Whenever I roll with professor and get some extended 1 on 1 time I always try to make it a point to take note of the little things he tells me, as they go a long way.

Just a couple small details from today.  When on top in half guard, it is essential to go 2 on 1 and break the grip if the opponent on the bottom has a deep collar grip on your lapel.

When passing open guard, keep the legs forward and low, and keep your posture up tall and back.  Don’t try and pass from a wrestling stance.

I saw this video about 5 months ago and it really had a profound effect on me.  A few weeks before seeing this video I had to make some big decisions about my future, and I did what I had to do. I decided that if I was really going to throw away a lot of things in life to follow my dreams than I really better make the most of it. 

As a current college student, my focus shifted from girls and partying, to studying hard and busting my ass in training every night.  I have tried to only do things that would better me as a person, a student, and as a fighter.  I have maintained a strict diet, only eating the best things possible and drastically cutting back on the alcohol consumption.  I believe this video has definitely had an effect on the big changes that have come about.  I honestly want to follow my career path as bad as I want to breathe when I am stuck in a deep choke, and it is showing.  This summer I will be out of the country working at a prestigious government embassy on a student internship with diplomatic security, and I have had nothing but success in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and kickboxing fights lately.  With the semester coming to an end, it is looking like I will have straight A’s for the first time in my college career.

I have another BJJ tournament coming up this weekend, so as I was watching this once again to make sure I have not lost sight of what is important, I thought I would share it with those who have yet to see it.  If you take a minute to be honest with yourself and think about if you are doing everything in life to achieve what you truly want the most, you can accomplish most anything. 

Still dumbfounded that Matt Brown is in the UFC, and now I would go on to say that I am now flabbergasted since he won tonight’s fight.  How did Dana White manage to find someone who was worse on the ground then Matt Brown?  Thompson looked like he’d never stepped foot in a wrestling room or on a BJJ mat before.  I refuse to believe that Matt Brown is a fighter worthy of being in the UFC, he merely got a matchup that worked perfectly in his favor.  Honestly that match up would have worked favorably for anyone who did JV high school wrestling or browses Submission 101 videos on YouTube for a couple hours a day.  Smh, if you don’t have at least a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you have no business being in that octagon. 

On a lighter note, Rory Macdonald looked amazing tonight.  He is just a year older than me and already has 12 professional MMA wins.  Makes me feel like I am not doing anything productive with my life haha.  Props to Che Mills though, he took that beating like a man. 

Just looked at the complete card for tonight’s UFC and could not believe what I saw.  Can anyone explain to me why Matt Brown is still in the UFC?  He gets the easiest fights and still manages to lose 4 out of his last 6.  It’s not like his fights are thrilling to watch either. He is no world champion jiu jitsu fighter or powerful K1 knockout artist.  I’m glad his fight is on the FX prelims so he gets his butt kicked tonight on national television. 

I just don’t understand why it is a big deal whether or not a fighter’s lineage traces back to the Gracie family.  I have only trained at schools under professors with a Gracie lineage, but the baddest dude in the game right now, Rodolfo Vieria, does not come from the Gracie line so it shouldn’t matter.  That’s like saying the only cars with only credibility are Fords because they first created the model T. 

Recently I have been having a lot of success sweeping and taking the back from De la Riva and deep half….but not quite all the way.  Often times my opponents have been going to the turtle position to avoid me getting my hooks in, and from there I am having a hard time mounting any kind of offense against the higher belts.

I used to wrestle, so I’ll try some of the basic breakdowns but often times those allow the higher belts to just roll back to some form of guard.  After talking with some guys after class today, we determined that it would be my best bet for now to either grab a hip and drag them on their side towards me, or go two hands underneath on the opposite tricep and bulldoze them over into side control.  Going to try and start working these the next few weeks.

Obviously I am always trying for a crucifix or clock choke but against advanced guys those are harder to come by.  Does anyone have any other tried and true methods to attack from the turtle position against higher belts in gi and/or nogi? 

Hi, I am omoplato, and deep half guard has revolutionized my BJJ game.

Jiu Jitsu gives me something to look forward to tomorrow, every single day