Rolled Up Episode 30: Evolution through Diversification with Erik Paulson

[Asphyxiator]

He says that he used to roll with everybody and would have these awful nightmares. He saw his shaman, or someone like that, and they told him the negative energy of certain people was rubbing off onto him (literally) because of the close contact involved in rolling. He says he looks into people's eyes and "feels" their auras and will not roll with people he gets a bad vibe from. Bad vibes could come from activities like drug use, drinking, chasing women, etc. He also said he prays and meditates every day, and will cleanse spots all around his house with sage while saying certain prayers. He also "cleanses" his dog in the same fashion.

He goes into other stuff about the most important things above your passion in life are where you go when you die and your family. He said "if the dojo is your church then when you die, I guess you'll just stay in the dojo" or something to that effect.

Very interesting interview.

But he rolls with Josh Barnett- a guy who drinks, did drugs, chases women, etc? Lmao.

 

[bjjaz]

Weird/Interesting...

 

[Lasse]

Great techniques - fucked up statements at 30 mins mark.

 

[Asphyxiator]

He must be saging like crazy to get Barnett's negative energy off if him.

Lmao i posted too soon without reading every post.

 

[mw1986]

When I say this I don't intend to take ANYTHING away from Erik's skills. He is a super talented grappler. I roll with big dudes often at the academy and generally don't fare too bad. However when you combine big with skill, that is a tough combination. There was about a 100lb weight difference between us and I was not at 100% as I was at the bottom of a 17lb weight cut (for competition) and had a broken toe.

His pressure is insane & Catch moves - unlike BJJ, generally speaking - are often painful. To be honest, I felt like a child playing with his father. My limbs went where he wanted to put them. lol. Like a true pro, Erik knows just how far to take it. Even though I got smashed there were no injuries. Before the match Erik even gave me a chiropractic adjustment which is a story into itself. A healer and a fighter - a true martial artist.

That's why I asked. Thanks for answering! I follow your show like possessed. Keep it up and btw, which competition was it and how did it go?

 

[armtriangle]

Lmao i posted too soon without reading every post.

I like Paulson, and I respect his skills of course. But steroid use/cheating is obviously not something that gives off negative chi. All 3 of the guys mentioned Sherk/Lesnar/Barnett are known roid abusers and/or steroid cheats.

So, I think we can glean that sage and/or epsom salt provide absolute immunity to that kind of negative energy rubbing off by close contact. I wonder if it also combats the effectiveness of it in competition. Maybe Steven Segal can rub Anderson down with sage before his next fight with Sonnen.

 

[Jimmy Cerra]

BJJ moves aren't painful? o_0

 

[Drew Foster]

Honestly when he was talking about his spiritual side, I was just thinking how talking to his psychics/shamans & sage'ing is whats giving him the nightmares and bad energy, not the people. He's just opening doors by doing things like that. He also didn't say who he's praying to, could be a statue of some sort...

But anyways, is it just me or does Budo Jake's "mmmh hmmm" 1000x per show get kinda annoying. It kinda seems like he's not interested in what the guy is showing or like a "Yeah whatever I know this already". Maybe it's just me

BJJ moves aren't painful? o_0

I "think" what he meant was, in BJJ there isn't much emphasis on using pressure points to open up submissions. If it's even legal? They will pinch your nose closed, grind an elbow behind your ear to open up a choke, smash knuckles in your temple, etc. Here's what I mean:

 

[Jimmy Cerra]

I "think" what he meant was, in BJJ there isn't much emphasis on using pressure points to open up submissions. If it's even legal? They will pinch your nose closed, grind an elbow behind your ear to open up a choke, smash knuckles in your temple, etc. Here's what I mean:

You mean like shoulder of justice, knee on belly, kesa gatame (a good one, not a pussy one with your hips on the floor), pushing the head to the side to misalign the spine, grabbing the gooseneck in bent armlocks, etc?

That said, there's a big difference between being training good and training like an asshole. Moves like knuckles to your temple or pinching your nose closed are just dick moves that don't help you. They are purely ego-moves for humiliating your opponent. Not a little friendly jab is ok once in a LONG WHILE between friends, but constantly using them is not good training. Catch wrestling is not asshole wrestling, and using those painful moves constantly will just leave you with less training partners or more injuries.

 

[delt16]

That said, there's a big difference between being training good and training like an asshole. Moves like knuckles to your temple or pinching your nose closed are just dick moves that don't help you. They are purely ego-moves for humiliating your opponent. Not a little friendly jab is ok once in a LONG WHILE between friends, but constantly using them is not good training. Catch wrestling is not asshole wrestling, and using those painful moves constantly will just leave you with less training partners or more injuries.

Thats why they call it Badger control, as in Honey Badgers dont care!

 

[sha]

Catch wrestling is not asshole wrestling, and using those painful moves constantly will just leave you with less training partners or more injuries.

Personally, I find it fair game as long as it's done to accomplish something: either get the tap, or get a reaction. If you grind my face and I make a mistake and give up my arm, good for you.

If you keep grinding your elbow in my face even though I'm not giving you my arm, then yeah you're an asshole.

 

[Jimmy Cerra]

Personally, I find it fair game as long as it's done to accomplish something: either get the tap, or get a reaction. If you grind my face and I make a mistake and give up my arm, good for you.

If you keep grinding your elbow in my face even though I'm not giving you my arm, then yeah you're an asshole.

I'd rather be exploring jiu-jitsu and figuring out other control options. I'll save those grinding moves for only occasional use in competition training, or for competition (and even there, depends on whom I'm fighting).

 

[GBKJitsu]

Learning to grind people's temples to get submissions reminds me of the people who train kicking people in the balls and eye pokes.

Trust me, I already had those techniques mastered when I was 11, I go to BJJ to learn things I DIDN'T know

 

[JudokaUK]

Negative energy is hippy bullshit.

Sounds like a catch all excuse to puss out of rolling with someone you don't want to, because you know they're a threat.

He's right about the pricks that come in and just want to randori and not do drilling that is the foundation.

However, the only randoriing with people who align with his chakras is some next level *********ry.

Neil Adams, Rickson Gracie, Aleksandr Karelin, Yasuhiro Yamashita, Roger Gracie, Billy Robinson, Buakaw Por Pramuk etc...

They never got better or got where they are by turning down practice with Piceses, because their moon is in the orbit of Saturn that week or some nonsensical hippy bollocks.

 

[Hellboy31]

Negative energy is hippy bullshit.

Sounds like a catch all excuse to puss out of rolling with someone you don't want to, because you know they're a threat.

He's right about the pricks that come in and just want to randori and not do drilling that is the foundation.

However, the only randoriing with people who align with his chakras is some next level *********ry.

Neil Adams, Rickson Gracie, Aleksandr Karelin, Yasuhiro Yamashita, Roger Gracie, Billy Robinson, Buakaw Por Pramuk etc...

They never got better or got where they are by turning down practice with Piceses, because their moon is in the orbit of Saturn that week or some nonsensical hippy bollocks.

I'll be keeping my third eye on you.

 

[KJGould]

This was an interesting interview. A few of you know I'm a bit of a Paulson fanboy.

With that said I don't agree with his 'spiritual' take, and see it more of a misunderstanding that can be better explained in psychology - both human and animal.

Some people can pick up an idea about someone when their subconscious processes them visually through body language. I believe this is inherent in everyone dating back to when humans were more instinctive for the sake of survival. Various visual, auditorial and even smell and taste stimuli (olfaction and gustation, respectively) can trigger certain warning signals in our brains alerting us to danger.

When people talk about getting a 'bad vibe' off someone, it's this primal warning system kicking in making you believe something about this person is a danger either to yourself, your offspring, or your close circle of family and friends (a modern replacement for social groups like tribes, packs, herds etc).

Excess drug and alcohol use can often give a message of reckless abandon that can do damage if you're within their radius, the chasing women factor can be attributed to the danger of a new alpha in the area looking to mate while destroying you and your own offspring in the process so only their bloodline prevails. Obviously this is rarely the case (especially the latter) but since most of our primal instincts haven't had to be employed for survival for thousands of years, they're overcompensating now when we have more complex and evolved societal issues.

I don't know if that makes any sense, it's just my take on it.

 

[netbjjer420]

I'll be keeping my third eye on you.

Haha nice one!

 

[Toastytoy]

Honestly when he was talking about his spiritual side, I was just thinking how talking to his psychics/shamans & sage'ing is whats giving him the nightmares and bad energy, not the people. He's just opening doors by doing things like that. He also didn't say who he's praying to, could be a statue of some sort...

I am kind of thinking the same thing, but either way thanks for another great episode Budo Jake, keep em coming!!

 

[Drew Foster]

You mean like shoulder of justice, knee on belly, kesa gatame (a good one, not a pussy one with your hips on the floor), pushing the head to the side to misalign the spine, grabbing the gooseneck in bent armlocks, etc?

Yeah

 

[Toastytoy]

BTW i dont think that that cmoth move he did to you at the end is illegal in ibjjf rules. My coach teaches us a hand cover the mouth/nose move and he is a pure BJJ guy.