The “Missing Piece” to Your Grappling Puzzle

Last week, I was talking to a student after BJJ class. We were
discussing various training topics before I started talking about
the “Hammer and Nail” Principle that all grapplers need to learn and
accept for mat success.

And while we were talking about the H&NP, the student (who we’ll
call Jim) started talking about his own challenges in that area and
how he admitted to the fact that he thought all that “mindset
stuff” for surviving tough mat situations was a bunch of crap.

Jim’s opinion was based on his own mat experiences, where he was
getting twisted up on the mat like a pretzel and unable to stop it.

Then one day, Jim said that during a match, he just made up in his
mind that he was NOT going to beaten to a pulp or be finished by his
partner on that day.

And to Jim’s total amazement… his partner DID NOT finish him
during their match!

If you could’ve seen Jim’s face while he was telling me the story,
you could tell that he was happy and shocked at the outcome because
he didn’t think it could be that easy.

“Yes”, I said, “it can be that easy because your body will do
EXACTLY what your mind tells it to do and when to do it. If your
mind says fight, your body will fight! And if your minds says quit,
your body will quit!”

I then told him that if he could think back to some of those
matches in the past where he was being beaten to a pulp, he would
be able to see that the “missing piece” to his grappling was that
his mind had accepted the reality of losing and told his body to
give up fighting.

Immediately, Jim recognized that’s exactly what happened to him.

And as we continue our talk, I realized that he was on the right
track, but needed some more “OG insight” on the topic.

That’s when I handed him a copy of my “OG Mental Mindset Package”
off the shelf in my office and told him this was the “missing piece”
to his grappling puzzle.

What about you? Are you taking countless “mat thrashings” on a
regular basis because you’re mind is telling your body to “give up
and quit” during matches?

If the answer is yes, don’t hesitate and go NOW by sprinting over to
www.OGMentalMindset.com to find the “missing piece” to your
grappling puzzle.

Dedicated to improving your mat experience!

Thank you

Until midnight on Saturday, October 31, 2009, you can get my
grappling and mental mindset trainng systems for 40% OFF (plus free
shipping).

Here’s where you can grab your copy:

http://dwarfurl.com/d5e94

I’m holding this special sale as a way to say THANK YOU to all my
loyal customers and supporters that read my grappling training
e-newsletter.

I also need a reason to smile because the Washington Redskins are
HORRIBLE this year and I have 9 more games to endure in an NFL
Football Season that’s already been too long for my team.

Here’s where you can grab your copy and save 40%:

http://dwarfurl.com/d5e94

---

       Try My Systems For 40% Off And Get 3 Free Bonuses!

---

If the 40% discount isn’t enough to have you heading to my website,
these 3 free gifts will surely do the trick:

* Bonus 1: 4 Keys to Develop a Championship Mindset! This Coaching
Video Training Session Will Reveal the Four Critical Mental Training
Habits Needed on the Mat to Ensure Peak Performance!

* Bonus 2: Mastering The OG Progression Chain! This Coaching Video
Training Session Will Expose the 5 Progression Phases Successful
Grapplers Master to Ensure Consistent Championship Mat Performance!

* Bonus 3: Complete written transcripts of both video coaching
training sessions!

WHEW!

That’s a lot of goodies …and you get it all FREE when you try my
entire system for 40% off (plus free shipping which will be deducted
at checkout).

Go here right now and claim your copy before they’re all gone!

http://dwarfurl.com/d5e94

Dedicated to improving your mat experience!
Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)

P.S. This special 40% off sale ends at midnight on Saturday,
October 31, 2009,.

If you’d like to get the revolutionary grappling and mental mindset
training systems so many grapplers of all ages are raving about…
and save 40% (deducted at purchase), then go here now:

http://dwarfurl.com/d5e94

Check this out (AMAZING story!)

Here’s a pretty cool story that I stumbled across by accident when
a young OG, Tom DeBlass (Ocean County BJJ), was talking about how
a couple of his OG students inspired him by the commitment they
displayed to their grappling training in spite of the adversity
that would hinder most students half their age.

And since I love hearing and passing on any story about an OG
fighting against adversity to “get ‘er done!”, I asked him to see
if they were willing to share their stories with the OG Nation.
Kenny Balcerski was the first to take me up on my offer.  Enjoy!

Tom,

I put this together on inspiration as per your post on Facebook
with Paul Greenhill. It is a conglomeration of my core beliefs,
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu aptitude and feelings regarding training at
age 46 plus. I would only hope that it can inspire many more
students to start training with us.

It is no secret why students my age are spending more and more
time on the mats training. Jiu-Jitsu presents an endless amount
of applications and challenges which make it most appealing to
the older athlete.

State Champion in High School, All American in College; I have to
accept the fact that my body has limitations at almost 47 years
young. No matter how well I eat, sleep and train at this point,
it is inevitable that I have met the point of diminishing returns
when it comes to speed and agility.

However, I believe Jiu-Jitsu requires a lot of thinking and
technique, similar to a chess match, and may be one of the only
sports that allows an athlete past his physical prime to still
improve his skill with age.

One of the greatest days in my life was when I walked through the
door at Ocean County Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Forked River NJ). I
decided to enroll at the Academy after I shattered an ankle
racing motocross. The surgeon that put my leg back together was
firm in the premise that I would never be the same.

Fortunately for me, Professor Tom DeBlass convinced me that I
could still reach a high level of skill regardless of my age and
injury by training at his Academy.

I never imagined just how much Jiu-Jitsu would change my life!

Initially, I struggled, as do most beginners. I used too much
strength, fatigued almost immediately, and felt trapped and
panicky when mounted. But within the year I was able to slow my
game down, focus on skill and enjoy the benefits of this great
art.

I have found that being older may be an advantage in Jiu-Jitsu: I
don’t have many social or financial distractions since I have
already graduated college, I’m married with children, and have
owned a successful business for over 24 years. I have sculpted
good nutrition, hydration, strength, cardio, flexibility, rest
and recovery into my daily life. I have years of athletic and
practical experiences that can be applied to everyday training.

Jiu-Jitsu has given me a greater understanding of core beliefs,
pain and suffering. It has chiseled my integrity into being a
better father, friend and teammate. It has taught me that every
time I put my mind and body to the test it defines my capacity to
live.

A few weeks ago, I tore my biceps out of my elbow training for a
non-Jiu-Jitsu related event, and needed immediate surgery. I
would miss the Pan Ams and what might have been a few months
training.

I returned to the mats with a brace two weeks after surgery. My
family and teammates asked me why I came back to train so soon.
My answer has been I will only have an opportunity to train with
one arm for a short period until I recover fully.

Happiness is finding our innermost strengths by testing our
skills in every situation. This is a lesson I would never have
learned without my Professor, Instructors, fellow teammates and
everyone I train with at the academy.

Kenny Balcerski, Blue Belt

TWG:   Kenny, thank you for sharing your story with me and the OG
Nation.  I can see why Tom is proud and inspired to have you as a
student and it does my heart good to hear how you’re dealing with
your adversity in such a positive way.  Your commitment and “grit
tough” attitude is something that grapplers of all ages should
see and strive to achieve each day they walk on the mat.  It’s
truly a pleasure to have you as a member of the OG Nation!

Also, make sure to go to www.OlskoolGrapluh.com and pick out an
“OG T-shirt” so that I can get one in the mail to you this week.
Take care of that arm and keep up the good work!

“10 Signs You Need a Grappling Vacation!”

 

Here’s a question for you: if one of your teammates showed up
for class, dropped their bag on the floor, plopped down in the
chair next to you, and said “I do NOT want to be here today”, do
you:

a) Call him a wimp for sitting on the sidelines whining prior to
training?
b) Run and tell the instructor and take the chance of being branded
the school snitch?
c) Tell them that maybe they’re burned out from training and needs
a “grappling vacation?”
d) All of the above

As much as I would like for the answer to be “d – all of the
above”, I’m gonna have to stick with my outline and say “c -
grappling vacation.”

And if you’ve been grappling for any period of time, you’ve felt
exactly like the grappler in the scenario above.

Unfortunately, most grapplers don’t recognize the symptoms of
“mat burnout” and just keep trying to push through it until they
either get hurt while training or stop training completely.

So, just in case you’re not sure if you’re suffering from mat
burnout, here’s The Wise Grappler’s “10 Signs You Need a Grappling
Vacation!” Checklist:

You need a “grappling vacation” if:

1. You’re tired even before the class or workout starts.
2. You have to talk yourself into training (or competing) from the
time you wake up that morning until you actually get to the
academy.
3. You intentionally show up late for class and, once there, are
constantly looking at the clock the entire time waiting for it to
end.
4. You start thinking about how cool it would be to just go
straight home to relax and watch anything on TV instead of
training.
5. You look for any excuse (e.g. taking your dog to get a teeth
cleaning or you forgot to wash your kneepads.) to get out of
training.
6. You’re happy when a holiday, special event, or tournament
happens so that the school will be closed and you don’t need an
excuse to skip training.
7. You can’t catch opponents with your go-to techniques because
your movements and timing are off.
8. Your body’s sore all the time, even though you’re not getting
ready for an event.
9. Classmates that you usually perform well against or dominate are
kicking your butt all over the mat.
10. When you think to yourself, “It’s finally over, now I can get
the heck outta here and go home!” once class is over.

During my grappling journey, I’ve experienced many of these signs
myself, but refused to take time off to recuperate. For some
foolish reason, I used to think it was better to train with a
miserable mindset than to rest and give both my mind and body a
chance to rest.

Once I discovered that taking a couple of mini-vacations during the
year helped my grappling, I stopped fighting it and learned that
taking a mental rest break is just as important (if not more
important) than a physical rest break.

So, stop making excuses for not training (e.g. you didn’t train
because your gi is dirty) to justify to others for skipping
class. Take your “grappling vacation”, and watch how being
physically and mentally rested will put you back on track to
achieving your grappling goals!

5 Grappling Tips on How to Drill Techniques for Mat Success!

Ask The Wise Grappler:

“I bought the last product you had out [21 Mat Laws of Grappling]
and you talk about drilling being very important (I think it’s
Point #3). Can you explain drilling to me? I know it sounds like
a dumb question but another proverb says, ‘A wise man can learn
more from a dumb question than a fool can learn from a wise
answer.’ Do you drill a move, a position, a series?”

The Wise Grappler writes:

 Well, there’s a long and short answer to that question and I’ll
give them both to you.

The short answer is yes, you drill a move, position, and technique
until the moves become mechanical and can be executed without
thinking about it, like you tie your shoelaces or even breathe.
You’ve been doing both of those activities for so long that you’re
no longer aware of the fact that you do them without thought,
especially the breathing part!

The long answer on how you drill the moves, techniques, and
positions until they become mechanical and reflexive have been
captured and broken down in the following 5 key points:

1. Drilling the Technique Right – This mean having the mechanical
motion, grips, body position, correct breathing pattern, and proper
visual alignment so that you can see the “mat battlefield” to know
when your opponent is vulnerable and susceptible to the technique.

2. Drilling to Execute the Technique Quickly – Now that you know
how to do the technique right, you have to master doing the
technique quickly before the window of opportunity closes on you.
Just because you can do the technique on a willing partner, that
won’t guarantee that you’ll execute it with the same sense of
urgency during a live match.

3. Drilling the Technique under Stress – Just because you can do
the technique right and fast, that doesn’t mean that you’ll do it
under a “live” (stress) situation and you have to account for that
as well. You need to apply your techniques at different stages of
successfully locking in the technique (etc. 30% applied, 50%
applied, 70% applied, etc.) and have your partner fight out of it
at different levels of resistance (30%, 50%, 70%, etc.).

4. Drilling under Common and Uncommon Scenarios – Every technique
should work under ideal conditions, but will your technique hold up
when you’re tired, your opponent’s sweaty, your opponent is (or
isn’t) wearing a gi, you’re injured, you develop a cramp in your
arm or leg, etc.? That’s why you need to drill those techniques in
common or uncommon scenarios that are likely to occur, especially
if you’re competing. You should RARELY encounter a situation for
the first time during a competition. If you do, your training plan
has holes in it that need to be closed.

5. Drilling with the Technique Failing – This mean that we’re
expecting to execute the technique in such a way that it’s not
effective enough to submit or gain a dominant position on our
partners and we’ve thought out the common “mat tendencies” on what the opponent will do to resist. Once you’re able to determine the
tendencies and integrate that into the drilling, that will allow
you to account for your opponent’s ability to counter and fight off
your triangle attack… but walk right into your armbar attack.

Also, you need to keep in mind that this is just the top layer of
what I call my “OG Drilling Tree” and that each one of these five
key points has multiple subsections underneath it. But for now, I
think this will give you enough insight to modify your training
plan to start implementing these points immediately.

I’m going to shoot a video on this topic soon that should clarify
any points that I’ve missed in this response, but I hope this
helped.

OG (Mike Zenga) told me about some training tips

If you haven’t heard about this already, you might want to look at
this by clicking here.

Another OG (Mike Zenga) told me about some training tips he added to
his BJJ game that has made a major impact in his mat performance
while he was in Maryland for business and training during the
summer.

And just in case you don’t remember Mike, he sent me an testimonial
back in May after he won the 2009 NY Open BJJ Tournament this year
and I shared with the OG Nation.

(You can check out his testy and see him on the podium with his
teammates at http://thewisegrappler.com/special.html)

Now back to the story before I forget…

Anyway, we were talking about how most BJJers have crappy takedowns
and seem content with butt-scooting and guard-jumping. Mike talked
about how his training partner (a 2008 Olympic Judo Player) helped
him by showing him takedowns that fit perfectly with the BJJ
grappling game.

And since Mike is an OG like most of us, these are takedowns that
anyone can do, regardless of age.

Mike showed me what they’re doing and it’s pretty cool stuff for any
BJJer looking to stop the “butt-scoot” and “jumping guard” as their
only takedown.

Check it out and see for yourself.
http://dwarfurl.com/3590c

Dedicated to improving your mat experience!

Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)
www.TheWiseGrappler.com
www.twitter.com/thewisegrappler

Is Your Mat-titude Helping or Hurting Your Training

If someone asked you to rate your mat attitude (or “Mat-titude”) on
a scale from 1-5, what would your score be?

A score of 5 would mean that you’re so tough that Anderson Silva
would make an excuse to keep from training with you, while a score
of 1 would mean that you sit in the parking lot before and after
class; thinking of all the different ways you always get your butt
kicked on the mat!

If your score is less than a 4, your mat attitude sucks and needs
work.

And if your “mat-titude” does need a little work (or a lot), don’t
feel too badly about it because every grappler has to deal with
this same problem at some point during their grappling journey.

A bad “Mat-titude” can show itself in the form of:

- Being afraid to make mistakes or try new things
- Being overly cautious while sparring
- Having no confidence in executing your techniques against
unwilling opponents
- Creating excuses for poor training (e.g. too old, fatigued, too
busy at work to train, burnout, etc.)
- Looking for “reasons” to put off or avoid training completely
(e.g. faking or exaggerating injuries, faking burnout, pretending
to lose interest in grappling, avoiding competition or tough
partners, etc.)

Your “Mat-titude” is crucial to your training progress because it’s
virtually impossible to perform at peak levels when so much crap is
floating around your head. In fact, the bad “Mat-titude” can be
so strong that it becomes very hard to enjoy grappling

When I think back to those early training days, my Mat-titude
issues were out of this world! On a 1-5 grading scale, I was a 0!

I would spend the car ride to class, the time in the locker room
changing, the time during class warm-ups, and the second right
before being paired up with a partner thinking about how I was
going to get my butt kicked on the mat and that’s usually what
happened.

The only way to deal with a bad “Mat-titude” is to first admit that
you have one and not feel like a punk because you admit to someone
(and to yourself) that you do. Denying it is a real sign of mental
weakness and makes defeating that “Mat-titude” impossible.

So, is your “Mat-titude” helping… or hurting your training?

It’s LIVE, Get It Now – 10 Common Mistakes & Mat Attitudes

Finally, the long awaited “10 Common Grappling Mistakes & Mat
Attitudes” Training Course is finally available.

You can get it now at the link below:

http://www.thewisegrappler.com/10Common.htm

This discount will be available for six days because of my 45th
birthday (Sunday, August 9th).

On Tuesday August 10, 2009 at midnight, the discount will be taken away.

This is the world’s first and only complete training resource that
is dedicated to correcting common grappling mistakes and teaching the different mat mindsets a grappler needs to deal with common and unorthodox training situations, in both the training and competitive environments.

http://www.thewisegrappler.com/10Common.htm

Go get your hands on it now!

Dedicated to improving your mat experience!

Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)

10 Common Grappling Mistakes & Mat Attitude Contest Winners are…

I told everyone that wrote a comment on my video blog they would
have a chance to win a free copy of my “10 Common Grappling Mistakes & Mat Attitudes” System.

To see who the winners are and what were the winning blog posts,
please click here…

 Congrats to the winners, make sure that you email me your mailing
address so that I can get your training package to you.

And a very special thanks to everyone that submitted a comment, the
insight and kind words were very much appreciated!

Dedicated to improving your mat experience!

Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)

P.S.  Don’t forget that the 10 Common Grappling Mistakes
& Mat Attitudes” goes live tomorrow at 2pm EST (August 6, 2009) for
a discounted price. Learn how to elevate your mat game to the next
level without having to learn another submission technique!

P.P.S.  For those OGs that joined the list after I sent out the
videos, here are the links:

Video #1 (Resting in the Wrong Position – Part 1)

Video #2 (30 Seconds to Glory)

Video #3 (Lazy Hands and Feet)

 Video #4 (Intimidation Mode)

P.P.P.S. Remember… enjoy the videos and make sure to share them
with your grappling buddies and teammates.

P.P.P.S.  And if you’re NOT on my e-newsletter mailing list for free training tips, go now to www.TheWiseGrappler.com and sign up!

BJJ Grappling Video – Intimidation Mode (Watch Now!)

The response from the third video I sent out last week about “Lazy Hands and Feet” was fantastic!

Even with the repeated emails that I had to keep sending out because of the technical glitch on my video server and me flirting with the idea of running into traffic because it wasn’t working, we got it all squared away and everything worked out fine.

Thanks for your blog comments you’ve posted after watching the videos and if you haven’t had a chance to see, you can watch it here at http://dwarfurl.com/a57ab

Now, about today’s new video…

This video is the second one from my “10 Mat Attitudes” DVD that discusses what I call Mat Mindset #8 – Intimidation Mode.

For some of you, it might seem unnecessary because you think your school doesn’t have any intimidation going on and I’m creating a
problem out of nothing.

Let me assure you if you plan on training to be a black belt, you WILL encounter training partners that will try to intimidate you before, during, and after matches.

And there will be occasions where telling the instructor that you don’t want to train with a particular student may not be an option.

Bottom line: sometimes, you’re going to have to be able to handle it on the mat yourself!

And if you don’t have the right mindset to take it, you won’t be able to dish it out as needed.

Check it out for yourself and try it in class when needed.

http://dwarfurl.com/c2d06

Dedicated to improving your mat experience!

Paul Greenhill (aka The Wise Grappler)

P.S. If you’re on my Facebook Fan Page (http://dwarfurl.com/1b908) or follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/thewisegrappler), you’ve already heard that I’m supposed to be an intellectual dope this week based on my biorhythm chart and this confirms it. I forgot to send two components of my “10 Common Mistakes and Mat Attitudes” DVD Training Resource to the distribution company that should’ve gone out last week. And as much as I’d like to blame it on someone, I can’t because my biorhythm said I was going to be an idiot this week.

So, the “10 Common Mistakes and Mat Attitudes” DVD Training Resource will be released next Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 2pm EST at a great discount. Until then, enjoy the videos, try them in class, and make sure to leave a comment on the blogs.

P.P.S. For those OGs that joined the list after I sent out the first three videos, here are the links:

Video #1 (Resting in the Wrong Position – Part 1) -
http://dwarfurl.com/65a3b

Video #2 (30 Seconds to Glory) – http://dwarfurl.com/e29d4

Video #3 (Lazy Hands and Feet) – http://dwarfurl.com/a57ab

Video #4 (Intimidation Mode) – http://dwarfurl.com/c2d06

P.P.P.S. Remember… enjoy the videos and leave a comment on the blog.