Aesopian

After watching the The Twister I was very intrigued by Eddie’s success with lockdown and old school (his favorite sweep). I started trying it out and wasn’t having much success, other than stalling with the lockdown.

Reading his first book, Jiu-jitsu Unleashed, helped a little but I still found myself just being smashed from half guard while desperately holding on to the lockdown.

I spoke to many others who were studying Eddie Bravo’s half guard and almost all of them had arrived at the same point: all his moves seemed like they should work, but they can never get on their side like they know they should, and the very act of keeping lockdown seemed to kill their own hip movement.

I had one fellow go so far as to say that trying to figure out the lockdown had set his half guard back by 7 months.

So going into the half guard chapter of Eddie Bravo’s Mastering the Rubber Guard, I had two problems:

1. When I have the lockdown, how do I get double underhooks?


2. More importantly, how do I get on my side and have good hip movement while keeping the lockdown?

And it solved them almost immediately:

1. The Jaws of Life.


2. The Whip Up.

Well, that was anti-climactic.

I simply took these moves from the book, drilled them on an open mat, and ever since I’ve been able keep the lockdown as I get underhooks and whip up on to my side to work old school.

As far as I’m concerned, everything beyond this is gravy.

Eddie’s new book also teaches what to do when you can’t get the underhooks, which revolves around getting butterfly hooks. This does much to flesh out his system, especially with the new chapter on butterfly guard.

All of the sweeps from his first book and many more make an appearance. Only now you can see them in full color and from multiple angles.

I have yet to play with the dogfight or stoner control, other positions that make up different branches of Eddie’s game, but I trust they are as solid as everything else he teaches.

Even if I don’t end up using them, I do find it interesting to see just how thorough Eddie is in breaking down every position in his game, especially the ones no one else uses or teaches. I think the only way he can get away with such an unorthodox game is because he seriously applied himself to understanding how to maintain control and leverage from every “weird” position.

Pros

Solves the common problems of half guard with lockdown; a very systematic approach to half guard strategy; full color, more photos, multiple angles.

Cons

Can be hard to get the hang of Eddie’s half guard game, but this is still the best way to learn it so far.

Overall

Given the chance to go in-depth with his game, Eddie has shown how it is built on solid fundamentals that progress towards high percentage sweeps and submissions.

[rate 5]

While training this Saturday, somewhere in all of the twisting and turning of sparring, I pulled a muscle midway down my back.

I didn’t think much of it while I was warm, but as I cooled down after class, I realized just how badly I’d got it. It hurt to stand or walk, raise or lower my arms, turn to either side. I had trouble finding a position I could sleep in, and it was an endeavor to get out of bed the the next morning. Even breathing wrong made me stop whatever I was doing while I grimace.

Back when I first started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I had purchased a copy of Stretching by Bob Anderson. My stretching routine is largely based its material.

I had recently dug up my copy again and was using it to focus on my lower back, groin and hips to improve my guard. After seeing how much it helped me prevent injuries while playing rubber guard, I figured I’d try using it on my already-injured back.

I spent 20 minutes on Sunday putting myself through a pleasant stretching routine, working on the effected effect as well as my lower back and legs.

By the end of the routine, the stabbing pain had reduced to a minor dull ache.

In less than an hour, I’d gone from worrying that I wouldn’t be able to train for a week to just having a little kink in my back.

After wonders for me like that, I felt I should give Bob Anderson’s Stretching a major recommendation.

Anderson does an admirable job of teaching how to stretch safely and painlessly (the only right way to do it), which I feel is more important than the specific stretches themselves. He makes sure you understand the proper frame of mind for stretching as well as the best (and worst) practices, since most people were taught to do it incorrectly (like most PE coaches make children do). I never enjoyed stretching before this book since it had always been taught to me as a stressful exercise, not as the relaxing one it should be.

The book teaches a wide variety of stretches for every part of the body. They are shown with cleanly drawn black-and-white illustrations, with arrows showing the directions to stretch, and the body parts being stretched highlighted. The explanations of the stretches give clear instructions of how to do them correctly, and often offer insight into make the most of the stretch. Both easier and more difficult variations of stretches are also often shown.

The author has put together stretching routines for specific purposes, such as isolating a part of the body, working at a desk, and a large collection of ones for sports and activities.

He shows a stretching routine for Martial Arts, but my experience is that the one for Wrestling more appropriate for BJJ, since it warms up the upper back, shoulders and neck more.

I find that the Legs, Groin & Hips and Lower Back Tension routines are perfect for BJJ and the guard in particular, and the one for Hands, Arms & Shoulders is very soothing after frying your fingers and forearms with grip fighting.

Throughout the book are what are called PNF stretches, and there is a chapter on the subject at the end. These stretches are based on first contracting then relaxing the muscle before stretching it, which can increase the flexibility by taking advantage natural mechanisms of the body.

I found the explanation of the PNF techniques and the sample stretches very interesting and have been able to apply the concept to stretches I have learned from other sources.

I encourage you to pick up a copy of Stretching by Bob Anderson if you want a well-rounded guide to the subject. It will help your jiu-jitsu immensely.

Pros

Very simple and easy to understand; teaches good practices and habits for healthy stretching; stretches for every part of the body; helpful pre-planned routines; inexpensive and widely available.

Cons

Hard to keep book open while stretching; would have liked to see more PNF stretches.

Overall

This is my number one recommendation for anyone wanting to improve their overall flexibility, prevent injuries, and recover faster.

[rate 5]