Drysdale Talks about Roger Gracie

[qiksilverman]

I thought this was cool and wanted to pass it along


Robert Drysdale: Breaking Down Roger Gracie The FightWorks Podcast | BJJ Radio

Back in episode 105 of The FightWorks Podcast, we spoke with Robert Drysdale, who submitted Marcelo Garcia at the 2007 ADCCs and came in second place at the 2007 BJJ Mundials behind London-based Roger Gracie.

After the interview which appeared in episode 105 ended, FightWorks Podcast cohost Dan informally asked what it was that made Roger Gracie such a tough opponent. Here

 

[J Storm**]

dang, he must be a shaved Wookie if he tears gi's apart at will.

 

[ShanghaiBJJ]

Pic from the article. The look on Drysdale's face is priceless!

 

[ShanghaiBJJ]

Double post.


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sheddy]

Interesting read, but couldn't get my head around this quote:

"It’s not the fact that he is that tall, it’s that no one is used to going against someone that tall. You can’t just blame it on the fact that he’s tall though".

 

[sheddy]

Double post...seems to be some sort of trend going on in this thread...

 

[J Storm**]

this thread isn't just tall, it's just that we're not used to reading tall threads. don't blame the tallness.

 

[GracieMMABarra]

You

 

[georgejjr]

This is exactly why I think Roger has the best jiu-jitsu, because he doesn't ever get beat on the ground (well not recently that is). Standing his game has improved so much, he's even more dangerous then ever. Also it's funny because comprido says Roger isn't very strong yet Drysdale says he is.

Roger has been cross training at the Budokwai (the number one judo club in England, they have a few olympic medalists), and his standup has been improving dramatically. So has the ne-waza at the club apparently, he and Ray Stevens (olympic judo medalists in 92 I think) have been exchanging teaching ... Roger awarded Ray his BJJ black belt a little while ago. Folks aren't going to be beating Roger at "judo" matches for much longer :icon_chee

 

[radman]

Roger has been cross training at the Budokwai (the number one judo club in England, they have a few olympic medalists), and his standup has been improving dramatically. So has the ne-waza at the club apparently, he and Ray Stevens (olympic judo medalists in 92 I think) have been exchanging teaching ... Roger awarded Ray his BJJ black belt a little while ago. Folks aren't going to be beating Roger at "judo" matches for much longer :icon_chee

Judo is really about positioning, pinning the guy, and takedown(throws & shoots) to top-down/dominant position.

IF Drysdale says that Roger has mastered the game of distrbuting his weight to his advantage, all that cross trainning in Judo says something.

Perhaps BJJ schools should start going back to the roots of Judo and start introducing standup skills at the white belt stage as oppose to introducing it at blue blet and up. I've noticedthat some BJJ schools, for example Armlock in Fairlawn NJ, require you to take Judo before advancing to blue belt.

 

[ozyabbas]

I don't think he can really ever get the mantel as the next Rickson Gracie. The question of his height and strength will always be there.

Rickson was a relatively normal sized guy so people can't attribute his ability to size or strength.

Did anyone else think that match between Yuki Kondo and Roger Gracie was ridiculous. If anyone fights Roger they look like they are from Liliput.

 

[blanko]

Judo is really about positioning, pinning the guy, and takedown(throws & shoots) to top-down/dominant position.

IF Drysdale says that Roger has mastered the game of distrbuting his weight to his advantage, all that cross trainning in Judo says something.

Perhaps BJJ schools should start going back to the roots of Judo and start introducing standup skills at the white belt stage as oppose to introducing it at blue blet and up. I've noticedthat some BJJ schools, for example Armlock in Fairlawn NJ, require you to take Judo before advancing to blue belt.

not really i am sure that judo did help him but the help was mostly stand up. He was always a fundamentally sound bjj practiner. He just has evolved to the next lvl sorta like kron has jumped from when he was a purple to brown. The difference is that Roger is much bigger than kron so his improvements are amplified.

 

[fighting101]

i'd love to watch roger in the worlds next month but i have no way, aside from going which thats outta the question. anyone know if drysdale is competing

 

[GroundWorkz]

Pic from the article. The look on Drysdale's face is priceless!

...dude thats just scary, brand new Gi and you rip it? ... master kung fu grip

 

[son_goku]

Drysdale sounds like a cool guy - he had nothing but good things to say about Roger.

 

[ShanghaiBJJ]

...dude thats just scary, brand new Gi and you rip it? ... master kung fu grip

 

[ShanghaiBJJ]

Drysdale sounds like a cool guy - he had nothing but good things to say about Roger.

I think he is just scared :icon_chee

 

[georgejjr]

not really i am sure that judo did help him but the help was mostly stand up. He was always a fundamentally sound bjj practiner. He just has evolved to the next lvl sorta like kron has jumped from when he was a purple to brown. The difference is that Roger is much bigger than kron so his improvements are amplified.

Pretty sure Roger cross trains judo for help with throwing. From what I've read, he trains guys like Ray Stevens on groundwork, and Stevens (olympic medalist in judo) trains him in standing. I doubt Roger had much to add to Stevens throwing, or Stevens had much to add to Roger's groundwork :icon_chee

 

[txfighter13]

The fear on his face was priceless. Roger is the real deal.

 

[jjmuaythaiguy]

I rolled with Roger four times, twice I pulled guard. I was not expecting to beat Roger as I was a three stripe blue at the time, maybe two I forget, but just wanted to see what I could do. Basically, the description of Drysdale seems to fit. My closed guard and half guard game was passed with so much ease. It was ridiculous. I think that any person who starts training at a young age will be awesome and to have trained with his dad and other Gracie Barra guys is just incredible. However being tall and knowing weight distribution and balance just negates the hell out of everything. So yes if he was a tall white belt it would be difficult but being a tall black belt with his lineage and training partners is simply a great combination. I rolled with a very tall black belt of Roylers, he could not pass my guard or simply did not want to. I had sweeps attempts that failed but at no time did I feel that he was going to pass my guard and I felt bad and went to half guard which got him mad and got my face cranked on hard as he was attempting a cross choke but I had my chin down. I tapped because I felt my teeth cracking. Roger simply passed my guard and arm barred me from the mount. Four times. Hahaha.