I am a shark, the ground is my ocean...and most people don't even know how to swim. - Rickson Gracie

вторник, 25 октября 2011 г.

Fedor vs Monson Some Thoughts

Fedor vs Monson is an interesting match. Both fighters have skills that they did not manage to perfect over the years which are obvious. Fedor has the stand up to take this fight but Monson is hard to knock out and his BJJ could be dangerous for Fedor.

Nevertheless, I think Fedor should be able to resist the ground game of the Snowman. Werdum and Big Foot were much bigger and really what Fedor has shown recently is really in my mind a decline in the will to fight and also physical abilities. His speed has declined somewhat. If you saw his fights in the past, he was ferocious on the attack, with each hand landing either devastating strikes or upper body takedowns.

More recently he was basically man-handled by Bigfoot and also Brett Rogers. He used to be able to escape many of those positions just on physical ability alone. Now really he has to work for it. He gets real tired more quickly and then cant display the same level of quality of technique on the ground as some of the BJJ black belts.

This fight could go either way but this time Fedor has learnt that the ground game is dangerous for him these days. He will try to knock out Monson standing as he did with his opponents in the recent fights and then be careful on the ground. If Monson does wrestle him to the grounnd though, I do believe that his ability to control and finish fights will be the decider. Looking forward to this one! Great fight for the Moscow MMA crowds and very good for the sport in Russia which is quickly gaining popularity.

суббота, 15 октября 2011 г.

Big Grapplers After ADCC 2011

1. Rousimar Palhares - known as Toquinho is not only a quality UFC fighter but also a nasty grappler when it comes to ADCC rules events. His heel hooks are just plain scary and his aggressive grappling style is something of a warning to his opponents.

Even though he did not win anything, he sure showed he is a real grappling force today

2. Andre Galvao - he showed he is the best at the moment. No doubt his tactics are great as well.

3. Marcelo Garcia - still the best pound for pound grappler in the world, he showed after a tough 2009 ADCC that he still has what it takes to win, and win impressively.

The way he finished Vitor Estima and several other guys was just terrifyingly impressive. His technique is flawless and the x-guard/guillotine master is sure to reign supreme for probably many years to come

4. Rodolfo Viera - with Roger Gracie absent from the 2011 Mundials, Rodolfo has shown he is the new rising star in the sport. He still has a long way to adapt to grappling though, but I look forward to seeing how this guy will develop in the next few years

5. Rafael Mendes - if there is someone that consistently is better than his foes, its Rafael. He has this amazing ability to take the match to the positions where he has the edge and execute the advantage. Cobrinha is a great rival/

Pedro Duarte Nogueira Seminar

The Pedro Duarte Nogueira Seminar in Moscow is now over. The 7-day event was truly a great experience and I think the whole of Moscow's bjj community truly enjoyed the experience.

Pedro is truly a master in jiu jitsu and I loved his techniques especially in the sweeps and the omoplata moves he showed us and hope to you some of them in the sparring soon.

 Thank you to Sport Club Lion and its leaders for organizing the event.

воскресенье, 9 октября 2011 г.

BJJ as a Business?

Just a thought that some people wonder about. Does bjj make sense as a business? Well, I have some experience in the business world and probably an say a few words in this regard.

Firstly what one has to consider is the investment that needs to be made. If you have a shabby one room academy somewhere in the basement with no changing rooms this is one type of project, a budget/economy project that will only attract certain people, willing to pay little and get little in terms of the quality of the facilities.

Of course one might say that the only thing that really matters is the quality of the teaching. In fact, it truly believe that the quality of the teaching is just a single element that makes up the product that is being offered.

The product itself has the following attributes:

1. Teaching - very important. Sometimes the teaching is done by a poor quality instructor which reduces the value. Progression will not be possible without quality tuition. A good academy will offer private lessons.

2. Service - you must be cared for. The teacher must take care of his students, answer their questions and add elements to enhance student learning and experience. Without this, students will not want to dedicate years from their life to learn the sport.

3. Facilities - good quality facilities allowing athletes to train, work out, wash and change are vital. If you have a conditioning room, even if it is not part of the academy, that is a plus.

4. Location. This one is key. The academy must be easy to reach, whether by car, walking or underground. If no one can find it, reach it, then no one will come.

5. Brand. A great instructor, a successful team that wins in competitions, this are just some of the requisites, a good academy has it's own sports gear, patch. Many join the global BJJ teams like Alliance or Gracie Barra. It is important to be in line with the international standard and now the latest in whatever your area of expertise happens to be.

6. Events and marketing. Seminars are one way to attract students from other academies. Once they see your academy, they make a choice whether to join. Marketing activities help attract a student base. It is the job of the academy instructors and owners to then retain students.

You have to find a balance between investing too much in facilities, marketing and staff and making money. If you find the delicate balance, then you will succeed. Building a bond with the students is extremely important too. Think through the numbers your business plan. Be conservative. Don't go all out and burn out. Take careful steps, start small, find another instructor to support you and then expand when you have a good base of students.
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