# BJJ...Wow!!!



## Shotochem (Oct 2, 2006)

Hi All,

     I have recently started to dabble in BJJ.  Only a couple of classes a month in addition to my regular training.  I have spent the last 7+ yrs in Shotokan, now I'm a Kempo guy.  I now have an even greater respect for BJJ.

Hey, this stuff is not easy and it is quite effective.  I have discovered that all of the skill and knowledge in my striking arts and wrestling experiece did not make it that much easier on the ground.  I am a fish out of water.

I have been choked, armbared, legbard, twisted, stretched, contorted and put in positions I have never even though of going into.

  The BJJ also goes well with my previous training.  To my complete amazement while I was sparring this weekend, when I was swept and taken down  I automatically just hooked my opponents leg took him down and rolled him into an armbar without thinking. 

I still don't know how I did it.
I can't wait for my next class. 
You guys suck.... now I want to grapple even more.:ultracool


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## terryl965 (Oct 2, 2006)

Sound like you are enjoying yourself great news and keep up your training


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## HKphooey (Oct 2, 2006)

Watch out!  Just like MT, it can become addictive!


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## Eternal Beginner (Oct 2, 2006)

HKphooey said:


> Watch out!  Just like MT, it can become addictive!


I second that opinion!  BJJ is _definitely_ addictive!


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## Shotochem (Oct 2, 2006)

Eternal Beginner said:


> I second that opinion! BJJ is _definitely_ addictive!


 
Great, thats all my wife needs to hear.... 

I'm not sure if I'm going to need a chiropractor or you BJJ guys are going to put them out of bussiness.


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## Eternal Beginner (Oct 2, 2006)

Shotochem said:


> Great, thats all my wife needs to hear....
> 
> I'm not sure if I'm going to need a chiropractor or you BJJ guys are going to put them out of bussiness.



Well, if it bugs your wife, just do what my hubby and I do - we train together!  He can't possibly get mad at my addiction when he is co-dependent right along with me!!!:wink1:


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## Ybot (Oct 2, 2006)

I started in Karate when I was younger, and I've often thought since how much my BJJ would contribute to my Karate if I ever went back.  Problem is I'm now hopelessly addicted too.  The only way I could train another art is if it didn't get in the way of my BJJ.


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## Old Fat Kenpoka (Oct 2, 2006)

I had the same experience.  A couple years of Shotokan and a couple decades of Kenpo.  BJJ just blew my mind.  Really a great art/sport.   A true revelation.


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## Shotochem (Oct 3, 2006)

Old Fat Kenpoka said:


> I had the same experience. A couple years of Shotokan and a couple decades of Kenpo. BJJ just blew my mind. Really a great art/sport. A true revelation.


 
For me its a double bonus.  I find Kempo a refreshing change from traditional rigidness and somewhat closed mindedness of Shotokan. 
      I admit my training in Shotokan was excellent I enjoyed it very much.
But, Kempo seems more open minded and allows me to use my body in a more effective way for me instead of harping on exact form instead of effectiveness.  They taught me how to really generate power and excellent mechanics.  The variety of what I'm learning in Kempo mixes quite well with my prior training.

  BJJ however is filling in my greatest gap in MA.  What do I do when I'm on the ground?  Most of us strikers know to take the other guy down when we are down then strike to finish.  What we do not know like a BJJ practitioner is what to do when you are flat on your back with someone sitting on top of you ready to pound away.  It takes away the advantage of the guy on top in a way I would not have previously thought possible.

     It very much of an eye opener for me, and at first a little bit humbling as well.  It exposed a weakness I did not know I had.


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## Old Fat Kenpoka (Oct 3, 2006)

Shotochem said:


> For me its a double bonus. I find Kempo a refreshing change from traditional rigidness and somewhat closed mindedness of Shotokan.
> I admit my training in Shotokan was excellent I enjoyed it very much.
> But, Kempo seems more open minded and allows me to use my body in a more effective way for me instead of harping on exact form instead of effectiveness. They taught me how to really generate power and excellent mechanics. The variety of what I'm learning in Kempo mixes quite well with my prior training.
> 
> ...


 
Yes.  I agree with you completely.  Glad you are approaching these arts with an open mind.


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## Warrior-Scholar (Oct 4, 2006)

Great to hear your story.  Unfortunately all too many Jiu-Jitsu practitioners do not have an open mind and fall under the same dogmatic spell that has enslaved many traditional martial artists for far too long.  I am glad you see value in these various systems.  Blending all of it together into a unified fighting style is the next and most important step.  
Train hard on your feet and your back!

P.S. On the idea of addiction: I think it is so addictive because you can employ a great deal of the art without fear of harming your training partner.  Some of the striking styles require a lot of bag work and controlled partner training (if you want to keep training partners that is!).  Jiu Jitsu styles allow the practitioner a bit more freedom in training, which keeps 'em coming back for more grappling fun!


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## KempoGuy06 (Oct 6, 2006)

I have to agree. Ive been train in Kempo and BJJ for the past couple of months. At first it was akward at 6'4" 260lbs I had a problem with grappling the little guys. They could move around me quicker. I have now learned to use my size as an advantage, I can effectively 'squash' my weight down to stop them from elbow escaping or using any other escape. I grappled with my instructor(1st degree black belt SKK) only last night. He told me that he was having to use stuff I havent learned yet to gain good position because of me learning to use my weight. I absolutely love this art along with SKK. Ive never felt better about my healt or my physically condition in a while. 

B

PS- Im going for my orange belt in a few weeks, so wish me luck


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## Warrior-Scholar (Oct 6, 2006)

Keep up the good work!!!
Do you ever get to train with Mr. Manganello much?  I know he is on the police force too.
I assume you are training at his facility.  The only other Shaolin Kempo school in the area I know of is in Shepherdsville.


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## KempoGuy06 (Oct 6, 2006)

Warrior-Scholar said:


> Keep up the good work!!!
> Do you ever get to train with Mr. Manganello much? I know he is on the police force too.
> I assume you are training at his facility. The only other Shaolin Kempo school in the area I know of is in Shepherdsville.


 
I train under Johnathan Drake. His school is called Bluegrass Martial Arts which is part of the Shaolin Kempo Studios. His instructor trains under Grandmaster Brasard. The man that you mention doesnt ring a bell. We train BJJ under one of my instructors training partners. His name is Brian his last name eludes me at the present time. 

B


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## Gentle Fist (Nov 8, 2006)

Welcome to the Dark Side!

:jediduel:


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## Brian R. VanCise (Nov 9, 2006)

It certainly is a great art!


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## arnisador (Dec 13, 2006)

*Police look for signs of strangling*



> Strangulation became a felony in Indiana this year, and police are being trained about the new law and signs of the abuse.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



It's actually a serious subject (domestic abuse), but all I could think when I read the headline was "They've outlawed BJJ!"


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## DavidCC (Dec 14, 2006)

arnisador said:


> *Police look for signs of strangling*
> 
> 
> 
> It's actually a serious subject (domestic abuse), but all I could think when I read the headline was "They've outlawed BJJ!"


 
This would be a hilarious prank to play on your local MMA school.  Call the police and report they are in there strangling each other.  Of course, it would be a huge waste of police time and probably get you in trouble with Johnny Law but it makes me grin to think of it.


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## Andrew Green (Dec 14, 2006)

That would make for a interesting court case, and by that article alone, it sounds like they did create a law that makes a good number of martial artists "technically" criminals...


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## dok (Dec 14, 2006)

*clears throat*
not exactly BJJ, but speaking of illegal martial arts moves...

http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=0,52975



> We have new information on the rape charges against a former Parker High School student. Seventeen-year-old Jerome Hunt faces 21 counts of rape and attempted rape. Each count carries up to 25 years in prison.
> 
> But Hunt's lawyer Mike Butler claims the complaints came from fellow Parker wrestlers who were simply victims of a legitimate wrestling move...


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## grappling_mandala (Dec 15, 2006)

Welcome home hobre!


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