Jiu-jitsu News Archive: July, 2003

5th Anniversary Issue! - A site of 'Firsts' - New Shirt, 5 Years, One Million Hits!

In July of 1998, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu was only 5 years old to most of us in the United States. Unless you lived in California, you hadn't seen it until Royce Gracie won the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993. Since then, the Martial Arts world has been revolutionized by jiu-jitsus techniques and there isn't a No Holds Barred fighter alive who doesn't employ its techniques.

At the time this site opened, Jiu-jitsu instructors on the East Coast were far and few between. Availability of quality instruction was sparse. Nowadays, we take the availability of jiu-jitsu instruction for granted, but back when this site was constructed, blue and purple belts were teaching in order to spread the word. Beginning with a small "Technique of the Week" feature, this site was the very first on the Internet to offer Illustrated Sport Jiu-jitsu techniques.

JIU-JITSU.NET quickly became successful and there was such a demand for the techniques that the sites creator, Gene "Aranha" Simco became the first to author a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu book over 100 pages. The demand for the book was so great that another version was written (Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, The Student Handbook), which outsold the first. In the mean time, news, columns and other special features were added to the site making it one of Brazilian Jiu-jitsus largest online resources. Traffic and demand for the books became so great that it was decided that a better book should be written, and so Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, The Master Text was born. The Master Text was the largest book on the subject of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu to date and the author's third book on the art. Next came Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Basics, Simco's fourth book, making him the first in the world to Author multiple books on the subject of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

During this process, discussion forums were added and great champions of the art such as Roberto "Maguilla" Marques and Gustavo Machado came on board to help the cause. New columns and features were added to the growing library of information making JIU-JITSU.NET the Internet's largest resource for information next to the grandfather of them all, BJJ.ORG.

JIU-JITSU.NET was also the first website to feature women in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu with its own section and discussion forum to support them.

Although this site gets approximately 150,000 - 200,000 hits per month in its discussion forum, the counter at the front page of this site is at One Million hits just in time for the 5th anniversary. Being the captain of 'firsts', JIU-JITSU .NET is proud to announce the publication of the largest book of Jiu-jitsu ever written: The Second Edition of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, The Master Text! This book will be released and available for purchase on this site in August of this year. There will be a release party and five year anniversary celebration on August 30th in Poughkeepise, NY. Please Email us for Details at info@jiu-jitsu.net.

ARANHA

Respect and Humility
by Brian McLaughlin

Of all the traits that make up a successful Jiu-Jitsu practitioner arguably the most important is the individual's sense of respect and humility. These are the traits, which must be developed before any significant growth in the art can be achieved.

Beginning training in Jiu-Jitsu is a very humbling experience. It is not uncommon for strong athletic beginners to be completely dominated by experienced, but physically inferior Jiu-Jitsu students. For example, when I first began my training in Jiu-Jitsu I was completely overwhelmed by a much smaller, weaker, female blue belt. This can be a very demoralizing experience and it causes many to quit Jiu-Jitsu or never to pursue training beyond their introductory class. In order for one to overcome this initial obstacle they must come to terms with their inferiority and strive to learn and improve their technique (I took my defeat as a sign of the art's effectiveness and sophistication and it served to inspire me to become more technical).

Another challenge arises once a Jiu-Jitsu student becomes more skilled. Often, students will make rolling into a competition and lose sight of its intended purpose. The goal of rolling is not to "tap" your opponent, but rather to learn new techniques and refine existing ones. If one fears tapping then they will never take chances or expand their game and in the end their skills will suffer. Examples of this include students who refuse to open their guard because it might be passed or those who refuse to put themselves in inferior positions in fear they might be submitted. These students will never reach their full potential because their attitude is poor. A mature Jiu-Jitsu student will put their ego aside; they would rather try different techniques and risk tapping then limit themselves by only utilizing "stand by" techniques.

Before one can have the comfort to try new things while rolling they must first respect and trust their training partners and be a good partner them self. Arrogance has no place in Jiu-Jitsu. When rolling in the gym, you should always try to elevate the game of those around you. Communicate with your partners, work together and exchange ideas to overcome weaknesses in technique. This approach will make training more enjoyable and it will elevate everyone's skill. Once this level of humility is achieved the possibilities for growth and expansion are boundless.

Perhaps the most important aspect of etiquette in Jiu-Jitsu is respect for one's instructor. The instructor is the one who nurtures and develops a student's technique from day one. The knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu that an instructor passes on is priceless; never forget the gift your instructor has given you. Ultimately, if you train regularly with the same instructor for a number of years you will eventually reach the point where you can submit them. When this happens one should not look down on their instructor or think less of him. If you catch your instructor in a choke, remember who taught you that choke, remember who was patient with you when you had difficulties understanding techniques, and remember who encouraged you to be the best you could be. A quality instructor gives his students all the tools to reach their highest potential and holds nothing back. Do not bite the hand that feeds you, always give your instructor the utmost respect and loyalty for if not for them you may not have ever had the joy of experiencing Jiu-Jitsu in the first place.

The lessons of respect and humility transcend the physical benefits of Jiu-Jitsu. Jiu-Jitsu is more than a martial art; it is a way of life. Through Jiu-Jitsu one builds character, and learns the true meaning of honor and camaraderie. So put your ego aside, step onto the mat, and realize your potential.

An Afternoon With Terror

"I'm a nerd who knows how to fight."

Not fifteen minutes into his jiu jitsu lesson and Renzo Gracie black belt Matt "The Terror" Serra was talking about THE MATRIX: RELOADED versus X-MEN 2. "I saw X-Men three times…[but] what was with The Matrix? [It] was a lemon!" Like the diminutive Canadian mutant he has doubtless many times been compared to, Serra is candid, frank and to the point. That "hold nothing back" attitude translates to his teaching style as well, which a casual observer can't help but immediately notice leaves nothing out regardless of how miniscule or advanced it may be.

"This is the laboratory," he tells his students. "Don't hold anything back."

Serra learned this "laboratory" approach to training at home. He began studying martial arts in his teen years under his father, who at the time was training in wing chun kung fu. Eventually, his father discovered the GRACIE IN ACTION videotape series and showed it to his sons, Matt, Nick and Damian who, as a result, would all eventually be drawn to Brazilian jiu jitsu.

"I thought I was a pretty tough guy as a kid," said Serra explaining why he chose jiu jitsu. "[But] I knew if I ran into these guys I'd get my ass kicked, so I knew I had to get started with jiu jitsu. I didn't care where I had go to learn it, but I had to learn it."

In 1992 this drive would take Serra to Craig Kukuk, who at the time was acting as Renzo Gracie's representative in America. When Renzo Gracie arrived in New York a year or two later, Serra began training under him and after the dissolution of Gracie and Kukuk's partnership, Serra elected to stick with Gracie, who has been his teacher ever since.

Serra would go on to become Renzo Gracie's first American born black belt, followed not long after by his brother Nick. Serra describes those early days with Renzo as a great deal of fun with Renzo always giving his students as much personal time as his schedule would allow. The Renzo Gracie Team at present boasts some of the most decorated fighters in jiu jitsu, submission wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts.

"We used to have wars," said Serra discussing the competitive atmosphere at Renzo's New York City academy while he and others such as Ricardo Almeida, Rodrigo Gracie and Matt's own brother Nick were working toward their black belts.

Serra first came to the attention of the larger jiu jitsu community when he entered the Pan Ams as a purple belt and took first place. He would go on to take first place at the Mundials as a brown belt and then face the cream of the jiu jitsu crop in the International Pro-Ams of grappling in North Carolina. There Serra would wage memorable battles with Japanese wrestler Naoya Uematsu, jiu jitsu phenom Leozinho Viera and Fernando "Terere". But it wasn't until 2001 that his career truly exploded.

At the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championship trials in 2001 Serra put on a show submitting all of his opponents to take first place in the 66-76 kg division. At the ADCC 2001 event, Serra plowed through Japanese superstar Takanori Gomi and then went on to face a man no one gave him a snowball's chance of defeating-Brazilian jiu jitsu legend Jean Jacques Machado.

"I went up to Jean Jacques when I found out we were going to be fighting and…I told him that I respected him a lot because he was one of the guys who was out there when I was first starting out…and I told him I was a black belt under Renzo and it was a great honor to be…facing him."

Serra described Jean Jacques as somewhat dismissive, but humble nonetheless. When they got to the mat it was apparent from the look on Serra's face that he was hungry for victory, no matter who was standing across from him.

"It was a very technical match…probably my toughest," said Serra, who had already been in some wars up to that point in his jiu jitsu career. "I didn't ever really feel in danger, but he's so technical."

Serra, in the upset of the tournament, bested Machado when Machado, in an attempt to score a sweep, pulled guard near the end of the match, thus losing a point under ADCC rules. Serra exploded when the whistle sounded signaling the completion of the match, shouting his teacher Renzo Gracie's name and raising his hands in jubilation. "Even though I didn't submit him, I know how Eddie Bravo must feel," said Serra referring to Eddie Bravo's recent victory over Royler Gracie in the most recent ADCC tournament. "It's something to take out someone you…think of as a legend."

Serra would go on to choke out Nova Uniao black belt Leonardo Silva dos Santos before losing on points in the finals to fellow Gracie Barra black belt Marcio "Feitosa" Souza.

Almost immediately after ADCC 2001, Serra fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship 31 in Atlantic City. Serra had already fought a few MMA fights at the Vanderbilt and the Copacabana in New York and New Jersey, but ended up in the UFC almost by accident.

"Dana White came down to Renzo's looking for Ricardo (Almeida) because he'd just had a big fight in Japan…and Renzo pointed to me and said 'Hey, take him too.'"

Serra would debut in one of the UFC's most exciting fights against Shonie Carter. Serra would put on a jiu jitsu exhibition the like of which hadn't been seen in MMA since Royce Gracie had graced the octagon. Carter fought back valiantly, employing unorthodox strikes and seemingly unstoppable determination.

"My jiu jitsu was so high coming off of Abu Dhabi that I was just going for submission after submission…and that's when I got caught."

The fight ended in dramatic fashion, with Carter catching Serra with a spinning backfist, knocking him out to get the victory. Despite the loss, it whetted the public's appetite for more of Matt Serra and the UFC was happy to oblige.

Serra went on to battle it out with some of the best in the lightweight division, including Yves Edwards, B.J. Penn, Kelly Dullanty and Din Thomas. Of these fights, Serra points out the match with Yves Edwards as his toughest.

"I have a lot of respect for Yves… He's incredibly strong and puts it all on the line," said Serra. This is in contrast to how Serra feels about some of his other opponents.

"I thought B.J. [Penn] fought a tough fight, but…it takes two hands to clap, you know? B.J. may have won, but I guarantee I went home feeling better about the fight I fought than he did." Serra's fight with Penn was marked by an uncharacteristic lack of aggressiveness on Penn's part. Though many in the BJJ community thought of it as a dream match if the two fighters had mixed it up on the ground, they never did, instead fighting a takedown versus counter-puncher match, which Penn would win by judges decision.

"With Din [Thomas], I was surprised how he fought," said Serra of his most recent UFC fight. "I mean, we're not here to dance. If I fought like him, what would we have? Shamrock vs. Severn II? We're here for a fight, not a track meet with everyone running away. I was…disappointed." Serra came out on the losing end of his battle with Thomas by judges decision as well.

As for his future, Serra is uncertain. "I believe I'm still under contract with the UFC, but I'm interested in Japan when that's up."

In addition to fighting, Serra is also training a crop of fighters who are at present enjoying success in small MMA promotions and BJJ competition. Serra jiu jitsu standouts include Pete "Drago" Sell, Pan Am gold medalist Tom Muller and brown belt Joe Scarola. Serra's brother Nick also will be getting back into the cage or ring sometime soon.

When asked why he does what he does, Serra is quick to point out that he's always loved fighting.

"There's just something about it. There's so many ways to win or lose…the punches, the kicks, the submissions…I just love it."

For more information about Matt Serra or his schools, visit www.serrajitsu.com. And, as ever, keep on rollin'…

Diami J. Virgilio
July, 2003
kneeblock@yahoo.com

Rolling with Women: A Woman's Perspective
by Tracey Graham "bjjchic" - Vandry Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

What are the issues of co-ed rolling? Is there a difference? Should there be? How hard should I go? What if I hurt her? What if she taps me? Will she think I'm a jerk for touching somewhere "private"? Why do women want to do this? What do women expect on the mat? These are just a few issues I've encountered and hope to shed some light on. Hopefully, it will help men and women become better training partners for each other.

The first thing to take into account when grappling anyone is their level of experience, for your sake and theirs. New kids on the block, aka white belts, regardless of gender are notorious for injuring themselves and others unintentionally. It's the nature of learning a new art and mastering the techniques. The injury can have a wide range of severity depending on the person's personality, physical shape and background, purpose for training, and the instructor's attention and control of the environment. Good quality instructors, as well as higher-ranking students, can groom uncontrolled well-intentioned new students into good quality training partners. My fellow training partners and instructor are still working on this with me. Newbies are going to be newbies. The woman's perspective on this is we generally do not have the upper body strength to muscle around the mat with a guy that is using little or no technique. Frankly, that will just frustrate us. Both of us would be better served if technique were the focus of our mat time. Just be aware when you are using strength. Back off and then see if you can still get what you are going for. Think resistance and not power. I guarantee, and will offer a full refund, if you refine your skills by not using strength on a woman, you WILL be able to get it on your male training partners. Keep in mind if you are rolling with a higher-ranking female than you, there will be less of a need to be aware of your strength because her technique will tap you until your skills improve and you have the combination of technique and strength. I've been fortunate, the men I train with use their strength to keep their weight off me that way I'm not just crushed to death and can still move to work for position and if I get something and the technique is good they won't use strength to resist it. Another great skill they have is they know how to be a target while still moving to improve my defense as they work for their submission. This usually means not rolling at 100 miles an hour. Again, the higher the woman is ranked compared to you will equalize this. As with any training partner, training with someone that is relatively your size helps you master the technique before trying to apply it to someone who has a significantly different body type than yours. This helps with really grasping and understanding the use of leverage in the move, especially if you are new to the sport.

Is there a difference rolling with women? Of course there is, and I'm not going to get into all the societal implications as to what they are or why they exist. I'm not politically correct enough to pull that off. But the difference is only as big as the two of you decide to make it. So what do you do? Communicate with your training partner. This should happen regardless of gender, but can be especially helpful with co-ed rolling. Talk about what you want to work on, give feedback to each other, and you will both benefit from your mat time. Men should forget about your perceptions or understanding of what a woman expects on the mat, listen to what she says, period. If she doesn't say, ask. Women should have no reservations about communicating what they need from their training partner. (i.e. adjust the strength, intensity, etc.) It is just as much our responsibility to be a good training partner and communicate.

Here are a few housekeeping issues that might be helpful. BJJ is a grappling martial art, we are aware this means there is likely to be body contact and be in positions that are not traditionally accepted as something a gentlemen does to a lady or visa versa. You are likely to have your head, arms, etc. on our chest, in between our legs, etc. and vice versa. If we can get over it to show up on the mat I suggest you do the same or you will be the one tapping. Make no mistakes we are there to practice what we learn. We are not going to think you're a jerk if you're practicing your art, just remember we are too. Pride has no place on the mat. If you have a problem tapping to a woman, find something else to practice because you do not understand the fundamental reason Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was established. If she taps you, congratulate her, and get back to it, just like any other training partner. There is no single reason why a particular woman gets involved in BJJ. That is unique to all of us. If you're curious, ask her why she's there. It can include everything from stress relief, to a great workout, self-defense and empowerment, challenging ourselves, competing and growing the sport and anything in between.

Bottom line: our expectation is just like yours, to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in a safe and fun environment. See you on the mat!

Due to scheduling conflicts,
West Virginia's first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament (Gi and No-Gi)
will be moved up to AUGUST 9, 2003. We feel that this will be a better date for a number of reasons and we are looking at a very high number of competitors attending. Please pre-register as soon as you can!

The 'No-Gi' portion of the submission grappling event just became part of the "American Fighter Tournament," and this is huge news for anyone involved. What this means to the competitors is that they have a chance to win $50,000 and everyone who competes will be on a two disc DVD that will be released by Bad Breed. www.badbreed.tv

We have also added some exciting new events that we feel will add some new flair to the tournament. We are very proud of our "International Rules Fighting" and our "BKJ Fighting"

We are signing up individual matches as well as tournament style matches for both the international rules fights and the BKJ style fights. If you are interested, please get with us as soon as possible.

"BKJ Rules Fighting" is a hardcore style of competition that brings the competitors closer to MMA competition without being involved with full MMA. This means that competitors will get their first taste of the MMA experience without all of the bruises associated with it. This event will allow competitors to punch and kick to the body while on the feet, punch to the body while on the ground, and be a continuous fight with no interruptions. A Gi is NOT required, and it will be one four minute round. We look for this event to be very exciting and give individuals a new environment to test their skills. It could possibly also warm them up before they get into real MMA competition.

Additional Information about the No Gi Tournament and the American Fighter Tournament:

BE A PART OF A NEW BEGINNING FOR A SPORT! The Winning Fighter Will Receive $50,000 in Cash and Prizes.

The August 9th show in WV is your chance!!!!!!!!

Starting August 2003, Bad Breed TV and Summit Studios, Inc. in association with numerous sponsors, partners and promoters from around the country will host a NINE WEEK Middleweight (170-185lbs.) SUBMISSION GRAPPLING tournament.

The tournament will begin in the northeast region of the US and move westbound finally ending with the eighth event of the west coast. Each event will be held as a tournament and a different tournament will be held in eight consecutive weekends, on each weekend a regional champion will be crowned. After a period of eight weeks there will be eight regional champions, representing eight different regions of the United States.

On the NINTH show, these eight warriors will go head to head in an eight-man FULL-CONTACT MIXED MARTIAL ARTS tournament to determine which man is THE BADDEST FIGHTER IN AMERICA!

All competing fighters will begin be ranked equally as you begin competing within the AFT. All fighters that compete will be given rankings, web posting, American Fighter T-shirt and other gifts. All finalist and regional champions will be featured online with interviews, videos, photographs, bios, and of course voting. Bad Breed TV will provide daily updates on each of the fighters and his training as well as his thoughts on the other fighters.

THE NINTH AND FINAL EVENT WILL BE A KNOCKOUT SURPRISE!

Each winning fighter will be followed by a camera crew throughout the entire tournament or until they are eliminated. During the tournament Bad Breed TV will release a new TWO NEW DVD VOLUMES featuring the entire tournament including behind-the-scenes, training, the fighters relationships with coaches, team members and family.

ARE YOU THE BADDEST FIGHTER IN AMERICA?

The Winning Fighter Will Receive $50,000 in Cash and Prizes.

Please check the website for additional information: Also look for Jiu-Jitsu International and Casca Grossa to have great prizes and gear at the event!

Thank you very much!
Butch Hiles
AdvancedBKJ@yahoo.com
304-533-3210

Mundial of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu 2003

July 24, 25, 26, 27th. Tijuca Tenis Club, Rio de Janeiro- Brazil. More information

The Triangle Grappling Championship has been canceled.

We regretfully had to cancel this event do to that the Orange County High School where it was going to be held is refinishing the Gym floors, and they have had delays that will not be finished before Saturday. We have tried to arrange other venues, but we were unsuccessfully.

All per-registration applications will be returned per mail today.

This is very big disappointment. We will be looking to having another event in the early fall.

Mid-Atlantic Combat Sports Association.

News