Steve used a lot of the moves and strategies we’ve been drilling in class to take home a hard-earned silver medal at the NJBJJF Spring Challenge yesterday!

Big congrats to NJU white belt Steve Vega for taking silver at the NJBJJF Spring Challenge Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament yesterday! Steve fought hard and always had his poker-face on during his matches, never exerting unnecessary energy and always looking to pit the strongest parts of his game against the weakest parts of his opponent’s game. Steve stayed on top for most of his matches, putting his high-pressure passing game to work. As he fought his way to the finals, there was a scary moment where one opponent nearly pulled him into a triangle choke, but we’ve been working on defending against tough closed and open guards in class lately, and Steve’s own drilling and mat-time definitely showed in his defense. And plus, he’s a very coachable guy who listens well, so that sure makes my job as coach a great one!

Like anyone else, I’d prefer winning gold over silver. However, I don’t recommend that anyone have a gold-or-nothing mentality. There may be times when you’re simply not ready for gold yet. But as the BJJ adage goes, “You either win or you learn,” and a lower medal may sometimes be the teacher you need to expose critical weak spots in your game. Ernest Hemingway wrote that “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” That is the road that Steve is on, and it’s the road that we hope to set all of our students on when they train here at NJU.

Steve was ahead on points in his finals match, but lost in the closing seconds due to a clever and well-timed takedown by his opponent. So although there’s always disappointment following a close loss, I prefer to stay positive and drill specific solutions to a specific problem as soon as possible. After Steve’s buddy Andres took this awards picture here, we all went back to the mats of the warm-up area to help Steve work on a couple counters that would have won him the gold. That’s how you set yourself up to become superior to your former self indeed.

Come train at NJ United Mixed Martial Arts and take advantage of our 7-day free trial offer! Whether you’re an aspiring competitor or casual student, you will benefit from training in our friendly, professional, and ego-free environment. Call us at 973-638-1570 to schedule your first class, and visit us on the web at http://www.njunitedmma.com/ for more info.

JJ Mike

Please, PLEASE don’t let your martial art resemble this. -.-

Whether in a movie or a cartoon of some sort, you’ve probably seen a Rube Goldberg machine without knowing its Wikipedia definition, which is: “a machine intentionally designed to perform a simple task in an indirect and overcomplicated fashion.” A picture is worth a thousand words, so check out this guy’s hat on the right. Now maybe you’ve never taken a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class before, maybe you’re a BJJ veteran, maybe you’re a pure beginner, or maybe you’re someone in-between. But no matter where you stand, one of the biggest dangers to your game (or your understanding of the game as an observer) is developing a BJJ style that resembles Pee Wee Herman’s Rube Goldberg breakfast machine. The solution, if you’re into metaphors, is to eventually have a game that resembles a Swiss watch!

There’s nothing wrong with complex, new-school jiu-jitsu . . . as long as you have a foundation of sharp, timeless basics!

Now I know next to nothing about Swiss watches, but I do know that they’re complex, functional, and well-made. Rube Goldberg jiu-jitsu has the complexity part down. But it has . . . trouble with the latter parts (an understatement if there ever was one). However, it’s not as if anyone tries to develop such a game. Instead, this happens when someone new to BJJ tries to imitate a high-level BJJ celebrity or competitor. It can also happen when an advanced practitioner falls into the trap of thinking that “good” jiu-jitsu has to be complex. Well, it can be complex, but more often than not, it doesn’t have to! And if you check out Kron Gracie’s recent battle against Alex Caceres at UFC on ESPN 1, you’ll see that Kron doesn’t use any exotic, multi-staged, inverted jiu-jitsu with more rotations and counter-rotations to count. You can analyze this fight in several ways, but what remains constant are the functional, well-made moves that he applies. The complexity-factor lies in how and when Kron applies them – i.e., in timing and discernment.

People love to be unique and special. There’s nothing wrong with that, and honestly there’s nothing wrong with complex moves in and of themselves. Unfortunately, they sometimes think that being unique and special requires putting exotic flash on a pedestal. If you want to study a complex matter within BJJ, why not study how to apply strong basics with good timing? Because having both is an art that’s harder (yet more rewarding) to master than trying to land a complex move on your training partner while your professor is watching!

Come train at NJ United Mixed Martial Arts and take advantage of our 7-day free trial offer! Whether you’re an aspiring competitor or casual student, you will benefit from training in our friendly, professional, and ego-free environment. Call us at 973-638-1570 to schedule your first class, and visit us on the web at http://www.njunitedmma.com/ for more info.

JJ Mike

I teach a lot of “BJJ 101” classes – Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes designed for people newer to jiu-jitsu, yet important for upper belts as well. After all, you’re only as good as your basics! However, I find that a lot of white belts (and even some blue belts) have yet to get a grasp on what basics actually are. Sometimes they think that good basics are the basic versions of advanced, avant-garde concepts. But they’re not, so I’d like to briefly explain how newcomers can make their jiu-jitsu serve them best.

Apply high-percentage techniques accurately and early, and you’ll have something far more valuable than an entire library of flashy stuff!

The good news is that flashy, complex moves draw a lot of newcomers to BJJ. The bad news is that such moves make those same people disappointed in themselves and disenchanted with BJJ later on. Why? Well, for the same reason that you’d begin your understanding of math at basic addition and subtraction instead of quantum physics. Start your understanding of math with quantum physics, and you will be wowed and maybe even feel smart, but you’ll have little (if any) ability to practically apply your math “skills.”

For example, here’s a basic detail of a basic move that’s fantastic for the BJJ newcomer. Check out this video whether or not you know how to do a basic keylock submission. It’s a move that you can learn within your first five minutes of BJJ training, and Chewjitsu shows it well. However, he puts special emphasis on the little detail of ‘revving the wrist’ to finish the submission easily and efficiently. You can waste a lot of time and energy if you don’t know this detail, not to mention wasting the hard-earned, dominant position you’ve gained on your opponent! Moreover, the wrist detail is something anyone can do. No special attributes like extra flexibility, strength, or talent are required. So the wrist-rev is honestly a game-changer at the most basic level, and I’ve seen my share of instructors who skimp on this detail!

Unfortunately, such details are overlooked by novice to intermediate BJJ practitioners. Oftentimes, that’s because their attention is looking far ahead to complex, multi-staged maneuvers that may not even have the chance to occur. In the end, you’ll have far more success and happiness in you jiu-jitsu journey if you approach training with a mentality of learning solid basics applied early.

Come train at NJ United Mixed Martial Arts and take advantage of our 7-day free trial offer! Whether you’re an aspiring competitor or casual student, you will benefit from training in our friendly, professional, and ego-free environment. Call us at 973-638-1570 to schedule your first class, and visit us on the web at http://www.njunitedmma.com/ for more info.

JJ Mike

NJU student Tom Coda took gold at IBJJF this Sunday after tough battles in a stacked division!

23 year-old Tom Coda is one of our most consistent and dedicated BJJ students, and his hard work paid off exponentially last Sunday at the 2019 IBJJF NY Spring Open tournament in New York, NY. He straight-up won his blue belt no-gi division, and he took silver in his gi division, coming up short in the finals by 2 points. His no-gi division had 14 competitors and his gi division 23, and since both divisions were on the same day, he sure had his work cut out for him! Moreover, IBJJF tournaments are not small, local tournaments. From all over the east coast, top grapplers of all weight classes, ages, and belt levels enter IBJJF events to test themselves. Some athletes travel from different parts of the country and the world.

So first of all with all that being said, I’ve got to give a big congrats to Tom! But second of all, I have some advice and encouragement for any readers out there who are looking for a martial arts school to set down roots in. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned BJJ practitioner, or if you’ve never grappled in your life. What matters in your training is that you’re in a friendly setting where you can train hard, train smart, get the best workout of your life, and gain an understanding of the how’s and why’s of strong martial arts. Sure, hard work will always be a factor, as well as the fact that all of us have different levels of talent. But I believe the critical element of success and happiness in martial arts is developing good relationships with good people, and gaining an understanding of those technical how’s and why’s.

There are a lot of tough, talented martial artists out there, but smart strategy wins the day! Whatever your motives and goals for training are, remember: “Right move, right time, right opponent”!

I’m not going to go into a technical break-down Tom’s matches, because I’m not a fan of jargon-dropping. What I am a fan of is people who fight with their minds first and their athleticism second. In all of his matches, Tom demonstrated a strong knowledge of everything we’ve been reviewing in our BJJ classes recently. In BJJ culture, there’s a lot of talk about “Right move, right time, right opponent.” To use the martial art effectively, you need to sync-up these three factors. To solve the human puzzle before you and gain victory against your opponent, you need to discern which move to use, when to use it, and whether or not that move would be effective against your opponent’s style and body-type. That’s precisely what Tom did again and again last Sunday.

BJJ is both an art and a science. At NJ United MMA, we always respect the art and the men and women who practice it. We teach moves that have the highest success-rates, and strategies that can be grasped and drilled by everyone. Whether your goal for training is competition, self-defense, self-confidence, getting in shape, or just to try something new, we’d love for you to train with us and discover how martial arts can give back to you!

Come train at NJ United Mixed Martial Arts and take advantage of our 7-day free trial offer! Whether you’re an aspiring competitor or casual student, you will benefit from training in our friendly, professional, and ego-free environment. Call us at 973-638-1570 to schedule your first class, and visit us on the web at http://www.njunitedmma.com/ for more info.

JJ Mike

Have limited time to train at your gym? Use shadowboxing to repeat the moves and strategies taught by your instructor. Your game will evolve drastically!

. . . is because you can train on your own, without any special equipment! With just a minimal amount of striking knowledge, you can sharpen and grow that knowledge on your own via shadowboxing. Now some people may feel self-conscious about punching and kicking the air, without equipment or a partner. But really, if you train alone, then nobody’s around to see you – and even if you shadow box in a gym setting, you’re not there for anyone’s approval or disapproval anyway. However, the one thing to keep in mind is that you should be repeating what you’ve learned from a seasoned instructor.

Solid instruction is indispensible, but let’s be honest – the time you spend in a martial arts class (typically an hour long) will turn out to be a very small portion of your overall life. So you will have workout downtime inside or outside of your gym or martial arts academy. During this time, it doesn’t necessarily matter if you have the best equipment in the world or no equipment at all. If you can move around and throw strikes, then you can get more out of Muay Thai than the person who just packs up and goes home after class. And during the times when you simply can’t make it to class, you can shadowbox just about any place you’re able to stand on your own two feet. When you rep techniques and combinations you’ve learned, you’ll be gradually reinforcing good muscle-memory. This is crucial to developing an overall flow and feel for any physical activity.

Shadowboxing is a basic workout that you can tweak in many ways to help you learn. Click here for a brief shadowboxing instructional from NJ United MMA Muay Thai instructor Danny Millet!

Moreover, shadowboxing doesn’t feel like a chore at all, and it gets better the more technique you know. If you take a week’s worth of Muay Thai classes, and if you do a solo shadowboxing session to test your basic jab-cross-hook combination, you’ll be amazed at the small flaws you’ll discover in your timing, positioning, and balance. But that’s a good thing, since streamlining your game is what many consider to be the main point of this exercise! And the more your mind is engaged this way, the less you’ll become distracted by how much time is left in your workout session.

So here’s the basics what’s so great about shadowboxing into your lifestyle:

• Don’t have a lot of time to take classes? Teach yourself by repeating what you learned in class earlier!
• You don’t need a gym to shadowbox. Just a floor!
• The best type of workout is when you aren’t overly conscious about working out. Strengthening and streamlining technique keeps your mind occupied while your body can work consistently.
• “Flow” and “feel” are earned through frequent repping (e.g. shadowboxing)!

JJ Mike

Come train at NJ United Mixed Martial Arts and take advantage of our 7-day free trial offer! Whether you’re an aspiring competitor or casual student, you will benefit from training in our friendly, professional, and ego-free environment. Call us at 973-638-1570 to schedule your first class, and visit us on the web at http://www.njunitedmma.com/ for more info.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be a nice workout AND a mentally taxing science. At NJ United MMA, you will have a solid support-network of brothers and sisters in arms to help you through the grind!

This morning, I watched this rather interesting video from Youtube celebrity Chewjitsu. In recent history, he’s become something of a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu counselor and e-therapist. He’s definitely good at what he does, and I think that’s partially because he answers questions while at the same time pointing his listeners in the direction of more important questions that should be asked. For example, the in-video title of the vid above is “How do I become creative in BJJ?”, but the actual title of the video is “BJJ Techniques Spread Like a Disease.” His overall point is that in a BJJ academy setting, you’ll learn more moves the more brains you pick. But as you try these moves and have success with them, your opponents (who will be doing the same thing as you) will adapt defenses to negate them – much like an immune system counterattacking a virus. And then you’ll have to counter-adapt and modify your moves to overcome your opponent’s adapting! This can get pretty involved, to say the least. So it’s important to recognize the only context in which the process can occur is in a strong, technically sound martial arts academy with good teachers.

Training with qualified, black belt technicians is definitely a step up from backyard wrestling and sparring!

I wrestled when I was around 8 years old, but my interest in martial arts really took off when I was in college. My friends and I would hold wrestling matches in the dorms, and it was actually a pretty effective way for techniques to spread like diseases. However, there was no organizing system in these crazy sparring matches that had no time limits, that were completely unregulated,  and that frankly injured us all too often (rocket scientists that we were, we actually wrestled on carpet, so we got carpet-burn pretty regularly). So within a short time, all of us knew a lot of techniques. But since we weren’t an academy or dojo of any sort, there was no vetting-process that could help our techniques adapt, grow, and become flexible and practical. Additionally, some of the techniques we shared were plausible yet “The sort of thing that only works when your partner wants it to”!

It’s been said that knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom is knowing to not put tomatoes in fruit salad. During my humble beginnings as a grappler in the college dorms, my friends and I had a LOT of knowledge about fruit, but our “fruit salad” – our system of practical self-defense – was riddled with tomatoes. I use this analogy because, for beginners, I think it’s more pleasant-sounding than the disease analogy! Really though, you can use whatever analogy best helps you see that a workable, realistic BJJ game is not only about knowing a bunch of stuff. It’s about developing smart relationships with experienced teachers who can fact-check your plethora of moves, correct their errors, put them to the test, and refine them further over time. This is not the type of wisdom you’ll get by doing what I did in college dorms, or in the e-dorms of Youtube University. You’ll only get it through consistent, smart training with quality instructors. That’s why I tend to refer to my home ground of NJ United MMA as an academy – not a gym or a club!

JJ Mike

Come train at NJ United Mixed Martial Arts and take advantage of our 7-day free trial offer! Whether you’re an aspiring competitor or casual student, you will benefit from training in our friendly, professional, and ego-free environment. Call us at 973-638-1570 to schedule your first class, and visit us on the web at http://www.njunitedmma.com/ for more info.

The importance of mental fortitude and discipline should go without saying. But those attributes are best gained as byproducts of loving relationships and a love for art!

In my last blog entry, I discussed the art of teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to young children, although I really only dealt with the tip of the iceberg. Yes, there’s a balance between discipline and play, and achieving it is critical to keep children coming back for more than one class. Discipline for the sake of discipline looks tough, but it’s a recipe for burn-out. Play for the sake of play should be reserved for playtime, not class time. But when a good coach leads a kids class, there are some really interesting ways in which martial discipline and a playful attitude can be combined and synergized! And even though I could tell you quite a few stories about how BJJ training has strengthened bonds between parents and children, I think that the accomplished basketball coach John Wooden hits the nail on the head best:

“Dad reasoned that whether we were better than someone else should not be a focus because our position in relation to others was out of our control. We could not control another’s performance, nor could we control how we would be ranked. All we could do was our best. While dad urged us to always learn from other people, he also cautioned us against depending upon others to define our self-worth or success. Instead, he wanted us to try very hard to give the best possible effort to become the best we could be and let the results take care of themselves.”

A flexible, fluid mind and a happy mentality are necessary for growth in any sport or martial art!

Looking back at my own childhood in sports and martial arts, I remember that I was always at my best when I was at play – when I valued other things higher than taking home a gold medal. Granted, those “other” concerns usually amounted to when I could go exploring in the woods, what kind of fort I could make, what pond water looked like under a microscope (and why), and how my friends and I would beat that one annoying level in that videogame that seemed too hard for us. This gave me a more flexible mind that prevented stress and tension from hindering my timing and technique. Have you ever seen a professional athlete or martial artist perform while having a tense, stressed-out mind? The result usually isn’t pretty for them, regardless of their natural talent, technical skill, or how much drilling they’ve done.

Later on in childhood, I went through a phase in which I lost this fluidity and became very tense in many areas of life. But I think we all do that at some point. And once you rediscover a previously lost talent or mentality, your grasp on it and your understanding of it is much more sure and substantial.

If you or your child have lost that great mentality that Wooden discusses, or if you’d simply like your child to gain confidence and strong technique through martial arts training, then give us a ring or send us an email! Our children’s program always has room for newcomers!

JJ Mike

Come train at NJ United Mixed Martial Arts and take advantage of our 7-day free trial offer! Whether you’re an aspiring competitor or casual student, you will benefit from training in our friendly, professional, and ego-free environment. Call us at 973-638-1570 to schedule your first class, and visit us on the web at http://www.njunitedmma.com/ for more info.

There is an art to balancing discipline with encouragement. Make sure that your children are training with instructors who teach with this in mind!

I have great respect for parents who regularly bring their young children in to our academy to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. As a teacher of children’s martial arts, I’ve learned to be constantly aware of what type of instruction is right for what child at what point in time. In my early years of teaching, I quickly took note of two principles that are vital for teaching a martial art to young children:

1. Don’t be flimsy in terms of discipline. Teach, stay on-target with the lesson, and drill the moves again and again.
2. Don’t be a disciplinarian who tries to turn 6 year-olds into world champions every day!

Therein lies the critical balance that every BJJ practitioner needs, whether child or adult. You can’t make BJJ a chore or a second job. Now I’ve never actually seen someone who intends this to happen, yet it’s a natural byproduct of too much point #2. It can occur through a coach who’s obsessed with his young students being android-like medal-accumulators, or a parent who has rarely (if ever) trained, yet wants to live through their children’s skill and power.

“Praise your kids. Inspire and motivate your players with praise. Ten years from now it won’t matter what your record was. Will your kids love you or hate you?” – Jim Harrick

But the flipside is the kids’ martial arts class that becomes a lackadaisical babysitting service. In this case, the kids turn out happy as Spongebob Squarepants on a sugar rush, but you don’t know what they’d do if a bully put them in a headlock. You simply can’t be a flimsy coach or enforcer (an oxymoron if there ever was one). However, this can unintentionally occur in parents or coaches who know the dangers of the hard-nosed disciplinarian all too well.

The key is discernment. There are times to be a disciplinarian, and there are times to take a water-break and play some dodgeball. In my next blog entry, I’m going to delve more into this idea. And although there’s no quick-fix to balancing or discerning anything, the best you can do is to have your children learn from instructors who have years of experience in maintaining this balance!

JJ Mike

Come train at NJ United Mixed Martial Arts and take advantage of our 7-day free trial offer! Whether you’re an aspiring competitor or casual student, you will benefit from training in our friendly, professional, and ego-free environment. Call us at 973-638-1570 to schedule your first class, and visit us on the web at http://www.njunitedmma.com/ for more info.

Your rank in BJJ represents all of your hard work, sacrifice, skill, persistence, and patience. Keep these virtues while at white belt, and your years at higher belts will much more rich!

One day, while hanging out with some training partners, I found myself in a debate about what the most fun Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu belt-rank is. Even the no-gi men and women got in on this. Some purple belts said that they imagined the black belt to be the most fun. That’s ideally when you become the best version of yourself on the mat. Some white belts said that the blue belt must be the most fun, because that’s a time when practitioners know enough to get solid and consistent results, yet they don’t carry the weight of an “upper belt.” But then a black belt said that he firmly believed the white belt to be the most enjoyable belt. People were surprised at this, but his reasoning was that at white belt:

• The entirety of BJJ is new to you. Every class can be revolutionary to your understanding.
• There’s no pressure. Nobody expects you to be anything more than or less than a novice.
• Since the art is new to you, you tend to have more simple fun with it. The weight of discipline isn’t as heavy as it is during your time at later belts.

Each belt rank in BJJ holds special opportunities and ways to grow. Don’t be in a rush though – enjoy and glean from your time at white belt for as long as you can!

I saw this black belt’s point immediately. Later in life when I got my own black belt, I reconsidered it and decided that I would do my best to maintain those good ‘white belt values’ no matter what belt rank I became. Yes, it is possible to do that – even as the factors of discipline and lifestyle-changes become greater at higher belt ranks. But then I got to thinking that if I was a white belt again, I would be much better at using and enjoying that time, and at not wanting to rush and over-develop.

Later on in your training, as you work your way up the BJJ ranking system, you’ll develop ways to keep an open and healthy, white belt mentality of wonder and lifelong learning. But are you currently a new white belt with no stripes on your belt? Well then that’s a rare, fresh time to truly cherish!

JJ Mike

Come train at NJ United Mixed Martial Arts and take advantage of our 7-day free trial offer! Whether you’re an aspiring competitor or casual student, you will benefit from training in our friendly, professional, and ego-free environment. Call us at 973-638-1570 to schedule your first class, and visit us on the web at http://www.njunitedmma.com/ for more info.

Understatement of the year: running is big in Thailand. But it’s big in the States as well, so the segue into Muay Thai training is already there!

Since I started working at NJ United MMA, I’ve seen some people sign-up for Muay Thai memberships while having almost no exercise experience at all. God bless those individuals – it takes guts to go from nothing and straight into a contact martial art like Muay Thai, even if you don’t elect to spar! However, other individuals who start Muay Thai have at least dabbled in some type of cardiovascular activity. Some have been runners. Others have enjoyed doing Spartan or Tough Mudder races. And still others have been hikers and healthy eaters looking for step-up in terms of mental and physical challenges. And I’ve heard a lot from positive feedback from Muay Thai first-timers like this. But I think the funniest (and maybe the most illuminating?), was from a young man who saw the martial art’s potency and said “This martial art is like . . . tobacco sauce. A little bit goes a long way!”

Some enjoy Muay Thai purely for cardio and technique, and others seek to eventually compete. But no matter what kind of practitioner you are, it’s vital to train with instructors and students who know how indispensable it is to have a big gas tank (i.e. awesome cardio)!

And yeah, I totally agree with that sentiment! I also agree with the reverse – that a little bit of running and cardio will put a much sharper edge on your Muay Thai technique. If you’re currently doing some form of cardio, you’re already set up to get the most you can get out of Thailand’s science of eight limbs. Yes, it’ll be a different type of cardio than you’ve ever done. No, your body won’t be “ready” for it, since nobody is truly “ready” for something they’ve never done. But so what? Muay Thai truly is the road less traveled, and that’s one reason why I have great respect for people traveling a road that is vaguely similar (due to the cardio-factor), and hitting the ground running in Muay Thai class.

Running and cardio sharpen your Muay Thai smarts, and vice versa. The synergy here is very potent, and the takeaway is huge. And honestly, even if you don’t plan on throwing heavy leather while competing in the ring, your cardiovascular system does need to be shaken-up sometimes. Before I started training Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, there were times in my life when I was master of my cardio-routine, and I was getting nice results. But that was the problem. Nice was just nice, and I wanted something more than nice. When I took up Muay Thai training, I was no longer the master of my cardio-routine. The “master” then became a martial art of infinite potential and development. Long story short, I got in better, tougher shape than I thought I would, I had more straight-up fun than I thought I would, and I didn’t look back. I believe this is exactly what’s in store for any first-timer who slips on gloves with a can-do attitude!

JJ Mike

Come train at NJ United Mixed Martial Arts and take advantage of our 7-day free trial offer! Whether you’re an aspiring competitor or casual student, you will benefit from training in our friendly, professional, and ego-free environment. Call us at 973-638-1570 to schedule your first class, and visit us on the web at http://www.njunitedmma.com/ for more info.