Factum Jiu Jitsu - Salt Lake City: September 2013

Friday, September 27, 2013

What would MMA be like under zero-gravity?

I got a fantastic question during a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class the other day, and I truly did not know how to answer it. So, after a night worth of pondering, I think I have my answer. The question was “What would be different about MMA if the bout happened in zero-gravity"?

Fighting in zero gravity would have to be based on an entirely novel system. I think the focus would be almost entirely grappling based, specifically jiu-jitsu I believe would retain the most important martial art.

Put us in a space craft, where we are floating about and we lose our footing, where , and have no floor to posture from, this makes conventional knockout strikes such as any punch or kick virtually useless. That being said, if you were to pull an effective guard, you could still create torque on your strike by using your oppenents body against him.

Let’s say you are an all-american wrestler, congrats here on terra-firma, but a takedown would be A) almost impossible B) Where would you take him down to, if it’s just as easy to float to the ceiling and C) how would you start your takedown?

Boxing and kickboxing would be deemed useless as well, because in both of these sports, almost all of your power is derived from the floor.

On a similar note, most of the Muay Thai sport would be useless, except that the clinch-work, which uses your opponents body to create much of the torque of the strikes would still be useful.

The optimal positioning would be to pull a full guard or mount and work for submissions. While doing this you could set much of your submissions up off elbows to the face, which could still be effective, as again, much of the power of an elbow from guard is derived from your opponents body, or basic core strength.

All-in-all, I would be fascinated with this type of match-up. I would like to see a tournament similar to the original UFC’s, where each competitor is not a mixed-martial-artist, but rather, which skill-set would prove most effective in such a scenario!

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Will strength training make your MMA/Jiu Jitsu better?

All else equal, in all martial arts, being stronger is better than being weaker. There is no way around this fact, but to what extent will strength training help your jiu jitsu, or your MMA. As is true with most sports, a strong cross-training regimen is important, but not nearly as important as doing the sport itself!

You want to last longer into a wrestling match? Than wrestle more! But don’t just wrestle, wrestle in practice like it’s the national championship, and everything rides on this takedown! It’s that simple, that being said, cross-training will help in certain areas.

For instance, if you want to get that extra explosion on your double leg takedown, than do some squats. Or if you want to get some extra pop on your round-house kick, than you should probably focus on your plyometrics. All this being said, technique and drilling will help your double-leg and round-house significantly faster.

So, how much will it help your game? Well, it depends. Consider these questions:

Do you lift correctly? Are your exercises functional, in that they use the coordination of your whole body, if not, ask yourself why you are lifting in the first place. Also, are they explosive? If they are not explosive and functional, than they won’t have much significant impact on your ability as a fighter.

A follow up to this question, is what kind of strength training should we be focused on? Do you want power for the first period so that you can KO your opponent. How many times have I gone up against somebody who in the first period is a bit overwhelming, only to realize that I am far superior in the 3rd. It happens all the time, not just to me, but many opponents. Make sure your muscles are not simply strong by doing strength training, but also, put some emphasis on some high-volume lifts. When in the gym, give yourself a task, and see how many times you can do it in 15-minutes (as this most simulates a professional MMA bout). The more you can do, the more prepared you are for your 15-minute pro bout.

Friday, September 20, 2013

What's better for MMA? | Wrestling or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

Randy Couture was an Olympic-level
wrestler before his UFC conquest

When answering this question, break it down into two different answers: The first is whether it's better to have a wrestling or BJJ background for MMA, the second is how a wrestler would do against Roger Gracie.

For the first, most fighters these days train both, but if you're just starting MMA, a wrestling background is generally better to have, because no matter what other skills you tack on, wrestling will still probably be your strongest area. Wrestling gives you the ability to determine where the fight takes place- it provides a fighter with both good takedowns and good takedown defense. In addition, it also gives a fighter great top control, which is more important in MMA than pure grappling competitions because it allows you to maintain a top position while landing ground strikes. Learning submission defense is also easier than learning takedown defense, meaning a good wrestler with solid submission defense and solid striking is a difficult fight for anybody.

This basically leads into how to beat Gracie. A wrestler would probably be best advised to use their wrestling "in reverse" by keeping the fight on the feet and trying to out-strike Gracie. After all, he's practically untouchable on the ground, but his only MMA loss has come via knockout. That loss, incidentally, came at the hands of Mo Lawal, who has an Olympic wrestling background, and he did exactly as I just explained.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

How to avoid CrossFit injuries

Learn from someone who knows what they’re doing. Do the instructors break down the movement before you do them? Does he seem erudite about it? Does he check your form to make sure you are doing it right, or does he just repeat the word “nice” and “one-more”
Scale
Check your ego at the door, and don’t try to do the weight “the other guys are doing”
Work on your flexibility
Work on your coordination
Work on your technique, a lot!!
Work on your joint stability
Keep your weight LOW if you don’t know the technique and haven’t done the lift before
Stretch regularly and warm up properly (Dynamic and static)
Listen to your body, if it is saying “ouch, that hurts”, THAN SCALE DOWN!
Eat appropriately
Recover appropriately (Eat, sleep and relax)

Factum CrossFit and Mixed Martial Arts | Full MMA & CrossFit Blog | Jiu Jitsu | Muay Thai | MMA | CrossFit WOD's | Wrestling | FightPedia

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Anderson Silva did not throw the fight against Chris Weidman

There is a lingering question on fight fans minds: “Did Anderson Silva throw the fight against Chris Weidman in UFC 162 this last Saturday?” Though the twitter-sphere, blogosphere, and Facebook newsfeed has blown up recently with tales of how and why Anderson Silva threw his fight, I think Dana White’s colorful post-fight comments that these people “are (expletive) idiots”, is a bit more accurate, and that they should probably not dismiss the most accomplished UFC fighter to date. Instead, let me offer a different perspective.

If you watch the first round of the Silva vs. Weidman bout, Weidman proved, early on, the same thing that Chael Sonnen proved, that Silva’s Achilles heel is facing high-level wrestlers whose focus is primarily Ground-and-Pound. Chael Sonnen managed to put Silva on his back every round in UFC 117, landing a brutalizing 320 strikes, to Silva’s dismal 64 throughout the fight, and then Silva, pulled out a miraculous triangle choke with 1m50s left in the final round. Anderson Silva realized early on against Weidman, that he did not want to repeat this kind of history.

My theory, Anderson Silva realized 1-minute into the fight, that he was completely out-classed on the ground, and knew that his best shot would be to keep the fight standing. After the initial takedown, Silva spent the rest of his fight with Weidman baiting, cajoling, and even begging Weidman to keep it standing. In between round one and two, Silva can be seen pointing to the crowd, and screaming “stand-up, stand-up” from across the ring.

This is not the first time we have seen such histrionics in the cage from Silva, although, never to such an extreme. Silva’s mind games are what has kept many of his fights off the ground. All we should do as fight fans is praise young Chris Weidman, for keeping his head on a swivel, protecting his chin, containing his emotions, and ensuring his strikes fired down the pipe.

Perhaps Silva’s hubris is what got him knocked out on Saturday, and perhaps Joe Rogan is right, that “This is a lesson for young fighters”, but lest I remind you, that this same hubris is what made him the most accomplished fighter of all time.

All that being said, the five-second highlight of Silva pretending to be hurt, only to be walloped with an over-hand right was, and will continue to be perhaps the most gratifying highlight for fight fans for years to come.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Would Bruce Lee win in today's UFC?

f we were to raise Bruce Lee from the grave and put him in the prime of his life, would he win? No, I don’t think he would, but that’s not fair, seeing as Bruce Lee was raised in an era where Jiu Jitsu didn’t really exist, and collegiate wrestling was not considered a major part of martial arts. However, let’s say he was born in 1990, and was raised in this era of MMA, I think, by the time 2013 hit, he’d be a legitimate contender. He's got a peerless work ethic, fantastic conditioning, and an open mind to picking up new techniques.

The skills of somebody from half a century ago would be out of date in today's world of mixed martial arts, but MMA wouldn't be what it is today without people like Bruce Lee as a part of it's history. Bruce Lee is an icon to many top mixed martial artists today, including 8 year undefeated middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

Dana White was once quoted on the subject and said, “Actually, the father of mixed martial arts, if you will, was Bruce Lee. If you look at the way Bruce Lee trained, the way he fought, and many of the things he wrote, he said the perfect style was no style. You take a little something from everything. You take the good things from every different discipline, use what works, and you throw the rest away.”

Just as it is perhaps naive to think he can battle against everyone decades after his passing, it is disrespectful to go "he'll lose because he was born 70 years ago". Well, yeah, just don't be a jerk about it. I think he would have realized rather young, which sports worked in the UFC, and which ones didn’t, and would devote his life to the martial craft, and by the time he reached fighting age, would be a strong competitor.

Monday, September 16, 2013

What CrossFit program is right for me?

Every CrossFit gym is pretty different, as CrossFit HQ does not quality control it's product, it simply makes sure the instructors are certified, and the gyms are affiliated.

If you are just looking for a good WOD program, our gym is a hybrid Mixed Martial Arts/CrossFit facility, so if you are looking for a decent WOD to follow. Feel free to use our website as a reference.

http://factumutah.com/crossfit-wod

We post our WOD's daily, and then leave them up. If you are training out of your garage, or high school weight room, you should be able to find this source use.

Finally, be careful just jumping into CrossFit without proper training. Take a foundations class at a local CrossFit gym, or watch technique online. There is no shortage of technique videos on YouTube, but that's only if you are pretty comfortable already with Olympic lifts, if you're not, it's best to have a pro check your form, otherwise, you are likely to get hurt.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

CrossFit or P90X?

I have tried both programs and I am personally more drawn to Crossfit. Both P90X and Crossfit can be incredibly challenging if you really push yourself. I enjoy Crossfit more for a few reasons:

Working out in groups of highly motivated and intense individuals increases pressure, accountability and engagement.
Th
e instructors I have worked with are highly skilled and can help you improve your lifting form.
Driving to the gym provides apt physical and mental separation from my place of rest whereas working out at home can be easier to push aside or delay.
High level muscle confusion: both P90X and Crossfit target a variety of muscle groups and use varied exercise techniques to keep the body evolving at a high rate. After doing P90X for some time, you begin to anticipate everything from the exercises to the words Tony says, which can lead to adaptation and sometimes boredom. I don’t know what Crossfit workout I am going to do until I get to the gym.
One of the most important factors is the inclusion of what I like to call the “Ancient Lifts” (squat, deadlift, clean and press, snatch, bench). It is hard to do these in your apartment, much less without the proper equipment.

Lastly, instead of looking at these programs as competitors, I like to use them in conjunction. A proper Crossfit routine can take a lot out of you, so you can train at home using P90X in your off days. This way, you are getting the best of both worlds.

In regards to the target audience for P90X and Crossfit, it is hard to determine which program is right for you until you do ample research, and perhaps try them both (you can find a variety of example videos on YouTube and the Crossfit website). P90X allows you to work at your own pace from the comfort of your home, but requires an investment in equipment and instructional DVDs. Crossfit requires that you have a sufficient working knowledge of the plethora of exercises and live near a gym with a Crossfit program. I think that P90X is excellent training for Crossfit, but feel that Crossfit will produce a more complete physique and lift portfolio. I have enormous respect for anyone who attempts either program, and find that in the end it is just important to push yourself.

If you are in the Salt Lake City area and want to try CrossFit, head over for Factum CrossFit and Mixed Martial Arts in Sandy, UT.

Disclaimer: Consult a physician before taking advice from anyone on the internet, do significant research on both programs, know your body and start slowly (focusing on form) and increase the weight after you know what you are doing.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

How do you feel the day after a fight?

I would say your body feels about like it’s been hit by a train. After my most recent pro bout last month, which I won unanimously on the cards (I bring this up, only because, you hurt both after a win or a loss), just about everything hurt.

I probably had a minor concussion as I had some trouble formulating sentences the next day and was tired and foggy all day. I had received two sharp elbows in the middle of the second round while I had him in a leg ride, and those probably hurt the worst, as they were two massive bruises on both of my temples.

Towards the end of the 15-minute bout, he got his first takedown of the fight, and really made me pay for it. I chipped a tooth, cut my bottom lip, caught me on the chin (which made it hard to bite down), and applied devastating elbows to the body which made it hard to breathe, and finally he gave me some pretty decent welts around the eyes.

Lucky enough, he did not do much damage to my legs or arms, so I counted my blessings there, but all-in-all, my body and face ached like crazy. Whether you win a pro fight or lose it, you are very likely to take damage that leaves you hurting the next day, but most of the wounds are superficial, and you are usually like-new in a weeks time.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

What determines punching power?

There is a series called Fight Science that delved into this exact debate. During the first episode they checked the power of different men training in boxing, wushu, karate and taekwando. This episode fell under scrutiny due to the fact that not all the men were of the same weight class. Be that as it may, the boxers tended to generate the most power due to the technique to use their whole body weight, rather than the Asian martial arts that focus more on precision. Mixed Martial Artists entered the bunch, and were about on par with the boxers. All this being said, what matters more than punching power is punching accuracy. If you hit a fighter on “the button”, or just under the chin, the human body reacts to the shock of the punch much worse.

All-in-all, technique surely makes a KO punch more powerful, but what determines power is much more complex than that. The reader must remember that different bodies react to strikes differently. Some fighters have stronger bone density, which lessens their chance at breaking their ribs from a kick, while others bodies have a higher KO threshold to their brains. Similar to different fighter pilots blacking out a different G-forces, the same is true with fighters getting knocked out.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Why do Fighters Exhale so Much?

Not leaving air in your lungs: This is the same reason Judo guys are taught to exhale or yell when they are thrown and as they hit the mat. Having air in your lungs when you fall or are punched causes that sensation of having the wind knocked out of you. Lungs that are full at the moment of impact means you will be left momentarily stunned and gasping for air. When you are punching or throwing any type of strike is when you are the most vulnerable / "open" for a counter. Hence, just like keeping your chin tucked and your guard up when throwing a strike, exhaling is a way of leaving yourself slightly less exposed when attacking: if you do get hit with a counter, you won't have the wind knocked out of you. This is the most important reason you see boxing and kickboxing guys and gals exhaling with every strike they throw. Be careful of how you're doing it though because exhaling by opening your mouth wide open can be even worse than not doing it at all--you'll end up with your jaw on the floor and your lights out. Properly exhaling the air from your belly / abs actually takes a great deal of practice.

Tightening your core as you strike: Much of the power from a punch or kick comes from your legs and your core. Tightening those stomach muscles as you throw will add a bit more power.

Remembering to breathe: People, especially beginners but even very advanced athletes in a high pressure match, tend to forget to breathe regularly in a fight or competition. Remember we're talking about PROPER breathing DURING a high intensity match where your mind is thinking about a hundred other things at once. If, like me, you've watched thousands of MMA matches, you'll notice every third or fourth match, even for high level, experienced competitors, their corners yelling: BREATHE!!! BREATHE!!! or stuff along the lines of REMEMBER TO BREATHE! This actually happens in other sports too. Any highly demanding cardio activity, especially like boxing and grappling there is a significant anaerobic component as well, which requires that you take in air as often as possible.

You must breathe. If you hold your breath, your blood doesn't stay oxygen charged. Bad things (e.g., cramps, significant loss of strength) happen very quickly. It sounds stupid unless you've experienced it in actual competition, but it's quite easy to forget to breathe properly (i.e., taking in air through your nose, quick controlled exhales through your mouth) on a regular basis (i.e., every 10-20 seconds) during a match. We all tend to naturally hold our breath when we're concentrating hard. Finally, remembering to breathe can help some people with their timing. You may not realize it, but the timing and rhythm of your strikes are probably based somewhat on the timing and rhythm of your breathing.

Blood pressure: Remember how in high school, your football trainer or PE coach or whoever told you to inhale when lowering and exhale when lifting weights? This is especially true if you're doing low reps and high weight. Holding your breath during intensive exertion raises blood pressure. This is usually not a huge problem if you're young and in good health, but it is good practice and common knowledge. Same applies to a strike if you're putting a lot of strength behind it. It's a single explosive movement that's not so different from a single rep on a bench or squat cage.