Psychology of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Bakari Akil II, Ph.D.

Grappling is a smash-mouth activity. It is a put your beer down and let’s settle this type of martial art. Man vs. man, woman vs. man, child vs. man, it is one of the ultimate ‘prove it’ combat sports. Yet, once you get past the rough and challenging aspect of submission wrestling it’s easy to see that grappling is much more than that. It is also a very cerebral activity.

Psychology is the study of mental processes and behaviors. By studying our psyches we hope to learn how to successfully navigate our world and become more capable in our endeavors. As the goal of theory is explanatory and predictive power, using psychology theories can help us to understand some of the existential questions behind our art and can help us to create better models for training and success. In other instances, it is just plain fun to think about.

The application of psychology to submission wrestling is relatively new and in many cases non-existent, so this book is more of an exploration of what is possible. It covers a broad range of topics and doesn’t hesitate to introduce counterintuitive thought for the reader to ponder and digest.

“Psychology of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu” will whet your appetite to see how psychology can be applied to grappling and not just in a generic sports psychology sense.

Through the use of essay, “Psychology of BJJ” talks about what it’s like to be the new guy, problems with warm-ups, success by default, immersive environments, why you can’t always be nice in practice and even asks outright, “Are you happy?”

If that is not enough, it also discusses why you absolutely must not avoid better grapplers, tells you what type of grappler you are and why your team is just as important as your coach. Additionally, “Psychology of BJJ” delves into the unconscious mind and talks about easy ways to improve by taking simple steps you probably never thought about before. It also discusses quirky, but valid, psychological theory, based on new research that can make a difference in your grappling game.

Hey Guys,

Check out my new book. If you like it, will you leave me a review? (Psychology of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu)

Thanks,

Bakari (JiuJitsu365)

How do you get water (or whatever) in your Grappling Class?

I was reading an old article in the NYTimes about Guy Ritchie training in a Beverly Hill Jiu-Jitsu club. What stood out about the entire article is not the fact that Guy Ritchie has a Black belt in Judo and a Brown belt in Jiujitsu, but that at the end of the training session the writer said that Ritchie and his rolling buddy stood by the water cooler drinking out of a cup.

I had to say that it sounded really refreshing. I would love to sip cold water out a water cooler after a practice. It also made me think about how people get their water where they train. Where I train now its bring your own water (BYOW) or you can buy water out of the machine for ($1 or 1.25/ I don’t know because I always bring my own). I have also trained at a place that had a water fountain. But in the majority of places, I have brought my own water. I absolutely had to.

What about you?

Don’t forget to answer this one too.

Michael Clarke Duncan – A BJJ Man

I was very sad to hear about Michael Clarke Duncan’s passing today. I heard about his heart attack several weeks back, but I always assumed he would be okay. Not to mention that his family, friends and close ones lost someone dear to them, but he also made a huge impact in our world.

Not just from great films that he starred in, but Duncan is also a cultural icon; especially when it comes to BJJ and MMA. Although the man was a giant among men (6’5 300 lbs), he still loved BJJ (he was a Purple belt) and took the time to learn the art. Here is a man who probably never, ever, EVER, needed to know a ‘lick’ of grappling who respected the art and heralded it. I have seen him many times at UFC events, front and center, and heard about his ventures training with the Gracies and in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

He’s a part of my cultural landscape and I wish him good travels.

Peace!

Michael Clarke Duncan wrestles Tom Arnold below:

Michael Clarke Duncan discusses MMA, NBA, Boxing and tries to avoid looking at Eva Longoria.

Gracie Combatives…

Yesterday, I went to Gracie Combatives again. It’s probably my fifth time going since they started at my academy a few months ago. It’s a Saturday class so I can’t go every week, but I really appreciate this class. I’ve always been in to the self-defense aspect of BJJ, not because I want to use it on the street, but because of the practicality of it. I love flashy grappling just like the next guy, but I also want to stay grounded in the basics. Gracie Combatives does that for me.

It’s like going to a fundamentals class with all of the sporting element taken out of it. No long warm-ups or six step set-ups based on a trained person’s reaction to your technique. It’s all about responding to a basic human aggression. As I always tell everyone, I do not take BJJ for self-defense. Like Lloyd Irvin says, self-defense is all about the situation and grappling is not always the right play. I take BJJ because I love matching my wits against another person and I have always have been good at martial arts, so BJJ allows me to express my intelligence through my body. I’ve played chess and I have played regulation sports and very little tops BJJ for me.

Anyway, we worked on Knee on Belly to Kimura, Knee on Belly to Mount and mount defense. Then we worked with the gloves from positions. What’s nice about reviewing these type of basic techniques is that I have been using them in class with surprising effectiveness. Moves that we normally eschew in a quest for eight sequence half-guard techniques have been saving my butt in class. That’s why I am loving Gracie Combatives and will keep going.

Peace!

Check out my grappling books on Amazon: Grappling Games: BJJ & Submission Wrestlers, Tapmonster: Ideas about Grappling for BJJ and Submission Wrestlers, Grappling for Newbies, 20 Ways to Increase Grappling Skills off the Mat, The Lazy Man’s Guide to Grappling and much more.

Coolest Review Ever!!!

I just happened to check on my book, Tapmonster, this morning at Barnes and Noble and I saw the coolest review that anyone has ever written for one of my books. It absolutely blew me away! I appreciate every good review that I have ever received, but this one was special.

Here it is:

BUY THIS BOOK!!

I don’t ordinarily write reviews, but I am notorious for reading and using reviews to make purchases. This will be my second review ever. That alone should tell you that this book was able to motivate me to actually write this!

Where ever you are at in your grappling game, BUY THIS BOOK! I am currently preparing for my first BJJ tourney, had a horrible class and could not stop thinking about all I had done wrong earlier on the mats. After about 3 hours of tossing and turning. I thought maybe I’ll find a book of some kind, some nugget of wisdom that will rescue the “whatever” BJJ game I had left. I had purchased one of this author’s other books and this one seemed somewhat new.

While I understand that this review seems contrived in that this book ended up being just what I needed, but it truly was. I don’t know if it will rescue my game, but it assuredly got me motivated to get back to work on it!! What ever level in your grappling journey, this book will help you. It will more specifically tell you things that no one ordinarily talks about, on or off the mats. It’s a quick read, but the true take away is that you’re not alone in the feelings, the blood, sweat and tears and just plain difficulty that is the grappling arts! You will not be disappointed with this purchase! And though I haven’t written reviews yet, I have also purchased 20 ways to improve your Grappling, and Grappling for Newbies, both by this author, both highly, highly recommended! Hope this review helps!

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Check out my grappling books on Amazon: Tapmonster: Ideas about Grappling for BJJ and Submission Wrestlers, Grappling for Newbies, 20 Ways to Increase Grappling Skills off the Mat, The Lazy Man’s Guide to Grappling and much more.

Tapmonster: Ideas about Grappling for the BJJ and Submission Wrestler

Hey guys, here’s my latest. You can check out the book at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Product Description:

There is nothing in the world like grappling! It is primal and in its very essence it is what life is all about; the chase, fun, struggle and survival. It teaches you how to cope with trying situations; teaches you to always search for options and that you can triumph even when the odds are against you.

This combat art puts you on the Quixotic hunt for the real you, the champ lurking inside. It wants you to find that inner beast that allows you to rip off your shirt, look your opponent in the eye and utter those immortal fighting words made famous by Kimbo Slice, “Run it!” And that is the spirit, in which this book was written.

“Tapmonster” was written for that grappler who is looking for an extra edge and alternative approaches to grappling.

In my decade of grappling, I have used many ideas to increase my skills. And since my inspiration has come from many sources, I did not hesitate to include ideas from academic research, other sports and from the ordinary man on the street in this book. I also know that the best way to learn is from those who do it the best. That is why Tapmonster is also filled with ideas from the champions of our sport.

Tapmonster covers:

-How to deal with FNGs
-The Pump Fake
-The Hands Off Approach
-Snatching and Tripping
-Ambidextrous Thinking
-Shaquille O’Neal and Grappling
-The Importance of Gimmicks
-Belt Chasing
-Grappling Finance
-How the movie Money Ball can help your grappling
-ADCC and BJJ World Champ, Robert Drysdale’s key to training
-What Felipe Costa (BJJ World Champion) says about getting good
-How to use the flipped classroom in the grappling environment
-How does Tito Ortiz’s thoughts on MMA relate to grappling?
-The Power of Love and Hate in Grappling
-What can Arnold Schwarzenegger do for your grappling game?
-What’s the secret behind BJJ World Champ, JT Torres’s smile?
-What made Eddie Bravo so confident that he would whisper, “Are you ready?” into an opponent’s ear?

And much more, so much more!

Check out my grappling books on Amazon: Tapmonster: Ideas about Grappling for BJJ and Submission Wrestlers, Grappling for Newbies, 20 Ways to Increase Grappling Skills off the Mat, The Lazy Man’s Guide to Grappling and much more.

MUSCLE – The Beginning (Sample) Rated PG -13 for violence, profanity and adult situations

Hey guys, this is the prequel to my MUSCLE Firm Short Story Series, a quick, fast paced, action adventure comedy. If you like it, pass this link to everyone you think would like it. Thanks!!!

© Copyright 2011 Bakari R. Akil II, Ph.D.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express written, dated and signed permission from the author.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Dedication

To people who love excitement and adventure!

Other books in The MUSCLE Firm Series

MUSCLE – The Case of Cheating Security Guard

 

11:30 PM

“He’s here,” were the words Muscle heard through his earpiece. As he peered from his encampment behind the bushes, sure enough, the man in question was walking toward the house. His pace was deliberate and he looked intense. This guy was nothing but trouble.

“The nerve of this dude! Balls of steel,” said Bell, who was positioned in the Blue Ford Edge with tinted windows, two houses down. The man they were watching had the look of a person that felt he belonged, and he acted as if he owned the place. But that was far from the truth.

Yes, he once owned the house, six months ago. But now his ex-wife inhabited the home with their two small children and occasionally, her new boyfriend or what some single mothers refer to as a “a friend” or “your uncle.” No matter who was seeing whom now, the client was inside and that is why Muscle and Bell were here.

The man walked past the long row of bushes where Muscle crouched and headed for the huge front window that occupied the center of the house. He knelt down and tried to look through the brown plantation shutters that were meant to keep outsiders from peering in and not suited for the aims of ‘peeping Toms.’

It was time to move!

Bell had already left the car and began heading to the house. Muscle stood up and left his vantage point from behind the bushes.

They approached the kneeling man from the side as he strained to see through the glass. Dressed in black pants, a black hooded sweatshirt and dark boots; something about the way he acted signaled deadly intent.

“John Wilkerson!” shouted Muscle.

Wilkerson tried to jump up, but as he rose, Muscle kicked the back of his leg between his thigh and calf. His head hit the wall as he crashed back to his knees. Wilkerson was quick though. Unfazed, he pushed away from the house and rolled backwards on the ground until he was able to jump to his feet.

“Awesome!” was all Muscle could think as he watched the stalker perform his acrobatics. He snapped back to reality when he saw the absolute look of calm in the guy’s eyes. Wilkerson took a step toward Muscle when, out of nowhere, a loud whistle rang out behind him. He stopped in his tracks and quickly spun to his left so he could keep an eye on Muscle and whoever whistled at him from behind.

It didn’t matter though. Bell was already in the air and had a big smile on his face. He used a body scissor kick to bring Wilkerson down to his back. In an instant, the two…

MUSCLE – The Beginning can be found on Amazon. MUSCLE – The Case of Cheating Security Guard, the next story in The MUSCLE Firm Series is also available.

For my readers at Jiujitsu365, if you like this story, please leave a review at  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords or iTunes if you purchase it.

Regards,

Bakari

Check out my grappling books on Amazon: Tapmonster: Ideas about Grappling for BJJ and Submission Wrestlers, Grappling for Newbies, 20 Ways to Increase Grappling Skills off the Mat, The Lazy Man’s Guide to Grappling and much more.

20 Ways to Increase Grappling Skills Off the Mat

Excerpt from 20 Ways to Improve your Grappling Skills Off the Mat It’s available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble & Smashwords

Intro

We used to train a lot at my house… People used to wake me up at night… Like at midnight, people would come… I would train every time… – Caio Terra, Multiple BJJ World Champion, talking about training from home when he had no academy. (Inside BJJ)

Like most people who practice the art of submission wrestling, I try to spend as much time as possible on the mat. And when I’m not on the mat, I think about grappling entirely too much. Yet, sometimes, the only thing I can do is think about grappling because I have other responsibilities clamoring for my attention.

Since I have grappled for nearly a decade, I have had to come up with ways to insure that gaps in training don’t derail my hard earned gains. As a consequence, I have developed numerous strategies. Those strategies are what this book is about. 20 Ways to Improve your Grappling Skills off the Mat will share with you how you can increase your grappling abilities when you can’t make it to class.

It discusses mindsets and approaches and it is designed to help you become a better grappler when no one is looking. The ideas provided in this book will give you an edge when it comes to training. — Following a few of the suggestions will take your game to the next level.

Imagine if you used all of them.

20 Ways also contains quotes from grappling and MMA veterans. It explores:

-How to be 8 steps ahead of your opponent

-The real deal with heavy bags and grappling

-What’s up with grappling dummies?

-Ways to use visualization that are never discussed

-Why solo drills matter

-How a few simple words can change your game

-How Claude van Damme can improve your grappling

-Why maps are important in submission wrestling

-How being a bookworm is good for grapplers

-How you can improve without lifting a muscle; and

-Ideas that will revolutionize your game and make you a tapping machine

Thanks for purchasing this book and I hope you enjoy.

Bakari Akil II, Ph.D./Jiu-Jitsu365

Heavy Bag

You only have two options, you win or you lose. Why not just win. – Daniel Cormier-Olympic Wrestler

I would argue that when most people pull up YouTube, looking for a grappling clip, it is not to learn how to achieve or maintain dominant positions. They are looking for ways to tap chumps out. Admittedly, it’s not a bad idea. If you grapple for more than a few months, you quickly realize how difficult it is to make your partner submit when he’s learning the same things you are. Springing a surprise wristlock you learned from your favorite online guru makes training that much easier.

However, most grappling techniques offered online begin with the instructor ordering the uke (one being demonstrated against) to take a certain position on the mat. Then the uke jumps down like he’s expecting a Scooby snack in return. Yet, when is the last time you were able to tell your grappling partner to lie on his back so you could assume side control during a live roll?

Dominant positions have to be earned. Then they have to be maintained. Now, there are many ways that you can practice catching people in submissions and we will explore them in this book. But let’s start off by covering how you can use the heavy bag to improve your ability to dominate positions and improve your overall grappling ability.

Design

Using the heavy bag is the blue-collar way of learning how to hand out beat-downs. It doesn’t do everything you want it to do, but it can get the job done. Its design is simple, sturdy and it can take a beating. They are also large enough to give you the feeling of dealing with a person and heavy enough where you have to exert yourself when working out with one. The length of heavy bags allow you to practice a wide range of moves and its bulk lets you apply pressure that even your training buddies wouldn’t allow.

Cost

They are also relatively cheap, especially in relation to the many years of use you can extract from one. I paid $65 for my 60 lb. bag and have owned it for 8 years. You can also purchase one cheaply from a second hand store like Play it Again Sports or from a yard sale. Now if you’re really cheap, you can learn how to make a heavy bag by watching a YouTube clip of some weird guy creating one in his mom’s basement.

No matter how you obtain one, your investment will pay off each time you can’t make it to class due to work or other commitments, yet you still have enough energy to drill at home. (Or, in my case, when I lived in the middle of nowhere and had to use my bag as a training buddy for a few months.)

Basics

Whether boxing or grappling, the heavy bag can help you review the basics. Just like in boxing where you can practice jabs, crosses, hooks, uppercuts and combinations, the heavy bag will allow you to practice the rudiments of grappling. Side control, mount, North-South and Knee-on-belly are all fair game on a heavy bag. You can also practice applying pressure to the chest and the proper spacing of your legs when trying to hold an opponent down. You will never, ever find a drilling partner who will allow you to work on your positioning as much as a heavy bag. If you do, money will be involved.

You can also work on transitioning from one position to the next. For instance, transferring from side control to the mount, mount to side control and side control to North-South. The bag can help you develop the speed and timing required to jump from side control to Knee-on-belly and from Knee-on-belly on the right to Knee-on-belly to the left. Drilling these basic positions will give you the ability to ride opponents. I have to admit, I feel like a bull-rider when I am controlling a ‘spazzy’ new guy and a pimp when I’m jumping from position to position on an experienced guy. Sometimes I have to restrain myself from asking, “Where is my money?” That skill doesn’t come from attending class once or twice a week. It’s from my heavy bag training.

Advanced

You can also practice more advanced positional drills on the bag as well as work a little technique. For instance I cemented my ability to capture…

End of Excerpt

Thanks for reading! If this caught your attention you can purchase 20 Ways to Improve your Grappling Skills Off the Mat at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

This book can be read on your computer, tablet or cell phone using your Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble free apps. You can also read it on the computer using Smashwords or Lulu.

Check out my grappling books on Amazon: Tapmonster: Ideas about Grappling for BJJ and Submission Wrestlers, Grappling for Newbies, 20 Ways to Increase Grappling Skills off the Mat, The Lazy Man’s Guide to Grappling and much more.

Miguel “Angel” Torres”: Quick Comment

I watched the WEC last night on versus. I will admit that while I was watching I surfed the internet and casually glanced at most of the fights. But Miguel Torres and Manny Tapia had my full attention. Miguel Torres is a superhero in my book. He made Manny Tapia look like his little brother. At 5’9, Miguel Torres is a monster in his division. The look in his eyes says it all.

But what was that flip ax kick about?