Yesterday various Relson Gracie schools in Colorado competed in Fight To Win‘s Nationals tournament held at University of Denver’s Magness Arena. This was my first tournament since recieving my blue belt last March. It was a ton a fun. Although not everyone took home medals (many did), everyone faught hard. It was also great to see [...]
A few of months ago an instructor at Boulder Grappling said this to me: “Go for the top. Everyone can fight from the bottom.” These words helped my game grow to a new level relatively quickly. I think there is a point in many people’s training (well, mine at least) where the novelty of playing [...]
Last week Boulder Grappling Academy (BGA) announced we would get the honor to train with Phil Cardella in the form of a seminar at BGA’s facilities in Boulder this upcoming Tuesday (I do now know if the seminar is open to the public). Phil is a very distinguished Relson Gracie black belt and MMA fighter [...]
Recently I have been thinking about mental engagement when training Jiu Jitsu. I’ve also been recollecting on my experiences up to this point of training; I have been training for about a year and have a new belt from a recent promotion. It’s been an enjoyable, good road, and I’ve had consistent and strong attendance. [...]
It is hard to train over the holidays. Class schedules may be different at your school, class attendance can be inconsistent (especially if you live a college town), and finding time to get yourself the the gym can be a challenge – especially when you have the misfortune of working some between Christmas and the [...]
Yesterday I competed in my first Jiu Jitsu tournament – the 4th U.S. National Cup, put on the by the Rocky Mountain Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation. In addition to fighting, I got to meet Cris Cyborg. Mixed-martial artist Cameron Dollar was also on hand, as was the legend himself, Relson Gracie. My take on it? [...]
I was recently thinking about the different people I have rolled with at this point in my Jiu Jitsu career and the characteristics of a good rolling partner. On the one hand, the answer I came up with is “it depends” – it depends on (your) mood, what you and your partner are looking to [...]
Last night 46-year-old Randy Couture fought Minotauro Nogueira in UFC 102. After three full rounds Couture lost to an unanimous decision. Nogueira won the match – and while some moments were closer than others, I think anyone would be hard pressed to disagree with the decision. I am writing this because I wanted to give [...]
I need my sleep. For one reason or another I have betrayed my body over and over again and neglected to get enough sleep this week. Yesterday the reality of how sleep deprivation effects my performance in Jiu Jitsu become clear to me. Yesterday’s class was a good class – but it took considerable effort [...]
I’m at a point in my training when I would like to get more taps. At tap-out here, a tap-out here – nothing revolutionary or dominant – but I’m consistently doing the vast majority of tapping whenever I roll. Still, I believe I’m progressing in-tune with the average student. I have learned so much in [...]
I am a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) enthusiast and blogger. A blue belt under Relson Gracie, this is where I share insights, stories and reviews related to BJJ. I train in Colorado at Boulder Grappling Academy. Contact me at ryanpeterson DOT me **AT** gmail DOT com. Legal info.