George stopped by 10th Planet Headquarters @ Legends MMA in Hollywood to train some Rubber Guard techniques. He was kind enough to give us a few minutes for 10th Planet Watch.

 

So I get this message from Scott “Einstein” Epstein last night at 2 in the morning.

“im gonna teach at ray longos sat at 5 pm it will be 3 hours ..pump this up where ever you pump..” – Scott

Now, I could be a dick and not do shit for him cuz he’s a grease ball, or I could be a dick and just copy and paste what he wrote on my blog and make him look like a dick. 

…Either way, I’m a dick.

 

Hello 10th Planet supporters!

We are 1 week from our pre-opening date of December 1st !!
Why are we calling it our pre-opening…. because we are giving you a chance to jump aboard and join 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu and MMA for a limited time pricing event! 

How does Free Training for December sound? It’s true… training from Dec 1st to Dec 19th is FREE for all 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu and MMA classes! All you have to do is pay the $99 registration free (which includes a 10th Planet shirt and a pair of MMA gloves) and that’s all! No catches, no contracts, no hassles! 
After a month of free training if you wish to join us on a more permanent basis, during our Grand Opening week of January 5th, you will be offered even more discounts and free training time! 

The first 20 people to join us December 1st will receive :
– a free private lessons of your choice (Jiu Jitsu, MMA, Boxing, Kali, JKD or Thai Boxing)
– 50% off the next Eddie Bravo Seminar (worth $60)
– you will be entered to win our bi-yearly $500 prize give away
– gain special access to our Team Conditioning Trainer and our Team Dietitian 

If you can’t train on a regular basis our 12 class punch cards are on sale for only $75 for the first week of training!!! 

What makes us different?

– more mat time… 4 – 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu classes a week (6 hours a week of just Jiu Jitsu!)
– our dedication to your health and well being with our Team Trainer and Dietitian expert
– separate MMA classes
– our instructors have been personally trained by UFC champions and world class Brazilian Jiu Jutsu superstars
– we are 1 of only 10 – 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Affiliates in the world! 
– we are the only school in Vancouver teaching the Rubber Guard!
– Free workout and nutritional plans upon sign up!
– Free conditioning with our trainer for all competitive students 
– Bonuses for our in house tournament participants … And much more!

Schedule link:
http://www.10thplanetvancouver.com/schedule.asp

Full website link:
http://www.10thplanetvancouver.com

***** Make sure that you are among the lucky first 20 people and email us at 10thplanetvancouver.com and we will send you an online payment request for $99 which you can make by visa or mastercard! *****

Welcome to the Revolution! Welcome to 10th Planet Vancouver!

Coaches Corner w/ Coach Chris Herzog

Tournament Strategies


When developing a strategic game plan to win, it is imperative that your know the rules set that you will be competing under. Yes submitting your opponent should be the ultimate goal, however this may not always be possible depending on the strengths and strategies of your opponents.

Knowing what scores and what penalizes can make the difference of a win/loss in a match. I’ve seen countless competitor loose matches specifically because they didn’t know or didn’t understand the rule sets they are competing under. We’ve all seen the take down and stall strategy, where one competitor takes down the other only to play defensive and ride out the clock to win 1-0. The guard player could of had 10 sub attempts and tried to finish but still loses.  This is a  drain physically, emotionally and even financially that can easily be avoided if the competitors studies the rules and trains accordingly, even if for a few weeks prior to the event.
 Its becoming increasing common for competitors to be penalized for pulling guard as well, employing intelligent strategy can help us avoid being penalized while still attacking with our strengths. Attempting a double or single leg, sitting through to take guard, Damian Maia vs. Nate  Quarry is a beautiful example of this.

 “But my takedowns suck!” True but your opponent likely doesn’t know this, and that’s what drill training is for. Attack with intent, they’ll be forced to defend allowing the sit through to guard.
Its all about selling your attack, making them respect it, and forcing them to defend.

Even though my teams overall strategic game plan remains the same, little tweaks and twists based on an events rule set have allowed increased success. It’s all about percentages, even if its only a few percent change. Percentages matter at all levels of competition, especially at the elite level where even a 1% change can be the difference in a win or a loss.

Warming Up:

How one of the simplest concepts can be so easily overlooked is beyond me. I literally have to stalk down And hound some of my competitors and force them to warm up and stay warm prior to their  matches.
 A proper warm up the day of the event is  absolutely necessary for optimum performance. Many competitors are slow starters and don’t get into the zone until mid way point in the match, by then it may be too late. I have many of those guys on my team, and we’ve come up with some guidelines to help keep them on track the day of the event.

•Initial warm up 20-25mins: I prefer that our team warms up together, it re-enforces unity and the team concept that builds necessary morale and confidence the day of the event. The initial warm up consists of a light jog with some functional flexibility drills. Next would be static stretching, followed by pummeling, and transitional drills (takedowns, throws, positional and submission escapes). I tend to have them stay away from our attacking game plan as eyes are watching, and I’m sure as hell watching others.

•Keep warm: Wait times can be absolutely ridiculous while waiting for your division or waiting in between matches. A few things I preach; a keep a sweat shirt and pants on, keeping something on your feet, if the floor is cold it can seep into your legs, wearing a skull cap is another way to keep heat trapped in your body.

•Match prep: Get a good sweat going and elevate your heart rate before the match(I shoot for about 70%). When you step on the mat you want your body to feel as if your all ready 2-3 minutes deep into the match.  This will defiantly help those that are slow starters.

Also remember stay hydrated (sip water throughout the day). I also like my guys to eat light through out the day; fruits and nuts are great energy sources (oranges, apples, bananas and raw almonds). Finding a balance is the key, over or under eating the day of the event can also have an effect on your performance. Lastly stay away from foods that aren’t part of your regular diet, you would be surprised the impact it will have on your body.

Over the years I’ve seen some very skilled competitors get beat by lesser skilled, but better prepared opponents. Hell, we see it all the time in MMA. It’s becoming increasing common to watch a fight and see the underdog win. This is largely due to their preparation. Forest Griffin personifies the importance of preparation, he’s become a UFC champion because of it.

 

Coming Soon:

Skill and the part it plays in the competitor’s equation for Success.

 

 

-Chris Herzog

 

 

Is a Brown Belt in 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, under Eddie Bravo.  Chris runs 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Rochester out of Empire Academy of Comabt Sports & Fitness in Rochester, Ny. Chris also teaches Judo, Sambo and MMA. He is available for seminars and be contacted through the Academy website at: www.10thplanetjiujitsurochester.com or by e-mail: CoachHerzog@teamempire.us

 

Coach’s Corner w/ Coach Chris Herzog

When Alder first asked me to write a blog for 10th Planet Watch I was pumped, then immediately realized, “you can barely put thoughts to spoken words you dope, how the hell are you going to articulate them to written words.”  Apparently that wasn’t a concern for Alder, so as long you guys don’t care, I don’t care either.  So grammar and spelling be damned (thank the Anunnaki for spell check, however I think I’m the only person in the world that gives spell check a headache, because sometimes it doesn’t even know what the hell I’m trying to spell).

So, besides the deciding what initial topics were going to cover, the next step was comming up with a name for the blog. I was playing around with the idea of something witty, and then that came to a screeching halt.  So I decided upon a tribute to a close friend and mentor that’s on hard times, as a reminder to him of the lives he’s touched and effected. He used to run a open MMA forum with the same name.  So welcome to the new “Coach’s Corner”.

Preparation:

In this installment of Coach’s Corner we’ll begin to take a look and the equation I use to promote success for my competitors/fighters. Just to be clear we will be discussing competition in terms of attempting to win, there are merits to competing for skill development, but that’s something we can discuss at a later date. Today will start our discussion with tournament preparation and its importance to success.  “But skill is listed first”.   Hey this is my blog and I start it anyway damn way I please. Now sit down and the 3 of you pay attention!

Preparation consists of many aspects but we’ll be touching on  three pieces to the puzzle that I’ve found to be the most effective: sport specific conditioning, tournament strategies, and proper warming up the day of the event.

Sport Specific Conditioning: Over the years I’ve had many well conditioned athletes walk through my Academy doors; marathon runners; collegiate athletes wrestlers, soccer and football players, powerlifters, body builders, etc.
They all had one thing in common. They all gassed when they spared and when they competed, they where all in great shape, but they weren’t in the right shape.

To get into the right shape we have to understand the importance of sport specific conditioning. Most grappling matches consist of one round 5-8mins in length depending on the skill level of the competitor. Studies have show that most intense action during these matches happens in busts of approximate 20 seconds, with 25-30 seconds of “active rest” which allows heart rate recovery in between bursts.  It’s important to replicate these conditions during your tournament preparation. Using a round based system one can easily apply it to drill training (escapes, passes, etc.) and their conditioning program reinforcing the replication of a competitive environment.  Depending on the level of importance of the event will dictate how long you want to prepare for the tournament between 3-6 weeks, replacing your normal training routine, is a fair amount of time to prepare if you are all ready in decent shape.   

 Its no secret that Grappling relies heavily on core strength and flexibly, but what many people miss is the importance of dynamic strength (kettle bell swings, cleans, burpees, power bands, etc.) and functional flexibility(hip swings, full range lunges, etc.) vs. static strength (bench pressing, curls, etc.) and flexibility (seated stretching and holding for 15-20 secs). Some great training methods that promote functional fitness are becoming readily available include kettle bell training and other programs such as cross fit.  At our academy we have a program that addresses these needs (Fight Fitness) designed specifically for our fighters and competitors, which has made a considerable difference in our competitive outcomes. If these types of programs are not accessible in your area there are several free online resources available that will allow you to set up your own individualized program.

 

Pt. 2 of this article up tomorrow!

 

-Chris Herzog

 

Is a Brown Belt in 10^th Planet Jiu Jitsu, under Eddie Bravo.  Chris runs 10^th Planet Jiu Jitsu Rochester out of Empire Academy of Comabt Sports & Fitness in Rochester, Ny. Chris also teaches Judo, Sambo and MMA. He is available for seminars and be contacted through the Academy website at: www.10thplanetjiujitsurochester.com or by e-mail: CoachHerzog@teamempire.us

“In this video we review the Riddler from the back, the Unforgiven and show a new triangle set up when the try to escape called the Cleveland. Then we show the Riddler from Mount and Side Control and the Unforgiven and Cleveland off of them. Filmed at 8th Street Gym, Grand Junction, Colorado. Jeff “The Wolverine” Barney and Felipe Soto “

More stuff from out boys in Grand Junction. I want the next video to be: “Attack of the 50 foot Puppet Master vs. Mega Tangled Up Control” This will be the battle for advanced rubber guard supremacy.

“I will be in the New York City area between November 22 and December 27. If you’re interested in setting up a rubber guard/twister seminar or private lesson, simply contact me via email.

Quick facts about me: I have been with Eddie at 10th Planet in Hollywood since the school first opened its doors. I initially started with Renzo in NY, then got my blue belt from Caique, and my purple and brown from Eddie. Been a brown in Eddie’s system for over two years.

I’ll break down Eddie’s system for you, even if you lack flexibility!

erwanngmarshall@hotmail.com”

Eddie has been praising Dustin Hazelett’s Rubber Guard usage in MMA for a while now. He feels it’s the best in the UFC. When I heard they were moving Hazelett vs. Tamdan to the main card, I was exstatic. I knew there was a chance we could finally see a rubber guard submission on the main stage! Not to mention, Tamdan is also a huge rubber guard fan too. I wasn’t let down. This is an amazing match, both guys come out to fight! In the end Hazelett pulls off an awesome omoplata submission.

I’ve already been reading the forums. Some people are praising the RG, and some people are saying it’s not rubber guard, that it’s just a regular old omoplata. Technically he does skip some steps and goes straight to it. What do you think? Is this a victory for 10th Planet JJ, or is this just a regular ol’ BJJ finish?

As you know, my name is Alder. I like to fancy myself as an authority on the history of the Rubber Guard. From it’s inception, it’s been Eddies mission to revolutionize the Jiu Jitsu game. Up to this point I feel he’s done a excellent job. Although there are many detractors, I feel the evidence swings on the side of favorability. I feel we’re close to seeing a Rubber Guard victory in the main event of the UFC.

If we look at the facts, it could be the BJ Penn vs. George St. Pierre. Here’s GSP, a man that has been out wrestling wrestlers and dominating his division. Let’s face it, BJ’s takedown defense is sick, but he’ll probably go down eventually. In my opinion it will be GSP’s game plan to take BJ down and try to pound from the top. This lends itself to a RG victory. BJ has the skill set and the flexibility to the THE RG player. I feel it would be in BJ’s best interest to consider this as an serious option in his game plan. If BJ could pull this off, it would be the biggest moment in RG history to date. 

My question is, what are the important RG/10pjj moments so far? Shinya Aoki beating Hansen? Vinny Magalhaes switching to the dark side and using Eddie’s stuff on TUF 8. Or maybe it the publishing of Eddie’s book, “Mastering The Rubber Guard.” At any rate, there’s a ton of key moments, let’s hear some. 

.

Here’s my new card. I had my good friend Jo-S hook up the graphic design. He’s an art director at a firm that does all the DVD covers and Movie posters. I thought that it was pretty special. What do you guys think?

Here’s the deal… You pay me money, I teach you 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. Seems like a fair trade to me right? I know what I’m doing, I have experience, I’m talented and I’m fun to hang out with.