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I had the chance to catch up with my Jiu Jitsu instructor, Eddie Edmunds of Team Fusion Academy.  For those who don’t know him, Professor Edmunds is a very technical black belt under Professor Pedro Sauer and a superb teacher. In fact, Eddie began studying under Professor Sauer in 1992, longer than any other affiliate instructor.

We shot about 30 minutes of video to accompany this interview and I have put some clips throughout this post. (I also released some of the footage in my post about z guard.)   If you want to see the whole thing, you have two options.  You can download it in high quality (614 meg) by right-clicking “save as” with this link: Bart and Eddie.wmv . Or you can view it in pieces on my youtube channel here.

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Bart: Thanks Eddie for talking with me. I know you’ve been around martial arts for a long time – tell me a little bit about your background in martial arts.

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Eddie: Thanks for the opportunity to speak with you Bart. Although I studied Karate and Kung Fu, the first martial art that I truly loved and enjoyed was Jeet Kune Do, Kali and western boxing under a master named Dan Berry. Dan Berry learned JKD and Kali under Michael Moore who was a direct student of Dan Inosanto. He was and still remains the most combatively oriented martial artist i have ever known. Only someone who trained under Dan can tell you what I mean. His capability with the stick and empty hand was second to none. Dan was not only a master, but an innovative genius.

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Dan Berry was an assistant instructor at the Hawkeyes wrestling club under Dan Gable – so he already had some pretty decent grappling experience. Well, there was a seminar in Utah with Rickson Gracie and Pedro Sauer. Dan Berry went down there and came back blown away.

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He got tapped by Rickson over and over. It was shocking to him as Dan had good grappling skills. However, there were no strikes involved in this match. If there were, I believe the outcome would have been different.

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So Dan comes back and tells all of us that we will need to get a blue belt under the Gracies in order to get a black belt under him. He was that converted. It was Dan Berry who introduced us all to Pedro Sauer, and that was my induction into the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

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Bart: Every time you talk about your Jiu Jitsu lineage, I can feel the admiration and respect you have for Pedro Sauer. For those who don’t know him personally, can you explain to us why you call him “Professor” and why having a black belt under him is special?

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Eddie: Over the years, chess masters have been studied because of their encyclopedic knowledge of looking at a chess board and need to make the right moves to win the game. Pedro Sauer definitely has an encyclopedic memory of chess moves. The quality that distinguishes him from a chess master is that he is actually doing something against a physically resistant opponent – while the chess master performs in the cerebral domain and can just move a chess piece without concern for the opponent resisting. Jiu Jitsu is much different. The Jiu jitsu expert performs in the cerebral and the physical domain, and this is a huge difference between chess and jiu jitsu.

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Pedro also comes to the mat with personal instruction from Helio Gracie, the father and founder of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. He received his black belt under Helio but he also earned a black belt from the Jiu Jitsu god himself: Rickson Gracie. Pedro’s technical knowledge is second to none. He has details about details.

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In addition, Pedro has the gift to take apart and put back together a move inside his head, so that he can watch someone do something and know immediately whether it is effective or not. Pedro is that rare breed of instructor who has trained with the best instructors in the world and has the specific capacity to analyze Jiu Jitsu like a scientist would to make it better and more efficient.

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Bart: To return a bit to your experience in martial arts, after training so long, how has studying Jiu Jitsu influenced your personal life and character?

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Eddie: Out of all the lessons i have learned from Jiu Jitsu, the primary ones are first humility. There is always someone better and you will be tapping till the end of your life. The second is the work ethic. Jiu Jitsu taught me to really take the time and start to study, train and learn the art and not to skip steps. There are not shortcuts with Jiu Jitsu. You either put in the mat time or you don’t get to a high level; it doesn’t happen any other way. I would say those two things have influenced me the most. Third would be encouraging my team members. I like to see them improve and I really believe Jiu Jitsu can help people gain a measure of happiness and confidence as their skill grows. Team Fusion is made of of some of the best people I know and it is exciting to see it grow.

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Bart: What kinds of things have you incorporated into the training focus and philosophy at Team Fusion Academy?

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Eddie: One facet of the academy that I really try to promote is a team environment. My initial training with Pedro was like the wild west. I can’t tell you how many guys came into our academy Pedro would say something like “Eddie Edmunds my friend, I want you to go with this guy and go easy on him.”

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That meant to tap the guy fast … as he wasn’t going to be nice to me.

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Our training was technical but we had to prove Jiu Jitsu each week as people really doubted its effectiveness. Today, we still have guys come in to try and disprove Jiu Jitsu, but we try and be a little more gentle than the old days. I have gi and no gi classes and we teach takedowns in addition to the ground game. I believe this type of cross-training is very comprehensive for everyone.

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Bart: You’ve trained with a lot of great guys and seen a lot of students progress through the ranks. In terms of Jiu Jitsu, what can you tell me about guys who become legitimately good vs the guys who just hover around the mediocre level? Off the top of your head, what are two or three things that separate the casual from the skilled?

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Eddie: The guys who become very good – or even great – are individuals who learn from the best and consistenly train. Meet the best guys and learn from them. People like Saulo Ribeiro, Pedro Sauer, Cobrinha and Rickson Gracie all have different approaches to Jiu Jitsu – and it helps to learn from a variety of people. However, I’ll be truthful, the ideal way to learn is to roll with the best and have them coach you.

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That is how Pedro Sauer got so good. He told me that he took privates from Rickson and they would roll and Rickson would correct him. In my opinion there is no better way to accelerate your game than to have that kind of coaching..

Outside of that, every person should have the five tools of Jiu Jitsu: a notebook, video camera, qualified instructor, cross training and thought. I say thought because you don’t’ become great unless you sit down and really think about Jiu Jitsu. Study and analyze your game. Analyze a match and try to discern how individuals are finding leverage. Rickson asked many, many questions in his quest for becoming better at the gentle art and I never forgot that.

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Bart: As a black belt, how does the jujitsu game change vs your approach as a white or blue belt?.

Eddie: My approach to Jiu Jitsu as a black belt versus a white belt is radically different. For some guys they may say it isn’t, but I learned Jiu Jitsu much differently because I was a product of the times. Pedro was right out of Brazil and the Gracies wanted to prove the effectiveness of Jiu Jitsu. We were always training hard and going for the kill. At least I was.

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Bart: Thanks so much Eddie, I’ve enjoyed chatting with you. Before we close, how can people get contact and train with you? Also, who else do you have teaching down at Fusion?

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Eddie: Our website is www.FusionBJJ.com . We are located at 650 East, Wilmington Avenue (2180 south) in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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We have three black belts teaching at our school: Gustavo Rodrigues (Carlson Gracie), Mike Colby (Walt Bayless) and Eddie Edmunds (Pedro Sauer). We also have great assistant instructors Tony Ventrano and Noah Jenkins as well.

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Bart, thank you for the opportunity for this interview. I appreciate you being one of the members of Team Fusion and you are one of the students who works hard and is constantly learning and trying to improve. I appreciate you taking the time to do this.

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Bart: Thank you.

]]> http://slcmma.com/interview-with-eddie-edmunds-of-team-fusion-academy/feed/ 11 http://slcmma.com/upcoming-saulo-ribeiro-seminar/ http://slcmma.com/upcoming-saulo-ribeiro-seminar/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:48:55 +0000 BartB http://slcmma.com/?p=318

Just wanted to start spreading the word, so you can put it on your radar. And by “put it on your radar” I mean to start rearranging your life, if necessary. Not only is he 6x world champion, Saulo is one of the most sought after instructors in the world.

Saulo Ribeiro is coming to SLC for a seminar possibly February 26-27, maybe the week after.

If you want to know what to expect, here is a write up of a Saulo seminar. I’m already pumped up to learn from him.

I’ll post more details when things get finalized.

I believe it’ll be at the UVU Activity Center down in Orem. Turnout should be good.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to more videos from them.

I was talking to a friend of mine at the gym about the inverted guard, aka the upside down guard, and how some guys use it in jujitsu to stuff guard pass attempts.  It works more or less like this : from regular closed guard, a guy breaks the connection between your legs (unlocks your ankles) and starts to pass to one side, controlling a leg. If he’s passing to the right side, you dive into him and roll to your right and get upside down, making an new connection with your legs.  Then, you can pull off a few forms of triangle chokes via inverted guard.

Anyway, I was wondering about the validity of inverted guard in MMA.  On one hand, punching someone’s face from this position seems devastating.  On the other hand, the inverted guard is a legitimate branch of the jujitsu tree and perhaps can still be used effectively. (You can see MMA fighter Nick Diaz move in and out of the inverted guard in the fight video above).

In a way, I see the rules of the MMA match playing a big part. Is the guy on bottom allowed to up-kick a downed opponent? Is the guy on top allowed kicks to a downed opponent? What about knees to a downed opponent?

The thing is, I can’t fully recall a fight where a guy has utilized the upside-down guard in MMA.  You see it in flashes, when guys drop and roll for knee-bars, roll out to escape the turtle position, etc.  If you can remember a fight where the inverted guard was used (or abused),  please let me know!

Here are a few matches that showcase the inverted guard, and again,  you tell me what you think.

“Cyborg” vs Bill Cooper (thanks Eric!)
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Ryan Hall at NAGA
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Rolleta Vs Wallid
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JR Santos VS Alvin Ramierez
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Margarida vs Pe de Pano
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Cobrinha Vs Ryan Hall
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Auckland BJJ Open: Purple Belt Semi-finals
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Nick Diaz inverted guard kneebar
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A few days after a no-gi Saturday down at the gym, I was thinking about how to put together a fierce grappling game plan and detailing a jujitsu roadmap to get there, something hit me.  At first, I wanted to dismiss the thought as too simple – but the more I dwelt on it, the more sense it made.

Get on top.

What made it really click is something Mike Colby said while teaching. He said something like, “If you have the opportunity to escape from a disadvantageous bottom position to either a top position or a more advantageous bottom position, always choose to go to the top.  The more time you spend in the top positions, the more guys you’ll tap.”

This rung true with most MMA and grappling I’ve watched, as well as my limited personal experience. Submissions are easier to get and harder to defend when attacking top down. When in top positions, it seems easier to attack the different body zones (head, neck, arms, and legs) from one spot. In MMA, half-guard, side-control and mount are some of the most excellent places to go on the offensive with minimum risk.

If you can just focus on getting from wherever you are to a more dominant top position, a lot of things will just take care of themselves. Having such a simple “plan” will help to funnel all of your moves to one consistent goal easily, instead of getting caught in analysis paralysis.

Watching Mike wrestle, he certainly practices what he preaches. It seems like he’s always putting pressure on his opponent from a top position, creating submissions or waiting for an opportunity.  And if you don’t know Mike, it’s my understanding that he’s one of the state’s top no-gi grapplers.

Anyway, “Get on top” is just a quicker way to say, “consistently attempt to gain positional dominance.” It’s not that you haven’t heard this before. But for me, I often don’t really hear the truth, on a deep level, until I’ve heard it 100 times.

BTW, if you want to, here’s a video of Mike instructing a transition from reverse scarf position to belly down back control. Watch his training partner (Noah), squirm under the controlling preassure.  Mike finishes via short choke/rear naked choke.

It works in MMA, it works in Judo, it works in Jujitsu. The guillotine can be used in dozens of situations. Whenever an opponent goes in for a leg take down, they become vulnerable to the choke. If you’re clinching, you can push their head down and slap on the guillotine. In the guard? Yes indeed, it’s time to end someone’s consciousness by guillotine.

Done deal. Let’s learn how to do it.

Technique Level 1:

This video comes to us via Gracie Insider, and goes over the basic points of the guillotine choke from standing and from the ground.

When you pull your elbow into your armpit (keeping your chicken wings in), it pulls his head down, making it harder to get your forearm across his neck. Don’t.Essentially, get your opponents head underneath your armpit facing down. Really though, get his neck under the pit. Meanwhile, the arm closest to his head needs to snake underneath his jaw so that your forearm bone is pushing up into his throat. Using your armpit to keep his head down, slice up with your arm.

There’s a million little things that will help this submission. Play around with it at level one, gain some experience, and progress to level two.

Technique Level 2:

Shinya Aoki, master grappler shows how it’s really done. The video is in Japanese, but don’t freak out. I’ll break down a play-by-play. In fact, I’d suggest you read the overview first so that you can see them as he’s doing them – many of the elements aren’t obvious unless someone points them out.

Note: I don’t speak Japanese, so I’m interjecting my knowledge and the things I think he’s trying to say.

• Traditional setup, go for the kimura and open your guard. Arm is being protected, so immedieatly go for the guillotine choke.

• When going for the choke, sliding your arm across the back, make sure not to press the back of his head down. When your arm is nearing the outside of his body, keep the elbow pointing away from you. Curl your arm toward you bicep. It’s like the superman pose (elbows pointing out ) vs making a fart noise in your armpit (flapping your elbow like a chicken wing).

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• When you pull your elbow into your armpit (keeping your chicken wings in), it pulls his head down, making it harder to get your forearm across his neck. Don’t.
• When you snake your arm under, use proper hand position. The forearm that’s under his chin, that hand makes a fist, cocked down towards your elbow. The other hand gable grips over it (thumbs on same side as fingers).
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• As you roll onto your back, make sure to control his hips (pull guard of some kind).
• Use your arms to start choking him. Using the arm position (shown below) will help you choke him hardcore. Imagine trying to get your thumb to the shoulder.
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• Remember how I said not to squeeze in your elbow before getting your forearm underneath his chin? Now I want you to do that. Strangle the life out of him by pinching in your elbow to your rib cage.
• Also, make sure that radial bone (the top forearm bone) is jamming into the throat. If you have gripped properly, it should already be doing that. If not, roll your arm to get it in right.
• Sure, you can crank directly back like you’re doing a back bridge – that might tap him. However, if you use the leg opposite to the arm that’s under his neck, you can push off his hip (controlling it) and angle your body off to the side.
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• Like the Gracie family said in the first video, don’t control his hips too low or he’ll pop out of your guard, into side control and nullify the choke. You need the right amount of squeeze between your legs, possibly your knees if you’ve got full guard. Don’t overdo it – you want to save energy and focus on the choking, but at the same time, keep him from escaping – something we’ll cover in part 2.

So watch out for Mastering the Guillotine Choke Part 2 – until then, happy head hunting!

Alice: Oh, no, no. I was just wondering if you could help me find my way.

Cheshire Cat: Well that depends on where you want to get to.

Alice: Oh, it really doesn’t matter, as long as…

Cheshire Cat: Then it really doesn’t matter which way you go.

Brazilian Jiujitsu is complex. There are dozens of distinct positions, hundreds of techniques, thousands of variations. The map above shows one small version of beginning BJJ.

Despite the nebulous complexity, I know you want to get as good as possible, as quick as possible. AND … you want to have a fight plan that you can use to defeat your opponents.

The solution to both goals is the same. You need a road map of where you want to go.

Training Roadmap

(You may want to refresh your mind by re-reading the basics of MMA workout goals. )

When thinking about progressing in your training, you want to list the things you need to learn and improve on. You highlight four or five things and find techniques and tweaks to get good at them, rotating your practice evenly over a period of time to cover all the things throughly.

You review your progress, make some tweaks, and go through the cycle again. If you don’t consciously control how you train and what you techniques you choose to train, you cannot make consistent progress.

Making a game plan, especially if you’re a beginner, is fraught with pitfalls. Even if you’re fairly advanced, having a coach to help you progress is virtually a must. Which moves do you choose? Which positions and transitions?

Steven Kesting, one of the most gifted grapplering instructors I’ve come across, has 35 page pdf called “A Roadmap for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu”, a copy of which can be found here. It’s a solid overview of BJJ and which positions and submission you should learn first.

In his own words, Steven says

The goal of this book is NOT to teach you specific techniques – you can learn those from your instructor, your fellow students, and other resources such as books and DVDs. My goal here is to give you a basic framework to help you make sense of all the different techniques you are learning. In essence I am trying to give you a big picture which functions as a kind of filing system to help you learn more efficiently,and to access the correct technique quickly in the heat of battle.

If you want to get good at BJJ – fast – check it out. If you want to tailor your own road map, try picking a half-dozen things from the chart at the top of the page, and then learn and drill techniques that associate with them.

Fight Roadmap

When you step into the ring, its time to play by your game plan and win. If you go into a match without a concrete plan, you will be at the mercy of the opponent, forever reacting, countering, and trying to squeeze in your moves. In the BJJ Road Map linked above, Kesting has a solid progression to use when grappling.

You’re in the opponent’s Guard and break it -> Side Control -> Knee Mount -> Full Mount -> Rear Mount.

The idea is that you should always know where you’re going. It shouldn’t be a time of meditation, “Okay, I’m in side control, what now? As you progress through the chain you should try one or two submissions at each place. Immediately go for one sub, then the other, then transition into the next position. Quickly, but smoothly – 1,2,3.

Here’s a map I made for when you begin grappling from a standing position.

When you start, you’ve only got two options – so not much thinking. Fake one to set up the other. You hit the next level down and still, only a few minimal choices.

Wherever you are in a fight, you should have a pre-memorized, ready-to-fire-off technique. Limiting your options speeds up your reaction time. No hesitation.

Bang, bang, bang. The opponent should always have to be defending your constant attacks. You flow don’t the chart, constantly trying to make it worse for your opponent by gaining progressively better positioning.

Now then, memorize at least one good escape from all the disadvantageous positions, and if you find yourself there, escape back into somewhere you recognize and continue down the tech-tree.

I know I haven’t covered all avenues, but I think you get the idea. Reading the BJJ Roadmap will help fill in the gaps, then start learning techniques to plug into your game plan. Happy scheming!

Masahiko Kimura is one of best judo practicioners in history, so it reasons that a high class submission would be named after him. The story goes that Masahiko fought jujitsu legend Helio Gracie and broke his arm with this move, and BJJ guys have been calling it the kimura ever since.

Just look at the dude. (above) I’d name my firstborn after him, even if he wasn’t a hardcore judoka.

Now days, because every mixed martial artist with even a passable knowledge in jujitsu knows the the kimura, it can be a bit tricky to submit a guy with it. A lot of fighters know the specific counters or blocks, or just how to posture and prevent kimura opportunities. Which is, of course, why we need to take our game to the next level.

In the video below, Ari shows how to use your legs to help sneak in the kimura.

One of the most important things about getting the kimura to work is to escape your hips on the side on which you are working the arm. Getting your hips out will help you flatten out your opponent. It is important to keep the leg on top squeezing down, so the kimura’d person doesn’t try to roll out of the lock.

Another tip to getting the kimura is to keep your opponent’s hand well away from his/her body so they don’t block the kimura by grabbing their gi pants or wrestling shorts. If they do grab some clothing – keeping their arm from going backward – you can try to overpower them or do something trickier. That’s where the kimura sweep comes into play.

After you sweep them and take the mount, it’s candyland. You can either abandon the kimura and work something else, or you can finish the kimura from the mount. If you follow that link, I think you’ll enjoy their clever way to sweep from the guard and finish the lock.

One more thing – so people have trouble finishing their opponent.(Some guys just have really flexible shoulders!). Three things to keep in mind.

1. Keep a 90 degree angle in the elbow joint. If the opponent’s hand gets too close to their armpit, the kimura becomes a hammerlock – which many people are more immune to – or they can try to grab clothing and block.

2. Move the elbow up toward the head. If you have fully escaped your hips, it shouldn’t be much of a problem.

3. Roll the wrist towards the back of their head.

Happy submission hunting!