MMA A Winning Combination of Grappling Arts MMA LIFE SHOP

Most people know that these two martial arts share their roots as Brazilian Jiujitsu was developed directly out of Judo.

Although these two arts are very similar and have much in common, their biggest difference is on their area of focus and this is where training both arts becomes a huge advantage. Training both arts enlarges your focus and expertise in the different areas of takedowns and throws and the ground game and submissions.

While BJJ does focus part of it's training on throws and takedowns. Judo takes this aspect of grappling into clearer focus than BJJ. By developing the beginning standing aspect of grappling, the BJJ player will better his overall game and further develop his defense against being taken down or thrown.

Further benefits include improvement in his ability to score points through throws and takedowns as well as better control of the match.

As for Judo players, they do have a little more adapting to do because of the rules differences on the ground in Judo which do place a lot more limits than BJJ does.

But despite that the overall skills gained training in BJJ on the ground will improve a Judo players' ground game for the simple reason that more emphasis is placed on the ground game.

Personally. the two arts have helped me develop a deeper appreciation of both grappling and Mixed Martial Arts as well. Where I constantly and permanently seek to develop my skills further in both arts.

One of the points you need to be aware of going in though, is that Judo can be a tougher sport if for simply because BJJ can be fought using a positional strategy where you control the position and are given moments to relax and work slowly whereas Judo tends to be more fast paced with less chance to relax. This doesn't mean Judo athletes are tougher, all it means is that your style of BJJ might be more relaxed and that you should accept that Judo could be more fast paced and aggressive than what you're used to.

In the end, the completeness that they both offer my game, is worth taking some time off of either one to focus on specific aspects of the other.

If you have considered cross training in either to better your game, then following this approach will benefit your game greatly and I couldn't recommend it more.

Within a few short months you'll be seeing a difference in both styles and so will everyone you spar against.

MMA Anderson Silva?s Visa Issues? MMA LIFE SHOP

MMAWeekly is reporting that Anderson Silva (19-4-0) was planning to arrive in Cincinnati, Ohio earlier this week, but has yet to even leave Brazil. He?s apparently experiencing work visa problem due to a Brazilian holiday that had government offices closed. Instead of getting his visa on Monday or earlier, he just got his work visa yesterday and plans to arrive sometime today.



No doubt there will be speculation by everyone if Silva loses his Middleweight Title to Rich Franklin (22-2-0) this Saturday. How much of an affect this will have on his mindset going into the bout will only be known by Silva himself. The ?Spider? has always been a mentally strong fighter, so this setback may not even be an issue at all.







Another fighter that experienced work visa issues recently was Hector Lombard (11-2-1) who had to be replaced by Ryo Chonan (14-7-0) in his fight against Karo Parisyan (17-4-0), so let?s be glad that Silva actually got his visa and will be in town to defend his title.

MMA El Ni?o Is Back MMA LIFE SHOP

El Ni?o proved to be a devastating storm many years back, and this El Ni?o will be just as devastating. Gilbert ?El Ni?o? Melendez will make his long awaited return to the MMA world after a nine month layoff due to Zuffa?s purchase of Melendez?s former employer, Pride FC.



Melendez is set to make his Strikeforce debut on Saturday facing Tetsuji Kato at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, CA.







In Melendez?s young, yet successful MMA career, he has compiled a perfect 12-0 record with stunning victories in Pride, including his last instant classic bout against perennial top ten fighter Tatsuya Kawajiri.



?I?m very excited,? Melendez told . ?Even though I wasn?t fighting, I didn?t take any time off. It?s like I?ve been working for free. I?ve been training so hard and helping my buddies get ready for fights. It feels good that my hard work is going to pay off.?



Many former Pride fighters have been sitting idle since Pride was sold, seeking the best opportunity possible. This Cesar Gracie trained fighter has been patient while waiting to see where his future would lead.



?I basically played the waiting game with the Pride thing,? stated Melendez. ?[I] had a lot of faith in them that it would come around and get things together and it didn?t work out.?



In the meantime, Melendez will happily fight for Strikeforce, but don?t expect to see him there for long. He understands that you can?t fight forever and at the end of the day it is about getting paid. And as everyone knows, the UFC is the MMA monopoly for exposure.



?There?s a chance I could end up anywhere,? said Melendez about a possible deal with the UFC. ?It?s a sport and I fight for the love, but it?s also a business and I?m trying to make a career out of it and a life out of it.



?I really want to fight (Sean) Sherk. It?s a big thing for me to fight Sherk. Maybe I could talk to Dana White or he could give me that call when that time comes and we?ll see what happens.?



However, Melendez knows that he has to take things step by step, even if he is fighting a lesser opponent. Especially given the string of upsets this past year in MMA, and most recently at UFC 76 where upsets were the norm. Don?t expect for Melendez to fall victim to what others have experienced.



?I get extra motivated because I hear people say ?oh, you?re going to walk through this guy? which I never, ever think that,? said Melendez about his opponent. ?I need to make sure that I don?t think that, that I don?t underestimate him.?



The storm is coming and is about to come down on Kato.

#MMA4NY" MMA LIFE SHOP

Martial art encompasses a variety of different styles and methods of self defense. You can choose which style you like the best and you can become very good at it with practice. You may be curious as to what the advantages are when wanting to learn about martial arts and consider going for a class. Below are a few of the many advantages you can experience when you enroll in a martial arts class. For most people, coordination is not very easy to learn. When first entering martial arts class, often people feel cumbersome and could also find it difficult to synchronize their body movements in an successful manner. Over time, however, coordination could become heightened as your body becomes increasingly aware of how it functions. Soon you will be moving quicker than ever and you may notice certain movements are becoming second nature. Having good coordination will benefit you in many areas of your life. As your body becomes more coordinated, you become more efficient with home, work and school.

You also begin to understand how your body will work and it can have a favorable effect in certain situations where reacting is essential. Martial arts can be perhaps a life saver when faced with a dangerous situation where being coordinated and comfortable can allow you to react appropriately. Besides learning a martial art, you can also make new friends. You can become acquainted with people that share your interest in self-defense when you join a martial arts class. As you're learning more about yourself, you're also understanding those around you. You may be surprised at how many kinds of people you will meet once you begin taking a class. While contributing your strengths to the training, you can learn from the experiences of other people. You might notice a team spirit beginning to form as your class advances where you are all become more in tuned with one another, much like a family. In choosing to take a martial arts class, you may end up finding long term friends. Focusing on the inner self, martial arts teaches how you can calm the mind and think far better. For this reason, you might find that your perception of yourself and life is altering. You might find that certain decisions are easier to make as you are more in tune with yourself. Other individuals find that they become more extremely humble and submissive. Rather than reacting aggressively in certain situations, you might find that you are more calm and able to talk with ease. Understanding how your mind works and tapping into rarely used resources, you can become more proficient at life.

Enabling you to learn discipline, martial arts give you a whole new perspective. Students are encouraged to arrive for class punctually by their instructors and be prepared for their lesson. They demand excellence and focus during class. This kind of discipline can allow you to become more timely, efficient and more respectful of other people. As you grow more disciplined in a classroom setting, you may notice that you are more disciplined in other areas of life also. Arriving to school or work on time probably will be a change for the better. Maybe you have begun to complete tasks more proficiently. Taking martial arts is certainly beneficial especially for the discipline alone. Taking Las Vegas martial arts has many advantages including helping you to learn coordination, gain friends, learn how your mind works, and learn self-discipline. With each one of these positive aspects, you could discover that you are increasingly prosperous in other areas of your life.

MMA ALEX REID: BEYOND THE CAGE TX: WEDNESDAY 6TH APRIL AT 22.50PM ON LONDON LIVE- MMA News & Views - MMA LIFE SHOP

In my last article for this site, I told some of my story with the early days of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training, and how I quit after a "double whammy" of life changers: surgery and my wife. As I fell away from the sport and out of shape, I always had regrets about not picking it back up again. But I was too busy doing things with my kids, specifically my son.

Right before my son Chris started 4th grade, I started him in his own Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training. My son has my build and general athletic ability (or lack thereof), so I knew that he could learn this style and enjoy it, because I had years before. I am very proud he took to it right away, and to this day, loves his training.

As I sat on the sidelines, the whisper to get back out there grew into a full-throated scream. For over a year, however, I was blocked by a couple of nagging concerns. I was scared of the pain, and getting injured. I knew how out of shape I was, carrying 60 pounds more than I was the last time I trained, on a back and knees that were fifteen years older. Unless I was really smart about how I paced myself, the odds were incredibly good that I'd overdo it and get hurt.

Worse, though, is that I was scared of looking bad in front of my son, and what I saw in the mirror. I knew what I used to be able to do - I wasn't what you'd call "good", but I was certainly competent on the mat. I was going from a decent grappler to the worst guy in the room. Could I live with myself when I got winded during a simple warmup? When I couldn't do a backward roll anymore? When I'd try to pass a guard or bridge my opponent in an escape, and be betrayed by a body that couldn't do what my brain was telling it to do?

Fortunately, I have managed to be smart so far in dealing with my first fear. My master instructor was incredibly kind about finding the right pace for me, and finding alternatives for certain techniques so that I wouldn't be left out. When we'd spar in grappling sessions, I know that this isn't a competition; it's a learning experience. I have no problem tapping out when I'm in a submission hold, or even just when I'm stuck and too tired to defend myself anymore.

My girth has produced a couple of unexpected bonuses. I remember one class where we worked on a body scissors technique from the back mount, and a couple of submission attempts that may work when in a body scissors. I had enough of a waistline such that nobody else in the class could get the body scissors applied on me. When grappling, my opponents have a difficult time keeping me in a closed guard, so I can focus more on open-guard pass techniques.

The bruised ego has been slightly tougher to deal with. Sure, I get a burst of pride when I can do a couple more pushups than ever before, or I can break out the box of clothes that used to be too small. But that reserve is quickly emptied on a regular basis on the mat.

Duck walks, stepping in low to an opponent for a single- or double-leg takedown shot? Forget about it.

Shrimp away quickly to stifle an opponent's guard pass? Not with a butt & gut this big.

Tap whom I don't have a 100-pound weight advantage? Not yet. Not even close.

I keep trying to find a bright side. My submission defense is getting better, especially against chokes. I'm pretty good at working from bottom mount into bottom half-guard, and from blocking an opponent's pass from side mount to top mount. But all of these bright sides are because I'm not yet good enough, and especially athletic, to stay with an opponent with better conditioning and a sporting background.

The damage done by my reality check is the only drawback. The decision to start Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training again has changed my life in so many positive ways. In 2011, I lost 35 pounds, and gained a great deal of endurance. I've gone from 20 pushups to 40; 20 crunches to 45; 30 leg raises to 50. I no longer have to take it easy in the first class segment because I'm completely spent from the warmup.

I went from being a 41-year-old couch potato to a 42-year-old who can hang through 30 minutes of grappling in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class. For the first time in many years, I'm excited to see what the next year might bring. If you've ever been hesitant about trying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or another martial art, do it. I don't care if you're out of shape. I don't care if you've never tried one before. If I can do it, you can do it.

You, too, can change your life.

MMA Conor McGregor Releases Statement On Retirement | SevereMMA.com - UFC, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Irish MMA MMA LIFE SHOP

Yoga is an ancient Indian practice, built for meditation and revered for it's effect on the human body. Martial arts are a form of precise fighting, originating in the East and spreading world wide as far as it could have. So, how then, could the two be combined to make a complete art? What are the benefits behind this combination and what styles of martial arts is it used for, if any? The benefits are many - since martial arts require discipline of the body and yoga teaches this, you have more control and flexibility. People that practice muay thai and Brazilian jiujitsu benefit most from using yoga because of their dependency on grappling and ground fighting, and also breathing control. Chuck Liddell, Ken Shamrock, Diego Sanchez has even been known to endorse, knowing the benefits of yoga and making the most of it.

Yoga is a series of mental and physical disciplines and is associated with meditative practice. The goal of which, of course, is to lead the practitioner to spiritual enlightenment, but it also has it's effects on the body as well. With the practice of yoga comes increased flexibility, intense bodily control, breathing control, and mental clarity - all of which are important to practicing martial arts, because you are teaching your body these things as well, and this is one of the reasons that yoga and martial arts go hand in hand, especially to those who practice MMA, muay thai, or Brazilian Jiujitsu.

Muay Thai one martial art that relies on bodily control. Most of the moves are dependent on the gyration of the hips to drive the blows home to their destination - even on simple kicks and punches. It uses eight points of contact to strike and requires excellent balance, extreme concentration and fast reflexes - all of which can be achieved and strengthened by using yoga.

Brazilian Jiujitsu is another form of martial arts that is reliant on holds and grappling and there is a lot of ground rolling as well. The holds and grappling must be tight enough for the opponent not to wriggle free, and they must be held and concentrated upon for them to work properly. This is something that yoga will also teach us. It can, in fact, improve function so much that prize fighters often use yoga and endorse it as a tool that has helped them win.

Fighters such as Diego Sanchez have proudly boasted that yoga has helped his concentration and has worked to improve his mind. He claims that this form of meditation, along with physical drills is the best way to train. Other fighters agree. Ken Shamrock and Chuck Liddell are two of the most famous mixed martial artists and they also advocate yoga as a key to their training. Shamrock even has his own routine of yoga combined with mixed martial arts to train himself with the utmost discipline and readiness. All of them agree, and many physical trainers and other experts say that yoga is good practice for any sport, but especially mixed martial arts.

MMA Conor McGregor issues statement, says he's not retired after all - MMA Fighting MMA LIFE SHOP

That's the question that has been bothering me for years. And probably like you, I have a natural bias to support my decision based on what I am... a BJJer. But in spite of that bias, I'm gonna tackle this question as objectively as possible to support my theory. So, just bear with me before you call me an idiot.

Ok, the answer to the question are wrestlers tougher than BJJers is... yes and no.

Why, you ask?

The reason that I say wrestlers are tougher than BJJers is because of the way they train and the mindset that's ingrained (overtly and covertly) within the training. If you've ever been around wrestlers for any period of time, it's easy to notice common traits they possess, regardless of whether they're pee-wee, master/veterans level wrestler, and every level in

between.

And what stands out in my mind about wrestlers are these common characteristics:

- They're always aggressive on the mat

- They usually attack first

- They're not afraid to work hard, even to point of complete exhaustion

- They'll fight anybody, regardless of size

- They're all a little cocky about their skill set

- They believe they can beat anyone in the world that faces them

- They don't quit on themselves during a match and if they do, they're destroying something as soon as the match is over

- They hate losing at anything

- They basically evaluate grapplers in two categories: you're either tough or a punk

Now, are those characteristics that BJJers don't possess? No, that's not what I'm saying at all.

It's not that BJJers can't have that tough mindset that I've mentioned above because many do, especially those schools that are involved in various competitive events (e.g. BJJ Tourneys, MMA Events, etc).

What I believe is the way that BJJ has been marketed (e.g. an art for a smaller man to win against a bigger man, technique not strength, etc.) for average Joe has made it easier for the "toughness" aspect to be downplayed (or even removed) from the daily training, especially when a certain amount of people are paying to learn how to grapple as a recreational activity.

And since instructors must create friendly training environments where all students (from MMAers to couch potatoes) can train and not feel physically overwhelmed, it's easy for an environment to evolve

where an instructor or coach has to:

- "Protect" certain grapplers from training with other grapplers

- Allow grapplers to skip certain part of the workout (e.g. warm-ups) so they won't be too tired

- Allow grapplers to not train because they're getting tired and don't want to lose

- Avoid certain training situations (e.g. takedowns) for fear of injury or it's too exhausting

- Displaying passive behavior on the mat

- Quitting during matches with impunity

And while that may be the "right" thing to do as far as business is concerned, that approach makes it easy to remove the element of toughness that's automatically ingrained within BJJ training to make it "safer and friendly" for the potential student.

And once many students realize how demanding the training can be, they usually quit before ever achieving a purple or even a blue belt.

What's the solution for the BJJer? Well, I think the solution lies in the question itself. I don't really think it's important to improve who's tougher, but I think it's quite obvious that we should lean towards wrestlers to learn how to engrain the tough mental mindset into grappling training, for grapplers of all ages to learn.

MMA Former Slytherin Bad Guy in 'Harry Potter' Movies Is Now an MMA Fighter | Bleacher Report MMA LIFE SHOP

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu isn't just a sport to be practiced on the mat, and tested in tournament competition.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is designed, first and foremost, to be effective in real-life situations. Specifically, Jiu Jitsu is about taking a foe down and subduing them so they cannot strike back. Nowhere are these concepts more important than in the law enforcement profession.

A policeman's goal cannot be to get into a fight or strike someone in an altercation. Not only is it unsafe to put themselves in a direct altercation with an unknown foe, but they risk the possibility of legal or procedural retaliation, with rules in place regarding unnecessary use of excessive force. Across the country, police and sheriff's departments are teaming up with martial arts schools to teach effective approaches for specific situations an officer may face in the field.

"My goal is to teach the worst case," said one instructor after a police seminar. "If an officer has his partner to help out, then that's what should happen. If they have a taser or a baton that can be used, they should use it. But there are going to be times when they may have to use Jiu Jitsu techniques, and it is important they are aware of what to do."

Many good Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructors appreciate the opportunity to give back to the community by helping train police officers at these seminars. They teach techniques for countering someone's grasp, turning the attack into a controlling arm or shoulder lock. If an assailant charges or goes after a certain part of an officer's anatomy, the officer learns a takedown that does not put them in a dangerous tie-up where they are vulnerable to another attacker.

Officers appreciate and gain just as much from the opportunity to learn as the martial arts school does in sharing. One police department wrote a letter to a martial arts school after a recent seminar, with officer's feedback on their Jiu Jitsu experience:

"Instructors were very professional, skilled, and easy to the environment very comfortable to learn in."

"The information was presented in a way that helped me to understand and apply some of the previous defensive tactics instruction I had received from my department."

"Demonstrated basic moves that don't require fine motor skills to be effective."

"Great instructors...obviously interested in the welfare of law enforcement officers...taught as much content as possible during the course."

Feedback like this is a wonderful testimonial to the benefits of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to law enforcement. Such statements are not only a statement on Jiu Jitsu's success on the streets, but a reflection on a well-designed curriculum. In many cases, officers take the next step beyond seminars, and are taking regular Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instruction. And that's the best positive feedback of all.

MMA Home Bodyweight Workout for Speed & Power in MMA MMA LIFE SHOP

You have countless techniques used for submitting opponents in both the MMA and the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu martial arts. You will have many grapplings and striking techniques to submit your opponent. Some of the techniques are not allowed in all martial arts. However, if you are practicing the Mixed Martial Arts or the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, then you have a wide selection of techniques available for use at your guise. Mastering most of these techniques will enable you to stay abreast your opponent and be able to outsmart him or her. Among others are the ankle choke, the kimura lock, the rear naked choke, the open guard and the collar choke. You also have techniques on escapes from the dominating skills your opponent may display.

The clock choke is one of the commonly used technique in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as well as the Mixed Martial Arts. In the clock choke, you make sure your opponent is on his knees. Focus your weight on his or her back, around the center area, making sure s/he does not roll away. Strive to open the lapel on his or her side making sure you pass your arm beneath his or her armpit. Grip the collar hard, sending your hand across his or her neck. Using the arm under the armpit, grab the other side of the collar. Exert your weight on his or her shoulders so his or her head goes down. Pull your legs forward. While you pull your legs forward, also pull hard on the collars to apply the choke.

Before applying this technique, you should be able to determine that you are in the ideal position. This is important because your opponent may possess the reverse tactics that may make the situation turn against you. It is also important to keep so close to the opponent when you apply this technique so s/he does not get the chance to escape or to strike you.

If you want to master the BJJ techniques, there are lots of books about grappling arts and fighting techniques that can be of great help. Some of these are written by masters who have studied and practiced the techniques in various occasions. You may take time to go through all the techniques. The more techniques you master, the greater chance you have of defeating any opponent or wading off their tactics.

It is also important to learn the escape techniques that are used to wade off an attack. This could be more important sometimes than the attacking techniques. Some of these techniques should be use with a lot of caution while in training sessions. Most of the chokes are used to stop the flow of blood into the brain which may momentarily make the opponent black out. Sometimes, if you are on training and your partner tries to escape in a dangerous way from some of these techniques, it is best to let go than to endanger their lives.