Aucklandbjj.com will like to congratulate Rafael Turnbull on his black belt promotion. He was promoted by Paulo Sorriso and Douglas Santos on 29 March 2014. Well done.

Training program for the next 13 classes. Please note we are re-introducing our self defence class (8 May). and the 1/2 guard a la 10th Planet JJ topic will be 29 April and 1 May. Tomorrow: mount, see you on the mats

Well, I will be dammed. This was the best fight of the day. Eddie surprised everyone by coming up with  some slick sweeps and submissions attempts. However, it was a draw as it was a submission only match with no point systems.  Royler came up strong at the beginning but did not have the answer to Eddie Bravo's Lockdown game. Also Royler refused to restart from a bad position and wanted to restart from the half guard instead was unprofessional. But then again, Royler got his guard passed 3 times via electric chair move.  Who was the best fighter?  I will let you decide. Time to burns our gis?  How do you defeat Eddie Bravo Game? Let's study Marcelo Garcia video. there is also the leg lock that Eddie Bravo used on Royler Gracie at the end of their fight.

Questions that came up during the questions and answers: Flying arm bar, wrist locks, reversal from turtle, counter to north south choke. We answered the questions. Please see below videos for more details. Training concluded with 30 minutes rolling from the knees. Have a good weekend. Next week topic: Mount and Back.      

Edit: Sorry, event was postponed by overseas organisers. Want to learn his famous tornado guard and sweeps? Cyborg will be in Town with Aussie Kit Dale. For more information, https://www.facebook.com/groups/210590412342428/#!/blankcanvasbjj

Good morning, Almost the end of the week. Today topic of the class is Questions and Answers. This is your chance to ask your instructors any questions related to BJJ. See you on the mats

2 guys from Auckland decided to record their version of a flying for fun after training. The video gets pick up by a facebook page named Grappling Weekly. https://www.facebook.com/#!/grapplingweekly   Within 24 hours, the video went viral and scored 4,190 views.   Not bad for a couple of kiwis just having fun.   Couple of notes: Amazing on how many people do not like berimbolo but would post on grappling weekly (which has the Miao Brothers as their avatars). Maybe they should read and post on some UFC facebook page instead.   Do any video with berimbolo in it and you are likely to attract traffic.   I prefer Adam version by the way. I will let you decide which one you prefer.        

As we all know, you can send a video to Gracie University of you doing their techniques and they will grade you to blue belt. https://www.gracieuniversity.com/default.aspx The above promotion got the ire of the whole BJJ community. The techniques are well explained but people critised the grading online (up to brown 4 stripes). Even their Uncle Royce Gracie got disapointed with their marketing: Royce then posted on the subject directly, again, via Instagram . "With all due respect, our nephew's curriculums and online programs are not a true representation of the teaching method, belt grading, and philosophy that we learned from our father, Grandmaster Helio Gracie. They have the right to modify our battle-tested jiu-jitsu system as they see fit, but we feel that it is our duty to ensure that our father's name is not misrepresented. While videos, books and online resources may serve as supplements to jiu-jitsu practitioners, provenly, they can never, by any

Topic of the day was Turtle. Warm up drills: Guard recomposition and 2 reversals from Turtle 5 Submissions from Turtle (clock choke, crucifix etc) Situational rolling from Turtle Then Rolling: 2 minutes stand-up (Tachi-waza), 2 minutes ground (newaza). Notes: We had the pleasure of the visits of 4 Judokas from our sister club Auckland University Judo Club (we share the same dojo and train BJJ on alternate days). http://www.judokong.com/#!/ You can attend the 4 Judo and 2 BJJ classes for a fee of $18.50 per week. Mario (BJJ purple belt) who also train in Judo recently got promoted to orange belt in Judo. I think this exchange program will create well balanced grappler. Thursday Topic will be Questions and Answers: so the students can us ask anything.      

You must have heard of BJJ scout that does great videos of breaking down BJJ techniques and fights. Well, this is a great video that break down kick boxing striking skills in a NZ fight. Subscribe on his page to get an update of his videos. more to come.

Aucklandbjj.com would like to congratulate Carl, Eugene, Dan, Lance on their bjj black belt promotions. They were promoted by Steve Oliver on Saturday 22 March 2014 in Auckland. Carl Moke - Steve Oliver - Taranaki, NZ Lance Campbell - Steve Oliver - Auckland, NZ Eugene Hynson - Steve Oliver - Paraparaumu, NZ Dan Digby - Steve Oliver - Hastings, NZ Well done.

Transitions is the future for BJJ.While I like teaching BJJ based on positions and actions, I think training for transitions is the next link to better your Jiu Jitsu skills. The reason is that everyone knows the techniques and the counters. You can anticipate your opponent move one step ahead and counter. It is a complete shut down of your opponent game. You are not just forcing your game on him/her, you are always one ahead. This video is from Jason Scully. He always delivers great videos. subscribe to https://www.youtube.com/user/jasculs

We concluded our week of 1/2 guard: sweeps and passes. Throw of the day was Tai Otoshi demonstrated by Judoka Henry. Henry is a brown belt in Judo and trains at our sister club Auckland University Judo Club (on alternate days). http://www.judokong.com/ It was great to have him demonstrate Judo throws and help out the boys for the next competition. He has good newaza (ground) skills as well as his club specialises in newaza. We did our usual drills (bullfigher, leg drag and hip smash guard passes) for warm ups. Situational rolling Normal rolling (2 minutes stand-up and 3 minutes ground). Next class topic is Turtle. Tuesday 25/03 Thursday topic is Questions and answers when students get to ask questions. Please note that the NOGI season is over. We are NOW training strictly GI until further notice. Have a good weekend. Club members can attend Judo class at 11 am on Saturday or open mats at DS TEAM HQ from 11       Also we will be watching Meta

The topic of the day was the 1/2 guard passes. We planned to split the class into beginners and intermediate. Actually, we changed the topic for the intermediate to 1/2 guard sweeps instead. The outcome was awesome when it came to situational rolling. The beginners used their new acquired 1/2 guard passes skills to try on the intermediate students. In return, the intermediate students were using their 1/2 guard sweeps skills to counter the guard passers. I think we will be using this format a lot more in the future. It is like you are training 2 teams and give them skills to counter each other on the specific topic. So for example, I would teach beginners how to pass the de la riva and teach the intermediate students on how to sweep from de la riva for 30 minutes. Then for situational rolling, get the intermediate students on their back and play de la riva while the beginners have the necessary skills to pass. It is like sparring against yourself in a mirror. Your

IBJJF Competitions Alright, another quick rant. IBJJF Pan American competition just finished up today. Apparently, 4 black belts divisions are a closed-out by team mates. It means 2 persons walk in on the mats and will not compete for the gold medal and instead will let one win it by default. It is dread full and many people do not understand why. They fear that it is not good for the sport. Imagine having the world championship live in TV and no one wants to fight. Even if they were cash money and force to fight, I image that they will take it easy and the outcome would already been decided in the changing room. Getting a gold medal in the Pan American could seal someone reputation as a successful competitor. It would mean sponsorship, seminars, DVD deals, working and teaching at your own academy. What makes a competitor gives up his medal or at least his chance to fight for the gold? Lot  of people thinks that since they are team mates, they already trained

Two black belt instructors teaching all the classes. One black belt instructor is certified by the IBJJF. One black belt instructor is a brown belt in Judo You can grade and train in BJJ and Judo You can compete in all the BJJ competitions (no bs politics) You can compete in Judo competitions as well as we are a Judo affiliate as well. Judo Spring Floor. Organised training program. No contract. We are located in Epsom, central Auckland. Plenty of free car parks. 2 BJJ classes, 4 Judo classes per week for 18.50 (16.50 per week). training report for the next month Flat TV scree to catch up with latest BJJ techniques, competition It is important to rehydrate after a hard training freezer full of ice pack and glasses IBJJF certified black belt

You can now buy your t shirts on line. I have designing club T shirts but also T shirts for BJJ fans. They are inspired on colours of each province and/or city. http://aucklandbjj.printmighty.co.nz/products http://aucklandbjj.printmighty.co.nz/products

Guard pass drills for warm up: bull fighter guard pass leg drag hip smash Topic of the day was guard submissions collar chokes (and defense) arm bar Situational rolling from closed guard. Training concluded with rolling from the knees.

2 options: Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/210590412342428/ Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/#!/DouglasSantosJiuJitsuOnehungaKampTuaman

Single leg takedown Hip bump sweeps Pendulum sweeps. Double ankle sweeps (counter and defense as well) Usual rolling (2 minutes stand up and 3 minutes ground).  

EDIT:"VERY IMPORTANT! THE NZBJJL SADLY INFORM: DUE TO SHIPPING ISSUES THE 12 OF APRIL COMP IS CANCELLED! OUR MEDALS ARE SUPPLIED FROM A COMPANY IN BRAZIL AND WON'T ARRIVE IN NEW ZEALAND BEFORE THE 12TH. OUR INTENTION AND ONE OF OUR MAIN CONCERNS IS TO PROVIDE THE BEST QUALITY MEDAL AND PRIZES FOR THE FIGHTERS. WE ARE BRINGING OVER TO NEW ZEALAND SIMILAR IBJJF STANDARDS MEDALS. THE NEW DATE WILL BE RELEASED SOON. THANKS FOR UNDERSTANDING AND FOR THE SUPPORT. MUCH APPRECIATED. REGARDS PAULO" Just a quick update for the next competition, the NZ BJJ league inaugural competition was organised for Easter Weekend. However, the date has been forwarded by one week-end. NEW DATE : Saturday 12 April 2014. WHERE: Mount Grammar High School Stadium COST: $ 40. check out this link for update: https://www.facebook.com/NZBJJL?ref=br_tf The new NZBJJL rankings serve as a means to rank competitors based on placement in NZBJJL events. Description

 Learning and teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is hard enough by itself. At Aucklandbjj.com, we like to simplify the teaching process by breaking down our classes into position instead of techniques. This is the training program for the next month. We will still have drills for warm up. One throw per class 30 minutes situational rolling. Sparring stand up and ground. Does you academy tells you in advance what topic and techniques they will cover in the next month? Why not? Would you trust your kids with a teacher if he he just turned up and taught some random stuff with no program? No!

Drills for warm up. Throw of the day was Ko Uchi Gari Yesterday topic was guard pass. We studied the leg drag guard pass. Then situational rolling from closed guard. Training concluded with normal sparring

You can now order your t shirts online on http://aucklandbjj.printmighty.co.nz/products I will be adding new designs in the while. so keep an eye on that page.

Now we are back into our normal schedule of training program. Tuesday NOGI and Thursday GI. We are covering the North South position. North South Choke is a high percentage submission. Back in the days, north south position was considered a stalling position where you just stall and held your opponent. However, recently people are having a great success in applying a choke from such position. Marcelo Garcia and Robert Drysdale have great videos of it. Marcelo seems to prefer to choke without the arm. Marcelo advises to peel off the hands in case the opponent does the usual counter of putting in hands around his neck. Also known as the X, prayer or home alone. peeling the hands He uses his shin to separate the arm to trap the head while Robert just prefer using his arm to under hook/re trap to isolate the head. trapping the head the set up At that moment you have to be quick otherwise you can get bumped. the counter the