last chance to stop by NW Jiu Jitsu Academy pro shop to pick up grappling gifts for the cauliflowered crew in your dojo. We have a bevy of the “B12” three disk DVD sets available, as well as a handful of Gameness kimono’s, a few of David Meyer and John Will’s “Mastering Chokes” DVDs left. A backpack or two along with a full line of RCJ Machado patches as well as a few of John Will’s books too. Also don’t forget that you can purchase private lessons with Brian or one of our senior students for a loved one as well.
We have something for every budget $20 – $200 and will be at the dojo until about 8:30 tonight.
Stop by 942 N. 95th St. and I guarantee you no lines nor holiday BS!
Attention Three Harmonies Martial Arts students… no class December 24, 25, 28, 31, and Jan 1.
Enjoy your holiday and please be safe and laugh a lot!
Cheers
Jake
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu multi time champion Augusto ‘Tanquinho’ Mendes (Soulfighters) made his amateur MMA debut last night in Mesa Arizona, at “Duel For Domination 6.” Keeping true to his nickname, Tanquinho bobbed under Jaime Carskaden’s right hook and double legged him like a “Little Tank.” Capitalizing on the takedown Mendes climbed his opponent and locked in the kata gatame (Head and Arm choke) to secure the tap just :36 seconds into the first round.
Check out MMA Fighting for the video.
Congrats Tanquinho!
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Armbar Soap Co. has kept me cootie free in 2013, and they make a perfect stocking stuffer for the grappler, martial artist, or any competitive athlete for that matter in your life. Hit Chad up and support a California company that includes all natural ingredients in his entire product line that is perfect for killing any and every THING possibly contracted on the mat! He is now carrying three varietals: Cocao / Hawaiian / Peppermint with new incarnations coming soon.
The perfect gift that keeps on giving, click here to be redirected to Armbar Soap Co.
Here is BJJ Scouts second part of Michelle Nicolini’s unique guard game. Once again Scout has THE BEST video’s online with comprehensive breakdowns of the games of some of the best.
Click here to read the entire post:
Last minute stocking stuffer ideas needed for the martial artist in your family? Here is one more idea…
Check out Titin’s weighted compression training shirt as it adds up to 8 pounds of flexible weight to challenge your workouts without having to alter any of your martial movement. When you check out make sure you use the code “Jake” to save on shipping. 
Here is a great highlight reel of our good friend James “300” Foster tearing through the competition in 2013. It is great to see the competitive spirit alive and well with seasoned black belts here in the Pacific NW. Check out 300 doing his work:
And if you are in the Broken Arrow, OK. area in February make sure to check out his seminar – >
I wanted to extend this offer out to my regular readers and let you know of some Gracie magazine back issues I am getting rid of. Some of these are the early issues which feature both Portuguese and English and give some great insight into our sport and art. Below is a list of the issues in two different sets I have. These make the perfect gift for the collector and/or practitioner of BJJ!
These prices DO NOT include any shipping and handing charges for anyone out of town, throw me an email if interested: [email protected]
Set #1 Set #2($90) ($25)Issue # 110 Issue # 124111 125112 126113 127115117120122123124125126127128157158162
Thankfully most practitioners of Pekiti Tirsia Kali (PTK) are moral upstanding folk, so we do not have much in the way of “real” PTK be used in self defense on Youtube. So the next best thing is full contact stick fighting, and we cannot speak of such competitions without mentioning one of PTK most talented and skilled fighters… Tom Bisio.
One of Leo Gaje’s earliest US students, Tom Bisio has since moved on to make quite the name for himself in Chinese martial and healing arts circles, but his slick style lives on in video. Aggressive. Strong. Accurate. Tom maintains a reputation well over two decades after his training in PTK! Know your roots, and train. Here is why:
Congrats to my hermano y mano (I am semi-sure that is “brother in arms” in Russian;), Ivan Moran who took bronze at the NABJJF Worlds yesterday! I wish I could post the video but it is only on Facebook, but Ivan fought a hard fight (against a Machado affiliate himself) and ended up taking bronze in the blue belt heavy division.
Congrats bro! See you on the mat next week.
Jake
Just got back from 45 minutes of circuit training followed by an hour of free rolling at the NW Jiu Jitsu Academy. Coach Brian Johnson is hands down one of the most progressive mentors for you and your family when it comes to both martial arts as well as fitness. So if you are thinking of an actual gift this holiday season for a loved one, then give the gift of self defense & health; lessons at NWJJA! .JPG)
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes run Monday through Saturday with competition class, submission wrestling class, and circuit training three days a week. Click on NWJJA.com for a complete schedule or stop by 942 N. 95th St. and see what you have been missing.
Train hard. Train safe. Train with the best.
Jake
Best of luck to NWJJA’s very own Ivan Moran who is in Long Beach, CA. fighting at the NABJJF Worlds Tourney! Represent NWJJA and RCJ with pride bro, we are all behind you! Touch base with me so I can keep us all updated.
Impose your game brother. Make them work at your pace!
Jake
NCAA just announced the host cities for Div I-III Wrestling for the years 2015-2018. The lucky winners… St. Louis, New York City, and Cleveland Ohio!
Oldie but goodie here… It is a rare opportunity to glimpse the training of a Sumo wrestler. This is a short clip of two of the best ever to fight the game, Harumafuji and Asashoryu (my personal favorite) prior to his premature retirement. A few things to notice in this clip:
- How small the dojo is!
- How absolutely ripped and strong these cats are!
- How intensely they train
- Basic. Nothing fancy or contrived here. Just simple hardwork, technique, and discipline!
The results of my latest poll are back (“Do you carry a weapon for self defense?”) and it is one of the largest responses I have ever had! Over 26 of you chimed in and gave me some great feedback on your view of personal protection, which for the most part the majority of you prefer to carry some sort of weapon for self defense.
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No, I’m a pacifist
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3 (11%) |
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No, My Hands Are Lethal
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5 (19%) |
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CCW / Gun
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9 (34%) |
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Taser
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0 (0%) |
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Sap / Knuckleduster
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3 (11%) |
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Blade – Fixed
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9 (34%) |
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Blade – Folder
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14 (53%) |
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Mace
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2 (7%) |
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Baton / Stick
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5 (19%) |
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Cane / Staff
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2 (7%) |
Votes so far: 26
It is interesting to note that Pekiti Tirsia Kali is a modern evolving martial art that includes handgun, shotgun, and rifle training along with bladed combat and empty hands. Below is a great clip my coach Meynard Ancheta shared Ron Avery’s clip on the draw stroke, which is arguably the most important (and common) movement you can do in self defense, empty handed or otherwise. Study on this and stop by Three Harmonies Martial Arts to train Pekiti Tirsia Kali on Wednesday nights at 6 and Saturday morning at 9:
Our friends over at Just the Gi Top had the lucky fortune to interview none other than Prof. John Machado over the weekend! Any chance we get to sit and listen to the wisdom gained from such an influential martial artist should not be missed, and neither should this hour long interview. John has some GREAT insight and thoughts into competition, training, teaching, and living the Jiu Jitsu lifestyle … “Think as a martial artist and you will never be bored again!” – John Machado
Sit down with some hot cocoa and enjoy the show:
I wanted to take a moment and say congrats to my friend, coach, and mentor Tim Cartmell on his recent promotion to 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Cleber Luciano. Tim is one of the head instructors at Ace Jiu Jitsu with Asa Fuller, Chris Thue, along with Marcus Buchecha. Tim is a consummate martial artist who has dedicated his life to training and teaching the martial arts. Congrats on a huge achievement
my friend! 
Incredibly difficult to hear the audio, but I think it is important to showcase this report on wrestling in Sudan, which has been plagued with civil war and strife. In the south they are using traditional wrestling to unite and unify various tribes and opposing factions. What a novel idea!? What if we choose our leaders and dealt with our problems with grappling!? How would the US do folks?? LOL!
With a heavy heart… I wish I could have met you sir, I think I could have learned a lot from our time together!
Rest in Peace
Jake
Jake Rossen’s expose of “Team” Lloyd Irvin and the rape culture he has bred at his Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC area martial arts academies. I cannot stress enough how important it is that we inundate social media and the world wide interweb with articles such as this one that give a sickening synopsis of the kind of cult mentality that Irvin is brewing! This man, and individuals such as DJ Jackson (bench warrant in Iowa for gross sexual misconduct!!), has direct access to women, teenagers, and children!
Spread the word, expose the “Team” for what they really are… sick sociopaths! A short snippet of Jake Rossen’s excellent article
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They’ll tell you they weren’t scared. They were just sick of the stories, sick of the escalating pressure, sick of the dark cloud that hung over the school and seemed to be growing by the day.
But calm and collected people don’t abruptly pack their belongings and hitch rides to airports in the middle of the night. Some say they feared violence. Others thought Master Lloyd would talk them out of leaving as easily as he talked them into other things.
… the driver passed the phone to the back seat, Keenan (Cornelius) told his mother a truth that would be inadmissible in the militant atmosphere of Lloyd Irvin’s school — a place, former members claim, where fear, isolation, and reprisal hung over their heads like guillotines.
“Mom,” Kathleen heard him say, “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
Click here to be redirected and read the entire six page expose!
Here is a great compilation of kimarite, “winning techniques,” from the Nagoya Basho (July) of this past year. Some great grappling here! Know your roots:
Long before it was called MMA, back in the day before it was called a “lockdown,” there was a man that could be argued the forefather of mixed martial arts LONG before most of the Gracie family was even born… “Judo” Gene LeBell! A man of integrity and spirit, Gene was always game to fight as he demonstrated in his NHB fight versus pro boxer Milo Savage.
Check out this great mini-documentary from Roots of Fight!
Roots of Fight – Gene LeBell vs Savage featuring Ronda Rousey from Roots of Fight on Vimeo
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| ALL PHOTOS COURTESY ELTON PINTO |
George Bell created Enzo Kimono Co. with one goal in mind… quality! Quality customer service coupled with quality products at affordable prices. After spending the past two months in his Nippon Classic I am hard pressed to argue with the results! Durable, comfortable, and affordable are all qualities I look for in a uniform, and overall I am pleased with Enzo’s kimono.
I must confess I am not a huge fan of “built in” rash guards to my kimono’s, such as the Nippon Classic. Though I do grappling with a rashie, I prefer the ones stuck to my body not my gi. So when I got the gi in the mail I was a bit skeptical as to whether or not it would be comfortable to me. A 550 gram pearl weave cotton kimono along with ripstop pants make this a rather soft yet strong fit. I have worn the gi both with and without a rashie on, and in general I would say it does a decent job wicking sweat, but without the direct contact to the skin you do not reap the benefits of keeping the muscles warm. Often times if the gi is opened and then re tucked it is uber cold because of the sweat. But this is not a malfunction of the gi, just the nature of rash guards sewn into kimonos.
Quite honestly the pants are one of the best cuts I have ever worn and I am quite finicky about the way gi pants fit! Without hugging my skin too much, along with being heavy enough not to ride up my leg the minute I play open guard, Enzo has designed one hell of a gi pant. Reinforced knees along with triple stitched seams ensure these pants can take tons of abuse. A unique three loop drawcord secures the pants and minimizes the need to retie in mid-roll.
The kimono itself is all triple stitched and strongly reinforced. I wanted to wear this gi for a solid 3 months (the entire 90 day guarantee) and see if on day 91 it just all fell apart. 100+ days and it is still going strong. Normal wear and tear with the embroidery fraying a bit from friction and washing. No holes, rips, tears, or other fabric issues. Weight wise this will fall a bit heavy as it lined with the rashie, but the weave is very smooth and comfortable. Likewise the ribbon lining the inside of the cuff is non-abrasive and smooth. I would like to see some other options in the future for those needing lighter kimonos or those who do not prefer rash guards sewn in.
One of the best parts in doing business with Enzo is that you actually are dealing with the owner when you contact them. A lot of companies have a customer service department, but with George you actually get… George. Now I cannot speak for how long this will last, as my prediction is Enzo will blow up in the coming year, but as of right now George Bell, owner and operator honor’s the industry’s ONLY 90 day guarantee on his product!
The one great aspect of rash guard lined gi’s is the canvas waiting to be painted upon, in this case a nice rendering of a traditional Japanese temple/dwelling with bamboo in the foreground. Overall the white Nippon Classic is clean with minimal bling. The elegant Enzo logo emblazons each arm with “Live the Warrior Way” stitched across the bottom skirt, and the kanji “Nippon” which translates to ‘Japan’ across the shoulders on the back. Burnt orange on white makes the gi really snap without being obnoxious. And thankfully zero references to anything snarling, drooling, or killing! A very zen design if you will.
The Nippon Classic is the first in a series of kimono’s that will reflect the diaspora of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (began in Japan as Judo, then to Brazil….) and George plans on continuing the beautiful design work. But beyond that he is constantly getting feedback from his customers, so look for the each batch design to be better and improved upon!
In a sea of kimono companies offering all sorts of skilled and artistically unique designs, Enzo has made a statement as top shark in the ocean with the forth coming collaboration with the Wu Tang Clan and Wu Wear! That’s right kiddo’s… taking “Protect yo’ Neck” to a whole different level, Enzo introduces the Killer Bee rashguard and forthcoming Killer Bee gi! Cyber-Monday, TODAY, you can save $10 off the rashie PLUS 10% on the pre-order of the Killa Bee Gi! PLUS SAVE 30% on the entire inventory TODAY ONLY!!!
Simply click here to be re-directed to Enzo’s site, and let George know you heard about Enzo here at The Ground Never Misses!
As you all hunker down on Cyber Monday reaping deals at the stroke of a key, take a moment and fill out my new poll to your right regarding weapon carry and use please. As always I am scouring the net looking for quality martial arts material to share and I must admit a severe lacking of it from the FMA community as a whole. Below is a rough draft of my teachers (Meynard Ancheta of PTK SoCal) Foundational Strategy of Pekiti Tirsia Kali.
Here at Three Harmonies we train PTK twice a week; Wednesday nights at 6pm and Saturday mornings at 9am. All are welcome to join us regardless of experience! Kali is a great way to get in shape AND learn how to defend you and your family! For more info email Jake: [email protected]
Enjoy,
Jake