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- Oct 17, 2005
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I do like some of their videos. Their teaching style reminds me a lot of Pedro Sauer's teaching style; although, I think Pedro Sauer jiu-jitsu is much, much better. Pedro is very traditional with his techniques. I don't personally agree with everything Pedro does, but I think his method is just as valid as any other school and I still use a lot of it in my jiu-jitsu. So I like their teaching style, but some of their moves seem to be intermediate at best. The base style for the submission 101 guys is Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu (basically aikido without the religious part) and aikido. It emphasizes using almost no external strength ("aiki" approach). This is apparent in their videos. Judo or wrestling instead promote using a "relaxed intensity" - i.e. using power at the right times with proper leverage. I've seen both extremes in BJJ practitioners (and among wrestler and judoka too), but moreso the relaxed intensity approach than the aiki approach.
That said, those videos that you linked to do indeed look like a bunch of traditional jiu-jitsu practitioners trying BJJ and 10th Planet JJ. They don't really have much experience training with either local BJJ practitioners or Eddie Bravo, according to people I've talked to. They promote BJJ and Bravo's system a lot amongst eager newbies to the sport, so I don't expect them to face much reprisal. Furthermore, they aren't faking their black belts. They publically acknowledge their background generally. They seem like good guys with the right heart and intermediate skills (by their own estimation, and I agree at a glance).
However, they are being a little deceptive too. They wear BJJ gis with their JJJ black belts, and are sponsored by a BJJ clothing company. They are not very specific about their background on their web site too. In fact, they always list BJJ and 10th planet JJ at the top of their training resume; even though, it does not form the majority of their experience or formal instruction to my knowledge. Also, A good thread about their lineage was deleted. There was nothing wrong about that thread; indeed it strengthened their view in my eyes by being so honest and clearing the air about their training background. Deleting it looks bad. They have nothing to hide. I get the vibe that all the non-emphasis is for marketing reasons. I can understand that, but I certainly can not agree with it especially when it runs counter to their own philosophies about training - namely, that they are proud of their lineage and that their aiki ju jutsu background is just as good as an intermediate BJJ background.
I agree with you about those videos that were posted. Some issues and comments on them:
- That osoto gari video was pretty bad. It looked like he just learned it off of Dan Camarillo's nogi (far superior) osoto gari video, but that he didn't understand the technique that well. His grips were all no-gi grips. He wasn't hip to hip and he wasn't pulling himself to his opponent or kuzushing him very well. He didn't reap very well either. It was a little too upright and I didn't think his base seemed very stable.
- The anaconda choke video was also poor. He has no pressure on his opponent at all. You should be sprawled out when over his turtle to prevent a takedown and to keep him there. The first variation is low-percentage. I didn't see anything wrong with the dump except that it looked clumsy. His gator roll was inept. You don't roll onto you head in the move, instead you roll your head through that hole on his opponent's right side between the leg and the trapped arm. This gives you momentum to finish the roll on your own side as you circle your body towards his legs while tightening the choke.
- In the toe-hold video, that white guy's posture was poor. That wasn't the focus of the video, though. I don't think he isolated the leg very well either, but quickly cranking that move, that way, at the white belt level, could destroy their opponent's knees. I guess it is a good move, but dangerous at the level where it would work the best (because the legs are controlled well. When I was visiting NJMA last week, Marco taught a better variation where you roll over your shoulder and isolating each leg before finishing. Like the other two videos, it looked like they were too mechanical while missing key details.
- I usually do the s-mount differently than what they do. In fact, I do it much the same way Aesopian does s-mount. I do something called technical mount, but differently than how they show it too. Their s-mount is like a fusion of s-mount and technical mount. I don't see how they can maintain control there easily.
- Regarding Complicated vs Simple Jiu Jitsu Moves, I agree to an extent. The basics always work. You win matches first and foremost with good basics. Complicated moves build off of the basics. It sounded like he needed a paradigm shift. Instead he should think in terms of fundamental principles. As you get better at BJJ, you learn to apply those principles better and think in that "language." Using combos, using "complex" moves... These things are just different applications of the fundamental principles. Overall his video sounded more a little bit like an ad for 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu too. It wasn't wrong, but I would have emphasized things differently.
